That establishes something of a price range for Bobby Abreu, Garret Anderson, Adam Dunn, Jason Giambi in the first base/corner outfielder/designated hitter market.
Manny Ramirez will land above that price range, to be sure, with the Dodgers in pursuit, the Giants interested and the Mets quietly lurking to see how low the price might go.
And, in a winter in which the Yankees have been roundly criticized for spending more than $400 million on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira, they clearly made the right financial call on Abreu. They declined to offer Abreu arbitration, not wanting to risk a one-year contract at or near his 2008 salary of $16 million. Abreu will be fortunate to make half that, based on the current market.
-- Bill Shaikin
Photo: In a game against the Angels in late August, Milton Bradley could only jump in frustration after striking out in the ninth inning against Francisco Rodriguez. Bradley is now a Cub. Credit: Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- After a slow first two days, baseball's winter meetings shifted into overdrive late on their final night with a spurt of trades either getting done or nearing completion.
The Detroit Tigers, who made the only deal during the meeting's opening session Monday, added former Dodger Edwin Jackson to a shaky pitching staff by sending outfielder Matt Joyce home to his native Tampa. Jackson was a career-best 14-11 with a 4.42 ERA for the American League champion Rays last season.
Moments earlier the Mets added Seattle closer J.J. Putz to their bullpen in a three-team deal that netted the rebuilding Mariners seven prospects.
The Indians, meanwhile, reached agreement on a two-year, $20-million contract with free agent closer Kerry Wood, who is expected to undergo a physical Thursday in Cleveland. And the A.J. Burnett sweepstakes also heated up tonight with at least five teams showing interest in the right-hander, whose price appears to hovering between $60 million and $80 million over four to five years.
Pennsylvania's two teams exchanged catchers, with the Pirates sending Ronny Paulino to Philadelphia, which sent Jason Jaramillo to Pittsburgh. And the wheeling and dealing isn't done as talks were progressing late into the night regarding free agent Mark Teixeira and former Dodgers Derek Lowe and Milton Bradley, among others.
-- Kevin Baxter
Photo: Former Dodger Edwin Jackson moves from the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays to the Tigers. Credit: Elsa / Getty Images
(For the record: An earlier version of the photo caption on this post called the Rays the World Series champions. The Philadelphia Phillies defeated Tampa Bay in the World Series.)
LAS VEGAS -- Speaking of the economy -- and who isn't? -- Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon said he has no doubt it will affect how teams do business this winter.
"You know, it's got to have some kind of an impact," the studious, college-educated Maddon said. "I'm out in California right now, and I'm reading the morning paper and you're talking about families of disposable income of $70,000, $80,000 all of a sudden showing up in line for Social Services. You get that group of people having to go for a meal or spending the night, all of a sudden obviously that's going to impact a baseball situation.
"I'm just curious to see to what extent -- we don't even know where this is all going yet. There's no doubt it's going to have some impact. I can't see how it cannot have some impact where you have people that want to work and have worked and all of a sudden can't work. It's going to decline, there's no question. I'm not smart enough to know exactly, but I do believe there's going to be some form of an impact."
-- Kevin Baxter
Photo: Joe Maddon. Credit: Chris O'Meara / Associated Press
LAS VEGAS –- Garret Anderson has never played a game in a uniform other than an Angel one. But at least one big supporter can envision him in Tampa Bay blue next season.
"I love GA. GA is wonderful," Rays Manager Joe Maddon, who won a World Series with Anderson as the Angels bench coach in 2002, said Monday at baseball’s annual winter meetings. “Actually I thought over the last two seasons … GA’s game got even stronger. When we played against him, I thought he was very crisp the last time, running well, the whole nine yards.
"That’s very attractive to a lot of people right now. Regardless of his age."
Anderson, 36, a three-time All-Star, is the Angels career leader in several offensive categories including runs (1,024), hits (2,368), doubles (489), total bases (3,743) and RBI (1.292) as well as games (2,013). But despite the fact he hit .293 and played in 145 games for the Angels last season, the team declined to pick up his $14 million option for 2009, buying him out for $3 million and making him a free agent.
And Tampa Bay could be an attractive location for Anderson since the Rays, a perennial doormat, will go into next season as the defending American League champions. That’s not only changed the way people view the franchise but the way people view the manager as well. He was even recognized by a fan in Italy during his postseason honeymoon.
Photo: Angels catcher Mike Napoli and left fielder Garret Anderson celebrate a home run against the Oakland A's on Aug. 27. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times
LAS VEGAS -- The Tampa Bay Rays, looking to upgrade in right field or at designated hitter, are believed to be interested in free agent Juan Rivera, who hit .246 with 12 homers and 45 RBIs in 89 games for the Angels last season but who doesn't necessarily fit into the Angels' plans for 2009.
Rivera made $2.025 million last season and probably deserves a multi-year deal, but his value is difficult to determine because his playing time was so limited last season and he missed most of the 2007 season recovering from a broken leg suffered the previous winter in Venezuela.
But in his last full season, 2006, Rivera hit .310 with 23 homers and 85 RBIs in 124 games, and after replacing struggling and injured right fielder Gary Matthews Jr. late last June, he hit .268 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs over the final three months of the season. He is not a Gold Glove-caliber outfielder but is proficient and has a strong throwing arm.
-- Mike DiGiovanna
Photo: Angels left fielder Juan Rivera fields a ball hit during the ALDS in October. Credit: Gary A. Vasquez / US Presswire
LAS VEGAS -- I ran into Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon, the former Angels bench coach, at the Bellagio Sunday night, and while we were chatting, a fan came up to him and said, "Nine Equals Eight," a reference to the T-shirts Maddon made up for his players during spring training last year.
After some small talk, the fan left, and I asked Maddon, who guided the Rays to the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies in October, if more fans have been recognizing him this winter. "Um, yeah," Maddon said with an impish grin.
That is just one of the perks of guiding a team from last place in the American League West in 2007 to the AL pennant in 2008 and of wearing those funky horn-rimmed glasses.
Another will come on Jan. 4, when Maddon and his new wife, Jaye Sousoures -- the couple was married in Fullerton on Nov. 8 and honeymooned in Rome, Prague and London -- will attend a White House dinner hosted by President Bush and first lady Laura Bush.
Maddon is supposed to be given more details about the event this week, but he's been told the event will be an intimate dinner including five other couples from various walks of life. Former Angels shortstop David Eckstein attended a similar dinner as a guest of columnist George Will after the Angels won the World Series in 2002.
-- Mike DiGiovanna
Photo: Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon. Credit: Chris O'Meara / AP
First things first: I need to catch up to the start of college basketball season. So I might as well start with USC, which has one of the most talented members of the nation's freshman class: DeMar DeRozan. He scored only 7 points last night (the game really belonged to Taj Gibson, who had 22 to lead USC past New Mexico State 73-60) but just about every basketball writer ranks DeRozan high. Here is a photo of DeRozan from last night's game. Diane Pucin recently wrote about how the standout from Compton High has a mature approach, so much so he appears to be NBA-ready. In fact, his name seems to be everywhere you look. But let's not forget that rapper Lil' Romeo is the one we can thank. He is best friends with DeRozan and Lil' Romeo (and yes, Romeo does play, sort of) wanted USC (both got scholarships from Floyd). With Gibson and Daniel Hackett, the Trojans will be formidable this year. It's only too bad Angelo Johnson decided to transferback in August when Coach Tim Floyd wouldn't guarantee him a spot in the starting lineup.
Polling for dollars: Now that Manny Ramirez didn't get MVP it is time to figure out where he might end up when he signs that new contract for tens of millions of dollars. Here is a little poll. Keep in mind the latest news (as of this writing): The Red Sox traded outfielder Coco Crispto Kansas City in exchange for a reliever. Royals may be the answer for Manny, but you decide. You have until midnight tonight (Pacific time) to vote. I'll have the results in Thursday's "Wake-up Call."
Another kind of poll: In the latest "Totally Random" on the Fabulous Forum, Mike Penner talks about the Tampa Bay Rays firing Kelly Frank, the woman who was Raymond, the seadog mascot. We're pretty sure the Rays were upset with how Frank perfected the seadog's butt shimmy. She was told by the team that she was out-enthused by the Philadelphia Phillies mascot, the Phillie Phanatic, during the World Series. Out-enthused. Well, we went looking for video of these two mascots and found these two recent performances. You be the judge.
-- Debbie Goffa
Top photo: New Mexico State's Wendell McKines, left, loses the ball after Daniel Hackett (13) swatted it away. At rear is USC's Keith Wilkinson. Credit: Danny Moloshok / Associated Press
Pop-up photo: DeMar DeRozan dunks the ball on a break-away as New Mexico State's Robert Lumpkins, right, can only watch. Credit: Danny Moloshok / Associated Press
Bay Area advertising executive Bob Dorfman reports in after each big sporting event with suggestions -- some of them decidedly tongue-in-cheek -- on which athletes might strike sports marketing gold.
Here are a few of his ideas in the wake of the Phillies' World Series win over the Tampa Bay Rays:
Ryan Howard: Stands to benefit the most from his first ring. The NL MVP in 2006, he delivers awesome slugging power at the plate, and impressive selling power on camera. Still under 30, his endorsement resume includes national TV spots for Subway, Powerade and adidas, plus cover-boy roles for Topps baseball cards and Sony’s MLB ’08 The Show videogame. Articulate, charismatic and smooth on camera, Howard could pitch any powerful product—from trucks to power tools, PCs to smart phones. And his impressive nose might work well in a Kleenex or cold remedy demo.
Evan Longoria: Evan hit more like Eva in the Series. But the AL Rookie of the Year favorite is only 23, has an unforgettable name and superstar potential. Sign him now for the long haul. And definitely team Evan up with Eva in a Visa or American Express spot on the dangers of identity theft.
Cole Hamels: MVP of both the World Series and NLCS, Cole exudes cool. And his stellar performance could earn him significant post-Series exposure. Good looking, articulate and only 24, he has enormous potential as a pitcher and pitchman.
Hamels epitomizes the healthy SoCal lifestyle -- he practices yoga, drinks green tea for energy, and convinced Phillies’ management to hire a full-time masseuse. Wife Heidi -- a former "Survivor: The Amazon" star and Playboy cover model -- adds to the package.
Hamels once slept so well in a Phillies’ hotel room, he bought the bed. Now that’s the kind of product loyalty you hope for from an endorser.
-- Greg Johnson
Photo: Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is introduced during the World Series championship celebration at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Credit: Howard Smith / US Presswire
Ratings for the World Series this year aren't as complicated as the infield fly rule, but thanks to the bifurcated nature of Game 5 -- in which the Phillies won their second Series in franchise history by beating the Rays 4-3 -- it takes a bit of explaining.
Wednesday night's broadcast of Game 5's conclusion drew 19.8 million viewers with an 11.9 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Monday night's broadcast of the first-ever suspended World Series game drew 13.2 million viewers and generated an 8.2 rating.
When stitched together by Nielsen Media Research the two halves of the game produced a nine-inning rating of 9.6 and drew 15.8 million viewers. Good enough to make Game 5 the highest-rated and most-watched of the 2008 broadcasts.
But, as Fox noted, Game 5 rating was 17% lower in ratings and drew a 14% smaller audience than the last Game 5 to decide a Series -- the 2006 game broadcast in which the Cardinals beat the Tigers. That broadcast generated a 10.3 rating and drew 16.3 million viewers.
"The rain delay on Saturday and suspended game on Monday, combined with going only five games, obviously worked against the Series reaching its maximum viewership potential," said Fox Sports President Ed Goren. "But even with that, Fox was No. 1 most nights, posted some of its best nights in many weeks and was No. 1 last week in prime time.”
The 2008 World Series averaged an 8.4 rating nationally and attracted, on average, 13.6 million viewers. That makes it the lowest-rated World Series on record, according to Nielsen Media Research data. For comparison sake, last year's Fox broadcasts of the four-game sweep of the Rockies by the Red Sox generated a 10.6 average rating and drew 17.1 million viewers.
-- Greg Johnson
Photo: Carlos Ruiz of the Philadelphia Phillies screams in celebration. Credit: Brad Mangin / MLB via Getty Images
First things first: The photos above say it all about why the Lakers' Andrew Bynum and now free agent Manny Ramirez are so good and so worth a lot of money. One has a deal now (Bynum) and one is about to start the free-agent negotiation stage (Manny). Bynum, who just turned 21, has agreed to a four-year deal worth about $58 million, Mike Bresnahan reports. And Dylan Hernandez reports that Dodgers GM Ned Collettisays this morning he hopes to talk to Manny Ramirez soon. Let's hope that Colletti and the Dodgers don't low-ball Manny (who turned the team around at midseason) despite the fact that the left fielder is 36.
B-r-r-raseball: So wasn't that the best darn October baseball game you've seen? As The Times' baseball columnist Bill Shaikinpoints out, it took only 78 minutes for the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies to get it done. And what tension! Either team could have won right up to the last out -- it was that close. A packed 3.5 innings. What if all regular season baseball games averaged 78 minutes? By late summer, I am weary of those nine-inning games that take 210 minutes or more. Give us 6 innings of baseball like last night and attendance at every stadium would rocket. And imagine how using pitchers would change. A guy could pitch five innings and then the closer comes in. No more 12 pitchers in a game because the relief corps just isn't that good.
Add baseball: I'm glad the World Series is over for one reason: I don't have to see Joe Maddon, boy from Pennsylvania, in that ear-flap-down baseball capand those heavy gloves that looked like my ski gloves. I got cold looking at him.
Add baseball 2:Joe Torrewas interviewed on the Lakers-Clippers telecast last night at Staples, where he watched Kobe's team demolish Baron's team. Torre agreed it was gratifying that the team that put away the Dodgers so easily went on to win the whole thing. But the Phillies also showed that the Dodgers have a ways to go. They got as far as they did because of the incredible hitting of Manny Ramirezand the pitching of Derek Loweand Hiroki Kurodaand Chad Billingsley. But when Billingsley collapsed in the NL series, it seemed so did the Dodgers. By the way, MLB's Dodgers beat guy Ken Gurnickanswers some fans' questions and reminds me of one painful thought: pitcher Jason Schmidt has another year left on his contract at $15.5 million.
Lakers' time: The Lakers Phil Jackson talked how good the team's defense was in the 117-79 victory over the Clippers (see video below) but what I saw of the game it looked more like the Clippers' lack of defense. Baron Davis is a terrific player but he can't do it alone. As The Times' NBA columnist Mark Heislerpoints out, the Clippers simply ran into a buzz saw.
Don't forget the Ducks: And maybe the best thing I watched on TV last night: the Ducks taking down the Red Wings in overtime, with Teemu Selanne getting a hat trick, Ryan Getzlaf getting five assists and Francois Beauchemin batting the puck into the net to win it. Hockey at its best.
Photo at left: Andrew Bynum blocks the shot of Clippers center Chris Kaman during the first half last night. Credit: Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press
Photo at right: Manny Ramirez hits another home run, this one in Game 5 of the NLCS. Jeff Gross / Getty Images
Popular Events
With the NBA playoffs approaching, Lakers tickets are this month's hot item. USC Trojans tickets are also in high demand, as the NCAA football season starts up again.
Finally, some movement in free agency: Pat Burrell agreed to a two-year, $16-million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays and Milton Bradley agreed to a three-year, $30-million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
LAS VEGAS -- Speaking of the economy -- and who isn't? -- Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon said he has no doubt it will affect how teams do business this winter.
LAS VEGAS -- I ran into Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon, the former Angels bench coach, at the Bellagio Sunday night, and while we were chatting, a fan came up to him and said, "Nine Equals Eight," a reference to the T-shirts Maddon made up for his players during spring training last year.
Ratings for the World Series this year aren't as complicated as the infield fly rule, but thanks to the bifurcated nature of Game 5 -- in which the Phillies won their second Series in franchise history by beating the Rays 4-3 -- it takes a bit of explaining.
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