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4C THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2005
Winter meetings heat up with trades
BY RONALD BLUM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, sitting right, chats with reporters at the winter baseball meetings on Wednesday in Dallas. The Cardinals spent much of the last week pursuing free agent A.J. Burnett, only to see him sinn with Toronto.
Tonv Gutinrorz/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Trying to compete in the AL East, the Toronto Blue Jays pushed their pitching investment past the $100 million mark by giving A.J. Burnett a $55 million, five-year contract.
One week after giving reliever B.J. Ryan a $47 million, five-year deal, the splurging Blue Jayes landed the top starting pitcher on the free-agent market, one they hope will help them overtake the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
"Sooner, rather than later, we're going to see a new team on top there." Burnett said.
On the second day of the winter meetings, the Los Angeles Dodgers filled the last open manager's job in the major leagues, hiring former Boston manager Grady Little. He's still blamed by Red Sox fans for leaving in Pedro Martinez too long in Game 7 of the 2003 AL championship series.
"That's New England and it's Boston," Little said. "All they want to do is win, and that's all we were trying to do."
On the trade front, the San
Francisco Giants sent righthander LaTroy Hawkins to the Baltimore Orioles.
The Cincinnati Reds reached a preliminary agreement to send first baseman Sean Casey to the Pittsburgh Pirates for left-hander Dave Williams, a deal subject to physicals.
There also was talk the San Diego Padres would deal third baseman Sean Burroughs to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for right-hander Dewon Brazelton, and that the Chicago Cubs would acquire center fielder Juan Pierre from the Florida Marlins.
Among free agents, Cleveland was negotiating with closer Trevor Hoffman and the Seattle Mariners were said to be talking with Kevin Millwood. San Diego improved its proposal to retain Hoffman, offering a deal with a 2008 option that could become guaranteed under certain conditions.
Designated hitter Mike Piazza appears to be attracting interest from the Los Angeles Angels, Seattle, Minnesota and Toronto.
Officials of the New York Mets had a meeting with the Red Sox on Monday and discussed Manny Ramirez. The
Mets are waiting for the Red Sox to get back to them with what it would take to put together a deal for the 2004 World Series MVP, who wants out of Boston.
Mets general manager Omar Minaya also called New York pitcher Kris Benson to discuss trade rumors.
Minaya said. "His name is out there, it's a hot name right now."
Houston Astros officials said they wouldn't decide until Wednesday whether to offer salary arbitration to 43-year-old Roger Clemens, who hasn't decided whether to retire or pitch next year. If the seven-time Cy Young Award winner isn't offered
"I'm getting calls on him,"
arbitration by the 11 p.m. deadline, he couldn't re-sign with his hometown team until May 1.
"It's a gut-wrenching, agonizing decision," Astros general manager Tim Purpura said. "From a talent point of view, I don't want to lose him. I also realize we need to improve our clubs. It's very difficult for me to move forward in doing that if I have such uncertainty."
Also, the Red Sox said 37-year-old first baseman John Olerud, who became a free agent after the season, has decided to retire.
Toronto hasn't finished first in the AL East since winning the 1993 World Series. General manager J.P. Ricciardi, given a three-year contract extension through 2010 on Tuesday, has been aggressive in his pursuit of pitching.
Baseball officials believe the deals for Burnett and Ryan were the first five-year contracts given to pitchers since Chan Ho Park's $65 million deal with Texas in December 2001.
"One thing about the freeagent game is if you're going to get in it, you can't get in it halfway," Ricciardi said. "Either
you're going to be a player or you're not."
Burnett followed Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, Carlos Delgado, Luis Castillo and Paul Lo Duca out of Florida, where the Marlins are cutting payroll because they haven't gotten funding for a new ballpark.
Marlins president David Samson visited San Antonio on Tuesday as part of a preliminary search for a possible new home for the team. Samson said the city was the first stop on a tour that will last three to five months.
"We're not a free-agent pitcher. We're a team looking for a right fit," Samson said.
A 28-year-old right-hander with a 98 mph fastball. Burnett also was pursued by St. Louis — however, the Cardinals offered only four years.
He had a 49-50 career record with the Marlins, missing almost all of the 2003 season. He returned following reconstructive elbow surgery and was 12-12 with a 3.44 ERA last season. Florida banished him during the final week after he criticized manager Jack McKeon and coaches.
Rafael Furcal tries on his new Los Angeles Dodgers ballcap as newly manager Grady Little looks on, after Furcal was introduced during a press conference at the winter baseball meetings on Wednesday in Dallas. Grady was announced as manager on Tuesday
Tonv Gutierrez/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dodgers name Grady Little new manager
BY JIMMY GOLEN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Grady Little has 'another managing job, and he has to rush to get ready for the season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers hired Little at the baseball winter meetings Tuesday, more than two months after they fired Jim Tracy. That leaves the former Red Sox manager about two months to get things in order before spring training — a lifetime considering Boston hired him in spring of 2002.
"I feel like we have a long time," Little said after being introduced by general manager Ned Colletti and special adviser Tommy Lasorda. "The last job I took on, we had two weeks before opening day."
Ah, yes, the last job.
That would be Little's ill-fated run with the Red Sox from 2002-03. He compiled a 188-136 record there — the best winning percentage (.580) of any manager in the last 35 years.
But he was second-guessed for failing to lift Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the '03 AL championship series. The Yankees tied it off the tiring ace and then earned the World Series berth on Aaron Boone's homer.
Little's contract wasn't renewed, but Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said Tuesday he was glad that didn't prevent Little from getting another job.
"I think that's terrific for
Grady, and wish him great good luck," Lucchino told Boston reporters while other Red Sox executives extolled Little's virtues. "He's not exactly a Hollywood, L.A.-type of guy, but he has a kind of versatility that will hold him in good stead."
Little laughed.
"Heck, is that the same guy that thought I was going to fit in in New England," he said in his Texas draw. "I'll probably fit in as well as the ballclub does while I'm running it."
Little said he didn't dwell on the Yankee Stadium collapse or the harsh commentary in Boston.
"That's New England and it's Boston," Little said. "All they want to do is win, and that's all we were
trying to do."
Little's decision to leave Martinez on the mound may have cost him his last managing job, but it helped him get this one.
"His explanation of everything gave me great confidence in who he is," Colletti said. "It's not easy being in that spot. But his way of handling it was very admirable."
The Dodgers gave Little, 55, a two-year deal with an option for a third. He beat out Jim Fregosi, John McLaren, Manny Acta and Joel Skinner for the chance to succeed Jim Tracy, who parted ways with the Dodgers on Oct. 3 — the day after the club completed its second-worst season since moving west from Brooklyn in 1958.
Lefty traded to pitch for Royals
BY ALAN ROBINSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PITTSBURGH — Eager to get a starting pitcher who can get them deep into games, the Kansas City Royals swung a trade Wednesday for Mark Redman — the second left-handed starter dealt by the Pittsburgh Pirates in as many days.
The Pirates, looking to trim some payroll after picking up first baseman Sean Casey and his $8.5 million salary from the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, get pitcher Jonah Bayliss and a player to be named from the Royals.
Bayliss, a 25-year-old right-hander, is expected to fill one of the right-handed relievers' jobs left open in the Pirates bullpen after they chose to not bring back Jose Mesa, Brian Meadows and Rick White from a 95-loss team.
Bayliss made 11 relief appearances with the Royals as a rookie this year, going 0-0 with a 4.63 ERA. He pitched recently in the Arizona Fall League and had a 3-0 record and 4.98 ERA in 11 appearances with the Surprise Scorpions.
The Royals will be the sixth team in six seasons for the 31-year-old Redman, who is coming off the worst season of a career that began with the Minnesota Twins in 1999. He was 5-15 with a 4.90 ERA in 30 starts for Pittsburgh during an uneven season.
strain off an overworked bullpen.
Redman, given the second worst run support of any NL starter, was 4-4 with a 2.80 ERA after 14 starts but finished the season 1-11 with a 7.20 ERA in his final 16 starts.
Pittsburgh sought to deal Redman before the trading deadline but could find no takers, partly because of his $4.5 million player option for 2006. By shedding Redman's salary, the Pirates have the flexibility to make more moves after adding Casey, who is expected to be the team's highest-paid player next season even if the Reds pick up $2 million of his salary.
Before the winter meetings in Dallas, manager Buddy Bell said the Royals were determined to add a quality starter who could pitch a number of innings and take some
Pittsburgh general manager Dave Littlefield has dealt two-fifths of his rotation in two days by trading left-hander Dave Williams (10-11) to the Reds and Redman. However, the Pirates are overloaded with left-handed starters. 2005 rookies Zach Duke and Paul Maholm, 2005 opening day starter Oliver Perez and Sean Burnett, who had a promising start to his career in 2004 before sitting out last season after having shoulder surgery are all available.
The Pirates acquired Redman last winter in the deal that sent catcher Jason Kendall and much of the remaining $40 million-plus of his contract to Oakland.
With some money to spend for a change, the Royals have sought pitching help. They pursued freeagent starter Paul Byrd before he signed a $14.25 million, two-year contract with Cleveland on Monday and are thought to be interested in New York Mets right-hander Kris Benson, another former Pirates pitcher.
Redman has pitched in the majors with the Twins, Tigers, Marlins, Athletics and Pirates, going 53-66 with a 4.47 ERA in 169 games, including 157 starts. He was 14-9 with a 3.59 ERA for the World Series champion Marlins in 2003.
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