2010-2011 MLB Hot Stove Thread

[TFM_Dale]

Victor Martinez to Tigers

Free-agent catcher Victor Martinez is bolting the Boston Red Sox to sign with the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.

Two weeks ago, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein expressed his strong interest in re-signing Martinez and third baseman Adrian Beltre. But he acknowledged competition for the players.

"It always comes down to dollars and years," Epstein said.

Martinez will receive a four-year deal for $50 million, according to Venezuelan reporter Ignacio Serrano of El Nacional, who first reported the agreement. Martinez made $7.7 million last season.

The Red Sox offered Martinez a choice of a three-year, $36 million deal or a four-year contract for $42 million, according to a major league source. The source said the Red Sox had not been informed of Martinez's decision, but the team was not surprised to hear that he would play elsewhere.

The Orioles and White Sox were also outbid, according to the El Nacional report.

Assuming the Red Sox offer Martinez arbitration, they will receive two draft picks for their Type-A free agent signing elsewhere.

Martinez is a lifetime .300 switch hitter who batted .302 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs in his second season with the Red Sox. Boston had acquired him in July 2009 from the Cleveland Indians for Justin Masterson and minor leaguers Bryan Price and Nick Hagadone.

The 31-year-old Martinez is a four-time All-Star who also plays first base.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb...ory?id=5842176

[TFM_Dale]

Victor Martinez to Tigers

Free-agent catcher Victor Martinez is bolting the Boston Red Sox to sign with the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.

Two weeks ago, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein expressed his strong interest in re-signing Martinez and third baseman Adrian Beltre. But he acknowledged competition for the players.

"It always comes down to dollars and years," Epstein said.

Martinez will receive a four-year deal for $50 million, according to Venezuelan reporter Ignacio Serrano of El Nacional, who first reported the agreement. Martinez made $7.7 million last season.

The Red Sox offered Martinez a choice of a three-year, $36 million deal or a four-year contract for $42 million, according to a major league source. The source said the Red Sox had not been informed of Martinez's decision, but the team was not surprised to hear that he would play elsewhere.

The Orioles and White Sox were also outbid, according to the El Nacional report.

Assuming the Red Sox offer Martinez arbitration, they will receive two draft picks for their Type-A free agent signing elsewhere.

Martinez is a lifetime .300 switch hitter who batted .302 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs in his second season with the Red Sox. Boston had acquired him in July 2009 from the Cleveland Indians for Justin Masterson and minor leaguers Bryan Price and Nick Hagadone.

The 31-year-old Martinez is a four-time All-Star who also plays first base.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb...ory?id=5842176

I like this signing, wish we could have done it for 3 years but you have to pony up for the player you want.

[Bob_R]

I knew the Yanks were going to play hardball.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that the Yankees have made a "fair and appropriate" contract offer to Derek Jeter and suggested that if the 36-year-old shortstop thinks otherwise, he should shop himself around to find out.

"We understand his contributions to the franchise and our offer has taken them into account," Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com. "We've encouraged him to test the market and see if there's something he would prefer other than this. If he can, fine. That's the way it works."

Cashman was clearly stung by the recent statement of Jeter's agent, Casey Close, who was quoted in Sunday's New York Daily News as saying he was "baffled" by the team's negotiating strategy.

"I was certainly was surprised," Cashman said in regards to Close's use of the word baffled. "There's nothing baffling about our position. We have actually gone directly face to face with Casey and Derek and been very honest and direct. They know exactly where we sit."

Cashman would not provide specifics of the team's offer but sources have confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com that it is a three-year contract at $15 million per season. Nor would Cashman discuss the demands being made by Jeter other than to say, "You can write that they have asked for more. More years and more money."

Cashman said there are no further meetings scheduled between the two sides, although he did speak to Close on Monday night to inform him the Yankees would not be offering Jeter arbitration.

If the Yankees had offered arbitration, the shortstop could have accepted a one-year salary set by an arbitrator or signed elsewhere. If he walked, the Yankees would have received two draft picks. But by offering the Yanks risked a hearing based on Jeter's 2010 salary of $21 million, considerably more than they are willing to pay him for 2011.

Two weeks ago, owner Hal Steinbrenner acknowledged that the talks to retain Jeter, who is coming off a 10-year, $189 million conteact as well as the worst offensive season of his career, "might get messy."

It appears that point has been reached. Although Cashman repeated the Yankees oft-stated position that they want Jeter back and intend to sign him to a new multiyear deal, the GM acknowledged that "defining 'fair' is a real issue here."

The reluctance of the Yankees to offer Jeter more than three years reflects the team's concerns with his performance both at bat and in the field this past season. Jeter's batting average fell to .270 and his on-base percentage to .340, both the lowest since he became an everyday player in 1996.

"We've made an offer and we hope they strongly consider it," Cashman said. "[But] there are things we have concerns with -- his recent performance over the last few years, and his age. And that has to be factored into this negotiation."

Close did not respond to requests for comment but sources told ESPNNewYork.com last week that Jeter is seeking a minimum of four more years and perhaps as much as six more, at approximately $20 million per season.

"We believe that Derek Jeter is the best person to play shortstop for this franchise moving forward," Cashman said. "Do we want to lose Derek Jeter? No. Do we want to treat Derek Jeter fair? Absolutely. Do we want to be treated fair at the same time? No question about it.''

"We're going to do everything we possibly can to put the best winning team on the field," Cashman added. "We feel Derek Jeter gives us the best chance to win. But we're not dealing with Derek alone. We're dealing with our closer, we're trying to add to our club, and if putting all out eggs into one basket takes away from our ability to add to our club, I ain't gonna do it."

Asked if there was any chance the negotiation could fall apart and Jeter could somehow wind up in a different uniform next year, Cashman said, "Not from us. We would like Derek Jeter to be a Yankee and we're making our best efforts to keep that in play. But it takes two."

Cashman said the nature and tenor of the negotiation was no different from any other aside from the name of the player involved.

"I think every negotiation is different and every negotiation is difficult," he said. "Every negotiation you have to have hard conversations and some of the negotiations conclude in a successful marriage. Others don't. That's the way it works."

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/m...ory?id=5843151

[Bob_R]

The New York Yankees informed Derek Jeter's agent, Casey Close, on Thursday that the team was willing to improve its original three-year, $45 million offer, according to sources close to the negotiations.

The Associated Press reported that the team did submit an improved offer but could not say whether the money or years had been improved.

There have been several reports in recent days that the team was open to slightly increasing the number of dollars in its offer, though not necessarily guaranteeing more than three years.

The two sides have been talking from late Wednesday into Thursday, continuing the face-to-face conversation they had Tuesday in Tampa.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/m...ory?id=5875965

[POJO_Risin]

Red Sox and Angels reportedly tried to sign Rivera...looks like he's about to sign a 3-year deal...

[POJO_Risin]

with the yankees

[TFM_Dale]

Sources: Adam Dunn Agrees With White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have finalized a four-year, $56 million deal with free-agent slugger Adam Dunn, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The deal is pending a physical, which is scheduled for Friday morning, and is not expected to be announced until later in the day.

A baseball source said the Dunn signing does not preclude the White Sox from trying to re-sign Paul Konerko and that Dunn was attracted to the team in part by the possibility of playing in the same lineup with the veteran first baseman.

Chicago general manager Kenny Williams pursued Dunn at the trade deadline in July without success. The team also spoke to Dunn's representatives at the recent general manager meetings, sources told ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine.

Dunn, 31, ranks second in the major leagues to Albert Pujols since 2004 with 282 home runs. He hit .260 with 38 homers and 103 RBIs for the Washington Nationals last season.

Although Dunn has expressed an interest in staying in the National League and continuing to play first base, most scouts consider him better suited to the designated hitter role at this stage of his career.

The designated hitter spot was a major concern for the White Sox last season. Manager Ozzie Guillen's DH contingent hit only 18 home runs and logged a .728 aggregate OPS.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/ml...ory?id=5875860