Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Diamondbacks plan to make every effort to sign slugger Richie Sexson and No. 1 draft pick Stephen Drew, and negotiations with their representatives are expected to begin in earnest today.
General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said he will talk with Sexson's agent, Casey Close, and invite the attorney to Phoenix to discuss a multiyear pact for the first baseman. Sexson, out for the season after shoulder surgery, can become a free agent after the season.
Mike Rizzo, the Diamondbacks director of scouting, will be handling negotiations with Drew, a shortstop at Florida State University, and his agent, Scott Boras. But time is of the essence. The fall semester at Florida State begins Monday and if Drew attends class, the Diamondbacks lose his rights and Drew re-enters the draft next year.
The Diamondbacks will have to commit big money to both players, but Garagiola and Rizzo are under directives from incoming CEO Jeff Moorad to fit the players into the budget, which is expected to be in the $70 million range next season.
"We're at the point now where we have to do what we're going to have to do," Rizzo said, indicating the club is against a deadline and knows Boras will be seeking top dollar for the younger brother of St. Louis Cardinals star J.D. Drew. ''It's been an ongoing process since we drafted him, and it's time for both sides to buckle down and see if we can get something accomplished."
Drew, projected by many scouts as a possible first overall pick, slipped to No. 15 overall, in part, because clubs were scared about the dollar figure Boras would be pursuing in a contract. His selection by the Diamondbacks, which was insisted upon by Jerry Colangelo, helped lead to Colangelo's ouster as CEO and chairman by the club's new ownership group.
Rizzo, calling himself a "glass-half-full guy," said he is optimistic about Drew's sign-ability, adding, ''We didn't draft him not to sign him. He knows we think he's a heck of a player who can be a big part of the organization in the very near future."
As for Sexson, who is paid $8.5 million this season, he will be seeking a deal worth at least that much and probably more and may not be interested in staying with the Diamondbacks if the club is committed to a rebuilding project and isn't active on the free-agent market.
Moorad, though, told the players Monday that he and the ownership group are committed to returning the club to contender status and will be busy this off-season.
"We've had good internal discussions on both topics and we have some direction," Garagiola said. " . . . It's time for us to get going on this." [/font]
The Arizona Republic
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Diamondbacks plan to make every effort to sign slugger Richie Sexson and No. 1 draft pick Stephen Drew, and negotiations with their representatives are expected to begin in earnest today.
General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said he will talk with Sexson's agent, Casey Close, and invite the attorney to Phoenix to discuss a multiyear pact for the first baseman. Sexson, out for the season after shoulder surgery, can become a free agent after the season.
Mike Rizzo, the Diamondbacks director of scouting, will be handling negotiations with Drew, a shortstop at Florida State University, and his agent, Scott Boras. But time is of the essence. The fall semester at Florida State begins Monday and if Drew attends class, the Diamondbacks lose his rights and Drew re-enters the draft next year.
The Diamondbacks will have to commit big money to both players, but Garagiola and Rizzo are under directives from incoming CEO Jeff Moorad to fit the players into the budget, which is expected to be in the $70 million range next season.
"We're at the point now where we have to do what we're going to have to do," Rizzo said, indicating the club is against a deadline and knows Boras will be seeking top dollar for the younger brother of St. Louis Cardinals star J.D. Drew. ''It's been an ongoing process since we drafted him, and it's time for both sides to buckle down and see if we can get something accomplished."
Drew, projected by many scouts as a possible first overall pick, slipped to No. 15 overall, in part, because clubs were scared about the dollar figure Boras would be pursuing in a contract. His selection by the Diamondbacks, which was insisted upon by Jerry Colangelo, helped lead to Colangelo's ouster as CEO and chairman by the club's new ownership group.
Rizzo, calling himself a "glass-half-full guy," said he is optimistic about Drew's sign-ability, adding, ''We didn't draft him not to sign him. He knows we think he's a heck of a player who can be a big part of the organization in the very near future."
As for Sexson, who is paid $8.5 million this season, he will be seeking a deal worth at least that much and probably more and may not be interested in staying with the Diamondbacks if the club is committed to a rebuilding project and isn't active on the free-agent market.
Moorad, though, told the players Monday that he and the ownership group are committed to returning the club to contender status and will be busy this off-season.
"We've had good internal discussions on both topics and we have some direction," Garagiola said. " . . . It's time for us to get going on this." [/font]
