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Odds & Ends: Daniels, Takahashi, Byrnes, Lee, Gray

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Links for Wednesday, as Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum duel in Game One of the World Series…

  • Jon Daniels called a report indicating that he asked the Mets (through back channels) to hold off on their GM announcement until after the World Series "complete bull," according to CBSSports.com's Scott Miller. Daniels can opt out of his contract after the season since the Rangers were sold this year.
  • Hisanori Takahashi switched agents from Peter Greenberg to Arn Tellem, tweets Newday's David Lennon. We learned that Takashi and the Mets were discussing an extension just a few days ago, but it appears that the lefty is positioning himself to test the free agent waters.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the "belief in the sport" is that Josh Byrnes will join the Padres' front office after losing out on the Mets GM gig. Byrnes has strong ties to San Diego's front office, most notably owner Jeff Moorad.
  • Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe wonders if the Tigers and Red Sox are getting ready to battle for the same free agents in a few weeks.
  • The Yankees have had internal discussions about how much money they'd be willing to offer Cliff Lee, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network.
  • The Cubs outrighted Jeff Gray to Triple A, so he’s no longer on the team’s 40-man roster. The 28-year-old righty struggled through 9.1 big league innings this year.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains that the Red Sox will have trouble finding another pitching coach like John Farrell, the new Blue Jays manager.
  • Omar Minaya isn't sure whether he'll stay with the Mets, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Heyman says there's a decent chance Minaya returns, since he gets along well with owner Fred Wilpon and incoming GM Sandy Alderson.

Rangers Rumors: Daniels, Lee, Guerrero

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The Rangers are the center of attention as they prepare to play in their first World Series. Here's the latest on the American League champions (click here for the latest on the NL pennant winners):

Blue Jays Exercise Jose Molina’s 2011 Option

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The Blue Jays exercised Jose Molina's 2011 option, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The club chose to retain the 35-year-old instead of buying him out for $200K.

Molina hit .246/.304/.377 last year with six homers after signing with the Jays in February. Alex Anthopoulos' low-risk investments in Molina and John Buck paid off this season, but the GM now has a decision to make. J.P. Arencibia appears ready to catch in the big leagues and Buck has expressed interest in returning. It seems unlikely that both Arencibia and Buck will have spots on the team's opening day roster, but Anthopoulos called Buck to tell him the club still has interest in working out a deal (Twitter link).

Yanks Decline Options For Wood, Berkman, Johnson

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The Yankees declined their 2011 options for Kerry Wood, Lance Berkman and Nick Johnson and exercised their option on 2007 first rounder Andrew Brackman. It cost the Yankees $2MM to buy out Berkman's $15MM option and $250K to buy out Johnson's $5.5MM option.

Wood, 33, posted a 0.69 ERA with 10.7 K/9 in 24 regular season appearances for the Yankees, and was outstanding in the playoffs. It would have cost the Yankees $11MM to exercise the righty's 2011 option, so turning it down was presumably easy for GM Brian Cashman and the rest of the team's front office.

Berkman, 34, batted just .255/.358/.349 after the Yankees acquired him from the Astros in a July trade. Johnson performed worse than that in his 98 plate appearances. The 32-year-old posted a .167/.388/.306 line in his return to the Bronx. Like Berkman, he reached base without providing any pop. 

Picking up Brackman's option was a formality. The 24-year-old posted a 3.90 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in the minors last year, reaching Double-A for the first time, so the Yankees weren't about to let him go.

Non-Tender Candidate: John Maine

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There's no question that John Maine's season began poorly. He struggled through nine early-season starts and didn't pitch after injuring his shoulder in May. If there was any doubt that he was a non-tender candidate, it disappeared later this summer when it became apparent that he would need season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder.

Before the injury sidelined Maine, he posted a 6.13 ERA in 39.2 innings and walked too many hitters, so the Mets may be reluctant to offer the 29-year-old arbitration. Sure, Maine has potential, but he made $3.3MM this year and would make a comparable amount if the Mets tender him a contract. 

Maine is still young and he has been effective in the past, so it's easy to see how the Mets might be tempted to keep him. The right-hander pitched to a 4.01 ERA in 87 starts from 2006-09 with 7.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. That kind of production has value, even if Maine currently sits behind Johan Santana (also recovering from surgery), R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese, Mike Pelfrey and Jenrry Mejia in the team's projected rotation.

If the Mets non-tender Maine, other teams would likely have cautious interest. There are no guarantees for pitchers returning from arthroscopic shoulder surgery, as another non-tender candidate knows well. Chien-Ming Wang, who underwent a similar operation almost exactly one year before Maine did, didn't pitch in 2010. The Mets would be taking on a considerable risk by offering a few million dollars in arbitration.

When he examined the Mets arbitration class, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes argued that Maine will likely be non-tendered this December. I agree - Maine will probably find himself competing for jobs alongside free agent starters before long. That's no sure thing, though, especially with a new GM on his way in, so it's still worth asking whether the Mets will tender the righty a contract. Click here to vote on Maine's future in New York and here to view the results.

Tigers “Deeply Interested” In Carl Crawford

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The Tigers are "deeply interested" in Carl Crawford, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. As Rosenthal points out, Crawford and Austin Jackson would provide the Tigers with excellent outfield defense in spacious Comerica Park. Crawford can hit, too; the 29-year-old batted .307/.356/.495 this year with a career-high 19 homers.

The Red Sox, Angels and Nationals are among the many potential suitors for Crawford. The Reds and Astros don't figure to pursue the left fielder, but that won't hurt his free agent stock much. He's in position to demand a $100MM deal, especially if the Yankees and Braves get involved.

The Tigers started addressing their offseason needs last week by signing Brandon Inge to an affordable extension. They may soon do the same with Jhonny Peralta, so GM Dave Dombrowski figures to have the resources to make competitive offers to Crawford and other impact bats.

Potential Suitors For A.J. Pierzynski

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The White Sox may be the best fit of all for A.J. Pierzynski, who hits free agency this offseason. It once seemed as though Tyler Flowers would replace Pierzynski, but the White Sox could look to keep the 13-year veteran if they don't want to hand the starting catcher's job to a minor leaguer who slumped his way through the 2010 season. Pierzynski has said he's open to returning to the South Side, so it would not be surprising to see the sides reach a new deal.

As MLBTR's Steve Adams pointed out when he examined Pierzynski's stock a few weeks ago, the relative strength of this year's free agent catchers could limit the catcher's bargaining power. Victor Martinez, Ramon Hernandez, John Buck and Rod Barajas will be available on the market and Miguel Olivo, Yorvit Torrealba and Bengie Molina could join them. But a number of teams will be seeking catching help this winter, so Pierzynski should draw interest if he doesn't return to Chicago.

Here are some potential destinations for the 33-year-old. He batted just .270/.300/.388 this year, but no one said it was easy to find catchers who can hit.

  • Red Sox – If Martinez signs elsewhere, the Red Sox may look for a more experienced complement to Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
  • Rangers – The Rangers will be looking for a catcher if Bengie Molina retires.
  • Mariners – The Mariners need offense everywhere they can get it.
  • Marlins – The Marlins are looking for a catcher this offseason.
  • Mets – Josh Thole hit relatively well in half a season with the Mets, but new GM Sandy Alderson could look to sign a veteran catcher.
  • Reds – The Reds have interest in bringing Hernandez back, but they could be in the market for a catcher if negotiations don't go well.
  • Padres – The Padres and Yorvit Torrealba have a mutual option for 2011. If the option doesn't get exercised, GM Jed Hoyer could be searching for a backstop, depending on the organization's confidence in Nick Hundley.

Giants Notes: Payroll, Lincecum, Rowand

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The Giants have every reason to be focused on tonight's World Series opener with the Rangers, but first pitch is hours away, so there's still time for some updates on how the Giants got here and what they can expect next year:

Sandy Alderson Hiring Reactions

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The Mets are bringing in one of baseball’s most experienced executives to turn the franchise into a winner. Sandy Alderson became Oakland’s general manager in 1983, when Theo Epstein, Jon Daniels and Alex Anthopoulos were in grade school. Here are some reactions to the Mets’ decision to pass on Josh Byrnes and bring in Alderson:

  • Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports that former Twins GM Terry Ryan and longtime GM Pat Gillick had some interest in the job. Martino also notes that Mets assistant GM John Ricco wants to be a GM at some point.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post praises the Mets' decision and suggests the team can work through bad contracts and reach the top of the NL.
  • Sherman and Mike Puma say the Mets were impressed with Byrnes, "but not enough to ignore their strong feelings about the instant credibility and sense of direction that would come with hiring someone with Alderson's gravitas."
  • The Mets made an "excellent choice," ESPN.com's Keith Law writes (on Twitter).
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com says he would have hired Byrnes, but admits the Mets' decision is tough to criticize (Twitter link). 
  • Last week, 78% of MLBTR readers said they believe Alderson was a better choice than Byrnes.

Randy Winn Wants To Play In 2011

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After 13 years and 1,717 regular season games, Randy Winn still hasn’t appeared in the playoffs, but the outfielder tells B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com that he’s not worried about signing with a contender this offseason. At this stage in his career, the 36-year-old is simply looking for a job.

“I would like to find a team that would like me to play for them, that’s going to be my first thing,” Winn said. “I don’t know what my options are going to be. I hope some organization thinks I can come in and help. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

The Yankees were hoping Winn could be a useful fourth outfielder when they signed him last winter, but he struggled and they designated him for assignment. The Cardinals picked him up, but the team struggled down the stretch so Winn missed the playoffs yet again.

Winn batted .239/.307/.356 in 233 plate appearances between the Yankees and Cardinals and played all three outfield positions. He signed for $1.1MM last winter, but he’s likely looking at a minor league deal this time. Winn doesn’t expect to sign soon, but he says he’s happy to wait for offers and play with his kids.

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