It seems as if almost everyone in baseball has money to burn this off-season.
Or at least everyone outside of New York, that is.
As the MLB GM meetings kick off today in California, two big-market teams not expected to be taking on significant salaries this off-season through trades or free agency are the New York Mets and New York Yankees.
With Hank Steinbrenner ever mindful of the $189-million luxury tax threshold, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes the Yankees are “again more likely to pursue bargains than big-money bonanzas such as Josh Hamilton and Zack Greinke.”
Sherman also reports the Yankees are unlikely to sign second baseman Robinson Cano to a contract extension this winter. The 30-year-old Cano, who has hired agent Scott Boras, has one year and $15 million on his current deal.
Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News says Yankees GM Brian Cashman will have to be creative and may shop Curtis Granderson and his $15-million salary in 2013 for pitching or prospects.
As for the Mets, even though the Bernie Madoff saga is now behind them, their payroll won’t be going up next year, reports John Harper.
With that in mind, Harper suggests you can expect Mets GM Sandy Alderson will be listening to offers on the likes of Ike Davis, Jon Niese, Daniel Murphy and R.A. Dickey. As we told you yesterday, Dickey’s trade value is rather high.
WHO WILL BE SPENDING?
The Baltimore Orioles. Owner Peter Angelos told his team during the playoffs he’ll do what he can to help them return to the post-season in 2013 and if that is the case, this would certainly be a big step in that direction:
Source: Josh Hamilton, Cody Ross on the #Orioles’ wish list for left field. My story at FOXSports.com: bit.ly/PE5wFE @mlbonfox — Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 7, 2012
Source: Josh Hamilton, Cody Ross on the #Orioles’ wish list for left field. My story at FOXSports.com: bit.ly/PE5wFE @mlbonfox
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 7, 2012
The Chicago Cubs have $50 million coming off the books, and Gordon Wittenmyer writes their target is simple: “maybe a buy-low guy coming off an injury or a bargain guy with tools looking for a rebound season — somebody who can be flipped at the trade deadline for valuable young prospects if the Cubs are out of it.”
Wittenmyer says the Cubs are pursuing Brandon McCarthy and Shaun Marcum as a result.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, yes the Pittsburgh Pirates, expect to increase their payroll from 2012′s estimated $62 million, owner Bob Nutting told reporters Tuesday.
Following his “investigation” into his organization, Nutting said he will not fire team president Frank Coonelly, general manager Neal Huntington or assistant general managers Kyle Stark and Greg Smith. Nutting did say he would like to add more scouts to complement the current front office’s reliance on advanced metrics.
The Milwaukee Brewers have stated that their payroll will be coming down from 2012′s $100 million, yet the team continues to be linked to high-end free agents Josh Hamilton, and now, Zack Greinke. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, with some help from Brewers GM Doug Melvin, does his best to pour some cold water on the talk.
WHO’S LOOKING TO DEAL:
The Arizona Diamondbacks are looking for a third baseman, left-handed reliever, a veteran starter and possibly a shortstop, but GM Kevin Towers tells Nick Piecoro he expects to do much of his heavy lifting via the trade route.
“I already have had several discussions with clubs leading up to here,” said Towers. “I’ve probably targeted a handful of clubs I’ll spend more time with than others. Does that lead to pulling off a trade before we leave Indian Wells? I don’t know.”
The cell phone of Cleveland Indians GM Chris Antonetti is a strong contender to rack up the most long-distance minutes this winter as he takes calls on Justin Masterson, closer Chris Perez, outfielder Shin-Soo Choo and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, writes Jon Heyman. The Blue Jays are listed as one of the teams that would “possibly” be interested in Masterson, according to Heyman.
The Boston Red Sox are going to be looking for an impact trade, writes Michael Silverman, and Jacoby Ellsbury might be their biggest off-season chip.
WHO’S NOT LOOKING TO DEAL…
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik: “Think I’ll carry around a recording: ‘I am not trading Felix Hernandez’.” — Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) November 7, 2012
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik: “Think I’ll carry around a recording: ‘I am not trading Felix Hernandez’.”
— Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) November 7, 2012
U.S. ELECTION TWEETS:
A couple that caught our eye last night and this morning:
So wait, do the GOPers who are moving to Canada now just swap houses with the dems that moved there when Bush was re-elected? — Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) November 7, 2012
So wait, do the GOPers who are moving to Canada now just swap houses with the dems that moved there when Bush was re-elected?
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) November 7, 2012
MLB spokesman: No change to the league’s drug plan based on weed legalization in Colorado, Washington. Positive pot test still = 50 games. — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 7, 2012
MLB spokesman: No change to the league’s drug plan based on weed legalization in Colorado, Washington. Positive pot test still = 50 games.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 7, 2012
Cue the Tim Lincecum joke:
Colorado first state to legalize recreational marijuana. Tim Lincecum first pitcher to ask to be traded to Rockies. — Rick Reilly (@ReillyRick) November 7, 2012
Colorado first state to legalize recreational marijuana. Tim Lincecum first pitcher to ask to be traded to Rockies.
— Rick Reilly (@ReillyRick) November 7, 2012
AND FINALLY:
Last Saturday night in Cincinnati at a charity fundraiser hosted by Johnny Bench, former Milwaukee Brewers great Robin Yount shared this great tale about his pursuit of 3,000 hits and a strange meeting request from then-Brewers owner and current MLB commissioner, Bud Selig.
As relayed by John Erardi:
“So, I need three hits. I’m wondering, ‘What the heck does he want to talk to me for? Wish me luck, I guess.’ He says, ‘You know, we haven’t been drawing that well lately, and there are going to be a lot of people at this game tonight.”
“I said, ‘Yeah.’”
“He says, ‘We also have two more games after that. Think about it.’”
“’Mr. Selig, I barely got through high school. Whaddaya mean?’”
And then, Yount recalled, “Mr. Selig pulled out this calculator and put it on his desk. He goes, ‘Fifty thousand (fans) once, fifty thousand twice … a hundred and fifty thousand people are possible. If you get all three hits tonight, we might only draw 70 (thousand).’”
Yount, pausing. “’OK, so what are you saying?’”
More snickers from the crowd.
“He said, ‘Get one (hit) every night, you dumb …’”
Laughter.
And sure enough, purely by coincidence, that is exactly how it happened.
Yount got one hit the first night, No. 2,998.
Second night, he got No. 2,999 the first time up.
“I know math,” Yount deadpanned. “I only need one more.”
Crowd laughs.
“And it was cushion night.”
“Cushion night? You remember cushion night?” Bench asked.
“I’m getting to that,” Yount answered.
Yount: “I’m listening to the boss. He pays my salary. I come up the last time in (Game 2). Everybody’s standing, they want me to get a hit. The other team brings in a pitcher from the bullpen. Four balls, nothing close. So, I walk. Fifty thousand people throw those seat cushions …’’
Big laughs.
“Took ‘em 20 minutes to clean the field up. They’re booin’, they’re not happy.
“Except I look up in Mr. Selig’s box, and it’s ‘Yeah!’ ”
Here, Yount mimics a primal scream of approval.
“Next day (Game 3), we go to the ninth inning, I don’t have a hit.
“I say to the catcher, ‘You know, if I don’t get a hit this time, they’re gonna throw all that (stuff) at me… Fortunately, I got the hit, and Mr. Selig was happy.”
