Sports: Pudge may lead salary dumps

Pudge may lead salary dumps

By JOHN ROMANO

One-quarter of the season has been completed, which means a lot of general managers will soon decide whether to give up on the rest of the season.

With economics as integral as victories, teams cannot afford to wait until October to worry about next year. If a team cannot win this season, it is better off preparing for 2002 right now.

And that means moving players and salaries.

Already there is talk that the Rangers cannot afford to keep catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez after the $252-million contract given to Alex Rodriguez. Ivan Rodriguez is in the final year of his contract and likely will command a deal that pays him in the $20-million range. That means the Rangers could annually have $45-million in payroll tied up in two players.

Given the horrible state of its pitching staff and the possibility of losing Ivan Rodriguez to free agency, Texas is considering whether to deal the former AL MVP. Owner Tom Hicks seems prepared to make the trade.

"He's the greatest catcher to ever play the game," Hicks said. "But at this point we have to look at everything. We have to look at what re-signing (him) would do to our resources."

There is some urgency because Rodriguez becomes a 10-and-5 player June 2 (at least 10 years in the majors, five with the same team) and would have veto power on any trade. The Dodgers are among the teams that would have interest in acquiring Pudge.

The Rangers are not alone in this situation. The Rays would be happy to move one of their catchers, Greg Vaughn, Gerald Williams or Fred McGriff (who has a no-trade clause). Baltimore is shopping Sidney Ponson and Brady Anderson. The Expos are getting inquiries about Ugueth Urbina and Houston wants to deal Jose Lima.

The White Sox insist they are not trying to trade David Wells, but they might be singing a new tune if they remain 13 games behind a month from now.

Oakland also could use the next few weeks to gauge its future. It acquired Johnny Damon to be a rent-a-player as it made a pennant run. With the Mariners running away with the division and the A's far back in the wild-card race, they may move Damon.

OMINOUS SIGN: The Phillies were three games over .500 when Mike Lieberthal went down for the season in July 1998. They were 15 games under .500 the rest of the way. When he was on the disabled list twice in 2000, the Phillies were 14 games under .500 without him. After he went down with a season-ending knee injury last week, the Phillies lost their next three games.

NO RINGING ENDORSEMENT: Rickey Henderson was with the Mets for the first six weeks of 2000 before being released, but general manager Steve Phillips did not include the self-absorbed Henderson on the list of the players to receive NL championship rings. "It just doesn't seem that if you pay a guy $1.8-million in termination pay, it's appropriate to give him a ring," Phillips said.

BROTHERLY LOVE: After hitting a grand slam against the Rockies for his first major-league home run, Braves rookie Marcus Giles found a bottle of champagne in his locker. The bubbly was compliments of his brother Brian, who hit a home run earlier in the day for the Pirates against St. Louis.

SO WHAT DO YOU DO?: Fans are growing increasingly frustrated in Pittsburgh with general manager Cam Bonifay. The Pirates have not had a winning season in Bonifay's eight years with the club. "I don't play. I don't manage. I don't coach," Bonifay said. "I can't get the runner home from scoring position. I can't make the key pitch when it needs to be made. I can't move the runner over when he needs to be moved over."

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS 101: Reds general manager Jim Bowden has long had a reputation among peers for grandstanding in the media. His problem now is that his players seem to agree. Bowden has told reporters he offered four-year deals to Sean Casey, Pokey Reese, Danny Graves and Dmitri Young. The players say the deals were so low they were laughable. Bowden also appears to have leaked rumors that Casey and Reese are seeking $10-million per year. "A blatant lie," Casey said. "Not even one-millionth close to the truth." Reese was even stronger: "As we say in the clubhouse, you know that man (Bowden) is lying when his lips are moving."

HOPE YOU ENJOYED DINNER: Marlins owner John Henry was on the team's trip to San Diego when A.J. Burnett pitched a no-hitter. Except Henry took his wife to dinner instead of going to the ballpark. Henry found out Burnett had a no-hitter going in the eighth inning when he returned to his hotel. He took a cab to the ballpark, ran across a parking lot because the gates were blocked and had to talk himself into the clubhouse because he had no credentials. Champagne was flowing by the time he got inside. "My first no-hitter and I don't even see it," Henry said. "And I'm on the road trip. How can you do that?"

LAST WORD: Rockies ace Mike Hampton is 0-4 at Turner Field, and disgusted with himself, after losing a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning. "I was pitching like a scared baby," he said.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.