Bay gets a deal; Holliday?; 2009 In Review

Well, the dream of Jason Bay returning to Fenway has officially died today. He's accepted an offer from the Mets for 4yr/$66M with a fifth year option. Boston was only short six million dollars that would push the organization into the luxury tax category. Bay was nothing short of stellar in Fenway and should be a phenomenal at CitiField. Bay hit .267 with a record 36 HRs and 119 RBIs. I expect nothing short of this from him in Citi.

OF Matt Holliday could be close to a return with the Cards. It's rumored to be a 7-8 year offer worth $100+M. The talks have heated up in recent days by both sides. Where does this leave the cap for bringing back Albert Pujols? With both back for 2010, I think it's safe to say the NL Central is wrapped up.

The Phillies have announced their "mystery reliever": Danys Baez. Baez (4-6 4.02ERA) didn't have very much luck last season in the O's bullpen, but he did pitch 71.2 innings. The Phillies don't have a strong bullpen right now and this certainly doesn't strengthen it.They signed minor leaguer Tagg Bozied as well. Bozied has had surprising numbers in the minors throughout his career, but has had some major injury setbacks.

The Giants have signed back utilityman Juan Uribe. Uribe hit .289 with 16 HRs and 55 RBIs in 122 games. He won't be getting that much playing time, but should still be able to produce effectively. In playing multiple positions, his fielding percentage wasn't under a .960. The Giants have a great loooking team for 2010 and I think will be the wild-card definitely. They did it without acquiring Dan Uggla, who I'd be stunned if he didn't end up with the Braves.

The D-Backs ended speculation and agreed to terms with 2B Kelly Johnson on a 1yr/$2.3M deal. Johnson (.224, 8HRs, 29RBIs) had a rough 2009 spending time on the DL and losing the starting job to Martin Prado. Arizona should be a chance to redeem himself and get a better deal in 2011(if he doesn't choose arbitration) or 2012. Nick Piecoro of the Arizon Republic thinks this could make Augie Ojeda expendable.

The Cubs said no to Scott Posedenik and Rick Ankiel and yes to Marlon Byrd. MLB.com's Carrie Muskrat finds the deal worth over $15M @ 3 years. Byrd hit .283 with 20 HRs and 89 RBIs last season in Texas. This should play out well in 2010, but expect the next two years for his numbers to drop-off. Looking at his batting records, he consistenly goes down in most categories the longer he's with a team.

Rumors and Notes:

The Mets aren't close to signing C Bengie Molina. Torralba could be the solution with Miguel Olivo's impending Rockies agreement. They havent given up hope on 1B Carlos Delgado either. Joel Piniero could be the next deal the Mets make?

Johnathan Frasor is on the Cubs radar.

2009 was a season full of everything a baseball could hope for(minus another Yankees WS). There were big deals at the deadline (Jake Peavy, Matt Holliday, Cliff Lee etc.), big performances ( Utley's 5 HRs in WS, Burehle's perfect game, Sanchez's no-hitter, etc), milestones ( Ichiro's hits, Ellsbury steals, Randy Johnson's #300, Pudge passed Carlton Fisk in games at catcher postion, Jeter passes Gehrig), and memories of games we attended. 2009 showed us the bad in baseball, too. Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games with performance enhancing drugs (female fertility, really?). If that wasn't enough, a report linked he and David Ortiz (many have wondered where his swing went?) to PED's. There were the lowly Pirates and Indians who fire-saled the entire team (The Reds werent in on this?!?). Josh Hamilton's feel-good story curbed this season. Nick Adenhart was tragically killed in a car accident after his ML debut. Countless old-timers of baseball died this year.

We had pleasant surprises this season ( see Florida Marlins, Angels ALDS, Royals first month of the season, Juan Pierre, Rockies late-season surge to make the play-offs, Texas Rangers). To counteract those, we had some let-downs ( see Tampa Bay Rays, Royals season, Pirates,Indians, and Mets). opefully, 2010 can provide us with another great season and memories like Eric Bruntlett's unassisted triple play! Happy New Year!

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Relief: Going, Going, Gone

Some teams in the MLB used Christmas as a time to re-fill their bullpens. Fernando Rodney got thing started off by signing with the Angels. Rodney (2-5;4.40ERA) was targeted by many teams including the puzzling Phillies, who I'm not sure where they're at right now with Park and Eyre. The deal is worth 2yrs/$11M pending a physical. Rodney saved 37 games last season for the Tigers.

Matt Capps is gone now. The Nationals have scooped him up for 1yr/$3.5M pending a physical. I wasn't surprised that he ended up there given the Nats problem ending games, but why only a year. He was intriguing, despite his struggles last season and could be a talented asset in the years to come.

Another NL East team, the Mets, have agreed to sign Kelvim Escobar. Escobar hasn't pitched much due to "wear and tear" and surgeries. The Mets plan to use him as a set-up man for K-Rod. I like the idea because I felt Escobar was at the end of the line since 2006, so bidding low was a win.

The D-Backs have agreed to a 1 year deal with reliever Bobby Howry. Howry (2-6;3.39ERA) was nothing special in San Fran last season and I don't really see much of an upside of signing him for a team that has struggled with reliable pitching.

The A's have signed back starter Justin Duchsherer to a 1yr/$5.5M deal depnding on if he can stay healthy. The Red Sox were considered his prime destination outside of returning to Oakland. I'd rather him go back there than come to the Sox because the bullpen is more of a pressing concern for the Red Sox. Also, the Yanks are forced to look at Ben Sheets now, who is still too injury prone.

The Giants have agreed to sign versatile INF Mark DeRosa to a 2yr/$12M contract. DeRosa took his physical today and an official announcement is due tomorrow. DeRosa hit a combined .250 and 23 HRs and 78RBIs between Cleveland and St. Louis.

The busy Mariners signed C Josh Bard and RP Chad Cordero to minor league deals.



Rumors and Notes:

The D-backs are keeping their eyes on Jose Valverde

Would Atlanta be getting 2B Dan Uggla? GM Frank Wren says "It's costly, but not ruled out."

The Rangers could be looking into SP Jon Garland and OF Jermaine Dye. The Rangers were rumored to be after DH Vladimir Guerrero. Dye can play the outfield, but not much better than Guerrero. Dye would be the cheaper and more productive choice.

The Red Sox have clared $48M of payroll off the books for 2010 which leaves the door open for Bay, whom they could pay easier after this season. What about the Beckett extension and V-Mart negotiations though? Has that been factored in?

The Tigers are looking for a new lead-off after dumping Curtis Granderson? Hello, Johnny Damon?

The Athletics are said to be "the only serious bidders" on 3B Adrian Beltre according to ESPN.

The Cubs are looking into reliever Kiko Calero. ESPNChicago.com thinks SP Jose Contrearas and OF Ryan Spilborghs won't be in Wrigley next season.

Things I Missed

I go away for a bit and things happen. I didn't go away by my choice either. So 3B Scott Rolen was extended through 2012 should he not fall apart by then with the Reds. I can see they signed him for the sake od leadership in the clubhouse, but that bat and fielding will be in rapid decline as he's about to hit 35. Last season between Toronto and Cincy, Rolen hit .305 with 11 HRs and 67RBIs. I'm not discrediting him for that amazing showing last season, but he's very injury-prone and he can't stay gold forever.

The Pirates signed reliever Javier Lopez(0-2 9.26ERA). Lopez was HORRIBLE in Boston last season. It was no surprise between injury and his pitching he only made 14 appearances. The previous few seasons he's proved to be a servicable reliver keeping his ERA under 3 for the most part. Amazingly, he's the only lefty in the Pirates pen now. The deal is worth $775K.

Reliever Darren Oliver has agreed to re-join the Rangers for a year worth $3.5M with an option for 2011 making the deal worth $6.25M altogether. Oliver was highly dependable and dynamite for the Angels. He holds a 15-3; 3.10ERA the past three seasons with them. Oliver attracted attention from a few teams and relatively was quiet up until his signing. I'm surprised more teams didn't make a push for him. He's seemingly become better with age. With this departure, the Angels should sounding the alarm as everything the organization has built is falling apart quickly.

OF Coco Crisp is nearing a 1yr/$5M contract with the A's. Crisp, who has struggled in roles in both Boston and Kansas City, would be getting the CF job outright. Crisp only played 49 games for the Royals last season batting .228 while batting .283 the season before in Boston before being replaced by Jacoby Ellsbury. I would agree with you that Crisp didn't get his chance fairly in KC, but basbeall in a buisness.

The Blue Jays continued their re-building spree by acquiring Brandon Morrow from the M's for reliver Brandon League (4.09ERA)and prospect Johermyn Chavez. I'm still undecided if the Jays have a legit team to make a run at the wild card, but leaning towards no.

The Yankees have finally dealt Melky Cabrera (.274, 13HRs, 68RBIs) to the Braves for Javier Vazquez (15-10; 2.87ERA). this will be Vazquez second stint with the Yanks after his first one didn't end as well(referring to the game 7 loss to the Sox). Also in the deal, the Yanks got reliever Boone Logan (1-1; 5.19ERA). The Braves received prospects Mike Dunn and Ardoys Vizcaino. As usual, the Yankees are trading away their young talent for aged veterans, so it's only a matter of time before a 2004 season repeats itself.

The Nationals have formally signed SP Jason Marquis (15-13; 4.04ERA) to a 2yr/$15M contract. Hopefully for the Nats sake, he'll be more than servicable and give them an all-star worthy season. I wasn't surprised that Marquis signed with them. Good pick-up for Washington, but they need more reliable starters to challenge anyone int he NL East. They may be signing Eddie Guardardo to a 1 year deal. Guardardo (1-2; 4.46ERA) battled injuries last season and considered retiring. This is too much of a gamble for the Nats unless the deal is coming in under $2M.

The Royals kept it cheap in replacing Coco Crisp by signing Brian Anderson (.227, 4HRs, 18RBIs). Anderson is a decent hitter and his OBP has been on the rise in recent years, but I don't think the Royals are going to see this guy become a star with everyday play.

Rumors and notes:

The Marlins have offered SP Ardolis Chapman a five year contract worth $13M. Relievers Matt Capps, Jose Veras and Tyler Walker on their Christmas list.

With the signing of Jason Marquis, The Nats appear to have a strong chance of getting Matt Capps, but the Cubs won't let them get him so easily. The cubs are also looking into SP Kei Igawa.

SP Justin Duchsherer shouldn't be ruled out returning to the A's.

The Braves are attempting to sign Troy Glaus. Glaus is coming off a lost season with the Cards and will definitely have to prove he can still be a good hitter. Hw ould be playing 1B.

Happy Holidays all and I will see you after Xmas!





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Another Big Trade?

This week seems to be a catalyst for baseball trades. First the blockbuster Lee-Halladay deal, now various sources report the busy Mariners are ready to send SP Carlos Silva to the Cubbies for OF Milton Bradley. This is great for the Cubs even though Silva is costing them $3M more beacause of the added depth to their pitching staff and a better clubhouse enviornment. Can the M's be a winner with Bradley? I think so. Bradley should be the hitter recieving protection so he can get some good balls to hit. Don Wakamatsu and Jeff Z. seem like the saviors of the franchise and should win the AL West this season with the moves they made. They won't tolerate Bradley's antics. Silva was out all of last season practically making only eight starts and going 1-3 with an 8.60ERA. I'm concerned for the Cubs because Silva's performance the past four year hasn't been all that good( not a single winning season or ERA below 4.19). Is it worth it for the Cubs to do this trade? Yes, Bradley is that much of a distraction to Piniella and Co. The deal is now pending a Bud Selig approval because of the money.
The M's didn't stop there either. They re-signed Ryan Langerhans to a one year contract(financials undisclosed). There is a rumor going aroudn they're shopping Brandon Morrow for a corner INF or DH. An extension is in the works for OF Franklin Gutierrez (.283 18HRs, and 70RBIs) for three-four years. His agent says they are "making progress."
If the deal goes down, ESPN's Jayson Stark says Cubs look at Rick Ankiel, Marlon Byrd, and Scott Podsednik. I like Marlon Byrd most of the bunch as a fit in Chi-town. Although having Ankiel's D at Wrigley wouldn't hurt?

The Yankees swooped in today and offered 1B Nick Johnson a 1yr/$5.5M contract. This would be Johnson's second stint with the team. He was a combined .256 hitter from '01-'04 with them. Johnson shuffled around the NL East last season and played in 133 games batting a combined .273. Where does he fit into the puzzle? I don't see where. I believe the Yankees did this to prevent other teams from picking him up(namely Boston). George King of the NY Post says if he signs the deal, "Damon's return is unlikely."

The Phillies have exercised SS Jimmy Rollins 2011 option ($8.5M) today. Rollins hit 2.50 with 21 HRs and 77 RBIs and stole 31 bases in '09.

Before Lackey was signed with the Red Sox, the team offered OF Matt Holliday a five year $82.5M contract. I'm glad we got Lackey instead, but something needs to be done about the outfield. Mike Cameron is not the answer. The Sox claim to still be active in trading for 1B Adrian Gonzalez. More than liekly, the deal doesn't get done and they settle for 3B Adrian Beltre. They still haven't jumped on the Mark DeRosa bandwagon and it came out today the Yankees will not pursue him.


Rumors and Notes:
The Braves agreed to terms with Cardinals INF Joe Thurston(.225).
The Brewers signed SP Kameoron Loe to a minor league deal.
The Dodgers are interested in Ronnie Belliard and Felipe Lopez.
The Padres and FA OF Coco Crisp are in serious talks about a one year deal.
The Reds have re-signed Laynce Nix to a minor league deal.

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Bay; Atkins;

Finally, the Lee-Halladay trade is done. Thank god because I coudln't take anymore confusion with it and it also disgusted me. Phillies fans will regret this sooner or later. Here's a final breakdown from mlbtraderumors.com:

The Phillies get Roy Halladay, Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, Juan Ramirez, and $6MM. The Phillies will give Halladay a three-year extension plus vesting options.
The Mariners get Cliff Lee.
The Blue Jays get Kyle Drabek, Brett Wallace, and Travis d'Arnaud.
The A's get Michael Taylor.

The Mets have offered Bay a 5yr/$75M deal Wedensday in hopes of signing him. It's the amount of years he wants, but the money is a little under what he requests. He should be grateful whatever her gets because he's been nothing but a snot since the end of the Red Sox season. Talks with Bengie Molina have stalled as well. If Bay doesn't sign, the Mets are going after Matt Holliday. Former Mets reliever Lance Broadway signed a contract with the Blue Jays today. Bad deal because his numbers weren't very encouraging (5.87ERA in ML; 6.17ERA in AAA). The Mets have signed pitcher Ryota Igarashi.

3B Garret Atkins has three "mystery" teams interested in him. Atkins slumped heavily last season (.226) after being dynamite the previous season. The speculation says "he's more than likely headed to an AL team." It was confirmed this morning that a 1yr deal @ $4.5M with an option worth $8.5M for 2011. The Orioles struck gold with reliever Mike Gonzalez as well today. Gonzalez went 5-4 with a 2.42ERA and 10 saves for the Braves last season. Two good pick-ups for a club that seems stuck in neutral.

The Tigers signed SS Ramon Santiago today to a 2yr/$2.5M contract. Santiago hit .267 last season I see a trend of cheap, forgettable players coming into Detroit this off-season, no big splashes.

The Marlins reached a deal with arbitration-eligible SP Ricky Nolasco on a 1yr/$3.8M contract this afternoon. Nolasco went 13-9 with a 5.06ERA last season for the Marlins. Now if they could could get something done with that Josh Johnson guy?

The Dodgers had a brief, cheap spending spree today. The club signed 1B Doug Mintkiewicz, SS Angel Berroa (both got minor league deals), and 2B/3B Jamey Carroll. Carroll is the only one of this group who will see lots of time on the field. Carroll hit .276 with the Indians last year. Th contract is worth 2yrs/$3.85M. Carroll is a guy whose in decline and this is no way to begin replacing Orlando Hudson. He played only 93 games last season and he can play three different field positions, so this is a case of durability. Will he last an enitre Dodgers season?

Rumors and Notes:
Johnny Damon won't accept a new deal under $13M. Expect him to head west.

Cuban defector Ardolis Chapman had a great workout for 15 teams Tuesday. He needs brush-up on mechanics, but is otherwise sound.

The Red Sox are said to be "pushing hard now" to acquire Adrian Gonzalez. With the signings of Lackey and Cameron, Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury have become expendable. I think I will snap if they trade them. Buchholz can work out of the pen and Cameron really doesn't have that much left in the tank.

The Padres and A's are looking into OF Coco Crisp.

Spoiled brat SP Josh Johnson is looking for a deal bigger than Zach Grienke's current one. Call us back when you win a Cy Young.

The Dodgers are exploring a trade with the Reds for starter Aaron Harang. The Reds would do it for two of the Dodgers starting players and they'd be picking up part of his salary as per Tim Dierkes of mlbtraderumors.com.

The M's, Giants, and Yankees are looking at 1B Nick Johnson (.291 between Washington and Florida).

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Red&White Sox; Hallady-Lee

Both pairs of AL Sox made deals today. The Red Sox have agreed to a 2 yr/$15.5M with OF Mike Cameron. This move is the worst move I've ever seen. Why when Matt Holliday is still on the market would you sign a 37 year old outfielder? Gordon Edes reported this morning that the organization cut ties with Jason Bay as of today, which was the first stupid move they made. What are the Yankees thinking after they traded for Granderson? They're probably laughing. Cameron will play LF, Ellsbury in CF and Drew in RF.

The White Sox acquired speedy OF Juan Pierre from the Dodgers for two pitchers John Ely and Jon Link. The Dodgers are hoping for these two pitchers(who I've never heard of) to contribute in the majors in the upcoming season. The Dodgers had to eat $10.5M of Pierre's contract and the White sox will be paying the other $8M. This is a poor deal for the Dodgers. Poor Frank McCourt. Pierre hit .308 and stole 30 bases in 145 games last season. The White Sox seem primed for a World Series run this season with all the bats they've acquired.

Once the Hallday-Lee deal is done, the Jays will ship OF Michael Taylor(from Phillies) to Oakland for 3B Brett Wallace. Taylor was between AA and AAA this past season hitting a combined .320 with 20HRs and 84 RBIs in 116 games. Wallace was the same leagues, but hit .302 with 9 HRs and 28RBIs. If those streaks hold steady, we should see both of them in the majors by mid-season.

The Mets are closing in on a deal with RP Ryota Igarashi. He would be setting up for K-Rod.

News and Notes:
The Lee-Halladay deal is still being worked on with more names added in. It gets more and more confusing as it goes along. No resolution is expected today.

The Yankees are rumored to be "very interested" in SP Ben Sheets and won't be going after Jason Bay.

No new progress with the Matt Holliday-Cards offer.

The Cubs are in pursuit of OF Marlon Byrd with Mike Cameron off the market.

Jason Marquis would prefer the Nationals to offer him a deal.

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M.O.A.D.

Holy Friolies!!!! Today is the mother of all deal days! Big Names! Big Price Tags! This has by far eclipsed anything done at the winter meetings. Lets' get down to it.

Firstly, I'm excited and thrilled to report the Red Sox appear to have agreed to terms with SP John Lackey. The deal is worth $85M over 5 years which is significantly less than the expected $100M I thought Lackey would get. This move should make the Red Sox arguably the deepest pitching staff in the majors. Another bonus is it comes off of the pesky Angels, who always seem to meet the Sox in the opening round of the playoffs most seasons. The Sox would be giving up another draft pick to the Angels which would bump the Jays pick down for picking up Marco Scutaro. The team is having trouble negotiating with Josh Beckett, so this cushions the blow in the event, he elects free agency next season. Lackey was 11-8 with a 3.83ERA in the regular season and 1-1 with a 3.12ERA in the postseason. The Red Sox can now concentrate on getting an OF. Rumor has it Mike Cameron (who sure as hell is no Jason Bay) is in the mix.

The next biggest news is the 3 team swap including pitchers Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. The Phillies before the trade are trying to lock up Halladay. The Phils get Halladay and two prospects from the M's. The M's get Cliff Lee. The Jays get Phillies catcher prospect Travis D'Arnuad and another to be named(OF Michael Taylor maybe?), and Seattle pitching prospect Phillipe Aumont. SP/RP J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton took physicals as well as other desired prospect Domonic Brown, who could be part of the deal. This is a bad deal for Philly, who depleted their talent to acquire Lee and now they want to do it again? Happ is going to be better than serviceable in the years to come. The Jays are looking towards the future and suppose these prospects don't produce? I looked at the numbers and these guys are all nowhere near the majors yet. How much longer will Toronto wait?!? Seattle makes off with immediate return.

The Angels have reached an agreement with DH/OF Hideki Matsui. It's a 1yr/ $6.5M deal which is far less than the $77M they doled out for Vlad Guerrero. Vlad's days are over if this deal goes through. Can Matsui play the OF if need be? This is an almost $7M dollar pay-cut from his previous Yankees contract. The Angels are said to be looking to the possibility of acquiring SP Derek Lowe from the Braves.

The Brewers re-signed 3B Craig Counsell at $2.1M plus $500K in incentives for one year. The deal is a steal for the Brewers looking at Counsell's salivating numbers last season (.285, 4 HRs, 39RBIs, 61 runs in 130 games).

The Nats brought back SP Scott Olsen to a 1yr/$1M deal with incentives that could make it up to $5M if he makes x number of starts. Olsen struggled last season before getting injured (2-4; 6.03ERA).

The Mets have offered SP Kelvim Escobar a minor league deal. Escobar is looking to work out of the bullpen for the preservation of his shoulder. No terms to report.

News and Notes:

The Astros, D-Backs, Pirates, and Cardinals all want a piece of 2B Kelly Johnson. My guess is the Cardinals or Astros get him.

The Nationals, Cardinals, Rangers, Rockies and Marlins have set their eyes on Matt Capps. I expect the Cards or Nats to get him unless he gets the multi-year deal he's looking for and is willing to be a set-up man for the other clubs.

Jason Michaels will be back next year in an Astros uni. Claudio Vargas is returning to the Brewers as well.

The Blue Jays signed C Ramon Castro to a 1yr/$1M deal.

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The Aftermath Weekend

The winter meetings ended somewhat quietly this off-season leaving many big names on the board still. One reliever took himself off, J.J. Putz (1-4;5.22ERA in 29 games) signed Friday with the White Sox to a 1yr/$3M deal. This is relatively cheap for Putz, who suffered through injuries last season in a plagued stay with the Mets. The white Sox made a good move here, but it leads me to believe GM Williams is pushing Bobby Jenks out the door. I like Jenks way better as a closer than Putz. Jenks was tendered a contract Saturday.

The Royals got their man in C Jason Kendall. Kendall signed to a similar "Pudge" Rodriguez deal. This new Royals team plan is kind of bizarre. Trade away talent for minimal talent or aged vets.

Saturday was tendering day. Unfortunately that meant a few players didn't make the cut: Yanks SP Chien Ming-Wang, Brewers SP Seth McClung, Rox 3B Garret Atkins,all-purpose Marlin Alfredo Amezaga, Nat's pitcher Scott Olsen, Phillies reliever Clay Condrey, Angels reliever Jose Arredondo, Giants 1B Ryan Garko Braves 2B Kelley Johnson and OF Ryan Church,Reds OF Jonny Gomes, Atheltics DH/OF Jack Cust, and surprisingly Pirates closer Matt Capps.

The Blue Jays signed OF Joey Gathright, C John Buck, and RP Raul Chavez.

News and Notes:

The Lowell-Ramirez deal is being held-up because of Lowell's thumb injury as per Nick Cafardo's report.

ESPN's Jayson Stark(via Twitter) reports the Angels are making a significant push at retaining John Lackey now.

The Red Sox completed the Boof Bonser trade by sending Chris Province (2-4;2.60ERA in AA) to the Twins. Bonser was signed through 2010 by the Sox Saturday.

SI's John Heyman says "The Mets will go to five years to get Jason Bay if need be," while Gordon Edes says for "Sox fans not to give up on Bay." Meanwhile, Luke Adams of mlbtraderumors.com reports Bay's agent Joe Urbon says "my client is ready to move on after seeing other offers."

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Bit of Yesterday and The Final Day of Meetings

The Rangers were making a flurry of moves and I thought for a second they were the New York Yankees. Rich Harden was signed to a 1yr/ $6.5M contract, Chris Ray was acquired from the Orioles, and then they agreed to trade minor league catcher Max Ramirez to the Red Sox for 3B Mike Lowell pending physicals. The Red Sox ate Lowell's contract to deal him, where he'll more than likely be a DH in the Texas line-up. By doing so, I have believe Theo is going to pursue Adrian Gonzalez or another high profile infielder. After saying "they{Red Sox} weren't going to make a deal at the meetings," the Sox have acquired reliever Boof Bonser from the Twins for a player to be named later. Recently, the Twins designated him for assignment. This is the 3rd reliever the Sox have picked-up in 2 days.

Another team that's hot is the Astros. They got Brandon Lyon (6-5; 2.86ERA) late last night for 3yrs/$15M and a draft pick goes to the Tigers. As I'm typing this, Houston has just signed 3B Pedro Feliz to a 1yr/$4.5M contract. All Feliz .266, 12HRs, 82 RBIs) could could get was $4.5M? That puzzles me. His numbers are for the most part steady in production and he doesn't commit a lot of fielding errors. It's a bargain for the Astros.

The Royals continue their revamping craze by releasing 1B Mike Jacobs and reliever John Bale. With this move the Royals can make two selections in the Rule 5 draft today. Getting rid of Bale was good, but why Jacobs? He did have a down year in 2009, but the Royals line-up isn't exactly full of production. Wouldn't it have been possible to slide Jacobs into another position since the coming of Billy Butler?

The Rockies have come to terms with C Chris Iannetta (.228, 16 HRs, 52 RBIs) on a 3 year deal worth over eight million. Good move for the Rockies since they're still unsure if Torrealba will return. The team has made 2yr/$4M+ to C Jason Kendall. If Kendall doesn't sign, the Royals may pursue Rod Barajas.

The Rays and Braves swapped relievers. A expected the Rays get their man in Rafael Soriano and send the Braves Jesse Chavez(1-4; 4.01ERA). Chavez is rough around the edges still, but is expected to progress into a great reliever. The Rays are working on a 1yr/$7M deal with Soriano and will be official once the physical is in the books.

News and Notes:
Ian Browne and John Heyman report the Mets have offered OF Jason Bay a 4 yr/$65M contract. Bay is looking for a fifth year.
The White Sox have made an offer to J.J. Putz(undisclosed).
With Brandon Lyon, Raffy Soriano off the market and the Sox jumping on Putz, where does this leave the Phils for bullpen help? Reports say GM Amaro is looking hard at John Smoltz.
Will the Red Sox pursue Adrian Beltre now? God, I hope not. Spend the money and get DeRosa. The Giants are looking at DeRosa today. Maybe Adam LaRoche comes back and Youk moves to third thinks Ian Browne.
ESPN's Jayson Stark says "Disregard any Adrian Gonzalez rumor."
Reliever Darren Oliver is receiving attention from the Mets, Red Sox, Angels, Rays, rangers, and Mariners. His agent is about to speak with the Texas tonight.

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Winter Meetings: Day 3

I'm still recovering from yesterday as today has more heavy-hitting news. The Granderson deal huge. Boston should strike back today or tomorrow to counter the Yankees. They could've gotten Granderson if they traded SP Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury, but thought the price was too high. I agree with the front office. This probably means the Yankees have no trade chips to get Roy Halladay. The Yankees did get Andy Pettite after all, who signed for just under $12M despite not origianlly liking the number. Rumor has it the other New York(Mets) team has its eyes on Joel Pineiro, Doug Davis, John Lackey, Jon Garland, and Jason Marquis. I think they get Garland or Davis.

The Brewers have closed the deal with SP Randy Wolf. They get him for 3 yrs @ $29.75M with a fourth year option. As a bonus, they picked up reliever LaTroy Hawkins (1-4; 2.13ERA) for two years at $7.5M. Good moves by the Brewers, although I think they overpaid for Randy Wolf. Hawkins was a steal because of his abilityto get batters and baserunners out.

The Orioles and Rangers appear to be trading pitchers. The Orioles will get Kevin Millwood (13-10; 3.67ERA) sending Chis Ray (0-4;7.27ERA). What are the Rangers thinking? Ray hasn't had a winning season in 4 ML seasons? His ERA jumped almost 3 points from 2007 to this year?!? If I'm Texas, I'm praying someone's physical comes back with a defect (more than likely Millwood's). If I'm Baltimore, I'm thinking about pulling off a possible deal of the century. The money saved by Texas would allow them to pursue a cheaper starter. As of 6:34PM, it;s a done deal and Texas gets a player to be named later.

The Rockies are close to re-signing C Yorvit Torrealba(.291, 2HRs, 31 RBIs in 64 games). The deal would be worth $5.5M/2yrs. That's a lot for a backup catcher who doesn't even play half the season. Torrealba is looking for $6M.

The Astros appear close to receiving closer Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins reports Ken Rosenthal. It is unsure of who the Marlins will receive. Lindstrom (2-1; 5.89ERA) lost the closer job to Leo Nunez after injuring himself mid-season and never returning to form. As of 4:33PM, this deal is done and Lindstrom is on his way for a physical in Houston. The Marlins get pitcher Robert Bono,INF Luis Bryan and a player to be named.

SS Bobby Crosby is now a Pirate. The contract is worth $1M with 5K of incentives. At least they didn't overspend on him.

Rumors:
Multiple teams are interested in SP Derek Lowe (15-10;4.67ERA) and the Braves say they will "eat some of his contract."
The Rays lead the chase for reliever Rafael Soriano.
Rich Harden is on the verge of a contract agreement for an unknown team (Rangers is the rumor now).
The White Sox may take a look at reliever J.J. Putz. Does this mean that Bobby Jenks is on the move? Or will Putz accept a similar role when he was acquired by the Mets?
The Red Sox and Rangers are talking Mike Lowell.
Jayson Stark says the Padres are "aggresively" trying to move Kevin Kouzmanoff.
The Phillies have interest in pitcher Jason Marquis.

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Winter Meetings Day 2; Big News

First thing that happened today was C Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez agreeing to a 2yr/$6M deal with the Nationals pending a physical. Many fans thought Rodriguez was washed up in 2008, but had a great 2009 season between Houston and Texas hitting a combined .249 with 10HRs and 47 RBIs. The Nats are making some very good moves having just acquired Brian Bruney yesterday. At this rate, they could be contenders if they can hold onto Josh Willingham.

The biggest move probably of the day goes to the three team trade (Yanks, Tigers, and D-Backs). The Yankees will acquire OF Curtis Granderson (.249; 30HRs; 71 RBIs) from the Tigers and they ship OF Austin Jackson (.300BA in AAA) and reliever Phil Coke (4-3; 4.50ERA) to the Tigers and SP Ian Kennedy to the D-Backs. Jackson provides talent for the Tigers, but Phil Coke has a little work to do yet. The Tigers will receive SP Max Scherzer (9-11; 4.12ERA) and RP Daniel Schlereth (1-4; 5.89ERA) from the D-Backs. Scherzer is considered to be the prize of the deal for Detroit, who has just cut their payroll by a lot. The D-Backs meanwhile also get SP Edwin Jackson (13-9; 3.62 ERA) from the Tigers. The Yankees win this deal immediately by adding Granderson's big bat, but the Tigers are close behind with talent locked up for years to come. The D-backs, I have no idea what they were thinking? Jackson is a good pick-up, but won't be as beneficial as a Granderson, Jackson, or the Scherzer to come. With the deal going through, expect Yankees OF Melky Cabrera to be cut loose. Physicals will be taken before it's all set in stone.

The Pirates are reportedly close to signing SS Bobby Crosby (.223BA; 6HRs 29RBIs). He would be competing with Ronny Cedeno for the spot if signed. I think Crosby is the wrong move for the Pirates, not saying Ronny Cedeno is the answer. Crosby is a guy whose consistently underachieved since 2005.

Rumor has it the Angels will deal an infielder and the most likely candidate is Macier Izturis (.300BA, 8HRs, 65RBIs). Why they'd dump a guy with that production who only makes $1.6M is beyond me. They won't be able to replace those numbers that cheap. Also, the teams considering giving Vladimir Guerrero a 1 year deal, but Vlad wants at least two years. If two years is his asking price, he will find a suitor quick.
News and notes:

1B/3B/OF Mark Teahan has been locked up by the White Sox for three years at $14M.
The Braves designated OF Ryan Church for assignment (.260, 2HRs, 18RBIs in his Braves stint). This moves frees up the space for Rafael Soriano to return after he accepted arbitration late last night.
The Twins designated RP Boof Bonser (3-7; 5.93ERA) for assignment to make room for Carl Pavano, who also accepted arbitration late last night.
The Brewers have offered SP Randy Wolf (11-7; 3.23ERA) a three year contract at $27M...The deal screams sign me.
Chone Figgins is officially the Mariners 3B. Brad Penny is officially a Cardinal. The Giants better find someone now. Rich Harden sounds good?
The Phillies have signed multi-position player Ross Gload to a 2yr deal.

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Winter Meetings Day 1

Let it begin boys and girls. Today owners, GM's, and agents met in Indy for what will be an exciting three days. Let's recap if you were sleeping under a rock.

FA SP Andy Pettite has said he wants to return to pitch a 16th season, but has supposedly rejected the Yankees initial offer. Right now, I'm cheering, but I bet he'll break down like he did last season to return to the Yanks. As of now, though it appears he will be back for the Yanks, as I've just read in Cliff Eastham's blog. The Yanks shipped reliever Brian Bruney off to the Nats for a player to be named. Bruney during the regular season was fantastic going 5-0 with a 3.92 ERA, but broke down in the postseason. This is a solid pick-up regardless for the Nats, who need a lot of help in the bullpen.

The Red Sox came to terms with reliever Scott Atchinson. It's a minor league deal worth $420K, but with $1M+ in options. The Red Sox bought EXTREMELY LOW speculating their saving money for the higher priced relievers/outfield position/starting pitching. Atchinson hasn't pitched a ML game since 07 with the Giants posting a 4.11 ERA. Jason Bay is expected to turn down arbitration.

The Rockies released OF Matt Murton in order for him to pursue a contract with the Hanshin Tigers. He hit .389 in Triple-A last season.

The Tigers have re-signed SS Adam Everett to a 1yr/ $1.5M deal. Everett hit .238 with 3 HRs and 44 RBIs last season in 118 games for the Tigers.

The Cardinals have reached a preliminary agreement on a 1 yr deal with SP Brad Penny. Penny resurrected his career in Boston last season before falling apart and being released. He found his stride again with the Giants (4-1; 2.59ERA). The deal is worth $7.5M with $1.5M in incentives should he pass the physical. This means that John Smoltz's stay in STL is probably over. Penny can help the Cards out greatly if he can be the 2nd half Brad Penny he was this season. Mark DeRosa is expected to turn down arbitration.

The Angels have begun talks with Jason Bay's agent, Joe Urbon. There is nothing to report yet, but sources say the Mariners don't have a shot. Evidently, the Milton Bradley-Pat Burrell swap hasn't been shot down yet. I can't see this trade benefiting either team. Burrell doesn't help the Cubs offense or defense and the Rays don't want distractions in their clubhouse.

Good news for the Twins, Carl Pavano will accept arbitration. Pavano went a combined 14-12 with a 5.10ERA between Cleveland and Minnesota in '09.

SP Justin Duchsherer has declined arbitration with the A's. For him to go anywhere, the team that signs him will have to give up draft picks. With the Sox already having to deal picks to Toronto, I expect that to shoot down Duchsherer coming to Boston.

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A Tidbit

Sources say 3B Chone Figgins takes his physical tomorrow and will be a Mariner by the evening. Also, don;t be surprise if the M's target John Lackey and Jason Bay.

Reliever Rafael Betancourt is going to finally accept the Rockies arbitration offer.

The Marlins are exploring dealing closer Matt Lindstrom. Lindstrom went 2-1 with a 5.89 ERA. He struggled mid-season closing for the Marlins. The Rays are rumored to be the interest.

If the Yanks choose to non-tender SP Chien Ming-Wang, the Dodgers will be interested in signing him, says Ken Davidoff. The Red Sox fan in me wants Wang to stay around after watching his meltdown last season.

The Mets have interest in OF Josh Willingham. Maybe that would be a move worth making, Omar?

The Royals are attempting to strike a deal with Cuban defector Noel Arguelles. The deal would be worth $7M/5yrs. Arguelles has a great fastball (94MPH).

This week should pick up with winter meetings starting tomorrow. I'm hoping for my Sox to make some big strides in the pen and outfield. I think the Phillies may get a reliever, but that would be it. The Mets should be poised to get something big because signing Coste and Blanco sure as hell didn't make the team any better.

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Scutaro;Zaun; Figgins and more

It's a deal. Boston's new SS is Marco Scutaro. I don't agree with the signing. I was more open to Pedroia moving over to SS and being able to sign a Brandon Phillips, Orlando Hudson (which the Rox claim they're not pursuing) or a 2b of those natures. The Sox don't trust Jed Lowrie because of his health, but Scutaro is coming off an injury, too. Sure, he hit .282 with 12 HRs, 60 RBIs and 100 runs for last season, but why do I feel like he won't come near those numbers again? Now the Sox mus tackle the OF and bullpen which are far more important a this point in my eyes.

C Greg Zaun has signed a deal with the Brewers. It's woth $1.9M this season with a $2M+ option for next season and a $250K buyout. Zaun split time between Baltimore and Tampa Bay last season playing 90 games hitting a combined .251.

The rumor is Chone Figgins is close to a deal, but don't rule the Angles out yet says Jayson Stark of ESPN, with the Mariners. This news may no break until tomorrow if it's true.

The Orioles have re-signed C Chad Moeller to a minor league deal. The Orioles backstop is now crowded behind Matt Wieters. Moeller will be battling Craig Tatum and Michel Hernandez for the spot. Moeller hit .251 in 30 games last season.

Other news, The Rangers claimed Joe Inglett of the Jays. Inglett hit .281 last season for Toronto and .360 in Triple A ball. The Dodgers signed reliever Justin Miller to a minor league deal. If he makes the majors, he'll make $850K. Last season before going down with arthroscopic elbow surgery. Miller posted a 3.18ERA for the Giants last season.

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Attack of the NL East part deux

The Phils got a 3B now; his name: Placido Polanco. The former Tiger signed a 3 yr/$18M deal to play for the Phils. The door is still open for Pedro Feliz to return at a cheaper price, but he probably won't with Polanco starting. This will be his second stint in Philly after joining them in 2002. I don't understand why the Phils didn't see if they could get Chone Figgins beforehand.

Another Brave signing and another Red sox departure today as reliever Takashi Saito joined Atlanta for a 1yr/$3.2M deal with incentives. Saito had to prove his worth to teams last season after coming off surgery and joined the Red Sox where he went 3-3 with a 2.56ERA. Most definitely, the Sox can add relievers to their wishlist after losing Wagner yesterday and Saito today.

After some speculation, the Mets have signed C Henry Blanco to a 1yr/$1.5M deal.

The A's traded pitcher Jeff Gray (0-1; 3.76ERA) and two minor leaguers for 2B Aaron Miles (.185 with 5 RBIs) and Jake Fox (.259 11HRs and 44RBIs).The A's got a good deal(also got $1M) even if Miles was terrible at the plate. Fox can play many positions as he did in '09 with the Cubbies. Gray should develop into something for the Chicago organization, but I don't see return immediately.

According to J.P. Morosi of Fox Sports, The M's are the frontrunners for 3B Chone Figgins. The deal could be worth 4yr/$30M.

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Attack of the NL East

It figures things begin to get good while I'm getting lambasted with assignments in the final week of college. First on the docket was the Phillies acquisiton of C Brian Schneider. You'll remember him from the Mets last season. Schneider hit .218 in an injury shortened season. He'll make $1.2M this season as a backup for Carlos Ruiz. Schneider had the chance to start elsewhere, but his childhood love of the Phils sealed the deal.

The Braves are ready to acquire Billy Wagner. Wagner is the first high-profile player to move.The deal is worth a total of $13M as long as he makes 50 appearances this season. Wagner wants to be on a World Series capable team so I'm puzzled why the Braves. The Red Sox will receive Atlanta's draft pick in next year's draft because of the arbitration offering. Speaking of the Sox, Dustin Pedroia maybe sliding over to shortstop. It's been talked over within(waiting on confirmation from manager Terry Francona) and he's very open to doing so. While at ASU, he was an all-star at SS and has played a few games at ML level at the position. The Sox are rumored to talk with Adam Everett and Adam Kennedy to fill 2B. I'd go with Brandon Phillips personally.

The Rays acquired C Kelly Shoppach from the Indians for a player to be named later. If so, Dienor Navarro could be non-tendered. Shoppach hit .214 with 12 Hrs and 40 RBIs in 89 games last season. The Indians have signed Jason Grilli and 3 minor leaguers to deals. This is Grilli's 7th team, but with a 5.32 ERA and injury setbacks, that's no surprise.

Two of the biggest names in baseball set deadlines for moves. Roy Halladay says the Jays better trade him by spring training. Joe Mauer wants an extension by Opening Day.

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Mets and Cards strike

After a slow Thanksgiving break, the Mets and Cards starting putting together pieces of the 2010 season. The Mets signed C Chris Coste (.224BA) and re-signed Alex Cora (.251 1HR; 18RBIs). Coste was more productive in the first half with the Phillies than the Astros. The catcher turns 37 this year and if he hangs on with the Mets will be eligible next year for salary arbitration. Cora has a potential $3M deal if he makes 80 starts this season. Why the Mets chose to pay him that much when they could've had the pick of the litter for a utility player is beyond me. They are rumored to be close to a deal with C Henry Blanco too. Blanco hit .235 with 6 HRs and 16 RBIs. The good news is it shouldn't cost the Mets more than a million.

The Cardinals have signed deals with 2B Ruben Gotay and C Jason LaRue. Gotay (.235; 2HRs and 8 RBIs in 88 games) has yet to play a full major league season since breaking into the bigs in 2004. His best season came with the Mets in 2007 where he batted .295 and didn't play at all in the majors this season. LaRue is a cheap option rather than the Cards going after Torrealba, Molina, etc. He hit .240 last season and is a good clubhouse guy to have.

Basically, these are minor deals today as we have yet to see a significant signing happen. Rumors today include: Pirates interested in Justin Duchsherer, Orioles interested in Kevin Millwood, The Sox like Holliday over Bay?, Phils and Sox talked on 3B Mike Lowell, Rangers have interest in Octavio Dotel and Jermaine Dye, and the Indians plan to fill positions from within the organization.

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A-Gon to Jays; Johnson trade rumor; Halladay

SS Alex Gonzalez has agreed to terms with the Toronto Blue Jays despite having looked into Orlando Cabrera first. The deal is worth $2.75M with a club option worth the same for 2011 after turning down Boston's 1 yr/$3M deal. Look for the Sox to pursue Marco Scutaro intensely now after A-Gon has left Boston again. Marco's agent says "Boston is on the top of Marco's list of suitors." Boston has concurred that he is probably the best option as well, but the Sox would have to slide the Jays a draft pick because of Scutaro's Type A status.

Apparently since the extension talks have died out, the Marlins may deal SP Josh Johnson for "the right package deal." While MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says not to believe this, look at how thin the market is in reliable pitching? A team looking for a complement to their ace or strengthen the rotation would jump at the chance to pick up Johnson and get it done very cheaply. Johnson went 15-5 with a 3.23ERA in 33 games last season amidst becoming an all-star.

The Yankees have been added to Roy Halladay's wish list of suitors. Hallady has to waive his no trade clause to go to any team. GM Alex Anthoupolous of the Jays will only trade him to an AL East team if he can get the best deal possible. If the Jays have to deal Hallady, which appears inevitable a this point, they can't upgrade a division rival. The Blue Jays want to commit to a new chapter where they become contenders annually in the AL and build their team from the farm up. No matter who they get from the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, or Orioles wouldn't benefit Toronto in the long run.

The Pirates have inquired about OF Rick Ankiel and 1B/3B Hank Blalock. This comes a day after the Pirates organization said to "spend freely this off-season." Reliever Mike Gonzalez could return to Pittsburgh if the money is right. The Orioles are discussing bringing in Ben Sheets or an Erik Bedard reunion.

Recent Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum is looking to sign a 1 yr deal to better his chances for salary arbitration.

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Rumors and Signings

The Jays have re-signed SS John McDonald to a 1yr/$1.5M deal. McDonald (.258BA) could be the starting SS opening day with the uncertainty of Marco Scutaro drawing interest in other clubs. He {McDonald} was mostly a reserve the past few seasons. The Jays will actively pursue a starting SS as of tonight. The Jays are interested in bringing C Yorvit Torreabla in for the departing Rod Barajas. The Jays aren't ready to hand the reins over to prospect Buster Posey. Torrealba would get very significant playing time while teaching the kid the ropes. Mike Polishuk of MLBtraderumors.com says "There is a 90% chance Lyle Overbay will be traded by winter meetings."

The Red Sox, one club looking at Scutaro, is also interested in Kelvim Escobar. Why? I know the front office loves to gamble on guys (Penny, Smoltz, etc), but Escobar's best days are behind him. He's a career .526 in the W-L column having his best season in 2007 with the Angels going 18-7 with a 3.40ERA. Last season, he went 0-1 with a 3.60ERA in only 5 innings and missed the whole 2008 season. Not a good gamble here. Better luck trading Buchholz and Kelly for Halladay. Rumor has it, the Sox would rather sign Matt Holliday than Jason Bay. If they couldn't offer up more than $60M for Bay, how do they plan to get Holliday? Rumor has it that the Sox are actively persuing SP Justin Duchsherer. Duchsherer missed last season with elbow & hip woes as well as clinical depression. This doesn't sound like guy that will last under the microscope in Boston. The Sox have acquired Tug Hulett (.194BA) from the Royals for cash.

The Royals have signed P Josh Rupe (15.43ERA in 4 appearances) and OF Buck Coats(.193 in AAA). When I saw this deal get done, I was totally excited (hint of sarcasm). The Royals seem to be filling slots fast since partially blowing up a core of the team. The only problem is they're not UPGRADING. You can't win games without talent.

The Yankees have parted ways with reserve Shelly Duncan. I got the joy of seeing Duncan play at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and can say he's a solid pick-up for any team and has the potential to start immediately at 1B/OF in ML. He never really had a chance with the Yankees being blocked by Giambi and Texiera. He was an IL all-star.

The Mets are said to be close to bringing back RP Elmer Dessens. He went 0-0 3.31ERA last season. Wilson Valdez signed a minor league deal with the Phillies today, so he won't be back in New York. The Phils grabbed DeWayne Wise off the White Sox today. The Phils bench is quickly taking shape after letting the 5 walk last week. The Phils are said be to be targeting 3B Adrian Beltre. With all the guys left on the market, Beltre is one you want to let slip down as close to your last resort. He's lost a lot of his power and from 2008-2009 was half the hitter he was.

Lastly, the Padres claimed Radhames Liz off the O's today. Liz was 0-0 with a sky-high era, literally.

Coco Crisp make not be a White Sock after all. The club signed OF Andruw Jones today. Jones caught on with the Rangers last season batting .217 with 17HRs and 43 RBIs after being dumped by the Dodgers.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! There may or may not be a post over the weekend because I will be in Florida for the UF-FSU game. Check out http://www.sportsjabber.net

Castro to Phils; Braves, White Sox

FA infielder Juan Castro has agreed to terms with the Phillies on a 1 yr deal pending a physical. The Phillies struck quickly ending a possible return to LA or the Rockies. Castro hit .277 in 57 games for the Dodgers last season while playing three different positions. He's slated to be utility for the Phils replacing departed SS Eric Bruntlett.

The Braves signed minor league reliever Juan Abreu. Abreu is a great strikeout-walk pitcher while going 2-2 with a 5.75ERA before injuring his ankle and missing the rest of the season. Abreu was once #25 prospect for the Royals organization.

The White Sox are rumored to be interested in OF Coco Crisp. Crisp has underachieved vastly between his stints with the Royals and Red Sox after a hot start to his career in Cleveland. Crisp hit .228 in almost half a season. The Royals let him walk and bought him out. If Crisp came, Alex Rios would be staying put in RF. C A.J. Pierzynski hopes to remain with the club after his contract expires next season. That all depends on prospect Tyler Flowers progression. Flowers hit .286 this season between AA and AAA ball.

The Mariners are looking into 1B Nick Johnson as a back-up if Russell Branyan doesn't return. They've been talking with Toronto about Lyle Overbay. They'd have to eat some of his contract though. Other options are moving Jose Lopez to first or if Casey Kotchman becomes available. Lopez played 1B and 2B for a combined 50 games this season.

Other notes today:

The Rockies are not interested in 3B Mike Lowell. They don't want him even if the Sox eat part of his contract and remain open to re-signing Jason Giambi for a righty in the lineup.

The Yankees sign OF Eladio Moronta to a 1 year deal. He's been compared to Raul Mondesi, but has been in trouble for misrepresentation of his age with MLB officials. Don't look for Andy Pettite to decide if he's coming back for 2010 any time soon.

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Vizquel; Capauno; Halama; Rumors

The White Sox have made it official. Omar Vizquel is coming to the Windy City. It's a 1yr/$1.3M deal. In other signings, the Brewers have re-signed injury-prone Chris Caupano. The lefty was limited to nine minor league innings this season having Tommy John surgery and now rehabbing. In an effort to make them look better for having done this, they signed SP John Halama. Funny thing is, Halama has pitched in the minors all last season and hasn't had a ML outing since 2006. What are the Brewers thinking by this re-vamping their pitching staff? Take your chances and sign Ben Sheets back at this rate.

A few rumors today:
Teams have been calling about Rangers OF Nelson Cruz (.260; 33 HRs; 76RBIs and 20SBs). If the Rangers even had an inkling of trading him, I think every Rangers fan should boycott the team.

The Mets are looking into Russell Branyan playing 1B for 2010. Branyan is looking for 3-5 million. The Giants are thinking C Yorvit Torrealba to replace Bengie Molina. The Rockies aren't going to roll over and let him walk. They want him back, or else look at Brian Schneider.

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Notes

It is said by Ken Rosenthal that OF Johnny Damon will be seeking a 2yr/$19M deal for any team. Damon had a good year (.284 24 HRs; 82 RBIs) at 35 years of age. The Yankees believe Damon is heading for a decline, but may still negotiate with him.

Boston OF J.D. Drew has undergone surgery on his left shoulder. If it was his right, the club could've opted out of his contract if he spent more than 35 days on the DL. Drew is in the fourth year of a five year deal.

The Royals picked up C Vance Wilson and reliever Jorge Campillo. The A's signed 3B Dallas McPherson.

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Vizquel deal; Red Sox rumors; Pirates; Rockies

Journeymen SS Omar Vizquel is close to a one year deal with the White Sox. Vizquel hit .266 in 195 plate appearance for the Rangers. The great thing about this deal for the White Sox is the temporary versatility he can bring by playing multiple positions in the infield.

The Red Sox have added Rick Ankiel, Adrian Beltre, Rich Harden, Cody Ross, and possibly Ben Sheets to their wish list writes Gordon Eades and Peter Gammons. Ross was believed to be going to Boston this past season, but they wouldn't send reliever Manny Delcarmen to them. Be on the look-out for Marco Scutaro at SS if the Sox can't get A-Gon back. The Red Sox claimed Robert Manuel off waivers from the M's. Manuel made his debut last season with the Reds and M's posting a 2.88ERA.

The hapless Pirates claimed reliever Chris Jakubauskas off the Mariners. The Pirates designated Jeff Karstens for assignment to make room for him. Jakubauskas posted a 5.32ERA last season.

The Rockies signed catcher Paul Phillips to a minor league deal. The Rox are interested in bringing back Yorvit Torrealba back.

Reds OF Laynce Nix has elected to test the FA waters. Nix hit .239 with 15 HRs and 46 RBIs last season.

Bay rejects Sox; 2 signings; D'backs trade and Marlon Byrd

Well, the day of reckoning has been all but sealed. Of Jason Bay has rejected a 4yr/$60M by the Red Sox and will opt to test the waters of FA at 12:01AM. What does this mean for the Red Sox? Matt Holliday most definitely is the the only one capable of Bay's production in Boston. Bay will more than likely get more money from any team, especially the Yankees. I expect to hate Bay just as much as I can't stand Johnny Damon anymore. The Angels meanwhile are out of the race for Holliday. They want Lackey and Figgins back and are pushing to retain at least one. Angels owner Arte Moreno ahs hinted that Vlad Guerrero won't be back.

The Royals have signed former Cards reliever Brad Thompson to a minor league deal. Thompson pitched in 80 innings last season with a 4.84ERA going 2-6. The Royals definitely made the right gamble for a cheap price.

The Cubs are close to locking up John Grabow for 2yr/$7M. A Chicago write says this is a "waste of money" but as referenced in an earlier post, Grabow put up consistent numbers in 09.

The Rangers are expected to let OF Marlon Byrd go. Not sure why really, he hit .283 and had a .300+ OBP last season with 20 HRs and 89RBIs. Byrd will land with someone who could benefit from his services. Maybe the Angels?

The Diamondbacks traded two minor leaguers Ryne White and Scott Maine for reliever Aaron Heilman to the Cubs. Heilman had a 4.11ERA last season going 4-4 after a disastrous 2008 season with the Mets.

That's all for today. Things are sure to heat up soon and I'll hope I have more time to cover it unlike this week.

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Padres, Phillies, Reds

Corey Brock of MLB.com says Kevin Correia (12-11; 3.91ERA) isn't going anywhere this off-season. I'm kind of puzzled why because he's only had one winning season as a pitcher (2003 3-1 with the Giants). The Padres may look into Henry Blanco and Mike Cameron. Blanco hit .235 with 6 HRs and 16 RBIs in 67 games for San Diego last season. Meanwhile, Cameron hit .250 with 24 HRs and 70 RBIs for the Brewers.

The Phillies have let SS Eric Bruntlett, Tyler Walker, Andy Tracy, and Paul Hoover go. Bruntlett is the only significant player here and played in limited spots during the 2009 season. Pedro would gladly come back to the Phillies and would love to pitch a full season says his agent.

The Reds re-signed C Ramon Hernandez(.258 5HRs and 37RBIs in 80+ games) to a 1yr/$3M deal with incentives. Hernandez lost the starting job to Ryan Hanigan last season after being obtained from the Orioles a year ago.

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Wilson re-signs; Odds and Ends pt.2

Well for missing yesterday, it was a fairly uneventful day. Today has also been very slow. The big news is that the Seattle Mariners have reached a deal with SS Jack Wilson. The deal is worth $10M for 2 years. Wilson, more famous in Pittsburgh never really got comfortable with the Mariners in 31 games. His BA dropped 43 points and his OBP dropped 47 points. He'd end up with a .224 average with 1HR and 8 RBI's and almost as many strike outs as in the first half of the season with the Pirates. The question is did Seattle overpay? I think at this point yes, but we'll see how he does with a whole season of AL ball.

The Phillies are still in pursuit of a 3B, but have added catcher to their list. MLB's Todd Zolecki says that "Chone Figgins is out of the Phillies price liking. Look for DeRosa, Beltre, or Polanco to be the solution." The team is considering letting backup catcher Paul Bako go. In 44 games for the Phils, Bako hit .224 with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs. Since he made the league in 1998, he's never played a full season.

The Nats are listening to offers about OF Josh Willingham. The team doesn't appear tow ant to part with him, but the Braves may be making a push to acquire him. Willingham hit .260 with 24HRs and 61RBIs.

Odds and Ends

Not a whole lot flowing today out the organizations, but the Rockies have declined Rafael Betancourt's option. At this point, are the Rockies thinking arbitration with him? I don't think he'd last in the FA market that long. Better start making a push for Mike Gonzalez. The Brewers declined their option($6.5M) on Braden Looper. Looper posted a 5.22 ERA while going 14-7 in 34 starts. The Brew Crew is taking a look into acquiring Edwin Jackson from the Tigers. This would undoubtedly be their ace if they can get the deal done. The Brewers have a possible $15M to work with if Seth McClung, Jody Gerut, and Dave Bush don't return.

The Red Sox and Mets have expressed interest in John Lackey this week. The Mets don't have a shot here. They've said they don't have that type of money to give out. The Red Sox are looking for someone to fill out the rotation whether it be Lackey, Cuabn prospect Ardolis Chapman, or someone else. Being use to watching Lackey, I can say I'm indifferent if the Sox picked him up. He either has his stuff or he doesn't.

The Tigers and Angles are discussing the possibility of OF Curtis Granderson joining the Angels outfield. They'd move Juan Rivera to DH if so. The Angels are said to shop players such as Mike Napoli and Brandon Wood to fill the Tigers needs at a cheap cost. The Tigers are going to look this one long in the tooth. We know because of next year with Verlander coming up on FA and Edwin Jackson's cost, the Tigers will trim payroll now or later.

Unfortunately, there will be no post tomorrow as I will be away from the day, but Sunday I will return with a long post to sum up Saturday and Sunday.

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Brave Hudson; Uggla out of Fla?

SP Tim Hudson signed a 3 yr/$9M deal today with the Atlanta Braves. The 34 year old pitched in 7 games last season compiling a 2-1 record with a 3.61 ERA. the Braves played it safe with this deal after Hudson had just completed reconstructive elbow surgery. The Braves want to cut the payroll a bit by trading Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez. I think Vazquez can be unloaded no problem, but Lowe's underachieving season(15-10 4.67ERA) coupled with his $45M contract will make him a hard bite for any team. Low gave up a career hit in hits (232) in 2009. By signing Hudson back, it gives the Braves time to develop SP's Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens.

SI's John Hayman reports the Giants have shown interest in OF Johnny Damon. Damon could very well add the pop in the lineup the Giants are looking for, but would he hold up in playing the Of the entire season? ESPN's Buster Olney reports the Giants would like to re-sign SP Brad Penny. Penny (4-1 2.59 ERA since being traded by Boston) looked like he regained his old self at the beginning of 09 pitching strongly for the Sox, but became a liability after the AS break and was traded where he was magnificent in SF.

The Dodgers are taking peeks at 2B Luis Castillo(Mets) and Jamey Carroll(Indians). Carroll hit .276 with 2 HRs and 26 RBIs in 93 games for Cleveland. Castillo hit .302 with 1 HR and 40 RBIs in 142 games for NYM. I think the dodgers would be better off going for Carroll because he's be the same quality at a cheaper price than Castillo. Neither would be long term solutions at 2nd for the Dodgers. Personally, why not bring back Orlando Hudson? I like him over the other two produtcion wise (.283, 9 HRs 62 RBIs in 143 games). The Dodgers may discuss a deal in sending A.J. Ellis to the Royals for 2B Alberto Callaspo. It would be a steal for the Dodgers consider Ellis only played 12 games in two yeard batting under .100 and Callaspo batted .300 last season. In other Royals news, 3B Wilson Betemit signed a minor league deal today and reliever Lenny DiNardo has elected FA.

The Marlins are definitely shopping 2B Dan Uggla. Too bad, they didn't do it last year. The Orioles are said to be interested. Reporter Jeff Zrbeic of The Baltimore Sun downplays Uggla's availability as of yet, as well as 3B Garret Atkins(Rockies). Other 3B interests for the O's include : Joe Crede, Pedro Feliz, Adrain Beltre, and Mark DeRosa. There's also been some backroom chatter about bringing back Erik Bedard (5-3 2.82 ERA in 15 games). It seemed last time Bedard was in an O's uniform, he was serviceable, but broke down in Seattle after being traded.

The Phils have thrown the thought of Placido Polanco in at 3B. Polanco hit .285 with 10HRs and 72 RBIs for the Tigers last season. Also, reliever Scott Eyre (2-1; 1.50 ERA) claims "I only want to pitch for Philadelphia." That's a vote of confidence. Phils haven't much too lose by bringing him back.

The Nationals are looking at Alex Gonzalez and Adam Everett for SS, but haven't ruled out prospect Ian Desmond. They may move Cristian Guzman. The Pirates may considering dumping Ryan Doumit (.250, 10HRs 36 RBIs in 75 games). Lastly, the Rangers will take a look at Vlad Guerrero, but I don't think they have the payroll to sign him.

More speculation

At this point, I'm just itching for something to go down. The suspense is killing me where the top free agents are going to move and who else won't be returning for 2010. And will someone keep the Mets quiet? I've heard so many rumors about what they are going to do only to change their minds. Holliday, Bay, V-Tek have been nothing but smoke and mirrors. The newest updates we have are C Bengie Molina, C Chris Snyder, and C Rod Barajas. Looking at three catchers says to me, WE NEED A CATCHER! One of these guys has to be picked up right? Wrong. The Mets can keep this game going with how many FA catchers there are on the market. The Mets are going to pull something big, believe me. And we're all going to be blind-sided. MLB.com's Barry Bloom believe Shef and Delgado are done in NY. The Mets are showing in Joel Pineiro as reported yesterday, but not with his financial figure (3yr/$30Mil). Dear Omar, what have we learned about high-priced FA (Ex. Castillo, Lo Duca, etc.)?

The Yankees are starting to rumble to life in the deadest period of time they've had since the postseason. while they won't spend the U.S. economy on players this off-season, they're expected to still upgrade and retain their talent. They're going to roll the dice on offering Sergio Mitre an option despite wanting him and Chad Gaudin back. Chien Ming-Wang will not be tender a new deal, but they hope to get him cheaper. Wang had a season to forget with an astronomical ERA and was shut down by mid-season. As of today, reliever Brain Bruney will be tendered a contract. Bruney gave up a lot of walks, but was effective in relief until his elbow got sore. The deal would be around $1.25M.

Cue up the reunion reel, SP Carl Pavano in Cleveland round two may begin. Pavano, pitched half a season there resurrecting his career after the injury-plagued Yankee years. The Twins are still interested in bringing him back. He'll be looking for at least 4.35MM guaranteed plus incentives to play for either team.

The Brew Crew are said to be talking about Jarrod Washburn and Doug Davis. Washburn makes me think ok, low risk, moderate-high return. But Doug Davis? The same Doug Davis that went 9-14 with a 4.12 ERA and gave a career high 103 free passes? I'd re-think this. This isn't like letting C Jason Kendall walk to give a young prospect a chance. At least the D-Backs are considering signing Livan Hernandez(5.44 ERA)....oh wait, his best years are behind him. The D-Backs would be using for clubhouse atmosphere, eating up innings, and aid with Miggy Montero's progression. The D-backs may non-tender Mike Fotenot and Micah Owings. By season's begin, we may be looking at a whole new D'backs team. They may actively persue relievers Rafael Betancourt, Bob Howry, Mike Gonzalez, or LaTroy Hawkins and SP Joel Piniero, Jason Marquis, and Randy Wolf.

The Royals outrighted Lenny DiNardo and Yashuiko Yabuta to Triple-A, but it's believed both are opting for FA. Yabuta recently had his option declined. My prayers have been answered!! The Royals are discussing moving newly acquired Josh Fields to left and trade David DeJesus. The Orioles signed C Michal Hernandez who is hoping to make the back-up catcher role in spring training. He hit .237 in appearances with Tampa Bay and New York. Ok, so maybe I got too excited there. Whose replacing Mark Teahan in KC? Look no further than the Chicago White Sox organization he went to. 3B Wilson Betemit(involved in Nick Swisher trade) is expected to sign. In 20 games, he only hit .200 for the Sox. The Royals may want to re-think this decision.

The Tigers are listening to offers for SP Edwin Jackson (13-9; 3.62 ERA). I know what you're thinking, are they nuts? Well, they can't afford both he and Verlander (19-9; 3.45 ERA) past 2011 so someone is going to be seeing their way out of Detroit. I'd say bye-bye to Jackson too after the year Verlander had career bests in wins, innings pitch and K's.

Is 2B Dan Uggla on the move? After slumping considerably this season, the Marlins may want to retain Jorge Cantu instead and move Uggla for some prospects. The Gaints, Orioles are currently interested while the Red Sox have mentioned interest in having him as a LF. The Giants are trying to work out a new contract with Juan Uribe.

OF Xavier Nady is drawing the Cards interest as they are unsure if Matt Holliday will return. Let's face it that any move made to replace Holliday will be under the microscope because of Holliday's production and fielding ability. Nady could be a cheap alternative if the Cards go that route, Nady just has to stay healthy and be productive.

C Jason Varitek as exercise his player option with the Red Sox. He had a solid fielding year last season(.997) in 108 games, but offensively he wasn't there. As for V-Mart, no progress has been made in an extension according to his agent Alan Nero. Catcher has to be playing on Theo's mind now. A USA Today writer report's the Sox have met with Boras on OF Matt Holliday...details forthcoming.

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Speculation

Speculation, that's the idea right now. So many rumors, so many names it will make your head spin. It's a time when a team can strike potential deals, bring fans cheer or disappointment, and keep basbeall relevent in the offseason. Sure we know the Jays want something big and prospect-wise for Halladay, but we don't who will pony up? The Rangers are said to be persuing an old friend, disgruntled OF Milton Bradley. I'm surprised at the attention teams are giving him? Doesn't anybody know about all the discipline problems in the NFL with these type players? The Rangers may lose Marlon Byrd to FA which creates a void in the OF. Last night's three way deal involving Bradley to the Jays is said to have no interest on the Jays part now. The Cubbies are interested in bringing back reliever John Grabow (3-0; 3.24 ERA after being traded from Pirates last season). It's an expectation of a 2 year deal. Rich Harden has said he wants to remain a Cub and his agent will be meeting with GM Jim Hendry this week.

The Mets are playing the smoke and mirrors game now saying they can't afford Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. Sources say Mike Cameron would love to return to The team. If the Mets get him, he's going to be pricey as well. I don't expect Minyana to pull the trigger on Cameron. I expect a younger guy. 1B Daniel Murphy is being retained and 1B Carlos Delgado may get signed abck, but DH/OF Gary Sheffield will definitely not return. C Bengie Molina has sparked NY's interest as well. The Mets will look at Randy Wolf and Joel Piniero as options for a starting pitcher at a cheap price. Good call by the spend-happy Mets.

C Jason Varitek is meeting with agent Scott Boras about his player option. SS Nick Green and OF Joey Gathright were let go by the Sox as well. Gathright wasn't a big factor in the Sox season. Green (.236, 6HRs and 36 RBIs) was good at the plate the first half, but second half his BA and production slid sharply as well as his defensive skill. The SS has been a quandry for the organization since Nomar was traded in 2004. They don't trust Lowrie as I mentioned previously, but the market is open for SS. Rumor has it that OF Rocco Baldelli could come back to Boston. I think it smart to let him walk.

The M's are interested and will make a run at OF Jason Bay says a ML source, but ESPN's Jason Grey says this may not happened because of the prospects within the M's organization. SP Rich Harden could be targeted by the Mariners as well. Why is he a good fit? It's close to his hometown and he's been very good in AL West pitching. Harden has said he wants to remain a Cub, but this could sway his decision mightily in terms of potential money he could make. The M's offered Russell Branyan and Jack Wilson contracts, but thus far Branyan has declined his. No word on Junior's deal or Mike Sweeney's.

Like I said, a lot of speculation and hypothesis by the analysts....we'll just have to wait it out.

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More options declined

The end of Sunday brought important decisions to two teams. The Phillies decline their option on 3B Pedro Feliz and the Red Sox declined their option on Alex Gonzalez. Both moves cause me to question the confidence in Amaro Jr and Epstein as to "upgrading." The Phillies will be scrapping with many teams over Chone Figgins. Adrian Beltre is next on their list and from there it's Crede, Mora, DeRosa, Tejada, etc. My guess is they shoot for Figgins, Beltre, and Tejada or DeRosa. Anything less would totally shock me and any Phillies fan. Rumor has it today from Howard Medgal of mlbtraderumors.com that the Phils are very interested in Mark DeRosa, who graduated from Penn U. Another rumor is the Phils will persue SP Roy Halladay. This deal couldn't get done this year and the Phils acquired Cliff Lee instead. The Jays are looking for something they can build their team around and the Phils farm system is quite depleted after the Lee acquisition. The Red Sox released Gonzalez once, but that was because any Sox fan would've agreed he was horrid at the plate. This 2009 A-Gon was completely different (.284, 5 HRs, 15 RBIs and 2 SB's in 44 games). It's a guess who will be signed by the Sox who clearly don't have faith in Jed Lowrie. They could revive the Miguel Tejada talks from years ago and bring him in. Two Sox almuni are available (Alex Cora and Orlando Cabrera). Other than Jack Wilson and Marco Scutaro, the options are very slim. I'd like to see Cabrera, Cora or Tejada in at SS, but I'm not sure of the range Tejada has left seeing as he hasn't played short much. By any means, both Feliz and A-Gon could return to their teams at a cheaper price, but more than likely that will not happen. The Red Sox today decline C Jason Varitek's (.209) option. I can't say that anyone didn't see this coming. The fact that manager Terry Francona got Tek a standing ovation in the final homestand pretty much summed up the fate of Varitek. Varitek could and is expected to pick up his player option($3Mil) and return. Smartly, the Sox picked up Victor Martinez's option($71.Mil) to return. V-Mart hit .336 with 8 HRs and 41 RBI's after being acquired at the deadline. The Red Sox have finalized a 2 yr/$5M(with incentives) contract with SP Tim Wakefield. Wakefield (11-5; 4.58ERA) did have trouble staying healthy for the second half, but was a pitching strength in the rotation. I'm glad they got it done because Tim has been one of my favorite pitchers in Red Sox history.

The Nationals appear to be the team ready to make a splash. They are interested in persuing reliever Mike Gonzalez in the event of Gonzalez not re-signing with the Braves. The organization is exploring the option of Mike MacDogual (3.60ERA) last season as the next closer. If that's the case MacDougal will have to get more K's this season instead of balancing them with walks. OF Elijah Dukes is finally going to get his shot this season and prove his worth.The Nats are looking to rid themselves of C Wil Nieves(.259, 1HR, 26 RBIs in 72 games). Who they will pick-up is beyond anyone's guess. They may make a run at Rich Harden, but if they get him it's going to cost them.

The Rays picked up OF Carl Crawford's options today($10Mil). Crawford hit .305 with 15 HRs and 68 RBIs.A good move to smooth over the Pat Burrell situation, but with all the money spent on Crawford, what does that mean for B.J. Upton? The Rays declined C Greg Zaun and reliever Brain Shouse options. Shouse definitely will not be returning, but Zaun could if he exercises his player option($2Mil). I'd be surprised if they Rays could find a cheaper, quality back-up catcher below two mil with the OBP and SLG Zaun put up.

The Rockies continue to blow things up as they try to re-sign Rafael Betancourt. C Yorvit Torrealba is definitely gone after declining his option. Garrett Atkins will not be tendered a contract. The team is now listening to trade offers for Brad Hawpe. Doesn't make sense for a team only looking to add reserve players and re-sign Betancourt? I think there's something we're not being told.

The White Sox claim that free agent Chone Figgins will cost them too much and they have a better chance of re-signing Scott Podsednik. So now that the smoke and mirrors has been thwarted by GM Kenny Phillips, what do the White Sox plan to do? They've got a little money to throw since Jermaine Dye is gone.

The Jays are backing off of Chris Snyder because of his back issues, but are said to be negotiating a three team trade with the Cubs and Mets to acquire OF Milton Bradley. They'd be sending 1B Lyle Overbay to the Mets and 2B Luis Castillo to the Cubs. Sounds good for the Jays if Bradley can keep his mouth shut and play the game. I'm not big on Overbay, especially with Mets suffering at 1B with an aged Carlos Delgado and young Daniel Murphy. Overbay is going down the Delgado road only quicker I believe. Castillo would be blocking Ryan Theriot in the Cubbies line-up, and Cubs fans won't be pleased with a declining Castillo. Overbay did slug better than Bradley this season, but is it worth in the long run? This goes against the Jays idea of "building from the ground up." Regardless, Cubs lose this deal.

If a New York team is going to get John Lackey, it will be the Yankees. The Mets are said to be passing on him because of injury problems Lackey has had and concentrating more on Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.

The Mariners appear to want Jarrod Washburn and Erik Bedard back, but will not make the mistake of overpaying them. While Bedard and Washburn had good numbers in their limited role, he will have to find a way to stay healthy. Russell Branyan (.251, 31HRs; 76 RBIs) is another teammate hoping to return after an injury ended his season. ESPN's Buster Olney says Lackey could be a sleeper pick-up for Seattle.

The Giants sent OF Randy Winn packing today. Winn can still play the outfield well. He hit .261 with 2 HRs and 51 RBIs in 149 games. He can be a weapon in a potent line-up on base with 65 runs scored and .300+ OBP. Lastly, the Braves are negotiating an extension with SP Javier Vazquez. Vazquez was serviceable last season going 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA. He struck out 238 batters while giving up just 44 walks. If only his team got him some more wins!

Sunday Sunday Sunday

While the rest of the world is freaking over the BCS and preparing for another week of NFL football, I'm dedicated to bring you the newest baseball news. Starting last night, The Rockies have been negotiating with FA reliever Rafael Betancourt. The Rockies are rumored to let RHP Josh Fogg (0-2; 3.24 ERA) go. The Rockies want a multi-year deal that will pay him less, but retain him longer( sounds like a perfect world, eh?). Betancourt used to be stud, but after the past 2 seasons, I have my doubts. His ERA has fluctuated throughout his career and looking at the trend, he won't throw under 2.00 for another 2-3 seasons. Lifetime, he's just 26-23 and his ball to strike ratio favors walks. If the Rox can get this done for a cheap price, it'd be fine by me and their fans I'm sure. As of 9:49AM, Beatncourt denied a 2yr/$7M deal. Also, Garrett Atkins will probably be around for awhile due to his high price tag.

The Cubs seem ready to part ways with Rich Harden and Reed Johnson as reported by Luke Adams of mlbtraderumos.com. Harden (9-9; 4.09 ERA) has had some injury-plagued years and didn't turn out to be the player the Cubs were expecting in the trade. I expect only a team desperate for starting pitching would sign Harden, but more than likely his career is looking like Ben Sheets. Johnson has a minute chance of sticking around, but it would more than likely he'd take a sizable paycut. The Cubs will make an effort to re-sign John Grabow(3-0; 3.24 ERA), but are letting Kevin Gregg and Chad Fox walk. Gregg (5-6; 4.72), obtained from Florida last off-season was another player who didn't live up to expectations being bounced from a closer role during the season.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says the Red Sox don't have the pieces to acquire Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres, but they Padres should focusing on trading Heath Bell (6-4; 2.71 ERA). I will agree the Red Sox minor league is very depleted at this point. If the Padres are looking for minor league talent, they will not find it currently in the Sox organization. If the Sox could finagle a deal for Bell, it would vastly upgrade their bullpen, which I think in the playoffs was also a glaring problem. Also, he thinks Josh Beckett should be seeking A.J. Burnett type money. I can't blame him for it because statistically Beckett's track record is better than that of Burnett's. The question is this time next year will the Sox ante up to retain their man?

According to Rosenthal as well, sources say OF Matt Holliday would prefer not play in New York. Money talks Matt, money talks...The Yankees are also being reluctant with Xavier Nady. Nady had an injury plagued season in 2009 ( 7 games; .286 BA), but Nady claims "I can still be a productive player." The Yankees are definitely testing the waters in waiting for Jason Bay and Matt Holliday(despite Holliday's sources) than re-signing the current outfielders.

SP Mark Mulder is rumored to being close to a deal with the Brew Crew. Mulder didn't pitch last season for the Cards. In 2008, he had a 10.80 ERA and 0-0 record in 3 games. If I'm the Brewers, I'm hoping this is a low-risk, high-reward scenario, but in the back of my mind saying this is a bad idea. Mulder has only had one successful season in the NL (2005- 16-8 3.64 ERA). Since then, he's gone 6-10 with a sky high ERA. Basically, the Brewers are playing with fire and can guarantee, they will get burned.

The Astros are prepared to let Miguel Tejada walk and hand 3B to Chris Johnson as reported by The Houston Chronicle. Tejada, played in 158 games last season batting .313 with 14 HRs and 86 RBIs. Not bad for a guy who supposedly "declining." Tejada is very durable and should be a good pick-up for any team looking for a 3B. Would the Phils consider him with his big contract? Indians (Marte hasn't lived up to his hype)? Or The Angels if they lose Figgins? Melvin Mora is rumored to be a possible fit for the Phils, but I can't see them downgrading for Mora, whose definitely in decline (see last 3 season fluctuations in HRs, BA, and games played).

Elsewhere around the league, The Twins are busy negotiating a new extension for C Joe Mauer. Mauer absolutely killed the ball this season batting .365 in the regular season and .417 in the postseason. The Dodgers want to re-sign Vincente Padilla, but his off-feild actions last week are making them think twice. The Jays and D'back's are said to be making progress in the Overbay-Snyder swap.


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Winter Meetings Begin

From now until Nov.11th, owners and executives of all ML teams will be laying the groundwork for their 2010 operations. This means little will go on in the few days and then the explosion will happen. I'm looking quite forward the big moves. What die-hard baseball fan isn't? So far the biggest news I have today is the Twins exercised their option on 1B/OF Michael Cuddyer ($10.5M). Cuddyer hit .276 with 32 HRs, 93 runs, 162 hits, 94 RBIs, and 6 SB's. Cuddyer took over for 1B Justin Morneau, who went down with a season ending injury( finished similarily to Cuddyer statistically). The question is does Cuddyer go back to the outfield with a healthy Morneau or do the Twins deal Morneau? Morneau has 5 yrs left on his $80M on his deal which would be very hard to deal for a career .280 hitter. I expect both to remain Twins.

The Blue Jays have been showing interest in D'backs C Chris Snyder. Snyder, who was supplanted by Miggy Montero this season as starting catcher, had a poor showing in only 61 games this season (.200, 20 runs, 33 hits, 6 HRs, and 22 RBIs). The Jays are slated to let Barajas go in free agency leaving only injury prone Michael Barrett, who was recently designated for assignment. Synder hit .237 in the 2008 season playing almost 2x more games. I think if the Jays want to get it done they will, but Snyder is only a few points higher than Barajas. The Rogers Centre is the 23rd most hitter friendly park in baseball. Maybe time to look into the FA catcher market? The catcher market is extensive in options, but most catchers are very aged and have been used at back-ups. Just broke as I typed the draft of this blog @ 1:38pm, the Jays are looking to unload over-priced 1B Lyle Overbay for Snyder.

Phillies are considering Chone Figgins and Adrian Beltre as 3B options in the event of deciding against exercising Pedro Feliz's options. Figgins is going to be courted by many teams (White Sox, Orioles, Phillies, and Cubs) and The Angels will persue him I'm sure. The Phillies have never been a team that likes to spend a lot of money and Figgins will be looking for a significant increase from the $5.5 he made. Figgins led the AL in runs and had a .400 OBP last season. He's proven he's a consistent force on the basepaths. The Phillies should take this into consideration seeing as they had five players above .300 in the regular season. If you didn't remember Beltre (.265 in 2009) had a horrid slump this season(He rode bench for a week on my fantasy league before being dropped). Safer alternative is Figgins who can benefit more from the dimensions of Citizen's Bank Park (.298 hitter for 2009).

The Yankees are specualted to let DH Hideki Matsui and OF Johnny Damon walk in order to persue LF Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. I will probably have a melt-down if Bay goes to the Yankees even with the market for outfielders the Red Sox have the options to choose from. Andy Pettite is expected to re-sign with the Yankees.

Other news and notes: With newly acquired OF Carlos Gomez, the Brewers will unload Mike Cameron in an effort to save money to buy-up pitching in the offseason. Gomez doesn't have hte power Cameron has/once had, but provides speed and better defense. After exercising Manny's option, the Dodgers are looking to unload Juan Pierre. Pierre should easily land on a team's roster after the performance he gave in Manny's absence this season. The Dodgers will spend considerably less this off-season due to Frank McCourt's divorce. It's specualted as per Tim Kurkijan that Randy Wolf will not return. Unfortunately, Pierre enters a market with Matt Holliday, Johnny Damon, Jason Bay, and Carl Crawford. The Cards, Mets, Tigers, and Rangers are a good fit for Pierre who could benefit from his hitting and base-running. the Marlins declined Ross Gload's option. Gload (1B/OF) was a .261 hitter this season, but excelled in pinh-hitting opportunities hitting .318. The Marlins save 2.6M by declining. The Cubs will have a hard time trying to trade OF Milton Bradley with 2 yrs and $20M left on his contract.

Options and Endings

It's official: Cue up Mannywood in LA for 2010! Slugger Manny Ramirez has decided to exercise his option worth $20M for 2010 to remain with the Dodgers. The Dodgers have now partially handled one of the biggest moves of their offseason. Their FA list is extensive, but comprised of role-players. Jason Schmidt is expected to retire, Randy Wolf is seeking big money, and Vincente Padilla is recovering from his gun incident. Now the Dodgers can focus on Manny's extension and filling role players lost spots while saving $40M roughly.

Elsewhere around the league, The Nationals declined Austin Kearns option (Believe me, he's not worth $10M). The Rockies decline C Yorvit Torrealba and reliever Alan Embree's options. Chone Figgins and Vlad Guerrero have officially turned in their FA papers. Erik Bedard's disaster of a season in Seattle is over by filing his papers. The Phillies have contacted reliever Chan Ho Park's agent and are waiting on results for Scott Eyre's elbow surgery. It is speculated if DH Matt Stairs returns, it'll be a minor league deal. Pedro Martinez and INF Miguel Cairo have also filed for free agency. I'm surprised the Phils may let Pedro walk away after the monumental comeback he gave them this season.

The Red Sox appear to be in some hot water. Remaining options are: Victor Martinez, Jason Varitek, Alex Gonzalez, and Tim Wakefield. I expect they will pick up V-Mart and Wake (Nov.10th deadline), but highly doubt Tek's and have a trace amount of doubt A-Gon's( Monday is the deadline) will be. Also, they have all but alienated themselves with Josh Beckett's agent. We could be seeing the last of Beckett this season in a Sox uni. If that is the case, the Sox should be thinking about John Lackey or Andy Pettite(has yet to file). The Sox have exclusively until Nov.20th to strike a deal with JayBay. It's all but certain, Billy Wagner will retire or go somewhere else. The Sox are only talking about retaining Takashi Saito at this point between Wagner and Paul Byrd. However, Epstein and co. are waiting for the results of his surgery. OF Rocco Baldelli is a free agent. Boston would love to have him back, but with obtaining Hermida, it's more than likely Baldelli's headed for a new gig.

Other notable players with options remaining to be picked up: OF Carl Crawford of the Rays, SS Jack Wilson of the M's, Rafael Betancourt of the Indians, and C Ramon Hernandez of the Reds.

Hardy To Twins; 79 hit FA; Myers out of PHL

It's going to be another busy day for baseball outside of NY. Seventy-nine players including John Lackey, Jason Bay, and Matt Holliday have filed their papers and are ready to play the market. I'm very upset that Bay has hit the market because I can almost commit myself that he won't be coming back to Boston. He'll either be in a Giants uni or even worse a Yankees uni. The Red Sox will definitely be persuing Holliday at that point, but Holliday isn't a prolific hitter(.298) in AL parks. It will be interesting how this plays out. Rumor also has it that OF Rocco Baldelli may have played his last season in Boston with recently acquired Jeremy Hermida coming in. This is a tilt either way offensively and Hermida gets the advantage because of his health.

Twins make a big move today trading OF Carlos Gomez ( similar numbers as Hardy) for SS J.J. Hardy( .229, 53 runs, 95 hits, 11 HRs, 47 RBIs, and 85 SO's.) This can only mean Orlando Cabrera will not be re-signed despite putting up decent numbers with the Twins this season (.289, 32 SO's, 70 hits, 42 runs, 5 HRs, 36 RBIs). I think this trade will benefit both teams. However, both players are going to have to work on their batting averages. Hardy gets the advantage here as Mall of America Field is the 6th most hitter friendly park and Miller Park is 27th. I look for Hardy to hit at least .300 this season, a .71 increase on his current average. Gomez needs to prove he is an up and coming player in MIL and try to elevate his play. I think this season his average will increase minimally.

It's been decided today that Phillies RHP Brett Myers (4-3 4.84 ERA in 18 games) will not be offered a new deal. Myers has had his share of troubles (on and off the field) in the organization and is easily coming off two bad seasons where his ERA has risen .51 in two seasons. Tim Dierkes of MLBtraderumors.com believes he could a low value opportunity for many teams looking for a reliever. Philadelphia smartly exercise Cliff Lee's options ($9MM). Next, they must talk extension with him if they want to keep their stranglehold on the NL East. Amaro Jr. (Phils GM) must make a decision soon (Monday) on 3B Pedro Feliz's option ($5.5M). There are no FA 3B so I can't see why the Phils wouldn't being Feliz back at least 1 more season.

In other champions news, Yankees DH Hideki Matusi has sparked the Mets interest. I can't see why in any respect Matsui would be useful. His defensive range is horrible and the NL rarely uses DH's. The Mets also decline their option on J.J. Putz. White Sox have bought out OF Jermaine Dye's contract. Dye still has some left in the tank so I expect him to catch on with someone. D'backs exercise option on SP Brandon Webb and are currently trying to negotiate a new contract. Webb was injured most of the season after coming off a dream season tow seasons ago. The Royals have declined options on OF Coco Crisp, C Miguel Olivo, and bust reliever Yashuiko Yabuta. This marks the second day the Royals have been busy after trading 3B/OF
Mark Teahan to the White Sox.

List of FA's available aside from big names (Matt Treanor and Marcus Thames just hit the market as well):

Catchers
Gary Bennett (37)
Rob Bowen (28)
Johnny Estrada (33)
Toby Hall (33)
Paul Lo Duca (37) - Type B, not offered arb
Javier Valentin (33)

First basemen
Tony Clark (37)
Richie Sexson (34)

Second basemen
Ray Durham (37)
Damion Easley (39)
Mark Grudzielanek (38)

Shortstops
None

Third basemen
None

Left fielders
Moises Alou (42) - Type B, not offered arb
Chris Duncan (28)
Luis Gonzalez (41) - Type B, not offered arb
Jay Payton (36)
Wily Mo Pena (27)
Dave Roberts (37)
Shannon Stewart (35)

Center fielders
Jim Edmonds (39)

Right fielders
Geoff Jenkins (34)

DHs
Frank Thomas (41) - Type B, not offered arb
Jose Vidro (34)

Starting pitchers
Brandon Backe (31)
Tom Glavine (43)
Chuck James (27)
Mark Mulder (31)
Odalis Perez (32)
Sidney Ponson (32)
Kenny Rogers (44)
Ben Sheets (30) - Type A, offered arb

Relievers
Winston Abreu (32)
Jesus Colome (31)
Scott Elarton (33)
Tom Gordon (41)
Mike Koplove (32)
Aquilino Lopez (34)
Al Reyes (38)
Ricardo Rincon (39)
B.J. Ryan (33)
Justin Speier (35)
Derrick Turnbow (31)
Jamie Walker (37)

Welcome

Hey fans,

This is Ryan P. Miller and I'd like to thank you for coming to my blog. I plan to cover the MLB as much as I can( tight schedule between college, working full-time, and balancing a social life). What I hope to bring you is the newest information without bias and cold hard facts (I'll try not to hate the Yankees too much for you all). FYI, I'm a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan and pay occasional attention to The Phillies and NY Mets because they're in my viewing area. With that said, here's the latest news before the FA period kicks off!

Red Sox trade LHP Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez foe Marlins OF Jeremy Hermida. This season, Hermida batted .259 with 101 SO's, 111 hits, 13 HR, 56 BB and 47 RBI's in 129 games. Jones made 11 appearances with a 9.24 ERA giving up 16 hits, 3 HRs, 7 BB, and 9 K's. Alvarez (9-4) never made it above "A" ball pitchin between Salem and Lowell (26 games) with a 2.26 ERA, giving up 92 hits, 32 runs, 5 HRs, 16 BBs, and 74 K's. Can't see the benefit for either team unless Hermida becomes a machine in Fenway playing in what will more than likely be a limited role in the log-jammed OF if he makes the team. I expect Jones to get immediate playing time in Florida, but see Alvarez starting in A or AA. This is a zero impact trade for both teams.

Angels re-sign OF Bobby Abreu to a 2 yr deal with club option for 2012. Abreu hit .293 with 15 homers, 103 RBIs, and 30 steals this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays trade 2B Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates for Jesse Chavez. Iwamura, who spent most of the season injured, played in 11 games for AAA Durham Bulls batting .303 with 10 hits, o HRs, and 7 SO's. Chavez, whose stats I couldn't find, but believe he was 1-4 with a 4+ ERA this season for the Pirates. I expect this deal to be a win for the Pirates provided Aki can stay healthy. He won;t have competiton like he faced in TB.

MLBtraderumors.com reports the Royals have traded 1B/OF Mark Teahan to the White Sox for 2B Chris Getz and 1B/3B Josh Fields. Teahan, in 144 games, batted .271 with 123 So's, 142 hits, 69 runs, 12HRs, 50RBIs, and 8 SB's. Getz, in 107 games batted .261 with 54 SO's, 98 hits, 49 runs, 2 Hrs, 36 RBIs, and 26 SB's. Fields in 79 games batted .222 with 76 SO's, 53 hits, 29 runs, 30 RBI's, 7 HRs, and 2 SB's. Teahan is clearly more durable with better lifetime stats and I ponder what the Sox do with him. The White Sox have been said to be looking at Johnny Damon (Yankees) and Chone Figgins (Angels) as outfield options. I look for Teahan to have a bigger impact in this strike-out happy trade. In other White Sox news, 1B/OF Mark Kotsay has been re-signed at 1 yr/1.5mil deal. He hit .292 with the White Sox after coming over from Boston at the deadline.

The Giants have re-signed 2B Freddy Sanchez to a 2 yr/$12 mil deal. He hit .284 in a shortened stint with them last season due to a shoulder injury.

So far this is all. FA has just begun. The Hot Stove should be getting ready to heat up.