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Red Sox Still Looking At Lefty Relievers

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The Red Sox have been one of, if not the most active team this offseason, and over the last week they've upgraded their bullpen by adding Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler. ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes says (via Twitter) that the team is still looking at lefty relievers, and one name that could be in play is Dennys Reyes.

Reyes had a one-year contract worth $1.1MM in place with the Phillies earlier this month, but yesterday we learned that the two sides "hit a snag" and the deal fell apart with no reason given. The free agent market still offers plenty of other options, including Brian Fuentes (who the Sox have interest in), Joe Beimel, Will Ohman, Arthur Rhodes, and J.C. Romero. Fuentes, however, is looking for a deal in line with the three-year pact Scott Downs received. 

Dodgers In Contact With Three For Left Field

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At this time last season, the Dodgers were ready to start the season with a future Hall of Famer roaming left field. Now they're still trying to find someone for the job after Scott Podsednik declined his half of a mutual option. They had some interest in Bill Hall, but he decided to sign with the Astros. The Dodgers have now turned their attention to three other left field candidates according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick, making contact with Marcus Thames and the brothers Hairston: Scott and Jerry Jr.

Thames, 34 in March, hit .288/.350/.491 in 237 plate appearances for the Yankees in 2010, his best offensive season since 2006. He's a disaster defensively, with a -27.4 UZR/150 in left over the last three seasons. Jerry, the older of the two brothers, played primarily shortstop for the Padres last year, hitting .244/.299/.353 in 476 plate appearances. He dealt with a stress fracture in his tibia at the end of the season. His brother hit .210/.295/.346 in 336 plate appearances for San Diego while battling hamstring issues.

Both Thames and Scott excel at punishing left-handers, with .264/.333/.505 and .278/.331/.498 career batting lines against southpaws, respectively. That would be useful in a division that features lefties Barry Zito, Jonathan Sanchez, Joe Saunders, and Clayton Richard, among others.

Minor Deals: Chavez, Barden, Jacobs

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We'll be keeping track of today's minor deals in this post..

  • Endy Chavez has signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The outfielder spent the 2010 season with the club as he rehabbed from knee surgery. 
  • The Rangers will also bring infielder Brian Barden in on a minor league deal, reports Anthony Andro of the Star-Telegram.
  • The Rockies have signed first baseman Mike Jacobs, a source tells Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter). The 30-year-old spent time with the Triple-A affiliates of the Mets and Blue Jays last season, hitting .273/.335/.482 with 21 homers in 528 plate appearances.  He'll make $14K per month in the minors and $700K if he reaches the majors, Renck tweets.

Orioles Notes: LaRoche, Lee, Blanton, Thames

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Let's check out some Orioles news courtesy of The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec..

  • The O's are clearly focused on getting a deal done with Adam LaRoche, so much so that they've now put Derrek Lee on the backburner.  On Thursday it was reported that the two sides aren't yet close to a deal and LaRoche is seeking a three-year committment.
  • While one might think that Joe Blanton would be a fit for the Orioles, the club is not in on the pitcher at this point.  Baltimore isn't all that high on the right-hander and they don't think he's a great fit for the American League East.  However, the club is still after a veteran pitcher.
  • Baltimore would also like to bolster their bench and one name to keep an eye on is free agent Marcus Thames.  The O's have spoken to Thames' agent but nothing is serious at this point as the club is working to figure out their plans for first base and the DH spot.  Last month Japan's Softbank Hawks were working to sign the 33-year-old.

Nolasco Remains Optimistic About Extension

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2:15pm: In a comment to MLBTR, Nolasco's agent Matt Sosnick said, "Ricky is still hopeful that a deal can be reached for him to stay in Florida.  We remain optimistic that something can be worked out with the team.  We don't see it as an impasse, just the normal course of discussions.  Anyone who says we hit a stalemate is reading too much into it."

12:21pm: The Marlins and arbitration-eligible right-hander Ricky Nolasco have hit a stalemate in their talks about a long-term contract extension, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. We heard that "a significant gulf exists between the two sides" back in September. Morosi says they've been exchanging three-year proposals.

If the Marlins and Nolasco are unable to agree to a long-term deal, they could simply allow the arbitration process to play out, settling on a one-year contract around $6MM (he earned $3.8MM in 2010). Nolasco is arbitration-eligible for the third time as a Super Two, so the Marlins still control him through 2012.

Morosi says that several teams have called in recent days to express interest in the 28-year-old right-hander, and we know Florida is gauging interest around the league. Nolasco was involved in talks about a potential three-team trade earlier this offseason, but those talks fell apart. We know the Yankees, Rangers, Nationals, Brewers, and Twins are looking for pitching help, but there are surely others.

Rays Not Looking To Deal A Starter

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Despite having six solid starting pitchers and serious needs elsewhere in their lineup, Rays VP Andrew Friedman told reporters that he isn't looking to trade a starter, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.

“I’ve said before that it’s not a situation we look at like having two first basemen. We were very fortunate last year until August that all of our guys took the ball every five days. It doesn’t always happen that way, and depth on the starting pitching front is more valuable than anywhere else,” Friedman said.

With Cliff Lee finally off of the market and the Royals seeking a king's ransom for Zack Grienke, one has to think that the Rays could cash in by moving one of their pitchers.  The Rangers, Brewers, and Cubs have all talked to Tampa Bay about the arbitration-bound Matt Garza.  James Shields has also been linked to the Rangers as well as the Rockies.  However, it sounds as though the Rays might be content to stand pat for the time being.

Poll: Which Team Will Trade For Zack Greinke?

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Former AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke has been mentioned as a trade candidate all offseason, but yesterday we learned that the right-hander unequivocally asked the team for a trade. He can block a trade to 15 teams, including the Yankees, Red Sox, and Nationals, but not the Tigers, Angels, or Rangers. The Blue Jays have been perhaps the most aggressive team in pursuit of the right-hander.

There are 30 teams out there that would love to have Greinke to their rotation, but it will take a substantial prospect package to land him. Kansas City owns the game’s best farm system, loaded with pitchers (especially left-handed) and players at the corner positions, so they could seek help up-the-middle in a trade. Earlier today we learned that they wanted second baseman/shortstop Danny Espinosa from the Nationals in a package, supporting that theory.

The Yankees are reluctant about pursuing Greinke, but if the price drops far enough they’ll almost surely entertain the idea after losing out on Cliff Lee. The Rangers have already made at least one offer. Greinke has said he’s willing to go anywhere, but the Royals say they won’t trade him within the division. Where do you think he’ll end up?

Red Sox Sign Dan Wheeler

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The Red Sox have signed reliever Dan Wheeler to a one-year contract worth $3MM guaranteed. The deal includes a $3MM option (no buyout) for 2012 that can vest with 65 appearances. Another $250K can be earned with 75 appearances. Wheeler has passed his physical. He is represented by Myles Shoda of Diamond Sports Management, Inc.

Wheeler, 33, spent the last three-and-a-half seasons pitching out of the Rays bullpen, where he posted a 4.32 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 268.2 innings. If we remove intentional walks, his walk rate drops all the way down to 2.4 BB/9. Wheeler has a very pronounced platoon split, holding righties to a .217/.270/.365 batting line in his career while lefties tagged him for a .275/.341/.491. It's worth noting that he held left-handed batters to a .154/.227/.436 line in 2010.

The move is a homecoming of sorts for Wheeler, who was born in Providence and went to high school in Warwick, Rhode Island. He joins Bobby Jenks as the newest members of Boston's rebuilt bullpen. In a winter that has featured many three-year contracts for relievers, the Red Sox managed to land both Jenks and Wheeler for three contract years combined.

Although Wheeler was a Type-A free agent, the Rays did not offer him arbitration and will not receive any draft pick compensation. Tampa declined his $4MM option for 2011, instead choosing to pay him a $1MM buyout.

The agreement was originally reported by ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes (Twitter link). WEEI.com's Alex Speier and AOLFanHouse's Steve Phillips added the contract details.

Olney’s Latest: Greinke, Cabrera, Astros

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In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says that the first day of Spring Training acts as an artificial deadline for the Royals to trade Zack Greinke. At that point he will show up to the clubhouse and dominate the team's storyline. Olney likens it to the Johan Santana situation from a few years ago, when the Twins felt pressure to move him before pitchers and catchers reported. He adds that Greinke's performance would then be under intense scrutiny, even during Spring Training, and if he pitches poorly his trade value will plummet.

Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…

Angels Make Beltre “Significant” Offer

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SATURDAY, 8:40am: The offer to Beltre is believed to be in the five-year, $70MM range according to Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times. It has not been accepted and is unlikely to be increased.

FRIDAY, 2:42pm: Angels owner Arte Moreno told Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times that he has made Adrian Beltre "what [the Angels] believe is a significant offer." Beltre and agent Scott Boras, who also reportedly fielded an offer from the A’s, have not accepted Moreno’s proposal.

Moreno denies that the Angels made Carl Crawford a formal pitch before he signed with the Red Sox.

"There were rumors out there, but we never made an official offer, and no parameters were discussed," Moreno said.

Moreno says that GM Tony Reagins "never had the chance" to make the left fielder a proposal, since by the time the Angels met with him at the Winter Meetings, he already had a deal.

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