Mark Loretta Rumors

Perrotto's Latest: Dye, Jenks, Werth, Madson

Let's dig into the latest column from John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus. Perrotto speaks of whispers of a possible White Sox-Mets blockbuster. The Mets would receive Jermaine Dye and Bobby Jenks and the White Sox would receive Fernando Martinez among others. Regarding the Orioles' possible involvement in a trade that would send Jake Peavy to the Cubs, Perrotto says Baltimore seeks Ronny Cedeno and Felix Pie from Chicago. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has spoken to outfielder Jayson Werth and setup man Ryan Madson about contract extensions. Madson might be a tough one as he's represented by Scott Boras (who...   Continue Reading

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Astros Decline To Offer Arb To Wolf, Brocail, Loretta

MLB.com's Alyson Footer makes it official - the Astros did not offer arbitration to Type B free agents Randy Wolf and Mark Loretta or Type A free agent Doug Brocail. The Astros still hope to re-sign Brocail. Just like the Cubs with Kerry Wood and the D'Backs with Adam Dunn, Wolf is a quality player who was not offered arbitration due to payroll concerns. Richard Justice figures it may have come down to Wolf or Jose Valverde for the Astros, and they chose Valverde. Another note in Justice's post - the Astros had their eye on Jose Ceda before he...   Continue Reading

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At Least Four Teams Interested In Loretta

According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, at least four teams are interested in free agent infielder Mark Loretta. Among them: the Phillies, Pirates, Diamondbacks, and Dodgers. The Pirates have talked to Loretta's agent twice. Crasnick figures the Astros won't offer Loretta arbitration this time around; he accepted last year. He lost his case but still earned $2.75MM. The 37 year-old hit .280/.350/.383 in 297 plate appearances while playing a below-average second base and an above-average third base.   Continue Reading

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D'Backs Rumors: Easley, Loretta, Vazquez

5:54pm: The D'Backs offered Vazquez a one-year deal with a club option for 2010, according to his agent. Vazquez has a better offer from another club, and awaits a counteroffer from Arizona. He wants a multiyear deal. 10:20am: Jack Magruder of the East Valley Tribune says the D'Backs offered a one-year contract to Vazquez, but he seeks a multiyear deal. 10:08am: According to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert, the Diamondbacks have talked to the representatives for free agent infielders Damion Easley and Mark Loretta recently. They've already offered a contract to Ramon Vazquez; Easley or Loretta could form a platoon with him....   Continue Reading

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Wolf Will Test Market

THURSDAY: Wolf told KRIV-TV in Houston last night that he's flattered by the Astros' efforts, but he plans to test the market. His main goal is playing for a winning team, and he says his urge to play on the West Coast is overstated. Astros GM Ed Wade says he'll look at alternatives starting Friday. WEDNESDAY, 5:30pm: The Astros also made an offer to reliever Doug Brocail. His agent says about a dozen teams have inquired, the Red Sox among them. The Astros would also like to re-sign Mark Loretta, but conversations have not yet begun. 1:46pm: According to Brian...   Continue Reading

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D'Backs Interested In Loretta

According to Jack Magruder of the East Valley Tribune on Friday, the D'Backs have second baseman Mark Loretta on the radar and have spoken to his agent. Loretta has his eye on a full-time job. Loretta accepted the Astros' offer of arbitration last year when he couldn't find a starting gig. Loretta is again a Type B free agent; will the Astros offer arbitration this time? Loretta, 37, hit .280/.350/.383 in 297 plate appearances while playing below average defense. He earned $2.75MM, the result of a lost arbitration case.   Continue Reading

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Waiver Trade Possibilities For Red Sox, Rays

The Red Sox, three games behind the Rays in the standings, have the advantage when it comes to waiver claims. Both teams are dealing with injured third basemen for the next few weeks, and may choose to bring in some veteran assistance. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe names four players who may be of interest to the Red Sox and Rays: Rich Aurilia, Mark Loretta, Gary Sheffield, and Kevin Millar. Even after he clears waivers, a deal for Sheffield seems unlikely. The Rays have already expressed their disinterest. Sheffield doesn't expect a deal, noting that he's been put on...   Continue Reading

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Molony's Latest: Mahay, Loretta, Erstad, Guzman

Let's check in with MLB.com's Jim Molony. The Rays are scouting lefty relievers Brian Fuentes and Ron Mahay. The issue? The price for Fuentes seems exorbitant, and Mahay may not be available. Troy E. Renck names the Yankees, Mets, Cardinals, and Marlins as the main suitors for Fuentes aside from the Rays. A few contenders have inquired with the Astros as to the availability of Mark Loretta and Darin Erstad. As you might imagine, the Rangers are open to trading Frank Catalanotto. We mentioned yesterday that his contract is a bit of a burden. It seems that Jim Bowden is...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Lidge, Daniel Cabrera, Bonds, Edmonds

Ken Rosenthal has a new column up. I put the Griffey info in a separate post; let's discuss the rest. Rosenthal suggests that Brad Lidge would be harder to replace than Pat Burrell, and for that reason the Phillies will make a bigger effort to re-sign him. I imagine Phillies fans would prefer that course of action. The problem? The Phillies have little chance of offering four years, according to Jayson Stark. The Rangers will face a delicate situation in coming years: moving Michael Young to a different position. The chain reaction could make Hank Blalock available. Blalock has a...   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Roberts, Crisp, Loretta

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up. Let's examine some of the hot stove material. There's nothing cooking with the Cubs and Brian Roberts. The O's still intend to trade Roberts this year, along with pretty much all of their other veterans. Their hot start is unlikely to halt the farm sale. The Red Sox don't want to eat any of the $11MM owed to Coco Crisp over the next two years, and for now there are no trades in the works. Roberts, Crisp, and Joe Crede were three trades we all expected to go down....   Continue Reading

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Helms Designated For Assignment

3:07pm: According to David Murphy, Helms has been DFA'd. Any suitors will probably try to wait it out so as not to pay his salary. 8:53am: Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News says it's likely that Wes Helms will be moved by Saturday, when closer Brad Lidge is set to come off the DL. Hagen suggests the Dodgers as a good fit. Ned Colletti could offer up a player to be named later, or just wait and see if the Phils release Helms. He has $2.9MM left on his contract. The Dodgers had been eyeing Alex Cintron and almost...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: DeWitt, Murton, Vargas, Hatteberg, Pena, Baek, Piazza

Ken Rosenthal has his latest column up at FoxSports.com. As usual he is not shy about stirring up rumors. Let's take a look at what the rumor-guru has to say: Rosenthal notes that the Dodgers will go with Blake DeWitt at third base who has never played a game above AA. This comes after the Dodgers failed to acquire either the Astros' Mark Loretta, who was unavailable and the Royals' Esteban German, who was too expensive. The Royals were asking for the Dodgers' third best prospect, shortstop Chin-Lung Hu. He indicates that the Padres and the Rays are pursuing Matt...   Continue Reading

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Dodgers Scrambling for Infield Help

With veteran infielders Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent both likely to miss opening day, the Dodgers are scrambling to find themselves some backups. Ken Rosenthal says that since the Astros are unlikely to trade Mark Loretta while Kaz Matsui is out, L.A. is considering Ron Belliard of the Nationals and Esteban German of the Royals. Another possibility, Morgan Ensberg, seems unlikely, as the Yankees added him to their 40-man roster yesterday. Joe Crede of the White Sox and Brandon Inge of the Tigers are both probably too expensive. This could impact roster decisions Los Angeles will make on Monday, when...   Continue Reading

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Astros Rumors: Patterson, Loretta

If 30-year old righty John Patterson clears waivers today, Ed Wade will give him a call. Patterson hails from Orange, Texas and was released by the Nationals on Thursday. You can read about Patterson's injury-packed history here. In other Astros news, Wade is not likely to deal infielder Mark Loretta, despite alleged interest from the Dodgers. The Dodgers want Loretta to sub for perennially injured 3B Nomar Garciaparra, who will not be ready to go by opening day. However, there may be wishful thinking going on in Los Angeles, as the Astros are also coping with an unpleasant injury to...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Loretta, Ensberg, Lopez, Ring

Ken Rosenthal has some Spring Training odds and ends this morning. Rosenthal adds Mark Loretta as a possible third base acquisition for the Dodgers. Given their desire for a relatively affordable guy who can also handle second, Rosenthal has linked them to Ron Belliard and Esteban German previously. Loretta shouldn't be too hard to pry away from the Astros. Though he can't play second, Morgan Ensberg could be an option if the Yankees let him leave. The Nats are shopping Felipe Lopez, who's said he wouldn't be content on the bench. Rosenthal says the Nationals have their eye on awful...   Continue Reading

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Nationals' Surpluses Could Lead To Trades

Nationals GM Jim Bowden signed veterans Dmitri Young and Ron Belliard to curious two-year extensions last year. He's now faced with a logjam at two infield positions. Ben Goessling of the Washington Times describes the first base battle between Young and Nick Johnson, who get along well. Johnson has more trade value, given his age. Neither player is a lock for 150 games though. Johnson is injury-prone, but his perennial .400 OBPs are appealing. He and Young are both signed through '09; Young has a vesting option for '10. The Yankees or Mets could be in the market for Johnson...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Jerome Williams, Linden, Lo Duca

Below you'll find the day's random rumors and links. Remember Jerome Williams? He's begging the Giants or any other team to give him a shot, "even if it means in A-ball" according to John Shea. The 26 year-old Hawaiin couldn't find any success last year with Washington. He started out pretty strong with the Giants back in 2003-04. Todd Linden can get out of his minor league deal with Oakland if offered a deal in Japan, which is a possibility. Paul Lo Duca has choice words for the Mets, rejecting the notion that they were ever interested or that he...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Loretta, German, Belliard, Baldelli

An update to the Ken Rosenthal article discussed earlier suggests that either Esteban German or Ron Belliard would be better, cheaper alternatives for the Dodgers than Joe Crede or Brandon Inge. It would take less to get Belliard or German, they're paid less, and either of them could back up Jeff Kent, 40, at second base in addition to playing third. Both players are "attracting the Dodgers' interest" according to Rosenthal. The Baltimore Sun is now reporting that the Orioles have an interest in Mark Loretta. Hopefully this is a sign that the Brian Roberts-to-Chicago saga will soon mercifully come...   Continue Reading

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Astros Win Loretta Case

Arbiters ruled in favor of the Astros over Mark Loretta today, saving the team $2.15MM. I guess the 20% pay cut thing doesn't apply here. With the Jose Valverde savings, that makes $3.65MM for Houston. That's probably right around what Shawn Chacon will get. Three hearings remain undecided; the players will probably snag at least one victory in the cases of Ryan Howard, Oliver Perez, and Francisco Rodriguez. Keith Law explains again why the Phils paying Howard more than they have to does not make sense. Historically teams have won 57.7% of cases. So we might've expected the teams to...   Continue Reading

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Astros Beat Jose Valverde In Arbitration Case

Another reliever bites the dust; Jose Valverde will receive $4.7MM rather than the $6.2MM he was after. That $1.5MM could go toward another starter, as could another $2.15MM saved in the event the Astros beat Mark Loretta (I think they will). Of course, the list of remaining free agent starters ain't pretty. It shouldn't be on February 15th. Valverde is under the Astros' control through the 2009 season. If he has another 40 save season, he can probably vault past $10MM for '09.   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Dotel, Valverde, Wilkerson

Some Saturday odds and ends to mull over... The Yankees considered bringing Octavio Dotel back, but wouldn't go two years on him. Richard Justice thinks Astros GM Ed Wade is making a mistake by setting a deadline and going to arbitration hearings with Jose Valverde and Mark Loretta. I doubt the Astros wanted Loretta to accept their offer of arbitration in the first place, but they took the $4-5MM gamble hoping to get a draft pick. But they actively sought out Valverde, and this might not bode well for him staying past 2009. Can't promise anything, but my source is..   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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Arbitration Decisions

Free agents' decisions on whether to accept their teams' offers of arbitration are rolling in. Eric Gagne told the Red Sox that he won't their offer of arbitration. The Boras camp had sent signals otherwise, but it was an idle threat. He wants that multiyear deal or at least a chance to close. The Red Sox get a delicious sandwich pick for their dalliance with Gagne. Could've been more, if Gagne was lights out for them and snagged Type A status. Mark Loretta accepted; Trever Miller declined. Loretta should make $3MM+ to take on a utility role. The Astros could..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Sabathia, Loretta, Patterson

You know the drill, here's a roundup of some rumor nuggets. I'll update the post continuously throughout the day. Corey Patterson wants a multiyear deal, which probably isn't something the Rangers want to do. The Indians met with C.C. Sabathia's agent on Thursday, but have yet to submit an extension proposal. That will happen this month, most likely. Check out how excited Pirates Rule 5 pick Evan Meek was. Pretty cool. The Astros expect Mark Loretta to accept their offer of arbitration. The deadline is midnight tonight for players to decide. Despite what Ed Wade says I doubt they really..   Continue Reading

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Rockies Rumors: Iguchi, Cook, Kip, Holliday

UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 12:57pm: According to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, David Eckstein is now a Rockies' target for second base. They talked to Mark Loretta today, also. Harding adds that the holdup on the Cook deal is the amount of a fourth-year option. FROM 12-6-07 at 12:21pm: The Denver Post's Troy E. Renck has a lunchtime Rockies update. Renck doesn't see Tadahito Iguchi getting Kaz Matsui money, noting that only the Rockies are pursuing Iguchi at his preferred position of second base. That could change if the Orioles trade Brian Roberts. Though Aaron Cook's 3/30 extension isn't final, GM Dan..   Continue Reading

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Rockies Interested In Iguchi

According to Troy Renck and Patrick Saunders, the Rockies met with Tadahito Iguchi's agent yesterday to discuss their second base opening. Iguchi prefers the idea of second base, and is looking for a two-year deal. Other teams interested in Iguchi are the Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, and Brewers. Other second basemen on Colorado's radar include Chris Burke and Mark Loretta   Continue Reading

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Astros Rumors: Tejada, Loretta

MLB.com's Alyson Footer chased down a few Astros rumors today. The Astros' chances at Miguel Tejada were graded a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10 yesterday. Now they're at a 0. So, that's that. Mark Loretta has until Friday to decide whether to accept the team's offer of arbitration. He may not want to accept since he wants a full-time job. His agent contacted Ed Wade about that today. Dan O'Dowd suggested that the Astros "got him back."   Continue Reading

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Barmes For Burke Offered

According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies have offered shortstop Clint Barmes to the Astros for second baseman Chris Burke. Seems a reasonable swap of blocked middle infielders. The Rockies will also meet with Mark Loretta's agent tonight. Loretta is coveted by the Mariners as well. Talks with the Astros about Brian Fuentes fizzled, so the Rockies will probably just keep him as a luxury   Continue Reading

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ESPN's Latest: Lamb, Bedard, Tejada, Loretta

ESPN's Amy Nelson and Buster Olney recently checked in with a few new rumors. The Red Sox checked in on Mike Lamb - they're looking for a corner infield backup. Lamb had good numbers in '07 so he may prefer to look for a starting job. Meanwhile, Evan Grant says the Rangers are in the lead for Lamb. They'd give him that starting gig. The Orioles apparently have four teams already offering impressive packages for Erik Bedard. The Dodgers and O's talked Miguel Tejada last night but they couldn't find a match. The Mariners like Mark Loretta as a backup..   Continue Reading

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Padres Rumors: Loretta, Iguchi, Peavy, Barrett

Tom Krasovic fills us in on the latest with the Padres. Kevin Towers is considering Mark Loretta and Tadahito Iguchi as second base options. Loretta has expressed interest. I wonder how this will make the Padres feel; his strong flirtations may turn them off. Jake Peavy will get full no-trade protection for 2008-10, limited for 2011-12. As reported yesterday Towers is in talks for Mark Prior and Josh Towers. Towers said that himself? Tampering! The Padres still expect Michael Barrett to accept arby. Krasovic mentions the Cubs actually considered having Barrett switch positions last year. Yes! Barrett should market himself..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Guillen, Patterson, Clark, Andruw

Let's keep things rolling along with a morning Odds and Ends collection. U.S.S. Mariner is not amused with the Ms' decision not to offer arbitration to Jose Guillen. Andruw Jones hasn't been getting much player, and his camp initiated contact with the Royals yesterday. The mutual interest may have been what pushed Guillen to sign. With the David Riske to Milwaukee signing not official, the Orioles apparently had talks with his agent yesterday. He'll be too pricey for them, anyway. By the way, the Cubs checked in on Brian Roberts, but nothing is really stirring right now on that front...   Continue Reading

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Rockies, Mariners Interested In Marcus Giles

Second baseman Marcus Giles was awful this year, hitting .229/.304/.317 in 420 ABs. You don't hear statheads talking him up quite as much these days. Nonetheless ESPN's Jayson Stark reports that the Rockies and Mariners have interest. Apparently one other NL team is interested as well. For the Rox, Giles would be a fallback option if they can't sign Mark Loretta. The Mariners are trying to find someone to challenge or replace Jose Lopez. Giles made $3.75MM this year and doesn't figure to get much more on the open market   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Loretta, Pettitte, Affeldt

Random Winter Meetings rumors... Doug Melvin confirms that the Nats offered Chad Cordero for Rickie Weeks. Melvin is adamant that he won't be trading Weeks or J.J. Hardy for a closer. Mike Timlin for $3MM, done. Mark Loretta would like to return to San Diego but the Padres will pass. The Rockies may yet sign him. Rob Biertempfel thinks the Pirates could send a reliever to the Rockies for Jamey Carroll, if the Rockies would eat some of Carroll's salary. That's right, a Jamey Carroll trade rumor. For a man of his abilities Carroll is a tad pricey at $2.3MM...   Continue Reading

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Yankees Not Close With Loretta

UPDATE, 12-01-07 at 1pm: Olney now says the Yanks don't have any serious interest in Loretta, and haven't spoken to him in over a month. UPDATE, 11-30-07 at 10am: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has more on this situation. The Rockies got in touch with Loretta's agent recently but weren't optimistic on getting a deal done. While Loretta is close with the Yanks, he will let the Rockies' second base situation play out before signing because Colorado is his first choice. FROM 11-30-07 at 8:40am: Ryne Crabb of The Transaction Guy writes of a Buster Olney radio report..   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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Rosenthal's Latest: Possible Waiver Deals

Ken Rosenthal has a new post up; below are some points of interest for rumor-hounds like us. Josh Towers and Steve Trachsel have both cleared waivers. You'll find their contract info as well as a complete list of those who have cleared waivers here. Rosenthal says the Rockies are monitoring both pitchers; they were forced to start journeyman Tim Harikkala today. The Rox also called the A's about Chad Gaudin but found the price prohibitive. Another reason a Gaudin trade wouldn't make sense is that he wouldn't pass through waivers. Towers is attracting multiple suitors. I think he'll have moderate..   Continue Reading

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Failed Trades

Let's take a look at some deals that almost happened yesterday. Kyle Farnsworth for Bob Wickman. This would've been fun, reunions with former teams for both players. However, the Braves wanted the Yankees to pick up all of Farnsworth's salary, apparently. Brian Cashman didn't want to make him go away that badly, and Wickman would probably be a nonfactor back in the AL. Mariners acquire Mark Loretta. Eh. Let's not overstate the abilities of Loretta. It sounds like Tim Purpura wanted some kind of legitimate prospect for him. Rockies send Jeff Baker and others to Tampa Bay for Dan Wheeler...   Continue Reading

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Padres Interested In Igawa, Lamb, Loretta

UPDATE: Will Carroll reports that the Padres appear to be close to a deal for both Lamb and Loretta. Not sure if the Ensberg acquisition changes this. I'm not sure when it was published, but Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Padres have interest in Mark Loretta or Mike Lamb from the Astros. That we knew, but Krasovic also mentions that the Padres would like to buy low on Kei Igawa but the Yankees aren't shopping him   Continue Reading

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Mets Hunting For Reliever, Second Baseman

Pretty much the same old story with the Mets, though Joel Sherman and Mark Hale of the New York Post do have some new tidbits. The authors name Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, and Eric Gagne as relievers on the radar. However it seems the asking price is too high for Gagne and the Indians have become the frontrunner for Dotel (they may have passed the Dodgers). Shawn Chacon doesn't catch the Mets' eye, and they don't want Chad Bradford's three-year commitment. They had that option with Bradford this winter. I think that logic is silly - Bradford's pitched..   Continue Reading

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Mets and Devil Rays

Ryan McConnell of the New Jersey Star-Ledger posted a run-down of Mets' rumors, mostly old hat by now. Items of note: The Mets are being asked too much for both Chad Cordero and Octavio Dotel, causing them to take another look at Eric Gagne. They are also looking at Matt Thornton (White Sox), Shawn Chacon (Pirates), Chad Bradford (Orioles) and Jon Rauch (Nationals). I think they should go for Chad Bradford, silly contract be damned. We've all heard about second base possibilities in Mark Grudzielanek, Mark Loretta and Luis Castillo. I think that of these candidates, Grudzielanek is the best..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Dye, Lamb, Jennings

Ken Rosenthal has a new article up. Let's see what's in there beyond the Teixeira stuff. The Angels have a few alternatives to Mark Teixeira in Jermaine Dye and Mike Piazza. However, the team isn't exactly bursting with open outfield/DH spots, especially once Juan Rivera returns. Troy Glaus still makes a ton of sense, but the Blue Jays would want a lot. Probably 2/3 of the Teixeira package. Aside from Mark Loretta, the Padres would also like to acquire Mike Lamb from the Astros. Even tossing aside his awful April, Kevin Kouzmanoff has been about average for his position offensively..   Continue Reading

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Latest Mets Rumors: Luis Castillo, Chad Cordero

Let's have a look at the latest rumors swirling around the Mets. Second base remains an area of focus. A Twins scout was at Shea recently, presumably trying to figure out what to ask for from the Mets for Luis Castillo. The Mets were recently scouting the Twins as well. The problem is that Castillo is not yet officially available. A couple of Marks, Grudzielanek and Loretta, remain on the radar. The Astros might consider signing Loretta to an extension, though no details have been discussed. The Devil Rays hosted the Red Sox last night, and a Mets scout was..   Continue Reading

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Padres Interested In Loretta, Iguchi

The Padres have gotten a woeful .244/.315/.328 line out of their second baseman, most of it from Marcus Giles. They're starting to work Geoff Blum in more often, but it's a clear area for an upgrade. The two names on the radar, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, are Mark Loretta and Tadahito Iguchi. Iguchi's slugging percentage is down this year, mostly from an awful May. But he still represents an upgrade on Giles. The more versatile Loretta is hitting .297/.373/.390 this year; he's done a nice job drawing walks. Loretta pushed to sign with the Padres, but Kevin Towers..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Nats After Dunn

Ken Rosenthal's got a new column up; let's dive in. Fun new rumor: the Nationals are pursuing Adam Dunn. Huh? Makes no sense on the surface. Jim Bowden's possible motivation would be to sign Dunn long-term and make him the cornerstone of the franchise. If he fails at that, all would not be lost given the draft pick compensation. Rosenthal says the market for Dunn beyond Washington is a bit foggy - the Twins, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, and Padres could all get involved but none stand out. Rosenthal adds some color to my recent Nationals post. He mentions that..   Continue Reading

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Mets Mulling Options At Second Base

Jose Valentin's fractured tibia on Friday should knock him out about six weeks. Unfortunately for Valentin, this injury and a previous one will stop him from reaching 400 plate appearances this year. That means his $4.3MM option for 2008 will not vest. The Mets have a number of internal options: Anderson Hernandez, Marlon Anderson, Ruben Gotay, and Damion Easley can all handle second base and offer different skills. Willie Randolph didn't seem thrilled with the idea of Gotay as the everyday guy, though Omar Minaya expects him to play the most. Minaya's not actively looking to trade for a second..   Continue Reading

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Loretta Drawing Interest From Padres, Yankees

According to Buster Olney, Astros infielder Mark Loretta is drawing interest from the Padres and Yankees. The soon-to-be 36 year-old is hitting .307/.383/.402 in 264 ABs this year. He's played all four infield positions this year. Loretta's '07 salary is $2.5MM with an additional $1MM in incentives. So at most, there's about $1.4MM left on the deal this year. Marcus Giles has been a disappointment for the Padres, hitting .237/.309/.329 on the year. That's really bad. Loretta would probably play second regularly for San Diego. Olney believes the Yankees would continue to use Loretta in the supersub role. You may..   Continue Reading

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Loretta To Sign With Astros

According to Mark Loretta's agent, the second baseman will sign with the Astros. Assuming Chris Burke stays in center field, Loretta would only have to battle a 41 year-old Craig Biggio for playing time at second. The deal is for $2.5MM with another $1MM in incentives. The signing leaves only Ron Belliard without a home among the formerly large free agent 2B crop   Continue Reading

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Rangers Make Offer To Mark Loretta

According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, the Rangers have made an offer to free agent infielder Mark Loretta but have been told he's likely to sign elsewhere. Apparently the Rangers aren't offering enough playing time. They're looking for someone to back up Teixeira, Kinsler, Young, and Blalock in the dog days of summer. Mark DeRosa filled the role nicely last year. Two free agent second basemen are still standing: Loretta and Ron Belliard. The Braves could sign one of the two but are more likely to go the low-cost route and try Kelly Johnson, Martin Prado, or Willy Aybar. There..   Continue Reading

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Yanks, D'Backs Close On Unit?

According to the New York Daily News, the Diamondbacks and Yankees could finish a Randy Johnson trade this weekend. Arizona will need to talk to Johnson to extend his contract through 2008, pretty much guaranteeing he gets his 300th win as a Diamondback. The Yankees want one of Dustin Nippert, Micah Owings, and Ross Ohlendorf. Nippert seems to be the prize of the trio. Meanwhile, the Yankees are getting closer to signing Doug Mientkiewicz to play first base and could also snag Mark Loretta as a utility infielder. On the other hand, a source told the Newark Star-Ledger that there's..   Continue Reading

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