February 16, 200917 yr Will Ohman, one of the top relievers left on baseball's free agent market, has major league offers in hand from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins and San Diego Padres, but plans to continue discussions with three contending teams before making a decision on his destination for 2009, his agent said Monday. The Phillies, Mets and Dodgers have all stayed in touch with Ohman, but their interest has yet to progress beyond the talking stage. "When Will gets an offer he's comfortable with, he's going to sign,'' agent Page Odle said. "Right now we continue to have dialogue with several teams on a pretty regular basis. There's no timetable.'' Ohman, 31, figured to be one of the most hotly-pursued lefties on the market this winter based on his performance in 2008. He posted a 4-1 record with a 3.68 ERA for Atlanta, and struck out 53 batters in 58 1/3 innings. The market began promisingly, when Damaso Marte signed a three-year, $12 million deal to remain with the Yankees and Jeremy Affeldt agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with San Francisco. The Braves were also discussing a possible two-year deal to keep Ohman in Atlanta. But then the bottom gradually fell out. While Arthur Rhodes, Darren Oliver, Alan Embree, Trever Miller, Brian Shouse and Eddie Guardado all found homes, Ohman and fellow lefties Joe Beimel and Dennys Reyes remain unsigned. It's believed that the Pirates, Marlins and Padres -- all of whom rank among the game's lowest payroll clubs -- would be hesitant to give a lefty setup man more than a one-year deal for anything beyond $1 million, if that. The Mets and Phillies, both citing spiraling payrolls, have also given indications that they're limited in what they're willing to spend. Beimel, 31, posted a 5-1 record with a 2.02 ERA in 71 appearances as a Dodger last season. He's allowed only one home run covering 154 appearances over the past two seasons, but remains in limbo. Beimel told MLB.com last week that he's spoken to 16 clubs this offseason, but none has made an offer worth accepting. While Beimel waits, he continues to work out at UCLA and stay in pitching shape. "Joe is willing to be reasonable and flexible to cut a deal, but he's not going to panic,'' said Joe Sroba, Beimel's agent. "He knows his value. When he's comfortable with a deal that he considers reasonable, we'll make a move.'' http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3911730
February 16, 200917 yr This surprised me, considering we seem to have too many RP arms for not enough spots as it is. And, we have supposedly even less money to spend. Still, all other things being equal, I would like to see Ohman in this bullpen. He is solid overall and destroys lefties. 1. Lindstrom 2. Proctor 3. Nunez 4. Ohman 5. Pinto 6. Kensing 7. DLC Looks good to me. Anyway, here's the blurb: By Jerry Crasnick ESPN.com Archive Will Ohman, one of the top relievers left on baseball's free agent market, has major league offers in hand from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins and San Diego Padres, but plans to continue discussions with three contending teams before making a decision on his destination for 2009, his agent said Monday. The Phillies, Mets and Dodgers have all stayed in touch with Ohman, but their interest has yet to progress beyond the talking stage. "When Will gets an offer he's comfortable with, he's going to sign,'' agent Page Odle said. "Right now we continue to have dialogue with several teams on a pretty regular basis. There's no timetable.'' Ohman, 31, figured to be one of the most hotly-pursued lefties on the market this winter based on his performance in 2008. He posted a 4-1 record with a 3.68 ERA for Atlanta, and struck out 53 batters in 58 1/3 innings. The market began promisingly, when Damaso Marte signed a three-year, $12 million deal to remain with the Yankees and Jeremy Affeldt agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with San Francisco. The Braves were also discussing a possible two-year deal to keep Ohman in Atlanta. But then the bottom gradually fell out. While Arthur Rhodes, Darren Oliver, Alan Embree, Trever Miller, Brian Shouse and Eddie Guardado all found homes, Ohman and fellow lefties Joe Beimel and Dennys Reyes remain unsigned. It's believed that the Pirates, Marlins and Padres -- all of whom rank among the game's lowest payroll clubs -- would be hesitant to give a lefty setup man more than a one-year deal for anything beyond $1 million, if that. The Mets and Phillies, both citing spiraling payrolls, have also given indications that they're limited in what they're willing to spend. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3911730 The other thing that bothered me was the way Crasnick made it seem like the Marlins, Pirates, and Padres are non-contending teams who made him offers, while he's waiting for offers from 3 teams who are "actually contenders". So stupid. Maybe I'm just paranoid from being a Marlins fan, but he sounds like an ignoramus, albeit a subtle one.
February 16, 200917 yr Ohman would be kinda cool, although if that mil is the difference between Pudge or no Pudge it becomes a whole lot cooler. And although the article doesn't link us to him, please please please no on Beimel. He's posted good ERA numbers the past three years because he's either been really lucky with BABIP or really lucky with HR/FLY. And even though he's left handed, he's at best average against LHB, career 1.33 WHIP. Better to give one of our young, cost controlled arms that bullpen spot.
February 16, 200917 yr I would LOVE THIS signing.... Ohman is solid..... and BTW YOU CAN NEVER EVER EVER have to many RP pitchers...
February 16, 200917 yr YES, YES, YES, YES! I've been wanting this guy since last year's trading deadline, when we ended up with Arthur Rhodes instead. Get it done!
February 16, 200917 yr I would LOVE THIS signing.... Ohman is solid..... and BTW YOU CAN NEVER EVER EVER have to many RP pitchers... Well at the rate we are signing moderate veterans, we're going to have to DFA a bunch of the kids. So yea. Might as well sign all of them and see what sticks because 40 man roster turnover is going to be nuts.
February 16, 200917 yr Would he be a LOOGY or an actuall lefty picther who can also get righties out? Either way we shoudl try to get him he put up solid numbers last season.
February 16, 200917 yr Would he be a LOOGY or an actuall lefty picther who can also get righties out? Either way we shoudl try to get him he put up solid numbers last season. He's the definition of a LOOGY. And he's a damn good one, as well.
February 16, 200917 yr Would he be a LOOGY or an actuall lefty picther who can also get righties out? Either way we shoudl try to get him he put up solid numbers last season. He's the definition of a LOOGY. And he's a damn good one, as well. Nice he can replace Rhodes and good be the 2nd leftie in the pen other then Pinto. But the thing is how much can we offer him and how much does he want
February 16, 200917 yr If not will Ohman, Joe Biemel... Any of these guys for 1.5 Mil or less would be a STEAL! DO IT!!
February 16, 200917 yr Don't we already have three LOOGY candidates? Not that I wouldn't take Ohman over all three of them, but why go through the trouble of picking up Meyer and Kroenke only to lose them by not making the 25-man? And yes, if signing Ohman means losing out on Pudge then its a misallocation of resources. From all indications, this team is already at it's budget. One decent LOOGY is bound to emerge out of the trio of Tankersley, Meyer, and Kroenke. Our back-up catcher options consist of Rabelo and Hayes (who hasn't played one game at the major league level). The priority right now should be filling our catching void. We have a plethora of arms down in the pen and laissez-faire might not be a horrible idea.
February 17, 200917 yr If not will Ohman, Joe Biemel... Any of these guys for 1.5 Mil or less would be a STEAL! DO IT!! I don't want Beimel. At all.
February 17, 200917 yr I'm surprised, considering that we have not made an official offer to Pudge, who we need more.
February 17, 200917 yr 2 updates, more positive signs: The Padres have been linked with free agent Will Ohman as one of the three teams who have made an offer to the right-hander. I was told by a Padres team source late Monday that the chances of Ohman ending up in San Diego were a "long shot." There's a belief Ohman will sign elsewhere, perhaps Pittsburgh or Florida, for more money than the Padres want to spend. http://coreybrock.mlblogs.com/archives/200...or_tuesday.html The Phillies could use another lefthander in their bullpen, but the Phillies won't be signing one of the remaining free agent lefthanders on the market like Joe Beimel and Will Ohman. "They're available, but we're not on them," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "At some point you have to call off the jam and go with the people that you have." So even if they remain unsigned a couple weeks from now and their asking price drops considerably? "Unless the demand is tremendously modest," Amaro said. "And I don't see that happening." http://zozone.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/02...r_phillies.html
February 17, 200917 yr Is no one concerned about how absolutely putrid Pinto was last year? :banghead Pinto was actually very good, he was overused by Fredi, leading to fatigue later in the year.
February 17, 200917 yr Is no one concerned about how absolutely putrid Pinto was last year? He was very good.
February 17, 200917 yr if anyone give me beimel.....yet come to think why didnt you just keep arthur rhodes you idiots.
February 17, 200917 yr if anyone give me beimel.....yet come to think why didnt you just keep arthur rhodes you idiots. Will Ohman is better than Joe Biemel.
February 17, 200917 yr if anyone give me beimel.....yet come to think why didnt you just keep arthur rhodes you idiots. Because Rhodes got a 2/$4 deal, and we don't have the money for that. I bet if we end up with Ohman, it is a 6 digit deal and some incentives for 1 year.
February 18, 200917 yr Is no one concerned about how absolutely putrid Pinto was last year? I'm more concerned about you making your own definitions of the word putrid. Although I'm also concerned for those who think he did "very good," as well.
February 18, 200917 yr Is no one concerned about how absolutely putrid Pinto was last year? I'm more concerned about you making your own definitions of the word putrid. Although I'm also concerned for those who think he did "very good," as well. not Pinto's fault. If you get used around 70+ times in around 100 games, your arm would give in too.
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