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Wellemeyer, Cardinals Close To Deal

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Matthew Leach of MLB.com believes the St. Louis Cardinals and right-handed starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer are close to a deal to avoid arbitration.

This from Wellemeyer himself: "I know it’s getting close, I’ll tell you that much."

Wellemeyer, 30, went 13-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 2008.

Leach notes that deals might be close for Chris Duncan and Brad Thompson, too. General manager John Mozeliak said he would like to avoid arbitration with Duncan and Thompson, as well as Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick.

Mozeliak is hopeful that none of the five players will actually go to arbitration. Ankiel is especially challenging given his short tenure as an outfielder, Leach writes.

Manny Ramirez Rumors: Saturday

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Free agent outfielder Manny Ramirez is still looking for a team, and several outlets are writing about him today.

Cards’ Carpenter Wants To Start

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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter told The Associated Press that he wants to start in 2009, although he’s willing to move back to the bullpen if his body can’t hold up to the rotation pressures.

"I’ll do whatever they want me to do," Carpenter said. "If that’s the case, that’s the case. I’m just going to take it one game at a time like I have all the time in the past. I’m going to do everything I can to take the ball every fifth day. With everything that I’ve gone through, obviously, some of it is out of my hands. I’ve done everything I can in the past four months to go out and pitch."

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has said earlier in the offseason that he might use Carpenter as a closer if he is unable to start every fifth game.

Carpenter, 33, has had elbow and shoulder surgeries on his pitching arm. The righty threw 15 1-3 innings in 2008 for a 0-1 record with a 1.76 ERA.

Mientkiewicz Believes Return To Pirates Unlikely

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WEDNESDAY: Dejan Kovacevic talked to Huntington, who "blamed Mientkiewicz’s lingering frustration with the team’s lack of communication on Mientkiewicz’s now-former agent."  Huntington said the door remains open for Minky.

MONDAY: First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com that he doubts he’ll return to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization this season.

According to Mientkiewicz, the Pirates have not made an offer or any attempts to get in touch with him as the offseason has progressed. He has not spoken with general manager Neal Huntington or manager John Russell, a close friend of Mientkiewicz’s, since the season ended, Langosch wrote.

Mientkiewicz, 35 in June, hit .277 with 30 RBI in 125 games. As a Pirate, he played some third base for the first time in his career.

Angels Do Not Have Interest In Dye

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WEDNESDAY: Bill Shaikin talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who shot down Cowley’s Dye rumor.  Reagins said, "No truth to that rumor."  Reagins apparently hasn’t talked to the White Sox for a while, though Shaikin’s source indicated the Angels did express interest in Dye before they re-signed Juan Rivera.

MONDAY: The Los Angeles Angels have interest in Chicago White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

According to a major-league scout, the Angels are the latest team to express interest in acquiring Dye now that the Mark Teixeira ship has set sail to New York. Unlike the talks with the Cincinnati Reds that stalled during the Winter Meetings, the Sox and Angels actually have a fit, Cowley wrote.

Cowley speculates that the White Sox would want Chone Figgins in return. Figgins could play third base and lead off for Chicago.

Cowley also notes that the Angels have a surplus of outfielders, but the Angels want to add protection in the lineup for Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter.

Cowley’s source also said the Angels do not like the rest of the free-agent outfield market and do not want to be pawns in the on-going Manny Ramirez saga.

The Angels are not one of the teams listed on Dye’s no-trade list, Cowley writes.

Jones Has Interest In Returning To Atlanta

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andruw Jones has interest in returning to the Atlanta Braves, MyFoxAtlanta.com reports.

In a video on the TV station’s Web site, Jones is shown working out with current Braves Chipper Jones and Brian McCann.

“It would be nice to kind of finish my career here,” Jones told the station from an Atlanta batting cage.

The station also interviews McCann, who said Jones, 31, looks great.

Reporter Buck Lanford notes that the Dodgers are supposed to trade or release Jones by Thursday.

Braves Make Offer To Lowe

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David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the Atlanta Braves made an offer to free-agent pitcher Derek Lowe on Friday.

O’Brien guesses that the Braves’ offer was for more than the New York Mets’ reported three-year offer of $36MM. He also speculates that the annual amount would be at least $15MM in at least a three-plus-an-option deal, if not a four-year deal.

Mets Make Offer To Oliver Perez?

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9:10 pm: Doug Miller of MLB.com touches on Heyman’s report here, as does The Associated Press here.

7:19 pm: Jon Heyman, one of SI.com’s "insiders" on the MLB Network’s show Hot Stove, reported that the the New York Mets made an offer to starting pitcher Oliver Perez on the show Monday evening.

Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog.com wrote about Heyman’s report here.

The offer, apparently, is three years worth close to $30MM.

White Sox Announce Spring Invitees

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The Chicago White Sox have announced their Spring Training invitees.

The White Sox invited 18 players: Left-handed pitching prospect Aaron Poreda and infield prospect Gordon Beckham; catchers Tyler Flowers and Donny Lucey; right-handed reliever Mike MacDougal joins fellow White Sox minor leaguers Poreda and Beckham as non-roster invitees.

These 13 signed minor-league deals with the White Sox: Infielders Javier Castillo, Bryan Myrow, Sergio Santos and Eider Torres; catchers Corky Miller and Chris Stewart; outfielders Josh Kroeger and Michael Restovich; right-handed pitchers Ryan Braun, Franklyn German, Brad Salmon and Jon Van Benschoten ; left-handed pitcher Randy Williams.

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