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Rockies Rumors: Crosby, Betancourt, Street

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The Rockies' interest in Bobby Crosby might not amount to anything if there are teams interested in him a starter, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding. The Rockies would like to sign Crosby as a utilityman, but the Red Sox and other clubs that have been linked to the shortstop might be willing to give him a chance to start, which Crosby would prefer. Here are a few of Harding's other Rockies-related rumors….

  • The team will likely have "internal discussions" about signing Chad Tracy as a bench player.
  • The Rockies won't pursue any free-agent relievers until they see what happens with Rafael Betancourt, who has been offered arbitration and is their top bullpen priority.
  • If they can't retain Betancourt, LaTroy Hawkins could be a target.
  • The club would like to re-sign Yorvit Torrealba, but will have to wait for him to test the market.
  • Long-term contracts for Huston Street and Clint Barmes are another priority. One Rockies official says that it's too early in talks with Street to see how far apart the two sides might be.

Athletics Agree To Terms With Joey Devine

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Joey Devine and the Oakland Athletics have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, according to the Associated Press. The right-hander's 2010 contract will earn him about $0.56MM.

Devine was dominant for the A's in 2008, posting an ERA of 0.59 over 45.2 IP. He was expected to compete for the closer's job in 2009, but underwent elbow surgery and did not pitch in a single regular season game.

We should be seeing plenty of similar stories coming in over the next week or two, as teams decide whether or not to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players before the December 12th deadline. Check out our list of non-tender candidates here.

Randy Wolf Open To Returning To Dodgers

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Despite the club's uncertain ownership situation, Randy Wolf would welcome a return to Los Angeles next year, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

Wolf states that he expects the Dodgers to be competitive next season, regardless of what happens with owner Frank McCourt's divorce. However, after the team failed to offer arbitration to the left-hander, it seems unlikely that Wolf will be wearing Dodger blue next year. The lack of an arbitration offer not only suggests that the Dodgers' payroll situation is up in the air, but also makes Wolf more attractive to other suitors who now won't have to part with a high draft pick to sign him. The lefty himself mentions that a couple teams have already been "aggressive" in their pursuit.

Nonetheless, if the Dodgers can afford him, Wolf would love to come back: "I always wanted to play for the Dodgers. My teammates are great. I had a great time with them."

Odds & Ends: Ramirez, Halladay, Tigers

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Some links for Sunday….

Eight Teams Interested In Takashi Saito

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The White Sox, Cubs, Braves, and Mets make up half of the eight teams interested in signing right-hander Takashi Saito, according to Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker.

Saito posted a 2.43 ERA in 55.2 IP for the Red Sox last year, in what was maybe his least effective MLB campaign. In 245.1 innings over four seasons in Los Angeles and Boston, Saito's ERA is a minuscule 2.01. Although he turns 40 before Opening Day 2010, Saito's track record should earn him an eighth-inning job, and perhaps even a chance to close.

The last rumor we heard on Saito was that the Red Sox weren't picking up the reliever's $6MM 2010 option, but were still open to bringing him back to Boston. So we can probably add the Sox to the list of teams interested in the veteran righty. Any speculation on who the others might be? Tigers? Phillies? Astros?

Olney On Scutaro, Barajas, Johnson

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The Toronto Blue Jays will almost certainly offer arbitration to Marco Scutaro and Rod Barajas, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. In today's blog entry, Olney applauds the work being done by GM Alex Anthopolous, who will secure the team three compensation picks if Scutaro and Barajas sign elsewhere, as is expected.

Rather than re-signing Scutaro and Barajas, the Jays are attempting to replace their departing players with comparable options. Signing Alex Gonzalez and pursuing catchers like Yorvit Torrealba allows the team to avoid downgrading too significantly, while earning them compensation draft picks at the same time.

Within the same piece, Olney explains the reasoning behind the Marlins' reluctance to deal Josh Johnson this winter, comparing the situation to the Indians' handling of Cliff Lee. If Florida starts strong in 2010, Johnson will help them contend. If they fall out of the playoff race, however, they could potentially trade the right-hander before next year's deadline and still demand a significant return.

Olney also mentions that extension talks between Johnson and the Marlins hit a snag because the 25-year-old is looking for at least four guaranteed years, and the club didn't want to guarantee that fourth year.

Cafardo On Lowe, Red Sox, Millwood

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As usual, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe brings us a Sunday morning column with some info from around the league. Let's check out a few highlights….

  • Derek Lowe likes pitching for the Braves and would prefer to stay in Atlanta, but acknowledges that he doesn't have much control over the situation. "I understand this is a business and I know the Braves have some things they’d like to do," Lowe told Cafardo. "I hope I can be here because I really enjoy it."
  • Cafardo doesn't think that Roy Halladay will be a Red Sox next season. He can't see a trade happening "unless some sense of realism overtakes the Blue Jays" and they lower the asking price for their ace.
  • Boston's "ideal scenario" according to Cafardo is signing John Lackey and then dangling Clay Buchholz to acquire a bat. Ideal, maybe, but probably not likely.
  • Although the Marco Scutaro-to-Boston rumors have gained momentum since Toronto signed Alex Gonzalez, the Red Sox could still explore other options, such as dealing for Stephen Drew or signing Adam Everett.
  • Given Carl Crawford's strong leadership role in the Rays' clubhouse, Cafardo speculates that the team could eventually bite the bullet and pony up the money to extend Crawford's contract.
  • The Brewers have inquired about Kevin Millwood, but the Rangers haven't actively tried to move the righty.
  • The Giants, Rangers, and Orioles are among the teams who have Miguel Tejada on their radar.

Davidoff On Lowe, Johnson, Torrealba

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In a blog post, Newsday's Ken Davidoff announces that he'll be voting for Mark McGwire on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, and recaps some other items of note:

  • The Atlanta Braves plan to shop Derek Lowe more aggressively after John Lackey signs somewhere. They're hoping that at that point Lowe looks more appealing than the remaining "risky commodities" on the free agent market.
  • Nick Johnson is searching for a two-year deal.
  • Yorvit Torrealba's suitors include the Blue Jays, Rockies, and Giants. The Rays, Marlins, and Royals could also be in the mix, though they're less likely landing spots for the catcher.
  • Davidoff also warns to take talk of Bud Selig's impending retirement with a grain of salt, since there's nothing to stop Selig from changing his mind by 2012.

Odds & Ends: Scutaro, Astros, Messenger, Selig

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A few more Saturday evening links….

Los Angeles Rumors: Halladay, Matthews, Pierre

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Mike DiGiovanna and Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times pass on a few interesting notes related to the Dodgers and Angels. Here are the highlights:

  • If the Angels were to make a run at Roy Halladay, it would cost them at least one big-league arm from the Joe Saunders/Jered Weaver/Ervin Santana group, which could help offset Halladay's 2010 salary.
  • Angels' owner Arte Moreno has said in the past that he's willing to bump the club's payroll a little for a potential franchise player. This could give the team some financial maneuverability if they tried to trade for Halladay or sign a free agent like Jason Bay.
  • The Dodgers don't want to give up any major league pitching to acquire Halladay, making them an unlikely trading partner for the Jays.
  • Both the Dodgers and Angels have a handful of salaries coming off their books, but will owe plenty of players raises through arbitration, restricting their ability to make much impact in free agency.
  • The Angels will look into dealing Gary Matthews Jr., but would probably have to eat too much of his salary to make a trade worthwhile.
  • The Dodgers have their own outfielder with an oversized contract: Juan Pierre. The team might try to trade Pierre for an equally overpriced back-of-the-rotation pitcher.
  • If the Angels were to retain one of their big free agents (John Lackey, Chone Figgins), they could attempt to backload the contract, helping themselves out financially in the short term.

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