Troop movements
Mets – claimed RHP Marcos Carvajal off waivers from the Devil Rays…
Orioles – designated RHP Ryan Keefer for assignment…
Website of the Day
Key Dates for the 2007 Season
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Hardball Times rank minor league systems.
Rumors
Rumor Source: BenMaller.com
Closer Francisco Rodriguez did hint at the possibility of pitching elsewhere if the Angels don’t secure him to a multiyear contract before he becomes a free agent after 2008. “Sooner or later I know I will have that contract, either with the Angels or another team,” Rodriguez said before the team’s first workout for pitchers and catchers. “Every player wants that security for their family, career and life, but I understand this is a business, and I can’t control it.” Talks with Paul Kinzer, Rodriguez’s agent, failed to net a long-term deal last winter, and the sides haven’t agreed on a multiyear contract this winter. Arbitration was avoided when Rodriguez signed a one-year, $7-million deal in January, “but we haven’t discussed a multiyear contract at all since then,” Kinzer said. “We’re hoping to.”…With Mariano Rivera nearing retirement in New York, the Yankees are believed to be eyeing Rodriguez as a possible replacement.
The Dodgers figure to make a major move during spring training, using right-hander Brad Penny as the trade bait.
Carlos Zambrano said he really meant he must go through the free-agency process, not that he must leave the Cubs. “This is a business,” he said. “If they don’t want to sign me or they don’t have enough money to sign me, that’s OK. But I want to sign with the Cubs and I just don’t want to talk about a contract during the season.” Zambrano reiterated he wanted close to the $18 million per year free agent Barry Zito received from the Giants but said he was asking for only a five-year deal, not the seven years Zito received. That’s good news for the Cubs, who already have told Zambrano’s agent they aren’t willing to go longer than five years. “The parameters that were discussed in a potential long-term deal before Opening Day would cap out at five years guaranteed,” general manager Jim Hendry said. Zambrano’s agent declined to comment. The Cubs likely will offer Zambrano something in the $15 million-per-year range, or about $75 million for five years.
Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca also recently purchased a home in the New York area, which may be a little presumptuous considering his contract expires after this season. General Manager Omar Minaya said in a conference call that Lo Duca’s representatives approached him last week about an extension. Minaya did not hint whether he was interested in re-signing Lo Duca. “I’ve been vocal that I want to stay here, and they know that and the people in New York know that,†Lo Duca said. “I’d love to stay here and I’ll leave it at that.â€
This is an important year for Freddy Garcia. He will be a free agent after the season, so he has motivation to pitch well. The Phillies haven’t yet talked with Garcia about an extension, and aren’t expected to address one until after the season. But Garcia isn’t worried. He knows there is serious money out there. “I’ve only been in Philadelphia once,” Garcia said when asked about free agency. “I want to get my family comfortable. I don’t want to do anything before I know if I like it. Got to make sure your family and, secondly, that you like it. Maybe I’ll like it. I don’t know yet.”
Cards manager Tony La Russa traditionally has waited for his contract to expire before negotiating the next. However, entering a lame-duck season in possession of a World Series championship and the third-most managerial wins in the game’s history offers a unique set of circumstances. “This is 12 years (in St. Louis). That’s one issue,” La Russa said. “Another is, even if you go year to year, if you’re going to do a good enough job in a new situation, you have to be ready to commit yourself to three to five years. I wouldn’t sign a three-year contract here or someplace else if I didn’t think I had three years in me. “At the end of the year, you just check and see how you feel. I don’t know if they’ll still want me. One of these years the players will have had enough of me — don’t you think? — unless we keep enough of the young guys here. I keep it as simple as possible. We want to do everything we can to present another October opportunity for ourselves.”
The Twins remain interested in extending the contracts of Johan Santana and closer Joe Nathan into 2010, the year the new stadium is scheduled to open. Each could be a budget-buster down the road, but the Twins are willing to explore deals because of the increased revenue a new stadium will bring.
Mariners manager Mike Hargrove was also clearly taking the offensive after being lobbed the first question of the spring about being on the proverbial “hot seat.” Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln made a season-ending comment about both Hargrove and general manager Bill Bavasi being on his personal “hot seat” and the two words have become an offseason catchphrase of sorts for the team’s need to improve. So when a television reporter mentioned the words to Hargrove during a post-workout scrum on Thursday, the manager offered a seemingly well-prepared, at times passionate, response. “This will be my 16th year doing this at the big-league level,” Hargrove said. “I’ve been good at what I do. I’m still good at what I do. Every day I wake up, every day any manager in the big leagues wakes up, he is on the hot seat. “So, whether somebody publicly came out and said this, it really doesn’t make any difference to me. It honestly doesn’t.”
Astros general manager Tim Purpura has made contact with newly acquired righthander Jason Jennings’ agent, Casey Close. “I think both sides are of the opinion that we’ll talk at some point this spring,” Purpura said. “There’s no rush on either side to talk about a contract extension. I think it’s important to let a player kind of settle in to your environment and get a feel for what the situation is like before you even talk about a long-term contract. “We have to feel comfortable with him, and he has to feel comfortable with us. And frankly, in some ways I think we have a home-field advantage in that we’ve got one of the best clubhouses in baseball; great chemistry, great atmosphere.
Barry Bonds is expected in camp on Monday, the reporting day for position players. Perhaps then he can explain why he waited two weeks to sign the deal after the Giants removed a clause relating to personal appearances that caused the commissioner’s office to reject the initial contract. According to a well-placed major-league source, that clause was the only revision in the contract that Bonds signed Thursday. Intact are stipulations that will allow the Giants to void the deal if Bonds is indicted and forbid Bonds’ personal trainers from working in the clubhouse and other nonpublic areas of the ballpark.
Texas opened contract extension talks with infielder Michael Young and hopes to do the same with first baseman Mark Teixeira.
The Red Sox finally completed their contract with outfielder J.D. Drew, agreeing to a deal for $70 million that will pay Drew $14 million for each of the next five seasons. However, if Drew, 31, doesn’t play at least 500 games from 2007-10 or 375 from 2008-10, then $9 million of his 2011 salary would be deferred at 1 percent interest. Drew would receive the money and interest each July 1 starting with payments of $500,000 in 2022 and $750,000 in 2023. He then would get $1 million annually from 2024-29 and $1.75 million in 2030. His deal gives the Red Sox the right to specify 28 teams Drew can be traded to, and he may add two additional teams he can’t be sent to without his approval.
The Padres overstated things when they suggested that Cpl. Cooper Brannan’s obligation to the Marine Corps was shortened by a year to allow Brannan, who was wounded in Iraq, to perform in their farm system this year. A Marine spokesman said six weeks is a better estimate.
Former Washington Nationals manager Frank Robinson has declined an offer to be honored by the club during a game this May, according to team president Stan Kasten, who said officials hold out hope that Robinson will reconsider.
As for that Gyroball he supposedly throws, Daisuke Matsuzaka did not reveal too much, other than to plant the seed that batters must be aware his weapons are many. Asked if he throws such a pitch, he answered mysteriously, saying through an interpreter: “Overall, if I have the chance, I will pitch that ball.” He also plans to work with Tim Wakefield to learn a knuckleball. “That would be very advantageous for me,” Matsuzaka said. The most revealing answer came when it was suggested scouts say he pitches too high in the strike zone to have the same kind of success in America that he has had in Japan. Does he plan to change his approach in any way? Matsuzaka smiled and defiantly answered, “I have no plans to change.”
Managers on the hot seat:
– Mike Hargrove, Seattle. Club president Howard Lincoln said at the end of last year that Hargrove and general manager Bill Bavasi will be on “the hot seat” in 2007.
– Clint Hurdle, Rockies. He is potentially the first manager in franchise history to go into the final year of his contract.
– Jerry Narron, Cincinnati. The Reds did nothing significant in the offseason to address major holes, which doesn’t bode well for a manager inherited by the current general manager.
– John Gibbons, Toronto. He is a lame-duck manager for a team for which the general manager will look for a scapegoat.
– Buddy Bell, Kansas City. It’s a no-win situation with the Royals, and Bell figures to be the victim when new general manager Dayton Moore decides to bring in his own guy.
Mariners right fielder Jose Guillen didn’t take long to abort plans of bringing a personal trainer with him to Seattle from the Dominican Republic. Guillen spent the winter training with Angel “Nao” Presinal, a fitness guru to several Dominican major-leaguers. But a handful of stories since last year have mentioned a 2001 incident in which Presinal was questioned by Canadian authorities about a bag containing steroids that was brought aboard a Cleveland Indians charter flight to Toronto. Presinal was a trainer to Indians slugger Juan Gonzalez at the time. Both denied owning the bag or its contents, and no charges were filed.
Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis said yesterday he hopes Roger Clemens decides to finish his career where he started it. “I’d love to play with Roger Clemens,†the Sox first baseman said. “He’s one of the greatest pitchers in the game’s history, and to be a part of the guy coming back to Boston and retiring in Boston and to be a part of that team and seeing it all, I can’t even put it into words how exciting that would be. And then you’ve got (Daisuke) Matsuzaka here. It could be an electric year with everything going on.†Youkilis said he embraces the idea of having Japanese star Matsuzaka joining the team, as well, which could lead to various opportunities for teammates in Asia.
Many of the Yankees still question the competitive drive of Carl Pavano, who has collected roughly $20 million the past two seasons but has not pitched in the majors in 598 days. Just because Pavano is back on a mound does not mean Mussina gives him the benefit of the doubt. “Do I?†Mike Mussina said. “No, not just yet. I want to see that he wants to do it.†That crystallized the prevailing view of Pavano among his teammates. They would love to see him pitch. But they are not sure he really wants to.
Chad Cordero and his agent met with Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden last night, hoping to strike a deal on a one- or two-year contract and avoid Tuesday’s scheduled arbitration hearing.
When second baseman Jose Castillo reports to spring training, he could check in 15-20 pounds lighter than he was last season, according to some in the Pirates’ fold. His precise weight will not be known until after position players report Tuesday, but management is confident it will come in a much sleeker and stronger package. His official listing for 2006 was 219 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame, but the general consensus is that he likely weighed more.
Padres manager Bud Black hasn’t announced who will start the season opener. Chris Young, for his part, said there should be no doubt who the No. 1 starter is. “Jake Peavy is the ace of this team,†Young said. “On a down year, he still finished second in the league in strikeouts, just one strikeout away from first, and that was in a year that his arm didn’t feel great. Jake Peavy is without a doubt the ace of this staff.â€
Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera said he did not attend last week’s FanFest because of a commitment in Venezuela related to his father’s health.
Hayden Penn, 22, has been thrust into what has become the Orioles’ most interesting question of the spring: Who will replace Kris Benson, sidelined with a partially torn rotator cuff, in the rotation? Manager Sam Perlozzo and several Orioles executives have said that spring training will determine the answer, though nobody told recently signed free agent Steve Trachsel, who was incredulous when asked if he was fighting for a spot. Should Penn perform masterfully this spring, then the Orioles can move forward with their rebuilding plan. If Penn struggles, then Trachsel will win the spot and Penn’s turn in the rotation will have to wait.
If you thought that the Billy Butler Media Tour that blew through Kansas City recently was a little bit odd, you weren’t alone. Folks in the Royals’ organization, as well as some former Royals, viewed the prospect’s arrival here as a bit of a head-scratcher, too. As one former Royal said, shaking his head, “Don’t you have to do something first before you start doing media tours?†For now, Butler is a minor-leaguer, ticketed to start the season in Omaha. It might be a bit presumptuous of him to hit Kansas City as if he’s already the next A-Rod, and to have an agent and a publicist, and to launch his own Web site (BillyButler.com), which is now up and running.
Cubs manager Lou Piniella was satisfied with the rest of the workout, and his only complaint was the long hair former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija sported. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild told the rookie to get a haircut. The last time Samardzija had short hair was during his freshman year, when his Irish teammates gave him a buzz-cut as part of a hazing ritual. Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis didn’t care about the length of Samardzija’s hair. “He said as long as I caught balls, he was fine with that,” Samardzija said, conceding that he’ll get “a trim.”
Bernie Williams’s career with the Yankees, which seemed as if it might be over when he indicated he would decline a minor league contract offer, could be revived. Joe Torre and Derek Jeter, the Yankees’ captain, have spoken with Williams this week, with Torre nudging Williams to come south. “The only thing I stressed to him yesterday was, ‘If you want to continue to play, you can’t do it if you stay up there,’ †Torre said. “We have to see you.â€
Three catchers competing for two roster spots equals one intense position battle for the Rockies as they open spring training today. One candidate is baby-faced Chris Iannetta, 24. He faces expectations to eventually become the best homegrown catcher in Rockies history. Candidate No. 2 is career backup Yorvit Torrealba. The starting job belonged to him last year until shoulder woes ruined his season. Now Torrealba must prove himself again. The third man in the triangle is Javy Lopez, a 36-year-old former all-star who’s intent on making the most of a fresh start. “The catcher position is absolutely wide open,” general manager Dan O’Dowd said Thursday. “It’s going to be very interesting to see how it shakes out, but I think it’s going to be good for the team.”
Longtime Reds broadcaster Joe Nuxhall has been admitted to Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Hospital. According to the Web site for Channel 12, WKRC-TV, Nuxhall went to the hospital for previously scheduled tests but was admitted and is expected to remain there for a few more days.
The Pirates were to have 43 pitchers and catchers report yesterday, but at least three players — pitchers Tony Armas Jr., Romulo Sanchez and Serguey Linares — were having trouble getting work visas and could miss some time. Armas and Sanchez were in Venezuela, Linares in the Dominican Republic.
The San Francisco Chronicle reporters who faced going to jail rather than reveal their confidential sources in the BALCO steroids investigation case are officially in the clear. Late yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Justice withdrew the grand jury subpoenas issued to reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, who had been sentenced to prison on contempt charges for refusing to comply with the subpoenas, and the reporters will not go to jail. The government, which ended its grand jury investigation into the leaks, also agreed that the reporters will not be the targets of any criminal investigations in the case. “It’s a long day coming,” said Eve Burton, general counsel for the Hearst Corporation, which owns the Chronicle and has stood solidly behind its reporters through the battle. “They’re ecstatic. The lesson in this is that by remaining united and consistent, we were able to come through it. The reporters never wavered in their commitment to protecting their sources.” Fainaru-Wada told the Daily News last night that he and Williams are tremendously relieved that “prosecutors are not coming after us and we’re not going to jail. It’s a huge relief for us and our families and everybody at the Chronicle.”
GM Omar Minaya said Darryl Strawberry, who was a special instructor last year, has an “open door policy” with the Mets. But the former star outfielder might not be there this spring.
Did You Know? Even though Cory Lidle was a Yankee for only two months the Yankees will honor him by wearing a black band on the left sleeve of the uniforms this season. Lidle was killed in a Manhattan plane crash last October. Lidle joins a long list of Yankees honored in this manner, including Babe Ruth, Thurman Munson, Elston Howard, Roger Maris, Billy Martin, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Catfish Hunter and Bob Lemon.
Manager Mike Hargrove said that Jarrod Washburn’s reticence in his first year with the Mariners was the norm for most players. Hargrove expects to see more of the spark this time around. “It’s hard even for an established veteran to come in and be a leader,” the manager said. “It doesn’t fly well (with players who have been there before). “Leadership depends on the person, his credentials and his demeanor. The numbers in his first year were disappointing. I know he felt that.” The goal now is for Washburn to emerge from the 2007 season with a positive feeling.
It might be a low-maintenance spring for the Tigers but it won’t be for Mike Maroth, and that’s fine with him. He doesn’t have to prove his talent, but he does have to show his durability, and also the control that has made him effective. If camp goes as planned, there won’t be many big issues. But for the lefty with the freshly buzzed head, there’s an important one, one he won’t obsess about, one he can’t wait to handle.
Eli Marrero’s best chance to get a look at the Cardinals’ major league roster will be at catcher. That’s how manager Tony La Russa sees it. “He knows his opportunity to have big league success is as a catcher,” La Russa said Thursday as pitchers and catchers began their first official workouts of spring training. “I’m going to play him other places, (but) I don’t want him to be too distracted. He’s going to be looked at first as a catcher.” But his willingness to play the position again is what the Cardinals say sold them on signing Marrero to a minor league deal and inviting him to spring training just a few weeks into free agency in November.
Billy Wagner, who reported to Mets camp yesterday afternoon and will begin workouts tomorrow along with the rest of the pitchers and catchers, knows as well as anyone how maddeningly inconsistent his 2006 season was. Signed to a four-year, $43-million contract the previous winter, Wagner struggled in his first season in New York. While he converted 40 of his 45 save opportunities and had a 2.24 ERA, few of his saves were easy and some of his blown saves were memorable. “My numbers say that I was good, but mentally, I know that I wasn’t,” Wagner said yesterday as he sat on a stool at his corner locker and spat a steady stream of tobacco juice into a nearby trash barrel. “There are a lot of things I felt like I needed to improve on. I feel like a year after getting to New York being able to really focus in on not trying to overdo some of the things I tried to do last year. Just let it come naturally.”
Although Chris Coste is listed as a catcher, he isn’t expected to catch this season – if he makes the Phillies. Coste, who hit .328 in 65 games last season, will fight for one of the final two bench jobs. The other top candidates include outfielder Karim Garcia and infielder Greg Dobbs, both of whom hit lefthanded, with infielder Randall Simon and outfielders Chris Roberson and Michael Bourn also in the mix. “What Coste did last year definitely has to be considered,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “He caught in big games down the stretch. He showed he definitely can do the job in the major leagues, and he definitely can come off the bench and hit. “He can play first base, a little bit at third. He’ll catch some. I put him in left field when I had him in Cleveland. “I know Coste can hit. He hit righthanded pitchers last year better than lefties.” Manuel thinks Coste would be fine in a pinch-hitting role. “I think that’s one of his biggest assets,” Manuel said.
How About That? The Royals had the worst pitching staff in team history last year, and one of the worst in baseball history. They did not have a starter with an ERA under 5.00, and they had eight different closers through the year, and none of them did much “closing.â€
Yanks manager Joe Torre said that his brother, Frank, needs a kidney transplant. Frank Torre, a former major leaguer, had a heart transplant during the 1996 World Series. “His heart is already on its 11th year now,†Joe Torre said. “With all the medication you have to take, the rest of the organs take a beating.†Torre said his brother, who is 75, will know more next week about when he might get a new kidney.
Steve Swindal, George Steinbrenner’s son-in-law and designated successor in running the Yankees, was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of driving under the influence. He spent more than five hours in a Largo, Fla., jail and was released on a $250 bond. Swindal was driving his 2007 Mercedes in St. Petersburg when he made a left turn in front of a police vehicle on Central Avenue and 31st Street, according to Bill Proffitt, the public information officer for the St. Petersburg police. Proffitt said the police officer, Terri Nagel, had “to brake hard to avoid a collision†with Swindal’s car. Proffitt said Nagel then followed Swindal’s car and observed it weaving and exceeding the speed limit. According to Proffitt, Swindal was driving 61 miles an hour in a 35 m.p.h. zone.
Lefthander Wandy Rodriguez would have to flop, be injured or traded to not earn a spot in the starting rotation if the Astros’ don’t acquire a veteran lefthander. With that in mind, righthanders Fernando Nieve, Chris Sampson, Brian Moehler, Dave Borkowski, Matt Albers and Ezequiel Astacio are the top contenders for the other starting spot. … Rodriguez was 9-10 with a 5.64 ERA last season over 24 starts and six relief appearances a year after going 10-10 with a 5.53 ERA.
Not to rain on the Phillies’ parade of enthusiasm for the way outfielder Chris Roberson played in the Mexican Winter League, but much-traveled lefty Bruce Chen, 0-7 with a 6.93 in the big leagues last year, was 5-0, 0.72 with a .114 opponents batting average there this offseason.
Four Philadelphia players have not come to terms. Ryan Howard is the big one. It would not be a surprise to see the first baseman sign a one-year contract for more than $1 million. The three others are outfielder Shane Victorino and Smith and fellow pitcher Brian Sanches. The first date for renewing contracts is March 2.
Orioles pitcher Kris Benson, who likely will miss the season with a partially torn rotator cuff, will visit orthopedist James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday to seek a third opinion. Benson has been examined by Orioles team physicians and by New York Mets team physician David Altchek, who suggested surgery.
Who Knew? With $33.5 million in new contracts, the Mariners have a payroll in excess of $100 million for the first time in club history.
Jose Guillen doesn’t mince words. Seattle’s new right fielder said the Mariners are a contender for the postseason right now. “I look at this lineup and the pitching staff,” Guillen said, “and there’s no reason we can’t compete. I see this team with a chance to really do something special.”
Kei Igawa’s first pitch in a Yankees uniform sailed well over the head of catcher Jorge Posada yesterday. “I had no idea where it was going,” Posada said.
Pitcher Jorge Sosa arrived and said he joined the Mets to be a starter not a reliever. The Mets brought in Sosa, who was 3-13 for the Braves and Cardinals last season, to compete for a starting job but have also mentioned him as a possible reliever. “If they ask me to be a reliever I’ve got to do it,” Sosa said. “It’s a job.”
A package of Milwaukee Brewers baseball telecasts this season will be carried on over-the-air television in the Milwaukee market, where all games for the last two seasons have been on cable TV only. Fox Sports Net North, which owns the exclusive rights to Brewers broadcasts, struck a deal with WMLW-TV (Channel 41) that calls for 15 regular-season Brewers telecasts and a Brewers-Chicago Cubs spring training game March 19, to air on Channel 41. “People who don’t have cable TV will be able to get some Brewers games,” said Brian Peterson, a spokesman for FSN North. “That’s the key.”
The Mets hired Rickey Henderson and Ozzie Virgil Sr. as special instructors who will assist the coaches throughout spring training and the regular season.
After signing with the Mets, Scott Schoeneweis figured he had his big chance. Finally, after all these years, he could stop being No. 60. But when he walked into the clubhouse Wednesday evening and saw his new jersey, he recoiled. His last name was spelled correctly. But the new number, a very mainstream 36, suddenly seemed strange. To his surprise, Schoeneweis found himself asking the equipment manager, Charlie Samuels, if he could switch back to No. 60, a number he had often tried to shed in each of his eight major league seasons. “My first five minutes, and I’m already high maintenance,†Schoeneweis said. “I told them that they won’t hear from me again.â€
Groundbreaking for the Twins’ new downtown Minneapolis ballpark isn’t expected to occur until at least July. The Twins can remain on schedule for an April 2010 opening if the messy delay over land acquisition for the stadium doesn’t last more than a few weeks. However, a delay of a few months would make a 2010 opening challenging.
The Red Sox will be bringing a new item to the stands at City of Palms Park this spring. The Shan-San roll, a spicy crab roll, will be available once games start.
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