MLB Off-Season moves and discussion

Danny Diamond

Founder/Admin

Tom........what is the perception of A-Rod in NYC now that he is on the verge of resigning after supposedly giving you guys the middle finger last week?

Blitzkrieg

meh.. it doesn't matter does it? If he plays well everyone will forget, if he doesn't they'll criticize him.

Slimdust

A-Rod, Yankees have outline for deal
Ten-year contract worth $275 million, plus incentives

NEW YORK (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees have agreed to the outline of a record 10-year, $275 million contract, a deal that potentially would allow him to earn millions more if he sets the career home run record.

The amount of the guaranteed money was revealed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized. A-Rod and his wife met Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., with brothers Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, but the parameters of the agreement were set in place last weekend.

"The meeting was a final get-together," Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said. "He wanted to make sure myself and my brother knew that he was sincere and serious."

The Yankees still must draft the agreement with Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras. Asked whether the only remaining details were putting the deal on paper, Steinbrenner responded: "pretty much so."

Boras wasn't a part of the negotiations, in which Goldman Sachs managing directors John Mallory and Gerald Cardinale conducted shuttle diplomacy.

"They were the go-betweens, initially," Steinbrenner said. "That's how he reached out to us."

The Yankees were notified by Boras on Oct. 28 that Rodriguez was opting out of the final three seasons of his $252 million, 10-year contract -- the previous record -- and becoming a free agent. New York maintained then that it no longer would negotiate with A-Rod because the decision eliminated a $21.3 million subsidy from Texas that was negotiated in the 2004 trade.

About a week later, A-Rod contacted Mallory, a friend who works in private wealth management in Goldman's Los Angeles office. Rodriguez knew the Yankees have a close relationship with the investment bank, which was instrumental in the launch of the team's YES Network.

Mallory called Cardinale, who works in the merchant banking section in New York and helped finance the network. Cardinale in turn got in touch with Yankees president Randy Levine.

A-Rod and the Yankees exchanged proposals via the bankers, and the deal gradually was framed in about a dozen telephone calls.

The sides still are working on putting together a provision that would allow Rodriguez to share revenue created by his pursuit of the career home record held by Barry Bonds, who was indicted Thursday on perjury and obstruction charges. A-Rod has 518 homers, 244 shy of the mark.

"The Yankees have never had a player since Babe Ruth that really had a 100 percent chance" of setting the record, Steinbrenner said. "[Mickey] Mantle should have, but he had too many injuries. It's a historical achievement bonus more than it is an incentive bonus. There is no yearly incentive bonus."

Dr. Giganto

The perception is that he's a fucking douchebag

I defended him tooth and nail for 4 years, and now...fuck him.

He's gonna be great on the field again next year, as he always is, and I'm going to be happy when he does well for the Yankees, but it will take a LOT to regain the goodwill that he lost during all this bullshit

Necro

Glavine returns to Braves with 1-year, $8M contract

ATLANTA -- Tom Glavine is coming home.

The 303-game winner returned to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, agreeing to an $8 million, one-year contract.

The agreement between the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner and the Braves was hammered out during weekend talks, said Glavine's agent, Gregg Clifton. The pitcher already has taken a physical for Atlanta, the final formality in the deal.

The Braves needed less than a week to lure Glavine back after an acrimonious split in 2002 that led to him spending five seasons with the New York Mets. His old -- make that new -- team was expected to formally introduce him at a news conference Monday at Turner Field.

"While Tom is disappointed to be leaving New York and all of his friends and teammates there, he has an opportunity to go back to Atlanta to continue his career with the Braves," Clifton told The Associated Press. "Ultimately, as everyone knows, Tom's decision was tremendously influenced by the importance of his family being paramount in his life."

Glavine, who is married and has four children, kept his primary home in suburban Atlanta even after he signed with the Mets, and it was clear the crafty left-hander wanted to finish his career with the Braves when he turned down a $13 million option to return to New York in 2008, taking a $3 million buyout.

He then gave the Braves a bit of a hometown discount, something he wasn't willing to do five years ago. The contract includes no performance bonuses.

Frank Wren, the Braves' new general manager, held his first talks with Clifton on Wednesday in Phoenix. Two days later, the Braves made their initial offer and Clifton reacted positively, a sure sign that a deal wouldn't take long to reach.

The Braves were eager to add depth to a rotation that relied heavily on John Smoltz and Tim Hudson and never settled on reliable options in the fourth and fifth slots. In addition to landing Glavine, they hope for a return to health by Mike Hampton, who missed the last two seasons with injuries. He has started another rehab stint in the Arizona Fall League.

Glavine, who will turn 42 before the start of next season, went 13-8 with a 4.45 ERA in 200 1/3 innings for the Mets this year.

The loss of Glavine to an NL East rival leaves New York looking for another starter to add to its rotation. Free agent Livan Hernandez is a possibility, and the Mets also hope to make a trade pitch for Minnesota ace Johan Santana if the Twins decide they can't re-sign him.

Glavine came up to the Braves in 1987, part of an impressive class of young pitchers that also included Smoltz and Steve Avery. Those three helped the Braves to a remarkable worst-to-first turnaround in 1991, when Atlanta made it all the way to Game 7 of a memorable World Series before losing to Minnesota.

Glavine won the first of his two Cy Young awards with the Braves in '91, which also was the first of five 20-win seasons he had the team. He won a career-best 22 games in 1993, and added another Cy Young award in 1998 when he went 20-6.

The Braves won 11 of their record 14 straight division titles with Glavine on the mound, and he was the MVP of their only World Series championship during that run, a six-game triumph over the Cleveland Indians in 1995.

Glavine won two games in that series, including a 1-0 triumph in Game 6. He allowed only on hit in eight innings before Mark Wohlers got the final three outs.

Getting by with pinpoint control and a devastating changeup, Glavine seemed destined to spend his entire career in Atlanta. But he refused to take an offer with millions in deferred payments and not as much guaranteed money after going 18-11 with a 2.96 ERA in 2002.

Signing a four-year, $42.5 million contract with the Mets, Glavine failed to match the numbers he put up in Atlanta. He went 9-14 in 2003, his first losing season since 1990, and never won more than 15 games with the Mets.

He did get another chance to pitch in the postseason in 2006, going six scoreless innings to win a division series game against Los Angeles and seven scoreless innings for another win in Game 1 of the NL championship series against St. Louis.

Glavine took the loss in Game 5, and the Mets fell to the Cardinals in seven games. Shortly afterward, he re-signed with the Mets, never getting a hoped-for offer from the Braves, who didn't have enough money under their reduced payroll to make a serious bid.

Atlanta is in more of a spending mood this winter after deciding not to re-sign Gold Glove center fielder Andruw Jones and dealing shortstop Edgar Renteria to Detroit for prospects.

Glavine joined the 300-win club on Aug. 5 with a win over the Cubs, but his final start in New York was abysmal: The lefty allowed seven runs in the first inning, getting only one out in the second-shortest start of his career.

The 8-1 loss to Florida in the regular-season finale completed the Mets' historic September collapse, giving the NL East title to Philadelphia.

Glavine decided he didn't want to go out like that, and any thoughts of retirement were abandoned when the Braves called.

Necro

Report: Castillo agrees to four-year deal

NEW YORK -- Second baseman Luis Castillo decided to stay with the New York Mets, reaching a preliminary agreement Sunday night on a $25 million, four-year contract, according to the Associated Press.

Castillo must pass a physical for the deal to be finalized, according to AP.

The three-time All-Star hit .296 for the Mets with 10 steals and 20 RBIs, who acquired him from Minnesota on July 30. He batted .304 with 18 RBIs for the Minnesota Twins.

Castillo also won three Gold Gloves and provided steady defense up the middle with shortstop Jose Reyes despite playing on a sore knee that limited his speed. The 32-year-old hit .316 in September, one of the few Mets who came through as the team collapsed and blew a seven-game lead.

Castillo's preliminary agreement came on the same day that two-time Cy Young Award winner Tom Glavine decided to leave the Mets and return to the Atlanta Braves, his original team. Glavine was given an $8 million, one-year contract after turning down a $13 million option to stay with New York and receiving a $3 million buyout.

On a busy weekend, the Mets also broke off talks with free-agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba. The sides had reached a preliminary agreement last week on a $14.4 million, three-year contract that was subject to a physical.

Necro

Report: Rivera to re-sign with Yanks

NEW YORK -- Mariano Rivera's icy negotiations with the Yankees may be reaching a thaw, as the future Hall of Fame closer appears primed to remain with the club.

According to a report published Sunday in the New York Post, Rivera is expected to accept the Yankees' three-year, $45 million contract offer early this week. Rivera had spent last week in the Dominican Republic conducting baseball clinics.

The Post reported that Rivera will meet with his representatives on Sunday. According to multiple reports, Rivera may have had interest in a fourth year being added to his contract.

Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner has said the team would hold firm with its offer, which would make Rivera baseball's highest-paid closer, eclipsing Billy Wagner's deal across town with the Mets, where he earns $10.5 million annually.

Rivera, who turns 38 on Nov. 29, has pitched for the Yankees since 1995, compiling an American League-record 443 saves in the regular season. The most dominant postseason pitcher of his generation, Rivera owns a Major League-record 34 more saves in the playoffs, where he has a 0.77 career ERA.

Rivera made 67 relief appearances for the Yankees in 2007, finishing with 30 saves while going 3-4 with a 3.15 ERA. His signing has been earmarked by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman as one of the club's priorities leading into the early offseason months, along with re-signing catcher Jorge Posada.

Hours before he could have discussed financial terms with other clubs, Posada reportedly agreed to a four-year, $52.4 million deal. Posada had a physical last week and an official announcement is expected shortly.

The Yankees are also continuing to hammer out the details of Alex Rodriguez's landmark 10-year, $275 million contract, just weeks after the likely American League MVP delivered word that he had opted out of contract during Game 4 of the World Series.

"It feels great," Steinbrenner told the Post. "There was never any question we wanted to keep all of them. Obviously, they are being paid very well. Alex was the thing nobody expected, and he came through."

Slimdust

White Sox get Gold Glove SS Cabrera for right-hander Garland

CHICAGO -- The White Sox traded right-hander Jon Garland to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday for shortstop Orlando Cabrera.


The 28-year-old Garland, an 18-game winner in 2005 and 2006, was 10-13 with a 4.23 ERA in 32 starts last season. He 92-81 with a 4.41 ERA in 246 games, including 223 starts, over eight major league seasons, all with the White Sox.

Garland was acquired by the White Sox from the Cubs on July 29, 1998, for pitcher Matt Karchner.

Cabrera, 33, batted .301 with 35 doubles, eight home runs, 86 RBIs and a career-high 101 runs with the Angels last year. He had a career-high 192 hits.

He won his second Gold Glove and led AL shortstops in fielding percentage (.983). Cabrera, who has also played with Montreal and Boston during his 11-year career, is a career .273 hitter. He was on the 2004 Red Sox team that won the World Series.

Chicago also receives cash as part of the trade.

Blitzkrieg

Nice to have Glavine back to end his career as a Brave, just too bad he's completely washed up now.

CM Drunk

Lowell stays


By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff November 19, 07 01:05 PM
Free-agent third baseman Mike Lowell has agreed in principle to the framework of a three-year deal to return to the Red Sox, major league baseball sources close to the negotiations have confirmed.
Lowell, 33, tested the free-agent waters, and may have received at least one four-year offer from another undisclosed team, but in the end the Sox third baseman elected to stay where he was most comfortable. Sources indicate that the three year deal is worth in the $36-$38 million range.
The Red Sox had placed a deadline of today for Lowell to make up his mind. If Lowell had passed on the Sox offer, which remained pretty close to the original offer they made the World Series MVP, they were ready to begin implementing their Plan B.
Lowell reached career highs this season with a .324 average, 21 homers and 120 RBIs. He batted fifth in Boston's powerful lineup behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
He hit .400 (6-for-15) during Boston's four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies, with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs.
Lowell made $9 million this year and filed for free agency. The Philadelphia Phillies were among the teams interested in him and might have offered four guaranteed years.
Lowell's teammates and fans made clear that they wanted to see him back in Boston — and urged them not to pursue Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who became a free agent before deciding to return to New York.
"Forget about A-Rod. We've got Mike Lowell in the house," Ramirez yelled out during the team's victory parade through Boston.
A four-time All-Star, Lowell came to Boston from Florida when he was tossed into the Josh Beckett trade because the small-budget Marlins wanted to shed his $9 million salary after he had a disappointing season.
Lowell, 33, had initially pushed for a four-year deal with the Red Sox.
The Sox have now re-signed both of their major free-agents - Curt Schilling, who agreed to a one-year deal for $8 million and $5 million in incentives. The Sox could now entertain a deal for outfielder Coco Crisp sometimes between now and the winter meetings in December.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this update.