I have been at the hotel for a couple of hours and this I know:
- Several teams are trying to get Juan Pierre, but they are wanting the Dodgers to pick us a substantial portion of his contract. That won’t happen. If the Dodgers have to pay to get rid of him, they will keep him.
- The Dodgers are entertaining offers for Pierre and George Sherrill (who could make a combined $14 million in 2010) and would be willing to take on another bad contract. Aaron Harang makes $12.5 mil this year with a $2 mil buyout next year. Pierre is set to make $8.5 million in 2011, which isn’t as bad as $10 mil this year. The Reds clearly won’t take on this kind of payroll, so it would take a 3rd team to get involved. Stay tuned!
- There Dodgers payroll will not be over $90 million next year as they are “cash poor.” It may be less!
- Eric Stults will be sold to Japan (what will he bring?).
- The Winter meetings are just what I thought – a bunch of old baseball guys standing around lying to each other. It is funny.
- The rumor involving the Tigers and Cabrera is fiction – the Dodgers have no interest in Cabrera, and Dee Gordon is at least 18 months away!
- Josh Lindblom is COVETED by lots of teams! This guy will be a stud! You have heard that from me for a while…
- Congratulations to Doug Harvery and Whitey Herzog for their election to the HOF.
- You know, if Frank McCourt would just come out and say “I’m sorry, but we are going through some tough times and I have have to keep payroll down this year“, I would be fine – JUST TELL US THE WAY IT IS! NO SPIN, FRANK!
- Peter Gammons says “HI.”
Dang! You got the ‘drunken owl” to engage in a conversation? Give him my regards next time you see him. You have to be impressed by someone who can drink that much and still hold down a television/internet job like he’s managed to do for so long. :puker
Keep the reports a comin’! Maybe Franks will surpise us and have Fred and Ned actually obtain a player who isn’t a’ geezin’ his last few breaths…
I heard that the Dodgers have decided to use Lindblom as a reliever because he couldn’t maintain his velocity as a starter. That makes Lindblom a lot less appealing as a prospect. I’d be open to trading him if it means getting something good in return.
This is going to be a very tough off season