Rumors for free-agent
Gary Matthews Jr. becomes free agent
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7/24 12:25: According to John Fay of Cincinnati Enquirer, Gary Matthews Jr exercised his opt out clause of his contract with the Reds. He now becomes a free agent.
7/23 18:19:Gary Matthews Jr. will opt out of his Minor League contract with the Cincinnati Reds, according to his agent Scott Leventhal (via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com).
“Everything was amicable,” Leventhal said Friday night. “It just didn’t work out. It’s wasn’t for lack of performance. They didn’t have the roster spot.”
The Reds had a Saturday deadline to call up the 35-year-old Matthews to the big league club. Matthews will now opt out of his deal and will look elsewhere for a big league job.
Matthews was signed by the Reds to a Minor League deal on June 24th. The outfielder started the year with the New York Mets but was designated for assignment in June and eventually released by the team.
Pedro Martinez to not pitch this season – maybe back in 2011
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Pedro Martinez’s agent told ESPNdeportes.com that Pedro Martinez has decided he will not play in the 2010 season.
“After a meeting to make a decision about his immediate future, Pedro decided he will not play in 2010, even though he is not ready to retire indefinitely from baseball,” said Fernando Cuza, his agent, in a telephone conversation.
There have been several offers on the table for Martinez, but apparently none of them were enough to motivate him to pitch again.
“This doesn’t mean that Pedro is announcing his retirement from baseball because it’s possible that he will change his mind for next year,” said Cuza. “But today he asked me to call all the teams that were interested to announce his decision.”
“Pedro is grateful for the interest shown by some clubs, but at this point he decided to put his family before baseball,” Cuza said. “Later on, he’ll decide when he will say his final goodbye.”
The Phillies were one of the clubs interested in Martinez.
We heard last month that Martinez would need to be “really motivated” to pitch this season – meaning that any team that would want him would have to pay more than the $1 million he earned with the Phillies last year for six weeks of work. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe said Pedro already has “one foot under the mango tree.”
Jason Isringhausen Rumors: Cincinnati Reds looking at former All-Star reliever
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Free agent reliever Jason Isringhausen told KFNS in St. Louis (via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com) that he is schedule to throw for the Cincinnati Reds and general manager Walt Jocketty this week. This has been confirmed by Sheldon directly from Jocketty.
“There’s not a lot available on the market,” Jocketty said. “I know these guys [Isringhausen and Russ Springer]. I know what they can do if they’re healthy and still able to perform at the level they were. They’ve been through it. They know what it’s all about. It fits in a little bit with our plan.”
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Pitching trade rumors: Aardsma, Oswalt, Lilly, Prior
Posted by: | CommentsNick Cafardo of The Boston Globe has a few rumors to follow today:
Cafardo asked Seattle Mariners’ right-handed pitcher David Aardsma about a possible return to Boston as a seventh-inning man. I’ll take the ball whenever I’m called upon,’’ he said. “I enjoyed my time in Boston. Obviously, coming here gave me the opportunity to be a closer. I thought I was in a good rhythm last year, but haven’t been as solid this year. I have a better approach lately, but I’m not one of those [Mariano] Riveras or Jonathan Papelbons who is untouchable. If I’m traded, then I hope it’s to a good situation.’
A source close to Cafardo wonders whether Roy Oswalt would get too picky about which team he would approve a trade. One evaluator thinks Oswalt would do well in the American League. “He pounds that four-seam fastball low in the zone and he has that looping curve that could freeze hitters. He’s obviously a great competitor who would get his juices flowing in a pennant race. For the year and a half he has left on the contract? I’d think he’d be fine.’’
Seattle Mariners sign RHP Jamey Wright
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According to the Seattle Mariners’ Twitter account, the team has signed right-handed pitcher Jamey Wright. He will join the big league team in Anaheim today.
Wright was released by the Cleveland Indians in early June and was signed by the Oakland Athletics soon after. The right-hander was 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA in 18 appearances this year for the Indians. Opponents were hitting .294 against him.
In another move, right-handed pitcher Chad Cordero rejected an option to Triple-A Tacoma and became a free agent.
Boston Red Sox Rumors: Adrian Gonzalez, Victor Martinez, Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz
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Here are few pieces of Boston Red Sox news from Rob Bradford of WEEI to think about during the All-Star break:
Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres won’t be dealt this summer because the Padres are surprisingly leading the National League West. However, he could be available this winter.
“If they [Red Sox] could get Gonzalez, that would solve everything,” said one baseball source. “And I think that’s their Plan A. But the way things are going that might be pie in the sky type of thinking.”
Gonzalez has an affordable $5.5 million team option for 2011 (his last year before he’s a free agent), so he won’t come cheap in regards to prospects.
Catcher Victor Martinez is a free after this season, and the Red Sox need to figure out whether to re-sign him or not. If they do re-sign, will he be their catcher, or will the Sox move him to first base and shift Kevin Youkilis to third? The Red Sox do not have anybody on the farm to take over the catching or corner-infield duties, so this position switch-a-roo leads into questions regarding Adrian Beltre.
Beltre, who’s having a mammoth year, has a player option for $5 million in 2011 (or $10 million if he hits 640 plate appearances). Given his All-Star status, he’ll void the guaranteed money and test the market for a longer-term deal. Do the Red Sox renegotiate a deal with Beltre and super-agent Scott Boras? If they re-sign Beltre, what does that mean for Youkilis and Martinez?
Now comes the $12.5 million team option question. What do you do with David Ortiz in 2011? He’s finally hitting, and he’s demanding a long-term contract. Last year’s market for designated hitters was not too good. Vladimir Guerrero signed a deal for $6.5 million with the Texas Rangers and has a $9 million mutual option for 2011. Hideki Matsui signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Ortiz may be limited on his options if he tests the free agent market.
Getting back to the original point, if the Red Sox could acquire Adrian Gonzalez, then they would at least have the flexibility to play a number of players at DH, and they could have a little more stability in the middle of the order, but like the baseball source said earlier, it “might be pie in the sky type of thinking”. Then after all is said and done, they’ll have to go through the same headache again next season.
Carlos Delgado Rumors: Expected to start looking for work this month?
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The last we heard of Carlos Delgado was that he was making his way back from hip surgery and he had an estimated time of getting back into pro ball by mid-July. We’re almost to that point now, and today, José A. Delgadoof El Nuevo Dia says Delgado is ready to start looking for work.
“Things are going super well. I’m running now, that was one of the obstacles that had to overcome. I was in Colorado last week and the doctor gave me the okay to start running. I ran two days last week, took two days this week and tomorrow (today) I return to running. Thank God, that is most important, I’m running without pain, “said Delgado (in Spanish).
Right now there are no official employment offers for Delgado. He’s aware of the rumors that the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees need help.
Delgado won’t close the door to the National League, but he understand that the American League will give him the opportunity to play DH and give him more rest. He’s open to playing in Triple-A and in winter ball if necessary to get back to the big leagues.
Before the season began, the Mariners, Blue Jays, Rays and Mets were interested in Delgado. According to one scout that observed Delgado in the Winter Leagues, he has been moving poorly at first base.
Delgado played in 26 games for the Mets in 2009 before going down to a hip injury that required surgery.
Colorado Rockies currently monitoring Jermaine Dye and Ty Wigginton
Posted by: | CommentsJim Armstrong of The Denver Post says the Colorado Rockies are taking a wait-and-see approach to the trade market.
“I’m going to wait till the end of the month,” Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said. “We’ve already started having conversations, seeing what clubs are going to do what. But this has been a season where everything has changed so dramatically from one day to another — what we need now may not be the same thing we need two weeks from now.”
The team is currently monitoring free-agent outfielder Jermaine Dye and Baltimore Orioles utility man Ty Wigginton, but they aren’t alone.
The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies are interested in Wigginton. The San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers have sent out feelers to Dye.
O’Dowd has a history of making significant deals in July such as acquiring Rafael Betancourt and Joe Beimel to bolster the Rockies’ 2009 bullpen. So as the trade deadline approaches, you can expect O’Dowd to shift into a more proactive mentality.
Toronto Blue Jays OF Jeremy Reed elects free agency
Posted by: | CommentsThe Toronto Blue Jays have outrighted outfielder Jeremy Reed to make room on the 40-man roster. The outfielder refused the assignment to the Minor Leagues and elected to become a free agent, according to the official Toronto Blue Jays Twitter account.
Reed, 29, was hitting .143/.217/.286 in 14 games for the Blue Jays.
