MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

[mofome]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

already here but how stupid

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that catcher Ivan Rodriguez has agreed to terms on a two-year, $6 million deal with the Nationals.
It's really hard to believe, but it has now been confirmed by multiple sources. The Nationals have no business handing a two-year contract to a 38-year-old catcher, especially when they have a young, productive catcher in Jesus Flores. The Nats are far from being able to contend in the NL East and don't need a veteran catcher vulturing playing time from a youngster.
Source: Tim Brown on Twitter

 

[Tomorrow's Newspaper]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

I like what the Braves have done so far. Wagner and Saito take their pen to a much stronger level.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

The Orioles are in the mix for second baseman Dan Uggla

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

from Sherman

The Mets need to add a starting pitcher, and given all of the already-volatile options in their rotation, they're likely to pursue someone more "vanilla" as Sherman describes. He names Kevin Millwood, Doug Davis, Jon Garland, and Jason Marquis. We've already seen that the O's may be closing in on Millwood today.
While acquiring Roy Halladay is a pipe dream, a full-on pursuit for John Lackey isn't quite as far-fetched, and Lackey would be every bit the No. 2 starter to complement Johan Santana that the previously mentioned options simply are not.
Minaya will meet with Lackey's representation but isn't confident; he'd prefer to wait for the price to come down, so as not to spend most of the Mets' available funds on one resource. If that price drops, though, suitors for Lackey will abound.
The Mets are confident that they can improve their pitching staff by improving their catching core; they're confident they can land Bengie Molina and believe he and Henry Blanco can help stabilize the staff.
If the Yankees acquire Curtis Granderson, they can use him as leverage against Johnny Damon. Adding Granderson will allow the Yanks to pose a "take it or leave it" offer to Damon, and remove some of the leverage Damon and Scott Boras may have. Sherman lists free agent alternatives to bring in should Damon leave in that scenario, including Mike Cameron or re-signing Xavier Nady.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Mets, Brewers Discussing Maine For Hart

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck reports that while it may have started as speculation, the rumors of Kevin Millwood going to Baltimore are starting to become more of a reality.

Schmuck reports that the Orioles are getting closer to acquiring Millwood for one of their second-tier pitching prospects. The Rangers are likely to eat some of Millwood's contract no matter what, I assume, but Schmuck writes that the number is dependent on which prospect the Orioles surrender.

Schmuck also adds that the Orioles have "at least a passing interest" in Joel Pineiro. We've heard that the O's might not be afraid to spend money this offseason; is it possible they acquire Millwood and sign Pineiro?

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

J.J. Putz is drawing interest from several clubs, according to Jon Paul Morosi. The Cubs, White Sox, D'Backs, Rangers, Nationals, and Tigers have all shown varying levels of interest.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Type-A Free Agents

Jason Bay declined arbitration from the Red Sox.
Rafael Betancourt accepted arbitration from the Rockies.
Chone Figgins declined arbitration from the Angels and is on the verge of signing with the Mariners.
Mike Gonzalez declined arbitration from the Braves.
Matt Holliday declined arbitration from the Cardinals.
John Lackey declined arbitration from the Angels.
Marco Scutaro declined arbitration from the Blue Jays and signed with the Red Sox.
Rafael Soriano accepted arbitration from the Braves.
Jose Valverde declined arbitration from the Astros.
Billy Wagner declined arbitration from the Red Sox and signed with the Braves.
Type-B Free Agents
Rod Barajas declined arbitration from the Blue Jays.
Adrian Beltre declined arbitration from the Mariners.
Marlon Byrd declined arbitration from the Rangers.
Mark DeRosa declined arbitration from the Cardinals.
Justin Duchscherer declined arbitration from the Athletics.
Brandon Lyon declined arbitration from the Tigers.
Jason Marquis declined arbitration from the Mets.
Carl Pavano was the lone Type B to accept arbitration.
Joel Pineiro declined arbitration from the Cardinals.
Fernando Rodney declined arbitration from the Tigers.
Ivan Rodriguez declined arbitration from the Rangers, and quickly after signed a two-year deal with Washington.
Brian Shouse declined arbitration from the Rays.
Gregg Zaun declined arbitration from the Rays and signed with the Brewers.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

yanks would have had to give up 4 prospects for granderson in 3-way deal: austin jackson, coke, kennedy and dunn. theyre saying no.
less than a minute ago from mobile web

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

proposed 3-team trade of edwin jackson, kennedy to az, granderson to #yanks, schlereth, scherzer, plus to det. looks very unlikely

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

O's looking very seriously at 2-3 pitchers, but have most interest in Bedard. Feel they "get his medical, know who he is" over Sheets, Mwood

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Hearing Brewers' offer on Randy Wolf was north of Tim Hudson deal (3 years, $28M). But Wolf's agents still talking to half-dozen other clubs

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

The latest from ESPN's Buster Olney: "Two of the teams involved in the Granderson discussions have moved on to other things." It's unclear which teams Olney is referring to.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Rumor nuggets from ESPN's Buster Olney, in his morning blog post...

Olney writes of indications that Rafael Soriano will request a trade from the Braves, as GM Frank Wren suggested before the player accepted arbitration.
Olney has about six teams seriously interested in center fielder Coco Crisp, with a $3-4MM price range being bandied about.
The Red Sox "do not have serious interest in Rich Harden," Olney reports.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

heyman


hearing 3-way with granderson to #yanks, e. jax to dbacks, scherzer plus to #tigers is back with a chance

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Sherman

#Braves looking for trade partners now for arb-accepting Soriano. #Yankees like Soriano, but have been told no interest in trading for him

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

sherman


Last nite #Brewers execs made Wolf sound all but done but reversals now. 1 Mets exec said Wolf "still available" and #Mets r still in

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Penny contract: Reaches full value ($9 mil) at 204 IP. Cards agree if Penny is Type A free agent not to offer arbitration. Physical today.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

ESPN's Buster Olney told us yesterday that the Mariners are "unlikely to get involved" on free agent outfielder Jason Bay. Today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a similar note, saying the team's interest has been overstated. Things have mostly been quiet on Bay, though the Angels may have opened talks and the Red Sox will meet this morning with his representatives (tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown).

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Odds & Ends: Crawford, Jenks, Matsui, Vlad
By Tim Dierkes [December 8 at 10:10am CST]
Links for Day 2 of the Winter Meetings, which are taking place in Indianapolis...

The Rays and White Sox discussed a Carlos Quentin-Carl Crawford trade, says Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Manager Ozzie Guillen implies that nothing is cooking on that front though. The two clubs also discussed closer Bobby Jenks, but the Rays did not like the asking price.
Angels GM Tony Reagins admitted to interest in Hideki Matsui, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. Keep in mind, though that the Japanese press is apparently grilling every GM on Matsui. Reagins also said he hasn't ruled out re-signing Vladimir Guerrero.
Carl Pavano explained his decision to accept arbitration from the Twins, in an email to Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune suggests retaining Pavano makes Glen Perkins expendable.
The Rangers are not interested in trading for Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Yankees would still give up Austin Jackson for Granderson, but one of the other 3 pitchers - most likely Mike Dunn - would be downgraded.

 

[ChuteBoxe]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

The Chicago Cubs continue to peddle Milton Bradley at the winter meetings, but will there be any takers for the disgruntled outfielder? Everyone knows the Cubs are trying to dump Bradley and the $21 million left on his contract, so finding a suitable suitor will not be easy.

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune writes today that "the stalemate could go on for a while," but GM Jim Hendry remains confident that a deal can get done.

Sullivan writes that the best bet remains a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays involving Pat Burrell, whom the Cubs would try to trade. Sullivan also dismissed rumors that the Royals and Mets are interested in Bradley.

ESPN.com's Jayson Stark tweeted Monday that the "Rays haven't backed off on Milton Bradley even though 3-way with Mets for Burrell is dead."

Stark adds that money is the sticking point for Tampa and "also hearing '2 or 3' new teams expressing interest in Bradley since start of meetings."

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

I got a feeling Yanks have Granderson by the end of the day

wishful thinking, maybe

 

[ChuteBoxe]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

The Milwaukee Brewers appear to be closing in on a deal to sign free-agent left-hander Randy Wolf.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted late Monday night that at least one exec calls Wolf's signing "imminent". The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports today that the Brewers are willing to give Wolf a three-year deal, so "all that is left is the financial details."

On those details, Jayston Stark tweets, "Hearing Brewers' offer on Randy Wolf was north of Tim Hudson deal (3 years, $28M). But Wolf's agents still talking to half-dozen other clubs."

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Heyman

if #yanks get granderson, they may still try for damon. #nicelineup

 

[ChuteBoxe]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

The Baltimore Orioles may be making a strong pitch for Texas Rangers' right-hander Kevin Millwood.

The Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles may be getting closer to acquiring Millwood from the Rangers "for one of the Orioles second-level pitching prospects." The Rangers would likely pay some of the remaining $12 million on Millwood's contract.

The [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=nym"]New York Mets[/URL] also have inquired about Millwood, reports the New York Post.
One rumor earlier this offseason had the Mets discussing a three-way deal with the Rangers and Cubs that would have brought Millwood to New York.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Mets Sign Mike Hessman

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the Pirates have had "further talks" with free agent Justin Duchscherer.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

According to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, a Royals official said the club will "look at" Jose Molina in their search for a starting catcher.

 

[ChuteBoxe]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Angels general manager Tony Reagins is interested in World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, but Jason Bay is higher on the team's free agent wish list, reports Mike DiGiovanna the LA Times

"He's a person we've talked about," Reagins said of Matsui. "But we have a lot of scenarios we can attack, whether through trade or free agency."

DiGiovanna writes that Matsui might not be a good fit due to injuries that could prevent him from playing the outfield. Manager Mike Scioscia likes players with defensive versatility and would prefer to rotate several players through the DH spot.

 

[Integrity]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

adam, anything else about derek lowe being traded?

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

nothing so far, braves want to do it and with the pitching free agent class there will be teams lining up

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Sherman


3-way talks in which Yankees get Granderson back on. 1 participant says there is momentum

 

[Integrity]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

nothing so far, braves want to do it and with the pitching free agent class there will be teams lining up

any word on what they may get?

def need a bat

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

any word on what they may get?

def need a bat

I would be stunned if they traded both but saw this


They could also choose to trade both Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez to free up salary space, attempting to land a cheaper starting pitching option in return for one.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [December 8 at 11:15am CST]
11:15am: Rosenthal and Morosi note that the Yankees and Tigers are open to making a Granderson deal and leaving the D'Backs out of the discussion. Still, the three-team talks are ongoing and fluid, with the Tigers requiring a "high-ceiling, close-to-the-majors center fielder" as part of the Granderson package. Austin Jackson could be that player.

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Sherman

But if what is standing in way is Mike Dunn or not, my gut says trade gets completed, and a Yankee exec said there is "traction"

Yankees recognize A.Jackson must be in deal for Granderson, but want to re-configure back end to keep Mike Dunn, give up different prospect

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Heyman


latest 3-way looks something like this: yanks get granderson; dbacks e-jax, i.kennedy; tigers scherzer, schlereth, a-jax, coke.

 

[Integrity]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

I would be stunned if they traded both but saw this


They could also choose to trade both Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez to free up salary space, attempting to land a cheaper starting pitching option in return for one.

yeah, dealing both would be insane...

altho, we have a surplus in pitching and if we got a young, cheap alternative at pitching and something else, perhaps we'd be good

 

[Adam Jones]

Re: MLB- WINTER MEETING NEWS & RUMORS

Integ you go to any braves game in the ATL?