Rumors for October, 2011
Rays won’t be quick to decide on Damon and Kotchman
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Even though designated hitter Johnny Damon has expressed interest in returning to the Rays, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times points out that the team won’t make any quick decisions regarding the status of him or Casey Kotchman.
Topkin adds that the Rays still don’t know either who they will “bring in or ship out.” Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman will have to find a way to improve the offense with limited resources. Friedman is trying to find “the optimal mix” of 13 position players that can best produce and prevent runs says Topkin.
If they decide to trade for hitters, there are already teams eying their well stacked pitching staff according to Topkin. Damon hit .261/.326/.418 with 16 HR’s and 73 RBI’s in 582 AB’s for the Rays in 2011. Kotchman hit .306/.378/.422 with 10 HR’s and 48 RBI’s in 500 AB’s for the Rays in 2011.
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McCourt’s reach settlement involving Dodgers
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Frank and Jamie McCourt have reached a settlement involving the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to sources close to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The settlement includes Jamie McCourt getting about $130 million and relinquishing any claim to a share of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball club. The settlement has not been finalized.
The sides had been arguing whether or not Frank McCourt is the sole owner of the team or if the club lies in community property between the two.
Up next for Frank McCourt is a battle with Major League Baseball and commissioner Bud Selig for control of his team. McCourt took his club into bankruptcy protection in June 2011 and in doing so Selig asked the Court to have the team sold.
After years of divorce hearings, the settlement involving the club will create a clearer path for the team to return to prominence. The Dodgers have not made the postseason since the 2009 NLCS.
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Wang wants contract extension with Nationals
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Representatives for right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang and the Washington Nationals are talking about a possible contract extension, but neither side is close to a deal, according to a source close to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
Wang is eligible to become a free agent after this year’s World Series, but the source says that Wang may not do so. Wang feels a loyalty to the Nationals since they stuck with him during his years of shoulder issues.
Wang was 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA in 11 starts this season. Manager Davey Johnson said that he would like his right-hander back for 2012.
“There is no doubt about it,” Johnson said. “If I’m here, he could have my salary.”
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Texas Rangers eyeing C.C. Sabathia?
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Left handed pitcher C.C. Sabathia has the option to opt-out of his contract, leaving four-years and a guaranteed $92 million on the table. However, by opting-out now, he can easily sign a new deal that will surpass the total money that he’s leaving on the table.
If he decides to opt out, the Texas Rangers are preparing to make a “strong bid” to sign the left hander reports a baseball source close to Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com.
“I hear they’re going to throw a boatload of money at him,” said the source. “But I think he’ll stay with the Yankees. He’s talked so much about how much he loves New York, and besides, the Yankees can’t afford to lose him from that pitching staff.”
Rangers’ C.J. Wilson is set to hit free agency this winter and Sabathia could be a great replacement for the left hander. Wallace points out that Sabathia, who is accustomed to high workloads, would fit perfectly with Nolan Ryan’s philosophy of “workhorse pitchers.”
Sabathia was 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA in 237.1 innings throughout 33 starts for the Yankees in 2011.
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Pirates looking for a trade partner for Maholm
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Earlier this week, we learned that the Pirates were going to decline Paul Maholm’s $9.75 million contract option for 2012, but according to Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com, the team is looking for a trade partner before actually declining the option.
Langosch explains that the Pirates are looking for a trade partner that thinks Maholm is worth $9.75 million and that doesn’t want him to hit the open market. If they find such a team, they would exercise the left hander’s option and flip him to that team.
The 29-year-old Maholm was 6-14 with a 3.66 ERA in 26 starts this season with the Pirates.
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Padres to decline options on Hawpe and Qualls
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The San Diego Padres will decline the club options on Brad Hawpe and Chad Qualls, according to GM Jed Hoyer (via Marty Caswell of XX1090). The team is also internally discussing the future of Aaron Harang with the club.
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Diamondbacks release RHP Juan Gutierrez
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have released right-handed pitcher Juan Gutierrez, according to a club announcement on Twitter.
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Diamondbacks release Juan Carlos Gutierrez
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have unconditionally released reliever Juan Carlos Gutierrez according to the team official Twitter account.
Gutierrez was 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA in just 18.1 innings throughout 20 relieving appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2011.
Ben Cherington set to replace Theo Epstein as Red Sox’s GM
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According to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports, the Boston Red Sox have decided to go with Ben Cherington as their replacement for Theo Epstein as the team’s new General Manager.
Cherington was the Red Sox’s vice president of player personnel under Epstein. Brown adds that the team will ask Cherington to “repair a flawed roster, name a field manager, clean up a dysfunctional clubhouse and carry on in the shadow of Epstein.”
Epstein left the team to become the Cubs’ new GM earlier this week.
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David Ortiz open to joining the Yankees
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Designated hitter David Ortiz will be a free agent at the end of this season and according to Colleen Dominguez of ESPN he’s open to the idea of joining the Yankees if they decide to present him with an offer.
Ortiz didn’t say he wanted to join the Yankees, but as Dominguez points out, he showed a great deal of respect for the organization. “That’s something I gotta think about,” Ortiz said. “I’ve been here on the Red Sox a long time, and I’ve seen how everything goes down between these two ballclubs.”
“It’s great from what I hear,” he said about the Yankees. “It’s a good situation to be involved in. Who doesn’t want to be involved in a great situation where everything goes the right way?
“They lost just like we did, they just went to the first round of the playoffs. I ain’t heard nobody coming out killing everybody just because they lost.”
Back in July, we learned that Ortiz wanted a two-year deal from the Red Sox, but given the latest drama regarding the Red Sox’s collapse in September, he’s not sure if he wants to return in 2012. “There’s too much drama, man,” Ortiz said. “There’s too much drama. I have been thinking about a lot of things. I don’t know if I want to be part of this drama for next year.”
I don’t know about you, but I would love to see “Big Papi” in pinstripes hitting blasts off the right field wall in Yankee Stadium. Not because I’m a Yankees fan, or a Red Sox hater, but because that will definitely give everybody something to talk about. It’s the Johnny Damon situation all over again, but this time it might be better.
Besides, the Yankees could really use Ortiz as their designated hitter, he’s left handed with power and fits perfectly for a hitters park with a short right field. Not to mention he once again proved he has some pop left in his bat. Ortiz hit .309/.398/.554 with 29 HR’s and 96 RBI’s in 525 AB’s for the Red Sox in 2011.
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