Giants Plan To Keep Pitchers

According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Giants are looking to add a bat without trading pitching. The names mentioned remain Joe Crede and Brandon Inge, but the White Sox and Tigers want hurlers. The equation doesn't seem to make sense on the surface - if the Giants won't trade pitching, and they have no hitters to speak of, how are they going to make an acquisition? As we learned Thursday, the answer is that the Giants may only be looking to trade undesirable veterans. Names like Scott Williamson, Randy Messenger, and Dave Roberts have been part...

Odds and Ends: Garland, Linden, A-Rod

Time to round up various tidbits and rumors. Jon Garland says that unless his agent kept him in the dark, a long-term deal was never discussed with the White Sox. But in the unlikely event the Sox pursue Garland this winter, he'll listen. Here's a look others who will be free agents after this season and under 30 years old for '09. We've heard the Brandon Inge/Joe Crede rumors regarding the Dodgers. Tony Jackson speculates that Wes Helms or Jeff Cirillo could also be options. Paul Sullivan says Aaron Rowand was the Cubs' Plan B to Kosuke Fukudome. ShysterBall can't...

Rowand Still Hoping For Crede To Giants

The indefatigable Aaron Rowand continues his Joe Crede-campaign, hoping the Giants will make a deal for him now that the Dodgers have entered the picture. In an article in the Chicago Sports Tribune, Roward argues that Crede has played the last few seasons with a bad back and, now healthy, will put forth his best season yet. ''I'm just the middle man,'' Rowand said when asked how hard he has been pushing to be reunited with his close friend. ''I'm not playing recruiter. It's not like I'm going to [the front office] and saying, 'Get him.' They asked me, and...

White Sox Never Offered Crede Multiyear Deal?

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times has received conflicting reports from Joe Crede and the White Sox. It seems that Sox GM Kenny Williams claims multiyear overtures were made to Scott Boras regarding Crede, while the player says nothing was ever offered. Additionally, Crede implied that he never spoke to Aaron Rowand about being traded to the Giants. I find this a little hard to believe; it would be kind of weird for the topic not to come up. Crede's mindset right now is that he's a member of the White Sox, though a trade before Opening Day seems inevitable....

Rosenthal's Latest: Bonds, Broussard, Hunter, Rowand, More

We missed an installment from good ol' Kenny Rosenthal yesterday. He's back today in full force (unlike another great rumor source, Buster Olney, who posted nothing really new in his blog today). The A's, once considered the best bet for Barry Bonds, are no longer interested in the indicted slugger. Rosenthal thinks it's likely that Bond's trial will start after Opening Day, causing him to miss time regardless of the verdict. And then there's the whole prison issue. The Rangers spoke to the Mariners at the GM meetings regarding the availability of Ben Broussard. Talks didn't really go anywhere, since...