Carl Pavano Rumors: Wednesday
Carl Pavano met with four teams yesterday; here's the latest…
- The Brewers are discussing a three-year deal with Pavano, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.
- Top Brewers executives dined with Pavano and his agent on Tuesday, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). The Twins and a mystery team are also involved.
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio would increase payroll to accomodate the right pitcher, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Pavano's agent told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that his meetings with the Brewers were "very productive" (Twitter link).
- Milwaukee is serious about Pavano, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who says the Twins are still frontrunners (Twitter link). Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Brewers do intend to add another starter, but aren't optimistic about trading for Zack Greinke or Matt Garza (Twitter links).
- The Brewers were one of the teams that met with Pavano yesterday, GM Doug Melvin told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- Pavano's camp is telling people not to expect a deal before the end of the Winter Meetings, tweets Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse.
- The Twins are making a serious push to get something done with Pavano, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Crasnick's colleague Buster Olney tweets that the Twins "continue to have a very good shot" to re-sign the righty. Pavano was impressed by the presence of Bill Smith, Rob Antony, and Terry Ryan at yesterday's meeting, tweets La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
- The Nationals are still in the mix for Pavano, his agent Tom O'Connell tells Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
Cubs Interested In Matt Garza
9:54pm: The Cubs and Rays met again to talk about a potential trade that would send Garza to Chicago for prospects, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. The Brewers and Rangers have also met with the Rays about Garza, but the Cubs have the strongest current bid, according to Levine. However, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hears that talks between the Rays and Brewers did not progress (Twitter link).
5:17pm: The Rays have been uninspired by the offers for Garza and may hold on to the right-hander until next summer, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
10:40am: The Cubs are one of four teams in the mix for Rays righty Matt Garza, reports ESPN's Bruce Levine. The Rays are interested in receiving prospects in return.
Garza, 27, would be the best available pitcher aside from Cliff Lee and Zack Greinke. He posted a 3.91 ERA, 6.6 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 1.2 HR/9, and 35.8% groundball rate in 204 2/3 innings this year. Garza could earn $6MM+ in arbitration for 2011 and is under team control through '13. As a Super Two, he'll go to arbitration four times. Garza probably has a touch more trade value than Shaun Marcum did despite the higher salary, given the extra year of control. We learned yesterday that Garza may also interest the Rangers and Brewers.
Levine also feels that the Cubs could still be a match for Chris Davis after the Carlos Pena signing, with the Rangers eyeing minor league catcher Robinson Chirinos.
Orioles Rumors: Hardy, Matsui, Thome, Uehara
The O's are talking about a J.J. Hardy trade with the Twins. Here are some more Orioles updates from Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun…
- The team did not offer Carlos Pena or Paul Konerko contracts before the first basemen signed in Chicago, according to president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.
- It's likely that the team's shortstop will be Hardy, Jason Bartlett, Brendan Ryan or Cesar Izturis, MacPhail said. The Padres appear to be close to a deal for Bartlett, which would limit the Orioles' options.
- MacPhail says the club has expressed interest in a number of DH types. Vladimir Guerrero, Hideki Matsui and Jim Thome are believed to be among the team's targets.
- The team, which selects fourth in tomorrow's Rule 5 draft, is considering a number of players.
- There are no updates on Kevin Gregg, but Zrebiec reported yesterday that the team has offered the former Blue Jays closer a two-year deal.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post hears (on Twitter) that Nick Green could end up in Baltimore.
Rangers Continued Discussing Potential Young Deals
9:18pm: The Rangers discussed Young with the Angels, Cardinals and Dodgers, though they're pushing hardest to make a deal with the Rockies, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The infielder tells Rosenthal that he wants to stay in Texas.
7:05pm: Rangers GM Jon Daniels told Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he will consider every possible way of improving the team, even if that means discussing big name players. However, Daniels said it's unlikely that the club trades Young.
6:35pm: The Rangers continued discussing potential Young trades today, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. One GM told Morosi that the Rangers are sending mixed signals about the infielder's availability. The Rangers have continued talking about possible moves after telling Young he's staying put. The Rockies still appear the likeliest landing spot, according to Morosi's sources and Colorado outfield prospect Charlie Blackmon interests the Rangers.
WEDNESDAY, 1:10am: USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets that the Rangers have told Young he won't be traded.
TUESDAY, 11:33pm: Though Young can block trades to 22 teams, the Rockies are not one of them, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Young says he would accept a trade to Colorado, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).
11:09pm: A Rockies source tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that it's "just talk" at this point, but wonders if there could be a fit (Twitter link).
10:03pm: The Rockies and Rangers have not yet discussed the players that would go from Colorado to Texas, according to Ringolsby.
9:30pm: The Rockies have expressed interest in Young as a second baseman, according to Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Young last played second base in 2003 and the Rockies just acquired Jose Lopez as an option at second. The Rockies have a crowded infield, with Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Ian Stewart and, now, Ty Wigginton. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News confirms (on Twitter) that the Rockies and Rangers are talking and says the Rangers would pursue Beltre if they trade Young.
6:40pm: Rangers president Nolan Ryan says the team is not "shopping" Young, but will listen when his name comes up in conversation, according to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
5:58pm: The Rangers are gauging interest in Young and willing to pay a small portion of his salary, according to Rosenthal (on Twitter).
4:52pm: The Rangers will listen to trade offers for Michael Young, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The 34-year-old is under contract for $48MM through 2013, so not all teams can afford him. Young batted .284/.330/.444 in 2010, his 11th season with the Rangers.
No deal is close for Young, who has a limited no-trade clause that enables him to block trades to all but eight teams. Young picks up ten and five rights in May, at which point he'll have the right to veto any trade. The market for Adrian Beltre could pick up if the Rangers do move Young.
Pirates Rumors: Maholm, Hall, Doumit, Colon
The Pirates appear to have added Kevin Correia, Matt Diaz, and possibly Scott Olsen at the Winter Meetings, and they're not done. They've made an offer to Kevin Gregg and have also been linked to Aaron Heilman, Jeremy Accardo, Justin Duchscherer, and Brendan Ryan. The latest:
- The Pirates are offering Paul Maholm in potential trades, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link).
- The Rockies aren't interested in Doumit, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
- Nick Cafardo implies that the Pirates have an offer out to Bill Hall and he could become their regular second baseman, which would be surprising to me given Neil Walker's presence. MLBTR has learned that Hall would not displace Walker at second if the Pirates sign him.
- The Pirates are trying hard to trade Ryan Doumit and are willing to eat salary, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
- The Pirates are currently scouting Bartolo Colon in the Dominican Republic, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. For more on Colon, check out Nick Collias' November article.
- Kovacevic says the Pirates expressed interest in utility man Alfredo Amezaga, but it's "pretty preliminary." Amezaga is trying to come back from microfracture knee surgery performed in July of last year. He appeared in one minor league game in 2010.
Cardinals Seek Pitching Depth
The Cardinals have already acquired their share of pitching this winter. They signed Jake Westbrook, Brian Tallet and Raul Valdes and claimed Bryan Augenstein, but they aren't done yet. The team is looking for a number six starter or a big league reliever, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter).
The team isn't desperate for relievers or starters, though. They have Westbrook, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse, so their rotation is set. Tallet and Trever Miller are the only left-handed relievers on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the club add a southpaw eventually.
Zack Greinke Rumors: Wednesday
Yesterday we learned that teams may be upping their offers for Royals ace Zack Greinke, though the Royals' asking price remains high. The latest:
- An executive of an interested team hears that the Royals won't deal Greinke before Cliff Lee signs, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). The Royals may not have to wait long, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports Lee will sign by the end of the weekend.
- The Phillies have discussed Greinke with the Royals, reports CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury, but it's a long shot.
- The Dodgers haven't heard back from the Royals about Greinke, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter).
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro hears that the Marlins did not discuss Greinke with the Royals (Twitter link).
- One of the Marlins' attempted three-team trades would have sent Greinke to Florida, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Talks are lukewarm, but still alive, Rosenthal reports.
- The asking price on Greinke has gone up since last summer, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). The deal will be "very hard to get done," according to one interested executive.
- The Nationals are being aggressive, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. MLB.com's Bill Ladson heard earlier that Washington was not pursuing the right-hander, however.
- Five teams are seriously pursuing Greinke and another three are on the periphery, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports – in an article, not a tweet! The Royals are specific with their request – pitching to replace Greinke and up-the-middle help. The Royals are moving slowly and there is no frontrunner. The Rangers, Dodgers, Nationals, and Blue Jays have shown some measure of interest.
- The Cubs called on Greinke but a mid-rotation addition is more likely for them, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.
Mets Notes: Elvin Ramirez, Ohman, Rhodes, Okajima
The latest on the Mets as the third day of the Winter Meetings wraps up…
- Mets right-hander Elvin Ramirez is widely expected to be the first pick in the Rule 5 draft, reports ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The 23-year-old posted a 4.16 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9 in 80 innings at Double-A and Single-A. He has been clocked at 94-98 mph this winter.
- The Mets met with agent Dan Horwits of Beverly Hills Sports Council today, since he represents lefties Will Ohman, Arthur Rhodes and Brian Fuentes, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Rhodes is talking with the Reds, but the sides aren't particularly close to an agreement.
- The Mets are interested in Hideki Okajima, according to comments made by Kevin Burkhardt of SNY and passed along by Michael Baron of MetsBlog.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson told Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger that the team will likely leave the meetings without having added a starting pitcher. The Mets have been linked to Chris Young, Jeff Francis and others.
Damon Would Play In Boston; Giants Not Interested
Johnny Damon told Lou Merloni of WEEI.com that he would love to play in Boston again. He vetoed a trade that would have sent him from Detroit to Boston this summer, but he says things are different now that he's a free agent.
“Obviously, I’d love to return to Boston,” he said. “I loved playing there, and I think it would be a perfect fit, with the chance to win again. I know I could do that in Boston.”
Agent Scott Boras says he'll call the Giants about Damon and Rick Ankiel, but a Giants source tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that the team isn't interested in either player. Though he's previously expressed interest in the Rays and Yankees, Damon would play on the West Coast, according to Boras.
Reds Rumors: Rhodes, Votto, Webb
The Reds signed Miguel Cairo to a two-year deal today. Here are the rest of the rumors from the Winter Meetings:
- The Reds aren't particularly close to re-signing Arthur Rhodes, since the reliever values himself differently than the team does, according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Rhodes is seeking a multiyear deal. He's 41, but GM Walt Jocketty was willing to give the 36-year-old Cairo two years.
- The Reds talked to Joey Votto's agent and will offer the NL MVP a multiyear deal, but the team doesn't expect to reach an agreement soon. Votto's representatives "weren't really ready to talk about [an extension]" Jocketty said.
- The Reds were often mentioned as a speculative destination for Brandon Webb, since his Ashland, Kentucky home is relatively close to Cincinnati. However, they haven't talked to the right-hander, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter).