Lunch Time Trade Rumors

From MLB Trade Rumors:

Manny Ramirez and agent Scott Boras have floated an asking price for Manny’s services that begins at $27 million a season, and no one is certain he won’t get it. To put it in perspective, Milwaukee just re-signed center fielder Mike Cameron at $10 millon for one season.

Bottom Line: Manny and Boras clearly have a much different opinion of Manny's value than the GM's do... but it's early. A good GM will look at all the options before handing over "Manny money," but you know Boras doesn't mind waiting for someone to get desperate.

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[Jason Varitek's agent ] Scott Boras generally doesn’t move his clients quickly through free agency. While Varitek would prefer to extend his captaincy in Boston, there are potential alternatives out there, perhaps in Detroit, perhaps with the Dodgers.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, one of the later arrivals here, said it’s possible he’d have a good idea by Thursday, when these meetings wrap up, where things stand with Varitek. Because if not Varitek – and the hang-up almost certainly will be over the term of the contract – Epstein still is going to need a catcher.

“We’ll see,” Epstein said. “We’re certainly not opposed to moving along more quickly. But, we’ll see."

Bottom Line: The more I think about this, the more I hope that Tek tells Boras to shut up and take whatever the Sox are offering. It would be so nice to sign Tek to a two year deal and move on to other issues... like Teixeira... but Boras is gonna make us sweat on this one.

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Battle For Teixeira - By Tim Dierkes

ESPN's Buster Olney gives his take on the Mark Teixeira situation in his blog this morning. Olney believes the Yankees will "bid heavily" on Tex, perhaps $120MM over six years. Teixeira turned down $140MM from the Rangers last year, though that was for eight years. Ken Davidoff of Newsday believes that since the Yanks are prioritizing pitching, they'll probably go with cheaper options like Casey Blake or Kevin Millar.

Olney says there's debate about Boston's level of interest in Teixeira - do they truly want him, or are they trying to drive up the price for the Yankees? He suggests a scenario where the Sox sign Teixeira and keep Mike Lowell - Kevin Youkilis goes to left field, Jason Bay to right, and J.D. Drew to center (pushing Jacoby Ellsbury to a utility role and leaving Coco Crisp out of a job).

Bottom Line: Youk doesn't want to go to the outfield and personally, I think it's a dumb idea. If they sign Tex, their just going to have to tell Lowell that he's the odd man out, and that he will rotate between third and DH.

As for the Yanks, I wouldn't put it past them to sign a couple of starters and simply run up the price for Tex on the Sox...