Rumors for March, 2010
Here are your happy hour PRO Rumors:
- President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, Larry Lucchino, may not originally have been on board to do a sign and retire deal with Nomar Garciaparra. Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa of the Boston Herald said, “the Red Sox deny it, but we hear the big one-day contract-slash-retirement announcement was supposed to come at the very beginning of Spring Training. Reportedly, it had to be delayed because Larry wasn’t totally on board with the plan.”
- The Twins do not want to see Joe Nathan miss 2010 and 2011 with his torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. “Timing is very important in this decision,” General Manager Bill Smith said Wednesday. Nathan may be a candidate to undergo Tommy John surgery. If that’s the case, then his recovery time is at least 12 months. If he waits now hoping that his elbow will get better, it will delay his surgery and causing him to miss a portion of the 2011 season. (Joe Christensen, Star Tribune)
- Larry Stone of The Seattle Times says that Boston Red Sox third baseman Adrian Beltre turned down a three-year, $24 million contract from the Oakland Athletics to sign a one-year deal with the Red Sox hoping to sign a bigger deal next off season. Before he signed with Boston, he was expecting to go back to Seattle. “I expected to be back,” he said. “I waited and waited, but there was nothing on the table. That was it. I waited as long as I could. They went different ways. I went different ways.
- Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post talks about the rehab plans for Nationals’ catcher Jesus Flores. Flores says his arm is not feeling good, a few months following his shoulder surgery. Flores will spend ten days to two weeks with famed surgeon Dr. James Andrews and then start a throwing program. The catcher will be on the disabled list to start the season. Worst case scenario is that Flores will be out the whole year.
- The Tampa Bay Rays are opponents of the use of maple bats in the wake of a broken bat shooting towards pitcher David Price on Wednesday. Mark Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times says, “MLB has studied the issue and instituted a ban in the minors of some of the maple bats, which tend to shatter more easily. But it has not taken action at the major-league level.”
- Phil Coke, reliever for the Detroit Tigers, but formerly of the New York Yankees, was “very upset” with the trade that set him to Detroit. “It seemed like some people had done less in the past and stuck around longer. It was tough for me to swallow,” said Coke, adding he’s excited with where he’s at now. (NorthJersey.com)
- Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies star Lenny Dykstra is being accused in a federal court filing that Dykstra groped the breasts and tried to push a former female employee, Jacqueline Massaaro, down on a bed in his Los Angeles home after the ex-athlete solicited a “blow job.”
Brian Giles and Bobby Crosby using performing enhancing drugs?
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Kansas City Royals Jason Kendall’s legal documents, the catcher disclosed that retired outfielder Brian Giles used a performance enhancing drug, Adderall. When asked if Giles used the drug, Kendall said, “I believe so.”
Kendall was also asked about drug use by Pirates infielder Bobby Crosby. When asked if he knew if Crosby took Adderall, Kendall responded, “I don’t know,” but the two have discussed Adderall “more than one time.”
Earlier this week Tom Fornelli of MLB Fanhouse, reported that Kendall’s former wife, Chantel Kendall, said that Kendall is abusing the prescription drug Adderall. Adderall is used to treat those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, and it is an amphetamine. Fornelli says, “the drug is to help a patient increase their alertness, concentration, libido and overall cognitive skills.”
Information from Radar Online was used in this posting.
Tampa Bay Rays sign Leslie Anderson to 4 year contract
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald, the Tampa Bay Rays have signed Cuban first baseman and outfielder Leslie Anderson to a four-year, $3.75 million contract.
There was chatter in late February that indicated Anderson was drawing interest from Major League teams according to Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN The Magazine. Anderson held an open workout where nine teams watched him, but no GMs were present at the time.
He did not leave a very favorable workout at the time. “He was mediocre at best,” said an executive of one team who watched Anderson. “Very average tools.” Another scout said, “Leslie showed a below average arm while throwing from centerfield and first base. He ran badly from home to first base. During batting practice he hit several line drives, but showed no power. Defensively, he’ll need to play either first base or left field and hit with a very high average and lots of home runs, and right now I don’t project that he could. I’d have to think he needs to have another showcase since he didn’t hit against live pitching, but instead just had batting practice.”
Joe Mauer Trade Rumors: Could the Twins trade their hometown hero?
Posted by: | CommentsRumors over the last month have had the Minnesota Twins and catcher Joe Mauer going back and forth on a contract extension with the length being as long as 10 years and the annual amount as high as $30 million per season. It was believed Mauer had signed a ten-year contract with the Twins in early February, but the reports proved to be premature.
Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune suggests that the Twins may trade Mauer in the event that they cannot get the extension signed before he becomes a free agent. Souhan says, “a combination of modern baseball logic and Twins history suggests that if the Twins’ decision-makers can’t sign Mauer, they will be obligated to trade him.” Souhan adds, “if (agent Ron) Shapiro is intent on pushing Mauer to $25 million or more a year, Mauer might find himself on the Johan Santana Shuttle out of town.”
Mauer, 26, won the 2009 American League MVP when he hit .365 with 28 home runs and 96 RBIs. If Mauer hits the free agent market, you can expect that the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will be the first in line to throw money at him. You can see Mauer’s contract history and statistics here.
Ramon Vazquez Trade Rumors: Pirates ready to deal infielder
Posted by: | CommentsInfielder Ramon Vazquez and his $2 million guaranteed salary may be on the market according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“They told me I’m not on the team right now,” Vazquez said. “If I don’t do well enough, I’m going to be gone. I don’t know what that means, if that’s a trade or what. I’m playing for myself right now. All I know is that I feel really good health-wise for the first time in a long time, and I’m ready for whatever happens.”
Trade candidates include the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles. The Rangers are in need of a second baseman since they voided Khalil Greene’s contract when he did not show up to Spring Training due to social anxiety. Brian Roberts of the Orioles may not be ready by Opening Day, so the team is looking for alternatives.
The Pirates signed infielder Bobby Crosby this off season, so Vazquez became expendable.
Vazquez, 33, hit .230/.335/.279 with the Pirates in 2009. You can see Vazquez’s contract history and statistics here.
Washington Nationals release Shawn Estes and Eddie Guardado
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Bill Ladson of MLB.com and Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, the Washington Nationals have released pitchers Shawn Estes and Eddie Guardado.
Estes, 37, was signed to a Minor League contract in early February. The 1997 All Star has a career 101-93 record with a 4.71 ERA. He last pitched in the Majors in 2008 with the San Diego Padres when he went 2-3 with a 4.74 ERA in 9 games (8 games started). You can see Estes’ contract history and statistics here.
Gaurdado, 39, has pitched for the Twins, Mariners, Reds and Rangers. He was 1-2 with a 4.46 ERA in 48 games with the Rangers in 2009. You can see Guardado’s statistics here.
Kerry Wood Trade Rumors: Indians holding on to their closer
Posted by: | CommentsNow that Joe Nathan of the Minnesota Twins is out due to a a torn ulner collateral ligament, the Indians who were once thought to be trading their closer Kerry Wood, may have a change of heart. The team realizes that the Twins are not AL Central favorites anymore, but rather a contender. With that said, the Indians stand a better chance of keeping their closer and contending for the division title. If the team falters, the Indians could always trade Wood for a good bounty come the July trading deadline.
Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer says the Indians should have a good idea of where the team is going after their first 50 games. The team plays 26 of the 50 games against division foes.
Wood was 3-3 with 20 saves in 58 appearances in his first year with the American League club. There were off season rumors of teams inquiring about him, but the Indians wanted teams to absorb most of his salary. He still has a 97 mph fastball, but his ability to stay healthy throughout the year could be his downfall.
The belief was that with the Cleveland Indians in rebuilding mode Wood and his $10.5 million contract would be shipped off to another team early in the season.
New manager Manny Acta and pitching coach Tim Belcher plan to use Wood more this season. They plan to use Wood in more four-out save situations which could lead to improved stats. Additionally, Acta said that Wood will not go for more than three days without pitching.
Woods has a lifetime 80-64 record with 3.67 ERA. He spent most of his career with the Chicago Cubs and in 2008 he had 34 saves. You can see Wood’s contract history and statistics here.
Don Mattingly the next Dodger manager?
Posted by: | CommentsDon Mattingly took the captains chair today at Camelback Ranch as he became acting manager of the Dodgers while manager Joe Torre took half the squad over to Taiwan for a weekend series. Mattingly is also viewed as Torre’s potential successor in Chavez Ravine, and Mattingly reiterated that he was approached in the off season about eventually filling that role. “Nothing definitive” was discussed in terms of replacing Torre, who is in the final year of his contract with the Dodgers but has talked to team owner Frank McCourt about an extension for 2011, Mattingly said. Mattingly said that in between his off season interview with the Cleveland Indians and a scheduled interview with the Washington Nationals, he met with McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti, and Mattingly said he met with McCourt, Colletti and team president Dennis Mannion later in the winter in Arizona and had productive conversations that led him to turn down the Nationals interview. “They like me, I like them, and I felt like I was part of their future,” Mattingly said. “So we kept the conversation going. … I like California. It fits my personality more than anything. It fits me perfectly.”
Mattingly has openly stated he feels ready to manage a major league team but also realizes that he is in a position to learn from one of the best managers of all time. “You never stop learning,” Mattingly said. “I’ve got to keep my priorities straight and know what my job is. And Joe knows I’ve got his back.” Mattingly took over the Dodgers’ hitting coach duties after the ‘08 All-Star break due in part to a season long slump that the entire team seemed to be in. The poor hitting could also be attributed to the team having a lot of young inexperienced players at the major league level at the time. In ‘09, the club led the National League with a .270 batting average and .346 on-base percentage. Mattingly has played a vital role in the development of Matt Kemp and Andre Either. Both players posted career highs in multiple categories and look to continue their success at the plate in the upcoming season.
Once Torre rides off into the baseball sunset, Mattingly will be ready to take over the team and hopefully provide stability to the Dodgers that hasn’t been there since the great Tommy Lasorda.
Information from Doug Miller of MLB.com was used in this article.
