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Furcal finally makes up his mind

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

Furcal, the top free-agent shortstop on the open market this year, has decided to sign with the Dodgers, major-league sources said. The Associated Press, citing a person familiar with the negotiations, said the deal is for three years and $33 million.

Furcal gets $7.5 million next season, $9.5 million in 2010 and $13 million in 2011, according to AP. The deal includes a $13 million team option for 2012 with a $3 million buyout.

On Monday night, the Braves were under the distinct impression that they had a deal with Furcal. On Tuesday, the Dodgers re-entered the discussions, and by Wednesday afternoon the Dodgers and Furcal were hammering out the terms of an agreement, sources said.

The Braves on Wednesday were informed that Furcal would not accept their deal.

Atlanta, according to sources, offered Furcal a three-year deal worth approximately $30 million, and included a vesting option for a fourth year that would have pushed the potential value of the deal to approximately $40 million.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, had been reluctant to re-sign Furcal long-term due to medical concerns. On Tuesday, however, they suddenly showed interest in extending their offer beyond two guaranteed years.

Furcal’s reasons for choosing the Dodgers over the Braves are unclear. But he will remain at shortstop with the Dodgers; the Braves, depending upon the outcome of other moves, might have moved him to second base.

The A’s are believed to have made the high offer for Furcal — four years guaranteed in the $40 million range, according to major-league sources.

Furcal, 31, left the Braves for the Dodgers after the 2005 season, signing a three-year, $39 million free-agent contract.

For the Braves, the loss of Furcal represents their third major setback of the offseason.

The first came when they failed to reach a trade agreement for Padres right-hander Jake Peavy after weeks of negotiations.

The second occurred when they were outbid for free-agent right-hander A.J. Burnett, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Yankees.

Furcal was less important to the Braves than either of those starting pitchers, but his addition would have created opportunities for the team to trade shortstop Yunel Escobar or second baseman Kelly Johnson for either outfield help or pitching.

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Dodgers close to signing Casey Blake

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

The Dodgers are close to a deal with free-agent third baseman Casey Blake on a three-year, $17 million contract, according to major-league sources.

Blake, 35, is seeking three guaranteed years, and the Dodgers’ proposal enables them to retain him after the Twins were only willing to offer two years and an option.

The Dodgers acquired Blake from the Indians last season shortly before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. He batted only .251 for the Dodgers with a .313 on-base percentage, but hit 10 home runs in 211 at-bats and drew praise from Dodgers officials for helping to revive the team along with Manny Ramirez.

If Blake is signed, the Dodgers likely will use Blake DeWitt at second base unless they acquire another player at that position. They are still trying to add a shortstop, and remain in the mix to retain free agent Rafael Furcal.

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Twins, Dodgers front runners for Casey Blake

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

The Casey Blake free agent sweepstakes is sounding like a two-horse race: Twins and Dodgers. “We’re certainly not that far apart with either club,” Blake’s agent, Jim McDowell, said Tuesday. The Twins view Blake, 35, as an upgrade at third base, and they value his versatility. He can play left field, right field, first base and even played some second base for the Dodgers in the playoffs. Blake, who has had two previous stints with the Twins, batted .274 with 21 home runs and 81 RBI this year with the Indians and Dodgers. — Star Tribune

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L.A. offers Manny 2nd-highest salary ever

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

Even if the Dodgers are unable to re-sign Manny Ramirez, no one will be able to accuse GM Ned Colletti of not trying. The Dodgers on Tuesday night offered Ramirez a contract with the highest average salary in Dodgers history, and the second-highest average salary among current players, Colletti told reporters Wednesday.

Alex Rodriguez owns the highest average salary in major league history. His current deal with the Yankees, signed last offseason, is a 10-year, $275 milllion pact, putting the average salary at $27.5 million. The Mets’ Johan Santana has a six-year, $137.5 million contract, an average of just over $22.9 million. That means that the average salary offered to Ramirez was somewhere between $22.9 million and $27.5 million per year.

Most likely, the Dodgers offered Ramirez a two-year contract worth just over $50 million. Colletti said the Dodgers also offered an option year, but declined to specify the exact length of contract.

In his two months with L.A., Ramirez hit .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs. He was even better in the postseason, batting .520 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in eight games.

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Peavy to Braves, Cubs, or Dodgers?

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

According to Jake Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod, the Braves, Cubs and Dodgers were among the five clubs that Peavy said he would consider after GM Kevin Towers asked last month for a “Top Five” to take into the marketplace. The other two clubs are the Cardinals and Astros; Towers probably isn’t focusing on those two, though, because the Cardinals reportedly aren’t interested and Towers has said the Astros aren’t a personnel match. Towers said he and Axelrod have discussed other teams as well. Teams that may not fit directly in a Peavy trade but have enticing young talent could play a role as a third trade partner, but that would be a new approach for Towers, who has never worked a three-team trade. “I’m not opposed to doing a three-way deal if necessary,” he said, “but dealing directly is definitely my preference.” Towers has made several trades with Cubs GM Jim Hendry and in August he and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti arranged a swap that sent Greg Maddux to the Dodgers and two minor league pitchers to the Padres. Towers and Braves GM Frank Wren have yet to make a deal with one another, but the clubs have discussed talent relating to a Peavy swap. — San Diego Union-Tribune

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Peavy to Dodgers?

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

A longtime nemesis of the Dodgers has emerged as a candidate to be the top-of-the-rotation arm to replace Derek Lowe if he leaves the club this winter in free agency as expected. Jake Peavy has told the San Diego Padres that the Dodgers are among the five teams he would consider as potential trade destinations, according to Peavy’s agent, Barry Axelrod. Peavy, who has a full no-trade clause in a contract that was extended in December, is owed $11 million in 2009, $15 million in 2010, $16 million in 2011 and $17 million in 2012. He has a $22-million team option for 2013 that could be bought out for $4 million. Axelrod said Padres General Manager Kevin Towers told him late in the season that the team was looking to rebuild and that could benefit from unloading Peavy’s contract. Axelrod said he recently gave Towers a list of teams to which Peavy might consent to being traded. On that list were the Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals. — LA Times

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Maddux Returns to Dodgers

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired veteran right-hander Greg Maddux from the Padres to bolster their rotation for the stretch run, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Associated Press confirmed the trade, citing a person familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity Monday night because no announcement had been made. However, sources with both teams are saying no deal has been finalized.

Maddux, who is 6-9 with a 3.99 ERA this season, is expected to join the team in time for their series opener against the Rockies on Tuesday. The Dodgers are currently tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL West lead.

The Dodgers and Padres were in talks about a possible deal before the July 31 deadline, but nothing was worked out. With Brad Penny back on the DL due to a bad shoulder, Maddux would be able to step right into the rotation and get eight starts.

Maddux, 42, was traded from the Cubs to the Dodgers at the trade deadline in 2006 and helped the team make the postseason after capturing the NL wild card. He was 6-3 went with a 3.30 ERA for the Dodgers.

Following the ‘06 season, Maddux became a free agent and signed a one-year deal with the Padres. He followed it with another one-year deal this season.

Maddux has a full no-trade clause and was adamant about not wanting to leave the West Coast. The surefire Hall of Famer has 353 career wins.

The deal is expected to be announced on Tuesday.

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Manny Delt to Dodgers in 3 way trade, Red Sox get Bay

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Manny Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers in a three-team deadline-beating blockbuster Thursday, sending the disgruntled future Hall-of-Famer out of Boston right as the pennant race starts to heat up.

The Red Sox will receive Pirates outfielder Jason Bay in the deal, while Pittsburgh gets third baseman Andy LaRoche and Class-A right-hander Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and outfielder Brandon Moss and reliever Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.

The Red Sox will pay all of the approximately $7 million remaining on Ramirez’s contract.

Ramirez should provide a major boost to the Dodgers’ offense, but his arrival will add to the crowd in the Dodgers’ outfield, which already includes Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones.

Moss, Hansen and LaRoche all have played in the majors. Morris, 21, was the Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2006.

The deal could significantly tilt the balance of power toward the Dodgers in the hotly contested NL West race. The Dodgers began the day one game behind the Diamondbacks, whose only pre-deadline addition was reliever Jon Rauch.

For the Red Sox, meanwhile, the addition of Bay amounts to a coup, considering their need to replace Ramirez’s offense. Bay, who turns 30 on Sept. 20, is six years younger than Ramirez, and his .894 on-base/slugging percentage is nearly as high as Ramirez’s .927 mark this season.

The Red Sox also will retain Bay through next season at an affordable salary of $7.5 million. After that, Bay becomes eligible for free agency.

Ramirez will be a free agent at the end of this season. He waived his no-trade clause in exchange for the elimination of the two $20 million club options in his contract.

The Red Sox were fiercely determined to trade Ramirez, whose behavior on and off the field had become a significant distraction in recent weeks. After a proposed three-way trade involving the Marlins collapsed on Thursday, the Dodgers quickly emerged as the leading suitor for Ramirez.

Ramirez paved his way out of town, perhaps intentionally, by a recent series of actions unprecedented even in his checkered history.

Ultimately, the Red Sox decided that wasn’t worth the power Ramirez brought to the lineup — a .299 batting average with a team-high 20 homers and 68 RBIs this season. For his career in Boston, he was fifth in team history with 274 homers, sixth with 868 RBIs and ninth with a .312 average.

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Dodgers Add Casey Blake from Indians

Saturday, July 26th, 2008

The Dodgers have acquired third-baseman Casey Blake from the Indians. In exchange, the Indians received Class A catcher Carlos Santana and Class AAA right-hander Jon Meloan.

Blake is hitting .289, a career-best, with 11 HR and 58 RBIs for the Indians this season.

The deal makes it unlikely that the Dodgers will pursue a shortstop. They had been actively seeking a player for the position, most notably the Pirates’ Jack Wilson.

At 50-52, the Dodgers are just one game out of first in the NL West and are looking for an offensive boost after missing out on the CC Sabathia sweepstakes. Only four teams in the majors, including two division rivals, have scored fewer runs this season than the Dodgers’ total of 429.

Blake brings experience and versatility to the Dodgers. He played the infield and outfield for the disappointing Indians, who signed him as a minor league free agent in 2002. He struggled at the plate with runners in scoring position last year, batting just .190 and was often a target of Indians fans, who never seemed to appreciate his all-around value.

This season, Blake was one of Cleveland’s most reliable players. He signed a $6.1 million contract at the start of the season, and the Iowa native has said he would like to finish his career with the Indians.

Cleveland came within one win of the World Series last year and was favored to defend its AL Central title. But costly injuries and underachievement by some of their top players dropped the Indians back in the division and forced general manager Mark Shapiro to begin retooling for the future.

Meloan pitched in five games as a reliever for the Dodgers last season. The club converted him into a starter this year, and the 24-year-old was 5-10 with a 4.97 ERA at Triple-A Las Vegas. The Indians have transferred his option to Triple-A Buffalo, where he will pitch in relief.

Santana, a 22-year-old switch hitter, batted .323 with 14 homers and 96 RBIs at Class-A Inland Empire. He led the California League in RBIs, on-base percentage (.431) and runs (88). Since June 26, he’s batting .393 with six homers and 30 RBIs in 28 games. The Indians said the Dominican Republic native will report to Class-A Kinston.

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Dodgers out of mix for Sabathia, Brewers close?

Sunday, July 6th, 2008

The Los Angeles Dodgers are out of the running for C.C. Sabathia, according to a major-league source, an indication that the Milwaukee Brewers may be nearing a trade for the Indians’ left hander.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays also are bidding for Sabathia, but neither of those clubs are expected to top the Brewers’ offer.

Class AA outfielder Matt LaPorta is the centerpeice of the Brewers’ proposal. The Indians also are expected to receive two more prospects in the deal.

LaPorta, a right-handed slugger who is below-average defensively, would be a better fit for the American League. He was the Brewers’ first-round pick in 2007, and played first base at Florida, but the Brewers converted him to left field — a position occupied by Ryan Braun, who is signed through 2015.

The Indians badly need power. Center fielder Grady Sizemore leads the AL with 22 home runs, but designated hitter Travis Hafner hit only four before going on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain on May 30 and catcher Victor Martinez had zero before going on the DL June 12 with a right-elbow injury.

LaPorta has 20 home runs and 66 RBIs for Class AA Huntsville.

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