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MLB Hot Stove 2008

Not too surprising on the RoTY winners. Although Alexei Ramirez sure made a case with those four grand slams.

I know it's more than a week away, but I'm calling AL MVP for CABALLITO!





That's Dustin Pedroia for anyone who didn't watch the Angels/Sox ALDS or the ALCS.
 
MacNut said:
Matt Holiday to the A's? Early report from Jon Heyman.
Click to expand...

Rumor has it the A's are pursuing Furcal too, and Giambi may also be a possibility. The A's have a lot of elbow room payroll-wise this off-season since they were so frugal in 2008. Even after the A's second-half collapse the pitching held its own, so Beane may know what he's doing by standing pat with the pitching staff and bolstering the offense.
 
me_94501 said:
Rumor has it the A's are pursuing Furcal too, and Giambi may also be a possibility. The A's have a lot of elbow room payroll-wise this off-season since they were so frugal in 2008. Even after the A's second-half collapse the pitching held its own, so Beane may know what he's doing by standing pat with the pitching staff and bolstering the offense.
Click to expand...

ThI was baffled at the thought of the A's getting Holliday but once I heard that he was a free agnet next year, it all made sense. This is only going to go two ways, both awesome, for the A's:

Oakland is out of contention at the trade deadline and ship him away for prospects (some double A guys that hit .215 with 45 home runs and an OBP of .550 and/or some awesome pitchers.)

OR

Oakland is in it till the end then lose him as a free agent and gain the draft picks. (Who they will use on some players that hit .215 with 45 home runs and an OBP of .550 and/or some awesome pitchers.)
 
yancey47 said:
ThI was baffled at the thought of the A's getting Holliday but once I heard that he was a free agnet next year, it all made sense. This is only going to go two ways, both awesome, for the A's:

Oakland is out of contention at the trade deadline and ship him away for prospects (some double A guys that hit .215 with 45 home runs and an OBP of .550 and/or some awesome pitchers.)

OR

Oakland is in it till the end then lose him as a free agent and gain the draft picks. (Who they will use on some players that hit .215 with 45 home runs and an OBP of .550 and/or some awesome pitchers.)
Click to expand...

You, my friend, know how Billy Beane's mind works. :p
 
Manny Ramirez could become the $60 million man if he stays in Los Angeles. But the slugger is guaranteed at least $45 million if he accepts the Dodgers' initial offer, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Dodgers' initial offer to the slugger contains a club option for a third year that could take the deal to $60 million, but includes a $7.5 million buyout guaranteeing Ramirez at least $45 million, the Times reported on Tuesday.

Ramirez would have made approximately $40 million over the next two seasons if the two option years in the contract he originally signed with the Boston Red Sox in the 2000 offseason had been exercised. As part of his trade to the Dodgers this season, Los Angeles agreed not to exercise the option years, however.

Citing a source close to the negotiations, the Times reported that Ramirez would earn $15 million next season, $22.5 million in 2010 and the same in 2011 if the team exercised its option. The final year can be bought out for $7.5 million.

The offer stands until Thursday when the Dodgers lose exclusive rights to negotiate with the free agent.

A source told the Times, however, that talks could continue and that the Dodgers would consider guaranteeing the third year of the deal.

Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, has already said that the length of the deal is not acceptable, according to the newspaper.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3697308
 
I seem to have missed the legions of Giant's fans trash talking about the brand new Cy Young Award winner, one Timothy LeRoy Lincecum. Lord knows we have had few enough things to jump up and down about this last season. So, congrats Timmy on well deserved award - the first of many I hope.

As for hot stove rumors, I'm interested in any hint of a Giants trade with Seattle for Adrian Beltre. Any Seattle fans who might know something on the subject? We'd love him down here.
 
IJ Reilly said:
The Braves seem to be the top contenders for Peavy.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081111&content_id=3675469&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp

The Padres also seem to be letting Trevor Hoffman go. It's a fire sale in San Diego folks.
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You can stick a fork in the Padres for the next few years. There's been a lot of speculation that the owner's ongoing divorce negotiations are hampering the team's cash flow. But more importantly, they weren't any good last year and won't be paying to improve. So unless they have some great prospects that are ready to come up fast, I don't think they'll be a factor for a while. It's a shame for Padres fans.


MacNut said:
Citing a source close to the negotiations, the Times reported that Ramirez would earn $15 million next season, $22.5 million in 2010 and the same in 2011 if the team exercised its option. The final year can be bought out for $7.5 million.
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It's hard to tell if it's an intentionally weak negotiating offer or McCourt just wants it to look like he wants to keep Manny but has no intention of paying for him. Yeah, Manny's not getting any younger, but McCourt's basically asking him to take a pay cut. It seems unlikely that this would be enough to keep him.

I'd like to think it's the former. After all, no other offers will be made until Friday, so why not see how much other teams are willing to bid before committing to a bigger contract? It might be that no one is willing to give him four or more years, in which case Boras will come back to Colletti to negotiate again.



Sayhey said:
As for hot stove rumors, I'm interested in any hint of a Giants trade with Seattle for Adrian Beltre. Any Seattle fans who might know something on the subject? We'd love him down here.
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Wow, a Sayhey sighting! It seems like it's been a while!

I haven't heard anything specific about Beltre, except that it looks like Seattle wants to move him. (If the Mariners are going to suck anyway next year, then why pay more?) I would think the Giants would be more worried about shortstop. It looks to me like Vizquel's hitting has deteriorated too much to make his glove worthwhile.
 
aloofman said:
Wow, a Sayhey sighting! It seems like it's been a while!

I haven't heard anything specific about Beltre, except that it looks like Seattle wants to move him. (If the Mariners are going to suck anyway next year, then why pay more?) I would think the Giants would be more worried about shortstop. It looks to me like Vizquel's hitting has deteriorated too much to make his glove worthwhile.
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LOL, it's nice to see you too, aloofman. I took a break from MacRumors for awhile. And congrats on the Dodger's run. Not that I rooted for them, of course! ;)

Omar's gone. The Giants have made it clear he isn't in their plans for next year. As much as I loved watching him play, it makes sense. I hope they bring him back as a coach when he has finally decided to hang them up. Omar's talking about how he might play in Japan! I wish him luck wherever he plays because he is a great guy on any team.

The Giants are going with Emmanuel Burriss, the young kid who showed a lot of promise at short. He could end up at second if the Giants sign Furcal - a move I don't want them to make. I'd rather they stayed with Burriss at short and went after Hudson in the FA market for second.

Regarding Beltre, the Giants have so many needs it is ridiculous, but the flip side is they have many promising young players, some like Pablo Sandoval who look like stars in the making. One good thing about Pablo's game, beside the fact he hits the crap out of the ball, is that he can play many different positions. He has played catcher, first base, and, yes, third base for the Giants, so if Beltre isn't on his way here, or Uribe, or some other more experienced hand at the hot corner, I'd expect him to play the position next year. I'd rather have him at first.
 
aloofman said:
You can stick a fork in the Padres for the next few years. There's been a lot of speculation that the owner's ongoing divorce negotiations are hampering the team's cash flow. But more importantly, they weren't any good last year and won't be paying to improve. So unless they have some great prospects that are ready to come up fast, I don't think they'll be a factor for a while. It's a shame for Padres fans.
Click to expand...

Looks like they're in for a long drought. I wonder who will be interested in the aged Hoffman. He actually might not be a bad fit for the Dodgers at the right price, since Broxton doesn't seem ready for a full-time closer role, and Saito might be gone for good.

It's hard to tell if it's an intentionally weak negotiating offer or McCourt just wants it to look like he wants to keep Manny but has no intention of paying for him. Yeah, Manny's not getting any younger, but McCourt's basically asking him to take a pay cut. It seems unlikely that this would be enough to keep him.

I'd like to think it's the former. After all, no other offers will be made until Friday, so why not see how much other teams are willing to bid before committing to a bigger contract? It might be that no one is willing to give him four or more years, in which case Boras will come back to Colletti to negotiate again.
Click to expand...

The first year seems low, but the average over the three years looks like something closer to what the market is likely to bear. The Dodgers certainly don't want to be inflating the market with their first offer. They have to know that the offer they've already made takes most of the NL teams at least out of the running.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Looks like they're in for a long drought. I wonder who will be interested in the aged Hoffman. He actually might not be a bad fit for the Dodgers at the right price, since Broxton doesn't seem ready for a full-time closer role, and Saito might be gone for good.
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Depends on how you look at it. Based on Hoffman's whole career, he'd obviously be better than Broxton. But Broxton pitched a bit better as a closer last year than Hoffman did and is far younger and cheaper. I suppose it's possible that it was an off year for Hoffman and he'll be better next season, but how many 40-something relievers improve from year-to-year? Unless Hoffman is willing to take a huge pay cut to play close to home, then I don't think it's worth it.
 
aloofman said:
Depends on how you look at it. Based on Hoffman's whole career, he'd obviously be better than Broxton. But Broxton pitched a bit better as a closer last year than Hoffman did and is far younger and cheaper. I suppose it's possible that it was an off year for Hoffman and he'll be better next season, but how many 40-something relievers improve from year-to-year? Unless Hoffman is willing to take a huge pay cut to play close to home, then I don't think it's worth it.
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It all depends on supply and demand, right? Hoffman has obviously had an illustrious career as a closer, but it's nearing the end for him. I believe the Padres' option was $4 million for next season, so it seems they didn't think he was still worth even that much. I'd say Broxton + Hoffman isn't a bad combination. I haven't seen a single rumor to this effect, though.
 
In the FWIW department, the Angels are now hinting that if they can't resign Mark Tiexeria, that they might go after Manny. The Angels have also said that they've pretty much given up on signing Francisco Rodriguez.
 
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp...ey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la&partnerId=rss_la
Dodgers Not Trading Martin

MLB.com's Ken Gurnick asked Dodgers GM Ned Colletti about the vague Russell Martin trade speculation that's been making the rounds. His reply: "We aren't trading Martin. I've never brought that up to anybody." It never made sense - the Dodgers already have too many question marks to be creating another one at catcher.
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Yanks To Make Offer To Sabathia Tomorrow

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees will "aggressively extend a proposal" to C.C. Sabathia tomorrow. He believes the Yankees will go to "a financial region that no other franchise would even consider" to lure the ace. Sherman's guess is an initial bid in the six-year, $150MM range (and that may not be the final offer).

If the Yankees are successful in signing Sabathia, they hope to add A.J. Burnett or Derek Lowe next.
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http://www.nypost.com/seven/1113200...s_ready_to_blow_away_cc_with_big_o_138398.htm

Moreno Comments On Manny

Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal said the Angels briefly considered Manny Ramirez during their organizational meetings, but the idea was "tabled rather quickly."

Still, Angels owner Arte Moreno was full of kind words for Manny yesterday on an AM-830 radio show:

"He single-handedly took L.A. to the promised land. He did a heck of a job, he hit great, he was a fan favorite, he did a great job with their young players. At the end of the day, you want people who can hit, and he may be one of top right-handed hitters ever."

It's hard to see the Angels getting serious about Ramirez unless Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia sign elsewhere first.
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http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/8782170/Brewers'-veterans-could-be-dealt-for-pitching-help
 
The New York Yankees acquired center fielder-first baseman Nick Swisher in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

The Yankees traded infielder Wilson Betemit and minor league pitchers Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez to Chicago in exchange for the switch-hitting Swisher and minor league pitcher Kanekoa Texeira.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3700869
 
Sorry, can't help thinking of...

Swisher_2mat.jpg


... whenever I hear that name.
 
As expected Friday, the New York Yankees officially tendered an offer to free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia.

The offer is expected to be six years in length and have a total value of slightly more than the record $137.5 million deal that pitcher Johan Santana signed with the Mets before last season.
Santana's deal had been the largest ever for a pitcher.

Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner confirmed Friday night at the team's spring training complex in Tampa, Fla., that an offer was made to Sabathia, and that proposals will be forthcoming for pitchers A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3703112

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Dodgers have withdrawn the contract offer extended to free agent Manny Ramirez, but negotiations are expected to continue, according to MLB.com.

The Dodgers offered Ramirez a two-year deal guaranteed for $45 million, plus an option year at an additional $15 million. The offer expired Thursday night with the Dodgers' exclusive window for re-signing departing free agents.
"We still have an interest in him," general manager Ned Colletti said. "This doesn't mean we won't continue discussions. They just can't accept that offer flat-out. It's like any other free-agent negotiation now. We'll have conversations and sometimes you're able to sign the player and sometimes you're not.

"Our exclusivity ended yesterday and now they'll have a chance to hear what other clubs are willing to pay and for how long."

Ramirez is 36 years old but wants a six-year deal. With no designated hitter rule, the Dodgers don't want to pay an outfielder of that age that much money for that many years.

Colletti said it's typical to withdraw offers without closing the door.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3703413
 
MacNut said:
As expected Friday, the New York Yankees officially tendered an offer to free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia.

The offer is expected to be six years in length and have a total value of slightly more than the record $137.5 million deal that pitcher Johan Santana signed with the Mets before last season.
Santana's deal had been the largest ever for a pitcher.

Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner confirmed Friday night at the team's spring training complex in Tampa, Fla., that an offer was made to Sabathia, and that proposals will be forthcoming for pitchers A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.
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This is obscene. We can thank the Steinbrenners for continually driving the salaries of first-line free agents up to a level where only the Yankees can afford them.
 
IJ Reilly said:
This is obscene. We can thank the Steinbrenners for continually driving the salaries of first-line free agents up to a level where only the Yankees can afford them.
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Yeah, that offer is a little nuts, $140 million when the Brewers reportedly only offered $100 million, I mean common, you would think they would offer $110-$115 million first. Yankee's jumped the gun on that offer in my opinion.
 
mikeyredk said:
http://www.eluniversal.com/2008/11/16/beigl_art_tiene-un-brazo-en-ny_1150608.shtml
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According to this article (in English), it isn't so.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081116&content_id=3681609&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp

rhsgolfer33 said:
Yeah, that offer is a little nuts, $140 million when the Brewers reportedly only offered $100 million, I mean common, you would think they would offer $110-$115 million first. Yankee's jumped the gun on that offer in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Or they're just trying to blow the other teams out of the water, which they have the (singular) ability to do.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081116&content_id=3681451&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp
 
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