Baseball Toaster: Dodger Thoughts : Hochevar Update: No Update

Hochevar Update: No Update

2006-01-17 13:52

by Jon Weisman

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com offers this assessment of the Luke Hochevar situation:

Pretty much what it's been since negotiations turned ugly in September. Hochevar, the Dodgers' top draft pick in 2005, remains unsigned, and there's no indication that will change. Although scouting director Logan White said the club hasn't written off Hochevar, he reiterated what he said at the time he took the Tennessee right-hander -- that he knew Hochevar might be unsignable. He felt it was a risk worth taking, because the club had forfeited its first-round pick and this was the only way to get a first-round talent without one.

White came close when Hochevar agreed to sign for $2.98 million before backing out of the deal while juggling agents. The Dodgers then withdrew their offer. While the Dodgers liked Hochevar enough to draft him twice, they also feel they are relatively loaded with pitching prospects.

Of course, the Dodgers are less loaded than they were four days ago.

Some background the Dodger-Hochevar negotiations can be found here and here.

Comments

2006-01-17 14:02:32

1. Robert Daeley

Not to mention our catcher situation, which might be changing soon. Didn't know we had a catcher situation?

http://tinyurl.com/7sam8

There's also an article on mlb.com written by Andre Ethier:

http://tinyurl.com/axemt

2006-01-17 14:30:16

2. jasonungar05

well the good news is, Molina can't be traded for.

2006-01-17 14:44:25

3. mob

yea, what is this about molina????? I thought we were going with navarro & the other kid and they would be backed up / mentored by Sandy Alomar. Molina is a front line starter and not an old couple of years left teacher????

2006-01-17 14:45:32

4. bhsportsguy

I know this is a Dodger site but the latest from Houston does not bode well for the Angels budget. One of these stat lines just signed a one year deal for just under 5MM with incentives.
243 IP/143 H/102 BB/322K/ 59/75 Saves/34 Holds/ 2.44 ERA.
259 IP/187 H/104 BB/369 K/ 72/85 Saves/13 Holds/ 2.71 ERA.

The second line is Brad Lidge the first is Frankie Rodriquez, both came up and pitched briefly in 2002.

I always thought that one reason the Angels were not going to be in the free agent market was due to increases of Figgins, Lackey and Rodriquez who made all together a little more than 1.2 million and now at 6 million for just Lackey and Figgins, it stands to go up at least up to 10 million.

I am sure Stoneman is just waiting for Ersty's and Kennedy's 11.8 million to come up the books at the end of 2006.

2006-01-17 15:11:24

5. Robert Daeley

If we were to pick Molina up, does that make Dioner expendable, or does it mean Sandy becomes our catching coach sooner? ;)

2006-01-17 15:33:23

6. Blu2

They don't pay coaches $650,000...

2006-01-17 15:36:29

7. bigcpa

If only Mr. Ned had called Boras Saturday instead of Tampa Bay and signed Hochevar for $4M. Then we have Hochevar, Jackson, Tiffany locked for 6 ML seasons instead of one year of All Star, Proven Closer Baez. So much for Ned and DePo being of the same mind.

2006-01-17 15:53:30

8. bigcpa

Molina CS%
2002- 45%
2003- 44%
2004- 26%
2005- 31%

Yadier on the other hand has gunned down 59% of the 56 SB attempts in 165 games. Must be that whole 8 year age difference thing.

In other news Dioner Navarro has not taken the rumors well- turning a ghostly pale:
http://tinyurl.com/d6eoz

2006-01-17 16:15:26

9. bhsportsguy

7-Even thought Baez has pitched in 5 seasons, he only has 4 years of service time so he will be arbitration eligible at the end of 2006 but he will not be a free agent until after 2007.

And there was never any signal that DePo would have negotiated with Boras to sign Hochevar. Its a little early and there are no signs of the two sides even talking but remember how Boras and the Angels went down to the wire on the Jered Weaver signing. To me lets wait and see if Hochevar signs with an independent team in the spring.

2006-01-17 16:24:11

10. trainwreck

Smart idea turning down that three year 24 million dollar deal Molina and agent.

2006-01-17 16:32:50

11. bigcpa

9- Oh! I read 500 comments here on Sunday and didn't gather that we have Baez through 2007. I still hate the deal.

2006-01-17 16:37:10

12. regfairfield

9 Baez himself said he would be a free agent after this year.

2006-01-17 16:38:15

13. Jon Weisman

9 - I can't argue your facts, but I'm not convinced that's true, unless every article written about Baez, including those that quote Baez, are wrong.

It may have something to do with his former status as a Cuban ballplayer?

2006-01-17 17:14:26

14. Bob Timmermann

Baez made his MLB debut on May 13, 2001.

2006-01-17 17:15:03

15. OaklandAs

I believe Baez is a free agent after 2006. International players like Baez are treated differently under MLB's salary structure. They essentially start getting free agent-type money from their first day in the majors. In Baez's case, he signed a 4 Year, $14.5M in in 2000, and earned $3.5M in 2003, despite only one year of service time when the year started.

2006-01-17 17:17:09

16. OaklandAs

15 Oops, make that $5.1M in 2003 for Baez.

2006-01-17 17:24:47

17. Steve

Wow, Baez for two years is double the scary. Sleep won't come easily tonight.

2006-01-17 17:32:03

18. fawnkyj

-8
Wow that pic of Dioner is classic!

2006-01-17 17:53:01

19. molokai

Don't see how relevant Bengie's skills are in throwing out would be basestealers since the Dodger staff under the great Colbourn rarely bothered to hold runners on. Maybe Honeycut will have a different approach.

2006-01-17 17:55:38

20. Steve

Don't forget those 10 passed balls!

2006-01-17 18:10:57

21. caseybarker

Carlos Zambrano fired Scott Boras (mlbtraderumors). Maybe this is the start of something good--the demise of Scott Boras.

2006-01-17 21:39:47

22. Sam DC

I don't know if this point was made during the Baez commentapalooza, but these odd Molina rumours remind me that the other big deals for the Dodgers this offseason have all (I think all) come pretty much out of nowhere. In the vast wasteland of Wells to the Dodgers articles, did anyone hint at Seo to the Dodgers til it was done? Same with the Baez deal. Even Furcal was pretty quick and unleaked. Nomar was different, but that was not particularly significant.

Doesn't mean we're not signing Molina, but a caution nonetheless.

2006-01-17 22:12:58

23. molokai

Actually the website
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
had the Baez trade about a week before it happened. They just didn't get the rest of the names right which they never do. At least we didn't end up with Toby Hall:)

2006-01-17 23:16:09

24. LAT

If we sign Benji, I'll be sorry we released Phillips. Think of the marketing possibilities.

We could hold a 100 yrd dash during the 7th inning strech. (Granted you would need a calendar instead of a stopwatch)

On tee shirt night we would only give away XXXXL tees.

See who can turn more doubles into singles.

Offer a $1M giveaway if either of them hits a triple during the season. Offer a $1B giveaway if either of them hits an insdie the park HR.

Endless possibilites I tell you.

2006-01-18 04:21:06

25. DodgerfaninNY

As much as I disliked the Baez trade when I first heard about it, is it possible that Ned has a plan? When July comes, Baez will look awfully appealing to a contender that just needs that last piece to get over the top. Hopefully by then, they will be able to make a sound assessment of Gagne's recovery. I've always liked Edwin, what are the odds that he turns it around this season? I'll be rooting for him, but you'd have to believe it is less than 50%.

2006-01-21 10:00:59

26. Dr Anonymous

everybody's right. baez does not have six years of service, but will still be a free agent after 06 because he got it written into his contract that way. just like matsui.