Carl Pavano is arguably the best available right-handed free agent starter. The latest:
5:52pm: There's some tension between the Braves and Brewers, since Atlanta initially heard that Cain was available and are now hearing he isn't a trade chip, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Crasnick he has to be open to deals for any player, though.
2:27pm: The Brewers don't want to and aren't looking to move Cain but will listen, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
12:06pm: Our hunch was correct; MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports that the Braves are among the teams showing interest in Cain.
9:28am: The Brewers are dangling center fielder Lorenzo Cain with the aim of adding another starting pitcher, reports Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse.
Cain, 25 in April, is expected to compete for the Brewers' starting center field job next year with Carlos Gomez and Chris Dickerson. He did a nice job in 158 big league plate appearances this year and had a .402 OBP in 380 minor league PAs. Pure speculation, but maybe the Braves could match up if they're not keen on trying Nate McLouth or Jordan Schafer in center next year.
The Brewers already sent one of their best prospects packing yesterday for pitching, shipping Brett Lawrie to Toronto for two years of Shaun Marcum.
5:50pm: The Yankees and Red Sox are in on Martin and the Mets and Blue Jays are less interested, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
4:34pm: The Dodgers have not been in contact with Martin's agent since Thursday, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter).
3:29pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that Martin will be a catcher next year. The Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Mets all examined his medical information in the last day (Twitter links).
3:09pm: The Mets consider Martin too expensive and too much of an injury risk, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
MONDAY, 1:31pm: The Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Mets are also thought to be interested in Martin, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.
FRIDAY, 9:16am: The Yankees, who tried to trade for Russell Martin this week, are one of six teams interested in the 27-year-old free agent, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times reports that the Yankees nearly sent Francisco Cervelli to the Dodgers for Martin (Twitter links). In fact, the Yankees and Dodgers even exchanged medical records on Wednesday.
The Dodgers are nearing a deal with Rod Barajas, but they still have interest in re-signing Martin. Agent Matt Colleran says the Dodgers view his client differently than most teams do.
“They want to continue discussions with the idea that Russ could come back and catch, play second base and third and a little bit out of outfield to see if he likes something like that in the event he ever wants to transition from behind the plate,” Colleran said.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the Royals, Rangers, Mariners, Mets or Brewers look to upgrade behind the plate. ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that Martin, who is from Montreal, wants to play on the East Coast (Twitter link).
Brad Hawpe has multiple offers, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). The 31-year-old outfielder turned down the Rays' offer of arbitration last week. Hawpe batted .245/.338/.419 with the Rockies and Rays last year. His homer total fell for the third consecutive season; Hawpe hit nine homers and 21 doubles in 346 plate appearances. The Rockies are not interested in bringing Hawpe back to Denver at this point.
The Brewers have one of the biggest trade chips in baseball and they actively pursued another one. Here are the details:
The Padres announced today that they have agreed to terms with right-hander Aaron Harang on a one-year deal worth $4MM that includes a mutual option for 2012. The contract will become official once he passes a physical.
Harang, a San Diego native, had interest in pitching for his hometown team, especially since Petco Park is pitcher friendly. The 32-year-old made 20 starts in 2010, pitching to a 5.32 ERA in 111 2/3 innings. His 2.2 K/BB ratio is solid, but not as impressive as it was from 2005-09 when Harang struck out 3.5 times as many hitters as he walked. A fly ball pitcher, Harang could thrive in San Diego because of Petco's spacious outfield.
Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune originally reported that the two sides were close to a deal while Friarhood, a fan site, confirmed the agreement. MLB.com's Corey Brock later tweeted the terms of the deal.
5:30pm: The Blue Jays have checked in on Ty Wigginton, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Orioles maintain interest in the infielder, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
4:24pm: The Orioles still have interest in Pena, though his asking price is currently too high, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (on Twitter).
2:02pm: The Blue Jays are "in hard" for free agent first baseman Carlos Pena, ESPN's Gordon Edes heard from another club with interest (Twitter link). The Cubs and Nationals are also known to be eyeing the Scott Boras client. Like recently-traded slugger Mark Reynolds, Pena slipped below the Mendoza line this year but isn't far removed from 40 home run power.
The Mariners signed a top Dominican prospect to a deal that includes the highest international amatuer signing bonus of the year, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Esteilon Peguero, a 17-year-old shortstop who is one of the most advanced hitting prospects in Latin America, signed for $2.9MM. The right-handed hitter has good bat speed, but may eventually move to second or third base.
5:03pm: The Rockies are interested in Lindstrom, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
10:03am: The Astros are looking to trade reliever Matt Lindstrom and infielder Jeff Keppinger as a means of cutting payroll, reports Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse. Both players are arbitration eligible for the second time and should pass the $2MM salary mark in 2011.
Keppinger should draw interest in a weak middle infield market, but Lindstrom's stock is hurt by the strong supply of righty relievers and the back problems that caused him to end the season on a sour note.
The Brewers and Blue Jays officially announced a trade that will send two players a little closer to home. The Blue Jays will send Kansas City native Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee in exchange for Canadian prospect Brett Lawrie. It's the second deal the teams have made within the past week, after Toronto acquired Carlos Villanueva for a player to be named later on Friday.
Marcum, who turns 29 next Tuesday, turned in a 3.39 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 across 25 starts in 2008 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. After missing the 2009 major league season, he came back strong in 2010, posting a 3.64 ERA with 7.6 K/0 and 2.0 BB/9. The hurler is entering his second year of arbitration eligibility, so he's under the Brewers' control through 2012. Last year, the hurler avoided arbitration with the Blue Jays when he agreed to a one-year, $850K deal.
Lawrie, 21, turned in a strong 2010 in Double-A Huntsville, hitting .285/.346/.451 with eight homers in 135 games. Baseball America ranked Brett Lawrie as Milwaukee's second-best prospect in their 2010 handbook. The 16th pick in the 2008 draft, Lawrie is said to be an aggressive hitter with good pop. While he was praised for his strong hands and quick bat, Baseball America writes that he needs to dedicate himself to defense if he wants to become a second baseman in the mold of Jeff Kent. Some scouts believe the soon-to-be 21-year-old is destined for an outfield corner.
The Brewers were long known to be prioritizing starting pitching this winter, after their rotation posted a 4.65 ERA (15th in NL) in 2010. With their acquisition of Marcum, they were able to improve the rotation without moving Prince Fielder, who will likely still be available in the right deal. In a pair of tweets, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains that part of the reason the Brewers were willing to part with a top prospect for Marcum is their belief that a long-term deal with the right-hander is a possibility.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel was the first to report that the two sides had agreed to a deal. The Brewers have announced the trade (on Twitter).
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