Bartolo Colon Rumors

Red Sox Suspend Colon Indefinitely

When the Red Sox picked up Bartolo Colon in February it was considered a pretty savvy move--low-risk (minor league deal), potentially high-reward (2005 Cy Young winner). But apparently, the hefty hurler didn't like Boston's recent decision to have him pitch out of the bullpen. After requesting some time off to return to the Dominican Republic to attend to "personal matters," Colon seems to have decided not to come back. The club is keeping him on the 40-man, but has suspended him indefinitely without pay. Boston's television announcers, Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy, doubted last night that Colon would've been of...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Posada, Uribe, Wise, Red Sox

Today's links... Jorge Posada could rejoin the Yankees as early as Wednesday (a few reports suggested Tuesday). Kat O'Brien of Newsday says the Yanks will hold on to both Jose Molina and Chad Moeller for "a while" after Posada returns, but as Peter Abraham points out on the LoHud Yankees blog, the Yankees have a real need for a set-up man now that Joba Chamberlain is starting. Juan Uribe has been activated from the 15-day DL, and although Ozzie Guillen said he wasn't guaranteed playing time, they had to make room on the roster nonetheless. DeWayne Wise was designated for...   Continue Reading

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Heyman On the Rockies and Holliday

The idea of the Rockies trading Matt Holliday this summer is not a new one. Ken Rosenthal speculated on the possibility two weeks ago. Today, Jon Heyman goes a little deeper. While he feels trading Holliday is certainly possible, there are at least a couple of executives who think it is unlikely. To sum up: The Rockies are tied for the worst record in baseball and several executives are now wondering if they will be willing to trade Garrett Atkins and/or Holliday. Willy Taveras and Brian Fuentes will almost certainly be made available. One GM thinks that last year's mid-season...   Continue Reading

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Gammons On Available Pitchers

ESPN's Peter Gammons names ten starting pitchers who could be available in the coming months. We'll try to devise a comprehensive list when we get to the position in our Trade Market series. Gammons' trade possibilities: Paul Byrd, Jeremy Sowers, Derek Lowe, Rich Harden, Odalis Perez, Brett Tomko, Jarrod Washburn, Zach Duke, Vicente Padilla, and Kevin Millwood. Byrd, Lowe, Perez, and Tomko will be free agents after the season. Sowers and Duke are the kids. Harden is the oft-injured ace. Washburn, Padilla, and Millwood bring burdensome contracts. Gammons also five "unlikely, but not impossible" scenarios. He suggests A.J. Burnett, Bartolo...   Continue Reading

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Julian Tavarez To Sign With Brewers

MONDAY: Tom Haudricourt reports that the Brewers are set to sign Tavarez for bullpen depth. SUNDAY: The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo writes that Bartolo Colon, a close friend of Julian Tavarez, said Tavarez told him that he would prefer to pitch for the New York Mets. Tavarez was recently DFA'd by the Red Sox and elected free agency rather than accepting an assignment to Triple A Pawtucket. Tavarez could make sense for the Mets in many roles. Jason Vargas and Matt Wise have been ineffective in limited use, while Mike Pelfrey has been very inconsistent over the first two months...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Reyes, Colon, Indians, Nationals

A few notes from the MLBiverse... Anthony Reyes, who has been the object of much trade speculation, made his first start at AAA on Friday night. Reyes pitched 3+ scoreless innings with a strict pitch-count. The Cardinals appear to be reconverting Reyes into a starter in the hopes of increasing his value for potential trade partners. Jim Bowden hinted that he may implement a full-fledged youth movement in the near future, noting that a number of top prospects are close to being ready. Specifically, he mentioned two outfielders which would likely mean that Bowden will seek to move Austin Kearns...   Continue Reading

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Colon Opt-Out Pushed To June 1

Informally, Bartolo Colon has agreed to push his opt-out date from today to June 1st. His contract remains the same otherwise, according to Alex Speier. Colon's oblique strain basically set him back a month. He looked quite good in his one Triple A start on April 3rd. It sounds like Colon and the Red Sox want to make this work, but who will he replace in the rotation? It would have to be Tim Wakefield, Jon Lester, or Clay Buchholz. None of them are pitching badly, though Lester appears to be on the shakiest ground given his strikeout, walk, and...   Continue Reading

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Colon Nearing Return, Opt-Out Date

For most of March, the Red Sox looked like they made the pick-up of the winter by signing Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract. While scouting reports from his winter work had him sitting in the upper 80s with his fastball, the Red Sox said he was hitting low 90s, a fine place to be for the former Cy Young winner. But after just one start in AAA, he was derailed with an oblique injury, and has been on the DL ever since. The Sox got a bit of good news, bad news on Colon. On the positive side,...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Hatteberg, Colon, Longoria

And now for more Odds and Ends around the league: In his latest "Full Count" audio piece at Fox Sports, Ken Rosenthal expects the Reds to do some roster shuffling that could come down to trades. Scott Hatteberg has become "expendable" with the recent emergence of Joey Votto and by the fact that the Reds have too many lefty hitters. Cork Gaines latest Baseball Blogs Weigh In delved into the Evan Longoria signing. To add to that, Ken Rosenthal, also in his Full Count piece, notes favorably that Longoria has set himself for life without having to establish himself and...   Continue Reading

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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Garcia, Lohse, Colon

With a full slate of Spring Training games underway today, there are still some big names hanging out in the free agent market. After the Red Sox signed signed former Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal, there are still two big-name starting pitchers that have yet to find new homes. Former all-star Freddy Garcia is not expected to be ready until mid-season after having rotator cuff surgery last fall, but may have interest from several clubs. On the other hand Kyle Lohse is still looking for work despite being perfectly healthy. His biggest ailment maybe that...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Spiezio, Pavano, Gross, Jackson

Links, rumors... Scott Spiezio is in trouble with the law, and the Cardinals decided to release him for it. Joe Ostermeier notes that the Cards now have about $20MM in dead money on the payroll for '08. Evan Grant believes the Rangers would want Jose Ceda or Donald Veal in a deal for Marlon Byrd. Call it informed speculation, but Mike Berardino wonders whether Carl Pavano could end up back with the Marlins eventually. Ken Rosenthal recently wrote that the Padres were eyeing Gabe Gross. Tom Haudricourt found out that Kevin Towers never inquired on the Brewers outfielder, but that...   Continue Reading

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Bartolo Colon Signs With Red Sox

TUESDAY: The Boston Herald has the contract details. Colon gets $1.25MM if he's in the bigs, and the deal can reach $7MM if he makes 30 starts. SUNDAY: According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Red Sox have signed starter Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal. The deal has no guaranteed money. That's a far cry from the guaranteed two-year big league deal Colon wanted at the beginning of the offseason. Colon will add depth to Boston's rotation, and you certainly have to like the move for the Red Sox. Maybe Colon was motivated by a chance to win or...   Continue Reading

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Cards Eyeing Weaver, Colon

With the price of free agent starting pitching dropping by the day and Matt Clement looking questionable, it's only natural that the Cardinals would explore the market. Indeed, John Mozeliak is looking at Jeff Weaver and Bartolo Colon. Seems that Impacto Deportivo may have been misinformed on the whole Colon-to-Chicago thing. Weaver seems the smarter option for a team looking for healthy innings. If nothing else, Weaver can provide that. Something tells me he's not getting $8MM this time around. His most recent success was in St. Louis, so maybe Dave Duncan can guide him to a league average season....   Continue Reading

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No White Sox Agreement With Colon

THURSDAY, 9:21am: Rather than categorically deny the Colon rumor, Sox GM Kenny Williams gave a more cryptic response. Scot Gregor makes a good point that Colon had been rumored to prefer the National League. WEDNESDAY, 10:41am:Ozzie Guillen says the Sox haven't met with Colon's people for weeks, according to Mark Gonzales. So maybe this rumor is dead. TUESDAY, 10:03pm:Impacto Deportivo indicates tonight that the White Sox reached an agreement with starter Bartolo Colon, pending a physical. We'll have to see whether his shoulder passes the test. Impacto Deportivo has a good track record but often jumps the gun, so we...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Colon, Koskie, Atkins

We take a break from your regularly scheduled Erik Bedard drama to bring you some random links. The White Sox made an incentive-laden offer to Bartolo Colon, but Colon apparently physically disappeared at the thought of it. There's a joke here, somewhere. Kenny Williams also almost kind of hinted at implying that he made some kind of effort to acquire Bedard. A brief note from the Sun-Times - outfielder Brian Anderson may be traded to an NL team (Marlins?). It's possible that Corey Koskie makes another comeback attempt. He's gone through a postconcussion syndrome nightmare. The Denver Post's Troy Renck..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Cano, Colon, Lowry

Here are some links I've rounded up this morning. In theory, Robinson Cano would be open to a long-term deal. River Ave. Blues recently took a look at how historically good Cano has been so far, and suggest the Yankees lowballed him with their arbitration submission. Baseball Prospectus' Derek Jacques saw Bartolo Colon pitch in the Dominican League Finals, and lends his evaluation. Colon was not impressive, but not terrible. It doesn't seem like he will get the two-year deal he wants. The Brewers will bring Abraham Nunez to camp. Versatile, but a drain on offense. Mark Gonzales of the..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Hinske, Doumit, Colon, Greene

It's up to an impressive 5.7 degrees where I am, but I still don't think I'll be going outside much today. Hence, some odds and ends. Rob Bradford of the Boston Herald believes Eric Hinske might sign with the Diamondbacks this week. The 30 year-old former ROY has a career line of .255/.336/.434, with much better work against righties. John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus says the Red Sox are interested in the Pirates' Ryan Doumit. However Perrotto says the Bucs are reluctant to trade the versatile Doumit, who turns 27 in April. Only past Doumit rumor I can find was..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Colon, Byrd, Sosa, Wilkerson

Some random links and whatnot for Saturday... Joe Cowley says the White Sox have backed off on Bartolo Colon because he wants a two-year deal. He believes the Royals are the frontrunner. Rangers guru Jamey Newberg doesn't think Marlon Byrd would be enough to get Matt Murton from the Cubs. The Rangers might've entertained Sammy Sosa in a limited role, but he's looking for 400-500 plate appearances. Good luck with that! Heard an unconfirmed whisper that the Red Sox may have some interest in Brad Wilkerson. RotoAuthority takes a fantasy baseball look at Yovani Gallardo and Tim Lincecum   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Hendrickson, Soria, Sherrill

Here's today's random collection of links. The Marlins signed Mark Hendrickson as the veteran leadership guy for '08, at a cost of $1.5MM. He was knocked around in 15 starts for the Dodgers in '07 but was solid in the pen. The Marlins will put him in the rotation, perhaps to tutor fellow southpaws Andrew Miller and Scott Olsen. Craig Brown would like to see the Royals use Joakim Soria as a starter. There is a theory that the Mariners' signing of Arthur Rhodes will allow them to trade George Sherrill in an Erik Bedard deal. Seems a half-baked theory,..   Continue Reading

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Mailbag: Roberts, Teixeira, Johan, Nathan, And More

Time for this week's mailbag. You can hit it up at mlbtrmailbag@gmail.com to get in your question for next week. Do you see the Twins signing a big name middle of the order bopper or trading for one before the opening of the new stadium in 2010? - Jordan Funny you ask this. I recently asked LEN3 whether the Twins would have a $100MM payroll for the 2010 season, and he said, "I don't see it." So I'll go with his wisdom and say business as usual for the Twins despite the stadium. Why are the White Sox not aggressively..   Continue Reading

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Ruben Amaro Jr. Chats Phillies

Phils assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. recently did a chat at MLB.com. I remember Frank Wren did one in mid-November; this is a cool trend. Amaro admits that the Phils are still considering upgrading at third base. They've had discussions about Pedro Feliz as one such option, while Morgan Ensberg is not on the radar. It's unlikely that the Phillies re-sign Jose Mesa. Also unlikely would be a Bartolo Colon signing. On the other hand, discussions with Scott Boras about Kyle Lohse are ongoing   Continue Reading

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White Sox Eyeing Bartolo Colon

WHBF-TV, a CBS affiliate for the Quad Cities, reports that Ozzie Guillen was present in the Dominican Republic yesterday to watch Bartolo Colon pitch. Guillen was sent to gauge Colon's health. Health is the reason the Mets reportedly backed off on Colon. The big righty pitched for the White Sox in 2003, racking up 242 innings with a 3.87 ERA. Chicago's rotation could use a little depth, in Ken Rosenthal's opinion   Continue Reading

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Olney: Mets Backed Off On Colon

Buster Olney has a note about the Mets and Bartolo Colon in today's blog: Heard Thursday that Colon on the verge of signing with the Mets last week, but the Mets backed off after taking a closer look at the condition of his right arm. This jives with the info we've seen previously, that Colon hasn't topped 90 mph in the Dominican Winter League. Many teams have seen his medical reports, but he remains unsigned. On December 4th, MLB.com's Bill Ladson said the Nationals believed Colon would not accept a one-year deal   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Reyes vs. Ramirez, Blanton, Colon

Let's round up some random links for today... This is one of the more impressive rants I've heard. Seems that he lost his cool or something. Fantasy baseball shortstop smackdown: Jose Reyes vs. Hanley Ramirez. Ken Rosenthal says the Mariners inquired on Joe Blanton, but weren't willing to trade Adam Jones within the division. Bartolo Colon is back in action for two more starts   Continue Reading

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Colon Missed Last Two Starts?

UPDATE, 1-7-08 at 9:42pm: Impacto Deportivo says Colon sat out because of reported neck discomfort, though it could be something more serious. FROM 1-7-08 at 8:44am: A friend in the Dominican Republic notes that Bartolo Colon has missed his last two starts. Maybe he's done showcasing and now awaits an offer; I'm not sure at this point. Word a few days ago was that Colon had yet to crack 90 mph. The Royals, Mets, Rangers, and Nationals are some clubs thought to be monitoring Colon   Continue Reading

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Dutton On Royals' Free Agent Starter Search

I recently named the Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton as Rumor Royalty for the Royals. He was kind enough to answer a few questions for the site. MLBTR: It seems pretty clear the Royals are going to sign a veteran starter. They've been linked to Bartolo Colon, Jon Lieber, Kris Benson, and others who have signed elsewhere. Who do you see as the best fit for this team? Dutton: The guy they really wanted was Hiroki Kuroda, and I'm pretty sure they tendered the top bid before he signed with the Dodgers. They liked Carlos Silva but not at his..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Cameron, Inge, Bay

Here are some random rumors and links I've cobbled together today. The Fish officially signed Jorge Cantu to a minor-league deal worth $500K with $100K in incentives. The Cardinals re-upped Aaron Miles for $1.4 mil. This team needs some good middle infielders. According to Tyler Kepner, Alex Rodriguez has been "privately endorsing" Mike Cameron. Well, it's not private anymore! The Yankees could entertain such a signing if they trade Melky Cabrera but don't want to move Johnny Damon back to center. Kepner's article also discusses the internal struggle between Hank and Hal Steinbrenner. Hank wants Johan Santana, Hal wants to..   Continue Reading

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Royals To Sign Bartolo Colon?

According to the Dominican site Impacto Deportivo, the Royals are moving toward signing Bartolo Colon. Here's the article in its original form, and here it is via Google Translator. We'll have to wait for confirmation and details before judging anything. MLB.com's Bill Ladson wrote on December 4th that the Nationals believed Colon would not accept a one-year deal. Aside from the Nats, the Mets, Rangers, Cardinals, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Mariners have been connected to Colon   Continue Reading

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Mets Pitching Plans

Many readers have written me asking what the Mets are going to do to upgrade their starting rotation. Matthew Cerrone as a man in the know, and he's written a summary over at MetsBlog. Cerrone senses nothing much cooking on the Johan Santana front, yet the Mets remain "oddly confident." Cerrone believes the Mets will probably sign one rehabber - Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon. He says reviews on Colon in the Dominican Winter League have been positive. Omar Minaya knows Colon well, having traded the farm for him as GM of the Expos. Garcia may be ready to pitch..   Continue Reading

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Mailbag: Lopez, Colon, Cano

Let's dig into the MLBTR mailbag once again. You could ask a question by emailing mlbtraderumors@gmail.com. What moves would you like to see the Rockies make to improve their starting rotation? - Sean The Rockies seem to have decent rotation depth - Aaron Cook, Jeff Francis, Jason Hirsh, Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales, Taylor Buchholz, even Kip Wells and Mark Redman. I would like to see Dan O'Dowd toss an injury-recovering free agent into the mix. The one I like is Rodrigo Lopez. He was quietly very solid for a half-season in Colorado this year. He had surgery to repair a..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Villarreal, Cano, Rowand

Alright let's round 'em up. This was one I was going to pass on posting, but it's pretty dead right now. The Astros signed newly acquired reliever Oscar Villarreal to a two-year deal. He was already under team control through 2008. The MLB.com article adds that Ed Wade's interest in Livan Hernandez and Bartolo Colon is low, and talks with Jon Lieber pretty much died. The Yankees pulled Robinson Cano out of Winter Ball. The word is that he doesn't want to aggravate a calf injury. You could read into it and speculate he's a part of trade talks. Seems..   Continue Reading

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Mets Still Like Jon Lieber

The New York Daily News reiterated the Mets' interest in free agent starter Jon Lieber this morning. Liebs turns 38 in April. He's probably just as good as Livan Hernandez, but less durable. The Mets' interest in Lieber was previously reported by Jayson Stark on December 5th. Other teams connected to Lieber - the Reds, Royals, Astros, and Rangers. Peter Botte and Roger Rubin name Lieber as one of many free agent options for the Mets if they fail to trade for a frontline guy. Kyle Lohse, Freddy Garcia, and Bartolo Colon are candidates. Matthew Cerrone says the Mets have..   Continue Reading

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Rangers Rumors: Guardado, Cameron, Hamilton

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan has all the latest hot stove buzz around the Rangers. The Rangers are nearing a deal with Eddie Guardado. Everyday Eddie might be a dark horse to close, if he can flash his late season form again. The Reds decided in October that he was not worth $3.5MM, and declined his option. Guardado is 37. The Rangers hope to add some kind of veteran starter. Bartolo Colon and Jason Jennings are still options, but Mark Prior and Freddy Garcia pretty much are not. Sullivan names Mike Maroth, Mark Hendrickson, and Josh Towers as pitchers of interest. Mike..   Continue Reading

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Cardinals Turn To Free Agent Market

The Cardinals want to add at least one starting pitcher. Once thought to be interested in Carlos Silva and Kyle Lohse - the "premium" options - John Mozeliak is already digging through the bargain bin. Matthew Leach and Joe Strauss have the latest. Mozeliak has talked to Bartolo Colon's agent and the Cards will take a look at his medical records. It's been suggested that Colon will not take a one-year deal. Livan Hernandez is under consideration, but Mozeliak says he's "not yet" a fit. Josh Fogg is on the radar too. The Cardinals have marginal interest in Kris Benson,..   Continue Reading

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Nationals Rumors: Colon, Fukumori

MLB.com's Bill Ladson has a handful of Nationals rumors tonight. As you know, Damian Miller, Johnny Estrada, and Miguel Montero have been targeted at the catcher position. The Nats want to sign Bartolo Colon to a one-year deal, but it appears he craves multiple years. As mentioned earlier, the Nats like Kazuo Fukumori. What we didn't mention earlier was the idea that Fukumori could start. The notion seems questionable, as the 31 year-old hasn't started a game since 2002. The Nationals have no interest in David Eckstein or Kenny Lofton, despite their desire for a leadoff hitter. They certainly don't..   Continue Reading

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Mets Rumors: Kuroda, Livan, Estrada, Colon

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 5:49pm: Jayson Stark says the Mets haven't talked to the the A's or Orioles at all in Nashville, meaning no talks for Haren or Bedard as of yet. FROM 12-4-07 at 8:05am: What's cooking with the Mets? Let's round 'em up. Mark Hale reports that the Mets have advanced to "Round 2" of the bidding process for Hiroki Kuroda. They did this by indicating a ballpark of what they might offer but without actually making an offer. Hale says 8-10 teams are in on Kuroda, including the Royals, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Mariners. The Ms reportedly have some..   Continue Reading

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Phillies Rumors: Rowand, Benson, Colon, Reyes, Tavarez

A few articles on the Phillies have surfaced this morning; let's see what's cooking on the hot stove. The Phils would pay extra to get Aaron Rowand to take a three-year deal. Jim Salisbury quotes Rowand's agent as saying ten clubs are after him. Salisbury names the usual suspects but throws in the Twins, Royals, Rangers, and Orioles depending on the term. Todd Zolecki confirms the Phillies' interest in Kris Benson. He'll be throwing for teams a few weeks from now. The Phils like Benson best among the rehab project group, now that Randy Wolf is signed. They've also contacted..   Continue Reading

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Rangers Rumors: Bay, Gagne, Fukudome

T.R. Sullivan has the Rangers goods for us this evening. Wow, did MLB.com send 30+ reporters out to Nashville? The Rangers are still pursuing Eric Gagne to return as their closer (and then maybe they'd flip him again). The interest is mutual. The team is also considering LaTroy Hawkins, Shawn Chacon, Luis Vizcaino, Trever Miller, and Octavio Dotel. Basically, most of the relief market. Problem is, the Rangers don't want to give more than one year to any of these guys. The Rangers are moving toward filling center field internally after exploring options. Carlos Gomez, Felix Pie, and Carlos Gonzalez..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Colon, Clark, Gagne

Random rumors, let's round 'em up. How about Bartolo Colon to the Mets? David Lennon notes that Omar Minaya sold the farm to acquire him in 2002 as the Expos' GM. Scott Lauber says Aaron Rowand is insisting on a five-year deal. He adds that the Phils have interest in Geoff Jenkins but he might be too expensive. Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller are considered untouchable, so don't look for the Tigers to make any big trades. Patrick Saunders runs down some free agents the Rockies may consider for the back end of their rotation: Tony Armas, Matt Clement, Steve..   Continue Reading

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Today's Arbitration Decisions

The decision whether to offer your own free agent arbitration can affect your team in two ways: you may end up retaining a player you didn't want, or you may score a draft pick or two as compensation. With that in mind let's run down the rumors regarding some Type A and B free agents. The Red Sox plan on offering arbitration to Type B Eric Gagne. Worst case scenario, they hang onto him for one more year. Best case, they get a sandwich pick. The Astros have to decide on Trever Miller and Mark Loretta. Both are Type Bs,..   Continue Reading

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Padres Rumors: Cameron, Jenkins, Colon

UPDATE, 11-28-07 at 10pm: Krasovic has an update on the Union-Tribune's sports blog. Cameron's agent said tonight that he would decline the Padres' offer of arbitration. That doesn't mean the Padres still can't sign him, but it seems unlikely. Krasovic also notes that the Friars are pursuing Japanese reliever Kazuo Fukumori. As you know, they brought him in for a workout previously. The Rockies and Red Sox have been linked to him in the past. FROM 11-28-07 at 10:40am: Tim Sullivan and Tom Krasovic make are a productive tandem for Padres rumors. Sullivan and Krasovic both posted new articles today...   Continue Reading

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Rangers Rumors: Dunn, Hamilton, Kemp

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan has some interesting hot stove banter surrounding the Rangers. A three-year deal for Kosuke Fukudome or a two-year pact for Mike Cameron might be the most sensible options to fill the Rangers' center field void. Aaron Rowand is probably too expensive. While the Rangers have a touch of interest in Adam Dunn and Coco Crisp, they prefer the idea of acquiring a young bat. Names they like: Fernando Martinez, Carlos Gomez, Carlos Gonzalez, and Matt Kemp. Sullivan notes that the Rangers have talked to the Reds about Josh Hamilton. If the Rangers sign starting pitching it's likely..   Continue Reading

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D'Backs Eyeing Clement, Colon

One fact I foolishly didn't consider when predicting Randy Wolf would sign with Arizona is that as an organization they almost never give incentives in contracts. This was a big factor a year ago when the Diamondbacks were making a pitch to Mark Mulder. However, maybe we shouldn't rule the D'Backs out on pitchers coming back from injuries. That's where the bargains are. Today Nick Piecoro reported that Josh Byrnes has checked in with the agents for Bartolo Colon and Matt Clement. Maybe they could offer one year, $10MM to Colon or one year, $6MM to Clement as a way..   Continue Reading

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Rumor Roundup: Colon, Barrett, Clement, Monroe

Rounding up some of today's rumors... The Phillies have had conversations about Randy Wolf and Bartolo Colon. It's assumed they have about $10MM to spend. The Rockies are talking to Michael Barrett's agent. They've also got some interest in Mike Maroth. He doesn't seem like a great match. LaTroy Hawkins hasn't had any recent discussions with the Rockies, and other teams are knocking on his door (including the Brewers). The White Sox may look to Japan for relief help. They've been linked to Yasuhiko Yabuta in the past. Richard Griffin notes that the Blue Jays pursued Matt Clement three years..   Continue Reading

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Mariners Searching For Starters

John Hickey has an update on the Mariners' starting pitching targets. The options look grim. As far as trade targets, there's always Johan Santana and Dontrelle Willis. The Mariners have long had their eye on Dontrelle, so maybe they'd offer a Wladimir Balentien/Jeff Clement package. Carlos Silva might be on the radar, but Hickey says the vibe is that he could get north of $12MM per season. A better deal might be Hiroki Kuroda, who is estimated to earn $7-9MM annually by Hickey. The Mariners may have the edge on Kuroda because of their location and Japanese catcher. I keep..   Continue Reading

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Nats Like Andruw, Livan, Jennings, Colon, Glavine

UPDATE, EVENING OF 11-6-07: MLB.com's Bill Ladson has some more good Nationals information. His source says that both Livan Hernandez and Tom Glavine are interested in the club, but they only have the budget for one of them. Glavine makes more sense. Ladson also mentions that Bowden has his eye on Rocco Baldelli, and idea I like. I can't really think of a great match for a trade though. FROM MORNING OF 11-6-07: According to the Washington Post, Nationals president Stan Kasten recently met with Andruw Jones at the center fielder's home in Atlanta. Kasten, of course, was formerly president..   Continue Reading

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Mariners Hot Stove Chatter

John Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer discusses the Mariners' offseason situation in today's column. Let's summarize. Jose Guillen will probably decline his $9MM option for '08, no surprise there. An "inside source" of Hickey's doesn't expect him back with Seattle. That puts Ichiro in center and Adam Jones in right, which hopefully makes up for the unpleasantness of Raul Ibanez in left. Hickey sees the Mariners having about $15MM to spend this winter. If $10MM of that went to Guillen the Ms would be severely limited in pitching acquisitions. Instead they should and probably will just spend all of it..   Continue Reading

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