Don Mack
12-21-03, 04:57 PM
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/sports/topstories/stories/122103dnspoarod.61a95.html
New A-Rod trade deadline: Dec. 25 Hicks continues talks with Red Sox, but there's still no deal
11:45 AM CST on Sunday, December 21, 2003
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
And so the wait goes on.
Rangers owner Tom Hicks continued conversing with his Boston counterparts Saturday, but still with no resolution in sight to the Alex Rodriguez affair.
Hicks has compromised on the Rangers' financial demands to make a Rodriguez-for-Manny Ramirez trade a reality, and Rodriguez and the Players Association have compromised on how much in monetary givebacks they are willing to accept.
But the Rangers, according to a club source, continue to wait to see if Boston will up its offer of cash sent back to the Rangers after the deal is completed. The teams are $7 million to $10 million apart. The Rangers had been seeking $25 million back in cash relief, but lowered that demand to $15 million by the weekend.
The Rangers' latest deadline for getting a deal done or moving on is Christmas. It's the team's third deadline. They wanted to know something by the end of the winter meetings Monday and then again Thursday. Though both deadlines passed, the clubs have continued to work on the deal.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, headed back to California after four days of negotiating with the Players Association. Boras blamed the Rangers and Red Sox for not getting the deal done.
"We worked very hard on this deal," Boras told The Associated Press. "Alex has done everything he can to show his good faith by committing $13 million. The two sides were $20 million apart. You would think mutual concessions by both teams would allow this deal to happen."
The Rangers don't want to wait much longer to make a deal because the free-agent marketis dwindling. The Rangers are hopeful they could land shortstop Rich Aurilia and pitcher Sidney Ponson if given enough savings in the deal.
Aurilia, according to reports, is hesitant to switch from the NL to the AL. Seattle, Toronto and Colorado have all had conversations with him. Ponson could be headed back to Baltimore, where he started his career.
Cordero offered arbitration
As expected, the Rangers tendered reliever Francisco Cordero a contract on Saturday. Cordero was the only significant player on whom the Rangers faced a decision about potentially going to arbitration.
Outfielder Jason Tyner, claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay, was not tendered a contract but is expected to sign a minor league contract this week.
The non-tender market, however, may be an avenue for the Rangers to shop for pitching help. Several intriguing pitchers also became free agents on Saturday when their clubs failed to tender them contracts. Mark Redman, whom the Rangers discussed with Florida before he was sent to Oakland, was non-tendered by the A's; right-handed reliever Danys Baez, whom GM John Hart signed while with Cleveland, was cut loose by the Indians; and Jason Johnson, who has had a lot of success at The Ballpark in Arlington, was let go by Baltimore.
Briefly ...
Outfielder Rusty Greer, who won't play in 2004 while recovering from a multitude of injuries, is already having more problems with his surgically repaired left shoulder and elbow. He'll undergo a series of MRI exams shortly after the first of the year to determine if more surgery is necessary. ... The Yankees did not tender outfielder David Dellucci a contract, which could make him interesting to the Rangers. The clubs had some low-level talks about Dellucci, a favorite of manager Buck Showalter's dating to their days together in Arizona, before the winter meetings. ... Left-hander Mike Bacsik, whose father pitched for the Rangers from 1975-77, has signed a minor league deal. Bacsik, a 26-year-old Duncanville High graduate, was 1-1 with a 10.19 ERA in five games (three starts) for the New York Mets in 2003.
E-mail egrant@dallasnews.com
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Now remember, we already got our Christmas present. George went out and got us Kenny Lofton. :rolleyes: Thanks, George.
New A-Rod trade deadline: Dec. 25 Hicks continues talks with Red Sox, but there's still no deal
11:45 AM CST on Sunday, December 21, 2003
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
And so the wait goes on.
Rangers owner Tom Hicks continued conversing with his Boston counterparts Saturday, but still with no resolution in sight to the Alex Rodriguez affair.
Hicks has compromised on the Rangers' financial demands to make a Rodriguez-for-Manny Ramirez trade a reality, and Rodriguez and the Players Association have compromised on how much in monetary givebacks they are willing to accept.
But the Rangers, according to a club source, continue to wait to see if Boston will up its offer of cash sent back to the Rangers after the deal is completed. The teams are $7 million to $10 million apart. The Rangers had been seeking $25 million back in cash relief, but lowered that demand to $15 million by the weekend.
The Rangers' latest deadline for getting a deal done or moving on is Christmas. It's the team's third deadline. They wanted to know something by the end of the winter meetings Monday and then again Thursday. Though both deadlines passed, the clubs have continued to work on the deal.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, headed back to California after four days of negotiating with the Players Association. Boras blamed the Rangers and Red Sox for not getting the deal done.
"We worked very hard on this deal," Boras told The Associated Press. "Alex has done everything he can to show his good faith by committing $13 million. The two sides were $20 million apart. You would think mutual concessions by both teams would allow this deal to happen."
The Rangers don't want to wait much longer to make a deal because the free-agent marketis dwindling. The Rangers are hopeful they could land shortstop Rich Aurilia and pitcher Sidney Ponson if given enough savings in the deal.
Aurilia, according to reports, is hesitant to switch from the NL to the AL. Seattle, Toronto and Colorado have all had conversations with him. Ponson could be headed back to Baltimore, where he started his career.
Cordero offered arbitration
As expected, the Rangers tendered reliever Francisco Cordero a contract on Saturday. Cordero was the only significant player on whom the Rangers faced a decision about potentially going to arbitration.
Outfielder Jason Tyner, claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay, was not tendered a contract but is expected to sign a minor league contract this week.
The non-tender market, however, may be an avenue for the Rangers to shop for pitching help. Several intriguing pitchers also became free agents on Saturday when their clubs failed to tender them contracts. Mark Redman, whom the Rangers discussed with Florida before he was sent to Oakland, was non-tendered by the A's; right-handed reliever Danys Baez, whom GM John Hart signed while with Cleveland, was cut loose by the Indians; and Jason Johnson, who has had a lot of success at The Ballpark in Arlington, was let go by Baltimore.
Briefly ...
Outfielder Rusty Greer, who won't play in 2004 while recovering from a multitude of injuries, is already having more problems with his surgically repaired left shoulder and elbow. He'll undergo a series of MRI exams shortly after the first of the year to determine if more surgery is necessary. ... The Yankees did not tender outfielder David Dellucci a contract, which could make him interesting to the Rangers. The clubs had some low-level talks about Dellucci, a favorite of manager Buck Showalter's dating to their days together in Arizona, before the winter meetings. ... Left-hander Mike Bacsik, whose father pitched for the Rangers from 1975-77, has signed a minor league deal. Bacsik, a 26-year-old Duncanville High graduate, was 1-1 with a 10.19 ERA in five games (three starts) for the New York Mets in 2003.
E-mail egrant@dallasnews.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now remember, we already got our Christmas present. George went out and got us Kenny Lofton. :rolleyes: Thanks, George.