Walton’s Wanderings
Neither Cabrera nor Renteria
Likely in Beantown
The Boston Herald
reports that the Red Sox will not entertain a three-year or longer deal for shortstop Orlando Cabrera or any other shortstop,
for that matter. There is still a chance that Cabrera will be tendered, with
the Sox willing to risk a one-year deal decided by an arbitrator. The paper calls
a long-term deal like Cabrera wants “next to impossible to imagine”. Instead,
the team is expected to go after a veteran stopgap like Jose Valentin or Barry Larkin until top prospect Hanley Ramirez is
ready. This means Edgar Renteria, with similar demands as Cabrera, will clearly
not be in the Sox plans. However, it does enhance Cabrera’s viability as a replacement
if Edgar is not signable by St. Louis.
Woody to Astros or Retirement
I have confirmed, as reported
earlier, that Woody Williams wants to pitch for the Cardinals or Astros in 2005 or will simply retire. Even with the Cards apparent disinterest in having him return, Williams’ decision is on-hold, pending Roger
Clemens’ answer as to whether or not he will come back to the Astros for one more season.
That is not expected until sometime around the holidays.
Matheny Looking for Three
and Out
Free agent catcher Mike
Matheny is looking for a three-year deal and when he gets it, color him gone. Pittsburgh seems to be the current front-runner for his services despite conflicting information as to whether he is in their
price range. The Chicago Tribune also calls Matheny a “perfect fit” for
the White Sox, but implied his price tag of “two years for $5 million, maybe more” might be too high.
Price of Pitching Up
The New York Daily News
offers this interesting observation. “The Mets retained Kris Benson with a three-year, $22.5 million deal and a fourth-year
team option. But the contract led to a scolding of the club by Commissioner Bud Selig's salary police, according to a source,
because it inflated what free-agent pitchers across baseball expect to get this winter.” Can
you spell “collusion”, sort of?
Womack Ante Too High?
The Chicago Tribune
says Tony Womack increased his minimum salary to $1 million with incentives last season with the Cardinals, but a two-year,
$5 million deal may be too rich for the Cubs.
An Interesting Second
Base Option?
Jeff Cirillo, known as a
third sacker his entire career, is playing second base in Mexico this
winter. Cirillo, who is a free agent, will be paid over $7 million next season
in the last year of a guaranteed contract he signed before his career hit bottom in Seattle and San Diego. If Cirillo makes a major league team next spring, that team would owe
him only the $300,000 major league minimum. In his first 32 at-bats with Los Mochis, Cirillo is hitting .250 with six RBI in 32 at-bats.
And Another…
Toshihisa Nishi is a 33-year-old
second baseman from the Yomiuri Giants with a .274 career average and great range in the field, with four Gold Gloves won. He is recognized as an excellent leadoff man, but hit only 2-for-17 (.118) in the
recent MLB Japan Series. Nishi was quoted as saying he will stay in Japan unless he is offered $1 million a year to come to America. So Taguchi, anyone?
Considerable Cards Canuck
Contingent
The Toronto Sun reports
the Cardinals are tied with the Blue Jays, Orioles, Twins and Dodgers for the second-most number of Canadians, two, on their
40-man rosters. The #1 team with three is the Atlanta Braves. The Cards’ two are Larry Walker and Cody McKay.
