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Odds & Ends: Rays, Red Sox, Rockies, Yankees

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Links for Sunday, though it's unlikely that any news will top today's Zack Greinke trade:

  • The Rays have enough money to pursue another low-end bullpen signing or two, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Topkin quotes executive vice president Andrew Friedman in saying there's no way they could've predicted the relief market would look like this.
  • WEEI.com's Alex Speier says the Red Sox would like to add a left-hander to their bullpen, but will wait to see if someone falls into their lap. Boston is against multiyear deals for relievers, though they did recently make an exception in the case of Bobby Jenks.
  • Rockies' owner Dick Monfort answered some questions for the Denver Post's Troy E. Renck. Topics included Troy Tulowitzki's new contract, extending young stars, and their odds of keeping Carlos Gonzalez long-term.
  • Bill Madden of the New York Daily News opines that the Padres' elite bullpen last season which nearly brought them an NL West title has fueled the rising prices in the relief market. Madden also wonders if the Yankees might make a run at Jon Rauch to replace the departed Kerry Wood.

Cafardo’s Latest: Papelbon, Beltre, Pavano, Kapler

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After a morning of headlines involving Zack Greinke, let's not forget that there are still plenty of trade targets and free agents remaining on the market. Nick Cafardo has the latest updates on a few of them in his newest piece for the Boston Globe….

  • The Red Sox have been listening to offers for Jonathan Papelbon. When the team made a three-year, $51MM offer to Mariano Rivera, the assumption was that, on the off chance Rivera accepted, Papelbon wouldn't be back next season.
  • Even if Papelbon remains a Red Sox through 2011, there's an understanding that he'll explore the free agent market. Boston only expects to re-sign him if he agrees to a team-friendly deal like those signed by Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jon Lester.
  • The article names the Rangers and Angels as a couple teams who could have interest in trading for Papelbon, though it appears to be mostly speculation on Cafardo's part.
  • While the Rangers and Halos also appear to be the two leading suitors for Adrian Beltre, Cafardo wonders if a mystery team could be involved, given the silence surrounding the third baseman lately. As we learned during the Cliff Lee derby, you can never entirely rule out those ever-looming mystery teams.
  • Cafardo writes that Carl Pavano likely won't sign until at least later this week, unless a team ponies up and makes him an offer in the ballpark of $36MM over three years. Of course, at the time Cafardo's column was published, the Brewers' acquisition of Greinke wasn't confirmed. With Greinke off the table, teams who missed out on the Royals' ace may feel a greater sense of urgency to get something done with Pavano. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests that a reunion with the Twins appears likely for Pavano, following the Greinke trade.
  • The Red Sox have tried to re-acquire Justin Masterson from the Indians, but have been denied so far.
  • Gabe Kapler would like to keep playing, and is "waiting for the right situation."

Odds & Ends: Rauch, Rays, Jenks, Rockies, Rangers

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On this date in 1997, the Red Sox traded Tony Armas Jr. and Carl Pavano to the Expos for reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez. A case can be made that Pedro's 1999 and 2000 seasons were the two best pitching seasons in baseball history, in which he held batters to a .186/.231/.274 batting line with 597 strikeouts in 430.1 innings.

It's highly unlikely that we'll see a pitcher of Pedro's caliber traded anytime soon, but that Zack Greinke kid is pretty good in his own right. Here are today's links…

  • Two days ago we heard that the Rockies had interest in David Aardsma, Grant Balfour, and Todd Coffey, and now Troy Renck of The Denver post throws Jon Rauch's name into the mix.
  • Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times has some quotes from Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg, who called the size of free agent contracts being handed out this winter "discouraging." He also commented (briefly) on the team's 2011 payroll.
  • Bobby Jenks will take his physical on Monday, tweets Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. It was originally scheduled for today but was pushed back, and it's necessary to finalize his contract with the Red Sox.
  • Renck also has the goods (Twitter links) on two recent Rockies signings.  Ty Wigginton took less money to sign in Colorado, earning $3.5MM in 2011, $4MM in '12, and a club option for $4MM in '13 ($500k buyout).  Meanwhile, pitcher Eric Stults has an out in his $435k minor league deal that will allow him to sign with the Hiroshima Carp if he does not make the big league roster.
  • Richard Durrett of ESPN.com applauds the Rangers' efforts to bolster their starting depth.
  • Dan Wheeler is happy to be a member of Boston's improved bullpen, writes MLB.com's Ian Browne.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that Seth McClung's deal with the Rangers will pay him $700K if he makes the team. There are another $700K available in bonuses tied to the number of starts he makes.
  • Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a report (via Twitter) indicating that Hideki Matsui's contract with the A's has a limited no-trade clause preventing trades to the Mariners, Orioles, Twins, Blue Jays, Indians, and Royals.
  • Mariano Rivera told Erik Boland of Newsday that he plans to give long-time teammate Andy Pettitte a call to try to convince the lefty to come back for another season.
  • Finding a left-handed bat off the bench is one of the last remaining items on the Marlins offseason agenda, but MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says they might already have that guy on their roster. Catcher John Baker, who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, said he would be up for the job until he's cleared to catch again.
  • Former Mets GM Omar Minaya told Ian Begley of ESPN New York that he plans to sit down with new GM Sandy Alderson after the holidays to discuss a potential new role with the team. Minaya said he has several offers on the table, including interest from the Diamondbacks.
  • Hey iPhone users, do you have the MLBTR app yet? Jason Bartlett does, and that's how he found out his trade to the Padres was in the works.

Red Sox Still Looking At Lefty Relievers

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The Red Sox have been one of, if not the most active team this offseason, and over the last week they've upgraded their bullpen by adding Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler. ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes says (via Twitter) that the team is still looking at lefty relievers, and one name that could be in play is Dennys Reyes.

Reyes had a one-year contract worth $1.1MM in place with the Phillies earlier this month, but yesterday we learned that the two sides "hit a snag" and the deal fell apart with no reason given. The free agent market still offers plenty of other options, including Brian Fuentes (who the Sox have interest in), Joe Beimel, Will Ohman, Arthur Rhodes, and J.C. Romero. Fuentes, however, is looking for a deal in line with the three-year pact Scott Downs received. 

Red Sox Sign Dan Wheeler

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The Red Sox have signed reliever Dan Wheeler to a one-year contract worth $3MM guaranteed. The deal includes a $3MM option (no buyout) for 2012 that can vest with 65 appearances. Another $250K can be earned with 75 appearances. Wheeler has passed his physical. He is represented by Myles Shoda of Diamond Sports Management, Inc.

Wheeler, 33, spent the last three-and-a-half seasons pitching out of the Rays bullpen, where he posted a 4.32 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 268.2 innings. If we remove intentional walks, his walk rate drops all the way down to 2.4 BB/9. Wheeler has a very pronounced platoon split, holding righties to a .217/.270/.365 batting line in his career while lefties tagged him for a .275/.341/.491. It's worth noting that he held left-handed batters to a .154/.227/.436 line in 2010.

The move is a homecoming of sorts for Wheeler, who was born in Providence and went to high school in Warwick, Rhode Island. He joins Bobby Jenks as the newest members of Boston's rebuilt bullpen. In a winter that has featured many three-year contracts for relievers, the Red Sox managed to land both Jenks and Wheeler for three contract years combined.

Although Wheeler was a Type-A free agent, the Rays did not offer him arbitration and will not receive any draft pick compensation. Tampa declined his $4MM option for 2011, instead choosing to pay him a $1MM buyout.

The agreement was originally reported by ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes (Twitter link). WEEI.com's Alex Speier and AOLFanHouse's Steve Phillips added the contract details.

Odds & Ends: Hall, Wood, Jenks, Angels

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Some links after another busy day in baseball..

Red Sox Want A One-Year Deal With Wheeler

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The Red Sox have added Bobby Jenks, Matt Albers, Andrew Miller, and others to their list of bullpen options over the last few days, but Dan Wheeler is still on their wish list.  We heard yesterday that Boston was talking with the veteran right-hander, and now CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam (via Twitter) reports that the Sox "likely won't go beyond" a one-year contract offer.  Wheeler is a native of Providence, Rhode Island, so McAdam speculates that Wheeler "might prefer being home" rather than seeking a multi-year deal elsewhere.

Wheeler, 33, has been a very solid bullpen option in five of his last six seasons.  Over the last three years with Tampa Bay, he posted a 3.24 ERA and a 3.06 K/BB ratio in 203 games.  Wheeler became a Type A free agent when the Rays declined his 2011 option, but since they also didn't offer him arbitration, other teams are free to sign Wheeler without giving up a compensatory draft pick.

Red Sox Sign Andrew Miller

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The Red Sox have signed Andrew Miller to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training, according to a team media release.  The left-hander met with a number of teams at the Winter Meetings, before the Giants and Red Sox emerged as finalists.  Frontline, the agency that represents A.J. Burnett and Cliff Lee, represents Miller.

Boston acquired Miller from the Marlins for Dustin Richardson after the season, only to non-tender him on December 2nd. The Tigers selected Miller sixth overall in the 2006 draft and sent him to Florida in the 2007 Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade. The 25-year-old has walked 5.3 batters per nine innings in his major league career and has a 5.84 ERA.

He is out of options, so the Red Sox will have to expose him to waivers before sending him to the minor leagues. Boston will be able to retain him after 2011 through arbitration if they so choose. 

Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link) was the first to report that a deal was close between Miller and the Sox.

Minor Transactions: Morales, Harvey, Red Sox

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On a busy day of moves around baseball, here are a few lower-profile transactions…

  • The Rockies have acquired catcher Jose Morales from the Twins in exchange for minor league left-hander Paul Bargas, according to a Minnesota team release.  Morales hit .297/.370/.354 in 181 plate appearances over parts of three seasons with the Twins, only seeing significant playing time while filling in for an injured Joe Mauer in April 2009.  Bargas, taken in the 13th round of the 2009 amateur draft, posted a 3.59 ERA in 58 relief appearances for Colorado's Single-A Asheville affiliate last season.
  • Ryan Harvey, picked sixth overall by the Cubs in the 2003 amateur draft, has signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.  Harvey is trying to convert to pitching after posting a career .749 OPS as an outfielder in eight minor league seasons in the Cubs and Rockies' systems.
  • In addition to Harvey, Boston has also signed left-handers Rich Hill and Randy Williams to minor league deals, as per a team release.  Hill signed a minor league contract with Boston last summer and made six relief appearances for the Red Sox after spending the previous five years as a starter with the Cubs and Orioles.  Williams spent the last two seasons with the White Sox, where he posted a 5.06 ERA in 52 games out of the bullpen.  The two southpaws received invitations to spring training.
  • The Rangers have signed right-hander Yhency Brazoban to a minor league contract, according to the Associated Press.  Brazoban made 116 appearances for the Dodgers between 2004 and 2008, and last year pitched in the Mexican League and for the Mets' Triple-A team.
  • Texas also signed 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Alberto Triunfel to a contract worth $300K, reports Baseball America's Ben Badler.  Trifunel, a Scott Boras client, was ranked eighth on Blake Bentley's list of top prospects heading into the opening of the international signing period.

Greinke Can’t Block Trades To Angels, Rangers, Tigers

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Zack Greinke can block trades to 15 teams and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Yankees, Red Sox and Nationals are among them. The Tigers, Angels and Rangers, however, could acquire the right-hander without his permission.

The Yankees reportedly have limited interest in Greinke, but the Nationals have shown interest in acquiring Greinke or Matt Garza. Though the Tigers and Angels haven't been linked to Greinke much this offseason, the Rangers are often mentioned as a possible destination for the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner. They prefer him to Fausto Carmona, according to Morosi (on Twitter). Greinke has two years and $27MM remaining on his contract.

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