Phillies Rumors

Brewers A Favorite For Aramis Ramirez

By Luke Adams 2 | December 6, 2011 at 11:59pm CDT

Here are today's Aramis Ramirez rumors, with the newest updates on top:

The Angels' early offers to Ramirez have been "on the low side," tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, who wonders if that signals a lack of money or interest focused elsewhere.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network says the Brewers have been the most aggressive suitor for Ramirez. Meanwhile, the Phillies' interest appears to be fading, but the Angels are still involved, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links).
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke to Ramirez's agent, Paul Kinzer, who said he considers the Brewers a "favorite" to sign his client. There are three teams with serious interest, according to Kinzer, so presumably the Brewers and Phillies are two of the three.
The Brewers haven't made Ramirez an official offer yet, but the third baseman is definitely interested in Milwaukee, says Kinzer: "He likes that team. He wants to go to a team that has pitching and gives him a chance to win a ring. He thinks the Brewers can do that."

Phillies Not Shopping Polanco, Backing Off Ramirez

By Luke Adams 2 | December 6, 2011 at 11:08pm CDT

The Phillies are no longer shopping Placido Polanco and are "backing off" their pursuit of Aramis Ramirez, a rival executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

This would seem to indicate optimism about re-signing Jimmy Rollins, as we heard earlier that the Phillies would be interested in trading Polanco and acquiring Ramirez if they were unable to bring back Rollins. However, Rosenthal says this decision is unrelated to the club's negotiations with their longtime shortstop.

The Angels and Brewers are among the teams still in on Ramirez, tweets Rosenthal.

Latest On Placido Polanco

By Tim Dierkes | December 6, 2011 at 8:20pm CDT

8:20pm: The Rockies are no longer interested in Polanco because they don't feel he can play second base, tweets Rosenthal.

TUESDAY, 12:16pm: The Phillies are not shopping Polanco and are only interested in trading him if they can't re-sign Jimmy Rollins, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. The Phillies refer to keep Rollins and Polanco on the left side of their infield, but they could add someone like Aramis Ramirez if Rollins leaves. Stark says the Phillies are willing to eat about a third of Polanco's contract, which equates to $2.4MM.

MONDAY, 11:50am: The Phillies are actively trying to trade third baseman Placido Polanco, a rival executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. That'd open up third base for free agent Aramis Ramirez, for whom the Phillies are reportedly strong players. Polanco, 36, is owed $7.25MM through 2012.

The Phillies have cooled on free agent Michael Cuddyer, Rosenthal reported earlier today.

Closer Rumors: Madson, K-Rod, League, Street, Soria

By Tim Dierkes | December 6, 2011 at 7:20pm CDT

The Blue Jays, Twins, and Marlins added closers in recent days, and it's not clear whether the remaining teams with ninth inning openings are willing to spend big. The latest on several closers…

There is "no interest" from Madson or Rodriguez in accepting arbitration, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network. However, one agent believes that if the Red Sox trade for Andrew Bailey, which is a "real possibility," Madson and K-Rod could be in trouble, tweets ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
The Angels are interested in trading for Seattle's Brandon League, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Angels have also expressed interest in free agents Todd Coffey and Jason Isringhausen, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, but they probably won't move on a reliever until C.J. Wilson decides what to do.
There's lots of buzz that Ryan Madson and Francisco Rodriguez could accept arbitration with the Phillies and Brewers, respectively, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. I still think Scott Boras will advise both to decline tomorrow night.
The Rockies are willing to eat all of Huston Street's $8MM salary for prospects, tweets Stark. He says the Padres are a possibility. Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link) hears the Rockies would take on some "but not all" of Street's salary.
Stark confirms yesterday's rumor that the Royals will listen on Joakim Soria, but they want a front-line starter in return.

Jimmy Rollins Rumors: Tuesday

By Tim Dierkes | December 6, 2011 at 4:37pm CDT

The latest on free agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins…

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he thinks there's a "big chance" Rollins returns to the Phillies, tweets Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel he met with Rollins' agent Dan Lozano at the start of the Winter Meetings, but no proposal was made.
The Phillies met late into the night with Lozano on Rollins, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. No meeting is expected between the two parties today, but Lozano is a busy man with Albert Pujols and Carlos Beltran as clients.

Overnight Links: O’s, LaRoche, Giants, Quentin

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2011 at 6:59am CDT

I'll be at the wheel until 8am again as part of MLBTR's 24/7 Winter Meetings coverage. Here's tonight's batch of overnight quick hits that will be updated throughout the wee hours of the morning…

After speaking with several Orioles executives yesterday, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun has a gut feeling that an O's trade will take place today. Connolly notes that Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, and Nick Markakis won't be going anywhere, though.
Adam LaRoche says he's 100% and ready for Opening Day, but Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post writes that the Nationals would still like to add a right-handed insurance policy at first base that could also platoon with LaRoche if needed.
The Giants are looking to add offense but aren't comfortable offering three-year deals — at least not yet, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Morosi speculates that Twins free agents Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel seem like three-year types. Personally, I think Cuddyer will have an easier time finding three years than Kubel.
Jon Heyman of the MLB Network tweets that the Giants also met with Tim Lincecum's agent, Rick Thurman of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, on Monday, but talks didn't progress much. Over the weekend, it was reported that the Giants are seeking a four-year deal while Lincecum prefers to either sign for eight years, or stick to a one- or two-year deal.
White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin is aware that he's a trade candidate and is eager to learn his fate, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
George Sherrill is on the Phillies' radar, writes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Phillies special advisor Pat Gillick told reporters on Monday that it would be nice to add a veteran left-hander to complement Antonio Bastardo.

Jimmy Rollins Rumors: Monday

By Tim Dierkes | December 6, 2011 at 1:55am CDT

The latest on free agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins…

Philadelphia's reported interest in Ramirez may be a way of showing Rollins that they have a backup plan, with the goal of pushing him to accept a shorter deal according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Some of Knobler's sources believe Amaro could be pushed to compromise at four years. Knobler says Philly's "overwhelming desire" is to have Rollins back.
The Phillies and Lozano hope to meet again tonight, tweets ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. CBS Sports' Danny Knobler tweets that most people still believe Rollins will return to Philadelphia, even though their earlier meeting wasn't a huge success.
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke didn't deny his team's interest in Rollins today, writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. The skipper was "highly complimentary" when discussing Rollins with reporters.
Amaro's recent meeting with Rollins' agent Dan Lozano "did not go all that well," hears Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Rollins is not backing off his desire for a five-year deal, which led the Phillies to inquire about Aramis Ramirez. Yahoo's Steve Henson also hears Lozano and the Phillies are not on the same page about Rollins.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has already met with Lozano at the Winter Meetings, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney says it appears now that the Phillies' greatest competition for the shortstop could be the Brewers and Cardinals, but his colleague Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Cardinals are saying they have no plans to pursue Rollins — even if they fail to re-sign Albert Pujols.

NL West Rumors: Ludwick, Gillick, Padres, Rockies

By Tim Dierkes | December 5, 2011 at 3:07pm CDT

The latest on various NL West clubs…

Heath Bell told MLB.com's Corey Brock he never heard from new Padres GM Josh Byrnes. Bell noted that he passed on offers of a little more money to take a three-year, $27MM deal from the Marlins.
The Padres' goal is to fix the eighth and ninth innings this offseason, manager Bud Black told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio.
The Dodgers are closing in on a minor league deal with reliever Alberto Castillo, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. The 36-year-old spent most of the year at Triple-A, posting a 1.91 ERA and 8.1 K/9 in 42 1/3 innings there.
The Giants are believed to have scheduled a meeting today with Ryan Ludwick's agent Dan Horwits, reports MLB.com's Chris Haft. Ludwick, 33, hit .237/.310/.363 with 13 home runs in 553 plate appearances for the Padres and Pirates this year.
Phillies senior advisor and former GM Pat Gillick would consider a position as the Dodgers' new president of baseball operations, he told Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.
The Padres are getting hits on Chase Headley, Jason Bartlett, and Orlando Hudson, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, who expects one of them to be dealt by spring training. Hudson, who is owed $7.5MM through 2012, would be a pure salary dump, tweets Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
The Rockies are lukewarm at best on Hudson, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, who wonders if the Giants' Jeff Keppinger could be a fit. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says the Giants are looking to get creative on the trade front for outfield and infield help.
Non-tender candidate Joe Saunders told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert he'd like to return to the Diamondbacks, but the decision is up to the team. About a week ago, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that Saunders has a very good chance of returning to the D'Backs on a two-year deal.

Phillies In On Aramis Ramirez

By Tim Dierkes | December 5, 2011 at 2:19pm CDT

TUESDAY, 2:19pm: Phillies advisor Pat Gillick met with Ramirez last month in the Dominican Republic, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Gillick also scouted Yoenis Cespedes on the trip, though the Phillies are unlikely to bid.

MONDAY, 9:32am: The Phillies are strong players for free agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez, tweets Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki confirmed the interest, and guesses Ramirez is a backup plan for Jimmy Rollins.

A week ago, Ramirez's agent Paul Kinzer named the Angels as one of four or five teams with serious interest in his client, and an offer from the Halos seems likely after Ramirez visited the club. The Brewers are also in the mix. Kinzer said in November that Ramirez seeks a four-year deal or three-year contract with an option.

The Phillies have third baseman Placido Polanco under contract for 2012, though the 36-year-old had double hernia surgery in October.

Heyman On Royals, Cuddyer, Andruw, Astros

By Steve Adams | December 5, 2011 at 12:56pm CDT

Congratulations to national baseball writer Jon Heyman, who has a new job with CBSSports.com starting Monday. As usual, Heyman is tweeting up a storm; here's his latest from the Winter Meetings (all links go to Twitter):

The Royals are talking trades for starters and are in on Oakland's Gio Gonzalez.
Everyone wants bullpen help but few want it more than the Padres, Brewers, and Red Sox.
The Phillies haven't completely ruled out Michael Cuddyer, but the Twins are still trying to bring him back as well. The Giants and Red Sox are other logical destinations, in Heyman's estimation.
The Yankees would love to bring back Andruw Jones for his right-handed pop and strong clubhouse presence.
Former Reds executive Scott Nethery is in the mix for the Astros GM opening. Andrew Friedman is still their top choice, Bill Geivett and Jeff Luhnow are also in the mix.
The Astros will also eat most of Carlos Lee's contract to facilitate a trade. They still expect a good return for Wandy Rodriguez and something decent for Brett Myers in any trade.
Heyman also said this morning that the Angels are looking for a closer and the Pirates are talking to Derrek Lee.

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