hot stove 12/22

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(this is info compiled from sportstalk radio,nespapers from around america,internet and wire stories all posted at benmaller.com and kfl)





The Mets say they are currently monitoring the Manny Ramirez situation with the Red Sox. That's another way of saying there is absolutely nothing brewing — for now. But Boston's bungling of the Johnny Damon negotiations has made Ramirez, the Red Sox left fielder, even more angry, a source said yesterday, and he's now open to a trade to the Mets. However, the Mets haven't engaged in serious talks with the Red Sox since Boston's new front-office structure was announced earlier this month, and the two teams didn't talk yesterday. The Mets believe it will be more difficult to pull off a trade now that Damon is out of Boston. If the Mets were highly interested in making a deal, they could approach Ramirez's agents beforehand and ask if he would waive his no-trade clause. However, they haven't done that this winter, sources said.

The Red Sox have expressed interest in free agent starter Kevin Millwood, one of the few high-profile, high-ceiling pitchers left in the marketplace. According to sources, the Red Sox’ interest in Millwood stems primarily from their realization that a trade of David Wells may not bring back a starter in return and that Matt Clement or Bronson Arroyo may have to be sacrificed in trades in order for the club to replace Johnny Damon.

The Chicago Tribune reports... More than one source has claimed the Cubs dangled pitcher Mark Prior in multiteam trade talks that would land them premier Baltimore shortstop Miguel Tejada and eventually send Prior to a team in the American League West.

Bengie Molina, a free-agent catcher, is still looking to sign a contract for 2006. Enter the Toronto Blue Jays? Not quite. Not yet. "Toronto's always had some interest," Nero said yesterday. "There are half a dozen teams we're dealing with, and it seems like all of them are waiting on other things to happen before getting to Bengie. Toronto's one of them.'' "Bengie's a backburner thing for us," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said yesterday. "It's something we'd have interest in only if a couple of other things fell into place."

Free-agent pitcher Brett Tomko has agreed to terms on a two-year, $8.7-million contract that includes a club option for a third year and a $1-million buyout, two sources with knowledge of the negotiations said Wednesday.

The Mets have told people that Carlos Beltran will not be traded, even if Manny Ramirez is the prize.

The Red Sox are believed to be focusing on at least five options for center field. Coco Crisp (Indians), Jeremy Reed (Mariners) and Dave Roberts (Padres) are trade options, while Terrence Long and Juan Encarnacion are free agents. The Padres would prefer to keep Roberts, currently penciled in as the left fielder in San Diego, but they might be willing to move him for Wells if the Red Sox would take the accompanying contract of starter Woody Williams, who is owed $5.2 million next year. The likely 2006 salary of around $3 million for arbitration-eligible pitcher Bronson Arroyo makes him more palatable to Seattle than starter Matt Clement, but the Red Sox would, understandably, much rather have the Mariners take on Clement and the $19 million remaining on his deal over the next two seasons. Reed, however, cannot be considered a viable leadoff hitter.

The Padres will announce the signing of Mark Bellhorn, the former Boston Red Sox second baseman today. San Diego has also signed right-handed setup reliever Brian Sikorski, who spent the past five seasons pitching in Japan. Bellhorn, 31, is expected to compete with rookie Josh Barfield and Bobby Hill for the starting job at second. And if history repeats, Bellhorn could have a strong year.

In other Mets news, the team contacted the agent for pitcher Chad Bradford, who was non-tendered by Boston on Tuesday. The Mets already have expressed interest in relievers Julian Tavarez and Jeff Nelson.

The candidates for that roster increased when nontendered players joined the pool of free agents. The Rockies have an interest in right- hander Ramon Ortiz, 32, who was let go by Cincinnati after going 9-11 with a 5.36 ERA in his only season with the Reds. The Rockies have very mild interest in Josh Fogg, 29, who went 6-11 with a 5.05 ERA last year in his fourth season for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

It would make sense for the Reds to sign Adam Dunn long-term, because he stands to make $8 million or $9 million in arbitration. He'd probably be willing to play for less in '06 in exchange for long-term security.

LA GM Ned Colletti is exploring other free-agent and trade possibilities. Free agent Byung-Hyun Kim, who pitched well against the Dodgers for the Colorado Rockies last season, and left-hander Shawn Estes are low-budget options. The Chicago White Sox are shopping right-hander Jon Garland, but the asking price might be too high for the Dodgers, who don't want to trade top pitching prospects.


The agent for outfielder Eric Byrnes, who was non-tendered by Baltimore, plans to reach out to the Mets if they don't call him first. And the Mets remain convinced Barry Zito won't be moved by Oakland.



The Diamondbacks reportedly have made a two-year offer to free-agent outfielder Jeff DaVanon, but the Valley resident still was talking to other clubs and Arizona has been busy making backup plans for a starting center fielder if the deal falls through. There were indications the Diamondbacks were on the verge of signing DaVanon, but General Manager Josh Byrnes cautioned that Arizona was ready to make other arrangements just in case, saying the club has been talking with DaVanon and other potential center fielders.


Johnny Damon officially arrived in the Big Apple early this morning - checking into Manhattan's Regency Hotel wearing jeans, a winter coat and orange wool hat - and his trademark long hair and beard. He expects to lose the latter - reluctantly - when he joins the Yankees, who have a strict clean-cut policy on orders from George Steinbrenner. "I hope he changes his mind,'' the former Red Sox star told The Post as he checked into the hotel. "But he's The Boss, and I brought my razors.'' Damon, his wife and another traveling companion arrived just after 1 a.m. and were greeted by Yankee executive Steve Swindal and Swindal's family.

Second baseman Junior Spivey, who will be 31 and was nontendered by the Washington Nationals, interests the Rockies because he could provide some power and infield depth. Another infielder on the Rockies' radar is second baseman Willie Harris, who was nontendered by the Chicago White Sox. The Rockies will kick the tires on outfielder Eric Byrnes, who was with them briefly last year. Acquired July 13 from the Oakland Athletics, Byrnes played 15 games for the Rockies before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles on July 29 for outfielder Larry Bigbie.

Brewers GM Doug Melvin also has spoken to representatives for right-hander Joe Borowski and has interest in righty Shigetoshi Hasegawa, among others.

Elrod Hendricks, an affable and beloved sports figure in Baltimore who spent 37 of his 45 seasons in professional baseball in an Orioles uniform as a player or coach, died last night. Hendricks would have turned 65 today. Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan, a friend of Mr. Hendricks', confirmed the death but didn't want to comment until he had notified other members of the organization. Mr. Hendricks died at Baltimore-Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, hospital spokeswoman Allison Eatough told the Associated Press. She did not know the time of death. Mr. Hendricks, known for his quick wit and smile, dressed as Santa Claus at the Orioles' Christmas party Monday and delivered gifts to children from economically disadvantaged areas in Baltimore.


One might be Eric Byrnes, a scrappy outfielder the Pirates attempted to acquire from Oakland last winter, but they were rebuffed when the Athletics asked for reliever Mike Gonzalez in return. Byrnes, 29, went on to play for three teams last season and batted .a career-low .226 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 126 games. The Baltimore Orioles, his most recent employer, did not tender him after he made $2.2 million.

Washington showed interest in free agent right-handers Ramon Ortiz, Josh Fogg, Dewon Brazelton and Ryan Franklin by making contract offers yesterday, Bowden said by e-mail. He was trying to get in touch with the agent for Wade Miller as well in hopes of doing the same. None of those players posted a winning record in 2005, and all were deemed expendable by their former teams, who would have faced arbitration hearings or contract negotiations with them. They are now added to the Nationals' pursuit of starters, one which already includes negotiations with free agents Brett Tomko and Shawn Estes -- discussions that have been ongoing for weeks -- as well as Joe Mays.

The Red Sox now have no center fielder, to go along with no shortstop and no first baseman. Perhaps they can send perpetually disgruntled left fielder Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Angels for Darin Erstad, Orlando Cabrera and a couple of prospects -- which would fill some of their biggest holes -- or keep Ramirez and bottom-feed from the list of leftover free agents in order to fill those holes.

In a year, if the Yankees decide Johnny Damon's age makes him better suited for one of the corners, they can still have their pick from an outstanding crop of free agent center fielders, which is expected to include Andruw Jones and Torii Hunter.

Perhaps as early as tomorrow, Johnny Damon will show up at Yankee Stadium for a news conference. He will field as many questions about his hair as the Beatles did when they landed in New York in 1964. Even Scott Boras, Damon's hard-line agent, could not resist the topic yesterday when listing Damon's virtues. "He certainly has the ability to be another historic center fielder for the Yankees," Boras said, before naming a few more attributes. "He has everything you could possibly want about bringing a player to the New York Yankees - except for his haircut. I don't think there's anything in that contract that says he gets an exemption."



Washington Nationals pitcher Livan Hernandez is expected to be among the Cuban baseball players who will meet today with Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Florida Republican, to discuss plans to put together a team of Cubans to compete in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, according to sources familiar with the meeting. A group of major and minor league players, all of whom either have defected from Cuba or have Cuban heritage, want to form an organization called the Association of Professional Cuban Players to petition not only organizers of the World Baseball Classic but other international tournaments, sources said.

It is possible that Darin Erstad could be dangled as trade bait as the Angels still are hopeful about acquiring a middle of the order bat. "There's some other discussions we are involved in," Stoneman said.

Death Valley at Petco Park will be a bit smaller in 2006. Major League Baseball has approved the Padres' request to shorten the distance to right-center – a change that will knock 11 feet off the distance to the deepest point of the right-field power alley.

Next season, the Coliseum will go from one of baseball's biggest stadiums to its very smallest. The entire third deck will be covered by tarps, shrinking the seating capacity by more than 20 percent. What the A's hope will increase is fan satisfaction. The abundance of readily available tickets at the Coliseum, which previously had a baseball capacity of 43,662 (and when the Mount Davis seats were sold, the A's drew crowds of more than 50,000) made it difficult to determine proper staffing levels at ticket windows, entrances and concessions. Taking the third deck out of play will make planning much easier. In addition, making tickets more scarce will encourage fans to purchase seats earlier and could increase the season-ticket-holder base, which is currently less than 10,000, one of the smallest in baseball. More important, perhaps, is that the new baseball capacity will be 34,179 -- which is just about the size the A's would like to have if and when they get a new stadium. So, essentially, a smaller Coliseum will be a test run for a new ballpark.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti continues to have discussions with Scott Boras, the agent for right-handers Kevin Millwood and Jeff Weaver, the best pitchers remaining on the free-agent market besides Roger Clemens. The Dodgers have until Jan. 8 to negotiate with Weaver, who expressed a desire to re-sign with the Dodgers near the end of last season and is thought to be seeking at least a four-year, $38-million offer.



The White Sox signed right-hander Tim Redding to a minor-league contract. Redding, 27, struggled last season with the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees, going a combined 0-6 with a 10.57 ERA in 10 appearances (seven starts). He pitched the previous four seasons with the Houston Astros, winning 10 games in 2003. Redding will make $500,000 if he makes the major-league roster, with another $400,000-plus available in bonuses. He can request a release if he doesn't break camp with the team

The Braves cut ties with veteran reliever Jim Brower and signed right-hander Wes Obermueller to a minor-league contract with a shot at winning a roster spot in spring training. Those two arbitration-eligible right-handers were the only Braves not offered contracts before the midnight deadline Wednesday for teams to tender contracts with their unsigned players.

Starter-wise, Ramon Ortiz has intrigued Omar Minaya in the past. The GM would have pursued a trade for Ortiz when he was with the Angels last winter had Pedro Martinez not chosen Flushing. The Mets also are believed to have expressed interest in former Seattle righthander Ryan Franklin (8-15, 5.10 in '05). Former Devil Rays first-round pick Dewon Brazelton also became a free agent.

A more intriguing subject, certainly, would be the meeting free- agent pitcher Pedro Astacio requested with Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd. Their one-on-one session lasted nearly 90 minutes but ended without Astacio, 36, embracing the opportunity to return to the team for whom he went 53-48 between 1997 and 2001. Astacio made $800,000 last year when he struggled with the Texas Rangers (2-8, 6.04 earned-run average) before regrouping with the San Diego Padres (4-2, 3.85 ERA). At this point in the off-season, he's likely seeking more than the Rockies are offering, which is believed to be a little more than $1 million.

Bill Bavasi, the Seattle general manager, said Tuesday he planned to discuss a 2006 contract with free agent right-hander Ryan Franklin, who was non-tendered by the Mariners on Tuesday. But Franklin appears to have little, if any, reciprocal interest. Jay Franklin, his agent and older brother, said that 14 clubs contacted him to express interest Wednesday -- making a return to Seattle highly unlikely.

Mariners pitcher Gil Meche, he of the powerful right arm and 44-36 career record, has been a frequent visitor to the rumor mill during his career. He is there once again, linked to Chicago Cubs center fielder Corey Patterson. The teams have had internal discussions about both players. New Mariners batting coach Jeff Pentland, who coached Patterson in Chicago, gave Seattle officials a very favorable report. A Meche-for-Patterson deal would make Seattle more willing to part with center fielder Jeremy Reed, given Reed's market value in the wake of Johnny Damon's defection from Boston. With Cleveland's price on Coco Crisp high to the point of unavailability, Reed is Boston's next-best option, according to industry sources. In other words, Seattle's bargaining position has improved dramatically. "The leverage has turned," one source said. "Even though Seattle desperately needs another starting pitcher, Boston desperately needs an outfielder. Boston has to do something." That shift could help the Mariners have their pick of a pitcher in return -- Bronson Arroyo or Matt Clement -- and ensure that the Red Sox assume some of Clement's remaining salary if that's who is dealt.

In his own way, Elrod Hendricks was the most valuable Oriole every year. He was a one-man community outreach program, forever taking the time to sign autographs, chat up fans, make appearances, giggle with kids - the kind of stuff that pro athletes used to do all the time. Elrod - last name not required in this town - never felt he was too swell for that just because he had played and coached in the major leagues. To the contrary, he realized it was more and more important that he fill the role because fewer and fewer of his baseball brethren did. His death last night leaves a void that can't be filled. Without people who do what he did, a sports franchise can become a faceless operation, cold and calculating and hell-bent only on winning. The Elrods of the world warm things up, make them human, accessible, even funny. Baltimore is a lesser baseball town with his death. To say he will be missed is to state the obvious.

The Red Sox are looking at these players, according to the Boston Globe, to replace Johnny Damon in CF:
Coco Crisp, Cleveland: Indians don't plan on dealing him after they missed out on Nomar Garciaparra, who they pursued as an outfielder . . . Rumors persist the 26-year-old's name did indeed come up in discussions with the Red Sox, and the Indians might reconsider for the right package of pitchers.
Dave Roberts, San Diego: Might the Sox replace one hero of the '04 postseason with another? . . . Roberts, who once stole a base of some importance for the Sox, recently re-signed with the Padres for one year and $2.25 million . . . His name has come up in trade rumors involving pitcher David Wells. At 33, Sox may look to go younger, but don't underestimate the positive public relations from bringing back a folk hero.
Torii Hunter, Twins: The most accomplished player of those who might be available . . . Put his house on the market in September, saying he expected to be traded, in part due to his $10.75 million salary. Not consistent at getting on base, but has hit more than 20 homers four times and would be ideal for the No. 5 spot in the order.
Jeremy Reed, Seattle: Mariners might be willing to send him to Boston for Bronson Arroyo or Matt Clement, according to some reports . Scouting reports are mixed: some say he projects as a Steve Finley type, others don't expect him to ever hit with power.
Corey Patterson, Cubs: Chicago offered him a contract Tuesday, but general manager Jim Hendry said he plans on shopping the talented but underachieving 26-year-old . . . Can go get the ball in center, but overall lackadaisical approach might make him something less than a favorite at Fenway.
Joey Gathright, Tampa Bay: Speedster has been shopped by Devil Rays, who have depth in the outfield with the expected arrival of top prospect Delmon Young, and Rocco Baldelli's return from injury... Unlikely to be high on Sox' shopping list, considering organization's general disregard for speed and traditional difficulty of dealing with Devil Rays.

Sidney Ponson said the Cardinals, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners had emerged as the front-runners for him. The Cardinals pressed their case at the winter meetings, and a deal was finalized Monday. The signing offers more potential damage to the team's image than to its wallet. Ponson will receive a $1 million base and is eligible to earn an additional $1.5 million in appearance incentives; but the club's greatest exposure pertains to their new pitcher's behavior. Ponson, 29, has three convictions for alcohol-related driving violations, including two since he supposedly was scared straight by spending 11 days behind bars in an Aruban jail after punching a local man (who turned out to be a judge) on Christmas Day.

As expected, free-agent infielder Rich Aurilia did not accept salary arbitration from the Reds and most likely will sign elsewhere, although the Reds are permitted to try signing him until January 8.


In a phone interview with the Daily News yesterday, Johnny Damon's dad said he wasn't particularly surprised to see his son end up in pinstripes and warned that Sox officials will lament the day they let Damon go. "Mark it down: It's going to be another Babe Ruth," Jimmy Damon told The News from his Florida home. "They sent Johnny off just like they sent off Babe Ruth. It's going to be another big, big mistake. They made the biggest mistake of their lives."

In an interview on WEEI-AM late yesterday afternoon, Johnny Damon claimed that the Yankees initially offered a five-year deal but that it was whittled down to a four-year offer with a higher annual average value. Damon also said that there was another team in the mix that had made a six-year offer. After calling an unspecified Red Sox official Tuesday morning, followed by an afternoon call to manager Terry Francona, Damon said that by 8 p.m., he felt that the Red Sox were not going to budge and it was time to accept the Yankees’ offer.



The Red Sox did get one last shot at re-signing Johnny Damon Tuesday night. They decided not to take it, however, believing that they were competing against another team that had a too-rich, five-year offer on the table. The team apparently also had an internal understanding that it would not drastically increase its four-year offer to the center fielder. The Sox stayed put, clearing the way for Damon to say yes to a four-year deal worth $52 million from the Yankees, ending his four-year stint with the Red Sox suddenly. Damon’s agent explained the last-ditch effort to keep his client in Beantown. “I called (Red Sox principal owner John Henry) and said, ‘John, I wanted to call you, you’re the owner of the team, it’s important to let you know that we are in a position to do something with another team, something’s about to be done and if you have a five-year proposal, now is the time to come forward,’ ” Scott Boras recalled yesterday afternoon. “He said he would have to talk to his people and I told him that I was not calling to negotiate but to let him know what was happening.”

Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino said that the Red Sox are doing their best to satisfy disgruntled left fielder Manny Ramirez’ request for a trade, but it does not sound as if it will happen soon. “We made a commitment to Manny and we’re going to live up to it, to try and find a place for him that’s comfortable and where we get fair value in return,” Lucchino said. “A couple of clubs have come forward and discussions are ongoing. “Nothing is imminent.”

Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin could not characterize negotiations with relief pitcher Dan Kolb as amicable or acrimonious. In fact, he couldn't characterize them at all. Melvin spent most of Wednesday waiting for Kolb's agent, Scott Boras, to return his phone call. "I've left messages, but I haven't heard anything at this point," Melvin said, conceding that Boras was probably bogged down with negotiations with higher-profile clients like Kevin Millwood and Jeff Weaver. "Scott has to be on Scott's terms, I guess."

Free-agent ace Kevin Millwood and his agent, Scott Boras, visited Arlington on Tuesday and part of Wednesday. But will Millwood return to lead the Rangers' rotation? "There's sincere interest, and now it's a matter of economics," Rangers owner Tom Hicks said. The Rangers haven't made an offer, but probably will soon. Reports say Millwood has offers from a few clubs for four years at $45 million to $50 million. Hicks didn't completely dismiss the idea of a five-year deal for Millwood. "We'd have to have some protection against injury," Hicks said.

The White Sox are planning to issue the World Series championship rings to their players at the start of the second game of the Cleveland series on April 4 at U.S. Cellular Field. Martyl Reinsdorf, wife of White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, reportedly is involved in designing the ring. Rich Stoebe, director of communications for Minneapolis-based Jostens, points out that his company was contracted to make 26 of the 39 Super Bowl rings, including the New England Patriots' rings. Jostens also came up with a distinctive design for the 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series rings, as well as the Bulls' rings.


General manager Terry Ryan said Wednesday the compensatory draft pick the Twins would receive for the free-agent signing by the Cubs of Jacque Jones will depend on other potential signings by Chicago and how those players rank. Ryan said the Twins' compensation could be a third-round draft pick.


Scott Boras, who also represents Bernie Williams, said that Williams and the Yankees had agreed on a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Williams, who will be a designated hitter and bench player in his 16th Yankees season, can earn an additional $1.5 million in incentives based on plate appearances.


Scott Boras ladded: "The fact of the matter is the Yankees valued Johnny Damon at a much higher standard than the Red Sox did. That's just something that was their choice."

The Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox gifted their primo seat holders this week with mousepads and coasters manufactured from the same leather used to make Rawlings baseball gloves. Said one box seat holder: “I would have rather they spent the money on keeping Johnny Damon.”


New Marlins manager Joe Girardi filled out his coaching staff Wednesday by naming former New York Yankees catching instructor Gary Tuck bench coach and former American League All-Star Jim Presley as the new hitting instructor. Since being named manager in October, Girardi has overhauled the Marlins' coaching ranks, retaining only infield/first base coach Perry Hill and bullpen coordinator Pierre Arsenault from Jack McKeon's staff.

The Pirates are permitted to re-sign Josh Fogg out of free agency, but GM Dave Littlefield made clear they had no intention of doing so. He said the team had no contract negotiations with Fogg in the weeks leading up to the Tuesday deadline. Dan Horwits, Fogg's California-based agent, confirmed there were no talks, but he added he had not been sure until the Tuesday deadline which way management would go. "We've been getting mixed signals the past couple of months from the Pirates," he said. "Really, nothing surprises me or Josh." Horwits said three teams already had made contract offers to Fogg by early yesterday afternoon.
 

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