Early MLB FA news

[007]

QUOTE

NEW YORK -- Less than 24 hours after helping the Chicago White Sox win their first World Series since 1917, AL Championship Series MVP Paul Konerko was among 62 players who filed for free agency Thursday.

Konerko, who hit .283 with 40 homers and 100 RBI during the regular season, is one of the top hitters available on the market. Approximately 200 players are eligible to file by the Nov. 10 deadline, and free agents can start discussing contract terms with all teams the following day.

Philadelphia Phillies closer Billy Wagner and Los Angeles Angels catcher Bengie Molina also filed, as did Boston first baseman Kevin Millar and third baseman Bill Mueller. They were joined by Florida pitcher A.J. Burnett and Chicago Cubs outfielder Jeromy Burnitz.

San Francisco moved to keep two players from becoming eligible, exercising right-hander Jason Schmidt's $10 million option and outfielder Randy Winn's $5 million option.

In addition, the Giants announced that three 2006 options had been exercised in which the decisions were up to players: second baseman Ray Durham ($7 million), outfielder Moises Alou ($4 million) and right-handed reliever LaTroy Hawkins ($3.5 million).

The New York Mets declined Danny Graves' $5 million option and elected to pay the reliever a $500,000 buyout.

Colorado agreed to a one-year contract with pitcher Mike DeJean, a deal that includes a mutual option for 2007.

After giving general manager Jim Bowden a six-month contract extension, the Washington Nationals agreed to one-year contracts with infielder Damian Jackson, who elected for free agency and left the San Diego Padres on Oct. 14, and Bernie Castro, who left the Baltimore Orioles.[/b][/quote]

Not mentinoed: the giants re-signed Jeff Fassero [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

[Iowa_Card]

QUOTE(*007* @ Oct 28 2005, 04:18 PM) Quoted post

Not mentinoed: the giants re-signed Jeff Fassero [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] [/b][/quote]

Best signing this off-season. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ph34r.gif[/img]

[Tazlaz]

QUOTE(Iowa_Card @ Oct 28 2005, 04:21 PM) Quoted post

QUOTE(*007* @ Oct 28 2005, 04:18 PM) Quoted post

Not mentinoed: the giants re-signed Jeff Fassero [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] [/b][/quote]

Best signing this off-season. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ph34r.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
WHERE WAS WALT?!

Sponsor of Adam Wainwright
Sponsor of the $0.50 any-size frozen coke at Mobil on the Run when the Cards score six
There are 24 teams in baseball with a longer World Series drought than the St. Louis Cardinals.
"I told myself from the beginning, 'If he's going to throw a shutout, then he's going to tie,' ... he was not going to beat me today." ---Adam Wainwright, 8/11/10
"I was confused." ---Tim McCarver, 7/30/15

[BringBackZezel]

"player option...Ray Durham ($7 million)"


ouch!

[chazzz]

Wish we had a space for Mueller.

[007]

QUOTE

Club has till Nov. 11 to negotiate salary
By Tom Krasovic
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
October 28, 2005



SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune
Brian Giles led the Padres in RBI, but the right fielder hit just 15 home runs last season and turns 35 in January.

A three-year offer of more than $21 million from the Padres didn't prevent right fielder Brian Giles, the club's presumptive Most Valuable Player in 2005, from filing for free agency yesterday along with four others.

San Diego's offer is "not close" to getting a deal done, Giles' agent, Joe Bick, said yesterday.

"I will say that our primary goal all along has been to get Brian re-signed with the San Diego Padres, and nothing has changed as far as that goal is concerned," Bick said. "But things have moved kind of slow, which is fine. I'm not criticizing that. But now they have put themselves into a position where we're allowed to talk to other people."

Giles, who will turn 35 in January, is a free agent for the first time in a career that began when the Cleveland Indians chose him in the 17th round of the 1989 draft.

The Granite Hills High alum earned $7 million last season, the final year of a five-year pact issued by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Padres invested no small sum to get Giles, trading outfielder Jason Bay and left-hander Oliver Perez to Pittsburgh in August 2003. Bay went on to win the Rookie of the Year award in 2004 and this year should earn votes for the league's MVP award.


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Giles, however, shouldered the burdens of a veteran core player, helping the Padres to consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1991-92 and their first playoff berth since 1998.

The left-hander's home run power declined sharply, in some part due to the spaciousness of Petco Park. After averaging 37 home runs in his four full seasons with the Pirates, Giles hit 23 for the Padres in 2004 and 15 this year.

But Giles led this year's team in several offensive categories, including RBI, runs scored and slugging percentage. He led the majors in walks (119), boosting a career on-base percentage (.413) that ranks among the top 35 all-time.

Under his recent deal, Giles outproduced several players who drew salaries ranging from $8 million to $15 million. He's free to talk to other clubs about duration of contract and other issues, but until Nov. 11 can discuss dollars only with the Padres.

Among the clubs interested in Giles are the St. Louis Cardinals, who made it known in July they tried to trade for him. The Boston Red Sox also showed interest earlier this month, and although the Oakland A's aren't big spenders, they tried to trade for Giles in his Pirates days and employ one of his best friends, catcher Jason Kendall. Bick also could hear from the L.A. Dodgers, one of six clubs Giles excluded from his trade-veto list four years ago.

Other Padres who filed yesterday were catcher Ramon Hernandez, third baseman Joe Randa and relievers Chris Hammond and Rudy Seanez. CEO Sandy Alderson has said Hernandez likely will sign with another club.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padre...1s28padres.html [/b][/quote]

[kah]

The Cardinals are going to go after Giles. It'll happen. And it could be done w/out raising the payroll too much, if you account for Walker's salary leaving the books, and either Marquis or Morris leaving. Are the other players on the roster due any big raises?

[bigJOE]

QUOTE(kah @ Oct 28 2005, 05:05 PM) Quoted post

The Cardinals are going to go after Giles. It'll happen. And it could be done w/out raising the payroll too much, if you account for Walker's salary leaving the books, and either Marquis or Morris leaving. Are the other players on the roster due any big raises?
[/b][/quote]

plus take into account the new stadium......we should be able to raise payroll.

but i don't know if i'd want to go after Giles, who will be 35 when the season starts. he turned down 7 mill a year from the pads. if we're willing to spend more than 7 mill on giles, why not just go after Hideki Matsui (as long as he's under $10 mill a year) who is younger by 3 years? .

[kah]

Matsui would be great. If he doesn't stay with the Yankees. And unlike the Padres, who appear to be cheaping out on Giles and will probably wave him goodbye if they can't get a discount, the Yankees are not bound by any kind of budget concerns.

If Matsui enters the free market, he'd be ideal.

[dv6y]

Sign Konerko. Move Albert to LF.

[kah]

Sign Konerko. Get the National League to adopt the DH.

OK, let's not do that.

[Bleacher Creature]

QUOTE(dvyyyyyy @ Oct 28 2005, 05:24 PM) Quoted post

Sign Konerko. Move Albert to LF.
[/b][/quote]

Drinking early today, huh?

[bigJOE]

QUOTE(kah @ Oct 28 2005, 05:19 PM) Quoted post

Matsui would be great. If he doesn't stay with the Yankees. And unlike the Padres, who appear to be cheaping out on Giles and will probably wave him goodbye if they can't get a discount, the Yankees are not bound by any kind of budget concerns.

If Matsui enters the free market, he'd be ideal.
[/b][/quote]

i think so, too. hopefully the yankees aren't hellbent on keeping him, otherwise we can forget about it. i'd rather not get giles. i'm sick of having an old outfielder, and he just looks like a muscle-head who could break down at a moments notice.

[007]

QUOTE(dvyyyyyy @ Oct 28 2005, 05:24 PM) Quoted post

Sign Konerko. Move Albert to LF.
[/b][/quote]
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

Good ole pressbox fun....

[bigJOE]

QUOTE(dvyyyyyy @ Oct 28 2005, 05:24 PM) Quoted post

Sign Konerko. Move Albert to LF.
[/b][/quote]

can't tell if you're kidding or not, but i don't advocate moving pujols to anywhere else besides 1st. as long as he has that plantar fascitis, he doesn't need to be doing any more running around than he needs to, and left field would require a lot more running around in the field than 1st base does.