Rumors for February, 2011
Rockies and John Maine agree to a Minor League deal
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The Colorado Rockies and right-handed pitcher John Maine have agreed to a Minor League deal according to the team’s official Twitter account.
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN adds that the Phillies and Royals were among the six or seven clubs interested in the right-hander. The Rockies’ deal will include an out clause if he doesn’t make big league club. Maine could make about $3 million if he makes the team.
Yesterday, there were rumors that the Phillies were front runners for Maine’s services. He had been auditioning for clubs as recently as January 26, and even then the Phillies were mentioned as a possible destination.
The 29-year-old had shoulder surgery last year and Maine’s agent, Rex Gary, said that the pitcher is feeling good. It wouldn’t be surprising that the deal will be incentive based with a low base salary and a high upside depending on innings pitched.
Maine went 1-3 with a 6.13 ERA in 9 starts for the New York Mets in 2010.
Pujols says he wants to be a Cardinal forever
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Yesterday, we learned that three baseball executives expect the Chicago Cubs to make a big push for Albert Pujols, given the fact the the Cardinals couldn’t sign an extension with the first baseman. One of them guesses that Chicago will give Pujols $33 or $34 million annually for seven years.
That doesn’t mean that the Cardinals and Pujols are done talking. Yesterday, reports indicated that Pujols is willing to revisit talks after the season and Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt said that he remains hopeful that Pujols will finish his career in St. Louis.
Today, Pujols stated: “what do I want? I want to be a Cardinal forever.” (via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch).
He says that if they can’t work a deal he will go to free agency. The team will likely have to settle for a small exclusive negotiating window after the World Series, and if he leaves, they’ll get two draft picks as a (Type-A free agent compensation) for a player who could easily end up being one of the greatest hitters of all time.
Gary Sheffield officially retires
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Veteran slugger Gary Sheffield has officially retired from baseball according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
Sheffield was hoping that he could make a comeback and play one more season with the Tampa Bay Rays. During the Winter Meetings in December, the outfielder/designated hitter said he wanted to play in Tampa. He went as far as having dinner with Rays’ manager Joe Maddon.
“I had a meeting with the Rays, and they’re going to get back to me, and it’s out there now that they’re talking to me and hopefully something comes about. I wanted to play last year, and the Nationals made a pitch all off-season. The Giants, the Rangers, all these teams were coming after me, but then all of a sudden, oh and the Diamondbacks, and so when it all came down to it, it was about situations came up where they’d sign another player and then all of a sudden when I was getting ready to sign somewhere else, the player turned down a deal somewhere else and he became an Arizona Diamondback and at the last minute, you know, obviously he’s younger, so they went that route. I got a call on the 18th of April and asked me to come play every day right field without no Spring Training and I was like, ‘No, I’m not going to do that.’ I have to have time to have Spring Training just like everybody else.”
The meeting was not a formal courting by the Rays, rather it was more of a get-to-know-you type of situation.
He later said on the ESPN 1040 interview that he felt “a little disrespected” that he did not get a call back from the Rays.
The 42-year-old Sheffield last played for the New York Mets in 2009 where he hit .276/.372/.451 with 10 home runs and 43 runs driven in while playing 100 games. He finishes his career with 509 home runs, 1676 RBIs while hitting .292/.393/.514. With 500+ home runs he should be able to qualify for the Hall of Fame, but we’ll see in a few years.
Diamondbacks officially agree with Russell Branyan to Minor League deal
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have officially agreed with Russell Branyan on a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training, according to a team press release. Joe Lemire of Sports Illustrated first reported that Branyan had found a job and Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated was the first to report that the deal was with the Diamondbacks.
The 35-year-old Branyan has been almost everywhere in the Major Leagues. The Diamondbacks will be Branyan’s ninth big league club. He split last season with the Cleveland Indians and the Seattle Mariners where he hit .237/.323/.487 with 25 home runs and 57 RBIs.
The Mariners held a team team option for 2011 with Branyan, but that was quickly declined after the season.
Dodgers are considering Jeff Weaver
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According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Dodgers are considering bringing back veteran right handed pitcher Jeff Weaver.
Weaver, was 5-1 with a 6.09 ERA with 26 SO in 44.1 innings. The 34-year old right hander, has been around the Majors for 11 seasons and has pitched for the Dodgers, Tigers, Yankees, Angels, Cardinals and Mariners.
Jose Bautista and Toronto Blue Jays agree to five-year deal
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According to a source close to the Associated Press, the 2010 Major League home run champ Jose Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a five-year, $65 million deal. An official announcement is expected on Thursday at 5pm EST.
Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes first reported that the sides were close to a deal on Wednesday and Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports added that a sixth-year option could bring the deal to $78 million.
The deal will include contributions to Bautista’s charities in Canada and the Dominican Republic.
The average annual value of $13 million exceeds the one-year numbers that the sides were arguing over ($10.5 million that Bautista requested and the $7.6 million the Blue Jays offered). However, if Bautista can continue to perform well and hit home runs, the deal will pay off for the Jays in the long run since he would likely command more than $13 million per season.
The 30-year-old MLB home run leader hit 54 home runs and drove in 124 RBIs while making only $2.4 million last season. The sides previously had a scheduled appearance before an arbitrator last Monday, but the hearing was postponed because of the negotiations. A deal would have had to have been done by this Friday as Friday was the deadline for all arbitration hearings to be completed.
Rays owner does not want to buy the Mets… yet
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The owners of the New York Mets revealed on Wednesday that despite legal problems in the Bernie Madoff case, the team has no intention to sell controlling interest in the team. Last month, the Wilpon family said they would sell as much as 25% of the team, and it has sparked some rumors including Donald Trump and Mark Cuban. However, Kevin Kernan of the New York Post reports that baseball fans should not expect the Tampa Bay Rays’ owner, Stuart Sternberg, to jump in on the sale.
“I have no intention of purchasing or looking at purchasing the Mets,” Sternberg said. Sternberg is a Brooklyn native and a Mets season ticket holder.
“It’s the Wilpons’ team and I can’t envision it,” he said. “The Wilpons have been great to me. They’ve been welcoming. They’ve been nothing but kind and help advance what we are trying to do. They are big fans of ours.”
Kernan adds that anything is possible and if the Mets are forced to sell, don’t be surprised if Sternberg and his partners change their mind.
Toronto Blue Jays sign Scott Podsednik
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According to a team announcement, the Toronto Blue Jays have signed outfielder Scott Podsednik. A source close to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports confirms that Podsednik will make $1 million if he makes the big league roster.
Podsednik turned down his side of a mutual option the Dodgers held which would have guarunteed him $2mm. Now he settled for a minor league deal with Spring Training getting under way.
There was talk that either the Los Angles Angels or the Los Angeles Dodgers would sign the the speedy outfielder. The Angels were looking for a leadoff hitter and depth for their outfield especially in the wake of not signing Carl Crawford this winter.
Podsednik, 34, hit .297/.342/.382 with 6 HR and 51 RBI’s in 2010, he also stole 35 bases in 50 attempts.
Albert Pujols Rumors: Execs expect Cubs to go after Pujols
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The St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols let the deadline come and go and no deal was struck. However, rumors about Pujols’ future continue. Here are the latest:
– Pujols said that he’s willing to revistt talks after the season. (Bob Nightengale, USA Today)
– Three executives close to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated say we should expect the Chicago Cubs to make a big push for Pujols. One executive guess that Chicago will give Pujols $33 or $34 million for seven years.
– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports said the Cardinals would have given Pujols the 10th highest salary in baseball around $19-21 million per season, but they were not willing to go 10 years.
– Tony LaRussa is ready for the deadline to come and go, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. “I think the last two days I’ve done more than enough talking,” La Russa said. “I don’t have anything more to say than I already did.
– Buster Olney of ESPN says that it is a day of hope for some owner outside of St. Louis because in all likelihood, it doesn’t look like Pujols will sign.
– Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated is in the same boat with Olney. He doesn’t expect a deal to happen today.
Blue Jays and José Bautista close to a five-year deal
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In a Tweet by Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com, he reports that the Toronto Blue Jays and José Bautista are close to a five-year, $65 million extension. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports adds that a sixth-year option could bring the deal to $78 million.
The deal will include c0ntributions to Bautista’s charities in Canada and the Dominican Republic.
The sides have been negotiating a long-term deal for some time. They went as far as postponing their arbitration hearing that was scheduled for last Monday.
Bautista recently said that if they could not come to an agreement on a long-term deal, then he would stop negotiations until he becomes a free agent after the 2011 season.
The average annual value of $13 million exceeds the one-year numbers that the sides were arguing over ($10.5 million that Bautista requested and the $7.6 million the Blue Jays offered). However, if Bautista can continue to perform well and hit home runs, the deal will pay off for the Jays in the long run.
The 2010 MLB home run leader hit 54 home runs and drove in 124 RBIs while making only $2.4 million last season.
