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Cafardo On Blanton, Beltre, Indians, LaRoche

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe names ten teams who might reap the benefits of bargain shopping as the winter winds down. The Rays, Mets, Yankees, and Angels top the list of clubs Cafardo thinks could make discounted moves in the coming weeks. Here are the rest of his hot stove notes:

  • While the Mets will be hunting for affordable starting pitching options, don't expect the Phillies to trade Joe Blanton within the division.
  • The Angels are making sure they don't bid against themselves on Adrian Beltre, and could eventually land the third baseman for a lesser price than Scott Boras is seeking.
  • The Indians could make some more moves if they want to continue stockpiling prospects. Other teams would have interest in players like Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, and Fausto Carmona, while Cleveland would "love to trade" Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner.
  • The Nationals "know it’s tough to get players to buy into the future of the team," writes Cafardo. As such, they may eventually commit to Adam LaRoche for the three years he's looking for.
  • Jim Masteralexis, Manny Delcarmen's agent, says several teams are interested in his client, and Cafardo warns not to bet against the Rays.
  • Carl Pavano may make a decision this week, and it appears that while he'd prefer to return to Minnesota, the Nationals will offer the better contract. Of course, we already saw one top free agent pitcher choose comfort over more guaranteed money, when Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies.

Lots Of Arb Cases For Angels, Jays, Giants, Padres

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The Angels and Blue Jays have more upcoming arbitration cases than any other major league teams. Toronto and Los Angeles both have eight remaining arbitration eligible players, one more than the Giants, Padres and Rockies, who lead the National League with six apiece.

Teams and arbitration eligible players file for arbitration early next month in the first part of the process that determines players' 2011 salaries. If teams and players don't reach an agreement by January 18th, they exchange salary figures. If the sides don't reach a deal by the end of the month, they schedule a February hearing that would take place in front of a panel of arbitrators who decide between the player's pitch and the team's.

The Blue Jays avoided arbitration with their eligible players last offseason, the team's first under GM Alex Anthopoulos. The organization has avoided arbitration hearings for 13 consecutive offseasons, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team settle with Jose Bautista, Shawn Camp, Rajai Davis, Yunel Escobar, Casey Janssen, Jesse Litsch, Carlos Villanueva and Brandon Morrow.

The Angels have as many arbitration eligible players; the club faces potential hearings with Erick Aybar, Alberto Callaspo, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Mathis, Kendry Morales, Mike Napoli, Jered Weaver and Reggie Willits.

Most teams have 3-5 arbitration eligible players, but the Red Sox, Phillies and Pirates have just two. Kyle McClellan is the Cardinals' lone remaining arbitration eligible player.

Be sure to keep track of every arbitration case using MLBTR's new Arb Tracker, which you can find under the Tools tab at the top of the site.

Athletics Out On Adrian Beltre

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The Athletics pulled out of talks with Adrian Beltre this week, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  They made multiple offers for the third baseman this winter, but will now look at relievers Chad Qualls and Hideki Okajima and possibly a different third base option.

Rosenthal says the Rangers maintain interest but "remain uncomfortable with both the price and fit" for Beltre given incumbent third baseman Michael Young.

Unless a surprise team jumps in, the Angels remain the favorite despite pulling their offer.  It does not appear that their situation has changed since these reports eight days ago.

Orioles Target Derrek Lee

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The Orioles are targeting Derrek Lee, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The team renewed discussions with the free agent first baseman a week ago and are open to a deal in the one-year, $8MM range, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Rosenthal reports that the team is more comfortable signing Lee for one year than committing to Adam LaRoche for three.

The Orioles will have some competition for LaRoche, who appeals to the Nationals, and Lee. The Padres offered Lee a one-year deal worth more than $8MM before agreeing to terms with Brad Hawpe, according to Rosenthal. San Diego would have been a good fit for Lee, who is interested in playing for a contender and returning to the West Coast.

The Angels are “cool” on Lee, according to Rosenthal. They tried to acquire him after Kendry Morales went down last summer and could pair him with Morales at first/DH.

Lee is a potential bargain for 2011. He's coming off thumb surgery and had a down year by his standards, but finished the 2010 season strong with the Braves and hit 35 homers as recently as 2009.

Unfinished Business: AL West

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We've examined the unfinished business for the NL East, Central, and West; now it's time to check out the AL West.

  • Angels: Third base, outfielder/DH, leadoff man.  Adrian Beltre remains a great fit for the Angels, but owner Arte Moreno criticized recent huge deals for Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth.  Another possibility could be to add Scott Podsednik or Johnny Damon in what many fans would deem a disappointing offseason.
  • Athletics: Reliever.  GM Billy Beane mentioned 12 days ago that he might be in the market for a reliever after sending Henry Rodriguez to the Nationals in the Josh Willingham deal.  However, that was before the A's inked Rich Harden to improve their pitching depth.  We can't rule out the possibility that the Angels and Rangers remove themselves from the Beltre bidding and Scott Boras has to come crawling back to the A's.
  • Mariners: Starting pitcher, left fielder, reliever, backup infielder.  The Mariners figure to add a back-end starter, and possibly a reliever if they move David Aardsma.  Back around the Winter Meetings, there was talk of finding a left fielder to supplement Michael Saunders.  They could also use a reserve infielder, so the Ms should be active in the shallow end of the free agent pool.
  • Rangers: Designated hitter, possible extensions.  It's a buyer's market for designated hitters, so the Rangers can probably get Vladimir Guerrero back at their price.  Theoretically, they could make a move for Adrian Beltre and shift or trade Michael Young.  Brandon Webb was affordable, so the Rangers could sign another veteran starter if they're so inclined.  The Rangers may also look into extensions for arbitration eligible players like Josh Hamilton and C.J. Wilson in the coming months.

Cafardo’s Latest: Uggla, Pavano, Matsuzaka, Ellsbury

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe asked ten baseball people to select the ten most significant moves/non-moves of the offseason. Unsurprisingly, Adrian Gonzalez, Zack Greinke, Carl Crawford, and Cliff Lee topped the list. Here are the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

  • Talks between the Braves and Dan Uggla have slowed because he's seeking more money, but an extension should get done during the first week of January. Cafardo reported that the two sides were close to a five-year deal worth $60-61MM about two weeks ago.
  • The Orioles still have interest in Kevin Gregg and the Red Sox still have interest in Brian Fuentes, but other free agent relievers like Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, Octavio Dotel, Aaron Heilman, Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima and Jon Rauch remain in limbo.
  • Carl Pavano is holding out for three years, with the Nationals, Twins, and Rangers still showing interest. Cafardo adds the Mariners to the mix, with the caveat that they free up some money first.
  • The teams considering Pavano could also turn to Joe Blanton, who would certainly come cheaper.
  • The Red Sox "haven’t heard anything close to the value they would need in return" for Daisuke Matsuzaka.
  • The Angels and several other teams made a run at Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason, but the Sox "never heard any offer resembling proper value."
  • Cafardo wonders if Adrian Beltre is looking at a much smaller payday than originally anticipated. Last we heard, the Angels pulled their five-year, $70MM offer to the third baseman, but they remain in the mix to sign him.
  • David Aardsma is still trade bait and the Mariners wouldn't mind moving him for starting pitching depth. Earlier this week we heard Seattle wanted an impact bat for its closer.

Angels Notes: Damon, Podsednik

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It's no secret that the Angels may add an outfielder. They lost out on Carl Crawford, but have interest in a couple free agents. Here's the latest:

  • Along with the Rays and Yankees, the Angels are one of Johnny Damon’s top three choices, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff. The Yankees have discussed financial parameters about a deal that would pay Damon a “respectable” amount, but less than the $8MM he earned in 2010. Damon has been linked to the Yankees and Rays this offseason, but it's the first time we've seen him connected to the Angels.
  • The Angels and Reds are two of "a few" teams interested in Scott Podsednik, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).

Adrian Beltre Rumors: Tuesday

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5:36pm: A source insisted to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that the Angels still want to sign Beltre.

2:35pm: The Angels pulled their offer to Beltre but have not shut any doors on him, reports DiGiovanna.

1:13pm: We learned Friday that the Angels' offer to free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre is believed to be in the five-year, $70MM range, with the player seeking a sixth year.  The Halos' offer is "not likely to be increased," Mike DiGiovanna wrote at the time.  Beltre himself told Scott Lauber earlier this month that the years are the most important factor.

Scott Boras seeks the sixth year, or at least something in the $85-90MM range on a five-year deal according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Rosenthal says the Angels "are not angry to the point they were two years ago, when they publicly withdrew from the negotiations for Mark Teixeira."

Rosenthal adds that the Rangers are not active in the bidding, making the Angels' competition unclear.  A month ago Beltre was said to have a dozen suitors, but many teams have filled third base holes since then.  I think Boras could probably find several clubs willing to go to five years and $60MM or so, but there is no evidence the Angels need to increase their offer.

Angels Interested In Scott Podsednik

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The Angels are showing interest in Scott Podsednik, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal writes that Podsednik would likely play left field, a position many fans and analysts thought Carl Crawford might occupy for 2011 and beyond.

As MLBTR's Steve Adams explained last month, Podsednik can still run, make good contact and get on base (.342 OBP last year, .352 in 2009). However, he isn't the base stealer he once was and doesn't hit for much power. Now 34, Podsednik is probably not going to steal 70 bases or be an elite leadoff hitter, but he's in position to command a raise from the $1.75MM salary he earned last year.

The Dodgers seem open to re-signing Podsednik, but they declined to offer him arbitration, so they will not obtain a supplementary first round draft pick if he joins another team instead.

Cafardo’s Latest: Papelbon, Beltre, Pavano, Kapler

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After a morning of headlines involving Zack Greinke, let's not forget that there are still plenty of trade targets and free agents remaining on the market. Nick Cafardo has the latest updates on a few of them in his newest piece for the Boston Globe….

  • The Red Sox have been listening to offers for Jonathan Papelbon. When the team made a three-year, $51MM offer to Mariano Rivera, the assumption was that, on the off chance Rivera accepted, Papelbon wouldn't be back next season.
  • Even if Papelbon remains a Red Sox through 2011, there's an understanding that he'll explore the free agent market. Boston only expects to re-sign him if he agrees to a team-friendly deal like those signed by Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jon Lester.
  • The article names the Rangers and Angels as a couple teams who could have interest in trading for Papelbon, though it appears to be mostly speculation on Cafardo's part.
  • While the Rangers and Halos also appear to be the two leading suitors for Adrian Beltre, Cafardo wonders if a mystery team could be involved, given the silence surrounding the third baseman lately. As we learned during the Cliff Lee derby, you can never entirely rule out those ever-looming mystery teams.
  • Cafardo writes that Carl Pavano likely won't sign until at least later this week, unless a team ponies up and makes him an offer in the ballpark of $36MM over three years. Of course, at the time Cafardo's column was published, the Brewers' acquisition of Greinke wasn't confirmed. With Greinke off the table, teams who missed out on the Royals' ace may feel a greater sense of urgency to get something done with Pavano. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests that a reunion with the Twins appears likely for Pavano, following the Greinke trade.
  • The Red Sox have tried to re-acquire Justin Masterson from the Indians, but have been denied so far.
  • Gabe Kapler would like to keep playing, and is "waiting for the right situation."
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