Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Aramis Ramirez

Rosenthal On Kubel, Carroll, Ramirez, Fielder, Pujols

By | at

Let's take a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • The free agent market for outfielders is rather thin and after Carlos Beltran, Jason Kubel might be the next most attractive option.  Rosenthal floats the idea of Kubel going to a more hitter-friendly park, such as Fenway where he can replace a departing J.D. Drew.  The Twins want to re-sign Kubel, but he intends to test the market.
  • Veteran Jamey Carroll is on waivers and almost certain to be claimed.  The Dodgers might be more open to dealing Carroll than they were before the July 31st deadline.  Justin Sellers has played well, Dee Gordon should be back soon, and Ivan DeJesus is a candidate for promotion.  The Brewers had interest in him before the trade deadline but they've since acquired Jerry Hairston Jr. and Rickie Weeks will return to action soon.
  • Aramis Ramirez has cleared waivers but he'll remain with the Cubs this month.  His agent, Paul Kinzer, told Rosenthal in July that his client might be open to waiving his no-trade clause in August, but he's since turned red hot and will play it out in Chicago.  He'll be a very interesting decision for the Cubs' next GM and maybe an interesting free agent.
  • Rosenthal says that the choice between Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder is no longer obvious.  Fielder has had the better season and he's nearly four-and-a-half years younger than Pujols.  Still, Pujols has 31 homers and a slugging percentage that's just ten points lower.  The big question for both men is how will they look three years and five years from now.

Cubs Rumors: Zambrano, Aramis, GM Search

By | at

Before the Cubs can moving on their offseason, they face big decisions in their next GM, what to do with Carlos Zambrano, and how to handle Aramis Ramirez's $16MM club option.  The latest on each situation:

  • Cubs owner Tom Ricketts told ESPN's Dan Shulman last night that he found it hard to imagine Zambrano would ever pitch for the Cubs again.  Buster Olney points out that the Cubs would have to reinstate or move Zambrano before the end of the season, should the pitcher win his grievance.  On Tuesday, I presented 11 scenarios the Cubs could consider in their attempts to move Zambrano.  
  • Ramirez would have been "pretty much a slam dunk" to return to the Cubs next year under Jim Hendry, his agent Paul Kinzer tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  But now, Ramirez plans to step back, see who the Cubs hire, and also see what's out there on the free agent market.  With his resurgent season, Ramirez may be the only viable free agent starting third baseman, and would be hard for the Cubs to replace.
  • The Cubs have reached out to front office member Greg Maddux about remaining in the organization, reports Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  Maddux is close to Hendry.  As for the team's GM post, Sullivan writes, "The names of Josh Byrnes, Andrew Friedman and even Theo Epstein have also come up in conversation. While the Red Sox are unlikely to let Epstein out of his contract with a year remaining, the Cubs seem interested enough to explore the possibility."
  • Hendry, who Sullivan speculates could land in Arizona working under Kevin Towers, is off the hook for the Alfonso Soriano signing in the opinion of Wittenmyer.  Wittenmyer says then-president John McDonough drove that disastrous contract.
  • Ricketts said on Friday that he seeks a GM with a commitment to player development, a stronger analytical background, and a track record of success.  I expect him to look into big-name current GMs like Epstein, Friedman, and Jon Daniels first.  Those guys will probably stay put, at which point I can see Ben Cherington, Thad Levine, and Jerry Dipoto being candidates.  Click here to see our top 20 GM candidates, among those who have not yet held that position permanently.
  • ESPN's Jon Greenberg is "convinced the Cubs will be run by a forward-thinking general manager with a strong emphasis on advanced statistics, and reliance on cheap, farm system labor."  I think the stats thing is a big factor – teams tend to go in the opposite direction from the previous guy.
  • Talking to Wittenmyer, Cubs interim GM Randy Bush said he could see a lot of the team's front office members keep their jobs.

Cubs Notes: GM Search, Ramirez, Dempster

By | at

The search for a general manager will likely dominate Cubs headlines for the rest of the regular season, but don't count on the hunt continuing past that point. According to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider-only link), the team would like to name Jim Hendry's replacement by October 1st, in preparation for the offseason. Here's the latest from Chicago's north side:

  • Within the same blog post, Olney discusses the candidacy of Rays GM Andrew Friedman for the Cubs' opening, concluding that this could be Friedman's opportunity to play on a "relatively level playing field in the years ahead."
  • Ex-Ray Matt Garza had high praise for Friedman, telling Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that the man who traded him to the Cubs would "do great" in Chicago.
  • SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the new Cubs GM will be given the opportunity to choose his manager, leaving Mike Quade's job very much in jeopardy.
  • Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune wonders if Tom Ricketts' recent comments suggest a reluctance to hire a current assistant GM.
  • Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times examines the likelihood of Ned Colletti becoming the next Cubs general manager.
  • You can criticize his moves and decisions in Chicago, but Hendry's work ethic and experience will land him another job as soon as he wants one, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • The Cubs' problems go higher up than the GM, according to Tracy Ringolsby at FOX Sports.
  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff takes a look at a few team and player options for 2012, predicting whether or not they will be exercised. Aramis Ramirez and Ryan Dempster are two names Davidoff mentions.

2012 Vesting Options Update

By | at

Bobby Abreu's $9MM option for next season vested last weekend, so let's look around the league to see where some other players with vesting options stand…

  • Rafael Furcal, Cardinals: $12MM option vests with 600 plate appearances. Injuries have limited Furcal to just 179 plate appearances this year, so this one won't be vesting.
  • Jon Garland, Dodgers: $8MM option vests with 190 innings pitched. Garland is unlikely to pitch the rest of the season due to a shoulder issue, and he's only thrown 54 innings. The Dodgers won't have to worry about this one.
  • Koji Uehara, Rangers: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Uehara has appeared in 46 games and finished 20, putting him on pace for 67 and 29, respectively.
  • Arthur Rhodes, Rangers: $4MM option vests with 62 appearances and if he's not on the disabled list at the end of the season. Rhodes made 32 appearances with the Rangers before being designated for assignment earlier this week. Even if another team picks him up in short order, he's still unlikely to appear in enough games for the option to kick in. 
  • Joakim Soria, Royals: $6MM option vests with 55 appearances. With 47 appearances already to his credit, Soria is on pace to pitch in 68 games this year.
  • Dan Wheeler, Red Sox: $3MM option vests with 65 games; increases to $3.25MM with 70 games. Wheeler has appeared in 34 games this year with a disabled list stint mixed in. He'd have to appear in 31 of the team's final 51 games for the option to vest, which seems unlikely.

Francisco Rodriguez agreed to waive his vesting option in exchange for additional compensation following the trade that sent him to the Brewers. He would have been guaranteed a $17.5MM salary for next season had he finished 55 games this year and been declared healthy by doctors. 

Adam Wainwright's 2012 ($9MM) and 2013 ($12MM) options will not vest because he will finish the season on the disabled list after having Tommy John surgery. Aramis Ramirez's option depends on MVP Award finishes and whether or not he's traded, not plate appearances or another counting milestone.

Aramis Ramirez Wants To Stay With Cubs

By | at

FRIDAY, 4:14pm: Ramirez spoke to reporters today, further clarifying his comments.  He wants to remain a Cub and would only consider a deal if the team came to him.  Cubs GM Jim Hendry asked what he wanted to do, and Ramirez told him he wants to stay.  Aramis is not on the market (Twitter links from Bruce Miles and Carrie Muskat).

THURSDAY, 11:15pm: Agent Paul Kinzer tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Ramirez remains reluctant to waive his no-trade protection this month. “He doesn’t want to go anywhere,” Kinzer told Rosenthal after speaking with Ramirez. However, Ramirez may still consider trades during August.

5:01pm: Aramis Ramirez has said all summer that he won't waive his no-trade clause to accept a deal before the July 31st non-waiver deadline. But his recent comments to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times suggest he's softening on the idea of leaving the Cubs for another club this month (Twitter link).

"I understand it's a business," he said. "If they're looking to rebuild, I can't fit in. So we'll see."

If Ramirez gets traded, his $16MM option for 2012 becomes guaranteed and he gets an assignment bonus of $1MM. He earns $14.6MM this year and currently projects as a Type B free agent. If traded, Ramirez would likely want his new club to drop the $16MM option for '12 so that he can hit the open market after this season, agent Paul Kinzer told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

The Angels have interest in Ramirez, the Brewers are looking for help on the left side of the infield.

NL Central Notes: Ramirez, Reds, Pirates

By | at

We've already checked in on the NL East and the NL West. Now it's the NL Central's turn with precisely 48 hours remaining before the non-waiver trade deadline…

  • The Angels would love the chance to acquire Aramis Ramirez from the Cubs, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Yesterday evening, after Ramirez suggested he would consider trades, Ramirez's agent said the third baseman wants to stay put.
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer says it would be pointless for the Reds to make moves strictly for this season. 
  • As Morosi writes, the 50-55 Reds may not be a pitcher away from contending. Ubaldo Jimenez could only do so much – "He’s a pitcher, not a roster mechanic."
  • The Reds want pitching in exchange for Ramon Hernandez, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Pirates remain active in the market for outfielders, Morosi reports (on Twitter).

Angels Still Prioritizing Offense

By | at

The Angels priority this week is to add a bat, writes CBS Sports' Scott Miller, preferably a third baseman.  Internally, they've discussed Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs and Michael Cuddyer of the Twins.

Miller says the Halos have considered making a run at Cuddyer and using him at third base.  However, the Twins "remain in go-for-it mode" and actually might add a reliever.  Plus, Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote earlier this month that a Twins official said the team would keep Cuddyer and attempt to re-sign him even if they fall out of contention.  So, the Angels, Giants, and other suitors are probably out of luck.  

As for Aramis, the Angels' best bet will be to hope he'll waive his no-trade rights after his kids return to school in August.  Also on the Angels front, Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times reported today that the Marlins are scouting them closely.

Hendry Explains Deadline Approach

By | at

Cubs GM Jim Hendry aims to limit his trades to players he knows won't be returning next season, he told Rick Brown of the Des Moines Register.  Hendry explained:

"Why would we trade anybody who we think is going to help us next year or the years after?  I would say if we move anyone it would be somebody we clearly knew wouldn't be back.  We're not going to move people that we think are going to help us.  Why would I trade Sean Marshall?  Why would I trade Darwin Barney? Those calls kind of stop quickly. It makes no sense."

The next logical question is which Cubs players clearly won't be back.  Aramis Ramirez won't be accepting a trade this month, and Ryan Dempster has full no-trade rights as well.  Kerry Wood probably has a say in whether he's dealt.  That probably leaves Kosuke Fukudome, Carlos Pena, John Grabow, and Reed Johnson as the Cubs' main trade candidates.  However, I'm guessing the Cubs haven't ruled out re-signing Pena, so he's not a lock to be dealt.

An August trade appears possible for Ramirez, based on his agent's comments yesterday to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Paul Kinzer said that when his client's children return to the Dominican Republic in August for the start of school, "that could possibly loosen up" Ramirez's stance.  Ramirez's $16MM option for 2012 technically becomes guaranteed upon a trade, but Kinzer said his client would want the option dropped.  The agent does not feel the request would pose a problem for most teams.

There's also left fielder Alfonso Soriano, whose contract pays $18MM a year through 2014 and makes him virtually immovable.  Talking to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, Soriano wasn't even aware he has a no-trade clause.  But he did say he'd waive it to go to a contender.

Angels Interested In Aramis Ramirez, Wilson Betemit

By | at

The Angels are interested in Aramis Ramirez and Wilson Betemit, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). However, Ramirez remains adamant that he will not accept a trade to any team, according to Rosenthal.

Ramirez's agent, Paul Kinzer, told Rosenthal that his client remains unwilling to accept any trade (Ramirez has ten and five rights). There's a chance that Ramirez would accept a deal in August, but the third baseman currently intends to finish his career in Chicago.

If traded, Ramirez would likely want his new club to drop his $16MM option for 2012 so that he can hit the open market after this season, Rosenthal reports. Ramirez's '12 option technically becomes guaranteed if he gets traded. 

Acquiring Betemit won't necessarily be much easier. The Brewers, who are looking for help on the left side of the infield, have discussed the 29-year-old with the Royals.

Angels third basemen – mainly Alberto Callaspo and Maicer Izturis – have combined for a .285/.356/.364 line this year. Their .356 on-base average ranks fourth in baseball, but their .364 slugging percentage is 18th in MLB. Ramirez and Betemit would offer more power and less on-base percentage than Los Angeles' current options.

Make Or Break Year: How Are They Doing?

By | at

Before the season, MLBTR writers identified 13 players who were set for 'make or break' years. These players had experienced ups and downs in their respective careers and were positioned to re-establish themselves as difference makers at the Major League level and set themselves up for success in free agency.

We checked in on the players at the quarter pole of the campaign and let's do it again now that we're midway through the season (all links go to the MLBTR posts):

  • Scott Kazmir - Kazmir spent time on the DL, made one appearance for the Angels and posted a 17.02 ERA with more walks than strikeouts at Triple-A before getting released. The former first rounder is now a free agent.
  • Nate McLouth - McLouth's .225/.345/.330 line is better than it was last year and features a respectable on-base percentage, but his offensive production has fallen off considerably since 2007-09. He spent time on the DL this June.
  • Grady Sizemore - Sizemore missed time with a knee injury, but he still has nine homers and a .231/.295/.448 line. However, he has a career-high 29.5% strikeout rate and a career-low 6.1% walk rate.
  • Ryan Doumit - The switch-hitter has spent most of the season on the disabled list, though he has a .269/.333/.441 line when healthy. 
  • Jonathan Broxton - Broxton is on the disabled list with a bruised right elbow and he has had another setback, so there's no timetable for his return. If he doesn't pitch well later this season, he will be overshadowed by this offseason's strong crop of free agent relief pitchers.
  • Joel Zumaya - Zumaya had elbow surgery in March and it's not clear if he'll ever return to the Tigers.
  • Casey Blake - Blake has returned from surgery for an elbow infection and has a .243/.346/.386 line as a third baseman, first baseman and left fielder. The 37-year-old isn't in the Dodgers' everyday lineup anymore.
  • Aramis Ramirez - Ramirez has a .298/.346/.497 line with 15 homers and could be en route to his best season since 2008.
  • Edwin Jackson - Jackson, a free agent this winter, has a 4.30 ERA (3.31 xFIP) with 7.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 106 2/3 innings for the White Sox.
  • Bobby Abreu - Abreu, 37, has a .277/.394/.363 line this year. A year after hitting his usual 20 homers, Abreu's power is diminishing, but his on-base skills still exist.
  • Carlos Beltran - Beltran has a .285/.377/.503 line with 13 homers. There seems to be a good chance that he'll finish the season with another team, as he would agree to waive his no-trade clause under the right circumstances.
  • Matt Capps - Capps has 15 saves, but his strikeout rate has fallen from 7.3 K/9 to 4.9 K/9 and his average fastball velocity has fallen from 94 mph to 92.8 mph.
  • Jeff Francis - The 30-year-old left-hander appears to be headed for the second 200 inning season of his career. Francis, who battled shoulder injuries in 2009-10, has a 4.60 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top