Team Rumor Links Not Updated
I had to make a necessary sacrifice to be able to publish new rumors as quickly as possible during the Winter Meetings: the team rumor links located on the righthand sidebar will not be up-to-date this week.
You will just have to click the December archive and scan all the recent headlines. Also, we’ve got a Winter Meetings Day 2 In Review post coming up in a few hours.
Mark Teixeira Rumors: Tuesday
10:09pm: Angels owner Arte Moreno to Jon Heyman: "Teixeira’s my guy. There are obviously other people we like. But he’s our main target." Currently, the Angels aren’t planning to set a deadline when they make an offer to Tex.
9:11pm: Brian Sabean ruled out Teixeira for the Giants.
4:27pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Angels are "beginning to recognize they will not be the high bidder" for Tex. Some of Rosenthal’s sources believe the Nationals will come in the highest.
3:48pm: Yahoo’s Tim Brown says Angels owner Arte Moreno "has been deeply involved in negotiations with Scott Boras regarding Teixeira, as well as with agent Greg Genske on Sabathia." Brown says the Angels may be willing to give Tex seven years if necessary. The Halos are weighing the idea of going after Manny Ramirez if they miss out on Tex and C.C.
11:39am: Jon Heyman says the Red Sox have been one of Tex’s most aggressive pursuers.
1:47am: Yahoo’s Gordon Edes surveyed several club officials, and they believe the Red Sox will sign Mark Teixeira. They have the money and a strong relationship with Scott Boras. However, the Yankees are heavily interested even if they’ve yet to make an offer. And the Angels are said to be "desperate" to retain Tex. As far as we know, no one’s made an offer. Edes sees the Orioles and Nationals on the periphery, though both clubs are serious about Teixeira.
J.J. Putz Rumors: Tuesday
9:57pm: The Mariners spoke with the Cardinals and Brewers today about Putz, though a Fielder for Putz deal never came up.
7:58pm: Doug Melvin didn’t reference Putz specifically, but he did tell reporters he did not find a match with the Mariners in trade talks.
6:02pm: From ESPN’s Steve Phillips:
The Mariners need a power hitter. The Brewers need a closer. There is speculation that the two teams are discussing a package involving Putz and Prince Fielder.
11:22am: Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press says talks between the Ms and Tigers for Putz are ongoing.
11:04am: Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Indians "are not really contenders" for Mariners closer J.J. Putz, as they’d prefer to sign a free agent. He notes lukewarm interest from St. Louis and believes the Tigers and Brewers are more serious. Baker questions whether the Tigers have the young players to get it done.
As for the Brewers, Baker speaks of a possible large multiplayer deal that’s "all just a concept for now."
Ben Sheets Rumors: Tuesday
9:43pm: Nolan Ryan says the Rangers examined Sheets’ medical records and determined he’s healthy. Sheets seems to have mutual interest, though the Rangers would need to move players to fit him in the payroll.
6:35pm: Joe Girardi was impressed with Sheets. Meanwhile T.R. Sullivan talks about whether the Rangers could fit Sheets in the budget.
12:14pm: Feinsand now says the Yankees will offer around $26MM over two years to Sheets (hat tip to RAB).
8:26am: Joel Sherman says the Yanks have yet to decide whether to make Sheets an offer.
12:58am: According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, the Yankees are preparing an offer for Ben Sheets to be made within 72 hours (hat tip to River Ave. Blues). Feinsand believes it will be in the two-year, $30MM range.
Orlando Cabrera Rumors: Tuesday
9:21pm: Peter Gammons says the Royals have also been talking to Cabrera.
1:50pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the A’s met with Orlando Cabrera‘s agent Monday night but their interest is "mild at best" and "very limited." The loss of their second-round pick has to be a consideration.
Tigers Bullpen Rumors
9:15pm: Jon Paul Morosi says Beimel still tops the Tigers’ list among lefties, but they’ve also expressed interest in John Parrish.
2:23pm: MLB.com’s Jason Beck says the Tigers talked to Joe Beimel‘s agent at the Meetings. They intend to sort out their closer situation first though. The Reds also like Beimel.
2:28am: For roughly $4MM in ’09 salaries, the Tigers filled two needs Monday with defensive-minded pickups Gerald Laird and Adam Everett. Now Dave Dombrowski will set his sights on a closer.
Jon Paul Morosi maintains that the Tigers are most interested in J.J. Putz and Kerry Wood. It may come down to how they’d prefer to pay – in prospects or in dollars. Morosi notes that Marcus Thames, expected to earn $2MM+ in ’09, could be shipped out to save additional cash.
D’Backs Keeping Snyder, Montero
9:01pm: WEEI’s Alex Speier says the D’Backs offered Montero to the Red Sox for Michael Bowden and were turned down.
6:48pm: According to Ed Price, the D’Backs are telling people they plan to keep catchers Chris Snyder and Miguel Montero. They did not like the way the market was shaping up.
Red Sox Rumors: Ortiz, Lyon, Delcarmen
More Red Sox rumors from Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe…
- David Ortiz has 10-and-5 rights, in case you’re thinking up trade scenarios.
- The Sox have interest in Brandon Lyon for a late-inning role.
- Manny Delcarmen narrowly missed arbitration, perhaps a calculated move by the team.
Dodgers Sign Casey Blake
8:55pm: There’s also a club option for a fourth year.
7:51pm: Tony Jackson says it’s $17.5MM over three years for Blake.
TUESDAY, 12:28pm: ESPN’s Jayson Stark says the Dodgers have reached an agreement with Blake for three years and slightly more than $17.1MM. The Twins apparently offered two years, $14MM. He adds that Mark Loretta‘s deal is for one year and $1.25MM.
MONDAY, 11:09pm: Jackson has Colletti saying there’s no agreement in place, and they’ll meet again with Blake’s agent Tuesday. Ken Rosenthal says a three-year, $17MM deal is close.
9:47pm: Jayson Stark says the Dodgers are inching toward a Blake deal, but only have two guaranteed years on the table.
8:05pm: Jackson now says a three-year, $17MM deal with Blake could be announced tonight.
7:09pm: Tony Jackson says the Dodgers are not close to signing Blake, though Colletti sounds more hopeful. Dylan Hernandez says the Dodgers offered Blake three years at nearly $6MM per, and could get an answer tonight.
4:40pm: Colletti hinted to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick that his offer for Blake is for three years. Also, second baseman Orlando Hudson is apparently not on the Dodgers’ radar.
3:10pm: Yahoo’s Tim Brown says the Dodgers raised their offer to three years and are nearing an agreement with Blake.
12:55pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers are waiting to hear back from Casey Blake about a recent offer. They should hear his decision today. Blake is reportedly seeking three guaranteed years.
Rockies Rumors: Redding, Gonzalez, Turnbow, Blanco
8:40pm: Rosenthal says the Rockies and Nats are discussing a Redding for Taveras swap.
4:06pm: Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune says the Rockies have had internal discussions about Henry Blanco. I imagine they’d have to ship out Yorvit Torrealba first.
3:17pm: Troy Renck learned from team sources that the Rockies will not trade Gonzalez this winter.
1:25pm: MLB.com’s Bill Ladson says the Nats and Rockies met for a half hour yesterday, talking about Redding and Carlos Gonzalez. At the trade deadline, the Nationals wanted Dexter Fowler for Redding. Really?
1:57am: Rockies rumors for Tuesday…
- According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies have discussed trading for Nationals starter Tim Redding. Redding is under team control for two more years. On one hand the last thing the Nationals can spare is pitching, but on the other Redding is getting pricey and is a back-end guy anyway.
- Renck contends that the Nationals maintain some interest in Willy Taveras. Ken Rosenthal wrote recently that the Nats "aren’t terribly enamored" of the speedy outfielder.
- The Rockies are one of three teams confirmed to be in on Derrick Turnbow, who will work out for teams in January. The Pirates and Giants have also expressed interest.
- Sometime in January, the Rockies will look into a long-term extension for starter Ubaldo Jimenez.