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We had on Sports Weekly's National Baseball Writer Bob Nightengale the other night as sort of a Trade Deadline Special.
The interview is 30 commercial-free minutes and up at
http://hosted.filefront.com/patchyfogg
Here's a "mini-transcript"
--“Soriano definitely being traded.” “No doubt about it.”
--Tigers are the best bet, but the White Sox and Angels are in on him.
--“The White Sox were never close to him, despite those reports from the other day.”
--All the players in the deal would be minor leaguers, with the exception of Podsednik. Zumaya would not be in the deal.
--“Smoltz not going anywhere, never was.”
--Soriano will definitely test the free agent market.
--Odds are “very strong” that Carlos Lee will be traded
--Bob spoke with Brewers GM Doug Melvin who said that he won’t do anything “before Thursday”
--“could be a Dodger by Sunday or Monday” The deal would be mainly minor leaguers, but could include Kemp
--Mets not in on Carlos Lee
--“Mets need a power pitcher for the Playoffs….Livan Hernandez does not throw hard anymore.”
--“Not having a power pitcher always cost the Braves, and the Mets will be subject to the same problem.”
--The A’s need Zito right now. Will deal him, “only if blown away.”
--Dontrelle Willis not being moved right now, maybe in the offseason. “But, they’re gonna be contenders in a year and he’s a bargaining chip for a new stadium.”
--Arod not going anywhere, never even considered.
--Yankees not worried about OF right now because Sheffield and Matsui are coming back.
--Yankees “gonna let their pitching go” and see what it does
--“They’re ready to trade Chacon”
--“They’re gonna piecemeal a starting rotation.”
--David Wells coming back will help the Red Sox
--“There is no 1 starter out there to help teams. No #1 prize guy.”
--Most Pirates are available, “not sure about lefty Mike Gonzalez, though.”
--Bob thought Casey would be good for SF before they got Hillenbrand.
--There is some talk about Casey and Oakland.
--Jason Schmidt is staying put.
--The Giants will be unloading a lot in the offseason.
--Bob doesn’t think that Barry Bonds and the other $47M-making guys are coming back.
--Through all the indictment talk, Bond has been calm, treating it like a parking ticket.
--“The Giants have no inclination to bring Bonds back.”
--The A’s and Angels are the only teams where Bonds is open to playing as a DH. But, neither team has shown any interest in him.
--No one’s going to give him $15M-18M, which he wants.
--Bob thinks that Bonds will fade away this Winter like Sammy Sosa because he has too much pride to take a pay cut.
--Jason Grimsley showed that just as many—if not more—pitchers were on steroids as hitters.
--“HR’s are up because elite pitchers are not throwing as hard as they used to.”
--Amphetamine testing is done right before batting practice (like 3PM or 4PM). As a result, it hasn’t been that big a deal this year as amphetamines leave your system in 8-10 hours. “So, even if you load up, you’re clean the next day.”
--“Everyone needs relief help this year, because guys are not throwing like they used to.”
--“There will be a big run on relievers, with 10-12 traded before the Deadline.”
--White Sox will only make 1 starter available. “They would only move Vazquez for Tom Gordon.”
--“Because White Sox pitching has not been lights out like last year, they’ll go for a Latroy Hawkins or someone else.”
--Padres want to do better than Joe Randa in a deal for a 3B.
--Padres GM Kevin Towers told Bob that he turned down Wilson Betemit for Scott Linebrink.
--Towers asked about Morgan Ensberg, but he’s hurt.
--“The Padres will probably go the cheap route with a Russell Branyan.”
--Regarding Lastings Milledge for Barry Zito, Bob said, “Go for it.”
--“The Mets are going to win the division anyway. It’s a matter of how far they go.”
--“Since the NL is so weak this year, who’s to say that they (the Mets) can’t make the World Series the way the team is comprised now. But, I don’t see them getting back the AL. You have to have a hard thrower to compete.”
--Bob says that Milledge is thought of as an All-Star caliber OF, and not Alex Escobar.
--“The Mets have to think hard about Zito. Since he was successful in the AL, he might be lights out in the NL.”
--“The question is “Can you re-sign Zito? The Mets would not make the trade if they don’t have assurances from Zito and Boras.”
--“Zito does not need to go to a big market, but he can handle New York, unlike a lot of guys who can’t.”
--Phillies would love to have Abreu and Burrell taken off their hands.
--No one wants to pick up Abreu’s option.
--Burrell makes too much money to move.
--“Yankees were willing to take on Abreu’s contract for nothing, but the Phillies wouldn’t bite.”
--“Phillip Hughes is untouchable for the Yankees. I don’t think they would even move him for Zito now.”
--“As far as minor leaguers go, Hughes is as close to untouchable as there are.”
--Sidney Ponson is a waste. “If you can’t cut it in St. Louis in the NL, then you won’t cut it in the AL East.”
--Bob thinks that Jeff Weaver can do well in St. Louis, as he just can’t pitch in the AL.
--Dusty Baker stays ‘til the end of the year. Chris Speier’s DUI on a motorcycle “helped” Dusty as he would have been the interim manager.
--Unless Dusty really turns things around, the Cubs will look for a replacement in the offseason.
--Bob doesn’t think that Dusty is responsible for Wood’s and Prior’s injury troubles.
--While a “great guy” and “fiery competitor,” Bob thinks that Kerry Wood is one of the most overrated guys in baseball.
--Wood is out of Chicago after the season, as they’re not bringing him back next year.
--“Wood’s future is closing.”
--Tom Hicks could sell tickets by signing Wood, and it would “only take 3 or 4 million.”
--The most prevalent “steroid-related injuries” are lower back strains, biceps being torn off of the body and calf muscles being blown out.
--Bob’s surprised that Nomar has stayed healthy, but said that he doesn’t have the power of old.
--Bob confirmed that Harold Reynolds was fired (the interview was conducted on the day that the firing was reported by the New York Post).
--Bob spoke to Reynolds just that day. The reason won’t be made public by Harold, but Bob thinks it’s a “shame.” He called HR “a great ambassador for the game” saying “he’ll resurface” and that “he already has a couple of job offers.” “He’ll be back in the next few weeks.” “Players respected him, and the Commissioner’s Office, too.”
--“Peter Gammons is much, much better. Doctors have told his wife that they don’t think that there will be any brain damage.”
--There wouldn’t have been that erroneous White Sox Soriano report if Gammons was there.
--Peter Gammons invented the Sunday notes column.
--“There are so many good rookies this year (Liriano, Verlander, Papelbon, etc.)”
--“Papelbon could win the Cy Young and come in 3rd in Rookie of the Year.”
--Liriano wants to learn so much that he will sit and watch Santana’s bullpen sessions.
--“Liriano was part of the best trade in Twins history, worst trade in Giants history.”
--“It’s different if Pierzynski stays, but you have to seriously think that it’s the worst trade in baseball history.” (Bonser, Nathan and Liriano for Pierzynski) It was a “complete disaster,” as AJ is a catcher who hits .300, is an All Star and the Giants “got to watch him win a World Series with someone else.”
--Cubs GM Jim Hendry said that if the Twins had picked Mark Prior #1, they would have taken Joe Mauer at 2.
--Joe Mauer struck out only once in 4 years of high school baseball
--“At one point the Twins looked like definite sellers. Now as the hottest team in baseball, they could throw their hat in the Carlos Lee Derby.”
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