As baseball’s new Mr. Moneybags, Ned Colletti gets mentioned when almost any free agent is discussed this offseason.
“There’s a perception that we’re in on a couple of dozen starting pitchers, three dozen outfielders and infielders, 17, 18 catchers,” the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers said.
“People like to have us in. I guess it doesn’t hurt to have us in, even though we’re not in. We may have to hire somebody next year just to tell everybody who we’re not in on,” he said.
As teams headed home from the winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, the biggest free agents were still on the market. The availability of slugger Josh Hamilton and pitcher Zack Greinke held up decisions on other signings and possible trades involving on Rangers star Michael Young and R.A. Dickey, the Mets’ Cy Young Award winner.
The Yankees, who had been quiet, offered former Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youklis a one-year, $12 million contract, according to an MLB.com report. Youkilis, 33, also is being pursued by the Indians, managed by Terry Francona, his former Red Sox manager.
With most clubs already packed up and leaving the sprawling, 2,881-room Opryland hotel, Philadelphia acquired outfielder Ben Revere from Minnesota for right-handers Vance Worley and Trevor May.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said that after taking in information from other clubs and agents, it was time to return home and “cool your jets.”
“There can be a domino effect,” he said. “I think when clubs are focusing on a certain position, a certain need, there’s options out there. … Everybody’s got their ducks lined up in a row, and it’s just a matter of how things fall.”
On the closing day of this year’s session, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues said the 2015 winter meetings will return to Nashville. Next year’s meetings will be at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
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