Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 527 of 1503)

      Giants offer Lincecum three-years, $37 million

      February 11, 2010 /

      In a surprising twist of events, a source tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that the Giants have offered ace Tim Lincecum a three-year, $37 million contract. The deal would pay the pitcher $9.5 million, $12.5 million and $15 million over the next three years, although Shea reports that Lincecum’s camp countered with a proposal for over $40 million.

      If not, Friday’s hearing in Florida would decide whether Lincecum’s 2010 salary is $13 million (the figure he submitted) or $8 million (the figure submitted by the Giants).

      The record for a player eligible for arbitration for the first time is $10 million (Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard), $4.35 million for a starting pitcher (Dontrelle Willis, Cole Hamels). It’s believed Lincecum’s agent, Rich Thurman, negotiating for a multiyear deal, has asked for a first-year salary close to the $13 million figure he submitted.

      It was just yesterday that I hammered the Giants for creating a lose-lose situation by only offering Lincecum $8 million in arbitration and then following through with the hearing by setting it up for this Friday. I maintained they were running a risk of not only losing in arbitration, but also upsetting Lincecum (their franchise player) in the process by low-balling him with their $8 million offer.

      But this changes everything. Now the Giants are showing their commitment to Lincecum by offering a fair deal that works for both sides. And if they’re only a few million apart, then hopefully they get something worked out by tomorrow and avoid a potentially messy arbitration hearing.

      The Giants went from a lose-lose situation into a potentially positive one, although let’s see if they can close the deal before tomorrow.


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      MLB

      Bradford moving to the top of the Rams’ board?

      February 10, 2010 /

      Tom Kowalski of MLive.com reports that Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford might be moving to the top of the Rams’ draft board if his shoulder checks out okay.

      In talking to a couple of well-informed folks from St. Louis last week at the Super Bowl, two interesting points came up.

      The first is one that I’ve been talking about for awhile — that Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, once he proves his injured right shoulder is OK — could move into that No. 1 spot. The Rams are desperate to replace Marc Bulger, who is not in the team’s long-term plans.

      The other interesting piece of information was that the Rams had considered drafting USC quarterback Mark Sanchez with the second overall pick last year. The Jets trading up to No. 5 and taking Sanchez was considered a reach so the Rams would’ve taken plenty of heat for taking Sanchez at No. 2 — which is why they didn’t. But after the rookie performance by Sanchez, it appears the Rams — who took tackle Jason Smith — made a mistake.

      Rumors like these will surface over the next couple of months leading up to the draft, so it’s wise to take them with a grain of salt. I worked with Kowalski in Detroit and can speak from experience that he’s a reputable member of the media. But as he points out in his article, the top of the draft fluctuates from one day to the next and nothing is guaranteed at this point – especially considering the scouting combine hasn’t even taken place yet.

      That said, it’s an interesting rumor and one that would certainly make sense given the Rams’ needs at quarterback. Many people believe St. Louis will select defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh with the first overall pick in April’s draft but the fact of the matter is that if the Rams believe that Bradford (or Jimmy Clausen or whomever) is a franchise quarterback, then they’ll pass on Suh. There is no substitution for a franchise signal caller, no matter how good a player like Suh is.


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      NFL

      Bidding war for Damon starting to emerge?

      February 10, 2010 /

      Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that the Braves have offered Johnny Damon a one-year contract, while a source also tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com that the Tigers could use an infielder, but are devoted to pursuing Damon.

      Bowman notes that the one-year deal that the Braves offered Damon includes deferred money, so if the Tigers offer more guaranteed loot or add another year onto the deal, the former Yankee could wind up in Detroit. Scott Boras has been clamoring for about a week that Damon loves the Red Wings and may wind up in Motown, but the deciding factor will ultimately be which team offers the most money and years.

      Damon batted .282 with 24 home runs and scored 107 runs last season, so his offense would be welcome in Atlanta. But if he winds up in the National League, the Braves will have nowhere to hide the disaster Damon calls a left arm. If he goes to Detroit, at least the Tigers could use him as a DH, as well as in an outfield rotation. (Although the mere thought of having Damon and Magglio Ordonez in the same outfield should make most Tiger fans dizzy.)

      Boras has been craving this kind of bidding action for Damon and he may have finally got it with these two clubs. Whoever winds up signing him better hope the 36-year-old slap hitter can produce outside of Yankee Stadium. He hit 24 home runs last year, but the new Yankee Stadium is a wind tunnel and he’s liable to hit closer to his career average (13 dingers) away from the park next season.


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      MLB

      Tennessee Titans 2010 Team Needs

      February 10, 2010 /

      As part of our 2010 NFL Draft coverage, I will be breaking down positional needs for all 32 teams, starting in reverse alphabetical order. Next up are the Tennessee Titans. Check out other team needs by clicking here.

      1. Defensive End
      It’s unlikely that the Titans will bring back Kyle Vanden Bosch (who is injury prone and in decline) and Jevon Kearse (also in decline) next season, making the defensive end spot opposite William Hayes a top priority. There’s a very slim chance that the team will be able to woo free agent Julius Peppers to Tennessee, so the Titans might use the No. 16 spot in the first round to take a DE prospect like South Florida’s Jason Pierre-Paul.

      2. Cornerback
      Nick Harper will be 36 in September, is coming off shoulder surgery and struggled mightily in coverage in 2009. He’s also a free agent and there’s little to no chance that the Titans will re-sign him for next season. That means the cornerback spot opposite Cortland Finnegan is a major hole, although the Titans are in a tough spot at No. 16 in the first round because Florida’s Joe Haden will likely be off the board and Florida State’s Patrick Robinson would be a reach there. They could sign on a free agent like Leigh Bodden (Patriots), although that all depends on how much Bud Adams is willing to spend this offeason.

      3. Linebacker
      The Titans appear ready to move on from veteran linebackers Keith Bulluck and David Thornton and now have to determine whether or not Gerald McRath and Colin Allred are starters. If the team does view the pair as solid replacements for Bulluck and Thornton, then the Titans can concentrate on other positions, such as the defensive line, cornerback and backup running back. If not, then outside linebacker becomes one of the biggest needs of the offseason, especially from a depth perspective.

      If the Titans don’t re-sign Kevin Mawae this offseason, then center also becomes a need for next season.


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      NFL

      Lincecum arbitration hearing a lose-lose situation for Giants

      February 10, 2010 /

      Far be it for me to question what the inner workings of a professional baseball organization is doing, but what in God’s name are the San Francisco Giants thinking?

      In mid-January, Tim Lincecum field for $13 million in arbitration, while the Giants submitted an $8 million figure. Many viewed the situation as the Giants low-balling their ace pitcher, but I figured that the $8 million would be used as a starting point for the club and Lincecum to reach a deal outside of the courtroom. I even told my cohort here at The Scores Report, John Paulsen, that they would likely avoid arbitration altogether and meet somewhere in the middle.

      But upon waking this morning I read: Giants, Lincecum set arbitration hearing for Friday.

      Nice prediction, Stalter.

      Unless I’m missing the big picture here, the Giants have done a fantastic job of setting themselves up in a lose-lose situation. By submitting $8 million and then actually following through with the hearing, they risk not only pissing off Lincecum but also losing $13 million in arbitration. After all, what are they going to use against Lincecum – his RBI totals?

      Fortunately for the Giants, Lincecum is being a total professional about the situation. He’s on record saying that he understands the business part of baseball and that it’s nothing personal. He also understands that the Giants could use his October 30 pot charge against him during the hearing, although that’s about the only thing the club has against the two-time Cy Young winner.

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