Hot Stove Report: A Baby-Bear Market
Hot Stove Report: A Baby-Bear Market
By Derrick Goold
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/20/2006
Before he hooked arguably the biggest fish in the free-agent pond Sunday,
Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry told reporters at last week's meetings
in Naples, Fla., what was prompting his assertive plunge into free agency.
It wasn't just the Cubs' worst-in-the-league finish.
"I have to keep up with the Cardinals," he said. "At least as far as spending
money."
The Cardinals? Whatever.
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Few teams have ever peeled bills like Hendry has this past week.
With reports surfacing in Chicago on Sunday that the Cubs agreed to a deal with
Alfonso Soriano, Hendry has pulled off an unprecedented spending spree. A week
into the free agency period, the Cubs already have spent $232.5 million. That
figure doesn't include landing Lou Piniella as manager. And Hendry still has a
pitcher or two on his shopping list.
Hendry started with Piniella and moved on by locking up his own free agents. He
signed mending Kerry Wood to a $1.75-million deal, and got Wade Miller and
catcher Henry Blanco to re-up. He followed those deals with a five-year, $75-
million pact with third baseman Aramis Ramirez. Hendry dealt for lefty reliever
Neal Cotts, and he spent $13 million to sign Mark DeRosa to start at second
base even though DeRosa never has started more than 27 games at the position in
a season.
Hendry's big-splash move came Sunday.
According to various reports, the Cubs landed Soriano with an eight-year, $136-
million offer, the fifth-largest sum for a contract in major-league history.
With Washington, Soriano joined the 40-40 club last season with 46 home runs
and 41 stolen bases. He replaces Juan Pierre as the Cubs' leadoff hitter and,
for the first time in his career, center fielder. The Cardinals' NL Central
rivals now have three hitters with 35-homer seasons in their careers batting in
the first four spots of their order .
Purchase some pitching and the Cubs may have something.
"We won 66 ballgames," Hendry told reporters. "We darn sure better be
aggressive."
SCOOP DU JOUR
Outfielder Moises Alou is close to a one- or two-year deal with the New York
Mets, according to numerous reports Sunday. Alou, who will turn 41 next season,
will complement a stacked lineup with a righthanded bat that hit .349 against
lefties. The signing also could trigger a trade as the Mets can afford to deal
young, coveted outfielder Lastings Milledge for pitching.
WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH . . .
Jamie Walker, LHP
The first flare that this was going to be a wacky free-agent market was Walker
signing a three-year, $12-million deal with Baltimore. The 35-year-old lefty
specialist is 15-16 in his career with a 3.95 ERA. Lefties hit .235 off him.
Often asked to get one hitter out a game, Walker received a deal that is just
$1.5 million short of the contract the Cardinals gave to setup reliever
Braden Looper. The Orioles said they wanted to "send a message." Message sent:
It's going to be an expensive winter.
FRONT BURNER
The thin crop of free agents and the bullish cash they're demanding — J.D.
Drew walked away from $33 million to get in on this party — is expected to
spur more trade talk this winter. "Any team that finds the price range too high
for free agents could explore a trade for someone already under contract," A's
assistant GM David Frost told the San Francisco Chronicle. White Sox GM Kenny
Williams said: "An over-inflated free-agent market … prompts you to get
serious in trade talks and explore trade
opportunities quicker." Consider reports that Williams' search for a center
fielder has him trying to engineer a trade for Atlanta's Andruw Jones, the
Chicago Sun-Times reports. Baltimore is interested in trading for Braves
righthanded starter Tim Hudson. Rather than signing a center fielder, Florida
covets Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli. It could be a spend-and-swap December.
BACK BURNER
Lefthanded starter Tom Glavine (above), 10 wins shy of 300 in his career, is
expected to become a free agent at 11 tonight (St. Louis time). The Mets have
said they will not pick up his $14 million option. Glavine's agent said the
lefty will choose between the Mets or a return to Atlanta. … Alfonso Soriano
signing with the Cubs leaves Philadelphia back at square one in its pursuit
of a bat to protect Ryan Howard. Manny Ramirez, perhaps? … Houston has
delivered a multiyear proposal to outfielder Carlos
Lee, the Houston Chronicle reports. … Mark Mulder's representative is scheduled
to meet with Arizona today in Phoenix, but the meeting may not prove fruitful
because the Diamondbacks have a policy not to offer contracts with incentives,
and Mulder, coming off shoulder surgery, is seeking an incentive-based contract
to increase its value.
--
sometimes you think you're immortal,started to think that people around you
are,too.and just take a secend to realize how wrong you are,about everything.
it's ... ,what i'm trying to say,lois,it's ....,i allmost lost you and i ...,
feel ashamed.
--
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