Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jermaine Dye

Dodgers Notes: Carroll, Eckstein, Dye

By | at

The Dodgers have only scored 34 runs in their first ten games, but they're 6-4 in the early goings of the 2011 season. Here’s the latest on the club, which just lost its starting shortstop, probably for a month or more…

  • Rafael Furcal’s broken thumb leaves the Dodgers weakened in the middle infield, and they’re preparing to fill the void by playing Jamey Carroll at shortstop and Ivan DeJesus at second base, according to MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (Twitter link).
  • Furcal is not retiring, though he's frustrated by his latest injury.
  • The Dodgers expressed some interest in David Eckstein this offseason, but backed off when they heard he was asking for $2MM, according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown (on Twitter).
  • Recently retired slugger Jermaine Dye tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the Dodgers showed interest in him this offseason, before they signed Marcus Thames. The Blue Jays and Brewers showed interest after the 2009 season, according to Dye.

Jermaine Dye To Retire

By | at

After 14 seasons and 325 home runs in the Major Leagues, Jermaine Dye is retiring, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Dye, 37, last played in 2009, though he considered returning to the majors in 2010 and 2011.

Dye, a 17th round selection in 1993, hit 325 homers in his career with a .274/.338/.488 line. He played for the Royals, White Sox and Athletics after breaking in with the Braves as a 22-year-old in 1996. The two-time All-Star and 2006 Silver Slugger recipient was the World Series MVP in 2005 when the White Sox won the World Series.

Dye was traded twice; he went from the Braves to the Royals in 1997 and from the Royals to the A's in a three-team trade in 2001. He earned just shy of $75MM in his career, according to Baseball-Reference.

Jermaine Dye Hints At Retirement

By | at

Jermaine Dye says that if he doesn't hear from a team about a Major League contract by the end of the spring, he may retire, reports FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.  Dye, who turned 37 last week, didn't play in 2010 after failing to receive a contract to his liking.  Even after missing a season, Dye is still adamant about receiving a Major League deal.

“I’m still working out. I’m still in shape. I’m still motivated,” Dye said. “If nobody wants to put me on a team, I can’t do much about that. But I’m not going to go for a minor-league contract." 

Dye told Rosenthal earlier this winter that the Phillies, Rays and Rockies had been in contact with him.  The veteran slugger also said he discussed a workout with the Dodgers in December but the club didn't call him back.  We heard the Rockies were also interested in Dye midway through last season (along with the Padres and Rangers) and Rosenthal reports Dye was offered Major League contracts by the Cubs and Brewers last winter.  The Nationals also made Dye an offer.

As Rosenthal notes, teams are hesitant to make anything more than a minor league commitment to Dye until he proves that he's still in shape and can still hit.  There were already concerns about Dye's ability to play the field last winter and a year away from the game surely has teams looking at Dye as just a DH or pinch-hitting option.  For his part, Dye isn't sure why clubs won't sign a healthy player but will give Major League deals to pitchers recovering from injuries.

“All these pitchers get hurt, miss the whole year and get major-league deals,” Dye said. “That’s what I don’t get.”

Dye posted a .250/.340/.453 line with the White Sox in 2009, and the team bought out his $12MM option in the offseason.  Dye hinted at retirement last year too, but now it may be thrust upon him unless he's willing to accept a minor league contract.

Stark On Cubs, Kemp, Werth, Quentin

By | at

ESPN's Jayson Stark leads his latest Rumblings and Grumblings with scouts' opinions on pitchers Jorge de la Rosa, Vicente Padilla, Carl Pavano, Brian Fuentes, Randy Choate, Joaquin Benoit, and Koji Uehara.  His rumors:

  • Adrian Gonzalez's labrum cleanup surgery downgrades the chances of an offseason trade considerably.
  • The Cubs "seem a lot less inclined" to trade Kosuke Fukudome and Carlos Zambrano, though some clubs believe they'd discuss the latter.  Stark says there's a vibe the Cubs will not go after Adam Dunn for their first base opening, instead looking for an above-average defender.
  • One team official who kicked the tires says of the Dodgers, "They ain't trading Matt Kemp."
  • The Phillies are far apart with Jayson Werth and are exploring right field replacements.  They've done extensive groundwork on Chicago's Carlos Quentin, and are considering Jeff Francoeur or Jermaine Dye for lesser roles.  The Red Sox, by the way, are not willing to spend $100MM on Werth.

Rockies Rumors: Martinez, Jackson, Wigginton

By | at

Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he’s looking for the "right player" this offseason, not the "best player." As Armstrong explains, that could be bad news for the Rockies fans hoping to see Victor Martinez in Denver:

  • The Rockies aren’t likely to make the winning bid on Martinez, though he caught the team’s attention as a potential free agent target.
  • Colorado would pursue an innings eater if Jorge de la Rosa proves too expensive to re-sign. The lefty is drawing interest from multiple teams, including the Yankees and Nationals.
  • Joe Beimel could return to Colorado, but the Rockies have other left-handed relievers including Matt Reynolds and Franklin Morales, so their need for Beimel isn’t pressing.
  • Adding a right-handed hitter is a priority for the Rockies. Their list of candidates includes Conor Jackson, Ty Wigginton and Jermaine Dye. Jackson is a non-tender candidate and may join Wigginton and Dye on the free agent market within a few weeks. The Rockies have already contacted Dye about a potential deal.

Dye Drawing Interest, Intends To Play Again

By | at

Jermaine Dye wants to play again and he told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Rays, Rockies and Phillies have contacted him about potential deals. The 36-year-old didn't play in 2010, but he hit 27 homers and posted a .250/.340/.453 line for the 2009 White Sox.

Dye drew interest last offseason, but told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he didn't like the offers he saw. "I'm not going to a bad team, and I'm not playing for $1.5MM," Dye said in April. Later in the year, he told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he stayed in shape and hoped to find a job in 2011.

Dye still has some power, so if he lowers his demands and teams are willing to stash him at DH or overlook his poor fielding, he could find a job this offseason. This time, Dye, who is representing himself, says money isn't important as long as he finds a major league deal. He is open to playing first or outfield and wants to sign with a contender.

Jermaine Dye Aiming To Return In 2011

By | at

With September fast approaching, Jermaine Dye has conceded that he won't be playing major league baseball this season. "This season is over for me," the 36-year-old told MLB.com's Scott Merkin.

As Merkin writes, however, just because Dye didn't play in 2010 doesn't mean that the former White Sox has retired. Dye has stayed in playing shape and will likely try to catch on somewhere this winter.

Dye's inability to secure a contract this season was somewhat surprising. Although UZR rated his 2009 defense as the league's worst among qualified outfielders, the veteran still belted 27 homers and slugged .453 for the Sox. That offensive production could have helped a few clubs this year, but none were willing to meet Dye's reported asking price, either prior to or during the season.

Tigers Will Pass On Matthews, Others

By | at

The Tigers aren’t interested in Gary Matthews Jr., according to MLB.com’s Jason Beck. The team recently lost Carlos Guillen, Brandon Inge and Magglio Ordonez to the disabled list, but GM Dave Dombrowski won't pursue Matthews, who opted out of his deal with the Reds after hitting .313/.359/.490 at Triple A Louisville. 

Free agents like Jermaine Dye are available, in theory, but Dombrowski told reporters that he doesn’t have interest in waiting for an idle hitter to prepare to face MLB pitching. Dombrowksi could attempt to acquire a player via trade, but ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick hears that the team will not trade for an impact bat, since the lineup has so many holes (Twitter link).

The Tigers are just three games out of the AL Central lead, but their lineup is unquestionably thin. Will Rhymes, Don Kelly and Danny Worth all started last night, but that trio and the rest of the Tigers went hitless against Matt Garza.

Rockies Will Wait Until Late July To Trade

By | at

Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he doesn’t expect to make moves until the end of the month. The Rockies are talking trades with other clubs, but O’Dowd says his team’s needs are unpredictable.

“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," he said.

The Rockies are monitoring Jermaine Dye and Ty Wigginton, but they aren’t the only clubs doing so. The Padres and Rangers have interest in Dye and the Phillies and Yankees are among the teams interested in Wigginton.

By the end of the month, the Rockies, now 44-38, will have a better sense of what to expect from Jorge de la Rosa and Troy Tulowitzki. De la Rosa is close to returning to the majors and Tulowitzki won't likely return before the beginning of August. 

Three Teams Interested In Jermaine Dye

By | at

After an offseason that featured little attention from clubs and a few rejected offers, three teams are now expressing interest in free agent slugger Jermaine Dye according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com. Those clubs: the Rangers, Rockies, and Padres.

We know the Padres are looking to add offense and the Rangers have been searching for a righty bat after Ryan Garko didn't work out, but the Rockies has been linked to infielders more than anything in the wake of Troy Tulowitzki's injury. If signed, Dye would require some time to get into game shape, but could be contributing as an outfielder, first baseman, and/or DH in the second half. He'd also have a few months to prove himself before heading back out on the free agent market.

The 36-year-old Dye hit .250/.340/.453 with 27 homers for the White Sox last year, but his outfield defense was among the worst in the game and he hit just .176/.287/.278 in his final 237 plate appearances.  

Show all

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

hide arrows FOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top