Let the bidding begin!
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...=/ap/20031208/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_baseball_rdp
Maddux, Rodriguez Leave Braves, Marlins
Mon Dec 8, 6:42 AM ET Add Sports - AP to My Yahoo!
By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK - Greg Maddux and Ivan Rodriguez will have new teams next season, and so will Vladimir Guerrero, Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez. On a busy Sunday night, Kaz Matsui accepted a contract with the Mets and headed to New York to finalize the deal.
Philadelphia offered arbitration to Kevin Millwood, extending the negotiating period with the right-hander for another month. Also among the 25 players offered arbitration were Chicago White Sox (news) right-hander Bartolo Colon and Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada, the 2002 AL MVP.
But Atlanta also didn't offer arbitration to Javy Lopez or Gary Sheffield, meaning the Braves won't get draft picks as compensation if the outfielder finalizes his deal with the Yankees.
Fourteen of the players who faced the midnight deadline agreed to re-sign, including Minnesota outfielder Shannon Stewart, who got an $18 million, three-year contract from the Twins, and Seattle reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa, who received a $6.3 million, two-year deal.
Maddux, who helped the Braves reach the playoffs during his 11 seasons in Atlanta, was not offered salary arbitration and can't re-sign until May 1.
Last year, the four-time Cy Young Award winner was offered arbitration and accepted, with the sides later agreeing at $14.75 million. The 37-year-old right-hander went 16-11, moving within 11 wins of 300.
Rodriguez and the World Series (news - web sites) champion Marlins failed to agree to a contract during negotiations at Miami International Airport. The catcher's previous deal prevented Florida from offering salary arbitration to the 10-time All-Star.
On Friday, Rodriguez asked for a $40 million, four-year contract. He made $10 million last season.
"I tried my best to remain a Marlin by not requesting a salary increase," Rodriguez said in a statement issued by his agent, Scott Boras. "To my knowledge, I'm the only major leaguer in recent times who won the World Series and received a postseason MVP award, and yet his club did not offer a higher salary."
Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest said the team offered a package with an annual salary "in the range" of $7 million annually, but that Boras and Rodriguez were "immovable" off the $10 million request.
"We'll all go to sleep tonight knowing we tried very hard to bring Pudge back," Beinfest said. "It didn't work out."
Players who received arbitration offers have until Dec. 19 to accept and can re-sign with their old teams through Jan. 8.
Among those not offered arbitration were Chicago Cubs (news) outfielder Kenny Lofton and Anaheim first baseman Scott Spiezio.
The Yankees offered arbitration to left-handers Andy Pettitte and David Wells, and Wells' agent said his client was close to a deal.
Meanwhile in Japan, Matsui announced he had accepted a three-year offer from the Mets, a deal worth about $20 million. The seven-time All-Star was pursued by the Anaheim Angels (news), Los Angeles Dodgers (news) and Yankees.
Nicknamed "Little Matsui," the 28-year-old shortstop is not related to New York Yankees (news) outfielder Hideki Matsui. He hit .305 with 33 homers and 84 RBIs last season for the Seibu Lions.
"I'm not thinking about the numbers," he said. "I know there are a lot of expectations for me, and I'll just have to do my best."
On the trade front, Texas general manager John Hart would like to know by the end of the winter meetings on Dec. 16 whether Alex Rodriguez, the American League (news) MVP, will remain with the Rangers for next season. The Rangers have been discussing a deal that would send him to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez.
"As long as this potentially is alive, it precludes us from having a road map of what we can do with anybody else," Hart said Sunday.
The deal would be a swap of baseball's only $20 million-a-year players. In a sign of how extraordinary the situation is, commissioner Bud Selig is allowing the Red Sox to speak directly with Rodriguez. In most situations, a tentative trade must be in place before baseball grants a window for a team to speak with a player under contract to another club.
"To the extent that it happened, the commissioner has approved it," said Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office.
In addition to the players who re-signed, the San Francisco Giants (news) agreed to a $3.5 million, two-year contract with outfielder Michael Tucker, who hit .262 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 104 games for Kansas City.
The Chicago Cubs agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract with second baseman Mark Grudzielanek and a $650,000, one-year deal with outfielder Tom Goodwin.
St. Louis brought back two of its relievers, agreeing to a $1.7 million, one-year contract with left-hander Steve Kline and a $900,000, one-year deal with right-hander Cal Eldred.
Also re-signing were San Francisco first baseman J.T. Snow ($1.75 million), Los Angeles third baseman Robin Ventura ($1.2 million), Florida right-hander Chad Fox ($1.2 million), Yankees outfielder Ruben Sierra ($1 million), Kansas City right-hander Jason Grimsley ($1 million) and Philadelphia catcher Todd Pratt ($875,000). Milwaukee right-hander Dave Burba and Boston outfielder Dave McCarty agreed to minor league deals.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...=/ap/20031208/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_baseball_rdp
Maddux, Rodriguez Leave Braves, Marlins
Mon Dec 8, 6:42 AM ET Add Sports - AP to My Yahoo!
By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK - Greg Maddux and Ivan Rodriguez will have new teams next season, and so will Vladimir Guerrero, Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez. On a busy Sunday night, Kaz Matsui accepted a contract with the Mets and headed to New York to finalize the deal.
Philadelphia offered arbitration to Kevin Millwood, extending the negotiating period with the right-hander for another month. Also among the 25 players offered arbitration were Chicago White Sox (news) right-hander Bartolo Colon and Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada, the 2002 AL MVP.
But Atlanta also didn't offer arbitration to Javy Lopez or Gary Sheffield, meaning the Braves won't get draft picks as compensation if the outfielder finalizes his deal with the Yankees.
Fourteen of the players who faced the midnight deadline agreed to re-sign, including Minnesota outfielder Shannon Stewart, who got an $18 million, three-year contract from the Twins, and Seattle reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa, who received a $6.3 million, two-year deal.
Maddux, who helped the Braves reach the playoffs during his 11 seasons in Atlanta, was not offered salary arbitration and can't re-sign until May 1.
Last year, the four-time Cy Young Award winner was offered arbitration and accepted, with the sides later agreeing at $14.75 million. The 37-year-old right-hander went 16-11, moving within 11 wins of 300.
Rodriguez and the World Series (news - web sites) champion Marlins failed to agree to a contract during negotiations at Miami International Airport. The catcher's previous deal prevented Florida from offering salary arbitration to the 10-time All-Star.
On Friday, Rodriguez asked for a $40 million, four-year contract. He made $10 million last season.
"I tried my best to remain a Marlin by not requesting a salary increase," Rodriguez said in a statement issued by his agent, Scott Boras. "To my knowledge, I'm the only major leaguer in recent times who won the World Series and received a postseason MVP award, and yet his club did not offer a higher salary."
Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest said the team offered a package with an annual salary "in the range" of $7 million annually, but that Boras and Rodriguez were "immovable" off the $10 million request.
"We'll all go to sleep tonight knowing we tried very hard to bring Pudge back," Beinfest said. "It didn't work out."
Players who received arbitration offers have until Dec. 19 to accept and can re-sign with their old teams through Jan. 8.
Among those not offered arbitration were Chicago Cubs (news) outfielder Kenny Lofton and Anaheim first baseman Scott Spiezio.
The Yankees offered arbitration to left-handers Andy Pettitte and David Wells, and Wells' agent said his client was close to a deal.
Meanwhile in Japan, Matsui announced he had accepted a three-year offer from the Mets, a deal worth about $20 million. The seven-time All-Star was pursued by the Anaheim Angels (news), Los Angeles Dodgers (news) and Yankees.
Nicknamed "Little Matsui," the 28-year-old shortstop is not related to New York Yankees (news) outfielder Hideki Matsui. He hit .305 with 33 homers and 84 RBIs last season for the Seibu Lions.
"I'm not thinking about the numbers," he said. "I know there are a lot of expectations for me, and I'll just have to do my best."
On the trade front, Texas general manager John Hart would like to know by the end of the winter meetings on Dec. 16 whether Alex Rodriguez, the American League (news) MVP, will remain with the Rangers for next season. The Rangers have been discussing a deal that would send him to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez.
"As long as this potentially is alive, it precludes us from having a road map of what we can do with anybody else," Hart said Sunday.
The deal would be a swap of baseball's only $20 million-a-year players. In a sign of how extraordinary the situation is, commissioner Bud Selig is allowing the Red Sox to speak directly with Rodriguez. In most situations, a tentative trade must be in place before baseball grants a window for a team to speak with a player under contract to another club.
"To the extent that it happened, the commissioner has approved it," said Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office.
In addition to the players who re-signed, the San Francisco Giants (news) agreed to a $3.5 million, two-year contract with outfielder Michael Tucker, who hit .262 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 104 games for Kansas City.
The Chicago Cubs agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract with second baseman Mark Grudzielanek and a $650,000, one-year deal with outfielder Tom Goodwin.
St. Louis brought back two of its relievers, agreeing to a $1.7 million, one-year contract with left-hander Steve Kline and a $900,000, one-year deal with right-hander Cal Eldred.
Also re-signing were San Francisco first baseman J.T. Snow ($1.75 million), Los Angeles third baseman Robin Ventura ($1.2 million), Florida right-hander Chad Fox ($1.2 million), Yankees outfielder Ruben Sierra ($1 million), Kansas City right-hander Jason Grimsley ($1 million) and Philadelphia catcher Todd Pratt ($875,000). Milwaukee right-hander Dave Burba and Boston outfielder Dave McCarty agreed to minor league deals.
