Milton Bradley Rumors: Monday
8:20pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports that the Rays haven't backed off on a possible Milton Bradley deal, even though talks with the Mets involving Pat Burrell are now dead. Money is currently the biggest obstacle between the two clubs and a deal. Two or three new teams have apparently expressed interest in Bradley since the meetings began this morning.
7:51pm: Royals GM Dayton Moore tells MLB.com's Dick Kaegel that the Bradley-Meche rumors are "unbelievable." However, no player on the Royals is untradeable, though Zack Greinke and Billy Butler are among the Royals who are almost certainly staying put.
1:06pm: The Cubs shot down Levine's report of meeting with the Royals about Bradley, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
12:44pm: Danny Knobler of CBS Sports says two new teams approached the Cubs about Bradley, aside from the Rays and Rangers. Perhaps the Royals, mentioned below, are one.
11:46am: ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine says the Cubs and Royals met last night to discuss Bradley-Gil Meche scenarios. The money matches up pretty well here, as both players are signed through 2011. And don't forget the Cubs tried to sign Meche as part of the 2006-07 offseason spending spree. On the flip side, the Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton tweets that the Royals would have to be "overwhelmed" to trade Meche. Bradley could technically be described as overwhelming, but not in the way the Royals meant.
11:00am: The Cubs are dead-set on trading Milton Bradley, and Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune has the latest.
Sullivan says the Cubs are letting Bradley's agents, the Levinson brothers, talk to other teams in an attempt to repair Bradley's reputation. Sullivan adds that the Cubs are focused on the Rays moreso than the Rangers.
As you might expect, it's all about money: the Rays would want the Cubs covering most of the $15MM difference (Cot's has the difference at $12.2MM) between Bradley and Pat Burrell's contracts. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times sees Bradley's commitment as $24MM due to incentives, but most of those are awards bonuses. We've heard Rosenthal calling the Rays frontrunners for Bradley, but Joel Sherman said a few hours ago that the Rays were "growing less hopeful of swapping Burrell to the Cubs."
The Rangers want the Cubs assuming most of the remaining money owed to Bradley. What's more, Sullivan found one potential Rangers bidder who would want no part of Bradley if he gets the team.
Looper Interested In Pitching For The Cubs
Braden Looper tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he would pitch for the Cubs. Looper says they're an "appealing" destination, partly because he has three kids going to Chicago schools. Still, the 35-year-old wouldn't mind pitching elsewhere.
"I'm going to look around and see what my options are," Looper said.
So far the righty says discussions have been slow to develop. Looper has pitched his entire 12-year career in the NL and it seems likely he'll stay in the senior circuit.
Twitter Rumors: Doumit, Mahay, Wolf, Jenkins
Collecting some tweets I couldn't quite turn into posts…
- Four unknown teams are in on Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit, says Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- The Nationals have interest in free agent catcher Brad Ausmus, says MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- The Red Sox have interest in free agent lefty Ron Mahay, says Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The 38-year-old posted a 4.29 ERA, 7.5 K/9, and 3.9 BB/9 in 50.3 innings for the Royals and Twins this year. Two years ago he was quite a hot commodity on the free agent market.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says Brett Myers is seeking a two-year deal. The Rangers and other teams are interested at one year. Crasnick wrote a few days ago that the Astros are also interested, while Andrew Baggarly named the Giants as a suitor today.
- Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times shoots down Danny Knobler's rumor that the Pirates have interest in Juan Pierre. Nonetheless, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets of interest from the Pirates, White Sox, and a third team.
- ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Yankees want to resolve the Andy Pettitte/Johnny Damon situations before moving on to Hideki Matsui and other starting pitcher options.
- White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune that the Sox are not in the market for a pure DH.
- The Brewers are making a "strong run" at Randy Wolf, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Ruben Amaro Jr.'s comment that "those are guys we will probably count on" implies relievers Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey will be tendered contracts by the Phillies (Andy Martino reporting).
- Crasnick says Geoff Jenkins wants to make a comeback in 2010 and has been working out at first base and outfield in hopes of landing a bench role.
- Crasnick says to expect the Cubs to tender a contract to Mike Fontenot on Saturday.
- Bill Shanks quoting Braves manager Bobby Cox: "clubs are knocking on the door for Kelly Johnson." I imagine Johnson will be dealt by Saturday.
- ESPN's Gordon Edes says that while Red Sox owner John Henry is a big fan of Miguel Cabrera from their Marlins days, the Red Sox "don't have the Major League-ready position players Detroit wants in return."
- Crasnick expects Elmer Dessens to re-sign with the Mets, though the pitcher has talked to the Dodgers and Padres.
- Yahoo's Steve Henson says the Braves want to move Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez, but not Kenshin Kawakami.
- Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies will meet with Chan Ho Park's agent today "and attempt to resolve their differences over Park's value." The Phils did not offer arbitration to Park, a Type B free agent. Park craves another shot at starting, which won't happen in Philly.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Phillies like Brandon Lyon, but aren't "willing to pay the price for him." Lyon is said to be seeking a multiyear deal. He is expected to turn down the Tigers' offer of arbitration today. The Yankees have been named as another suitor.
- Crasnick says the Astros "have very little money to spend, unless Drayton McLane suddenly has a change of heart."
Heyman On Mariners, Valverde, Damon
A look at the latest column from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Aside from Jason Bay and John Lackey, Heyman names Marlon Byrd, Rich Harden, Randy Wolf, and Joel Pineiro as Mariners targets. That's the first I've heard of Byrd, Wolf, or a Pineiro reunion. Heyman names the Cubs and Braves as other Byrd suitors.
- Heyman says "execs expect" Jose Valverde to remain in Houston, whether through accepting arbitration today or just re-signing later.
- Heyman expects the Yankees to offer about two years and $20MM to Johnny Damon, and otherwise move on to Mike Cameron, Jermaine Dye, Curtis Granderson, or possibly Byrd.
Mets Not Interested In Burrell, Bradley
11:34am: Newsday's David Lennon tweets that the Mets have no interest in Burrell, in any way. Nor are they interested in Milton Bradley, tweets Sherman.
6:58am: Dating back to being suspended for the final weeks of the season by the Cubs, the writing has been on the wall that Milton Bradley's time in Chicago is ticking. Lately, we've heard quite a few rumors about a possible swap with the Rays for Pat Burrell, depending on money kicked in by the Cubs.
This morning, according to a tweet from Joel Sherman, we learn that if the Rays and Cubs can indeed work out a swap, the Mets would consider a Burrell-for-Luis Castillo swap. They're hesitant, however, because of Burrell's defensive issues.
Does this three-team exchange of bad contracts make sense for all parties? That answer likely depends on how much of Bradley's salary the Cubs are willing to take on. While Burrell's down season in 2009 makes him a less-than-ideal option for the Mets in their search for a power-hitting outfielder, a return to the NL East could prove beneficial, while saving the Mets a few million dollars over the next two seasons.
Odds & Ends: Melky, Green, Branyan, Lowe
It's officially Winter Meetings time! New thread for links as the folks in Indianapolis begin to wake up and get going:
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets an interesting situation: the Cubs and Yankees both like Mike Cameron, while the Cubs like the Yanks' Melky Cabrera. The Cubs will need to clear payroll space before they can try for Cameron though. Also muddying the picture: both clubs may have interest in Curtis Granderson.
- ESPN's Buster Olney is hearing that the starting pitching market is "intensifying."
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times has all kinds of amusing Winter Meetings memories from years past, and he explains why the Meetings were cancelled for five years in the nineties.
- David Lennon of Newsday says Mets COO Jeff Wilpon is not scheduled to come to Indianapolis this week, suggesting the team won't be signing major free agents at the Meetings.
- The Dodgers met with Nick Green's agent, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown. Green, 31, hit .236/.303/.366 in 309 plate appearances for the Red Sox this year while playing all around the infield (mainly shortstop).
- The Mariners have begun preliminary negotiations with Russell Branyan, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Branyan already rejected an offer from the Mariners in November. The Mets appear to be among Branyan's other suitors.
- Jon Heyman reports, via Twitter, that Adrian Beltre is "not likely" to accept Seattle arbitration offer. They'll still likely try to retain him, however. It might be difficult to keep Branyan, Beltre, and Jose Lopez, with Ken Griffey Jr. already signed.
- In case you were wondering, Morosi tweets that nothing is cooking with the Braves and Diamondbacks for Derek Lowe. Nor are the D'Backs in on Bronson Arroyo.
- Dan Uggla doesn't like the uncertainty surrounding what uniform he'll be wearing in five months. The Marlins slugger says he still sees himself as a second baseman, though many teams would like to move the 30-home run machine to third base. Matt Lindstrom is in a similar spot.
- Andy MacPhail told Steve Melewski that free agents are beginning to look at Baltimore in a different light, thanks to the great reviews their farm system is getting in the national media. That said, Melewski still feels that if the O's add a big name this offseason, it'll be through a trade.
- Alex Speier takes a look at what pieces the Red Sox could potentially use as trade bait.
- Joel Sherman explains why Andy Pettitte is so important to the Yankees, why personal relationships matter among GMs, and the Mets struggles in finding a taker for Luis Castillo.
- Mark Feinsand gives Yankee fans five situations to watch this week, including Pettitte, Roy Halladay, Johnny Damon, the Tigers, and Hideki Matsui.
Rays Rumors: Bradley, Shouse, Lindstrom
8:48am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the "Rays are growing less hopeful of swapping Burrell to the Cubs."
12:28am: Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times has a few pieces of info from Indianapolis as we approach the early stages of the Winter Meetings:
- Joe Maddon has arrived in Indianapolis, but executive VP Andrew Friedman won't arrive until tomorrow, so don't look for any moves just yet.
- The Cubs are confident that they'll move Milton Bradley and his attitude out of Chicago, but if it's going to be to Tampa Bay for Pat Burrell, it will require "serious negotiation." Topkin notes that there's a near $15MM difference between the money owed to the two.
- Brian Shouse is unlikely to accept arbitration.
- The Rays are interested in Matt Lindstrom, as we've heard, but as of Sunday night, nothing is close between the Marlins and Tampa Bay.
Angels Getting Interest In Matthews Jr.?
According to a tweet from Yahoo's Tim Brown this morning, the Angels are getting enough interest in Gary Matthews Jr. to believe that it's possible they get a deal done to move his salary off the books.
Matthews, 35, has two years and $23.5MM remaining on the five-year, $50MM he signed with the Angels back in 2006 (he gets a $500K bonus if traded). He's been a disappointment since coming to the Angels, and has been thought to be virtually immovable in years past.
However, we've seen several teams as of late looking to exchange bad contracts in an effort to free payroll or address other needs. Some that have been mentioned as of late include Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Derek Lowe, Luis Castillo, and Juan Pierre. A few days ago Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports noted that the Angels were working hard to trade Matthews to clear payroll, so taking back a bad contract might not fulfill that goal.
If the Angels are getting genuine interest in someone taking on Matthews Jr.'s contract, who are some possible fits, and what pieces do you see going back to the Angels?
Overnight Links: Red Sox, Jays, Posey, Past Deals
Some overnight links for your viewing pleasure as we start to get into the real late hours of the night:
- USA Today's Bob Nightengale says good morning with a series of tweets; Nightengale says he continues to hear Edwin Jackson's name floated about, and that "most executives" feel he'll be traded soon. He also wouldn't be surprised to see Adrian Beltre fall into Boston's lap if he declines arbitration. Not sure where he envisions Mike Lowell in that scenario.
- Jeff Zrebiec lists ten trade targets for the Orioles, though he admits that some are highly unlikely. In a separate piece, Peter Schmuck opines that it's not a waste of money if the O's spend money on free agents this offseason to add a few wins and show future free agents that Baltimore is trending in the right direction.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains why it would be unlike the Red Sox sacrifice a high draft pick for a free agent reliever such as Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano. As you know, Boston currently owes their first-round #29 pick to the Blue Jays for signing Marco Scutaro.
- Anything can happen at the Winter Meetings, writes Peter Schmuck, who reminds us of the 1990 deal between the Blue Jays and Padres that sent Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to San Diego for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. That trade started off as a minor discussion.
- The Boston Herald has ten things to keep in mind at this year's Winter Meetings.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at how the economy will affect this year's Winter Meetings, and poses five key questions to keep in mind this time around.
- Gordon Wittenmyer looks at why the Cubs are optimistic that they can move Milton Bradley this offseason.
- Count Tim Wakefield and Daniel Bard among those in the Jason Bay camp for the Red Sox, says Michael Silverman. While Matt Holliday may be a more complete player, Wakefield and Bard would prefer their friend and proven AL East commodity. Good read, if for no other reason than Wakefield's quote at the end on how closely he follows the offseason: "…We’ll be sitting in the dugout in spring training in Fort Myers and I’ll look across and be, ‘How the hell did he get over there?’ ”
- John Tomase touches on the Red Sox needs this offseason. Tomase hits most of the names we've already heard, and throws Mark DeRosa and Jamey Carroll into the mix as well.
- Quick! Who do you see spending the most money on the draft in 2010? Bet you didn't guess the Blue Jays (unless of course you took into consideration the large hint I provided in the title of this post). Reports are that the Jays will have a ridiculous $16MM to spend on the draft in 2010. The Jays have eight picks in the first three rounds (nine if Rod Barajas signs elsewhere), and plan to take full advantage of it.
- El Lefty Malo takes a look at the possibility that the Giants sign Jason Kendall as their starting catcher because of the belief that Buster Posey isn't ready. Apparently, it's not a thought that sits well.
- MLB.com looks back at some of the best trades and free agent signings by each club in the National League and American League since the era of Divisional play began. They've also got a more generic list of the best moves of the past 40 seasons.
- Per Kyodo News, several teams have expressed interest in So Taguchi, according to his agent Alan Nero. Several teams? Can't say I expected that one.
Odds & Ends: Pirates, Martinez, Blanton, Putz
A few links the night before all Hot Stove hell breaks loose…
- Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that team president Frank Coonelly said the Pirates have made less than $11MM profit over the last two years, and all of that was put back into the team.
- Agent Alan Nero says that opening talks about a long-term deal for Victor Martinez "should be on the to-do list in January," according to Daniel Barbarisi and Joe McDonald of The Providence Journal.
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says we can add Joe Blanton to the list of pitchers available via trade. He's arbitration eligible after making $5.475MM in 2009, and the Phillies can better use that money elsewhere.
- The Diamondbacks are one of the teams that watched J.J. Putz's recent throwing session, according to FoxSports.com.
- Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times takes a look at five issues facing the Dodgers heading into the Winter Meetings.
- The Mariners are among the teams looking to land a catcher this week, says Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com.
- Adam Rubin of The NY Daily News rounds up Omar Minaya's brief meeting with the press upon arriving in Indianapolis for the Winter Meetings.
- Carl Pavano's agent says his client is undecided about whether to accept arbitration, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
- Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe says the Red Sox, Angels, Mariners, and maybe the Mets represent the market for Jason Bay.
- MLB.com's Carrie Muskat spoke to a Rangers' official who said the team would be willing to bring Milton Bradley back, however they're not sure they want to deal with "that headache" again.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that the Angels will compete with the Mariners for John Lackey and Jason Bay, but they won't bid $100MM.
- Omar Minaya suggests that trades are more likely than free agent signings for the Mets, according to Ben Shpigel of The NY Times.
- Free agent Jamey Carroll says the "door hasn't been closed" on a return to Cleveland, according to Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune says the Rays will be looking to make more under-the-radar moves this year.
- Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes about a perfect storm scenario that could send Roy Halladay to the Phillies.
- LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune hears that Joe Mauer's agent might not attend the Winter Meetings because of all the attention that will paid to his client's possible free agency.
- Tyler Hissey previewed the Orioles' offseason.