Jason Bay Rumors: Monday
8:31pm: Reagins told Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times that talks with Bay are "new and developing."
2:36pm: ESPN's Gordon Edes tweets that Angels GM Tony Reagins has not yet arrived in Indianapolis. So if the Halos did open talks with Bay's agent Joe Urbon, either they didn't involve Reagins or they happened by phone.
12:26pm: The Angels have opened talks with free agent outfielder Jason Bay, according to Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports. Earlier today, SI's Jon Heyman said the Angels were thought to be dangling Juan Rivera as they entertain Bay. With Bay expected to earn at least $10MM more per year than Rivera, is the upgrade worth it? Or can the Angels afford to have both players under contract?
We learned earlier today that the Mariners might not get involved on Bay, despite his reported desire to play near home.
Milton Bradley Rumors: Monday
8:20pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports that the Rays haven't backed off on a possible Milton Bradley deal, even though talks with the Mets involving Pat Burrell are now dead. Money is currently the biggest obstacle between the two clubs and a deal. Two or three new teams have apparently expressed interest in Bradley since the meetings began this morning.
7:51pm: Royals GM Dayton Moore tells MLB.com's Dick Kaegel that the Bradley-Meche rumors are "unbelievable." However, no player on the Royals is untradeable, though Zack Greinke and Billy Butler are among the Royals who are almost certainly staying put.
1:06pm: The Cubs shot down Levine's report of meeting with the Royals about Bradley, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
12:44pm: Danny Knobler of CBS Sports says two new teams approached the Cubs about Bradley, aside from the Rays and Rangers. Perhaps the Royals, mentioned below, are one.
11:46am: ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine says the Cubs and Royals met last night to discuss Bradley-Gil Meche scenarios. The money matches up pretty well here, as both players are signed through 2011. And don't forget the Cubs tried to sign Meche as part of the 2006-07 offseason spending spree. On the flip side, the Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton tweets that the Royals would have to be "overwhelmed" to trade Meche. Bradley could technically be described as overwhelming, but not in the way the Royals meant.
11:00am: The Cubs are dead-set on trading Milton Bradley, and Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune has the latest.
Sullivan says the Cubs are letting Bradley's agents, the Levinson brothers, talk to other teams in an attempt to repair Bradley's reputation. Sullivan adds that the Cubs are focused on the Rays moreso than the Rangers.
As you might expect, it's all about money: the Rays would want the Cubs covering most of the $15MM difference (Cot's has the difference at $12.2MM) between Bradley and Pat Burrell's contracts. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times sees Bradley's commitment as $24MM due to incentives, but most of those are awards bonuses. We've heard Rosenthal calling the Rays frontrunners for Bradley, but Joel Sherman said a few hours ago that the Rays were "growing less hopeful of swapping Burrell to the Cubs."
The Rangers want the Cubs assuming most of the remaining money owed to Bradley. What's more, Sullivan found one potential Rangers bidder who would want no part of Bradley if he gets the team.
Mark DeRosa To Turn Down Arbitration
Mark DeRosa will turn down the Cardinals' offer of arbitration, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. The utilityman seeks a multi-year deal worth $27MM or so, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, so the decision is hardly a surprise.
DeRosa is still interested in returning to the Cardinals and his representatives will meet with team brass tomorrow. If the 34-year-old signs elsewhere, the Cards pick up a supplemental round pick in next year's draft, since DeRosa is a Type B free agent.
Jason Bay To Turn Down Arbitration
Jason Bay's agent, Joe Urbon, just confirmed some unsurprising news to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The left fielder will turn down the team's arbitration offer and continue to explore the open market. Bay's Type A status assures the Red Sox two top picks if another team out-bids them.
Bay has already turned down one offer from the Red Sox, and is starting to discuss a possible deal with the Angels according to one report.
Mets Consider Offer For Molina
MONDAY, 7:44pm: Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Mets are considering offering Molina a deal that would pay him $6MM next year and include an option for 2011. It's not clear what kind of option they're considering. The Mets would prefer not to offer Molina a two-year deal, but they haven't ruled such a deal out.
9:52pm: Newsday's Ken Davidoff says that the Mets are considering Rod Barajas as an alternative to Molina. What do you think: genuine interest, or a smoke screen to put some pressure on Bengie?
SUNDAY, 3:02pm: Jon Heyman says, via Twitter, that the Mets are trying to wait it out when it comes to Molina. According to Heyman, the Mets figure that other teams with catching needs, such as the Royals and Rangers, have less money than them.
Are the Mets wise to wait on Bengie? Or, are they running a risk of losing out on what seems to be their main target for starting catcher in 2010? Gregg Zaun already signed with the Brewers this week, eliminating one possible alternative from this year's free agent crop.
SATURDAY, 9:19am: Despite signing both Henry Blanco and Chris Coste recently, the Mets are still looking to add a catcher according to Bart Hubbuch of The NY Post. Manager Jerry Manuel and pitching coach Dan Warthen hold last year's catching corps partially responsible for the team's 4.46 ERA, though I think the fact that Livan Hernandez, Tim Redding, Oliver Perez, Nelson Figueroa, and Pat Misch combined to make 71 starts is more to blame.
Hubbuch says the primary catching target appears to be Bengie Molina, whose 20 homers in 2009 was nearly double what the Mets got out of their catchers. Molina is a Type-A free agent, but he wasn't offered arbitration, meaning it won't cost a draft pick to sign him. Giants' GM Brian Sabean recently said that he believes Molina "probably has been offered" a multi-year deal by another team, though we haven't heard any more about that.
Millwood Interests A Few Teams
Kevin Millwood is drawing interest from "a few" teams, according to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com, but that doesn't mean the Rangers have to deal the veteran righty. GM Jon Daniels told Durrett that the team doesn't have to shed payroll.
We heard that the Orioles are interested in Millwood. Who else might have an eye for the 34-year-old and his $12MM salary? The Mets, perhaps?
New Top Stories Ticker
We are trying out something new here at MLBTR: a Top Stories ticker. As you can see there is a ticker above the first post, where the top headlines fade in and out. For the time being the Top Stories section on the righthand sidebar will remain as well. As always, MLBTR is best viewed with Firefox.
What are your thoughts?
Looper Interested In Pitching For The Cubs
Braden Looper tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he would pitch for the Cubs. Looper says they're an "appealing" destination, partly because he has three kids going to Chicago schools. Still, the 35-year-old wouldn't mind pitching elsewhere.
"I'm going to look around and see what my options are," Looper said.
So far the righty says discussions have been slow to develop. Looper has pitched his entire 12-year career in the NL and it seems likely he'll stay in the senior circuit.
Dodgers Notes: Sherrill, Pierre, Payroll, Torre
Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times spoke to Dodgers GM Ned Colletti; here's the latest.
- Colletti shot down the FOX Sports report that the Dodgers are shopping set-up man George Sherrill.
- The Dodgers would want pitching in return for Juan Pierre. The White Sox and one other team are apparently interested.
- Colletti suggested that, for now, the Dodgers aren't planning on decreasing payroll.
- Colletti finds it unlikely that the Dodgers will make a signing at the Meetings.
- Hernandez says the Dodgers "are talking to Joe Torre about extending his contract by one year and having him move into a role in baseball operations in 2012."
- The Dodgers have had more discussions with Brad Ausmus than with any of their other free agents.
Red Sox Sign Fabio Castro, Kason Gabbard
The Red Sox signed pitcher Fabio Castro, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Castro, 25 in January, posted a 4.01 ERA in 29 starts in the Blue Jays organization between Double and Triple A, with a 5.8 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9. He's bounced around in the Phillies, Rangers, and White Sox organizations, last pitching in the bigs in '07.
Earlier today Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe noted that the Sox re-upped Kason Gabbard, who they'd reacquired from Texas in April.