session_start(); $ref=$_GET["ref"]; if($ref!="") $_SESSION["referer"]=$ref; ?>
"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.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||