Rockies Won't Trade Gonzalez, Cuddyer

While there has been some speculation that the Rockies could consider moving outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, General Manager Dan O'Dowd says that the standout will be staying put in Colorado, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. 

O'Dowd says that talk of the team putting the 26-year-old on the block started when Nationals GM Mike Rizzo inquired on him via phone.  The Rockies GM says that he told Rizzo that the outfielder wasn't available, and that was the end of it. 

O'Dowd added that he has had a great deal of calls on Michael Cuddyer but won't part with him either.  He expects to keep Dexter Fowler past the deadline as well but stopped short of calling him untouchable. 

"I can't say for certain [we're not trading him] but we put a lot higher value on him than someone looking to acquire him," the GM said.  Fowler has put it together since his demotion last season and is hitting .282/.377/.539 with ten homers this season.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: Tuesday

Dozens of arbitration eligible players have agreed to deals with their respective teams today and we've been tracking all of the developments right here.  Several teams, including the Rays, Nationals, Marlins, White Sox, Blue Jays, Braves, and perhaps Astros, are known for committing to going to hearings if they get to the point of filing.  Keep track of all the madness with MLBTR's arbitration tracker, which shows settlement amounts, filing figures, and midpoints.  Today's players to avoid arbitration on deals worth less than $4MM:

• The Cardinals avoided arbitration with pitcher Kyle McClellan, tweets B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest. Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter) that the one-year deal is worth $2.5MM with incentives based on starts. MLBTR projected a $2.7MM for the Steve Comte client.
• MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith reports (on Twitter) that the Padres and Chase Headley agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.475MM, avoiding arbitration. Earlier this evening, the Padres announced that they avoided arbitration with Luke Gregerson, Edinson Volquez, Carlos Quentin and Will Venable. They also avoided arbitration with lefty reliever Joe Thatcher on a deal worth $700K, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  CAA announced catcher John Baker has signed for $750K.  Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported that the Padres reached agreements with Hundley, Chase Headley, and Tim Stauffer. Hundley will earn $2MM in 2012, MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets.  Dan Hayes of the North County Times tweets the salaries for Volquez ($2.2375MM), Venable ($1.475MM), Gregerson ($1.55MM)
• The Rangers avoided arbitration with Matt Harrison, tweets Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. The ACES client gets $2.95MM on a one-year deal. MLBTR had projected a $2.9MM salary.
• The Cubs announced that they have avoided arbitration with Jeff Baker ($1.375MM), Blake DeWitt ($1.1MM), Ian Stewart ($2.237MM) Chris Volstad ($2.655MM), and Randy Wells ($2.705MM). MLB.com's Carrie Muskat tweeted the salary figures.

Rockies Notes: Fowler, Prado, Hudson, Barmes

The Rockies have asked the Braves about Martin Prado, who could play second base for Colorado in 2012. Here’s a follow-up on the trade talks and an update on some alternatives at second base...

• Rockies outfielder Dexter Fowler is off-limits in trade talks, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter links).
• The Braves and Rockies are expected to keep lines open about a possible deal involving Prado, according to Renck. Fowler won't be going to Atlanta, but the Braves do like Seth Smith.
• The Rockies have had internal conversations about trading for Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson or signing former Rockie Clint Barmes, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The Rockies sent Barmes to the Astros a year ago this month and he responded with a .244/.312/.386 line and solid defense in Houston.

Mets Notes: Reyes, Wright, Rockies

The Mets' offseason will revolve, in large part, around their pursuit of Jose Reyes. The latest Mets-related links: 

• Five Mets executives gave Joel Sherman of the New York Post the impression that Reyes will sign elsewhere and one of them said "I don't think it is happening with the shortstop." Reyes' injuries and the Mets' financial problems may prevent them from winning the bidding on the free agent-to-be. Sherman gets the sense that the Mets don't want to offer more than four years with an option, though they would like Reyes back.
• The Mets will be open-minded when teams inquire about David Wright.
• One team official acknowledged that it would be foolish not to explore the market for the third baseman. "However, I expect actually pulling the trigger is a long shot," the person said. If traded, Wright can void a 2013 option for $16MM, so the acquiring team would be getting him for one year.
• The Rockies, who inquired on Wright this summer, will call if the Mets are willing to listen, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (all Twitter links). The Rockies wouldn't move Dexter Fowler or be willing to trade multiple prospects for one year of Wright, so Renck suggests the Rockies will want to extend Wright if they acquire him.

Quick Hits: Ramirez, Indians, Fowler

Let's take a breather from the draft news with some Quick Hits..

• Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez reiterated his agent's comments from earlier today, saying that he "wouldn't accept a trade", writes Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.  The veteran is in the final year of a five-year, $75MM deal
• The Indians announced that they released infielder Wes Hodges to create Triple-A roster space at Columbus for Nick Johnson, who joins the Clippers today (Twitter link). Hodges, a 2006 second round pick, had a .219/.276/.325 line at Triple-A this year, though he posted a .270/.308/.430 line with 15 homers there last year.
• The Rockies probably couldn't move Dexter Fowler for much right now if they wanted to, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  The centerfielder is hitting .238/.340/.348 so far this year.

Michael Young Rumors: Saturday

In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney notes that something has changed in the relationship between Michael Young and Rangers, possibly because of trade talk this winter. He speculates that the Athletics and Blue Jays could be fits in a deal. Let's keep tabs on the latest regarding Texas and their third baseman here throughout the day...

• MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Dodgers are interested in Young, but their unstable ownership situation is standing in the way.
• A well placed source told Renck (via Twitter) that he doesn't think the Rockies will get Young.  Renck also hears (via Twitter) that the Rockies would need Texas to eat $20MM or more in a deal.
• A source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that talks between the Rangers and Rockies have reached an "advanced stage," and a trade could come as soon as Monday. Texas is not talking to any other club, and a source confirmed that Jose Lopez is in the latest offer.
• Renck says it's "very, very unlikely" that Dexter Fowler would be involved (on Twitter).
• Troy Renck of The Denver Post reports that the Rangers have not reached out to Rockies as of Friday, contradicting what we heard yesterday. 
• Renck notes (on Twitter) that Colorado would be willing to give up Lopez in a trade, but not Aaron Cook. That is subject to change, however. The Rox are understandably leery of surrendering big league starting pitching.

Rockies Rumors: Stults, Floyd, Delcarmen

This will probably go down as the busiest hot stove day of the year for the Rockies. Not only are they nearing a nine-figure extension with their franchise shortstop, they're close to locking up their number two starter. That's not it, either...

• The Rockies added left-hander Eric Stults and catcher Matt Pagnozzi today, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Stults, 30, spent the 2010 season in Japan, but started 24 games for the Dodgers from 2006-09. He has a 4.84 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 145 big league innings. 
• Last year the 28-year-old Pagnozzi appeared in 15 games for the Cardinals, the same team his uncle Tom spent over a decade on.
• Before it became apparent that the Rockies would be bringing Jorge de la Rosa back, Renck suggested that the Rockies had the resources to sign Carl Pavano.
• Pavano and De La Rosa aren't cheap, but neither are the Rockies' potential trade targets. The White Sox would want Dexter Fowler and Ian Stewart for Gavin Floyd, according to Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies (on Twitter).
• The Rockies are now looking to add a reliever and a right-handed bat, according to Renck (on Twitter).
• The Rockies are expected to non-tender Manny Delcarmen, according to Renck (on Twitter). The 28-year-old pitched to a 6.48 ERA in 8 1/3 innings after the Rockies acquired him from Boston. Like former Rockie and current Red Sox Taylor Buchholz, Delcarmen was a valuable big league reliever in 2008, but has struggled since.

Odds & Ends: Gomes, Coffey, Nolasco, Vazquez

Links for Thursday...

• Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that team sources have told him that the Cubs are looking at Jonny Gomes as a fourth outfielder.  Gomes - who proved to be one of the best minor league deals of 2009 - confirms.
• The Brewers signed arbitration-eligible reliever Todd Coffey for $2.025MM, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  That's just short of the midpoint. 
• MLB.com's Joe Frisaro writes that a strong 2010 season would lead the Marlins to explore a multiyear deal with Ricky Nolasco.  Nolasco is under team control through 2012, and will earn $3.8MM in his second arbitration year.
• Yankees pitcher Javier Vazquez spoke to Puerto Rican newspaper La Perla del Sur.  MLBTR's translator Nick Collias supplies this interesting quote: "I don't have much playing time left...I go year by year, and I don’t know if it will be one, two or three years, but I'm definitely not going to play until 40."  Vazquez is eligible for free agency after the season.
• Rockies outfielder Dexter Fowler switched to Scott Boras in November, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post wrote in a Monday blog post.  Fowler's been added to our Scott Boras client list, which can always be found on the sidebar.
• MLBTR missed this January 14th signing: the White Sox added Daniel Cabrera on a minor league deal.  Cabrera, 29 in May, posted a 0.55 K/BB ratio and 6.00 ERA in 51 big league innings last year.
• The Mets and Diamondbacks haven't had any new discussions for catcher Chris Snyder, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  Piecoro examines the debate about whether to trade Snyder.
• Luke Scott wants to play defense, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  Scott says he's "taking one for the team" by serving as DH, and it hurts him in contract negotiations.
• Slugger Jim Thome continues to keep the door open for the White Sox, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.  However, in comments to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, manager Ozzie Guillen indicated a preference to avoid a permanent DH.

Rockies Rumors: Redding, Gonzalez, Turnbow, Blanco

8:40pm: Rosenthal says the Rockies and Nats are discussing a Redding for Taveras swap.

4:06pm: Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune says the Rockies have had internal discussions about Henry Blanco.  I imagine they'd have to ship out Yorvit Torrealba first.

3:17pm: Troy Renck learned from team sources that the Rockies will not trade Gonzalez this winter.

1:25pm: MLB.com's Bill Ladson says the Nats and Rockies met for a half hour yesterday, talking about Redding and Carlos Gonzalez.  At the trade deadline, the Nationals wanted Dexter Fowler for Redding.  Really?

1:57am: Rockies rumors for Tuesday...

• According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies have discussed trading for Nationals starter Tim Redding.  Redding is under team control for two more years.  On one hand the last thing the Nationals can spare is pitching, but on the other Redding is getting pricey and is a back-end guy anyway.
• Renck contends that the Nationals maintain some interest in Willy Taveras.  Ken Rosenthal wrote recently that the Nats "aren't terribly enamored" of the speedy outfielder.
• The Rockies are one of three teams confirmed to be in on Derrick Turnbow, who will work out for teams in January.  The Pirates and Giants have also expressed interest.
• Sometime in January, the Rockies will look into a long-term extension for starter Ubaldo Jimenez.