Brewers' Melvin admits meeting with Twins' free-agent Pavano
Wisconsin Sports-- Milwaukee Brewers’ general manager Doug Melvin confirms that he met with free-agent starter Carl Pavano and his agent this week. Melvin said the Brewers were among four teams who met face-to-face with the 34-year-old veteran – who went 17-11 with Minnesota last season with seven complete games and a three-point-seven-five ERA.
Milwaukee Brewers’ general manager Doug Melvin confirms that he met with free-agent starter Carl Pavano and his agent this week. Melvin said the Brewers were among four teams who met face-to-face with the 34-year-old veteran – who went 17-11 with Minnesota last season with seven complete games and a 3.75 ERA.
Melvin would not say if he gave Pavano an offer. The agent, Tom O’Connell, called it a productive meeting. The talks took place near the site of baseball’s Winter Meetings in Florida. Reports indicate that Pavano is seeking a three-year contract worth about $10-million a year. The Brewers traded for Toronto starter Shaun Marcum. Melvin also said he had talks with Kansas City about the possibility of getting starter Zach Greinke – but no offers were made.
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Agent Scott Boras said today that Brewers’ first baseman Prince Fielder would be open to a contract extension with Milwaukee. But he said the money would have to be worth Fielder’s value.
The money apparently refers to the $174-million the Boston Red Sox are about to pay first baseman Adrian Gonzalez – and the $126-million going to another Boras client, Jayson Werth who’s now with the Washington Nationals. As for Fielder’s value, Boras says it has risen dramatically in the last five years, as the number of true sluggers in Major League Baseball has diminished.
The agent said today’s players have extreme value if they hit 25 homers a year and play strong defense – and the supply of players with an .800 on-base-plus-slugging-percentage has gotten pretty thin. Fielder’s OPS is .919 in his five-plus years in Milwaukee, with 192 homers and 536 RBI’s. Trade rumors almost constantly pop up about Fielder, but apparently no one is really willing to pull the trigger – especially since Fielder will become a free agent next fall. And a team that trades for Fielder now could easily lose him, as the Brewers would apparently lose him if they hang onto him in 2011. Should they do that, Milwaukee will face salary arbitration. And observers expect to get $14-or-15 million from that process next year.
Tags: wisconsin sports, proam, baseball, brewers, twins
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