[h3]What's up with Andruw?[/h3]
The Dodgers are scanning the center-field and third-base markets and appear to be strongly considering
Andruw Jones, a superstar who may wind up being a bargain after his uncharacteristically poor season at the plate.
The Giants, Royals and Rangers are also in the mix for Jones, and someone suggested that the Brewers could even get involved, provided it was on a short-term basis. However, Brewers people painted that as an extreme longshot. The Rangers also are looking at something short-term for Jones, who would have been in line to top
Vernon Wells' $126 million contract and perhaps even
Alfonso Soriano's $136 million blockbuster had he posted his usual numbers.
The Royals, with former Braves executive
Dayton Moore as their GM, are an interesting possibility. They have the money for a change, as they offered
Torii Hunter $70 million for five years and told him they would go higher.
The Mets looked like another major longshot, provided Jones would consider moving to right field, unlikely in that he is the best center fielder of this generation and isn't slowing down defensively (he led the National league with 400-plus putouts in 2007). The Mets tried the two-center-fielder setup with
Carlos Beltran and
Mike Cameron. (Cameron decided he wanted to stay in center after first giving the Mets the go-ahead to sign Beltran.)
Jones, who's only 30, could be an excellent value now considering he has averaged 37 home runs and 112 RBIs over his past five seasons, compared to 24 and 89 for Hunter, who got $90 million over five years from the Angels, and 16 and 60 for
Aaron Rowand.
Jones, who had 26 home runs and 94 RBIs but hit only .222 last year, has seven 30-home run seasons compared to one for Hunter and none for Rowand. Jones has had by far the better career than Hunter. He's also two years younger. But it's a case of, What have you done lately? And it's hurting Jones.
Jones' old team, the Braves, are still looking for a center-fielder but have said they won't try to keep Jones and will go with youth instead.
[h4]Report: Dodgers offer Andruw 2-3 year deal[/h4]
Andruw Jones: I can tell you, my hunch last week about Andruw to the Dodgers looks pretty good about now. First team that's been connected to him so far is the Dodgers, who may or may not have a two- or three-year offer on the table for the 10-time Glove Glove winner who roamed center field for the Braves for a decade. I'd expect Boras to wait and try driving up the price a little more, because right now we're probably talking perhaps one-quarter of the overall value Boras once indicated Jones would be worth. I've heard about $15-16 mill per year is what Dodgers are talking, and again that's only for two or possibly three years.
-- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[h4]
Jones is a gamble I would love to take. I would even go as far as to saying he should get a 3-4 year deal @ 16 per year. I just think he had a bad yearlast season.
[/h4]
[h3]Dodgers, Mets try for Bedard[/h3]
The Mets and Dodgers are at the forefront of talks involving Orioles ace lefty
Erik Bedard, but Baltimore president/GM
Andy MacPhail is expected to take his time.
The Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays were also thought to have interest, but O's owner
Peter Angelos had told people that he has no intention of trading Bedard within the division, meaning the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays can probably forget it.
The Mets offered a combination of outfielder
Carlos Gomez, pitching prospect
Phil Humber and reliever
Aaron Heilman for Bedard and are believed willing to make adjustments if they have a realistic shot at landing Bedard (the two players the Mets will not trade are
Jose Reyes and
David Wright).
The Dodgers are very well-stocked in the minors, and several of their young players would interest Baltimore, including outfielder
Matt Kemp, pitching prospect
Clayton Kershaw and top reliever
Jonathan Broxton. The Dodgers have been understandably reluctant to part with those highly-coveted young players, though.
I don't know about trading Broxton, it just doesn't make sense. Middle relievers, plus Setup men are as much of a premium as a starter. Plus, Broxton will be handed the torch once Takashi Saito is ready to retire. I would rather stay pat, than pay a premium for Bedard. Go for offense, Jonesand Blalock will be good additions.
• Bidding apparently is going wild on Japanese pitcher
Hiroki Kuroda. Word in the lobby was that he may get $45 million for three years. The Mariners and Royals -- yes, the Royals again -- are said to be among the many teams pursuing him.
Kuroda is going to go for the money. I think he will land with the Mariners, unless the Royals blow him away with a Gil Meche like offer.
• This was the week to acquire outfielders whose stock has dropped. Following
Lastings Milledge's trade to the Nationals were
Carlos Quentin's trade to the White Sox and
Elijah Dukes' trade to the Nationals (who are home for wayward outfielders). The deal for Dukes followed his latest blowup, and my guess is the Rays are happy to be rid of him. The Rays are considering character under the new regime, and that's a welcome change.
Jim Bowden did a good job of stealing Lastings Milledge from the Mets. However, I don't get the Elijah Dukes move. Sure, he is talented,but you got two other young malcontents in the outfield already. Dukes is nothing but trouble.
Ken Rosenthal
FOXSports.com, Updated 1 hour ago | |
The Marlins, stalled in their attempts to trade third baseman Miguel Cabrera, could be laying the groundwork for an even bigger deal.
The Marlins and Tigers are engaged in preliminary talks about a blockbuster that would send Cabrera and left-hander Dontrelle Willis to Detroit for a package of young players, according to major-league sources.
Outfielder Cameron Maybin and left-hander Andrew Miller likely are among the Marlins' targets. The Tigers already feature two veteran left-handed starters, Kenny Rogers and Nate Robertson, possibly making Miller available in a deal for Willis.
Cabrera would play third base for the Tigers. It is uncertain what would happen to the Tigers' incumbent third baseman, Brandon Inge, if a deal were completed; he possibly could be sent to another team.
The Marlins are at an impasse in their talks about Cabrera with the Angels. The teams are in agreement on three players the Marlins would receive, sources say - second baseman Howie Kendrick, catcher Jeff Mathis and minor-league pitcher Nick Adenhart. The Angels are balking at including right-hander Ervin Santana; the substitution of outfielder Reggie Willits possibly could lead to a deal.
The White Sox remain heavily interested in Cabrera, whom they would use in left field. Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is close with Cabrera and said Monday that the player already has lost 15 pounds this off-season while re-dedicating himself to baseball.
Word is out, that the Angels are out of the running for Cabrera. They are asking for way too much, IMO, causing the Angels and the Dodgers toback out.
The Blue Jays are willing to trade outfielder Alex Rios in a deal for a premium starting pitcher and have talked to the Giants about Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. The Giants are reluctant to move either pitcher, but would consider a hitter such as Rios, who
is three years away from free agency.
If the Jays traded Rios, they likely would go with Adam Lind in left field and a platoon of Reed Johnson and Matt Stairs in right. Some Jays officials believe that Lind would bat .270 with 20-25 home runs if he were given 500 at-bats.
The chances of the Jays trading for Orioles left-hander Erik Bedard, a native of Canada, are extremely remote. The Orioles are unlikely to trade Bedard within the division, and the Jays cannot offer a strong enough package of prospects for the pitcher.
The Jays also are listening to offers for right-hander A.J. Burnett, but ideally they would add a pitcher such as Cain or Lincecum to a rotation headed by Burnett and Roy Halladay.
The Nationals continue to drive a hard bargain for closer Chad Cordero. The Brewers said no to the Nats' request for second baseman Rickie Weeks, and the Astros were equally dismissive when the Nats asked for reliever Chad Qualls and outfielder Luke Scott.
It is only a matter of time before someone takes advantage of the Giants desperation to add a big bat. Linececum is very talented, but Iwon't be surprised if he Sabean deals him.
The Royals' preliminary agreement with Jose Guillen on a three-year, $36 million contract might not preclude them from making a run at another free-agent outfielder, Andruw Jones. The Royals also are bidding for Japanese free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, whose price has risen above $40 million for four years. They presumably could redirect that money toward Jones, but probably could sign him only if he agreed to a shorter deal.
I doubt it!
[h3]The Orioles, among the busiest talkers at these meetings, continue to signal that they are trying to trade catcher Ramon Hernandez. They are interested in Michael Barrett as a free agent and want either Jeff Mathis or Mike Napoli as well as pitching if they trade shortstop Miguel Tejada to the Angels, according to source[/h3]
If the deal for Cabrera completely falls apart, Tejada will be an Angel.
