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Around Baseball: November 12th… Exclusivity Period Ends Tonite, Red Sox Prospects, Tigers Tales
By Administrator | November 12, 2007
Starting tomorrow, MLB free agents can begin talking turkey with teams other than their 2007 clubs… thus, if unsigned, players like Mike Lowell, Jorge P0sada, Mariano Rivera, Torii Hunter and Barry Bonds will be able to field offers from any of the thirty teams around the league.
Lowell, Posada and Rivera all have offers on the table from the Red Sox and Yankees, respectively, in the 3-year, $40 - $45 MM range. Yesterday, Posada told the media that he wants to stay with the Yankees and that the parties are close… but that appears to be a large dose of misinformation. The deal has not been completed because Posada is demanding a fourth year be added to the deal — something the Yankees don’t want to give… a nearly identical situation as that being addressed by the Red Sox and Lowell. There is little word on the status of negotiations between Rivera and the Yankees… the closer seems determined to field offers from other teams.
Meanwhile, Kenny Rogers may be heading out of Detroit because he wants to test the free agent waters, Torii Hunter is heading out of Minnesota because the Twins can’t afford him, and Barry Bonds is heading out of San Francisco because the Giants don’t want him.
In Atlanta, Andruw Jones hit free agency — but he did so a year or two too late. His value isn’t what it used to be. What does it say about a classification system when Milton Bradley is a Type A free agent and Jones is a Type B free agent?
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Baseball America recently announced its ranking of the Top 2o Prospects in the International League. Jacoby Ellsbury was ranked the sixth-best prospect in the IL… and, hold onto your hat, he was n’t even the top Red Sox prospect in the league! Neither was starting pitcher Clay Buchholz — who didn’t have enough innings pitched to qualify for recognition on the team.
Coming in at Number Five on the list was none other than PawSox shortstop Jed Lowrie — the Stanford grad with the GQ good looks. SOX1FAN interviewed Jed this summer, but two days afterwards my knee was operated on… and by the time I was physically able to devote myself to writing the article he had been promoted to Pawtucket. I am hoping to speak with him in the next few weeks — about his experience with the PawSox and in the AFL — and will bring the entire interview to you before the holidays. Jed has had a rough time with the Mesa Solar Sox this fall (a .165 BA), but once you see him play you will understand why BA thinks so highly of him.
Coming in at #13 was long-time SOX1FAN favorite Brandon Moss.
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Speaking of BA, Jim Callis — who writes a piece for the magazine called “Ask BA” — recently said this about the Red Sox first pick (#55 overall) in the 2007 draft, Nick Hagadone:
The 55th overall pick in June, Hagadone already is looking like a steal. After allowing five runs in his first pro game, he pitched scoreless ball over 23 innings for the rest of the summer. He’s a 6-foot-5, 230-pound lefthander with a 92-94 mph fastball and an 82-84 mph slider. His changeup has had its moments, and if he can refine it, he’ll be a starter. If not, he can be a nasty reliever.
Hagadone’s upside is as a No. 2 starter, but it’s early and I’m conservative when it comes to projecting starters, so I wouldn’t expect more than a No. 3 at this point. But his potential is certainly intriguing, and he may not need much time in the minors before he can contribute in Boston.
The talent well just keeps getting deeper and deeper… it looks like Theo and his staff may have done it again!
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The Detroit Tigers signed closer Todd Jones to a one-year, $7 million deal today. Jones was 1-4, with a 4.26 ERA and 38 saves in 2007. The deal became critical for the Tigers when their heir-apparent at closer, Joel Zumaya, was injured moving boxes during the recent southern-California wild fires… Zumaya had shoulder surgery and will miss the first half of the 2008 season.
In a separate move, the Tigers acquired outfielder Jacque Jones and “cash considerations” from the Chicago Cubs for infielder Omar Infante. Jones, 32, is a career .280 hitter, with 164 home runs, over nine seasons with the Twins and the Cubs. He hit 27 home runs in 2006, but he never warmed to Chicago and was reportedly not in the Cubs plans for 2008. Infante will be invaluable in the National League, as he can play second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions.
Topics: Around Baseball, Sox Players |
