Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Manny Ramirez

Odds & Ends: Soria, Garland, Abreu, Ramirez

By | at

Here's a round-up of news tidbits from around the majors today…

  • The Royals might as well also trade Joakim Soria if they're going to move Zack Greinke this winter, reasons Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  Soria will make $4MM next season and then has team options worth $6MM, $8MM and $8.75MM in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.  Those are big numbers for a closer on a non-contending team, but if Soria is moved to the rotation and keeps producing, those salaries will be bargains.  Interestingly, Soria has a limited no-trade clause that gives him the right to veto deals to the Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers and Yankees. 
  • Heyman also tweets that Colorado wants to sign Jon Garland to a one-year contract with an option for 2012, but Garland will probably find a guaranteed multi-year deal elsewhere.
  • Bobby Abreu would be happy to become a full-time DH if the Angels were to sign a left fielder like Carl Crawford, reports MLB.com's Lyle Spencer.
  • Manny Ramirez's 2010 season is compared to the most recent walk years of Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Sheffield by Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci.  We know that Scott Boras sees Ramirez as this year's Guerrero, but Verducci points out that with the glut of DH-types on the market this winter, there's at least a chance that Ramirez could end up without a contract as Sheffield did last offseason.
  • Speaking of Manny, MLB.com's Jane Lee shoots down a reader's query about Ramirez possibly ending up in Oakland.  She says Ramirez is too expensive, would cost the A's a draft pick to sign him and Ramirez "wouldn't exactly fit the veteran-leadership mold the club is looking to also get out of their DH next year."  Bad news for those of us that thought Ramirez would end up in Oakland green in 2011.  Keep in mind that since Manny is highly unlikely to be offered arbitration by the White Sox on Tuesday, draft pick compensation will not be a factor.
  • Doug Melvin might be in "a no-win situation" in his attempts to trade or hold onto Prince Fielder, writes The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Anthony Witrado.
  • Tribe GM Chris Antonetti tells MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that a third baseman and a starting pitcher are his club's offseason priorities.  Antonetti says the Indians are specifically looking for a veteran hurler who can eat innings and provide "certainty" within the otherwise young rotation.
  • Now that Zach Duke has been designated for assignment, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that the odds of the Pirates signing a free agent starter have risen.  Biertempfel mentions Jorge de la Rosa, though the Bucs will have to out-negotiate several other clubs to sign him.
  • David Waldstein of the New York Times thinks Bob Melvin will be the next Mets manager, though he notes that "if this really were a horse race, I would box Melvin and [Terry] Collins in an exacta."

Anthopoulos Talks Offseason Plans

By | at

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos was the center of attention at last year's GM Meetings. The then-rookie GM had the winter's most coveted player on his roster: Roy Halladay. The Halladay trade is history, but Anthopoulos has the entire offseason ahead to contemplate more deals. Here's what he told MLBTR about Toronto's offseason plans:

  • Anthopoulos declined to discuss specifics, but said the Blue Jays have kept in touch with all their free agents. That includes Kevin Gregg, whose option Toronto declined earlier in the month.
  • The Blue Jays are keeping their options open when it comes to ranked free agents. Even though signing a Type A free agent before next Tuesday would mean surrendering a draft pick, Anthopoulos says the Blue Jays would not hesitate to sign a Type A player this week if the deal is right. Though the Blue Jays may simply be keeping their options open, the news will interest the Toronto fans who are wondering about Type A free agent Manny Ramirez. It seems unlikely that the Blue Jays would sign a Type A free agent before the deadline to offer arbitration, since the organization appears to value draft picks highly, but Anthopoulos says he'll consider it. Toronto's first round pick (21st overall) is not protected.
  • As for potential surprises, Anthopoulos says it's too early to predict whether they'll come via trade or free agency since so much of the offseason lies ahead.

Anthopoulos Talks Encarnacion, Buck

By | at

Alex Anthopoulos spoke to Jeff Blair of The Fan 590 before his plane took off for Orlando yesterday, and the Blue Jays GM said he was trying to get a signing done right before the radio show call.  Some have speculated on Manny Ramirez, who's been hanging out in Toronto lately, while others point out that at the very least the Jays would wait a week until after the White Sox have declined to offer him arbitration.  At this point we know Manny likes the Blue Jays but not whether interest is mutual.  It does appear Manny needs the Jays more than they need him.  If a Blue Jays signing of any kind is to happen before the 23rd, it'd have to be a free agent not ranked as a Type A.

Anthopoulos went on to say that his talks with agents over the last week suggest the free agent market might move faster than in years past, as people "try to jump out early and get things done."

On the topic of Edwin Encarnacion, Anthopoulos explained that the third baseman is in line for an arbitration raise of $1-2MM on top of this year's $4.75MM salary.  That salary, plus Encarnacion's desire to play every day, wasn't a fit for the Jays.  Encarnacion was claimed by the Athletics, but he could still be non-tendered on December 2nd.  Anthopoulos has not closed the door in the event that happens.

Anthopoulos described the market for John Buck as "very, very strong" after talking to his agents at ACES.  He says Buck is "sitting on years and dollars that might be a little steep for us," but that the catcher's agents will give the Jays a chance to match before he signs.  We saw extra contract years tossed around for multiple free agent catchers last year; could a 30-year-old Buck find a three-year deal?

Boras Talks Manny

By | at

Manny Ramirez lacks buzz for the first time in his career, writes Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.  Agent Scott Boras was upfront in his conversation with Shaikin, explaining that Manny is seeking a one-year, incentive-laden deal as a designated hitter.

"It's just like Vlad Guerrero.  His last Angels season, where he had an injury season and he had 50 RBIs, was not a customary Vlad Guerrero season. He went to Texas and reestablished himself. This is really the course for great veteran hitters. We've seen, following an injury season, a player goes out and performs at optimum levels, because these players are still uniquely skilled. They're still great hitters."

Boras went on to explain that Manny's sports hernia was correctable, and his calf injury came from playing in the outfield.

Running through potential suitors, Shaikin notes that the Athletics "say they are not interested in Ramirez."  If Guerrero stays with the Rangers, that leaves only the Tigers, Rays, Blue Jays, and perhaps Orioles in Shaikin's estimation.  I should add that the Tigers prefer left-handed hitters and the Orioles may be content with Luke Scott serving as DH.  Technically the Royals, Twins, and Mariners aren't locked in at DH, but they don't seem like matches for Ramirez.

Manny Ramirez Likes Farrell, Blue Jays

By | at

Manny Ramirez would like to play for the Blue Jays under new manager John Farrell, the slugger told ESPN's Enrique Rojas (story in Spanish).  Ramirez and Farrell crossed paths on the Red Sox, of course.  Manny added that he had hernia surgery two weeks ago and was never 100% during the season.  He feels like he has a lot of baseball left and can stay healthy as a designated hitter.

Ramirez, 38, hit .298/.409/.460 in 320 plate appearances for the Dodgers and White Sox this year.  That's a down year by his standards, but it's also the best OBP of any free agent.  Manny said he's liked the Blue Jays since they had great Dominican players in the 80s.  To make room for Ramirez at DH, the Jays would have to use Adam Lind at first base.

White Sox Notes: Pierzynski, Manny, Vizquel

By | at

Though they fell short of the playoffs, the White Sox won 88 games this year.  Notes from yesterday:

Five Difference-Making Waiver Claims

By | at

No one can compete with Cesar Carrillo when it comes to waiver claims. The former first rounder was claimed three times within two weeks this month, so he's approaching waiver claim Hall of Fame territory. Here are five other waiver claims that made a difference this season:

  • White Sox Claim Manny Ramirez, August 31st, 2010 – Ramirez has been getting on base, but he has just one extra base hit since joining the White Sox. GM Kenny Williams was hoping for a repeat of Manny's 2008 surge, but he didn't get it and Chicago won't make the playoffs.
  • Dodgers Claim Rod Barajas, August 22nd, 2010 – Barajas has an .882 OPS since joining the Dodgers, but it won't be enough to lead the team back to the playoffs. The catcher did his part when the team was in contention, hitting three homers in his first five games as a Dodger.
  • Pirates Claim Chris Resop, August 4th, 2010 – The Pirates bought low on Resop and he has responded with 17.2 solid innings; he has walked 5.1 batters per nine, but also has a 2.04 ERA and 10.7 K/9 in Pittsburgh.
  • Astros Claim Nelson Figueroa, July 21st, 2010 – The 36-year-old Figueroa pitched 54.1 innings for the Astros after GM Ed Wade claimed him from his former team, the Phillies. The right-hander posted a 3.98 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 for Houston.
  • Indians Claim Jayson Nix, June 24th, 2010 – Nix has played second, third and left for the Indians and though he doesn't get on base much, he has hit 11 homers for the Tribe.

Stark On Manny, Rockies, Napoli, Phillies

By | at

An official of a team that once had interest in Manny Ramirez tells Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that he doesn’t think the slugger has much left. Ramirez, who hits free agency this offseason, hasn’t picked up an extra base hit since joining the White Sox and the official says that’s “a major indication he might not have a whole lot left in the tank." Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors.

  • There are indications that the Rockies wouldn’t offer Jeff Francis more than a modest one-year deal with incentives. The Rockies seem likely to decline the $7MM option they have for the lefty.
  • One GM says any team with interest in Jorge de la Rosa needs to do its homework. "He could be [the next] Oliver Perez," the GM said.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes drew that comparison in an April article, but noted De Le Rosa's higher groundball rate. 
  • There are “vibes” that the Angels will make Mike Napoli available this winter.
  • The Phillies could combine Domonic Brown with a right-handed hitting veteran, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that’s just one possible solution. Brown doesn't have a guaranteed everyday job on next year’s team, even if Jayson Werth signs elsewhere, as expected.
  • One scout who covered Royals prospect and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Pat White in high school, says we shouldn’t be surprised if Dayton Moore’s gamble pays off and White’s athleticism translates well to pro baseball.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rasmus, Manny, Phillies

By | at

On this date in 1969, the Mets moved into sole possession of first place for the first time in franchise history. They swept the Expos in a doubleheader to move ahead of the Cubs by a full game in the NL East. The Miracle Mets went on to defeat the Orioles in the Fall Classic for the first World Championship in their history, more than eight years after they played their first ever game.

Let's take a look at some links from around the baseball netweb…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Poll: Manny Ramirez’s Next Contract

By | at

Last week, ESPN's Buster Olney opined that a team interested in Manny Ramirez this offseason should present him with an incentive-laden contract to ensure that he will maintain his focus.  Olney suggests a base salary of $800K to $1MM with incentives based on plate appearances.

While major league GMs likely wouldn't object to such a deal, one has to imagine that Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, would.  As Tim Dierkes pointed out, last winter Boras was able to land $3.3MM and $2MM guarantees for Xavier Nady and Alex Cora, respectively.  After coming off of a two-year, $45MM deal, it's probable that Ramirez can fetch a higher guaranteed salary on the open market.

However, Ramirez has now left two baseball towns on a sour note twice in recent years.  Ramirez's struggles in the outfield and advanced age also mean that he's likely to remain in the American League as a designated hitter.  Ramirez, who has a career UZR/150 of -20.0 in the outfield, told Dodgers skipper Joe Torre that he feels that he belongs in the AL before his departure to Chicago.  In essence, this probably cuts the slugger's list of prospective suitors in half; minus one if you want to nix Boston from the group.  

While Olney's idea was a suggestion and not necessarily a prediction, it does raise the question of whether Ramirez might be forced to take on that type of deal.  Rather than $1MM, we'll set the over/under a little bit higher.

Will Ramirez end up taking a one-year deal with a base of less than $3MM?

Click here to take the poll, and here to view the results.

Show all

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

hide arrows scroll to top