Winter Meetings Review: Day 2
Before we dive headfirst into Wednesday's winter meetings action, let's take a minute to recap the top news and rumors from Tuesday….
- We saw our first blockbuster trade of the winter, as the Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Yankees agreed on a three-way swap. The deal sends Curtis Granderson to New York, Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy to Arizona, and four players, including Max Scherzer, to the Tigers. Reactions? Most writers agreed that the Tigers and Yankees made out well, but didn't like the deal for the D'Backs. I'm inclined to agree. Granderson should rake in Yankee Stadium and the Tigers were able to add some promising talent while cutting payroll, but it's unclear what Arizona's endgame is here.
- The White Sox signed Mark Teahen to a three-year deal worth $14MM. The price isn't bad for Chicago, though it might lock them into mediocre third base production for a few years. If Teahen could match his 2006 numbers (.290/.357/.517), he'd be a bargain, but his career line is just .269/.331/.408.
- Milton Bradley trade talks swirled all day, with one report calling a deal with a surprise AL team "three-quarters done." With the Rays and Rangers apparently not involved, it's anybody's guess who the mystery club could be. There doesn't seem to be any one team that stands out as being a fit for Bradley and the Cubs.
- Bobby Crosby is on the verge of signing with the Pirates, and it looks like he'll get his chance to compete for an everyday job. I don't think Crosby is a major-league starter at this point, but the risk is fairly low for the Pirates at just $1.5MM over a single year.
- The Phillies bolstered their bench by agreeing to sign Ross Gload to a two-year deal. We haven't seen a price attached to this one yet, but assuming it's affordable, I like the move for the Phillies. Gload has proven throughout his career to be a solid pinch-hitter and part-time player.
- To make room for players that accepted arbitration, the Twins designated Boof Bonser for assignment and the Braves DFA'd Ryan Church. The Church move is a bit of a surprise, and one that came as a result of another surprise: Rafael Soriano accepting arbitration.
- The Rockies offered Yorvit Torrealba a two-year contract, but the backstop has received attention from a host of other clubs as well.
- Kevin Kouzmanoff was another hot commodity Tuesday, as multiple teams contacted the Padres about acquiring the third baseman. With Chone Figgins and Placido Polanco already off the market, it looks like teams are getting more creative when it comes to targeting infielders.
- We heard plenty more talk about Roy Halladay, Jason Bay, Randy Wolf and Kevin Millwood with nothing concrete happening yet.
- In news not directly hot-stove related, Peter Gammons will be leaving ESPN.com to join MLB.com, the MLB Network and NESN.com. Having grown up on Gammons' columns, I look forward to following his work for his new employers.
If you missed it, check out MLBTR's Day 1 review here.
Cardinals Rumors: Holliday, DeRosa, Tejada
The Cardinals' offseason plans hinge on Matt Holliday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Joe Strauss and Derrick Goold. In their latest articles, each writer explains how the Cardinals' pursuit of Holliday will affect the rest of the team's offseason.
Goold notes that if the team fails to sign Holliday, it could free up some money to fill out the starting rotation. Conversely, if they are able to ink Holliday to a deal, their rotation solution will likely be an in-house player rather than a free agent. The team is set with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Brad Penny, and Kyle Lohse as its top four, but will be searching for a fifth starter. Although the Cards are "out of the bidding" for Joel Pineiro, the team could pursue another mid-level starter if the Holliday money is available.
Meanwhile, Strauss writes that the more time the Cardinals spend going after Holliday, the greater chance there is that Mark DeRosa slips away. The Cardinals probably view DeRosa as a Plan B after Holliday, but with plenty of other teams interested, DeRosa may have signed elsewhere by the time Holliday makes a decision.
Strauss' article also mentions that Tony La Russa has interest in Miguel Tejada as a possible option for the left side of the infield.
Cardinals Sign Brad Penny
WEDNESDAY, 3:58am: Penny has passed his physical, according to an AP release, making the deal official.
TUESDAY, 10:11am: Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that Penny will get the full $9MM if he reaches 204 innings. Also, the Cardinals agreed not to offer arbitration if Penny is a Type A free agent (a clause I'm betting will be popular this year).
5:32am: ESPN's Keith Law calls the deal "an excellent move" for the Cardinals, citing Dave Duncan's track record with reclamation projects. He also opines that this deal will probably raise the asking price for names like Ben Sheets, Rich Harden, Erik Bedard, and Justin Duchscherer.
MONDAY, 6:27pm: ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that a physical is scheduled for Tuesday, and Penny will get a one-year, $7.5MM deal with another $1.5MM in incentives. Pretty big base salary.
5:45pm: Goold wrote earlier today that a "person with knowledge of the deal" says it could be worth $9MM if all incentives are reached. Meanwhile, Baggarly has details on the Giants' failed negotiations to retain Penny.
3:14pm: Strauss tweets that the Giants have all but acknowledged Penny is gone, and the Cardinals just need to complete the physical (the money is in place). Strauss believes the Cards are still in the market for more starting pitching and wonders if they're close to their breaking point with Matt Holliday.
2:32pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Cardinals are the frontrunner for Penny but the Giants and another team remain in talks for him. Rosenthal feels that John Smoltz will have to go elsewhere if the Cards sign Penny. Derrick Goold of the P-D weighs in, suggesting the Cards might be close to a deal.
1:19pm: ESPN's Buster Olney says Penny is close to a decision, and is in serious negotiations with the Cards. The Giants are apparently still in the mix.
1:05pm: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that buzz says the Cardinals are "in heavy" on Penny. Strauss adds that the Cardinals denied anything final with Penny, though Baggarly didn't suggest a deal was done.
12:48pm: The Cardinals are nearing a deal with Brad Penny, tweets Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. He says the Giants "don't expect to compete." Penny, 31, made 30 starts between the Red Sox and Giants this year, posting a 4.88 ERA, 5.7 K/9, and 2.6 BB/9. He's the hardest-throwing free agent starter, and would be interesting in St. Louis on a one-year deal.
Phillies Rumors: Lyon, Drabek, Blanton
Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who said that he doesn't expect to make any big splashes during the winter meetings. Martino shares a handful of other Phillies tidbits with us….
- Faced with a tight budget, Amaro says he wouldn't mind heading into 2010 without adding any major bullpen arms, and using in-house candidates instead.
- Despite that statement, the Phillies are still interested in Brandon Lyon and have been in touch with the right-hander's agent.
- Contract offers have been extended to Scott Eyre and Chan Ho Park. Amaro indicates that if the pair of relievers decline those offers, the club "might have to go ahead and move on."
- Kyle Drabek will definitely not be a part of the Phillies' bullpen plans. Amaro says there's "no chance" the team will break in Drabek as a reliever. The top prospect will likely start the year in Triple-A.
- There has been speculation that the Phillies could try to trade Joe Blanton to free up some payroll space, but those rumors haven't been confirmed.
Cubs Rumors: Bradley, Cameron, Putz
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times passes on the latest updates he has heard regarding a potential Milton Bradley trade. His source indicates that neither Texas or Tampa Bay is the destination for Bradley in this rumored scenario, and that the Cubs are "ready to pull the trigger" as soon as the other team is. Here are Wittenmyer's other Cubs rumors:
- A Cubs source denies that the team has any interest in Melky Cabrera.
- Mike Cameron is at or near the top of the club's center field wish list.
- The Cubs are interested in J.J. Putz, and were among the teams that watched the righty throw this winter.
- Though Chicago was disappointed to miss out on Curtis Granderson, a club source insists that the Bradley discussions didn't hinder the Cubs' ability to pursue Granderson.
- There is no truth to any Bradley-Carlos Silva trade rumors, according to a Seattle source.
- If the Cubs can eventually move Bradley, they could be on the market for a mid-level starter.
Tigers Expanding Search For Veteran Reliever
The Tigers' acquisition of young bullpen arms in Tuesday's blockbuster trade won't stop them from adding a veteran reliever, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. Beck writes that the Tigers have expanded their search for a potential veteran closer after Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon declined arbitration.
The team added Daniel Schlereth and Phil Coke on Tuesday and is still open to bringing back either Lyon or Rodney. In the meantime, however, they're going to take their time looking at other options on the market.
"It doesn't have to be now," team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "We didn't sign Brandon Lyon [last winter] until late January, but ideally we'd like to have somebody [experienced] out there, yes."
The Tigers will presumably be looking to add a right-handed arm since, as MLive.com's Steve Kornacki points out, they're facing a lefty overload in their bullpen. The club has been linked to J.J. Putz and to Kevin Gregg so far this week.
Rangers Tuesday Recap
Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas rounds up some Texas Rangers-related rumors from the second day of the winter meetings. We've heard one or two of these already, but let's check out the highlights of Durrett's recap….
- The Rangers are looking to bolster their bullpen, and names of interest include J.J. Putz, Matt Lindstrom, and Brett Myers. Ramon Ramirez and Chris Ray are also on their radar.
- As FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi indicated earlier today, no Kevin Millwood trade appears imminent. A few teams are interested, but the Rangers will pull the trigger only on "the right deal." Presumably the "right" return is more about money than talent.
- If the club is able to move Millwood, they'd look to fill the hole in their rotation with another veteran starter. Ben Sheets and Rich Harden are potential options, with the Rangers hoping to meet with Sheets' agent this week.
- Dealing Millwood would also allow Texas to free up some money to pursue a right-handed bat. Perhaps Vladimir Guerrero or Jermaine Dye.
- The team is looking for a catcher as well. Durrett names Jason Kendall, Rod Barajas, Jose Molina, and Yorvit Torrealba as targets.
- Durrett and others heard earlier that the Rangers offered top prospects Neftali Feliz and Justin Smoak to Florida in exchange for Josh Johnson. Another official denies that Texas made that proposal, but suggests that the team does have interest in Johnson.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday
11:52pm: Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that he moved some trade talks forward today, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
"We've had very productive talks with a number of teams on a number of different fronts," Anthopoulos said, without getting into specifics.
9:59pm: One Blue Jays source tells Scott Miller of CBS Sports that the Blue Jays hope to trade Halladay before Spring Training. Miller also hears some diverse thoughts from a variety of sources around the league.
9:44pm: Some unnamed executives tell MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the Phillies could acquire Roy Halladay. The two teams came close to making a deal last July, but there's no indication they're talking now, though Zolecki hears they still have interest.
8:35pm: Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports that Angels GM Tony Reagins would consider moving Erick Aybar for a substantial return.
7:41pm: The Dodgers have yet to make progress on the Halladay front, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Doc was one of the team's main targets coming into the Winter Meetings.
6:17pm: So far, the Roy Halladay chatter has been relatively quiet. Here's what we learned yesterday: the Angels could be a fit; the Dodgers don't appear to match up well with the Jays and the Rays checked in on the big righty. Here's a new rumor, from Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
The Yankees' big trade will make it harder for them to acquire Halladay, s ince they'll have fewer trade chips. Ringolsby sees indications that the Yankees will turn to free agency to acquire pitching instead of dealing a top prospect like highly-coveted catcher Jesus Montero to the Jays. The Bombers may consider John Lackey. And if they can afford him, why not?
However, Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos tells MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that no team has approached him to inform the Jays that they're pulling back from trade talks. The implication here is that the Yanks are still involved.
Angels Exploring Infielder Trade?
11:45pm: Price reports that the Angels are telling people there's a significant chance they deal an infielder, likely Izturis. The 29-year-old made just $1.6MM this season, so he won't be in line for a big contract next year, even though it's his last season before hitting free agency.
11:29pm: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears that the Angels are exploring a trade for an infielder. Price's source says the infielder is likely Maicer Izturis, but could also be Howie Kendrick.
Price says Erick Aybar and Brandon Wood sound "untouchable." However, we know the Angels would consider dealing Aybar. GM Tony Reagins told Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times that he's "open minded" to the possibility, though it doesn't appear likely. It's hard to imagine that Wood is untouchable, either. He's valuable, but other than Derek Jeter and Evan Longoria, how many untouchable players are really out there?
Vlad Looking For A Two-Year Deal
Vladimir Guerrero is looking for a two-year deal this offseason, but would consider returning to Anaheim on a one-year contract if the market doesn't develop as well as he hopes (MLB.com's Lyle Spencer reporting). Signing a one-year deal could give Vlad the chance to re-establish his value, much like Bobby Abreu did this past season.
The Rangers and Orioles are among the teams that have been connected to Guerrero this offseason. The White Sox and Mariners could be fits, too, but a two-year deal seems ambitious. Vlad's defense has deteriorated and there are enough options – Gary Sheffield, Carlos Delgado, Jim Thome, Hideki Matsui – that he won't have much leverage.