Selig warns GMs about economy

Listing some of the Wall Street firms that have fallen, baseball commissioner Bud Selig warned general managers about the national economy as they formally began their annual meetings Tuesday in Dana Point, Calif.

Some club executives say teams have delayed setting budgets for payroll because they want to determine whether the economic downturn will change revenue projections.

Selig spoke to the GMs by video conference for eight or nine minutes, according to Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office. Solomon said Selig began the session by discussing the state of baseball.

"He also talked about our economy and how troubling it's been, and how we have to operate in a fashion that's cognizant of that economy," Solomon said. "Basically, it was short and to the point."

Selig mentioned that Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch have fallen in the past year.

"We're living in a tumultuous economic period," Selig said later in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "Many economists believe that we're going to have significant problems. Maybe this could turn out to be the most difficult period since the Great Depression. I view these coming months with trepidation."

Agent Scott Boras, who represents Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeira, took the exact opposite point of view. Boras called this "one of the more aggressive markets for players" and compared it to the free-agent group after the 2000 season.

Blue Jays' Burnett to opt out: A.J. Burnett told the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday that he will opt out of the remaining two seasons of his $55 million, five-year contract.

The pitcher will forfeit $24 million and can file for free agency. His contract called for a $6 million signing bonus, a $1 million salary in 2006 and $12 million in the remaining seasons.

Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said talks will continue on the possibility of a new deal for the hard-throwing right-hander, who turns 32 in January.

Burnett went 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA in 34 starts this season and led the American League with 231 strikeouts.

Canseco sentenced in smuggling case: Jose Canseco pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court to a misdemeanor offense of trying to bring a fertility drug across the border from Mexico. The former baseball star was sentenced Tuesday to 12 months' unsupervised probation.

Canseco told the judge he had gone to Tijuana looking for a substance to restore his testosterone levels in an attempt to reverse damage done by his admitted steroids use.