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Odds & Ends: Soria, Garland, Abreu, Ramirez

By Mark Polishuk [November 19, 2010 at 8:54pm CST]

Here's a round-up of news tidbits from around the majors today...

The Royals might as well also trade Joakim Soria if they're going to move Zack Greinke this winter, reasons Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Soria will make $4MM next season and then has team options worth $6MM, $8MM and $8.75MM in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. Those are big numbers for a closer on a non-contending team, but if Soria is moved to the rotation and keeps producing, those salaries will be bargains. Interestingly, Soria has a limited no-trade clause that gives him the right to veto deals to the Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers and Yankees.
Heyman also tweets that Colorado wants to sign Jon Garland to a one-year contract with an option for 2012, but Garland will probably find a guaranteed multi-year deal elsewhere.
Bobby Abreu would be happy to become a full-time DH if the Angels were to sign a left fielder like Carl Crawford, reports MLB.com's Lyle Spencer.
Manny Ramirez's 2010 season is compared to the most recent walk years of Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Sheffield by Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci. We know that Scott Boras sees Ramirez as this year's Guerrero, but Verducci points out that with the glut of DH-types on the market this winter, there's at least a chance that Ramirez could end up without a contract as Sheffield did last offseason.
Speaking of Manny, MLB.com's Jane Lee shoots down a reader's query about Ramirez possibly ending up in Oakland. She says Ramirez is too expensive, would cost the A's a draft pick to sign him and Ramirez "wouldn't exactly fit the veteran-leadership mold the club is looking to also get out of their DH next year." Bad news for those of us that thought Ramirez would end up in Oakland green in 2011. Keep in mind that since Manny is highly unlikely to be offered arbitration by the White Sox on Tuesday, draft pick compensation will not be a factor.
Doug Melvin might be in "a no-win situation" in his attempts to trade or hold onto Prince Fielder, writes The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Anthony Witrado.
Tribe GM Chris Antonetti tells MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that a third baseman and a starting pitcher are his club's offseason priorities. Antonetti says the Indians are specifically looking for a veteran hurler who can eat innings and provide "certainty" within the otherwise young rotation.
Now that Zach Duke has been designated for assignment, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that the odds of the Pirates signing a free agent starter have risen. Biertempfel mentions Jorge de la Rosa, though the Bucs will have to out-negotiate several other clubs to sign him.
David Waldstein of the New York Times thinks Bob Melvin will be the next Mets manager, though he notes that "if this really were a horse race, I would box Melvin and [Terry] Collins in an exacta."