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Athletics Notes: Gomes, McCarthy, Drew, Inge

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The Athletics have had minimal contract talks with their free agents this winter, with the exception of Jonny Gomes, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Sources say that Oakland presented Gomes' former agency, ACES, with an offer at the end of the season.  The two sides were unable to come to terms on a deal, however, and the A's went on to trade for Chris Young.  Here's more from Slusser..

  • Brandon McCarthy has drawn immediate interest from numerous teams including the Cubs, White Sox and Blue Jays.  McCarthy was impressive when healthy but missed significant time thanks to shoulder issues and the scary line drive incident in early September.
  • Oakland hopes to continue talks with shortstop Stephen Drew, who became a free agent after the club declined their side of a $10MM mutual option.  The shortstop posted a combined batting line of .223/.309/.348 in 327 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks and A's in 2012.
  • The Athletics won't totally rule out a return for Brandon Inge, but he hasn't been considered a strong candidate to return. 
  • The A's agreed to a new one-year deal with Bartolo Colon earlier this afternoon, and GM Billy Beane told MLB.com's Jane Lee that he considers the right-hander low-risk depth (Twitter link).
  • Slusser notes (on Twitter) that the Colon deal will not impact the club's attempts to re-sign McCarthy.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Cubs, Angels Discussed Marmol For Haren Swap

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9:39pm: The Red Sox were said to also have interest in Haren but it doesn't appear that they will trade for him either, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  Meanwhile, a source tells Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com (via Twitter) that the deal is not necessarily dead but is unlikely at this point.

9:27pm: Marmol would have approved a trade to the Angels, but the Cubs pulled the deal off of the table, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The Angels are still talking with other clubs about Haren as they close in on the 11pm CST deadline to exercise his $15.5MM option.

9:20pm: The trade will not take place, a Cubs source tells Carrie Muskat of MLB.com (via Twitter).

8:42pm: The deal will take place if Marmol agrees to join the Angels, a source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

8:29pm: The two sides haven't agreed to a trade, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The Cubs did ask Marmol if he would waive his no-trade clause to go to the Halos, but the Angels are still speaking with other clubs (Twitter link).

8:09pm: The Angels and Cubs may be waiting on MLB approval because of the money being exchanged, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

7:56pm: Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (via Twitter) hears that the deal has not been completed and the Angels are still active in discussions with more than one team.

6:49pm: The Cubs have acquired Dan Haren from the Angels in exchange for Carlos Marmol, confirms Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com (via Twitter).  The deal was first reported by Yancen Pujols of El Caribe (via Twitter, Spanish link).

The deal brings an end to an eventful week of rumors surrounding Haren, who was unlikely to see his $15.5MM option exercised by the Angels.  The Halos' deadline for picking up Haren's 2013 option is at 11pm CST and it's possible that it has been exercised as a part of the deal, but there is word on that yet.  The Halos deadline for picking up the option is 11pm CST.  We learned today that both the Cubs and Red Sox were in on the 32-year-old but Theo Epstein & Co. have apparently won out.

Marmol is entering the final year of his contract which will pay him $9.8MM.  The 30-year-old turned in a 3.42 ERA with 11.7 K/9 and 7.3 BB/9 through 61 appearances last season.  Marmol has spent his entire seven-year big league career with the Cubs and has a 3.38 ERA with 11.7 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 during that stretch.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) notes that the Angels could help close the gap in salary by contributing all or part of Haren's $3.5MM buyout.

Cubs Claim Zach Putnam

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The Cubs claimed Zach Putnam off of waivers from the Rockies, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports (Twitter link). The Rockies also lost Josh Roenicke, Thomas Fields and Guillermo Moscoso via waiver claims this afternoon.

Putnam appeared in two games for the Rockies this past season. The 25-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 4.15 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 60 2/3 innings.

Blue Jays Targeting Several Free Agent Pitchers

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The Blue Jays are casting a wide net in their search for pitching, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. They have already shown interest in Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse, and Ryan Dempster, among others.

Toronto is also one of several clubs to inquire about Scott Baker, joining the Red Sox, Cubs, and Rangers. The Twins recently declined the right-hander's option but hope to sign him to a new deal. The Blue Jays have made no secret of their goal to add pitching this offseason, either through trades or free agency. Free agents can begin signing with new teams tomorrow morning.

Cubs, Red Sox Interested In Dan Haren

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12:06pm: The Yankees don't seem to be involved in the bidding for Haren, reports Heyman (on Twitter).

11:50am: The Angels are still working on trading Haren today, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). They aren't interested in exercising his option and trying to trade him later.

10:40am: The Cubs are among the teams interested in Dan Haren, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Red Sox are eyeing the right-hander and other teams also appear to be involved.

The Angels have until today to exercise or decline Haren’s 2013 option ($15.5MM club option with a $3.5MM buyout). Today is also the deadline for teams to extend qualifying offers to free agents. 

The 32-year-old started 30 games for the Angels this past season, posting a 4.33 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 176 2/3 innings. Haren told the Los Angeles Times yesterday that he expects to be traded. "I have no specifics on teams, but that's the vibe I'm getting," he said.

The Cubs' rotation will need lots of attention this offseason. GM Jed Hoyer has had some talks with Ryan Dempster about a potential contract.

NL Central Links: Dempster, Hamilton, Brewers, Cards

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It was on this day in 1962 that Joe Morgan signed his first pro contract, joining the Houston Colt .45s as an amateur free agent.  Morgan spent his first nine seasons in Houston before being traded to the Reds and establishing himself as arguably the best second baseman in baseball history.

Here's the latest from the NL Central…

  • Cubs GM Jed Hoyer confirmed to ESPN Chicago's Doug Padilla that the team had made "contact and it was preliminary" with Ryan Dempster, though Hoyer was quick to minimize the importance of the meeting, saying "it was sort of a bump-into thing."  It was reported earlier today by MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that the Cubs had been in touch with Dempster's agent.
  • "We’ve got the connection with (hitting coach) Johnny Narron but we don’t have the connection with U.S. Bank,” Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the chances of the Brewers splurging on Josh Hamilton this winter.  Melvin noted that he would like to acquire relief pitching this offseason but was wary given the rising prices of quality bullpen arms.
  • Also from Haudricourt, he hears from Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash that the club has no plans to re-sign either right-hander Jose Veras or outfielder Nyjer Morgan, both of whom were outrighted off Milwaukee's 40-man roster over the last two days.
  • The Cardinals have signed 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Henry Alvarado to a $150K contract, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America.  Alvarado is described as being best suited to left field or possibly first base, and he "stands out for his righthanded bat, sound approach and occasional power."

Quick Hits: Ankiel, Dempster, Towles, Bourn

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If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out Tim Dierkes’ list of the top 50 free agents for the upcoming offseason. The list includes Tim’s predictions for each player, and we’d like you to join us in predicting the destinations for the top 50 free agents. You can make your picks here. Now for this afternoon’s links…

  • Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears Rick Ankiel is open to giving pitching another shot. The Cardinals could be among the teams willing to give Ankiel another chance on the mound. Ankiel pitched for the Cardinals from 1999-2004, putting together a strong season as a 20-year-old in 2000. He returned to the big leagues as a hitter in 2007.
  • The Cubs have been in contact with Ryan Dempster’s agent about the possibility of a contract, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The Cubs traded the LSW baseball client to the Rangers midseason and he’s now a free agent (he can't sign with a team other than Texas until Saturday).
  • Catcher J.R. Towles left Hendricks Sports for agent Burton Rocks, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Our Agency Database has current information on the agents of most MLB players.
  • Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com hears word that Michael Bourn could be looking for as much as $100MM in free agency. The Phillies would probably be reluctant to spend that kind of money on a 30-year-old player who relies heavily on his legs, Salisbury writes.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports previews the destinations for a number of the offseason’s top free agents.

Justin Germano Opts For Free Agency

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Cubs pitcher Justin Germano has elected free agency after being outrighted to Triple-A Iowa last week, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.  Germano was acquired from the Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations back in July.

The 30-year-old posted a 6.75 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in twelve starts and one relief appearance for the Cubs this season.  The right-hander also made 16 starts and one relief appearance for the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate in 2012, posting a 2.40 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9.

NL Central Notes: Astros, Cardinals, Braun, Cubs

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Earlier today, MLBTR gave you the latest news and notes from the AL East and the NL West. Now, let's visit the NL Central, which could be in its final hours as the only six-team division in baseball. 
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow's vision to rebuild the franchise is a club that grows and develops its players but can spend when it needs to thanks to increased revenue from a new local cable partnership with Comcast, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
  • There will be competition for at least one spot in the Cardinals' starting rotation, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. Goold theorizes that competition will pit incumbent Lance Lynn against Joe Kelly, Trevor Rosenthal, and Shelby Miller.
  • In a separate piece, Goold named the seven best starting pitching prospects in the Cardinals' system that have yet to exhaust their rookie eligibility, including the aforementioned Rosenthal and Miller.
  • Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch lists five reasons for optimism and five reasons for concern for the 2013 Cardinals.
  • After speaking with members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the distinct impression that Ryan Braun will be penalized in the voting for NL MVP because of his failed drug test last year and subsequent successful appeal. Haudricourt also believes the failed drug test played a role in Buster Posey being named the NL winner of the Hank Aaron Award instead of Braun. 
  • The Cubs have hired Derek Johnson to become their new minor league pitching coordinator, tweets Baseball America's Aaron Fitt. Johnson was Associate Head Coach/pitching coach at Vanderbilt where he tutored six pitchers who were drafted in the first round including David Price and Sonny Gray.

Cafardo On Dodgers, Hamilton, Brewers, Otani

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For most of his eight-year tenure with the Dodgers, General Manager Ned Colletti had to mindful of the budget and the bottom line.  Now, Colletti has the financial freedom to make bold moves, such as the trade with the Red Sox which brought Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Nick Punto, and Carl Crawford aboard.  Colletti has no doubt that Crawford is ready to regain his old form.  "He’s still a dynamic player," Colletti said. "A couple of years ago, he was one of the most sought-after free agents in the game for good reason. People in Tampa saw it a lot. People in the AL East saw it a lot — a combination of abilities not many players have. In this league, the ability to hit and steal, doubles and triples — this is a tough park for home runs sometimes — his ability to create things offensively with speed and ability to hit."  Here's more from today's column..

  • There’s mounting evidence that the Brewers could be one of the teams that emerges in the market for Josh Hamilton.  Milwaukee is at least looking into the possibility, though their top priorities are still finding a starting pitcher and revamping their bullpen.
  • The Cubs appear to be players for 18-year-old pitcher Shohei Otani, but Theo Epstein recently expressed trepidation about plunging back into the Japanese market.  Otani was recently taken with the first-overall pick in the NPB draft and the Nippon Ham Fighters have until March to try and sign him.  A major league club can still sign him at any time, but it would likely irritate Japanese baseball officials.
  • Bobby Valentine declined to say whether he'd like to be considered for the managerial openings with the Rockies, Marlins, and Blue Jays.  The manager also clarified some of his recent remarks on the Red Sox and noted that his line about leaving a note for incoming manager John Farrell was merely an old-time baseball joke.
  • After removing himself from the interview process with the Astros and declining to meet with the Marlins, it's possible that Brad Ausmus only had his eye on the Red Sox job.  However, teams will still try to lure the former catcher who quickly found himself in high demand.
  • Terry Francona did speak with the Marlins earlier this year, but he wanted to be with the Indians all along.
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