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Astros Sign Gary Majewski

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1:49pm: Credit on the Majewski signing goes to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, who had it on Tuesday.  At that time he mentioned that the Astros also signed Ryan Sadowski, Roy Corcoran, Casey Daigle, Chris Shelton, Alex Romero, Drew Meyer, and Oswaldo Navarro.  Romero, 26, hit .248/.306/.338 in 157 plate appearances for the D'Backs this year.

10:11am: Add one more reliever to the Astros' pickups – they've seen Gary Majewski to a minor league deal, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  Majewski can earn $650K in the Majors.  Majewski, 30 in February, spent the season with the Phillies' Triple A club.  He posted a 4.02 ERA, 6.2 K/9, and 3.4 BB/9 in 62.6 innings.

Astros Sign Pedro Feliz

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12:02pm: A tweet from MLB.com's Brian McTaggart: "Astros sign Pedro Feliz."  The Astros' Alyson Footer confirms, and says the contract is worth $4.5MM.

11:53am: The Astros are close to signing Pedro Feliz to a one-year deal worth about $4MM, writes ESPN's Enrique Rojas.  Rojas notes that the Twins and Orioles also showed interest.  For the Astros, that's more than $10MM in 2010 contracts added by the Astros during the Winter Meetings, with Matt Lindstrom and Brandon Lyon plugged into to the bullpen.  Perhaps the club had a little more to spend than we thought.

Feliz, 35 in April, hit .266/.308/.386 in 625 plate appearances for the Phillies this year.  He continued to play above-average defense, based on UZR/150.  The Phils bought out Feliz's $5MM club option in November, preferring to sign Placido Polanco instead.

Twitter Rumors: Smoltz, Damon, Mulder, Felix, Counsell

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Twitter madness…

  • Surprisingly, Ken Davidoff of Newsday writes of an "increasing expectation around MLB" that the Yankees will eventually re-sign Hideki Matsui.
  • Crasnick talked to one exec who says Scott Boras wants three years and big money for outfielder Rick Ankiel.
  • The Royals talked to the Dodgers about Juan Pierre, writes ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, but the Dodgers would have to eat too much money to make it work.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Phillies are now looking hard at John Smoltz as a possible "back-of-the-bullpen weapon."  Smoltz's agent apparently told the Phils that the pitcher has no problem with Citizens Bank Park.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney heard "the Yankees are in the process of negotiating with Johnny Damon's camp."  He adds that the Yanks "intend to use market forces to pressure Damon to make a decision quickly."  I'm sure Scott Boras will love that.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin plans to visit free agent lefty Mark Mulder in January to discuss a possible contract, says Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says there have been no Felix Hernandez negotiations this week after an initial four-year offer from the Mariners.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times that they'll tender contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players.  No big surprise, though it's a large group of players.
  • Scott Lauber of the News Journal talked to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who said Astros GM Ed Wade stole Brandon Lyon from the Phillies.  The Astros committed three years and $15MM to Lyon despite holes at shortstop and third base.
  • MLB.com's Adam McCalvy says the Brewers upped their offer to Craig Counsell this morning and GM Doug Melvin is confident they'll get it done.  The Reds are still in the mix for Counsell, says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. 
  • La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune heard last night that Twins infielder Alexi Casilla is available.

Rule 5 Draft Preview

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THURSDAY, 12:10am: Yankees' GM Brian Cashman said that four teams have called about the first pick, however they'll keep it for themselves according to Mark Feinsand of The NY Daily News. Ben Goessling of The Washington Times says that the Yanks will have Washington take Kroenke, with the idea of him replacing the recently departed Phil Coke.

WEDNESDAY, 11:13pm: Mayo says the Royals will make a selection, which means we'll see a roster move soon.  And it's now looking like the Pirates will take a right-hander instead of a position player.

9:16pm: Johan Santana, Dan Uggla and Shane Victorino were all Rule 5 Draft selections, so we could see some unheralded talent change teams tomorrow morning when this year's draft takes place. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has the latest on the draft, which he calls something of a "crapshoot:"

  • The Nats will select first for the Yankees, followed by the Pirates, the Orioles for the Rangers, the Royals and the Indians.
  • The Royals have a full 40-man roster so they can't make a selection unless that changes. They may create space to make a pick, though.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington says there's a good chance he'll select someone. Mayo expects the Pirates to take a position player.
  • Marlins outfielder John Raynor is gathering lots of attention; he has a career .299/.383/.452 line.
  • D'Backs pitcher Hector Ambriz could also be an early pick, perhaps for the Indians.
  • The Yankees might have the Nats take one of their own players, Zach Kroenke, to make sure no one else does. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse agrees: there's a chance the Yankees will have the Nats select Kroenke.
  • Remember, Florida has Houston's eighth overall pick, from the Matt Lindstrom deal.
  • Check Mayo's article for the complete draft order and some more intriguing names.

Astros To Sign Brandon Lyon

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10:48pm: Rosenthal says the Astros agreed to sign Lyon for $15MM over three years. That's too much of a commitment in my opinion, but congrats to Lyon and his agent, Barry Meister. The Tigers get a supplementary rounder (not from the Astros) in next year's draft.

10:35pm: Rosenthal hears from one source who says Lyon received a three-year $15MM offer, presumably from the Astros. 

10:14pm: MLB.com's Brian McTaggart says the Astros have reached a deal with Lyon, pending a physical.

10:13pm: The Astros are making a "strong run" for Brandon Lyon, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. At least one outlet is reporting that it's a done deal. Mark Berman, the sports director of MyFOX in Houston reports that the Astros have agreed to a three-year deal with Lyon. It would be puzzling to see the Astros sign Lyon to a three-year deal the same day they lost LaTroy Hawkins to the Brewers because of their reluctance to go beyond a single year.

Astros Acquire Matt Lindstrom

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7:56pm: MLB.com's Brian McTaggart says the Marlins will also obtain the Astros' pick in tomorrow's Rule 5 Draft.

5:44pm: Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald tweets that the Marlins obtain righty Robert Bono and shortstop Luis Bryan for Lindstrom.

4:22pm: The Astros have acquired Lindstrom, reports ESPN's Peter Gammons.  The reliever is flying to Houston for a physical.

3:29pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Astros are close on Lindstrom – swapping medicals (acknowledged by Lindstrom himself).  Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel agrees that the deal is close.

3:14pm: MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets of a rumor that the Marlins will make a deal today.  He's unsure whether it'll be Lindstrom, Dan Uggla, or Renyel Pinto on the move.

1:55pm: The Astros are close to acquiring reliever Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.  Capozzi notes that the Marlins have been close on other deals that failed to materialize, however.  The Astros are also considered a finalist for Rafael Soriano; I imagine they won't get both.

Lindstrom, 30 in February, lost his closer job to Leo Nunez midseason as he dealt with an elbow strain.  He's arbitration-eligible for the first time.

Brewers, LaTroy Hawkins Reach Agreement

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6:53pm: Bob Nightengale of USA Today has the specifics: Hawkins gets $3MM next year, plus a $500K signing bonus. He makes $4MM in 2011 and can earn an extra $275K in incentives.

1:53pm: Hawkins' agency tweets that the pitcher received a two-year, $7.5MM deal.  Hawkins was disappointed the Astros would not offer a second year.  The D'Backs were also unwilling to go to two years.

1:30pm: Rosenthal says the Brewers have an agreement with Hawkins, pending a physical.  He says it's a two-year deal.  The signing was confirmed by Hawkins' agency, Reynolds Sports Management.

9:48am: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that the Brewers are looking at reliever LaTroy Hawkins.  Bob Nightengale of USA Today does him one better, saying the Brewers are "moving fast" on Hawkins and "could sign him today."

Hawkins, 37 later this month, posted a 2.13 ERA in 63.3 innings for the Astros with a 6.4 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.  He earned more than $3.5MM for this efforts.

Twins Rumors: Third Base, Harden

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2:34pm: Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press spoke to DeRosa's agent Keith Grunewald, who said talks with the Twins have been nothing more than preliminary.

10:49am: Neal has more, questioning the Feliz and Uribe links.  Also, Neal spoke to someone from Rich Harden's agency and came away thinking the Mariners are the favorite (the Twins have not been in contact recently).

9:28am: Let's take a look at the Twins' third base situation.  Yesterday afternoon, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports said they're considering free agents Adrian Beltre, Pedro Feliz, Mark DeRosa, and Juan Uribe, though Beltre and DeRosa might be too pricey.  He did not see Boston's Mike Lowell as a target.  ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. has the Astros and Orioles in on Feliz, in addition to the Twins.

La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote early this morning that the Twins are "very interested in DeRosa."  A trade for Kevin Kouzmanoff is another possibility, while re-signing Joe Crede hasn't been ruled out.

Astros Rumors: Hawkins, Tejada

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Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Astros are intent on bringing LaTroy Hawkins back. However, the D'Backs, Rays and Orioles are also interested in the veteran righty. The Astros are probably not willing to offer Hawkins a multi-year deal, Wade said.

It seems unlikely that Miguel Tejada will return to Houston. GM Ed Wade said the shortstop's agent is hoping for a longer deal than the Astros are willing to offer.

“I'm not optimistic we'll be able to get something done with Miggy,” Wade said.

Tony La Russa said yesterday that the Cardinals have some interest in Tejada.

Twitter Rumors: Mulder, Pie, Torrealba, Sheets

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Random rumors collected from Twitter…

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