1:08pm: ESPN’s Steve Phillips says the Astros reached an agreement with Rodriguez on a one-year, $1.5MM deal with another $1.5MM in performance bonuses. Scott Boras’ offseason is over, aside from Byung-Hyun Kim and Eric Gagne.
12:54pm: A deal with the Astros appears close, according to Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. GM Ed Wade admitted he’s re-engaged with Scott Boras on Pudge.
11:28am: According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, Pudge is in serious talks with the Astros.
10:05am: Free agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez may sign soon. A look at his rumored suitors:
- Marlins: Owner Jeffrey Loria talked about his fondness for Pudge, but added that there are a lot of variables to consider. The issue seems to be Rodriguez’s desire to catch the majority of games.
- Giants: Henry Schulman’s source says they’ve explored signing Rodriguez "as a utility catcher and infielder." MLB.com’s Chris Haft doesn’t think it makes sense.
- Astros: Richard Justice thinks the team should try to sign Pudge and Pedro Martinez for less than $5MM total. MLB.com’s Alyson Footer on Friday: "After checking with Ed Wade yet again today, I can assure you the Astros are not pursuing him. And judging from the irritated look on his face, I can also assure you I won’t be asking him about Pudge again anytime soon." SI.com’s Jon Heyman mentioned Houston in his Friday Pudge column.
- Twins: Heyman mentioned the Twins after talking to an NL team involved in the Pudge bidding. La Velle E. Neal III hadn’t heard anything as of Saturday.
- Mets: MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone doesn’t see any evidence that Rodriguez is an option.
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