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Heyman On Greinke, Pettitte, Astros, Guerrero

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An acquaintance of Zack Greinke's told Jon Heyman of SI.com that the 2009 Cy Young Award winner is "ready" to leave Kansas City. Yahoo's Jeff Passan reported that Greinke's priority is winning, but that doesn't mean we'll see him in Yankee pinstripes. The pitcher's friends say New York would not be a good fit. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • People close to Andy Pettitte tell Heyman the lefty would prefer to remain a Yankee.
  • Just about everyone expects Cliff Lee to sign with the Yankees or Rangers, but Heyman says a couple clubs are "laying in the weeds." The Astros are one team with quiet interest.
  • As much as the Rangers want Vladimir Guerrero back, they seem reluctant to give him a multiyear deal.
  • The Dodgers will try to sign Russell Martin by tomorrow's non-tender deadline.

Dodgers Looking To Sign Relievers

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Not only are the Dodgers interested in Johnny Damon and a number of catchers, they're attempting to sign one or two setup men, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Jesse Crain, Jason Frasor and Matt Guerrier are high on their shopping list. 

Crain, a Type B free agent, declined arbitration from the Twins, but he won't cost the Dodgers or any other team a draft pick. Since Guerrier was not offered arbitration, he won't cost a top draft pick, either. Frasor, a former Dodger farmhand, would have cost a top pick, but he accepted arbitration from the Blue Jays.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has locked up Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Garland, Juan Uribe, Jay Gibbons and Dana Eveland since the regular season ended. Los Angeles also acquired Blake Hawksworth for Ryan Theriot today.

Cardinals Acquire Ryan Theriot

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The Cardinals acquired infielder Ryan Theriot from the Dodgers for righty Blake Hawksworth, according to the Dodgers' official Twitter feed.  Theriot was a non-tender candidate for the Dodgers in the wake of their Juan Uribe signing, but the Cardinals have a need for him. 

The Cardinals view Theriot as a shortstop and could still pursue a second baseman, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Theriot, 31 next month, is intimately familiar with the NL Central after spending parts of six seasons with the Cubs.  He was dealt to the Dodgers at the trade deadline this year along with Ted Lilly.  Theriot struggled offensively at both stops, hitting a combined .270/.321/.312 in 640 plate appearances.  He'll still be due a raise on this year's $2.6MM, a salary he was assigned after losing a February arbitration case.

Hawksworth, 28 in March, posted a 4.98 ERA, 6.1 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.5 HR/9, and 51.5% groundball rate in 90 1/3 innings for the Cardinals this year.  Heading into the 2008 season, Baseball America ranked Hawksworth 20th among Cardinals prospects, praising his changeup but noting his injury history and struggles against left-handed hitters.

This appears to be the first time GMs Ned Colletti and John Mozeliak matched up on a trade.

Dodgers Sign Juan Uribe

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Juan Uribe is leaving the Giants for the rival Dodgers on the first multiyear free agent deal of his career.  The infielder officially signed a three-year, $21MM contract with the Dodgers today.

Uribe, 31, hit .248/.310/.440 with 24 home runs in 575 plate appearances for the Giants this year, adding a pair of postseason home runs.  He mainly played shortstop, but also logged time at third base and second base.  Uribe will presumably serve as the Dodgers' second baseman with Rafael Furcal in the fold at short.  The contract may seal Ryan Theriot's fate, with Thursday's non-tender deadline looming.  Another effect may be a heightened sense of urgency for the Giants as they search for a shortstop.  Uribe is a Type B free agent who was offered arbitration by the Giants, so they'll receive a supplemental draft pick for their loss.

Uribe's agents Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro engineered the deal.  They did well in getting three years, though Uribe was a hot commodity in a weak market for middle infielders.  On November 2nd, MLBTR correctly predicted Uribe would sign with the Dodgers.

ESPN's Buster Olney first reported that a three-year deal was close, while Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted the amount and agreement.

Dodgers Interested In Damon, Multiple Catchers

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The Dodgers have outfielder Johnny Damon on their radar, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  They're also in contact with "virtually every free agent catcher," including Jason Varitek, Rod Barajas, A.J. Pierzynski, and Miguel Olivo.  They're trying to hammer out a deal with Russell Martin prior to Thursday's non-tender deadline; the Dodgers will not risk going to arbitration with him.

Martin is at least a week away from running and maybe six weeks away from baseball activities, says Rosenthal.  Martin is recovering from an August hip fracture; his agent Matt Colleran gave MLBTR an update last week.  Martin would still be at $4MM if the Dodgers cut his salary by the maximum, something Colleran would presumably reject anyway.

As Rosenthal notes, Damon might be an awkward fit for the Dodgers in left field since he logged fewer than 300 outfield innings in 2010.  On the other hand, the Dodgers put up with Manny Ramirez in left field for over 1,100 innings across the 2009-10 seasons. 

The Dodgers have been aggressive this offseason, committing over $71MM to Ted Lilly, Juan Uribe, Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Garland, and Jay Gibbons.

Catching Rumors: Mets, Rockies, Martin

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Victor Martinez, John Buck and, now, Yorvit Torrealba have agreed to deals with new teams. Here's the latest on the market for backstops:

  • The Rockies talked to Torrealba's agent, but only had interest in a one-year deal, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
  • The Mets also had interest in Torrealba, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff (on Twitter).
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com says (on Twitter) that the White Sox would happily bring A.J. Pierzynski back. They didn't offer him arbitration because they didn't want to pay him more than $6.75MM in 2011.
  • Matt Colleran, the agent for Russell Martin, told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that the sides have exchanged ideas about reaching a deal before Thursday's non-tender deadline instead of going to arbitraiton. The Dodgers seem reluctant to give the non-tender candidate a significant raise after a disappointing season that Martin finished on the disabled list. Colleran told MLBTR last week that Martin's late-season hip injury did not damage his labrum.

Theriot Will Draw Interest If Non-Tendered

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The Dodgers may not tender Ryan Theriot a contract, but the infielder should draw interest from other clubs if he's non-tendered. MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli suggests (on Twitter) that he'll be "very, very attractive to the Orioles" if non-tendered and Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes (on Twitter) that he expects the Rockies to have interest if the Dodgers don't offer Theriot a contract.

The Dodgers agreed to terms with Juan Uribe today, so they're set at second. Rafael Furcal will play short, so there's likely no everyday role for Theriot on the team. He was a non-tender candidate before Uribe agreed to play in L.A., so it wouldn't be surprising to see the Dodgers cut him loose.

Theriot, who turns 31 next week, can play second or short. He batted .270/.321/.312 in 640 plate appearances with the Cubs and Dodgers last year, swiping 20 bases in 29 attempts. Though Theriot has never hit for power, he has some speed and a career .348 on base percentage.

The Giants, Padres, Cardinals, Nationals, Mariners and Twins could also show interest in Theriot if he hits the open market. He earned $2.6MM in 2010 and would likely see his salary jump past $3MM through the arbitration process.

Odds & Ends: Vazquez, Nationals, Yankees, Werth

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Links for Sunday…

Dodgers Interested In Juan Uribe

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With the starting rotation solidified, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said his focus has turned to among other things, a bat. MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports that the Dodgers are now targeting infielder Juan Uribe, a pickup that would serve the double-purpose of helping LA and hurting the rival Giants.

Uribe, 31, hit .248/.310/.440 with 24 home runs this season, then hit a pair of huge homers in the playoffs to help the Giants to their first World Championship in San Francisco. He's spent considerable time at second, third, and short during his career, and UZR has nice things to say about his defense at all three spots. Uribe earned $3.25MM in 2010, his third straight one-year deal. As a Type-B free agent, he would give the Giants an extra draft pick if he signed elsewhere, though his new team would not have to give one up.

Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explained why Uribe would make sense for the Dodgers.

Nine Teams Interested In Jesse Crain

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Joaquin Benoit was the top right-handed setup man available on the free agent market, but with him off the board teams now appear to be turning their attention to Jesse Crain. MLB.com's Peter Gammons tweets that a total of nine teams – the Rays, Rockies, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Orioles, Cubs, Nationals, and Blue Jays – are "already in" on the former Twin.

Crain, 29, has returned from a 2007 shoulder surgery to post a 3.70 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 182.1 innings over the last three seasons. In 68 innings this year, he posted a career-high 8.2 K/9 and a career-low .215 batting average against. Minnesota offered the Type-B free agent arbitration, so the club will receive a draft pick if he signs elsewhere even though the signing team will not have to give one up.

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