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Phillies Sign Raul Ibanez

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TUESDAY: The Phillies’ three-year, $31.5MM deal with Ibanez is official.

FRIDAY, 12:45pm: Geoff Baker offers commentary on the signing.  He says the Cubs cooled on Ibanez over defensive concerns while the Angels remained in a Mark Teixeira holding pattern.

7:56am: Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Phillies have signed Raul Ibanez to a three-year deal. Rosenthal says the contract is worth $30MM. The deal is pending a physical.

As a type A free agent, the Mariners will receive the Phillies’ first round pick next year (#28) and a supplemental pick between the first and second round.  With Ibanez now the everyday left fielder, Jayson Stark says the Phillies will cut ties with Pat Burrell.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Mets Discussed Kawakami At Meetings

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MLB Trade Rumors has learned from a baseball source that the Mets were one of many teams to discuss free agent starter Kenshin Kawakami with his agent during the Winter Meetings.  Kawakami’s agent, Dan Evans, touched base with about half the teams in baseball during the Meetings, including the Orioles.  The Braves are also known to have interest.  The Cubs were not among those teams.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Yankees, Teixeira, Bradley, Furcal

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Ken Rosenthal has his latest article up. Let’s go through it.

  • Milton Bradley is weighing his options with the Cubs and Rays. Joe Maddon and the Rays may be a better fit than Lou Piniella and the Cubs. And spending time at DH would allow him to "protect his oft-injured body." But will the Rays meet Bradley’s asking price when they can turn to Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Garret Anderson, or Pat Burrell instead?  Rosenthal adds that the Reds, Angels, and Nationals are also interested in Bradley.
  • Rosenthal says the Yankees are aiming to keep their payroll lower than last season. Despite gorging this holiday season, they’re shedding more than they’re putting on.
  • With regards to Mark Teixeira, Rosenthal reports one general manager says there is a lot of bluffing going on right now to get the Red Sox to go higher.
  • Ty Wigginton has received calls from four teams since being non-tendered by the Astros. His replacement in Houston has yet to be established. Chris Johnson, the team’s third base prospect, had a .539 OPS in Triple A last season.
  • Jerry Hairston Jr. is receiving interest from the Reds and three AL clubs, the Mariners likely being one of them. Says Rosenthal, "Hairston, 32, plays six positions and was a favorite of new M’s manager Don Wakamatsu when both were with the Rangers."  Not sure where the Phillies fit in, but Jay Bruce said Hairston was considering them.  And John Perrotto has the Pirates in the mix for Hairston.
  • The reason Rafael Furcal rejected the A’s offer was that he wants to stay with the Dodgers, so says "one agent." Meanwhile the Dodgers appear to be daring Furcal to leave for a lesser club before making an offer.

Cubs Focusing On Bradley

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Milton Bradley, a Cubs target since early in the Winter Meetings, has become the team’s “singular priority” according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Cubs were considering Raul Ibanez before he signed with the Phillies, but they have shifted their focus to Bradley according to a Cubs official. One of Bradley’s representatives said the 30-year-old has the Cubs at the top of his list as well.

The Cubs don’t appear to have made a formal offer yet and Bradley’s rep didn’t say what sort of offer he was seeking.

Odds and Ends: Kawakami, Max Ramirez, Lowell

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Links for Friday…

Four Teams Express Interest In Abreu

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According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman:

The Cubs, Rays, Dodgers and Angels are among teams that have expressed interest in star free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu.

The Cubs are said to prefer Milton Bradley.  The Rays met with Abreu’s agents on Wednesday at the Winter Meetings.  The California teams are new, I believe.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Friday

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Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times has a few notes on the failed Jake Peavy-Cubs trade talks.

He says Kevin Towers kept putting Sean Marshall on the table, but the Cubs never agreed to it.  I received the same info in talking to a source yesterday (see the 5:02pm update).  Cubs GM Jim Hendry wasn’t amused with Towers mentioning names of other teams’ players to the media.

De Luca adds that it was the Cubs’ 2010 payroll that was the real sticking point.  They would’ve added Peavy’s $15MM, plus seen bumps for Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Dempster, and Kosuke Fukudome totaling $8MM.

Sherman’s Latest: Lowe, Saito, Teixeira

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The latest from Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

  • Mets GM Omar Minaya recently admitted he did not expect to pursue A.J. Burnett or Derek Lowe, saying, "I’m probably not going to be in there right now, financially.  Not after spending all the money that I did on K-Rod."  Sherman isn’t sold, though – he thinks Lowe’s price could drop and give the Mets a shot.
  • The Dodgers haven’t received a counter-offer to their two-year, $45MM proposal, so they won’t be making another bid.  Sherman adds that they are planning to non-tender Takashi Saito.
  • The A’s remain the frontrunners for Rafael Furcal.
  • Sherman says the Nationals have bid seven years and $140MM for Mark Teixeira.  That offer was reported on Wednesday to be eight years, $160MM.  Sherman says the backup plans are Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson.  I believe the Hudson link is new.
  • The Mariners had tried to pry Jonathan Niese from the Mets for J.J. Putz.  Sherman also notes strong interest in Aaron Heilman.  He says the Mets and Cubs did not discuss Jason Marquis, contrary to reports.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Thursday

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10:56pm: Axelrod suggestion the Giants as a possible destination for Peavy in a talk with Tim Sullivan.  He said, "I think they’ve got the money. But I don’t know if they’ve got the prospects."

8:20pm: Jon Heyman says that Peavy is frustrated by the team’s inability to trade him. His agent, Barry Axelrod, says that Peavy had begun to get used to the idea of being a Cub, and now that opportunity is apparently gone. Axelrod says if the Padres approach he and his client with a trade, they’ll consider it, but there won’t be any more lists of approved teams.

Axelrod also criticizes the majority of baseball executives for their lack of action at the Winter Meetings.

"It’s amazing to me how many people can waste time, money and resources, and get nothing done," Axelrod said. "Baseball moved lock, stock and barrel into that town, and absolutely nothing happened."

6:45: Mike DiGiovanna at the LA Times says that the Angels are now in the mix for Peavy. Trade talks could begin as soon as next week, with Brandon Wood, Erick Aybar, Reggie Willits, Nick Adenhart, and Kevin Jepsen all names that could be talked about. The Angels will only pursue Peavy if they can’t re-sign Mark Teixeira.

5:02pm: Talked to a person familiar with the Cubs’ thinking…he really could not see the Cubs revisiting a Peavy trade.  The Padres need to get Peavy’s $63MM off the books soon, yet were trying to swing 6-for-1 or 7-for-1 deals for him despite the extremely limited market.  Marshall was never in the mix, by the way.

3:27pm: MLB.com’s Mark Bowman says the Braves "won’t even think about renewing their pursuit of Peavy unless the talks are initiated by the Padres, who will no longer find a compensation package that includes Yunel Escobar."  Escobar is apparently off the table because the Braves no longer have Brent Lillibridge.

2:56pm: Tim Brown and Gordon Edes say the Cubs "remain optimistic that they can acquire Peavy, all but ignored Towers’ self-imposed deadline."  Meanwhile, Gerry Fraley says the Angels have already put together a package for the Padres to consider.

12:01pm: Kevin Towers told reporters the proposed Peavy deal with the Cubs is dead.  The Cubs pulled out.  Mike DiGiovanna heard earlier that the Angels remain interested.  Towers is not certain he wants to engage in further Peavy discussions at this time.  I think even hot stove junkies wouldn’t mind a respite.

11:30am: Towers still hasn’t heard back from Hendry on the Peavy deal.  Ken Rosenthal says eight to ten teams have called on DeRosa, adding the A’s to the mix of known suitors.

12:33am: Multiple reports suggested yesterday that the Cubs would not trade Mark DeRosa.  But new stories in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times do not support that notion.

Paul Sullivan of the Trib says DeRosa "appears to be the key to any Peavy deal."  Gordon Wittenmyer of the Sun-Times heard the Cubs would only trade DeRosa as part of a Peavy deal, and Jim Hendry inquired on Chone Figgins as a possible replacement.  And La Velle E. Neal III believes DeRosa is fair game in a Peavy deal or separately for the Twins or Phillies.  As far as Jason Marquis, both Chicago writers see him landing in San Diego with the Cubs eating about half his salary (one sign that the Cubs have "hand," as George Costanza would say).

Padres GM Kevin Towers wants to get a framework in place today.  The Cubs have the leverage, with Wittenmyer suggesting they also want to keep Sean Marshall.  One player most writers believe will be sent from the Cubs to the Padres is Josh Vitters.  But Towers says it’s in the Cubs’ hands.

A.J. Burnett Rumors: Thursday

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7:18: Mark Bowman at MLB.com says it’s down to the Braves or the Yankees for Burnett. Interestingly, he notes that A.J. might not necessarily want to be an "ace" of a staff like he would be in Atlanta. He has the Yanks’ offer between $80-85MM.

12:12pm: Rosenthal heard indications the Braves were preparing a final push for Burnett and would guarantee a fifth year.

10:33am: Rosenthal and Fraley see the Yankees as the clear frontrunner for Burnett.  They say Braunecker will contact other clubs today to give them one last chance to beat the Yanks’ five-year, $85MM offer.  Will the Braves counter?  Burnett signing with the Yankees would be undesirable for the Blue Jays in two ways – they’d have to face him fairly often, and they’d (tentatively) get the Yanks’ second-round pick instead of a first-round one.

9:46am: Buster Olney says the Yankees are confident they won’t be overbid for Burnett, at least.

9:19am: Chipper Jones spoke to Burnett about ten days ago, and the pitcher told him that if he does play in the NL, it’ll only be with the Braves.

8:53am: Ken Davidoff and Kat O’Brien wrote that the Yankees "appeared to be closing in on a deal" for Burnett late last night.  They put the offer at about $80MM.

8:32am: Ken Rosenthal and Gerry Fraley say the Braves have not offered Burnett five guaranteed years.  The fifth year is an easily attainable vesting option, though.  Dan Graziano says that this time around, Braunecker is not seeking an opt-out clause for Burnett.

2:19am: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick has been all over the A.J. Burnett talks.  Today he says the Yankees have a five-year deal worth about $85MM on the table.  Burnett’s agent Darek Braunecker isn’t seeking much more than that – he’s eyeing a Carlos Zambrano-influenced $91.5MM payday.  It’s an interesting comparison, given that Z’s deal was signed over a year ago and not on the open market.

Crasnick says discussions continued with the Yankees late Wednesday.  Yankee players have been calling Burnett, lobbying him to choose their team over the Braves.  Crasnick believes a deal could be in place as soon as today.

Yesterday we heard conflicting reports about whether the Braves guaranteed a fifth year in their offer.

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