Miguel Tejada Rumors

Stark's Latest: Abreu, Arroyo, Hudson

ESPN's Jayson Stark is back with a look at needs and plans for all 30 teams. I highly recommend you read the article, but here are a few highlights. He's also got a fresh blog post here. The Phillies are eyeing Doug Brocail and Russ Springer. The Mets like Bobby Abreu, but not his three year, $45MM asking price. The Reds are quietly listening on Bronson Arroyo, and the Rangers may be interested. Contrary to previous reports, Stark believes the Mets' first order of business is getting a starting pitcher. Here's a new one - the Marlins are interested in...   Continue Reading

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Tejada To Skip Winter Ball, Look For Extension

Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle is reporting that Miguel Tejada is planning to skip winter ball this year, and will look to sign an extension to keep him wearing an Astros uniform for several years to come. Tejada is a rare case - a star player who plays Winter Ball every season. This winter, however, Tejada plans to relax and spend time with his family as he looks ahead to 2009: “I want to have a super season,” he said. “I want to see if after next year I can stay here.” Given the weak shortstop market...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Street, Zaun, Guardado, Blalock

Let's round up some odds and ends for a rumor-packed day. The Reds had a scout at a recent Rangers-A's game; they may have been eyeing a Texas catcher. Billy Beane is still fielding offers for Huston Street; Jon Heyman mentions the same teams we've heard in the past. Ed Wade told Miguel Tejada he's staying put. Gregg Zaun would welcome a trade. GM J.P. Ricciardi responded by saying "someone has to want you." The Marlins could make sense; their catcher hunt may hinge on Matt Treanor's decision whether to have surgery. John Maine has a mild rotator cuff strain....   Continue Reading

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Molony's Latest: Ohman, Fuentes, Sherrill, Tejada

Here's a new column from MLB.com's Jim Molony. Will Ohman suitors: the Marlins, Red Sox, Rays, Tigers and White Sox. Molony says the Braves aren't highly motivated to trade Ohman, as they might want to re-sign him for '09. Odd. The Rockies would need to be bowled over, but the Cardinals, Mets, Phillies, Rays, Red Sox, White Sox and Yankees still like Brian Fuentes. George Sherrill suitors: Cardinals, Dodgers, Marlins, Phillies, Red Sox and Tigers. He's another reliever unlikely to be dealt. Molony disagrees with other reports on the Red Sox and Miguel Tejada; he says they did inquire but...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Tejada, Laird, Renteria, Sherrill

New one from Ken Rosenthal... The Padres will ask Greg Maddux again to consider accepting a trade to a team not located on the West Coast. The Dodgers haven't shown interest. One big league source told Rosenthal that the Astros have had "absolutely no dialogue" about Miguel Tejada. The Marlins are the most aggressive suitor for Gerald Laird. The Brewers, Reds, and Yankees are also in on the Rangers' catcher. Rosenthal points out a Doug Melvin connection - Melvin acquired Laird as the Rangers' GM back in '02. [UPDATE: Rangers guru Jamey Newberg tells me that it was actually John...   Continue Reading

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Red Sox Have Little Interest In Tejada

10:39pm: Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says the Red Sox have "almost no interest" in Tejada. Other teams are considering Tejada, but a trade is unlikely. 8:18pm: It's possible the Tigers are also in the mix for Tejada. They are among many teams scouting the Astros (the Nationals, Mets, Rangers, and Giants are others). 7:04pm: According to ESPN's Enrique Rojas, the Red Sox and Astros have discussed shortstop Miguel Tejada. Rojas is not sure how far the trade talk has progressed. Tejada seemed open to the idea in a quote given to Rojas. Tejada is hitting .281/.318/.420 in 431...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Sabathia, Blake, Greinke, Tejada

And now...a fresh Ken Rosenthal column. An opposing viewpoint: Rosenthal says "any team that acquires C.C. Sabathia would gain an exclusive window to sign him long-term before he reaches free agency." Rosenthal notes that the Brewers and Rays are stacked enough to acquire Sabathia and wouldn't mind taking draft picks for him after the season. Casey Blake is drawing trade interest; his versatility is a plus. Rosenthal likes the fit for the Dodgers, Mets, and A's. An anonymous general manager tossed out this "trade concept": Adam Dunn to the Dodgers for Juan Pierre, Chin-lung Hu, and cash. Thoughts? Teams such...   Continue Reading

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Wade Looking To Add Pitching

MLB.com's Jim Molony tells us that Astros GM Ed Wade has been working the phones to get a feel for the "general lay of the land." After a busy offseason for Wade, most notably adding Miguel Tejada and Jose Valverde, Wade will likely be in the market for pitching upgrades. The Astros rank 21st in baseball with a team ERA of 4.50, and their rotation is a combined 20-25 with a 4.77 ERA, and a league-worst 65 home runs allowed. As Wade himself points out though, starting pitching won't be easy to come by this year. As usual, there are...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Hamilton, Lowry, Brewers, Tejada

I'm not so happy about kicking off the day with an odds and ends post, but what can I say? I can't go around making up rumors. Evan Grant talks about how well the Josh Hamilton acquisition has worked out. I say acquisition, because the trade worked out smashingly for the Reds, too. Looks like there won't be a six-man rotation in San Fran anytime soon. Noah Lowry isn't throwing anymore, as the pins and needles in his arm have returned. He could miss the entire first half of the season. So much for being a trade candidate. Brewers GM...   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Oswalt, Tejada, Upton, Burrell

Check out the latest column from ESPN's Jayson Stark. Stark talked to one exec who believed the Astros' baseball people might consider a Roy Oswalt trade, but owner Drayton McLane never would. The exec also questioned whether the Astros would've given up a bounty of five players to acquire Miguel Tejada if they'd known the player's true age. Stark implies that the Upton brothers are eyeing big bucks and aren't likely to sign extensions. Stark's sources believe the Phillies will offer Pat Burrell something like two years and $14MM. He'll probably want significantly more than that.   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends II: Longoria, Manny, Giambi, Tejada

Rumors are a bit sparse today...this should be expected in the weeks and month to come. So here are a few articles for your afternoon reading. Sabernomics takes a look at the economics of the Evan Longoria deal. Tom Verducci puts Manny Ramirez in historical perspective. 'Ducc thinks that Manny is better than some of us give him credit for. Which is difficult, because you have to give him all the credit in the world (at the dish, at least). Rob Neyer (subscription required) talks about the Yankees releasing Jason Giambi. He links to an article saying that Giambi simply...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Furcal, Tejada

Ken Rosenthal did an Inside Pitch video yesterday; let's discuss. Rosenthal says Rafael Furcal and the Dodgers are open to discussing an extension during the season. Furcal makes $13MM this year and would be a hot commodity on the free agent market. If the Dodgers re-sign him, shortstop Chin-Lung Hu becomes valuable trade bait. Rosenthal notes that the biggest downside to Miguel Tejada's age revelation is his reduced trade value. It's possible the 'Stros could look to clean house in July or after the season.   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Tejada, Howard, Johnson

Couple more odds and ends this evening... Orioles executive VP Mike Flanagan admitted he wouldn't have signed Miguel Tejada to a six-year deal if he knew the shortstop's proper age. But he still would've signed him (if possible). People are debating whether ESPN ambushed Tejada with his birth certificate...of course they did. Ken Rosenthal believes the optimal course of action for the Phillies is to just let Ryan Howard play out the string and then let him walk as a free agent after the 2011 season. Rays Index says the Dan Johnson acquisition signals a "win-now" attitude for the Rays.   Continue Reading

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Miguel Tejada Age Discrepancy

The Astros learned today that Miguel Tejada is 33 going on 34, rather than 31 going on 32. Astros GM Ed Wade doesn't seem bothered by the discrepancy at all. I'm surprised - those two years have to be a big consideration when projecting him for his '08 and '09 seasons, which the 'Stros pretty much own. I guess the Astros can't have a legitimate beef with the Orioles, if the O's didn't know either. Tejada, by the way, can opt out of his contract after this season. He's due $13MM in '09.   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Deeds, Tejada

Some random tidbits for you; I may add to this post if I find a few more. RotoAuthority analyzes the hottest fantasy baseball pickups from this week. The Twins completed the Craig Monroe deal by sending 25 year-old outfielder Doug Deeds to the Cubs. He looks like a long shot to make the Majors. Monroe hasn't looked like much of a big leaguer lately, either. Richard Justice notes that the Cardinals targeted Miguel Tejada this winter but couldn't get it done. As if they needed any more steroid stigma. It's interesting to see the Tejada deal looking so good for...   Continue Reading

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Should The O's Hang On To Roberts?

Following the Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard trades, most assumed that the next Baltimore player to go would be Brian Roberts. There were conflicting reports yesterday regarding whether or not the Cubs offered 21-year old reliever Jose Ceda, but today it appears that nothing is imminent. Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun sees no activity either, and offers his opinion that the Orioles may be better off beginning the season with Roberts in the lineup: The chances of the Orioles obtaining full value for him in trade might actually increase if he gets off to a good start, and the...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Zimmerman, Lohse, Quintero

The Nationals renewed Ryan Zimmerman's contract and will pay him $465K in 2008, but still hope to sign him to a longer deal. Zimmerman will be eligible for arbitration in 2009. According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles recently discussed free agent pitcher Kyle Lohse with his agent, Scott Boras. Lohse was originally seeking a five-year deal for approximately $50 million, but word is his price has come down drastically. The Detroit Free Press says the Tigers "have mild interest in Houston's Humberto Quintero but are giving strong consideration to Dane Sardinha, the starting catcher at Triple-A Toledo last year."...   Continue Reading

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Angelos Did Not Kill Roberts Trade

Roch Kubatko of the Baltimore Sun checks in with a few Andy MacPhail quotes. Basically, MacPhail has only brought one trade to Orioles' owner Peter Angelos, the Miguel Tejada deal. That was obviously approved; nothing else was presented. So the Brian Roberts and Erik Bedard talks remain just talks. No deal has been reached in either case   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Johan, Hudson, A-Rod, Dallas

Collection o' links... LENIII has a Johan Santana update...nothing groundbreaking going on, pretty much looks like the Yanks and Red Sox are still both involved. The Brewers were apparently pretty deep in discussions for Miguel Tejada during the Winter Meetings. After a year out of baseball Javy Lopez is back with the Braves on a minor-league deal. Remember when he slugged .687 with 43 home runs in 457 ABs? Good times. Nick Piecoro has some chatter about Orlando Hudson, who hits free agency after the '08 season. The most interesting part is that Hudson refers to Bob Melvin as "Bo-Mel."..   Continue Reading

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Astros Acquire Miguel Tejada

UPDATE, 12-12-07 at 4:41pm: Richard Justice notes that Tejada can demand a trade after the '08 season. That hadn't occurred to me; it diminishes his value to the Astros. UPDATE, 12-12-07 at 12:04pm: Rosenthal says Tejada is expected to play short for the Astros; Adam Everett's time may be up. Tejada's offensive output looks a lot better coming from short than it does coming from third, though it may be a moot point if Ty Wigginton is manning the hot corner. FROM 12-12-07 at 11:42am: This comes as a surprise, on the heels of a Rosenthal report to the contrary...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Santana, Cabrera, Kuroda, Edmonds, Rolen

Ken Rosenthal checks in with the latest hot stove buzz around baseball. Johan Santana is Boston's only target - they're not after Dan Haren or any other starter. The talks keep slugging along. For what it's worth, Curt Schilling expects the Red Sox to get him. 36 year-old first baseman Alex Cabrera is a sleeper power threat among free agents. The former Rockie, Cub, and Diamondback has been mashing in Japan since 2001. The Nationals don't have any room for him but want him anyway. Rosenthal says A.L. clubs are looking at him as a DH candidate, also. Cabrera hit..   Continue Reading

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Youngman's Latest: Tejada, Eckstein, Inge

Randy Youngman of the OC Register has a few new rumor tidbits for us. Let's discuss. The Angels won't include Jered Weaver in a Miguel Tejada trade. Youngman says the O's asked for the moon as a way of gauging Tejada's market value. Now they'll get serious. Both the Padres and Angels like David Eckstein as one-year possibilities, not that he's open to that. The Halos actually have a bench role in mind for him, according to Youngman. The Padres, by the way, spoke to Eckstein's agent today. Youngman says the Dodgers have interest in Brandon Inge and Pedro Feliz...   Continue Reading

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Astros, Orioles, Were Never Close To Tejada Deal

The Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice says that while the Astros and Orioles had intense discussions about Miguel Tejada, the two sides were "never, never, never" close to a deal. It's clear that Chris Burke, Adam Everett, and a prospect wouldn't get it done. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun said today that the Orioles believe the Astros have the young talent needed to make a Tejada deal. Zrebiec notes that a package based on Everett and Luke Scott wouldn't cut it, either. Andy MacPhail also discussed Tejada with the Cardinals, Giants, and Angels this week. The Angels haven't aggressively pursued..   Continue Reading

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The Giants and Hideki Matsui

As we learned earlier this week, the Giants and Yankees have talked about a Hideki Matsui trade. Let's discuss. According to Andrew Baggarly, talks are still in the early stages but the teams will meet again soon on the topic. A source close to Matsui indicated that he'd waive his no-trade for San Fran. However, the Giants are said to prefer adding a right-handed slugger. Baggarly thinks the Giants would readily part with Jonathan Sanchez and Brad Hennessey, with Noah Lowry a possibility. The Giants won't part with Brian Wilson, their closer of the future. Other notes from Baggarly -..   Continue Reading

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Cubs Rumors: Fukudome, Prior, Roberts

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago-Sun Times checks in with the latest Cubs buzz. The Cubs, Padres, and White Sox are in on Kosuke Fukudome. It seems that both Chicago teams are willing to spend big bucks. Wittenmyer's source indicates sparse interest in Mark Prior, though the Cubs have been shopping him. The Cubs could still choose to non-tender him on Wednesday rather than pay $3MM+. Seems like a reasonable gamble though. The Orioles want to figure out their plans with Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada before making a move with Brian Roberts, so talks with the Cubs have cooled. The..   Continue Reading

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Astros Tejada Trade Not Close, But Possible

UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 5:01pm: MLB.com's Alyson Footer checks in with some detail. She notes that no deal is close but it is possible. Hunter Pence, J.R. Towles, and Felipe Paulino are considered off-limits. UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 3:02pm: Still listening to 790...the message is now that the talks are in an "advanced stage" and they do not know the names involved. There's also a question of whether Tejada would waive his no-trade. Ken Rosenthal checks in - the teams have had significant discussions and may have been on the verge at some point. But nothing is imminent. UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 1:33pm:..   Continue Reading

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Cardinals Rumors: Rolen, Bedard, Tejada

UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 8:46pm: Tony La Russa had some choice words concerning Rolen tonight. Maybe they can't coexist, after all. FROM 12-5-07 at 8:26pm: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently appeared on the radio. Colleague Bernie Miklasz transcribed it. Strauss suggests the chances of Scott Rolen being traded are around 20%. Tony La Russa might be able to co-exist with him, even if they don't like each other. Still, the Milwaukee talks may be revisited. Strauss believes the Cards are sniffing around on Erik Bedard. MLB.com's Jim Molony spoke of their interest yesterday. The Cardinals are revisiting Miguel..   Continue Reading

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Angels Not Desperate For A Third Baseman

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Angels are telling teams they have no urgency to go out and get a third baseman after missing out on Miguel Cabrera. As far as Miguel Tejada goes, the Halos haven't even met with the Orioles. That said, Ken Rosenthal did indicate that the Angels are in the mix for Scott Rolen   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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Reagins Clears Things Up

Angels GM Tony Reagins recently held court with the media to debunk most of the Angels rumors swirling about recently. The Angels are not currently in the mix for Johan Santana. Reagins spoke to Bill Smith last night, but not about Johan. The Angels haven't met with the Orioles, so there haven't been discussions about Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada at the Meetings. Reagins wasn't involved much with Miguel Cabrera before the Tigers snagged him. On the less boring front, Reagins said "some interesting and exciting things have surfaced" with surprising new teams. Get your speculating caps on   Continue Reading

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Brewers Considering Crede, Blalock, Feliz, LaRoche, Tejada

What, you thought the Brewers were dead set on Scott Rolen? Not so, according to Tom Haudricourt. They're considering the following options at third base, mostly because the left field options are worse. Joe Crede - I can see this one happening, Doug Melvin and Kenny Williams get along. And Kenny really has nowhere to play Crede. Hank Blalock - Trading Blalock now is generally seen as selling low, so this seems unlikely. Pedro Feliz - I'm going to disagree with Haudricourt that Feliz is intriguing. Andy LaRoche - Now this one is intriguing, hitting the Dodgers up for LaRoche...   Continue Reading

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Giants Rumors: Lincecum, Tejada, Sexson

Andrew Baggarly gives his take on the Giants hot stove buzz. One Reds official think the Giants almost have to trade Tim Lincecum to build an offensive core. It seems the Mariners and Reds in particular are pushing for Lincecum. The Ms could offer Adam Jones; the Reds have Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Josh Hamilton. The Mariners could've had Lincecum with the fifth overall pick in 2006, but opted for Brandon Morrow instead. The Reds could've had him too but went for Drew Stubbs. The Giants and Orioles discussed Miguel Tejada, and the O's like players such as Jonathan..   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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Cardinals Rumors: Rolen, Tejada, Edmonds

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 9:38am: Tom Haudricourt confirms that the Brewers will have access to Rolen's medical records. That the Brewers will take a look indicates they are probably serious about Rolen. FROM 12-4-07 at 12:14am: Joe Strauss has a new one in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, presumably for the Tuesday morning edition. The Cards have already met twice with the Brewers to talk about Scott Rolen. They're providing medical information to the Brewers, and appear flexible on the amount of salary they need to cover. Teams interested in Rolen can speak directly to the third baseman's doctor and surgeon. Strauss..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Tavarez, Lieber, Stewart

Another collection... A few notes from Brian Cashman...the Yanks have talked to Luis Vizcaino's agent about bringing him back. Also, they've yet to inquire on any free agent center fielders. Miguel Cabrera has been talking to Ozzie Guillen daily since the season ended. The article makes Cabrera sound like a big kid. The Red Sox have had a couple of inquiries on Julian Tavarez. Five or six teams have inquired on Shannon Stewart, who wants a two-year pact apparently. The Phillies, contrary to previous reports, are not interested in re-signing Jon Lieber. On a scale of 1 to 10, the..   Continue Reading

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Giants Rumors: Lincecum, Tejada, Molina, Fukudome

Another MLB.com article for you, this time about the Giants from Chris Haft. Brian Sabean is getting a bit annoyed with teams thinking Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are available. They're pretty much not, but since the door is open a crack it may be inhibiting other deals. Sabean did admit that one team made an "interesting" offer for Lincecum. Any guesses? The Giants had talks with the Orioles about Miguel Tejada, as has been reported elsewhere. The Giants aren't thrilled with Miggy though because of his age, salary, and the position switch thing. A team asked about Bengie Molina...   Continue Reading

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Mets Close On Erik Bedard?

There's some crazy stuff floating around Mets-ville, let's take a look. As usual MetsBlog is on top of it. Mets beat reporter Sweeny Murti said on WFAN that the Mets might be close on Erik Bedard. This would be very surprising, because even the Mets' best package could be challenged by a number of teams (unless Jose Reyes is the centerpiece). Plus, why wouldn't the Orioles wait for Johan Santana to be moved first? Matthew Cerrone also heard some craziness involving a three-way deal with Bedard and Miguel Tejada, but there doesn't seem to be anything to it   Continue Reading

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Orioles Want Jered Weaver, Brandon Wood For Tejada

Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times writes his "State of the Angels" Winter Meetings intro, and some information is revealed regarding Miguel Tejada. As you know, Tejada is the Angels' fallback option if they can't get Miguel Cabrera. Well, it doesn't sound like the price is reasonable on Tejada either. The Orioles want both third baseman Brandon Wood and starter Jered Weaver for him. The Angels would be comfortable with one of Joe Saunders or Ervin Santana plus a lesser prospect. Given the lack of interest in Tejada and the multiple question marks, it's surprising to see such a huge..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Roberts, Barrett, Piazza

Ken Rosenthal is presumably in Nashville doing what he does best - collect trade rumors by the dozen. His latest column is an excellent example. What's the over/under on Rosenthal scoops over the next four days? I'll set it at 10. Rosenthal says the Mets are unwilling to extend the contract of GM Omar Minaya, who is signed through 2009. The lack of job security could compel Minaya to mortgage the future, and the Lastings Milledge trade was a good example. Carlos Gomez, watch out. Here's MLBTR's look at Omar Minaya's Mets trade profile. The Astros, Giants, and Cardinals aren't..   Continue Reading

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Giants, Astros Interested In Miguel Tejada

Friend of MLBTR Jeff Zrebiec reports on the Orioles Winter Meetings situation. All Orioles are available, and Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard figure to be in all sorts of rumors. A few days ago Zrebiec named the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, and Dodgers as the teams that have inquired on Bedard. Today he adds the Diamondbacks to that list. As for Tejada, we know he's a fallback option if the Halos can't acquire Miguel Cabrera. One new one is the Giants, who have an opening at third base. The Orioles won't pry Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum loose, but maybe..   Continue Reading

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Scott Rolen To Milwaukee Rumors

Apparently intra-division trading is no problem for John Mozeliak and Doug Melvin. Here are two takes on the rumored Scott Rolen to Milwaukee deal. Tom Haudricourt talked to Doug Melvin and learned that nothing is imminent with the Cards. What's more, Melvin hasn't talked to the Cards for weeks. Hmmm. This trade would require the Cards eating some salary. Theoretically Ryan Braun would move to left field to accomodate Rolen. The Brewers could send over Chris Capuano and might try to act like Kevin Mench would sweeten the deal. Buster Olney said this morning that the Cards "have had their..   Continue Reading

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Zrebiec On Miguel Tejada

I recently named the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec as Rumor Royalty for the Orioles. He was kind enough to answer a few questions for the site. MLBTR: Give us an example of a reasonable trade bounty for a team acquiring Miguel Tejada. Do you think the Orioles are targeting a certain number of players or certain positions? If the acquiring team intended to move him to third base, would this become a problem? Zrebiec: All indications are that the Orioles are still looking for two high-level prospects for Tejada. I'm not sure they'll get that now with Tejada's defensive concerns..   Continue Reading

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Cards Considering Jack Wilson, Izturis, Tejada

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Joe Strauss has an excellent update on the Cardinals' pursuit of a new starting shortstop. Sounds like the end of the David Eckstein Era in St. Louis - Strauss says it's a widespread belief that Eckstein will not be offered arbitration and probably will not stay around. While the Cards are drawn to Miguel Tejada, a deal seems highly unlikely. John Mozeliak wants to move quickly to fill the shortstop position and the Orioles are taking their time with Tejada. Sounds like there's a very good chance the Cards get Jack Wilson from the Bucs. They're..   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Piazza, Matthews, Milledge

SI.com's Jon Heyman checks in with a new Daily Scoop column full of rumors. A lot of the standard trade talk we've seen regarding Miguel Cabrera, Johan Santana, Miguel Tejada, and Dan Haren. All these guys require two good young players or more in a trade. Mike Piazza is considering DHing in Japan if he doesn't find anything he likes in the U.S. Heyman talked to an AL exec who speculated that the Angels may try to unload Gary Matthews Jr. GMJ makes $9MM in '08, $10MM in '09, $11MM in '10, and $12MM in '11. He currently has a..   Continue Reading

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Hunter Signing Won't Stop Rolling Angels

UPDATE: Some added info from yesterday's Miami Herald. It sounds like the Angels are willing to part with Reggie Willits, Howie Kendrick, and a catcher. Not a bad haul. However the Marlins are apparently insisting on the inclusion of top pitching prospect Nick Adenhart as well. Just because the Angels dropped $90 million on Torii Hunter doesn't mean they won't continue to make deals this off-season. Specifically, the two players most linked to them - Miguel Cabrera and Miguel Tejada - are still hot on the radar, according to GM Tony Reagins. "All I can say is I'm going to..   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Santana, Hamilton, Snell

Ah, a new Rumblings and Grumblings from Jayson Stark. Let's dig in. It sounds like the Yankees would discuss Phil Hughes and the Red Sox might part with one of Ellsbury/Lester/Buchholz to acquire Johan Santana. The acquiring team would need an extension window though. The Mets are in on Santana big-time and would have to give up Carlos Gomez and then some. If the Twins do trade Santana, they would probably hang onto Matt Garza. But otherwise Garza could be traded for a young hitter, as we've been hearing. The Fish want four 0-3 players for Miguel Cabrera, pretty much..   Continue Reading

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Orioles Notes: Crisp, Burnett

The always-informed Jeff Zrebiec has a few Orioles tidbits for us. The Orioles didn't engage in conversations with agents for any free agents during the GM meetings - just trade talks with other teams (about 15 total). President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said that he's open to trading with other teams in the AL East. He just wants the best deal. With that in mind, two Yankees who interest the Orioles are Melky Cabrera and Kyle Farnsworth. The Yankees could employ Miguel Tejada at third base, if he's willing. The O's could have some interest in Coco Crisp, though..   Continue Reading

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Yanks Have Interest In Tejada

The Orioles may have two third basemen to offer up this winter: Miguel Tejada and Melvin Mora. Tejada's mind would need to be changed - he still doesn't want to move to third. But the Yankees do have interest, and I can think of 13 million reasons Tejada would change his stance. Tejada came up as part of the inclusive list I came up with the night A-Rod opted out. The Orioles' focus would be to acquire position players, so you'd have to think Melky Cabrera or Robinson Cano would be targeted. Tyler Kepner adds that the Orioles would like..   Continue Reading

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White Sox Re-Sign Uribe, Out On Tejada

According to Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 in Chicago, the White Sox have re-signed shortstop Juan Uribe at one year, $4.5MM. That represents a 10% discount for the Sox compared to his club option. Not coincidentally, the Sox no longer have interest in Miguel Tejada after failing to reach an accord with the O's. Apparently at some point Kenny Williams offered Gio Gonzalez and Jose Contreras for him and were rejected. Gio is a pretty solid pitching prospect, and if he offered that package a year ago it may have been reasonable. Jeff Zrebiec's report indicates that teams will only..   Continue Reading

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Orioles Will Listen On Bedard

New Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail confirms what we've been reading for the past few months: the club will at least listen to offers for ace Erik Bedard. He adds that the O's have had preliminary, general extension talks with Bedard. I imagine that if Bedard is looking for the $18-20MM per year he could get on the open market, the O's will choose to trade him. Two years of Bedard is at least as good as one of Johan Santana, and Bedard doesn't have any no-trade stipulations. He made just $3.4MM this year. What are your thoughts..   Continue Reading

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Rays' Kazmir May Be Available

The week in hot stove kicks off with a bang: Joel Sherman of the New York Post has a source saying the Devil Rays might listen to offers for ace lefty Scott Kazmir. Kazmir turns 24 in January and carries a 3.64 career ERA despite pitching in the AL East. He's been particularly tough on the Red Sox (2.66 ERA in 101 innings). You have to think that if the Yankees are entertaining making an offer for Johan Santana, they'd consider Kazmir as well if the Rays would deal within the division. Sherman notes that Kazmir is under contract for..   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Hunter, A-Rod, Bedard

Sunday morning minor rumor collection... There's always some skepticism from readers regarding Charley Walters rumors. Nonetheless I'll report that he names the Nationals, White Sox, Braves, Yankees, and Dodgers as teams that will bid for Torii Hunter. I don't see the Braves getting involved at $15MM per. And are the Dodgers ready to move Juan Pierre to left field already? The other clubs named seem reasonable. As expected, the Cardinals interviewed Chris Antonetti for their open GM position. No doubt it's an attractive position but you have to wonder what kind of autonomy he'd have with Tony La Russa around....   Continue Reading

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Cardinals Have Work To Do

Joe Strauss has had several insightful articles lately about the future of the Cardinals. Let's discuss. The Cardinals have $83.8MM committed to 12 players for 2008. Even worse, they don't know what they're going to get out of Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Chris Carpenter, Juan Encarnacion, and Mark Mulder. They are spending $45MM on those five and may get very little production. Next year's payroll may approach $115MM on the high end, but that doesn't mean the Cards have $30MM to burn. Their 0-3 guys will earn roughly $5MM in aggregate, and the arbitration-eligible group may run another $5MM even..   Continue Reading

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Could A-Rod Save the O's?

Update: Beat writer Jeff Zrebiec reports that yesterday Miguel Tejada told O's President of Baseball Operations Andy McPhail, "I don't care about changing positions if we're going to be a winner, and I want to be on a team that is going to compete and win." That is a change of tune from the once stubborn shortstop. Orioles Manager Dave Trembley also said, "I fully expect that he'll be a major part of this team next season." The Orioles pitchers have been going the extra mile to make Alex Rodriguez feel at home in Camden Yards this weekend, writes Peter..   Continue Reading

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The Miguel Tejada Situation

Jeff Zrebiec, who does a fine job covering the Orioles for the Baltimore Sun, has a thorough dissection of the Miguel Tejada situation. To sum it up: The general sentiment within the organization seems to be that Tejada has slipped significantly on defense. There's talk of moving him to third base and Melvin Mora back to the outfield. It seems that Tejada would be open to this. As we saw with Alfonso Soriano, he really doesn't have a choice. Zrebiec says that trade rumors will again swirl around Tejada this winter. He didn't want to move to third base for..   Continue Reading

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Tigers Trade/Signing Speculation

Lynn Henning of the Detroit News posted a Q&A yesterday, giving his informed opinion on the Tigers' various hot stove situations. Below are some highlights. Henning expects Kenny Rogers to be with the Tigers in 2008, and I think that's the general sentiment around baseball. Rogers has already stated that it's the Tigers or retirement in 2008. I'll guess a $6MM base salary plus incentives to make $10MM possible. Henning sees the Tigers picking up Ivan Rodriguez's $13MM option for '08, for lack of a better option. Given the $3MM buyout it's kind of a like a one-year, $10MM deal...   Continue Reading

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Olney: Tejada, Piazza Put On Waivers

ESPN's Buster Olney has some waiver activity for us this evening. Keep in mind that many, many players are put on waivers; there's no risk for a team in doing so. Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada was placed on waivers, and the White Sox made a claim. Olney simply says that the two sides "did not work out a deal," but doesn't say whether they negotiated. The Sox have had their eye on Tejada for a while; they had talks with the Orioles about him back in December of 2005. Olney says the Orioles will now keep Tejada for at least..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Lohse, Hunter, Contreras

The latest trade and signing rumors from Ken Rosenthal: Rosenthal believes Alex Rodriguez's ability to play shortstop could increase the number of suitors. Take a look at the free agents - there may not be a single viable option at short this winter. Still, the number of suitors for Rodriguez is severely limited by his massive contract requirement. Not too many clubs aside from the Yankees and Red Sox can get in on $240MM over eight years or whatever. The lack of available, reasonably priced shortstops could compel the Braves and Orioles to aggressively shop Edgar Renteria and Miguel Tejada...   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest: Tejada, Buehrle, Morris

Jayson Stark posted a new column for ESPN yesterday; let's take a glance at the trade rumors therein. Miguel Tejada's out until August, so that obviously means he won't be traded this season. Right? Wrong - Stark and an AL exec think $30MM or so due to Tejada for the remaining 2.3 seasons on his contract would allow him to pass through waivers. Miggy could be a hot topic for the August 31st trade deadline. You may recall that last August Andruw Jones was placed on waivers, claimed, and pulled back. Andruw called the affair "rude." Here is a refresher..   Continue Reading

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Angels After Tejada Again

Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal said only that Miguel Tejada might become available, and that the Angels have a need. Now another source, Joseph A. Reaves of The Arizona Republic, says the Halos are making another run at Tejada. The Ervin Santana and Erick Aybar for Tejada trade last year was nixed by O's owner Peter Angelos. With Tejada apparently in the midst of a significant power decline (his SLG is down to .421), maybe the Orioles would be more open to the same trade. Tejada makes $12MM this year, $13MM in '08, and $13MM in '09. Tejada would of course have..   Continue Reading

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Reds and Angels Discuss Dunn

According to Ben Bolch of the L.A. Times, the Angels had preliminary discussions with the Reds regarding Adam Dunn. Bolch's source indicates that talks died because the Reds requested "a proven Major League starting pitcher, a Major League infielder - preferably a second baseman - and a top prospect." Translation: Wayne Krivsky wanted Ervin Santana, Erick Aybar, and Brandon Wood. OK, that sounds absurd. And Aybar is a shortstop. Negotiation is all about asking for more than you want and meeting at the right place, but I can't figure out what the Reds asked for. There's no way they asked..   Continue Reading

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Stark's Latest

Hey everybody, I'm back from my trip. I hope you enjoyed the posts from Tom and Jeff in the meantime. California was actually colder than Chicago is right now, go figure. Jayson Stark had a new column up at ESPN.com yesterday; let's dissect the trade rumors. Stark quotes scouts doubting whether Miguel Tejada's power will ever return. Over the last year and a half or so, the Orioles had all sorts of young players they could've acquired for Tejada. Names like Felix Pie, Rich Hill, Brandon McCarthy, Ryan Sweeney, Ervin Santana, Erick Aybar have surfaced before. Tejada earns $12MM this..   Continue Reading

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