Category: Fantasy Baseball (Page 24 of 48)

      Manny Ramirez threatens to retire

      December 12, 2008 /

      Upset that the offers aren’t pouring in for his services, free agent outfielder Manny Ramirez has apparently told friends that he’s willing to retire if he doesn’t get a deal soon.

      Manny RamirezNow, the truth is that Ramirez is highly unlikely to retire. But his dissatisfaction speaks to the lack of buzz that his free agency has generated, despite (or maybe because of?) his outstanding two-month stay with the Dodgers, which followed a highly contentious split with the Red Sox.

      The Dodgers offered Ramirez two years and $45 million and then pulled the offer once open free agency began. The Yankees have some interest in Ramirez but are unlikely to pursue him if they land another big starting pitcher – with A.J. Burnett the most likely target – in addition to CC Sabathia.

      The Nationals have been viewed as a potential landing site for Ramirez, yet for now, Washington is trying to acquire highly popular free agent Mark Teixeira.

      Ramirez told a friend that he spends most of his time working out, watching cartoons and playing video games. He’d much rather be speaking to his agent Scott Boras about high-stakes negotiations.

      Come on, Manny – buck up little guy. You’re 36, aren’t the best outfielder in the world and on top of that, you’re a freaking coconut. Every team would love to have your bat, but clubs aren’t going to rush to hand you a mega contract without thinking it over a few hundred times.

      This situation is the equivalent to a kid who’s upset that he’s not getting enough attention at his birthday party so he threatens to run away. Then all of the parents get together, make an effort to make him the center of attention and soon enough, the kid is back to playing with his friends.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Red Sox, Mark Teixeira getting closer to a deal?

      December 11, 2008 /

      According to FOX Sports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, the Boston Red Sox are inching closer to signing free agent Mark Teixeira.

      The Red Sox are making progress in their quest to sign free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, according to a major-league source.

      “Headway was being made earlier today,” one source said.

      A rival general manager whose plans could be affected by the Red Sox’s addition of Teixeira also indicated that a deal was getting closer.

      Teixeira is the Red Sox’s No. 1 offseason target. They view him as the perfect fit for the middle of their order.

      Teixeira is seeking a 10-year contract for at least $20 million per season. The Red Sox preference would be to sign him to a deal between six and eight years.

      With CC Sabathia taken, Teixeira is now the biggest prize on the free-agent market. He hit 33 home runs and had 121 RBIs as a member of the Braves and Angels last season. Teixeira has never hit less than 26 homers in his six major-league seasons.

      This would be a fantastic move for the Red Sox because they not only get a quality hitter, but a young quality hitter for the middle of their lineup. He might not have Manny Ramirez’s pop, but again, he’s younger and comes with less baggage.

      Conversely, this would be a huge blow for the Angels, who have made Teixeira their number one offseason target. The Orioles and Nationals have also shown interest in the first basemen, although it appears that the only real suitors for his services are the BoSox and Halos.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Dodgers offer Furcal 2-year deal to stay

      December 11, 2008 /

      The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially offered shortstop Rafael Furcal an incentive-laden two-year contract. Furcal, however, is seeking a four-year deal.

      Rafael FurcalThe Dodgers have offered the 31-year-old shortstop an incentive-laden contract that is guaranteed for two years and includes a vesting option for a third, according to sources familiar with the negotiations who were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter. Furcal is asking for a four-year deal.

      Furcal’s agent, Paul Kinzer, said Wednesday that the Dodgers are one of four finalists to sign his client. Kinzer said the other three — Oakland, Toronto and Kansas City — also have offers on the table and that Oakland’s is for four years.

      Kinzer says he expects Furcal to be signed by Christmas.

      Furcal can guarantee the third year of the contract with the Dodgers by accumulating a certain number of at-bats in the first two years, sources said.

      Considering Furcal is coming off an injury-riddled season, the Dodgers were wise to protect themselves with an incentive-laden deal. This is the second time L.A. has offered a quality free agent just a two-year deal (the first was Manny Ramirez), which again, is smart. They might not land either player because other teams will come to the table with more years, but at least they’re trying to protect themselves from getting burned on ridiculous guaranteed contracts that could kill their spending in the future.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Yankees get older in the outfield by trading Cabrera to Brewers for Cameron

      December 11, 2008 /

      After signing CC Sabathia to a mega deal worth an estimated $161 million earlier in the day, the New York Yankees weren’t done on Wednesday as they traded youngster Melky Cabrera to the Milwaukee Brewers for 35-year old Mike Cameron.

      Melky CabreraThe Yankees have been saying that Cabrera and Brett Gardner would compete for the center field job, but the acquisition of Cameron gives them a veteran presence at the position.

      Many believed Cabrera would be the center fielder of the future entering the 2008 campaign, but a disappointing season, in which he hit .249 with eight homeruns and 37 RBIs in 129 games, led many to believe he was destined for a future as a utility outfielder. Yankees blue-chip prospect Austin Jackson is not expected to be ready for big league action until at least 2010, making Cameron the ideal one-year stopgap in center field.

      Cameron, a former Met, hit .243 with 25 HRs and 70 RBIs in 120 games last season. He will earn $10 million in 2009.

      Cameron has always been a fine ball player and it never hurts to add leadership to the clubhouse. But Cabrera is only 24, which means he still has roughly three years before he hits his prime so one would have thought that the Yankees would take their time to develop his talents.

      This was a nice trade for Brewers as they cut salary and get a solid young player, but one that will need time to develop.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Mets Solidify Bullpen Further With Putz; Yanks and Braves Chasing Burnett

      December 11, 2008 /

      Well, it turns out Mets’ GM Omar Minaya wasn’t messing around when it came to fixing his team’s biggest problem–the bullpen. A day after agreeing to terms with record breaking closer Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez, Minaya pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade involving two other teams, Seattle and Cleveland. The Mets acquired Mariners’ closer JJ Putz and RHP Sean Green from Seattle and OF Jeremy Reed from Cleveland; they sent OF Endy Chavez, RHP Aaron Heilman, and minor leaguers Maikel Cleto, Ezequiel Carrera, Jason Vargas, and Mike Carp to Seattle and RHP Joe Smith to Cleveland; Cleveland sent IF Franklin Gutierrez to Seattle; and Seattle sent Luis Valbuena to Cleveland.

      Essentially what this means for the Mets is that they traded Heilman and Smith for Putz, while swapping marginal outfielders. The move is good for Seattle, who received a ton of young players, and for Cleveland, who now have a reliable sinker ball pitcher to put in front of new closer Kerry Wood. But it’s huge for the Mets, who will put Putz in the set-up role in front of K-Rod. Putz will earn just $5.5 million in 2009 and has a team option in 2010 for $9.1 million, and K-Rod’s contract also features a lot of money on the back end of his contract. That means Minaya and the Mets will have decisions to make in 2010 and beyond, but for 2009 in shiny new Citi Field, they have given themselves possibly the best one-two bullpen punch in the majors, and any lead after the seventh inning will almost certainly result in a win. Things still have to play out on the field, but that’s already a far cry from the two epic collapses of 2006 and 2007.

      Meanwhile, the Braves and Yankees appear to be in a bidding war for RHP A.J. Burnett. The Yankees were not satisfied with just C.C. Sabathia, and are looking to fortify their rotation with Burnett, and/or Ben Sheets, Andy Pettitte or Derek Lowe. The Braves offered four years with a fifth year option, all totaling $80 million, to Burnett; and since then, reports surfaced that the Yanks upped their offer to $91 million, but that was incorrect, and it’s said to be more in the same $80 to $85 million range the Braves are offering, but with five years guaranteed. It’s unclear if the Braves can win a real bidding war with New York, but with the numbers close, this one will surely be more a matter of where Burnett wants to live and work for the next few years.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Baseball, MLB

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