Rockies Not Interested In Mike Lowell
The Rockies are looking for a righthanded hitter that can handle first and third bases, though they're not interested in Mike Lowell according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com. Colorado can't afford to pay a part-time player $12MM, and a major league source says the team wouldn't be interested even if the Red Sox ate half of Lowell's salary.
Rosenthal and Morosi add that the Rockies haven't ruled out bringing Jason Giambi back, though he doesn't offer versatility or a righty stick.
Royals Sign Bryan Bullington
The Royals have signed righthander Bryan Bullington to a minor league contract, according to The KC Star's Bob Dutton.
The 29-year-old Bullington was the first overall pick of the 2002 draft, but he's appeared in just 13 big league games during his career. He's allowed 24 runs and 63 baserunners in 39 career innings, bouncing around from the Pirates to the Indians to the Blue Jays.
Kansas City has also signed Wilson Betemit, Jorge Campillo, and Brad Thompson to minor league deals this offseason.
Twins Hope To Have Mauer Deal Done By Christmas
There are indications from the Twins that they hope to have a contract extension with AL MVP Joe Mauer done by Christmas, according to The Star Tribune's Joe Christensen. The team has met with Mauer's agent and realizes an extension needs to happen soon, but Mauer didn't seem too concerned about it during a teleconference yesterday, saying "it will take care of itself when it needs to."
Teammate Justin Morneau said he didn't think it was a question of money, but "whether or not he feels we can win every day with the talent we have." The Twins move into Target Field next season, and new ballparks have historically led to increased revenue, at least in the first few years.
Miguel Cabrera On The Trade Block?
It's no secret that the Tigers are looking to cut down on future payroll, and to do so they've made both Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson available in trades. Lynn Henning of The Detroit News throws another name into the mix: first baseman Miguel Cabrera.
Henning says that nothing "irresistible" has been offered for Cabrera yet, and that GM Dave Dombrowski said "I'm not getting into any names," when asked about his first baseman. The Red Sox are looking to add a big bat, and we've already heard rumblings that they could turn around and move Clay Buchholz if they sign John Lackey.
Cabrera, still just 26, is about to enter year three of his eight year, $152.3MM contract. He's owed $126MM through 2015, so I guess we can rule out the small market clubs as trade partners. MLBTR readers discussed the idea of trading Cabrera earlier this month.
Angels Resume Pursuit Of Roy Halladay
The Angels have gotten back into the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, according to Mike DiGiovanna of The LA Times. We know the Halos were hard after the former Cy Young Award winner at the trade deadline, but Giovanna says the talks broke down when the Halos refused to include Erick Aybar in the deal. They eventually moved on and acquired Scott Kazmir.
With J.P. Ricciardi out of the picture, DiGiovanna notes that new GM Alex Anthopoulos may be willing to do a deal without Aybar. We've already heard that Anthopoulos may consider granting a team a window to negotiate a contract extension with Halladay before a trade, as long as it improves the return. The Angels might lose incumbent ace John Lackey to free agency, and a deal for Doc is expected to cost them one of their better young pitchers – Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, or Ervin Santana.
DiGiovanna also reiterates what we heard last night, that it's a "long shot" that the Dodgers will trade for Halladay.
Odds & Ends: Yankees, White Sox, Red Sox
When you prepare the turkey, don't forget to add these tidbits for flavor…
- According to Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger, Yankees GM Brian Cashman will deal with his own free agents before moving to others. "I'll talk to our guys first," Cashman told Carig. "And after I have my conversation with our guys, I'll be full blown into the marketplace." For his part, Johnny Damon wants to return.
- White Sox GM Ken Williams slammed his closer, Bobby Jenks, once again for a lack of conditioning. With Jenks set to receive a raise from his 2009 salary of $5.6MM, a trade could be in the offing. Williams isn't exactly raising Jenks' value around the league, however.
- The Red Sox have finalized their coaching staff for 2010.
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com report that Matt Treanor will play winter ball with Toros del Este of the Dominican Republic in an effort to show teams he is ready for 2010.
- That deal Ken Griffey Jr. signed with the Mariners could be worth as much as $3.9MM. Seattle also added several scouts.
- NPB Tracker profiles possible MLB jumper Hisanori Takahashi.
- Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports that the Pirates are looking at the catcher market.
- Marty Noble believes the Marlins wouldn't trade Josh Johnson in-division.
Angels More Interested In Granderson Than Jackson
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim would prefer Curtis Granderson to Edwin Jackson, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com.
The reason is simple: control of the player. Granderson is signed through 2012, with a $13MM club option for 2013. Jackson, meanwhile, can become a free agent after 2011, and with agent Scott Boras' track record, Jackson is likely to hit the open market.
Rosenthal and Morosi write that someone with close knowledge of the Tigers said that the "Angels have depth in three areas of need for Detroit: catcher, shortstop, and minimum-salary pitching."
And Tigers' owner Mike Illitch hardly offered a strong denial that either player could be moved. "I don't know if I want to get into that," he said. "It's something I don't want to talk about. There's so many rumors out there now."
And surely more to come.
Teams Calling About Nelson Cruz
Several teams are calling the Rangers about Nelson Cruz, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com, but the Rangers aren't inclined to move him, citing his low salary and high production.
Cruz posted a .260/.332/.524 line in 2009, but made just over $418K while earning his first All Star selection. According to the report, "Cruz could intrigue clubs such as the Braves, Cardinals and Giants if their other efforts to add an outfield bat fall short."
Brewers Sign John Halama
Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that the Brewers have signed John Halama to a minor-league deal with an invitation to major league camp.
Halama, 37, also drew interest from the Toronto Blue Jays. His career numbers are 56-48 with a 4.65 ERA. In 2009, he pitched to a 4.48 ERA in 90 1/3 innings with Gwinnett, Atlanta's Triple-A affiliate.
Milwaukee is a good landing spot for Halama. The Brewers are eager to revamp a pitching staff that recorded a 4.84 team ERA in 2009, 15th in the National League.
Olney: Teams Aggressively Pursuing Wolf
According to the Twitter feed of Buster Olney, "teams are being aggressive in pursuit of Randy Wolf, who is one of the best of FA starters not named Lackey."
Wolf threw 214 1/3 innings with a 3.23 ERA in 2009, though it is worth noting that it was his first 200+ inning season since 2003.
For comparison, John Lackey, who is the very best free agent starter who is named Lackey, pitched 176 1/3 innings at a 3.83 ERA. Wolf is 33, Lackey is 31.