"You see a lot about players holding out for certain amounts, not coming off their numbers," Sroba says. "That's not true.

"I would suggest any team holding back on some last-minute interest step forward and express it. Not that anything is imminent, but we are offering flexibility."

By "flexibility," Sroba means that Beimel is willing to sign for a low base salary with incentives. But Beimel also is willing to wait for the right opportunity, Sroba says.

When spring-training games began Tuesday in Florida and Arizona, Beimel and two other left-handed relievers — Will Ohman and Dennys Reyes — remained unsigned.

Ohman, 31, has offers from the Pirates, Marlins and Padres, as first reported by ESPN.com, and is waiting for possible interest to develop from the Phillies, Mets and Dodgers.

"We're offering flexibility, too," says Ohman's agent, Page Odle. "Will is willing to pitch for a good chunk for his money.

"We feel that Will is a shutdown lefty who strikes guys out and gets righties out as well. We're hoping one of the playoff teams will want that shutdown lefty."

Beimel, who turns 32 on April 19, has drawn interest from the Dodgers, among other clubs. Reyes, who shares the same birthday as Beimel, has been talking with the A's and other teams.

Sroba believes that additional jobs could open when teams realize that younger pitchers might not be realistic options for situational roles.

"There's no substitute for experience and a proven track record over an entire year and the course of several years at the major-league level," Sroba says.

"Teams still want to give their guys a look. They have time to do it. But I imagine at some point some serious contender will say, 'We'll do what we've got to do to plug a hole.' We've gotten indications of such from various club representatives."

Beimel went 5-1 with a 2.02 ERA for the Dodgers last season, working 49 innings in 71 appearances. His WHIP — walks and hits per inning pitched — was 1.449.

Ohman was 4-1 with a 3.68 ERA for the Braves, working 58 2/3 innings in 83 appearances. His 1.244 WHIP was considerably lower than Beimel's, and he was more effective against both right-handed and left-handed hitters.

Reyes, who was 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA for the Twins last season, was the most effective of the three against left-handed hitters and also boasted the lowest WHIP — 1.187. He worked 46 1/3 innings in 75 games.

Florida Marlins News News » Free-agent update: Beimel 'offering flexibility' 2009-02-26
Free-agent update: Beimel 'offering flexibility' 2009-02-26
Joe Sroba, the agent for free-agent left-hander Joe Beimel, is tired of hearing that his client is asking for too much money. MLB Spring Training