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Red Sox Continue Pursuing Bailey, Others

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The Red Sox strengthened their bullpen yesterday and they aren’t done yet. Boston continues pursuing relievers, including A’s closer Andrew Bailey, even after adding Mark Melancon, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter).

Boston may move Daniel Bard to the rotation and Alfredo Aceves might also start, so Boston's interest in relievers is no surprise. They've been linked to left-handers such as Darren Oliver and right-handers such as Ryan Madson throughout the offseason. Melancon joins Matt Albers, Scott Atchison, Bobby Jenks and Franklin Morales in Boston's projected bullpen.

GM Ben Cherington sounds comfortable with Melancon as a closer, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (on Twitter). However, Bailey recently told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that he won't be surprised if the A's send him to an East Coast team like the Red Sox.

Quick Hits: Tigers, Bailey, Braun

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Links for Wednesday night, as we wonder which team won the rights to negotiate a contract with Yu Darvish…

  • The chances of Jimmy Rollins signing with the Tigers seem incredibly thin, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • GM Dave Dombrowski said the Tigers had "minimal" discussions with Aramis Ramirez’s representatives, Chris Iott MLive.com reports. The Tigers did not make the third baseman a formal offer before the Brewers signed him.
  • Athletics closer Andrew Bailey admits that he doesn't know where he'll be pitching next year, but the trade candidate sounds prepared for the possibility that he'll be dealt before Opening Day, as Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald writes. Bailey grew up on the East Coast and says he has an understanding of what it would be like to pitch for a team like the Red Sox.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin says he's moving forward under the assumption that Ryan Braun will be in the lineup next year, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports. The Brewers are doing "business as normal," though Braun tested positive for a banned substance and faces a possible 50-game suspension.

Astros Notes: Myers, Rodriguez, Sanchez

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Today Jeff Luhnow made his first significant player move since becoming the Astros’ GM last week. Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland are now Astros and Mark Melancon is now on the Red Sox. Here are some more notes from Houston, starting with today’s trade…

  • The Red Sox and Astros also discussed some of Houston's high-salaried players, but "there wasn't a lot of appetite for that," Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The sides presumably discussed Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Carlos Lee before agreeing on today's deal.
  • The market for Rodriguez has been surprisingly cool, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. If he's traded, Rodriguez will be set to earn $36MM over the course of the next three seasons (a 2014 option becomes guaranteed if he's dealt).
  • Astros infielder Angel Sanchez has switched representation and is now with Burton Rocks LTD, tweets MLBTR's Tim Dierkes.

Red Sox Sign Nick Punto

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It sure didn't take long for Ben Cherington to replace Jed Lowrie. Hours after sending Lowrie and Kyle Weiland to Houston for Mark Melancon, the Red Sox GM announced the signing of Nick Punto to a two-year deal. The contract guarantees Punto $3MM and offers him the chance to earn an additional $500K in incentives, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links).

Punto spent the 2011 season with the Cardinals and played second, short and third. He had just 166 plate appearances, but posted a .278/.388/.421 line for a career-best .809 OPS. The switch-hitter's career batting line sits at .249/.325/.327, so he may not be able to replicate this year's offensive performance in 2012-13.

But in all likelihood, Cherington didn't add Punto for his bat. UZR suggests Punto is a strong defender at short, second and third. Overall, he has been an above-average defender in each season that he's logged significant MLB playing time. However, he's 34 and maintaining his historically strong defense may be unrealistic.

Michael Cuddyer Rumors: Wednesday

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We learned yesterday that the Rockies' offer to Michael Cuddyer is greater than the Twins' three-year proposal in the $25MM range. However, Cuddyer appears to be seeking a three-year, $30MM deal. Here's the latest on the free agent outfielder with the most recent updates up top:

  • GM Terry Ryan says the Twins have not ended contract talks with Cuddyer, according to ESPN.com.
  • The Mariners are in on Cuddyer and the Phillies may be involved as well, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies continue discussing a deal with Cuddyer, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding (on Twitter). If the sides agree to terms, the Rockies will start pursuing free agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda less intensely.
  • There's no official word that Cuddyer isn't returning to the Twins, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (on Twitter). Minnesota seems to be nearing a deal with Josh Willingham.
  • The Reds have some interest in Cuddyer.

Giants, Eli Whiteside Nearing Deal

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The Giants are nearing a deal with catcher Eli Whiteside, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). San Francisco non-tendered the 32-year-old Pro Star Management client Monday.

Whiteside started playing regularly when Buster Posey's season ended this past May, posting a modest .197/.264/.310 line in 236 plate appearances. Had the Giants tendered Whiteside a contract, he would have been in line for a 2012 salary in the $700K range, according to our projections. He figures to compete with Hector Sanchez and Chris Stewart for playing time behind Posey in 2012.

Ten Teams Have Some Interest In Luke Scott

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The Orioles and approximately ten other teams have expressed some level of interest in signing Luke Scott, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The 33-year-old became a free agent Monday night when the Orioles declined to tender him a contract. 

Scott, who battled a shoulder injury in 2011 and underwent surgery this summer, projected to earn $6MM through arbitration, so GM Dan Duquette let him go. But from 2008-10, Scott averaged 25 home runs and a .266/.348/.497 line, so there's strong interest in the PSI Sports Management client.

Nationals Sign Waldis Joaquin

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The Nationals signed right-hander Waldis Joaquin to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, MLBTR has learned. The hard-throwing 24-year-old became a free agent in November after the Giants designated him for assignment. 

Joaquin made 19 relief appearances for the Giants from 2009-11, including five this past season. He spent most of 2011 at Triple-A Fresno, where he posted a 3.44 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 49 2/3 innings. After the season Joaquin pitched in the Dominican Republic to get some work in.

Red Sox Notes: Varitek, Oswalt, Saunders

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The Red Sox sent Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland to Houston for Mark Melancon today before agreeing to terms with Nick Punto on a two-year deal. One thing they did not do was bid on Yu Darvish. Here’s the latest from Boston (and for more on the Red Sox, click here):

Orioles Sign Tsuyoshi Wada

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The Orioles announced that they have signed Japanese starter Tsuyoshi Wada to a two-year deal that includes a club option for 2014. The contract guarantees the free agent left-hander $8.15MM and the option is worth $5MM, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun The Orioles are also seriously interested in Japanese starter Wei-Yin Chen, as Connolly reported yesterday.

Wada posted a 1.51 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 184 2/3 innings for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in 2011. The 30-year-old is a  Dallas Braden type with "a 86-87 mph fastball, a good circle change, and a solid slider," according to Patrick Newman of FanGraphs. Manager Buck Showalter can now add Wada to a rotation that will include some of the following pitchers: Jeremy Guthrie, Tommy Hunter, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Brad Bergesen, Zach Britton and Dana Eveland.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted that the Orioles would sign Wada, who placed 34th on MLBTR's list of top free agents. Connolly first reported that the sides were nearing a deal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports added detail.

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