Odds and Ends: Laird, Mitsui, Snyder
Links for Tuesday…
- Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald describes a casino alert regarding potential inside information due to the Winter Meetings.
- ESPN’s Keith Law isn’t thrilled with the Tigers’ acquisition of Gerald Laird.
- Michael S. Schmidt gives a peek at the Boras Book for Greg Maddux. One client for which exaggeration is unnecessary.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker says the Seibu Lions will post 35 year-old lefty reliever Koji Mitsui. Another southpaw option to consider; he’s not expected to cost much.
- Newman also says the Orioles may offer two-year, $10MM contracts to both Kenshin Kawakami and Koji Uehara.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic says the D’Backs have had brief, preliminary talks on an extension for Chris Snyder and they’ll resume soon.
Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday
11:02pm: Jim Salisbury backs up the idea that the Phils could receive DeRosa and the Padres could get Happ. It’s worth noting that the Cubs could trim $5.5MM off the payroll by sending out DeRosa and using Fontenot at second base.
10:31pm: MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer says the Angels have not taken themselves out of the Peavy sweepstakes.
Also, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune supplies more info. A third team would definitely be involved in a Cubs trade. DeRosa could wind up a Phillie, and Michael Wuertz is a new name of interest for the Padres. Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod said again that Peavy will require a full no-trade clause upon a deal. One more thing – Towers said trading Peavy could free up money for Trevor Hoffman.
9:00pm: MLB.com’s Corey Brock says the legwork on this trade "has essentially been completed." No deal has been reached, but Towers says he’s facilitated a three or possibly four-team deal. The third and possibly fourth teams (Orioles, Phillies) have agreed to players. There could be some haggling remaining on players sent from the Cubs to Padres.
Brock says all Towers needs now is the go-ahead from Hendry. Peavy, by the way, was spotted at the Meetings.
8:35pm: Jayson Stark gives his take on the Peavy-Cubs situation. He says Hendry is dealing with restrictions due to the team’s ownership situation, despite his comments.
8:01pm: Scott Miller of CBSSports.com says Jason Marquis and Angel Guzman (among others) could end up with the Padres in the three-team deal. The Padres could get J.A. Happ and/or Chris Coste from the Phils. Miller adds that the Phils are known to have interest in Mark DeRosa.
6:53pm: Rosenthal says the Phillies are now in the mix as a possible third team in a Peavy trade. Those talks are preliminary. Rosenthal says the Cubs can’t complete a deal for Peavy until their new owner is decided.
5:33pm: Roch Kubatko says the O’s are still interested in Pie, but may only get him for Olson straight up if Olson is to be flipped to San Diego in a Peavy trade.
2:37pm: Joel Sherman learned from Towers that if he doesn’t reach an agreement on a Peavy deal with the Cubs at the Meetings, he will keep the pitcher to start the season. The Dodgers are apparently the only other team to which Peavy has approved a trade.
Sherman adds that the Cubs "are willing to let [Peavy] keep his no-trade clause." Not sure if Sherman is trying to say the Cubs would replace Peavy’s partial no-trade rights for 2011 and part of 2012 with full no-trade powers.
2:33pm: Kevin Towers told Ken Rosenthal he’s talking to only the Cubs about Peavy. He expects to have a good idea on whether to drop it or move forward by the end of the Meetings. Towers approached Ned Colletti but talks didn’t get far.
12:22pm: Jerry Crasnick says Kevin Towers and Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod drove together for the 4.5 hour ride from San Diego to Las Vegas, but Axelrod says they only talked about Peavy for about three minutes. Also, Axelrod brought a sweet mix CD.
11:44am: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says the Cubs and Padres did not talk about Peavy on Sunday but will today. He’s heard the Padres might be concerned with Vitters’ hand/wrist.
1:14am: Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs first want to trade Jason Marquis and acquire their left-handed hitting outfielder before Peavy. Wittenmyer’s sources do believe the Cubs will eventually acquire San Diego’s ace. However, his sources say the Tom Krasovic report about a five-for-one framework being in place is exaggerated.
Wittenmyer hears that the Orioles would be willing to swap Garrett Olson for Felix Pie; the Cubs would then send Olson to the Padres in the Peavy deal.
12:54am: According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, Padres GM Kevin Towers "envisions a way to do a [Jake Peavy] deal now only with the Cubs." We’ve heard rumors of the Padres and Cubs trying to rope in the Orioles or Rays as a third team.
Heyman adds that Peavy would approve a trade to Chicago "without any significant reworking of his contract or other major concessions." Does that imply that the Cubs would not have to guarantee Peavy’s 2013 option ($22MM) or grant him a full no-trade clause?
Keep in mind that despite all the virtual ink that will be spilled on Peavy over the next four days, Jayson Stark sees "just about a zero chance" he’s dealt at the Meetings. Still, the Cubs and Padres seem to already have a framework in place involving Sean Marshall, Kevin Hart, Josh Vitters, and maybe Ronny Cedeno.
Twins, Indians Not Interested In Tejada
8:31pm: MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince says Mark Shapiro shook his head when the Tejada rumor was brought up. Maybe someone on the Astros’ side floated all this rumored interest in the shortstop.
8:15pm: Twins assistant GM Rob Antony suggested with facial expressions and body language that they’re not in on Tejada, according to Phil Miller.
7:00pm: Yahoo’s Jeff Passan says the Indians have also discussed a Tejada trade with the Astros. The Indians’ interest depends on how much they spend on a closer.
As for the Twins…LEN3 says, "Miguel Tejada is NOT an option."
6:57pm: MLB.com’s Alyson Footer says the Twins expressed interest in Tejada. The Astros would like to get one of the Twins’ young starters, and would be willing to eat salary.
Footer adds that interest in Ty Wigginton is "abundant," with the Twins again a possible match. She nixes the idea of the ‘Stros acquiring Ramon Hernandez from Baltimore.
4:10pm: According to Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press:
Can’t vouch for its veracity – not sure I really believe it myself — but I just heard in the gossip scrum that is forming at the edge of the Bellagio lobby that there was at least a phone call between the Astros and Twins regarding Miguel Tejada, the long-ago MVP shortstop.
Coming from a "gossip scrum," it’s hard to know what to make of it. But, Miller felt it was worthy of publishing.
Orioles Met With Teixeira In D.C.
Roch Kubatko and Peter Schmuck report today that Andy MacPhail acknowledged a face-to-face meeting with Mark Teixeira and Scott Boras in Washington D.C. earlier this week. The O’s haven’t made an offer yet.
MacPhail did not deny trade talks with the Reds for Ramon Hernandez, nor did Walt Jocketty. Schmuck says Gregg Zaun could be on Baltimore’s radar as a backup catcher.
Also, Kubatko finds it clear that the Orioles are fading out of contention for A.J. Burnett.
Cubs Rumors: Hermida, Bradley, Roberts
7:24pm: The Cubs met with Bradley last night, according to ESPN Deportes.
5:06pm: Cubs manager Lou Piniella asked Seattle reporters today whether Ibanez can play right field.
2:16pm: The Tribune Company filed for bankruptcy today, but the Cubs were not part of the filing.
1:59pm: Jayson Stark says Ibanez and Abreu rank much higher than Adam Dunn and Bradley on the Cubs’ list. They’ve checked in on all four free agents. As for Hermida, the Marlins want more than just prospects and the Cubs may not be able to do that. Stark adds that the Cubs’ payroll is not frozen – they can temporarily go over budget assuming they can subtract payroll later.
On a related note, Stark talked to a source who described interest in Jason Marquis as not even in nibble form yet.
11:57am: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald adds more Cubs nuggets. The Cubs are not looking to trade Mike Fontenot. However Ronny Cedeno is available and could even be a non-tender candidate if the Cubs can’t find a match.
1:33am: Before trying to complete a Jake Peavy deal, the Cubs want to find a left-handed hitter. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times outlines a few targets.
Wittenmyer says Jeremy Hermida is high on the Cubs’ list (they’re not alone). They’re also eyeing free agent Milton Bradley, who declined the Rangers’ offer of arbitration last night. Manager Lou Piniella likes Raul Ibanez, and Wittenmyer likes Bobby Abreu. The Cubs are still fond of Brian Roberts. They also might consider acquiring a shortstop, which would create a surplus at second base.
The Cubs discussed Khalil Greene with the Padres before he was sent to St. Louis, even though Greene bats from the right side.
Three Teams Interested In Garland
Mike DiGiovanna spoke to Jon Garland‘s agent Craig Landis, who said three teams have expressed serious interest in his client. The Orioles are in; the Angels are out. Garland seeks a two or three-year deal, and the Angels had no interest in that. They were obviously OK with one year since they offered arbitration.
Landis indicated that Garland could still wind up back with the Angels if he can’t find a satisfactory offer elsewhere and decides to settle for one year.
Five Teams Interested In Eckstein
According to Ken Rosenthal, David Eckstein is drawing interest from five teams as both a second baseman and shortstop. Rosenthal speculates on the Padres, Pirates, and Orioles.
Teams Interested In Daniel Cabrera
According to Roch Kubatko of MASN Online, a few teams have expressed interest in Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera. Since Cabrera is a non-tender candidate, the price probably would not be high. But if a team likes Cabrera but doesn’t want him to hit the open market, it would make sense to offer a low-level prospect.
Odds and Ends: Teahen, Mastny, Clement
Sunday evening links…I will add to this post as needed.
- Dejan Kovacevic describes what it’s like for a reporter at the Winter Meetings.
- The Royals do not want to trade Mark Teahen. They’ve received inquiries on Teahen, David DeJesus, Jose Guillen, and Billy Butler. They mainly seem willing to move Guillen, which Jayson Stark reported earlier.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along nuggets on Kenshin Kawakami and Koji Uehara. He says the Angels contacted Kawakami’s agent, while the Tigers and Giants have been in touch with Uehara’s.
- Newman also says the Yokohama BayStars acquired reliever Tom Mastny from the Indians.
- Free agent infielder Nick Punto admitted to LEN3 that it’d be hard to leave the Twins.
- John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus says the Pirates are "willing to take a flyer on free-agent local boy Matt Clement." Clement may also consider Cleveland if they’ll have him.
- Other teams are pulling ahead of the Rockies in the pursuit for free agent lefty Joe Beimel. Nothing against Beimel, but it seems that every year one free agent lefty reliever is elevated beyond his true value. It might be Beimel this year.
- Jon Paul Morosi discusses trading Dontrelle Willis.
- The Marlins figure to hang on to Dan Uggla.
- Roch Kubatko says Orioles exec Mike Flanagan won’t be attending the Meetings, sparking speculation about his future with the team.
Winter Meetings Previews
We’ve added a few new Winter Meetings preview to the collection…
- Yahoo’s Tim Brown runs through plans for all of the American and National League teams.
- Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post says the Rockies are all about left-handed relief help. They’ve got several trade chips to work with.
- Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the Phillies covered. You know the plan: starting pitcher, outfielder.
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reminds us of the Cardinals’ wish list: starter, closer, lefthanded reliever. Arthur Rhodes would fit, but he’s leaning toward the Reds. Strauss wonders if John Mozeliak can match up with the Blue Jays to find relief help.
- The Twins still want to add a shortstop or third baseman according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, though several options have already been eliminated. Neal summarizes the players on the radar. The Twins are also looking for bullpen help.
- Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune discusses the Padres. Kevin Towers will keep the Jake Peavy talks going with the Cubs while also searching for a shortstop and veteran catcher.
- Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reminds us that Peavy and a left-handed hitting outfielder are on the Cubs’ wish list. The bat comes first, says Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star says Dayton Moore has already accomplished his main goals, and now looks to replenish his right-handed relief. The Royals would also like to add a proven middle infielder and seem to have a glut of corner/DH types.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and Jack Magruder of the East Valley Tribune analyze the Diamondbacks. Josh Byrnes seeks a second baseman, left-handed reliever, and pitching in general. Miguel Montero is the top trade chip. They have about $10MM to spend, less if Brandon Lyon accepts arbitration.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News says the Rangers could trade Gerald Laird, Hank Blalock, Kevin Millwood, or Vicente Padilla.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel talked to Doug Melvin about C.C. Sabathia, who still hasn’t reacted to their offer. If Sabathia and Ben Sheets leave, Melvin could add two starters. Melvin also said it’d be too risky to trade J.J. Hardy and start Alcides Escobar at short. Rickie Weeks has drawn interest, but Melvin would require "a pretty good hitter" in return. Mike Cameron is a more likely trade chip. As for the team’s closer search, Melvin doesn’t expect to be in on the big names.
- Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post says the Marlins probably won’t steal headlines at these Winter Meetings as they did in ’07. Still, Jorge Cantu, Matt Treanor, and Jeremy Hermida may be dealt. The Fish have been "actively shopping" Treanor and Hermida. The Marlins have mild interest in free agents Ivan Rodriguez and Carl Pavano.
- Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune says Ken Williams has asked the Reds about Homer Bailey. Could the Reds match up for Jermaine Dye? The White Sox hope to add more MLB-ready starting pitching and maybe a backup catcher.
- The Orioles need starting pitching, with a slew of names under consideration according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun: A.J. Burnett, Paul Byrd, Jon Garland, Mark Hendrickson, Braden Looper, Randy Wolf, Kenshin Kawakami, Koji Uehara, Bartolo Colon, and Matt Clement. The O’s also hope to extend Brian Roberts, trade Ramon Hernandez, and find a shortstop. They have interest in Adam Everett.
- Roch Kubatko of MASN Online explains what it’s like for a reporter at the Meetings.