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Outfield Options For The Braves

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The Braves have Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera, Jordan Schafer, Jason Heyward and Matt Diaz under team control next year, but they could still go after an outfielder.

ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says the Braves saved about $9MM by dealing Javier Vazquez. Jason Bay is too pricey for them, but Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady could be fits. As an alternative to free agency, Stark suggests the Braves could deal an outfielder for a bat (he mentions Dan Uggla as a possible trade target).

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Braves and Yankees both say Bay and Matt Holliday are too expensive. Both teams are interested in Mark DeRosa, and Rosenthal says we shouldn't rule out Marlon Byrd for either club. The Braves would prefer to sign a right-handed hitter like DeRosa or Byrd, but could still bring back lefty-hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche.

Yankees Acquire Vazquez; Melky To Braves

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The Yankees and Braves agreed to a trade that solidifies New York's rotation and gives Atlanta enough payroll flexibility to pursue a bat. The Yankees acquire Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan in exchange for Melky Cabrera, cash (according to ESPN.com) and prospects Mike Dunn and Arodys Vizcaino. We first heard of the trade talks from Buster Olney, Joel Sherman confirmed that the Yanks were after Vazquez and Jon Heyman provided the details. Check out an in-depth chronology of the trade here.

The Yankees re-acquire one of the better, more durable strikeout pitchers in the game. Vazquez has pitched 198 innings or more every year of this decade and he's struck out at least 150 batters in every one of those seasons. You can make the argument that he was one of the best pitchers in the NL last season, whether you like advanced stats (6.6 WAR) or simple ones (2.87 ERA, 238 Ks).

The Yanks also obtain Logan, a 25-year-old lefty who has been hittable so far in his major league career, and the chance for compensation picks after 2010. If Vazquez becomes a Type A free agent (he would have been one this year) and turns down the team's offer of arbitration to sign elsewhere, the Yankees would get two top picks.

As Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says, the Braves obtain a decent outfielder who's getting paid less than what he's worth and a prospect with significant upside (Vizcaino), all while saving $8MM or more (I'm guessing Melky makes $2.5-3MM next season). The Braves dealt from strength and the pitchers they obtained have lots of potential, if you ask MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.

Dodgers Exploring Aaron Harang Trade?

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10:58am: MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports (via Twitter) that there are no new talks between the Reds and Dodgers. The Reds were not receptive to the Dodgers' offer.

TUESDAY, 9:34am: Yahoo's Jeff Passan hears that the trade talks are not dead. The Reds want a decent prospect plus George Sherrill for Harang, since they're willing to eat almost $10MM of Harang's $14MM salary to make the deal cost-neutral for the Dodgers.

THURSDAY, 6:55pm: "A source from one of the clubs" gives Yahoo's Tim Brown a different take, saying that a Harang deal between these two teams is "not happening."

6:02pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports that discussions between the Dodgers and Reds have "gotten beyond the tire-kicking stage" and that the two sides are "seriously contemplating" how to complete a Harang deal. Still, Stark's source says there's still a long way to go before anything is finalized.

8:37am: The Dodgers are exploring a trade for Reds starter Aaron Harang, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.  The Reds seek "one or two players on the Dodgers' major league roster in return."  Hernandez notes that if traded Harang would be guaranteed $15MM for one year; his 2011 option would become mutual and the buyout would increase.  The Reds would have to pick up part of the tab.

You might be surprised to see the Dodgers considering a salary dump acquisition, given all the rumors of their lack of spending ability.  But keep in mind that GM Ned Colletti freed up $8MM in the Juan Pierre trade, which is to be used toward a starting pitcher, second baseman, and bench players.  $3.85MM already went toward Jamey Carroll, so Colletti doesn't have a ton to work with.

I'm not sure who the Reds are targeting from the Dodgers for Harang, but shortstop Chin-Lung Hu would make sense.

Yankees Will Try To Trade Gaudin Or Mitre

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Now that they're set to acquire Javier Vazquez, the Yankees have a surplus of pitching. Joel Sherman of the New York Post says (via Twitter) that the Yanks will try to trade Chad Gaudin or Sergio Mitre before Spring Training ends to free up some money.

Both pitchers will become free agents after the season. Mitre earned $1.25MM last year, striking out 32 batters in 51.2 innings for a 6.79 ERA (5.40 FIP). Gaudin earned $2MM, striking out 139 in 147.1 innings and allowing just 146 hits for an ERA of 4.64 (4.16 FIP). Gaudin would figure to have some value on the trade market.

Yankees, Braves Agree To Vazquez Deal

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9:50am: Buster Olney of ESPN.com hears that the Yankees will send $500K to the Braves as part of the deal. Olney does not mention Vizcaino in the report, but O'Brien tweets that he is in the deal.

9:43am: Sherman tweets that the deal is done. 

9:08am: Not surprisingly, the Yankees will pay Vazquez's entire salary, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter).

8:56am: Sherman tweets that the Braves are acquiring righty Arodys Vizcaino, Melky and Dunn for Logan and Vazquez.

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Jason Bay Rumors: Tuesday

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9:45am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post says (via Twitter) that Bay, Johnny Damon and Matt Holliday remain too expensive for the Yankees.

8:49am: There were indications that Jason Bay and his representatives were active yesterday, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The Mets, who are bidding against themselves at the moment, are hesitant to expand their four year offer unless they know which other teams are interested.

The Red Sox never budged from a four-year offer because of concerns about Bay's shoulder and knee, Silverman says. They're not frontrunners to re-sign the left fielder now, but it's too early to rule the Red Sox and Yankees out completely.

Yesterday, we heard that the Mets' offer to Bengie Molina may hinge on their negotiations with Bay, so Bay's decision will influence more than just the outfield market.

Yankees Sign Mike Rivera

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The Yankees signed catcher Mike Rivera to a minor league contract, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Rivera had been non-tendered by the Brewers on the December 12th deadline.

Rivera, 33, hit .228/.326/.342 in 132 plate appearances this year as Jason Kendall's backup, missing time with an ankle sprain.  He caught 271 innings.  If the Yankees give big league playing time to Rivera and are happy with his performance, they can retain him in future seasons as an arbitration-eligible player.

Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Giants, Nationals

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Lots to get to as we round out another Hot Stove Monday…

  • Rob Bradford of WEEI.com has the backstory on Mike Lowell, his thumb injury and the trade that wasn't. Lowell expects to be ready for baseball activities by the first week of spring training, but has no idea if that will be with Boston or another team.
  • MLB.com's Chris Haft answers mail from Giants' fans. He says, among other things, that the Giants are reluctant to trade Jonathan Sanchez straight-up for Dan Uggla-as well they should be.
  • Washington Post Nationals beat reporter Chico Harlan weighs in on the Jason Marquis signing, noting that Marquis has more career victories than the other starters on the Washington 40-man roster combined.
  • AOL Fanhouse's Ed Price says that "All we hear out of the Mets camp is that they don't want to be bidding against themselves. Well, the fact of the matter is, the Mets might just have to bid against themselves." This is hard to understand, considering that Jason Bay and Bengie Molina certainly aren't likely to sit out the season rather than accept offers from the Mets.
  • Lyle Spencer of MLB.com speculates about what it would take for the Angels to acquire Derek Lowe.

Brewers Notes: Mulder And Other Targets

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MLB.com's Adam McCalvy answers reader questions in his latest Inbox column. First among them was a query if Milwaukee was finished making player moves for the winter.

McCalvy writes, "Not likely, because everything points to a Mark Mulder signing, and I think [GM Doug] Melvin will remain on the lookout for starting pitchers available in cost-neutral trades, bench players on the free-agent market and pitchers in general for depth."

The statement is interesting for two reasons. For one thing, this reinforces previous reports that the Brewers are the likely destination for Mulder, despite appearing to have five starters already in place. It also means that any free agent additions from here on out are likely to be on the inexpensive side.

McCalvy also weighs in on the overall 2010 roster, the batting lineup and even the Miller Park grass.

Where Will Jose Valverde End Up?

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MLB.com's Brian McTaggart writes in his latest piece about Jose Valverde's struggle to find a multi-year contract, or even a one-year deal equivalent to the $10MM salary he was likely to receive had he accepted Houston's offer of arbitration.

McTaggart describes Valverde, 30, as the latest in a tradition of arbitration-eligible players who turn down the offer, only to find the marketplace a far colder place.

Valverde's problem isn't effectiveness- he pitched to a 2.33 ERA last year as Houston's closer, and has posted better than a strikeout per inning every season he's been in the majors- but rather finding a team willing to pay him and give up a draft pick, since Valverde is one of three remaining Type A free agents who were offered arbitration (Jason Bay and Matt Holliday are the others).

McTaggart writes, "The hard truth for Valverde is that although he is the most talented and accomplished of the available closers, it may very well be that turning down arbitration from the Astros — and the likely $10 million salary that he would have netted for 2010 — was a bad gamble. He may end up having to accept a one-year deal anyway, as Wagner did, and potentially at significantly less than he would have made in arbitration."

The Astros moved on, signing Brandon Lyon to a three-year, $15MM deal to close. As for Valverde, his destination is still to-be-determined. If/when his price comes down, he could be one of the real bargains of the winter.

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