In the name of all that is holy! Kenny Albert and Tim McCarver made it very clear during Saturday’s FOX Red Sox-Yankees broadcast that we can’t allow Melky Cabrera to win the NL batting title after his steroids suspension this week. In fact, it seems we need a new rule to prevent players who receive…
The Mets have floated the possibility of using R.A. Dickey on short rest at various times this season, but that talk has died down in recent weeks as the team has faded in the standings. However, Mets manager Terry Collins raised the possibility again this afternoon after Dickey finished off a complete game 6-1 victory…
The Marlins expected about 25 percent more fans than they’ve drawn this year, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. The Marlins are averaging 28,406 fans per game, an improvement of more than 10,000 people per game that amounts to the largest increase in the game since last year. Here are more notes from Olney, starting in Miami…
Marlins president David Samson has said the team isn’t making financially motivated trades, but Olney suggests Miami will have to manage its money carefully to field a competitive team. This could include shedding the contracts of the team’s best-paid players.
The Marlins will likely look to dump the contracts of players like Jose Reyes at some point in the coming years, and they won’t be offered much in return. The salaries of players like Reyes and Mark Buehrle are back-loaded and will soon spike, which will reduce interest from rival clubs. Ricky Nolasco, Josh Johnson and Heath Bell are among the other Marlins who have significant money remaining on their current contracts.
Olney points out that Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has as much opportunity as any manager to shape his team. Valentine shouldn’t have accepted the job if he wanted more control than he’s getting, Olney writes.
So, yeah, there seems to be a legitimate chance this is going to happen. But the Reds don’t need a leadoff hitter, and they certainly don’t need Juan Pierre. For starters, they have a perfectly good leadoff hitter, if only they’d use him there. Drew Stubbs strikes out a whole lot and has a disappointing…
Here’s the latest out of the NL East…
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro told reporters (including Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com) that his plan is to keep his team’s rotation intact, though plans can change. The Phillies have a “lot of balls in [the] air trade-wise.”
The Phillies are listening to offers for Shane Victorino though they haven’t yet indicated that they’re willing to move him, tweets ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. The Dodgers, Giants, Pirates and Reds are among the teams interested in the center fielder.
The Braves are still looking to upgrade their rotation, reports MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The Braves have shown interest in Edinson Volquez and James Shields, though Bowman notes that a less-pricey pitching option like Rays right-hander Wade Davis could fit Atlanta’s needs. Multiple teams have asked about Davis, though he’s pitched out of the bullpen all season and wouldn’t be able to immediately help a team looking for a starter.
Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Ozzie Guillen told reporters (including Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post) that despite the Marlins‘ struggles, they don’t regret coming to Miami.
The Mets are focused on acquiring players who can help the team beyond just the 2012 season, reports ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. Both Rubin’s source and manager Terry Collins didn’t think any deals were imminent before the deadline.
Scott Hairston told Rubin that the Mets haven’t approached him about a contract extension. A team insider tells Rubin that “Nothing I know of was accomplished” when the Tigers and Mets recently discussed a Hairston trade.
Three AL East executives said they view the Red Sox as the Yankees’ greatest intra-divisional threat this year, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. “There is just too much talent on that roster for them not to contend,” one of the executives said of the Red Sox. Here are the latest notes and rumors from Sherman…
The Red Sox are trying to find a high-end starting pitcher or a shortstop, one official told Sherman.
Boston tried to flip Carl Crawford to Miami to address their shortstop situation, Sherman reports. However, GM Ben Cherington said on WEEI in Boston today that there was just one conversation with Miami and that talks about Crawford never got serious (Twitter link via Rob Bradford).
Boston “wants [Crawford] out in the worst way,” Sherman hears from an exec.
James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson and Wade Davis are drawing lots of interest, Sherman writes. The Rays are hoping demand for Shields spikes once Zack Greinke gets traded. It’s conceivable that a bidding war could emerge between the Angels and Rangers.
The Marlins appear to have set an extremely high asking price for Josh Johnson, Jon Heyman reported today. Here’s the latest on the Marlins and their NL East rivals…
The Marlins are telling teams Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle are off-limits, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. They feel committed to Buehrle and believe Reyes will play better now that Hanley Ramirez has been traded. The Marlins are also sure to keep Giancarlo Stanton, Heyman writes.
The Marlins are reluctant to trade Emilio Bonifacio, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
The Padres offered to trade Luke Gregerson for Daniel Murphy, but the Mets rejected the possible deal, John Harper of the New York Daily News reports. Gregerson, 28, has a 3.05 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 44 1/3 innings this year. He earns $1.55MM and will remain under team control through 2014.
The Marlins worked seven walks against the Braves’ Tommy Hanson on Wednesday and followed those up with many of their seven steals, yet they still ended up losing 7-1. With two apiece from Jose Reyes and Donovan Solano (Hanley Ramirez‘s replacement at third base), the Marlins became the first team this year to swipe seven…
We checked in on the AL East this morning, but with less than a week remaining before the trade deadline, the rumors don’t stop coming. Here’s the latest…
The Red Sox won’t trade Jon Lester this summer, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports. The Red Sox are working to add starting pitching and have interest in controllable right-handers Matt Garza and Josh Johnson, Edes writes.
Several clubs have approached the Red Sox about possible trades involving outfielders such as Ryan Kalish, Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ross. The Pirates and Reds have both scouted the Red Sox extensively, according to Edes.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Blue Jays are trying to move Yunel Escobar and suggests they could have interest in Jose Reyes (Twitter link).
The Yankees aren’t likely to pursue Aramis Ramirez, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). They could have interest in Chase Headley, however.
In case you missed it, the Rays designated Hideki Matsui for assignment.
The Phillies are eager to trade Hunter Pence, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported today. Here are some more notes from the NL East with exactly one week remaining before the July 31st trade deadline…
The Phillies at least floated the idea of a six-year, $140MM extension to Cole Hamels, a rival MLB official told Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Hamels hasn’t said ‘yes,’ which increases the likelihood of a trade, as Sherman points out. Philadelphia’s formal offer appeared to be for six years and $130MM or so.
The Nationals‘ primary concern is improving their middle infield depth, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. The Nationals could make a move very soon now that Ian Desmond might miss a month with a strained oblique. The team has discussed 15-20 players in the Marco Scutaro, Jamey Carroll, Nick Punto mold, Kilgore reports.
The Nationals aren’t looking for a starting position player and they aren’t offering much for starting pitching, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). It seems unlikely that GM Mike Rizzo will trade for a premium pitcher like Zack Greinke or Matt Garza.
One GM told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Marlins are expected to listen on any player not named Giancarlo Stanton or Jose Reyes. However, the Marlins would likely have to be overwhelmed to trade Mark Buehrle.
The Phillies are eager to trade Hunter Pence, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported today. Here are some more notes from the NL East with exactly one week remaining before the July 31st trade deadline…
The Phillies at least floated the idea of a six-year, $140MM extension to Cole Hamels, a rival MLB official told Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Hamels hasn’t said ‘yes,’ which increases the likelihood of a trade, as Sherman points out. Philadelphia’s formal offer appeared to be for six years and $130MM or so.
The Nationals‘ primary concern is improving their middle infield depth, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. The Nationals could make a move very soon now that Ian Desmond might miss a month with a strained oblique. The team has discussed 15-20 players in the Marco Scutaro, Jamey Carroll, Nick Punto mold, Kilgore reports.
The Nationals aren’t looking for a starting position player and they aren’t offering much for starting pitching, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). It seems unlikely that GM Mike Rizzo will trade for a premium pitcher like Zack Greinke or Matt Garza.
One GM told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Marlins are expected to listen on any player not named Giancarlo Stanton or Jose Reyes. However, the Marlins would likely have to be overwhelmed to trade Mark Buehrle.
Here’s the latest from around the league as Wednesday turns into Thursday…
There doesn’t appear to have been much contract dialogue between the Brewers and Zack Greinke, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. As of today, there is no evidence that a formal offer has been made even though we heard last week that the team was prepared to make one.
Torii Hunter told Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times that he’s willing to take a big paycut to return to the Angels next season. Hunter is in the final year of his five-year, $90MM deal. If things don’t work out with the Halos, the outfielder said he would consider playing for the Yankees, Rangers, or Dodgers. Retirement would be an option as well.
The Marlins have no intention of trading Justin Ruggiano, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). The 30-year-old outfielder is hitting .368/.440/.705 in 111 plate appearances for Miami this season.
Frisaro also notes (on Twitter) that the Marlins are not dangling Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Reyes, or Mark Buehrle. Yesterday we heard that the team could become sellers if they don’t turn things around in the coming weeks.
The Yankees, Tigers, and Royals were all on hand to watch Wandy Rodriguez get knocked around by the Padres this afternoon according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. The left-hander remains available before the trade deadline.
Jose Reyes parted ways with a commodity near and dear to his heart Friday — his hair. The Marlins shortstop had a televised haircut on MLB Network to show he is complying with his new team’s rules. He also turned it into a charity event; the hair is up for bid on eBay and the proceeds will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in South Florida.
“It’s going to be a little bit emotional, because I’ve spent three years with this hair,” Reyes said before getting his locks chopped. “At the same time, I understand it’s a rule of my new team, the Miami Marlins. I’m a team player, so I have to cut it off.”
Full story on Larry Brown Sports
Hanley Ramirez has been the shortstop for the Miami Marlins since joining the club in 2006. He’s gone to three All-Star games, won two Silver Slugger awards, and was the Rookie of the Year. But the team added the reigning National League batting champ, shortstop Jose Reyes, this offseason and isn’t asking him to move positions.
The Miami Herald reports that, after initially not being very happy about the situation, Ramirez is now ready to move over to third base.
“I’ve spoken with [manager] Ozzie Guillen, and what we want is to win with the Marlins,” Ramirez told the Associated Press in Spanish while in the Dominican Republic, according to the Herald. “We’ll see what happens with the position change. If it’s at third base, fine. Where they put me to win, I’ll do it.”
Add left-hander Mark Buehrle to the list of coveted free agents the free-spending Miami Marlins have landed this week.
Buehrle and the Marlins have agreed on a four-year, $58 million contract, pending a physical. The person requested anonymity since the deal has not been finalized.
Buehrle will join shortstop Jose Reyes and closer Heath Bell on the new-look Marlins.
Full story at USA Today
ESPN is reporting that the Miami Marlins have offered Alber Pujols a 10 year contract.
It is unclear what the monetary figure of the offer is, and a key question is whether the Marlins would agree to include a no-trade clause in their offer. The club did not offer shortstop Jose Reyes such a clause, which Pujols had with the St. Louis Cardinals.
It’s really interesting to see where the Marlins think they are going to get all this money from. The new ballpark smell will not last that long.
DALLAS (AP) — Jose Reyes is speeding to the suddenly splurging Miami Marlins.
The All-Star shortstop became the second top free agent to land with the Marlins in a matter of days, agreeing Sunday night to a $106 million, six-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
After adding All-Star closer Heath Bell for $27 million over three years, the Marlins gave the NL batting champion a deal that includes a club option for 2018 that would make the contract worth $120 million, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not yet been announced.
Preparing to move into a $515 million retractable-roof ballpark, the Marlins hired Ozzie Guillen as their manager and have become a driving force in the market ahead of the winter meetings, which start Monday. With Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols the remaining high-profile hitters on the market, they hope to land another big bat. Pujols, like Reyes, already has toured the new stadium – which opens when the Marlins host the Cardinals on April 4.
Reyes is following Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran out of New York, leaving David Wright and Johan Santana as the Mets’ last remaining stars. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson began hearing rumors of the deal Sunday afternoon.
“If the numbers are what are speculated and Jose does leave us, I don’t think people will be surprised that under those circumstances he went elsewhere. It doesn’t mean they’ll be happy about it,” said Alderson, who spoke with Reyes’ agents earlier in the day. “There was an indication to me that things were moving. Exactly how far. I didn’t ask. I didn’t need to.”
Reyes signed with New York at age 16 and last year become the Mets’ first NL batting champion, when he hit .337 and topped the league with 16 triples, while stealing 39 bases.
The 28-year-old is a four-time All-Star and three-time stolen base champion. But he has been prone to injuries in recent seasons, particularly to his hamstrings. He has not played more than 133 games in any of the last three years, averaging 98.
His arrival in Miami, where the Marlins will be wearing new brightly colored uniforms, likely means three-time All-Star Hanley Ramirez will be shifting from shortstop to third base.
Reyes received the second-nine figure deal of the offseason, following center fielder Matt Kemp’s $160 million, eight-year contract to stay with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Reyes’ departure is another blow to the Mets, who went 77-85 in their third straight losing season. Attendance at Citi Field dropped to 2.35 million, down about 7 percent from last year and their lowest since 2004, when they played at Shea Stadium.
Alderson said the Mets never made a formal offer to Reyes, who is coming off a deal that paid him $32.4 million over five years.
“I don’t believe Mets’ fans will be surprised if these reports are true that Jose may not be back,” he said. “You have to draw a line somewhere and based on our experience, not just with Jose – but with multiyear contracts generally, and not just with our multiyear contracts, but all multiyear contracts generally – we decided that there were some conceptual limitations to where we would go.”
Alderson became general manager when Omar Minaya was fired after the 2010 season. The Wilpon family that owns the Mets has been sued by the trustee trying to recover money for the victims of the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme, and he is seeking to recover up to $386 million from the Mets’ ownership group.
“Bernie Madoff and his specter are always referenced in these situations. I really don’t really think that Madoff has that much to do with this,” Alderson said. “But when a team loses $70 million, irrespective of Bernie Madoff or anyone else, that’s probably a bigger factor in our approach to this season and the next couple than anything else.”
Alderson wouldn’t say whether the $70 million figure was for 2011 only.
“Big losses, let’s put it that way,” he said.
With Reyes gone, Ruben Tejada becomes the Mets’ projected starting shortstop.
“We don’t expect him to be Jose Reyes,” Alderson said. “At some point, he will be what he can be as a player.”
In a matter-of-fact 20-minute briefing, Alderson didn’t concede the 2012 season would be a loss and maintained the departure wouldn’t lead to a total rebuilding.
“I don’t think anything that Jose does or doesn’t do over the next few days has any impact on David Wright,” Alderson said. “Right now, we don’t contemplate trading David Wright.”
© 2011 The Associated Press
