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Winter Meetings Review: Day 2

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Before we dive headfirst into Wednesday's winter meetings action, let's take a minute to recap the top news and rumors from Tuesday….

  • We saw our first blockbuster trade of the winter, as the Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Yankees agreed on a three-way swap. The deal sends Curtis Granderson to New York, Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy to Arizona, and four players, including Max Scherzer, to the Tigers. Reactions? Most writers agreed that the Tigers and Yankees made out well, but didn't like the deal for the D'Backs. I'm inclined to agree. Granderson should rake in Yankee Stadium and the Tigers were able to add some promising talent while cutting payroll, but it's unclear what Arizona's endgame is here.
  • The White Sox signed Mark Teahen to a three-year deal worth $14MM. The price isn't bad for Chicago, though it might lock them into mediocre third base production for a few years. If Teahen could match his 2006 numbers (.290/.357/.517), he'd be a bargain, but his career line is just .269/.331/.408.
  • Milton Bradley trade talks swirled all day, with one report calling a deal with a surprise AL team "three-quarters done." With the Rays and Rangers apparently not involved, it's anybody's guess who the mystery club could be. There doesn't seem to be any one team that stands out as being a fit for Bradley and the Cubs.
  • Bobby Crosby is on the verge of signing with the Pirates, and it looks like he'll get his chance to compete for an everyday job. I don't think Crosby is a major-league starter at this point, but the risk is fairly low for the Pirates at just $1.5MM over a single year.
  • The Phillies bolstered their bench by agreeing to sign Ross Gload to a two-year deal. We haven't seen a price attached to this one yet, but assuming it's affordable, I like the move for the Phillies. Gload has proven throughout his career to be a solid pinch-hitter and part-time player.
  • To make room for players that accepted arbitration, the Twins designated Boof Bonser for assignment and the Braves DFA'd Ryan Church. The Church move is a bit of a surprise, and one that came as a result of another surprise: Rafael Soriano accepting arbitration.
  • The Rockies offered Yorvit Torrealba a two-year contract, but the backstop has received attention from a host of other clubs as well.
  • Kevin Kouzmanoff was another hot commodity Tuesday, as multiple teams contacted the Padres about acquiring the third baseman. With Chone Figgins and Placido Polanco already off the market, it looks like teams are getting more creative when it comes to targeting infielders.
  • We heard plenty more talk about Roy Halladay, Jason Bay, Randy Wolf and Kevin Millwood with nothing concrete happening yet.
  • In news not directly hot-stove related, Peter Gammons will be leaving ESPN.com to join MLB.com, the MLB Network and NESN.com. Having grown up on Gammons' columns, I look forward to following his work for his new employers.

If you missed it, check out MLBTR's Day 1 review here.

Cardinals Rumors: Holliday, DeRosa, Tejada

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The Cardinals' offseason plans hinge on Matt Holliday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Joe Strauss and Derrick Goold. In their latest articles, each writer explains how the Cardinals' pursuit of Holliday will affect the rest of the team's offseason.

Goold notes that if the team fails to sign Holliday, it could free up some money to fill out the starting rotation. Conversely, if they are able to ink Holliday to a deal, their rotation solution will likely be an in-house player rather than a free agent. The team is set with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Brad Penny, and Kyle Lohse as its top four, but will be searching for a fifth starter. Although the Cards are "out of the bidding" for Joel Pineiro, the team could pursue another mid-level starter if the Holliday money is available.

Meanwhile, Strauss writes that the more time the Cardinals spend going after Holliday, the greater chance there is that Mark DeRosa slips away. The Cardinals probably view DeRosa as a Plan B after Holliday, but with plenty of other teams interested, DeRosa may have signed elsewhere by the time Holliday makes a decision.

Strauss' article also mentions that Tony La Russa has interest in Miguel Tejada as a possible option for the left side of the infield.

Phillies Rumors: Lyon, Drabek, Blanton

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Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who said that he doesn't expect to make any big splashes during the winter meetings. Martino shares a handful of other Phillies tidbits with us….

  • Faced with a tight budget, Amaro says he wouldn't mind heading into 2010 without adding any major bullpen arms, and using in-house candidates instead.
  • Despite that statement, the Phillies are still interested in Brandon Lyon and have been in touch with the right-hander's agent.
  • Contract offers have been extended to Scott Eyre and Chan Ho Park. Amaro indicates that if the pair of relievers decline those offers, the club "might have to go ahead and move on."
  • Kyle Drabek will definitely not be a part of the Phillies' bullpen plans. Amaro says there's "no chance" the team will break in Drabek as a reliever. The top prospect will likely start the year in Triple-A.
  • There has been speculation that the Phillies could try to trade Joe Blanton to free up some payroll space, but those rumors haven't been confirmed.

Cubs Rumors: Bradley, Cameron, Putz

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Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times passes on the latest updates he has heard regarding a potential Milton Bradley trade. His source indicates that neither Texas or Tampa Bay is the destination for Bradley in this rumored scenario, and that the Cubs are "ready to pull the trigger" as soon as the other team is. Here are Wittenmyer's other Cubs rumors:

  • A Cubs source denies that the team has any interest in Melky Cabrera.
  • Mike Cameron is at or near the top of the club's center field wish list.
  • The Cubs are interested in J.J. Putz, and were among the teams that watched the righty throw this winter.
  • Though Chicago was disappointed to miss out on Curtis Granderson, a club source insists that the Bradley discussions didn't hinder the Cubs' ability to pursue Granderson.
  • There is no truth to any Bradley-Carlos Silva trade rumors, according to a Seattle source.
  • If the Cubs can eventually move Bradley, they could be on the market for a mid-level starter.

Tigers Expanding Search For Veteran Reliever

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The Tigers' acquisition of young bullpen arms in Tuesday's blockbuster trade won't stop them from adding a veteran reliever, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. Beck writes that the Tigers have expanded their search for a potential veteran closer after Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon declined arbitration.

The team added Daniel Schlereth and Phil Coke on Tuesday and is still open to bringing back either Lyon or Rodney. In the meantime, however, they're going to take their time looking at other options on the market.

"It doesn't have to be now," team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "We didn't sign Brandon Lyon [last winter] until late January, but ideally we'd like to have somebody [experienced] out there, yes."

The Tigers will presumably be looking to add a right-handed arm since, as MLive.com's Steve Kornacki points out, they're facing a lefty overload in their bullpen. The club has been linked to J.J. Putz and to Kevin Gregg so far this week.

Rangers Tuesday Recap

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Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas rounds up some Texas Rangers-related rumors from the second day of the winter meetings. We've heard one or two of these already, but let's check out the highlights of Durrett's recap….

  • The Rangers are looking to bolster their bullpen, and names of interest include J.J. Putz, Matt Lindstrom, and Brett Myers. Ramon Ramirez and Chris Ray are also on their radar.
  • As FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi indicated earlier today, no Kevin Millwood trade appears imminent. A few teams are interested, but the Rangers will pull the trigger only on "the right deal." Presumably the "right" return is more about money than talent.
  • If the club is able to move Millwood, they'd look to fill the hole in their rotation with another veteran starter. Ben Sheets and Rich Harden are potential options, with the Rangers hoping to meet with Sheets' agent this week.
  • Dealing Millwood would also allow Texas to free up some money to pursue a right-handed bat. Perhaps Vladimir Guerrero or Jermaine Dye.
  • The team is looking for a catcher as well. Durrett names Jason Kendall, Rod Barajas, Jose Molina, and Yorvit Torrealba as targets.
  • Durrett and others heard earlier that the Rangers offered top prospects Neftali Feliz and Justin Smoak to Florida in exchange for Josh Johnson. Another official denies that Texas made that proposal, but suggests that the team does have interest in Johnson.

Phils Sign Polanco To Three-Year Deal

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12:18pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that the deal is official. 

11:44am: Stark reports that the deal will be complete once Polanco passes a physical.

9:35am: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki hears that the Phils are close to signing Polanco to a three-year deal worth $18MM. The contract, which is pending a physical, includes a mutual option for 2013. 

9:10am: Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Phils are "believed to be" closing in on a three-year deal worth $18MM with Polanco. The deal should be finalized today.

8:44am: Stark hears indications that the sides are discussing a three-year deal. 

THURSDAY, 8:23am: Rob Bradford of WEEI.com hears that Polanco is "close" to a deal with the Phillies. 

8:57pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark classifies Philadelphia's talks with Polanco as "very serious" and Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports concur. A source "with knowledge of the Phillies' intentions" tells the FOX duo that the NL champs could offer Polanco a two-year deal worth between $10MM and $12MM.

7:18pm: Now that signing Polanco won't mean parting with draft picks, one team after another is being linked to the infielder. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports that the Philadelphia Phillies are focusing on Polanco for their third base opening, as opposed to Adrian Beltre or Mark DeRosa. Zolecki acknowledges Houston's and Boston's interest, but writes that "it appears the Phillies are further down the line in their pursuit."

7:08pm: MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that Polanco has also "drawn serious interest" from the Houston Astros.

WEDNESDAY, 5:32pm: The Boston Red Sox have expressed interest in Placido Polanco, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne. A source tells Browne that the Tigers' decision not to offer Polanco arbitration yesterday landed the second baseman on Boston's radar.

Polanco doesn't seem like a fit for the Red Sox unless the team asks Dustin Pedroia about playing shortstop, as has been rumored. If Pedroia moved to short, the Sox could sign Polanco for second base without having to give up any draft picks, whereas signing a Type A shortstop like Marco Scutaro would cost the club their first-rounder. Browne notes that Pedroia has said he "would welcome" a move to the left side of the infield.

As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe indicated earlier, and Tim reiterated today in our Red Sox offseason outlook, switching Pedroia's position is probably a last resort. It looks like the team is keeping all their options open though.

Odds & Ends: McLeod, Yankees, Wagner, Lyon

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Let's check out some Wednesday evening links….

Astros Rumors: Pitching Targets, Valverde, Tejada

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Houston Astros Senior Director of Digital Media Alyson Footer invited her Twitter followers to participate in a Q&A with Astros GM Ed Wade. The exchange resulted in too many tweets to individually link them all, but check out her Twitter account for some quotes from the conversation. Here are a few points of interest:

  • If the team cannot retain Jose Valverde and/or LaTroy Hawkins, Wade notes that there are other back-of-the-bullpen options out there. He says the club would prefer to have Valverde return as their closer, but mentions Fernando Rodney, Kevin Gregg, Rafael Soriano, and Mike Gonzalez as potential alternatives.
  • The Astros will "proceed with caution" when it comes to pursuing pitchers like Ben Sheets, who have questionable injury histories. Wade pointed to Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz as cautionary tales.
  • Wade doesn't expect to have a whole lot of money to commit to any starting pitching additions, given the other holes the team needs to fill.
  • The GM singles out Randy Wolf as one starter who is "probably not realistic" due to his expected price tag.
  • As much as the team would like to bring back Miguel Tejada, the market for the veteran will dictate whether they'll be able to afford it.
  • The team might acquire a stopgap behind the plate, but would prefer if one of their in-house options could step up and earn the starting job.

Cubs Rumors: Bradley, Granderson, Castro

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The Chicago Cubs are interested in Curtis Granderson, but would prefer to move Milton Bradley before aggressively pursuing Granderson, according to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune.

Earlier today, we heard rumblings that talks of a Bradley-Pat Burrell swap are still alive. If the Cubs were to deal Bradley and acquire Granderson, it would allow them to play Granderson in center field and move Kosuke Fukudome to right (Bradley's position).

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Rogers indicates that the Tigers are seeking multiple major-league-ready players in any trade for Granderson or right-hander Edwin Jackson. The Cubs also seem unwilling to part with top prospect Starlin Castro in order to acquire Granderson, so it remains to be seen if they have the chips to complete a deal.

Rogers expects Bradley and Granderson discussions to heat up during or before next week's winter meetings.

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