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Yankees Acquire Nick Swisher

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3:02pm: Rosenthal now says the White Sox will also receive Wilson Betemit and pitching prospect Jhonny Nunez.  Betemit could be an option at third base for the Sox.

2:54pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Yankees also get pitcher Kanekoa Texeira from Chicago.

2:41pm: According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Yankees acquired Nick Swisher from the White Sox for minor league pitcher Jeff Marquez.  It’s not yet known if other players are involved.

Swisher, 28 this month, hit .219/.332/.410 in 588 plate appearances this year.  He’s set to earn $5.3MM in ’09, $6.75MM in ’10, $9MM in ’11, and has a $10.25MM club option for ’12 with a $1MM buyout.  So, about $22MM over the next three years.  River Ave. Blues loves the flexibility for the Yanks.

Mets Closer Plan Starts With Free Agents

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Let’s try to decipher the Mets’ strategy for acquiring a new closer.

  • Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post says the Mets will pursue a free agent out of the gate, perhaps with Brian Fuentes ranked above Francisco Rodriguez on their list.  Still, K-Rod’s agent noted that they’re not "wedded" to a five-year deal, and he didn’t toss the reported $15MM demand out there.  Hubbuch believes the Mets will move on to trade targets such as Bobby Jenks and Huston Street if they fail to sign Fuentes or Rodriguez.
  • Ken Davidoff and David Lennon mention J.J. Putz as well, while suggesting the Mets don’t love Street.  They agree that the Mets will try free agency first, with Kerry Wood a third target.  Davidoff likes Jenks over K-Rod, but expects it’d cost Fernando Martinez and maybe Bobby Parnell.  The White Sox have reportedly scouted Parnell and Eddie Kunz.

White Sox Considering Dye Trade

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According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, White Sox GM and other front office members are evaluating talent at the Arizona Fall League for a possible Jermaine Dye trade.  Dye can block trades to six teams, but Williams has a short list of suitors for him.  He is set to earn $11.5MM in ’09 and has a $12MM mutual option for ’10 with a $1MM buyout.

Dye, 35 in January, hit .292/.344/.541 in 645 plate appearances.  He plays a below-average right field, according to the plus/minus system.  The Rays, Angels, Braves, Mets, Phillies, and Reds could be in the market for a corner outfielder.  Gonzales says Williams hopes to build a younger and quicker team for the future.

Gonzales adds that White Sox officials watched Mets prospects Bobby Parnell and Eddie Kunz pitch.  The Mets could match up on Dye, Javier Vazquez, or Bobby Jenks.

Heyman’s Latest: Manny, Martin, Jenks

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SI.com’s Jon Heyman has some hot stove musings today.

  • Heyman talked to one GM who asked (in reference to C.C. Sabathia), "When does anyone ever leave a dollar on the table, much less twenty or thirty million dollars?"  I have heard this sentiment often but I do remember certain players leaving money on the table (often to play in California).  Randy Wolf took less in ’06 to sign with the Dodgers, and Brian Giles did the same for the Padres in ’05.  Kerry Wood turned down a multiyear offer from Boston last year.  And how about Andre Dawson and the blank check in ’87?  Evan Longoria left a ton of money on the table too, but let’s stick to free agents.  Any other examples?
  • Heyman still likes the Orioles as one of Manny Ramirez’s suitors.
  • Heyman describes the evidence as "fairly thin" that the Dodgers are looking to trade Russell Martin.
  • White Sox GM Ken Williams is listening on Bobby Jenks, and the Mets are in on him.  Javier Vazquez and Paul Konerko may also be available, though Konerko has full no-trade rights.

Odds And Ends: Saltalamacchia, White Sox, Ludwick

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Links for Sunday…

Odds and Ends, Prospects Edition: Kendry Morales, Dayan Viciedo, Logan Morrison

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Some news from the winter leagues and beyond:

  • Kendry Morales homered and doubled in Dominican Winter League play yesterday. "Morales is 9-for-23 and has homered in four of his six games in the Dominican Republic," reports Rotoworld. "He’s trying to force the Angels to open up either first base or DH for him next year." Of course, if the Angels can’t re-sign Mark Teixeira, Morales may not have to do much forcing (as the Angels have known all along).
  • Seen as the future "Babe Ruth of Cuba" until he defected, Dayan Viciedo has been cleared by MLB to be a free agent. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times has the White Sox ready to snap up the third-base prospect, who is still just 19.
  • First-baseman Justin Smoak, the Rangers’ first-round pick this year, is hitting .389 in the Arizona Fall League. The AFL is quite a ways from MLB, but even so, I can’t help but think that the last thing the Rangers really need in their pipeline is more offense…
  • Another first-base prospect, the Marlins’ Logan Morrison, is leading the AFL in batting average (.457), currently has a 12-game hit streak and has 5 homers through 17 games. Morrison was a 22nd-round pick in 2005, but has come a long way, writes ESPN.com’s Jason Grey, who sees in him the man to anchor Florida’s ’initial sack’ in the future.
  • A little more on those two Indian pitching prospects, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel — 19 years old, they pitched in front of 30 scouts in Arizona on Thursday. Patel hit 90 mph on the radar gun during a 30-pitch session, Singh 84 mph. The two former javelin throwers managed a few breaking balls, as well, and agent Jeff Borris said he expected "multiple offers." No word on whether those offers have come in.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Nationals, Manny, Peavy, Vazquez

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We’ve already touched on Ken Rosenthal’s Matt Holliday update, but there are other good tidbits in the article as well:

  • "Club officials believe" that the Nationals are "reasonably close to a breakthrough." They blame 2008’s sorry performance on the raft of injuries Washington suffered, which is why they’re willing to spend now for a big bat — the key names floating around have been the aforementioned Holliday, Adam Dunn, and Mark Teixeira, though Rosenthal seems skeptical they could snag any of them. But what about Manny Ramirez? "Jim Bowden, the Nats’ unconventional GM, probably would love the idea, but D.C. might not be big enough for Manny and Barack Obama." Looking at the impact that Manny has had on the LA’s attendance, and looking at the empty seats at Nationals Park, it could make sense.
  • Obligatory Jake Peavy update: Padres discuss keeping the ace, Braves grow impatient. Cubs are still in the mix, while the Dodgers and Yankees are "on the backburner." (Buster Olney had a subtly different take posted a few hours later — that Peavy would be dealt before the turkey hits the sideboard.) Rosenthal also quotes Pads GM Kevin Towers as wanting to move the fences in at Petco (which is hard enough just to write without typing in "cavernous" as an automatic prefix).
  • The Mets, among other ballclubs, are interested in Rays’ righties Andy Sonnanstine and Edwin Jackson, but the Rays are in no hurry to make a deal.
  • "The White Sox are in an ideal position with" Javier Vazquez if they wait until Peavy, CC Sabathia, et al are placed and then shop him, Rosenthal argues. The 32-year old righty will make $23 MM through 2010, which he calls "a bargain for a pitcher who has produced four straight 200-inning seasons, albeit with a 49-51 record and 4.41 ERA." On the other hand, Vazquez has also hit the 200-strikeout mark in each of the last two seasons.

Sarah Green can be reached here.

Odds And Ends: Guerrero, Blue Jays, Reds

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Links for Saturday…

  • J.P. Ricciardi has begun "exploring other things" in case the Jays can’t bring back A.J. Burnett.
  • The Angels aren’t discussing a contract extension with Vladimir Guerrero yet.
  • Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto are off-limits according to Walk Jocketty.
  • The White Sox are interested in a 19-year-old Cuban third base prospect, Dayan Viciedo. Ken Williams, who has a history of acquiring Cuban players, may have the inside track on signing Viciedo.
  • The Astros signed a young international player of their own, Chia-Jen Lo. They announced Friday that they signed the 22-year-old Taiwanese righty to a minor league contract.
  • The Rockies added a 16-year-old Venezuelan pitcher, Alving Mejias.

Odds and Ends: Tazawa, Young, Kouzmanoff

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Links for Friday.  As always, I’ll update this post with more stuff so refresh later if you’re interested.

Mets Revamping The Bullpen

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The Mets’ primary focus this winter is to completely revamp their bullpen.  Ken Davidoff and Joel Sherman outline Plan A: free agents.  Names in the mix: Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, Kerry Wood, Joe Beimel, Juan Cruz, and Chad Cordero.  Sherman figures the Mets are in a good position because most of the other big-market teams aren’t looking for a closer.

Plan B: trades.  The Mets have already discussed Bobby Jenks with the White Sox.  J.J. Putz, Huston Street, and Kevin Gregg are the other names.  It all depends on how much young talent Omar Minaya wants to sacrifice.

As a corollary to Plan B, the Mets want to ship out Pedro Feliciano, Aaron Heilman, and Scott Schoeneweis.  They hope to clear payroll and/or bring in other relievers in these trades.  Davidoff says Heilman has plenty of admirers.

Another note from Sherman – the Mets "could be interested" in Jason Varitek if the price comes down but Varitek doesn’t re-sign with Boston.  In another article, Davidoff lays out Plans A, B, and C for both the Mets and Yankees.

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