Jason Schmidt to the Pirates? Not a chance. Lets gets one thing straight: The Pirates have absolutely Zero chance of landing Schmidt. The Pirates are expected to make a run at him but the Buzzontheburgh has learned Schimdt has no intentions of ever returning to Pittsburgh. The Pirates have a better chance of signing Barry Bonds than Schimidt. Teams interested – Mariners, Padres, Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, Pirates? Former Pirate third baseman Aramis Ramirez has filed for free agency and will be baseball’s hottest commodity. The Cubs have exclusive rights with Ramirez until free agency beings on November 11th. Houston, Philadelphia and Detroit also might show interest, along with the Angels and Dodgers. The Buzzontheburgh has learned the Pirates are going to make a serious run at Texas Rangers Center fielder Gary Matthews Jr but according to the Dallas Morning News, The Angels, Giants, Mariners, Cubs and White Sox have interest in the center fielder and don’t rule out him returning to Texas.
Alfonso Soriano is seeking big money and the Phillies plan to offer Alfonso Soriano big money, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. To sign the left fielder, the Phils may have to outbid the Mets, the franchise that beat them out in recent years for free agent pitchers Tom Glavine and Billy Wagner, according to PhillyBurbs.com. According to the Washington Post, Soriano is seeking a similar contract to the one Carlos Beltran signed with the Mets before the 2005 season, which was for seven years and $119 million. The Phillies could open with a five-year offer for $80 million. The Orioles, according to a team source, began preliminary discussions with Soriano, and were surprised by the free agent’s initial contract demands, the Post reports. It’s unlikely the Orioles will be in the running for Soriano if he doesn’t back off his demands. Teams can begin bidding on free agents on Nov. 12. Speaking of the Mets, pitcher Tom Glavine is expected to sign a 2yr – 25 million deal to remain a Met.
The Boston Red Sox are not expected to make any big moves this free agency but according to the Providence Journal, the Red Sox are likely to make a huge push for Julio Lugo, whom they have coveted for years, to play shortstop. Officials with the Phillies and Cubs denied their teams were interested in Gary Sheffield, so the Yankees have five days left to find an alternate trading partner, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. The Astros are believed to have some interest in Sheffield, but they have a reputation for being gun-shy on trades and may have interest in free-agent outfielder Carlos Lee instead. According to Newsday, the Yankees’ auction of Gary Sheffield has progressed to the point that GM Brian Cashman has a potential deal in place if he wishes to pull the trigger. Cashman, however, isn’t quite ready to make a trade. A person familiar with the team’s plans said “there is no urgency” to the process. The Yankees seem inclined to wait at least a little longer with the hope that the market for Sheffield improves. Teams intersted – Phillies, Astros, Giants, Orioles, Angels, Cubs. According to the Daily News the Yankees are expected to offer St.Louis Cardnals pitcher Jeff Suppan a deal believed in the range of 4yrs – 40 million.
