July 2005 - Texas Rangers Wiretap

Kevin Millwood and the Texas Rangers have reached a preliminary agreement on a four-year contract worth nearly $48 million, according to a person familiar with the negotiations, ESPN's Peter Gammons reported Monday night. Gammons reported that the deal includes a Rangers team option for a fifth year. If the contract goes five years, it would then be worth $60 million. Texas can void the fifth year of the deal if Millwood doesn't pitch a certain number of innings in earlier years of the contract. Millwood is expected to undergo a physical Tuesday, and the deal likely will be finalized Wednesday. Details of the deal were disclosed by two people familiar with negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized. Millwood's decision to accept Texas' offer was first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on its Web site.

The Sox, according to an industry source, have expressed significant interest in free agent pitcher Kevin Millwood, the American League's ERA leader in 2005, who had a 9-11 record with a 2.86 ERA. There were indications last night the Red Sox were trying to arrange a visit for Millwood, though CEO Larry Lucchino is in San Diego for the holiday and principal owner John W. Henry was said to be visiting relatives. At the moment, Boston's most serious competition would appear to be the Texas Rangers, who yesterday made an offer for the righthanded Millwood, who turns 31 tomorrow. Millwood's agent, Scott Boras, is seeking a five-year deal for Millwood, who last season was paid $7 million by the Indians.

The Texas Rangers have helped address their pitching woes by reaching agreement to acquire San Diego Padres right-handed pitchers Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka and minor league prospect Billy Killian in exchange for right-handed pitcher Chris Young, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and outfielder Terrmel Sledge, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick has confirmed. The Rangers and Padres had been discussing a deal for Eaton for several weeks, but Texas was reluctant to part with young catcher Gerald Laird, The Dallas Morning News reported. Free-agent right-hander Kevin Millwood, whose 2.86 ERA for Cleveland this year led the AL, and his agent, Scott Boras, met with Rangers officials in Texas on Tuesday. Millwood rejected a salary arbitration offer from the Indians on Monday night, but could still re-sign with Cleveland through Jan. 8. While officials from both clubs said that the trade will be finalized after the players involved pass physicals, the process could be delayed slightly because Otsuka is currently in Japan. The main motivation for the Padres to deal Eaton was because they were far apart in negotiations on a new multi-year contract, and Eaton will enter the final year of his current deal in '06, Crasnick reports.

Spurned in their pursuit of Matt Morris and Josh Beckett, the Texas Rangers got former All-Star right-hander Vicente Padilla from the Phillies on Monday for a player to be named. The deal was pending Padilla passing a physical, according to two baseball officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been finalized. Padilla was 9-12 with a 4.71 ERA in 27 starts last season in Philadelphia. He was traded July 26, 2000, from Arizona to the Phillies along with three other players for pitcher Curt Schilling. Padilla made $3.2 million last year, and is eligible for salary arbitration. Padilla was an All-Star in 2002, when he was 14-11 with a 3.28 ERA, and he followed that by going 14-12 with a 3.62 ERA in 2003. He is just 16-19 over the last two seasons.

If the Nationals acquired Alfonso Soriano to move him to the outfield, as has been speculated, they might be in for a rude awakening. In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Soriano reiterated a position he maintained while with the Rangers: He's not moving from second base. "I have the same position [on moving] as I always had when I was with Texas," Soriano told the newspaper. "I said that I'm not going to change from second base." Although he said he hasn't spoken with anyone from the Nationals, Soriano told the Star-Telegram that he believes the club traded for him to play second base. "I think that if they traded for me, it's to play second base," he told the newspaper. However, Washington already has a past All-Star at second base in Jose Vidro, though he was hampered by leg problems last season that limited him to 87 games. Soriano has been reluctant in the past to switch positions. When he was acquired by Texas in the February 2004 trade that sent AL MVP Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees, Soriano remained at second base and Michael Young moved to shortstop, where he became an All-Star.

The Tigers and All-Star left-hander Kenny Rogers agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal, Newsday reported on its Web site. Rogers wasn't offered salary arbitration Wednesday night by the Texas Rangers, a move that had been expected since the end of the season. Despite their desperate need for pitching, the Rangers cut ties with Rogers, who was an All-Star in both seasons of his third stint in Texas. The 41-year-old pitcher was 14-8 with a 3.46 ERA last season, but will be most remembered for a videotaped tirade June 29 in which he shoved two television cameramen while walking onto the field. Rogers' outburst led to a 20-game suspension. He played in the All-Star Game while appealing the penalty that eventually was reduced to 13 games. As an All-Star, he earned a $50,000 contract bonus -- the same amount he was fined.

Despite an uncertain ownership situation, the Washington Nationals have made a splash at baseball's Winter Meetings. The Nationals have acquired Texas Rangers' second baseman Alfonso Soriano in exchange for Brad Wilkerson, Terrmel Sledge and a minor-leaguer to be named later, ESPN's Peter Gammons reports. The deal is pending physicals. Soriano hit .268 with 36 home runs, 104 RBI and recorded 30 stolen bases last season. During his seven-year career, Soriano has a .280 average with 162 home runs, 465 RBI and 169 stolen bases. With Jose Vidro already entrenched at second base, it's believed that the Nationals would move Soriano to left field.

The Dodgers are actively engaged in talks with Texas about a possible trade for Rangers second baseman Alfonso Soriano, but it isn't clear where he would fit. Any such deal likely would include Dodgers pitching prospect Jonathan Broxton, who made his major-league debut last season. There were whispers on Tuesday the Dodgers might want Soriano to play first base, presently a black hole in their lineup, but a club official denied that. There is no room for Soriano at second because Jeff Kent will play there until Cesar Izturis returns from the disabled list sometime around the All-Star break, when Kent probably will move to first to make room for Izturis at second. Soriano hit 36 homers and drove in 104 runs last season, but the Rangers are looking to dump his salary. He made $7.5 million and is eligible for arbitration as a five-plus player, meaning he stands to make $9.5-10 million in 2006. He also is a defensive liability, having led American League second baseman with 21 errors.

The Texas Rangers emerged Thursday as the chief competitor for the New York Yankees in their bid to sign reliever Kyle Farnsworth, who appears to be waiting for Tom Gordon to escalate his price. The Yankees think they are the leading contender to sign Farnsworth, who likely will command $17 million to $19 million over three years. Gordon is trying to get a three-year deal, probably in the $18 million range. The Yankees are trying to re-sign Gordon as a setup man for Mariano Rivera, while Cleveland and Philadelphia are interested in having Gordon return to his former role as a closer.