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Regular MLBTR Features

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If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, our Week In Review posts and Mike Axisa's Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:

  • MLBTR Chats – Come by every Wednesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the Major Leagues.
  • Baseball Blogs Weigh In – Every Friday morning, Mike Axisa directs you to some of the best writing on baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to send Mike a post of yours, reach him at: mike@riveraveblues.com.
  • Week In Review – It's remarkable how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, we summarize the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
  • MLBTR Originals – We gather all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.

Cardinals Notes: Pujols, Matheny

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Cardinals fans may be uncomfortable with the news that the Marlins will meet with Albert Pujols within the next few days. However, St. Louis’ managerial search appears to be progressing smoothly. Here are the details…

  • Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears the Cardinals have yet to adjust their offer to Pujols (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of SI.com has reported that the team offered nine years and "a bit more than $200MM" before the season.
  • Mike Matheny has emerged as a leading possibility to manage the Cardinals in 2012 and beyond, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Some in the baseball industry believe Matheny is the frontrunner, but Rosenthal doesn't like the idea of teams hiring managers who don't have much managing and coaching experience.
  • Strauss suggests the Cardinals will complete their managerial search “very soon.”

Nolan Ryan Talks Moreland, Pujols, Fielder

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Rangers president & CEO Nolan Ryan expressed confidence in first baseman Mitch Moreland and cast doubt on the notion that the Rangers will pursue Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols, according to Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

“Making a seven-or-eight year deal for Fielder or Pujols is not something our organization is prepared to do,” Ryan said. “I very much expect Mitch Moreland to be our first baseman next year.”

Some MLB executives say the Rangers would be a fit for Fielder, but the Rangers have made it clear that they’re prioritizing pitching this offseason. The division rival Angels haven’t ruled out pursuing Fielder or Pujols, GM Jerry Dipoto said this week.

Texas' first basemen posted a .271/.331/.422 line in 2011, which was 23rd in MLB in OPS. Moreland's an effective hitter against right-handed pitching and the Rangers have shown they can win in spite of his struggles against left-handers.

Quick Hits: Twins, Burrell, Willis, Mariners

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As Ryan Madson's agreement with the Phillies falls through, we learn that one of his former Phillies teammates may be hanging 'em up …

  • Twins GM Terry Ryan said he remains interested in re-signing Michael Cuddyer, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Ryan said he spoke with Cuddyer earlier this week and added that the Twins should have the flexibility in their projected $100MM 2012 payroll to make Cuddyer a fair offer. So far, the Phillies have been aggressively pursuing Cuddyer this offseason.
  • Free agent outfielder/DH Pat Burrell, 35, said his career is likely over due to a nagging right foot injury, according to Janie McCauley of the Associated Press (via NBCSports.com). The former Phillie, Ray and Giant, however, has yet to make a final decision. The Phils made Burrell the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1998.
  • Left-hander Dontrelle Willis is drawing a lot of interest on the free agent market, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Willis pitched to a 5.00 ERA/4.10 FIP in 75 2/3 innings with the Reds in 2011.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said on MLB Network Radio that he is motivated to acquire an impact bat either through trade or free agency, tweets Jim Bowden.
  • A pair of veteran scouts who follow the international free agent market predicted that Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes would sign a bigger contract than the one fellow defector Aroldis Chapman signed with the Reds two offseasons ago, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Chapman signed for six years and $30.5MM.

Chicago Notes: Sox’s Payroll, Buehrle, Cubs’ Manager

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A few odds and ends from the Windy City as Thursday winds down …

  • White Sox GM Ken Williams said today that the South Siders' 2012 payroll would be "a little bit less" than 2011's $127MM figure, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. 
  • Williams also added that he has had dialogue with free agent starter Mark Buehrle but didn't offer much in regards to whether the lefty might re-sign with the only team for which he's pitched: "All we can do is wait until we get to the winter meetings and then have a better idea of where we sit and where he sits and see if there’s a match,” Williams said.
  • Cubs president Theo Epstein said the North Siders are in the "sixth inning" of their search for a new manager, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. So far, Pete Mackanin, Dale Sveum and Mike Maddux have interviewed for the position, and Sandy Alomar Jr. is slated to interview on Friday.
  • Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona badly wants to manage the Cubs, a source very close to Francona tells Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune. Epstein has said that Francona probably wouldn't have to go through a formal interview if the Cubs wanted to award him the job, but right now it is unknown whether Francona is being seriously considered for the position.

No Madson Deal Yet; Phils May Pursue Papelbon

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10:19pm: Officials around the league are suggesting the Phillies' pact with Madson may have fallen through because the first big deal of the offseason "may harm the ongoing CBA negotiations, suggesting the owners believe an agreement is a formality," according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports. 

Another possibility is that MLB didn't like the terms of the deal, one that would set a relatively high bar for a free-agent class flush with closers, reports Brown.

4:18pm: Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said that the club never agreed to terms on a contract with closer Ryan Madson, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN. Amaro categorized the rumored four-year, $44MM contract as "unequivocally false," reports Stark (Twitter links).

The Phils are interested in Jonathan Papelbon, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com, so if talks with Madson don't work out, Pap may be their new target.

The Phils' reported near-deal with Madson has unfolded curiously since the story broke on Tuesday afternoon. The holdup in it becoming official was apparently that Phillies president David Montgomery had not approved the terms. Heyman tweeted earlier this afternoon that there was little optimism that Montgomery would sign off on the pact, which had become a hot topic of discussion. There was a split among executives and agents regarding whether it would have been a good deal.

We've not yet heard rumors strongly tying Papelbon to any club, although we heard Tuesday that his name has come up during the Blue Jays' internal discussions. The right-hander, who has spent his entire career to date with the Red Sox, figures to command one of the two biggest free agent contracts for closers, along with Madson.

Carroll Nearing Multiyear Deal With Twins

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2:24pm: Carroll's nearing a multiyear deal with the Twins, according to Crasnick (on Twitter). He would be Minnesota's everyday shortstop.

2:08pm: The Twins continue to pursue Carroll, according to Morosi (Twitter link). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the Twins and Carroll are talking regularly (Twitter link).

12:50pm: The Twins have had recent discussions for Carroll, according to Morosi (Twitter link).

12:19pm: The Braves and Indians aren't finalists for Carroll, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

11:40am: The Padres are not the team nearing a deal with Carroll, reports MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter).

10:57am: The Dodgers aren't the team that's nearing a deal with Carroll, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter). Troy Renck of the Denver Post says the Rockies aren't the mystery team (Twitter link) and Morosi reports that the Tigers aren't involved.

10:36am: The Blue Jays are showing serious interest in Carroll and were one of three finalists for him as of yesterday, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (all links go to Twitter). Morosi hears that the infielder is "very close" to agreeing to a deal.

7:38am: Jamey Carroll is nearing a multiyear deal with an unknown team, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (all Twitter links). The Tigers, Rockies, Dodgers and Indians have been mentioned as potential suitors for Carroll, a Millenium Sports Management client who is expected to sign within a few days. The Phillies and Braves have also expressed interest.

The 37-year-old infielder played shortstop and second base for the Dodgers in 2011, posting a .290/.359/.347 line in 510 plate appearances. He hasn't posted an on-base percentage below .355 in any of the past four seasons and he has a career mark of .356 after a decade in the Major Leagues. Carroll, who also has experience at third base and in the outfield, stole ten bases without getting caught this past season. He is not a ranked free agent and won't cost his new team a draft pick.

Carroll spoke with MLBTR's Tim Dierkes in June and you can check out the interview here. Tim predicted the Tigers would sign Carroll, placing him 41st on MLBTR's list of top free agents.

This post was originally published on November 11, 2011.

Visit The MLBTR Forums

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The MLBTR Forums are hopping, with 9,175 members to date.  If you'd like to expand your baseball discussions beyond the comments section at MLBTradeRumors.com, the forums are the perfect place.  We've got sections for actual trade rumors, speculative trade situations, free agents, the draft, prospects, general baseball, fantasy baseball, and each of the 30 teams.  Start or join a discussion in the MLBTR Forums today!

East Notes: Sizemore, Mets, Phillies

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Some notes to pass along from the AL and NL East …

  • The Red Sox have contacted free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore, tweets Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald, and they are not thought to have spoken to free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran. Both players remain a long shot for Boston, according to Silverman, until the Red Sox figure out whether they want to re-sign David Ortiz.
  • The Mets will likely seek an affordable closer this offseason, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, who spoke to three stoppers who might fit that bill: Jonathan Broxton, Brad Lidge and Joe Nathan. Broxton's agent told Martino that Brox is seeking an incentive-laden one-year deal with perhaps a vesting option, and he's willing to pitch as a setup man or a closer. Lidge's agent said Lidge, too, is flexible with respect to his role, and Nathan said he is receptive to either a short- or long-term contract.
  • Now that the Phillies' agreement on a four-year contract with Ryan Madson has either fallen through or never actually materialized in the first place, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald opines that Jonathan Papelbon, like Madson, is unlikely to secure a contract of four or more years from Philly. Just reading the tea leaves, it looks like the fourth year will be the primary haggling point for Madson and Papelbon in their respective negotiations.

NL Central Links: Wandy, Reds, Cards’ Manager

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Some NL Central linkage …

  • Astros GM Ed Wade said today on MLB Network Radio that he is open to all offers on left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, tweets Jim Bowden. The Astros tried to move Rodriguez in a post-deadline transaction in August, but they were unable to reach agreement on trade with the Rockies when Colorado was awarded a waiver claim on the southpaw. We heard a couple weeks ago, though, that some expect the Rockies to again pursue Rodriguez this offseason.
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty said that Cincinnati is more likelty to pursue players via trades than free agency this offseason, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The club's most pressing needs, according to Fay, are a top-of-the-rotation starter and a right-handed-hitting power bat.
  • The Cardinals' won't expand their candidate list beyond Mike Matheny, Terry Francona, Ryne Sandberg, Jose Oquendo, Joe McEwing and Chris Maloney, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com, who's hearing great things about Matheny and wouldn't be surprised if Matheny were named the next skipper in an upset (Twitter links).

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