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Cafardo’s Latest: Fuentes, Sowers, Laffey

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Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo’s Sunday column has new hot stove material, as usual.

  • Cafardo notes that Kyle Snyder, Julian Tavarez, and Bryan Corey have all been heavily scouted by other clubs.  Snyder is out of options, so he’s a good trade candidate.  Cafardo mentioned on Thursday that the Orioles were taking a look at Corey, who might return to Japan if he doesn’t join a big league ’pen.  I imagine the Sox are going to want the insurance Tavarez provides.
  • The Phils are hunting for a southpaw reliever and another starter. Brian Fuentes remains on their radar, but they’re competing with the Tigers and Yankees for him. 
  • The Indians could make southpaws Jeremy Sowers and/or Aaron Laffey available, if Cliff Lee maintains his spring success.  Cafardo says the Cardinals, Phillies, and Astros are eyeing them.

Odds and Ends: Inge, Salcedo, Corey, Nathan

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I write this odds and ends post with two less wisdom teeth than I had yesterday.  Looks like applesauce for dinner.

  • Jon Heyman says the Dodgers and Tigers haven’t talked lately, and doesn’t see L.A. taking on Brandon Inge’s $19.1MM.  Aside from the standard Giants suggestion, Heyman puts on his speculation cap and wonders whether Inge could catch for Houston.  What is J.R. Towles, chopped liver?
  • This is questionable, but hey, it’s a Friday.  Hi5 is a popular social networking site in Central America.  A reader sent me a link to this page, which may belong to future superstar kid shortstop/Boras client Edward Salcedo.  The owner of the page slapped up a big ol’ Indians logo over a month ago with the caption "my team."  I have to reiterate that I don’t know if this is really Salcedo’s page.  The Tribe said on Tuesday that Salcedo remained unsigned.
  • The Orioles are observing 34 year-old journeyman reliever Bryan Corey.
  • Joe Nathan, still chatting contract with the Twins.  Kelly Thesier noted that it was the Twins reaching out recently.  Nathan’s agent will meet with them Tuesday.
  • Jacob Jackson goes out on a limb and wonders if Justin Upton could be Oakland’s first $100MM player.
  • The new Phils-ville blog is up.

Giants Scouting Crede, Inge

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This morning we have reports that the Giants have recently scouted Joe Crede and Brandon Inge.  Even without a decent third baseman in the house, I don’t really see the point of acquiring either guy.

On Sunday, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo noted that the Giants could be less likely to acquire Crede given the Noah Lowry injury.  Then on Monday, Kenny Williams mentioned that the two teams he’d discussed Crede with hadn’t impressed with their offers. Williams suggested Crede could be his Opening Day third baseman, despite Josh Fields’ worthiness.

Inge is the other veteran third base option for teams like the Giants and Dodgers.  But Inge bears almost four times the salary commitment, so the Tigers would have to eat some of it.  Or, as one MLBTR reader suggested to me, perhaps the Tigers would take on one of the Giants’ many bad contracts in return.

Cafardo’s Latest: Inge, Marte, Fuentes, Lohse

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TUESDAY: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has an update to Cafardo’s Yankees/Fuentes item.  Renck says that while the Yanks have scouted Fuentes, Rockies’ GM Dan O’Dowd says there’s "zero chance" of a trade at this time.  I imagine he wants to see a healthy Luis Vizcaino before considering it.

MONDAY: Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe checks in with plenty of rumors in his Sunday column.

  • The Red Sox checked in on Brandon Inge during the Winter Meetings, but found his contract prohibitive.  Most teams seem to feel the same way.
  • The Yankees are eyeing southpaw relievers Damaso Marte and Brian Fuentes, who’ve seemingly been on their radar for months.  Fuentes makes $5.05MM this year, Marte makes $2MM this year with a $6MM club option for ’09.
  • Cafardo believes the Noah Lowry injury could cause the Giants to swoop in on Kyle Lohse, and could also get in the way of a Joe Crede acquisition.  Lowry’s only supposed to miss two to three weeks though.  Kenny Williams says exactly two clubs have talked to him about Crede, but he’s saying Crede may still be his Opening Day third baseman.

Odds and Ends: Loretta, German, Belliard, Baldelli

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  • An update to the Ken Rosenthal article discussed earlier suggests that either Esteban German or Ron Belliard would be better, cheaper alternatives for the Dodgers than Joe Crede or Brandon Inge. It would take less to get Belliard or German, they’re paid less, and either of them could back up Jeff Kent, 40, at second base in addition to playing third. Both players are "attracting the Dodgers’ interest" according to Rosenthal.
  • The Baltimore Sun is now reporting that the Orioles have an interest in Mark Loretta. Hopefully this is a sign that the Brian Roberts-to-Chicago saga will soon mercifully come to a conclusion. Loretta apparently isn’t slated for regular duty in a Houston infield that now features Miguel Tejada, Kaz Matsui and Ty Wigginton, which is why he might be in play. The Astros sent a scout to watch the O’s on Sunday.
  • Rocco Baldelli spoke with Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal about his myriad health problems, and dispelled some of the more creative speculation about him. He didn’t, however, address the big decision on his future that the Rays will be forced to make in the coming weeks. As discussed here a couple of days ago, and again in Sunday’s St. Petersburg Times, the decision on whether the team will pick up Baldelli’s 2009 option has to be made by April 1st. The Times suggests the Rays will pass, meaning a $4MM buyout.

Posted by Andrew Stoeten of Drunk Jays Fans.

Odds and Ends: Zimmerman, Lohse, Quintero

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  • The Nationals renewed Ryan Zimmerman’s contract and will pay him $465K in 2008, but still hope to sign him to a longer deal. Zimmerman will be eligible for arbitration in 2009.
  • According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles recently discussed free agent pitcher Kyle Lohse with his agent, Scott Boras. Lohse was originally seeking a five-year deal for approximately $50 million, but word is his price has come down drastically.
  • The Detroit Free Press says the Tigers "have mild interest in Houston’s Humberto Quintero but are giving strong consideration to Dane Sardinha, the starting catcher at Triple-A Toledo last year."

By Coley Ward

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Brandon Inge

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Oh Brandon Inge…Has it really only been two years since Inge belted 27 home runs and endeared himself to Tigers fans everywhere by transforming himself from a utility player into an everyday Major League third baseman? In doing so, Inge became the poster-child for the resurgent Detroit franchise that took only three years to go from 119 losses to the World Series. And now? We are certain that there are still Tigers fans out there that love Inge, but we are having a hard time finding them. Inge, who has three years and $19MM left on a contract he signed prior to the ’07 season, was obviously upset when he lost his job after the Tigers traded for Miguel Cabrera. And despite an opportunity to receive 300+ at bats as a utility player on a contender (and receive $6.2MM while doing so) he is apparently unhappy about having to play catcher (though he feels that he was misquoted).

Now it seems like trading Inge may be the best solution for both sides with Inge landing a starting job on another team and the Tigers able to skim $6.2MM off the books for a player that was not going to start. The only question now is: Who is willing to give up a player (or two) for 30-year old Inge with a $6.2MM price tag, no seasons with an OPS+ greater than 100 since 2004 and bad facial hair? Let’s take a look at what is being written in the Blogospere…

If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.

  • A League of Her Own thinks the Cubbies should ship Ryan Dempster and Jason Marquis for Inge. Boy, Cubs fans really don’t like Marquis right now.
  • The Cub Reporter doubts that the Cubs will land Inge, as the team seems to be all talk this off-season…Anybody want a Brian Roberts update?
  • Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness lists about 437 reasons the Dodgers should not be interested in Inge, noting that the Dodgers would end up downgrading at third base, paying more salary to do so and weakening their bullpen in the process. And yeah, they don’t like his facial hair either.
  • Bugs & Cranks thinks Inge should just shut up and accept hit utility role on a good team.
  • Mack Ave. Tigers has finally had enough of Inge and doesn’t want a guy on the Tigers that doesn’t care about winning.
  • The Detroit Tigers Weblog wonders if Inge’s decision to start talking to reporters is a way to try and expedite a trade, but notes that his words are not endearing himself to any potential trade partners.
  • Mets Fever sees the Mets and Tigers as a good match up. If the Mets can’t land Marcus Thames, then maybe Inge would fill their needs.
  • Fanhouse thinks the Giants might make a good trade partner for the Tigers as Inge could be a better fit than Joe Crede whom the Giants have recently inquired about.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

Olney On Bonds And The Mets

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ESPN’s Buster Olney makes a pretty strong case for the Mets signing Barry Bonds.  Bonds is a lot like Moises Alou, only a better hitter with more baggage.  Jeff Sackmann only saw six teams as possible fits for Bonds; the Alou injury might make the Mets the seventh (although Alou missing a month of the regular season was a given).  The Mets could get a ton of value from left field if they somehow kept these two from being injured simultaneously.

Olney argues that Bonds is the one available impact bat who can be acquired for only money.  And the Mets haven’t been terribly concerned with a few steroid-linked players coming through town.  I agree with everything he’s saying, and I think New York fans wouldn’t mind so much if Bonds helped them win a World Series.  However, Omar Minaya mostly dismissed the idea of signing Bonds or Sammy Sosa.

A more likely option is Marcus Thames, though Jon Paul Morosi believes Jim Leyland’s fondness for him might preclude a trade.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Thames, Konerko, Ellis, Atkins

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Ken Rosenthal has a new column up; let’s take a look.

  • Rosenthal dissects the outfield options for the Mets, many of the names we’ve been speculating.  He notes that the Mets’ talks for Marcus Thames fizzled during the Winter Meetings.
  • He says Paul Konerko "remains quietly available," and expresses the opinion that the Mets or Yankees could both use him.  Rosenthal believes Chicago’s biggest need is starting pitching.
  • Rosenthal speculates that six years at $18MM per might be the Rockies’ limit for Matt Holliday.  Will the Scott Boras client demand full market value?  Also, Colorado doesn’t seem to have any plans to lock up Garrett Atkins.
  • Signing Mark Ellis to an extension rather than trading him is a possibility for the A’s.  Three or four years at $5MM per would be the going rate.
  • Though Dylan Hernandez wrote that the Dodgers "don’t appear to be interested in Brandon Inge," Rosenthal says they’re "indeed intrigued."

Odds and Ends: Thames, Sosa, Inge, Crisp

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Here’s today’s link roundup.

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