For a while, it had seemed that the Padres would be able to reach a three-year agreement with 34 year-old center fielder Mike Cameron. I had expected the years to be the sticking point, and the Padres seemed open to three. However, Ken Rosenthal tells us that contract talks have broken off between the two parties and Cameron is very likely to explore the open market.
Rosenthal likes the Braves as a possibility in 2008, as Cameron lives outside of Atlanta. The star class of free agent center fielders includes Andruw Jones, Ichiro Suzuki, and Torii Hunter. None of the three are expected to stay with their respective teams, meaning the Braves, Mariners, and Twins could explore the second tier. That seems to include Cameron, Eric Byrnes, Corey Patterson, Milton Bradley, and Aaron Rowand.
Cameron is hitting just .164/.257/.197 in 61 ABs on the young season. He could be distracted by the contract situation, or it could just be a coincidental rough patch.
