A-Rod rumor gets short shrift from Sox
All it took to stir up a new wave of craziness yesterday over a blockbuster trade involving Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez were a couple of speculative reports and some computer skullduggery in Major League Baseball's on-line shopping operation.
The proposed swap, by all accounts, remains dormant, if not dead. But for a few frenzied hours, ESPN.com and ESPN radio reported that the Red Sox and Rangers had resumed trade talks and planned to meet in New York this weekend to negotiate terms of the deal.
What's more, a number of Web pages displayed an image from MLB.com's shopping site of a replica Sox home jersey dedicated to Rodriguez that purportedly was available for $99.95. "Be one of the first to own a jersey customized with the name and number of the newest Boston Red Sox, Alex Rodriguez!" the promotional image said.
Trouble was, the Sox and Rangers adamantly denied the news reports, and an MLB official described the A-Rod jersey as "an unauthorized hoax."
Sox general manager Theo Epstein, clearly angered by the reports, said it was "unfortunate that someone apparently can fabricate a story" that creates a new climate of uncertainty for Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra about their futures with the team. If the Sox had traded Ramirez for Rodriguez, they planned to ship Garciaparra to the White Sox in a deal for Magglio Ordonez.
"The reports are completely baseless," Epstein said. "There are no plans for us to meet with anybody."
ESPN, citing a high-ranking baseball official, reported the talks had been revived and that a trade between the two teams was "actively being discussed."
Not so, the Rangers also insisted.
"It's completely untrue," Rangers spokesman Gregg Elkins said after checking with team owner Tom Hicks. "People are making a huge mountain out of nothing."
Sox president Larry Lucchino dined with Hicks last week when baseball owners met in Scottsdale, Ariz. And Texas officials, including Hicks, general manager John Hart, and manager Buck Showalter, are scheduled to be in Manhattan this weekend when Rodriguez, who has been vacationing in Europe, is honored by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. But the Sox and Rangers said they had no plans to meet in New York -- or anywhere else, for that matter.
"You can never say never," Lucchino said in an interview with NESN. "Sometime in the future something could be resurrected." But, he insisted, "It's a chapter we have closed, and we are moving on."
As for the replica jerseys, it seems someone with access to private MLB computer material retrieved an image that had been prepared in case the deal was completed. The image apparently was posted briefly on the shopping site, reproduced, and circulated on the Internet.
"An authorized person conducted an unauthorized hoax," said Jim Gallagher, a spokesman for MLB Advanced Media, which runs MLB.com and its 30 team sites. "We're embarrassed. We take this very seriously, and we are currently investigating."
Nixon, Kim sign
When the Sox announced they had agreed to a one-year, $6.6-million contract with Trot Nixon and a two-year, $10-million deal with Byung Hyun Kim, it may have appeared the team was prepared to let Nixon become a free agent after the season. But Epstein said Nixon and the Sox are working on a long-term deal. Nixon earned $4 million last season while putting up the best numbers of his career.
"We got fairly close on a multiyear arrangement," Epstein said. "We're going to continue to pursue that to see if we can reach a final agreement."
Nixon is one of five core players who could be eligible for free agency after the season. Epstein said the Sox have held "amicable introductory conversations" with agents for the others, including Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe, and Jason Varitek. The fifth player, Garciaparra, indicated Saturday that talks between his agent, Arn Tellem, and the Sox had been dormant since November, but the talks have since been revived, according to a team executive.
As for Kim, who earned $3.25 million last year, he signed as a starter rather than as a reliever (he will receive a $100,000 bonus if he makes at least 15 starts). And Epstein said the Korean's success could hinge both on his effectiveness against lefthanded hitters and his ability to handle a workload that could approach 200 innings. While Kim allowed righthanded hitters to reach base at a .265 clip last season, lefthanders posted a .317 on-base percentage, largely because of control problems against them (he walked 20 and hit 12 with pitches).
But his potential intrigues the Sox. "I'd venture to say he has some of the best raw stuff and highest ceiling of all the fifth starters in the league," Epstein said.
With Kim entering spring training as the fifth starter, the Sox project Bronson Arroyo as a spot starter and long reliever.
Though Kim's inaugural season with the Sox ended ignominiously after he flashed his middle finger to the crowd at Fenway Park during the playoffs, Epstein said he expects Kim, who turned 25 today, to continue to mature as he becomes more comfortable in the United States.
Kim's agent, Jeff Moorad, said the righthander was "flattered and excited about the team stepping up and committing to him" for the final two years before he is eligible for free agency. "BK certainly feels an obligation to put his best foot forward," Moorad said.
The only unsigned Sox player who remains eligible for salary arbitration is David Ortiz. When the sides were unable to reach an agreement by yesterday's deadline for filing arbitration figures, the Sox formally offered $4.25 million and Ortiz asked for $5 million, which means they likely will split the difference. Epstein said he is focused on completing a one-year deal with Ortiz, who earned a bargain-rate $1.25 million last season.
