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Dodgers Want One-Year Deals For Pitchers?

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6:08pm: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti tells Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that no one has instructed him not to offer multi-year deals. Still, this doesn't mean the team will consider them.

2:46pm: The Dodgers have talked to the agents for Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla, and Joel Pineiro, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick, but the team won't discuss multiyear deals.  Wolf and Pineiro will almost certainly get multiyear contracts this winter, Padilla maybe not.  The Dodgers already passed up one chance to get Wolf on a one-year deal (or at least two draft picks) when they decided not to offer him arbitration.

Gurnick says the Dodgers intend to wait out the market and find pitchers who will sign one-year deals later in the offseason.  It worked with Wolf last time around.

On a related note, ESPN's Buster Olney says the Dodgers are "essentially in lockdown financially."    

Roy Halladay Rumors: Monday

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10:29pm: Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reports that the Rays have checked in on Halladay, as they do on most players, but didn't even talk to the Jays today.

9:37pm: Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports that the Jays and Dodgers talked about a possible Halladay deal today and don't appear to match up well.

5:50pm: SI's Jon Heyman says the Angels are interested in Doc only if he'll sign a long-term deal with them.

5:17pm: The Rays "flatly denied" interest in discussing Davis and Upton for Halladay, reports ESPN's Peter Gammons.

4:20pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports say the Rays inquired on Halladay, and "might be willing to offer Wade Davis and B.J. Upton."  So far the most surprising rumor of the day.

10:05am: A couple of tweets from ESPN's Buster Olney prompt our first Roy Halladay post of the morning.  Olney says the Blue Jays are in discussion mode on Doc, and no trade is close currently.  He also says not to rule out the Angels even though they hold Spring Training in Arizona rather than Halladay's reported preference, Florida.

MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tells us that Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is "limiting the number of people in his suite for any talks," which should cut down on leaks.  Something tells me the rumors will keep coming.

Edwin Jackson Rumors: Monday

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9:43pm: D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes told Piecoro that team execs are heavily involved in trade talks and currently "talking about a lot of guys." He didn't mention Jackson specifically, but you have to think Byrnes would have squashed this rumor if the D'Backs and Tigers weren't talking about a possible Jackson deal.

8:27pm: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic thinks the D'Backs are making a push for Jackson, but doubts they'd include Max Scherzer in a deal. As Piecoro points out, Scherzer's under team control for three more years than Jackson, who can become a free agent after 2011. Those three extra years add lots of value.

8:03pm: MLB.com's Steve Gilbert wonders whether the Tigers and D'Backs could complete a deal without a third team. Do you see a potential fit?

6:26pm: The Tigers approached the Rockies about Jackson, but Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the asking price was too high for Colorado.

3:58pm: Rosenthal and Morosi say talks for Jackson have been more serious with the D'Backs than the Mariners, and the Angels are in on both Jackson and Granderson.  The Red Sox are not in on Jackson, tweets Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic says the D'Backs are not close to getting Jackson.

3:27pm: Price is back with something a little more concrete: he says the Tigers are sorting through offers from 12 teams for Jackson.

2:26pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports agree with Nightengale – the Tigers are close to trading Jackson.  They say the Brewers, Mets, and Dodgers "are not on Jackson."

2:09pm: Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets that a Mets official denied a Jackson trade.

1:54pm: Cryptic tweet from Ed Price of AOL FanHouse: "Rumor that Mets acquire Edwin Jackson."  Price then updated that the rumor was "heard in the lobby" but not confirmed.

12:57pm: USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets that the Tigers are close to trading Jackson, "perhaps as early as today."  No word on the potential destination, but we'll keep you apprised in this post.  What's more, Nightengale says the Tigers hope to trade Curtis Granderson this week.

The Tigers acquired Jackson from the Rays during the Winter Meetings last year, on December 10th.

Dodgers Notes: Sherrill, Pierre, Payroll, Torre

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Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times spoke to Dodgers GM Ned Colletti; here's the latest.

  • Colletti shot down the FOX Sports report that the Dodgers are shopping set-up man George Sherrill.
  • The Dodgers would want pitching in return for Juan Pierre.  The White Sox and one other team are apparently interested.
  • Colletti suggested that, for now, the Dodgers aren't planning on decreasing payroll.
  • Colletti finds it unlikely that the Dodgers will make a signing at the Meetings.
  • Hernandez says the Dodgers "are talking to Joe Torre about extending his contract by one year and having him move into a role in baseball operations in 2012."
  • The Dodgers have had more discussions with Brad Ausmus than with any of their other free agents.

Twitter Rumors: Doumit, Mahay, Wolf, Jenkins

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Collecting some tweets I couldn't quite turn into posts…

  • Four unknown teams are in on Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit, says Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • The Nationals have interest in free agent catcher Brad Ausmus, says MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • The Red Sox have interest in free agent lefty Ron Mahay, says Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The 38-year-old posted a 4.29 ERA, 7.5 K/9, and 3.9 BB/9 in 50.3 innings for the Royals and Twins this year.  Two years ago he was quite a hot commodity on the free agent market.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says Brett Myers is seeking a two-year deal.  The Rangers and other teams are interested at one year.  Crasnick wrote a few days ago that the Astros are also interested, while Andrew Baggarly named the Giants as a suitor today.
  • Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times shoots down Danny Knobler's rumor that the Pirates have interest in Juan Pierre.  Nonetheless, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets of interest from the Pirates, White Sox, and a third team.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Yankees want to resolve the Andy Pettitte/Johnny Damon situations before moving on to Hideki Matsui and other starting pitcher options.
  • White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune that the Sox are not in the market for a pure DH.
  • The Brewers are making a "strong run" at Randy Wolf, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Ruben Amaro Jr.'s comment that "those are guys we will probably count on" implies relievers Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey will be tendered contracts by the Phillies (Andy Martino reporting).
  • Crasnick says Geoff Jenkins wants to make a comeback in 2010 and has been working out at first base and outfield in hopes of landing a bench role.
  • Crasnick says to expect the Cubs to tender a contract to Mike Fontenot on Saturday.
  • Bill Shanks quoting Braves manager Bobby Cox: "clubs are knocking on the door for Kelly Johnson."  I imagine Johnson will be dealt by Saturday.
  • ESPN's Gordon Edes says that while Red Sox owner John Henry is a big fan of Miguel Cabrera from their Marlins days, the Red Sox "don't have the Major League-ready position players Detroit wants in return."
  • Crasnick expects Elmer Dessens to re-sign with the Mets, though the pitcher has talked to the Dodgers and Padres.
  • Yahoo's Steve Henson says the Braves want to move Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez, but not Kenshin Kawakami.
  • Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies will meet with Chan Ho Park's agent today "and attempt to resolve their differences over Park's value."  The Phils did not offer arbitration to Park, a Type B free agent.  Park craves another shot at starting, which won't happen in Philly.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Phillies like Brandon Lyon, but aren't "willing to pay the price for him."  Lyon is said to be seeking a multiyear deal.  He is expected to turn down the Tigers' offer of arbitration today.  The Yankees have been named as another suitor.
  • Crasnick says the Astros "have very little money to spend, unless Drayton McLane suddenly has a change of heart."

Odds & Ends: Melky, Green, Branyan, Lowe

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It's officially Winter Meetings time! New thread for links as the folks in Indianapolis begin to wake up and get going:

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets an interesting situation: the Cubs and Yankees both like Mike Cameron, while the Cubs like the Yanks' Melky Cabrera.  The Cubs will need to clear payroll space before they can try for Cameron though.  Also muddying the picture: both clubs may have interest in Curtis Granderson.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney is hearing that the starting pitching market is "intensifying."
  • Larry Stone of the Seattle Times has all kinds of amusing Winter Meetings memories from years past, and he explains why the Meetings were cancelled for five years in the nineties.
  • David Lennon of Newsday says Mets COO Jeff Wilpon is not scheduled to come to Indianapolis this week, suggesting the team won't be signing major free agents at the Meetings.
  • The Dodgers met with Nick Green's agent, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown.  Green, 31, hit .236/.303/.366 in 309 plate appearances for the Red Sox this year while playing all around the infield (mainly shortstop). 
  • The Mariners have begun preliminary negotiations with Russell Branyan, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Branyan already rejected an offer from the Mariners in November.  The Mets appear to be among Branyan's other suitors.
  • Jon Heyman reports, via Twitter, that Adrian Beltre is "not likely" to accept Seattle arbitration offer. They'll still likely try to retain him, however.  It might be difficult to keep Branyan, Beltre, and Jose Lopez, with Ken Griffey Jr. already signed.
  • In case you were wondering, Morosi tweets that nothing is cooking with the Braves and Diamondbacks for Derek Lowe.  Nor are the D'Backs in on Bronson Arroyo.
  • Dan Uggla doesn't like the uncertainty surrounding what uniform he'll be wearing in five months. The Marlins slugger says he still sees himself as a second baseman, though many teams would like to move the 30-home run machine to third base. Matt Lindstrom is in a similar spot.
  • Andy MacPhail told Steve Melewski that free agents are beginning to look at Baltimore in a different light, thanks to the great reviews their farm system is getting in the national media. That said, Melewski still feels that if the O's add a big name this offseason, it'll be through a trade.
  • Alex Speier takes a look at what pieces the Red Sox could potentially use as trade bait.
  • Joel Sherman explains why Andy Pettitte is so important to the Yankees, why personal relationships matter among GMs, and the Mets struggles in finding a taker for Luis Castillo.
  • Mark Feinsand gives Yankee fans five situations to watch this week, including Pettitte, Roy Halladay, Johnny Damon, the Tigers, and Hideki Matsui.

Angels Getting Interest In Matthews Jr.?

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According to a tweet from Yahoo's Tim Brown this morning, the Angels are getting enough interest in Gary Matthews Jr. to believe that it's possible they get a deal done to move his salary off the books.

Matthews, 35, has two years and $23.5MM remaining on the five-year, $50MM he signed with the Angels back in 2006 (he gets a $500K bonus if traded). He's been a disappointment since coming to the Angels, and has been thought to be virtually immovable in years past.

However, we've seen several teams as of late looking to exchange bad contracts in an effort to free payroll or address other needs. Some that have been mentioned as of late include Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Derek Lowe, Luis Castillo, and Juan Pierre.  A few days ago Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports noted that the Angels were working hard to trade Matthews to clear payroll, so taking back a bad contract might not fulfill that goal.

If the Angels are getting genuine interest in someone taking on Matthews Jr.'s contract, who are some possible fits, and what pieces do you see going back to the Angels?

Dodgers Shopping Sherrill

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3:44am: Matthew Pouliot calls the situation "another sign the Dodgers are broke." Writes Pouliot:

"A large-market team should be able to pay a top-notch setup man $4 million-$4.5 million. That's what the Royals gave Kyle Farnsworth, and at last check, Kansas City wasn't a large market and Farnsworth wasn't top notch."

Pouliot also names the Tigers and Rays as possible matches, and adds the Phillies and Rangers as teams who could be interested in Sherrill as well, though I wonder if the Rangers would want to take on his salary.

2:53am: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi report that if the Dodgers are looking to move a relief arm, it's George Sherrill.

The Dodgers have several appealing arms such as Ronald Belisario, Hong Chih-Kuo, and Ramon Troncoso. However, when teams come calling about those three, the Dodgers instead turn the focus to Sherrill, who struggled in the NLCS and is set to earn up to $4MM through arbitration.

In return for Sherrill, who's saved 52 games over the past two seasons en route to a two-year stretch of a 3.02 ERA through 122.1 innings with 119 Ks and a 1.28 WHIP, the Dodgers would like to receive a starting pitcher.

Given those stats and the fact that he's under team control through 2011, Sherrill should be able to fetch some value regardless of a rising salary and a disappointing NLCS. What teams make sense for the former All-Star? Detroit is said to be looking for bullpen help, and the Rays could benefit from a more-established arm to close out games as well. Those are just names I'm throwing out there, let's hear your thoughts on the issue as well.

Pirates Have Money To Make Splash

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette informs us that while it may be an unlikely scenario, general manager Neal Huntington does have the payroll flexibility to make a big move at the meetings if he sees value in it for the Pirates. Says Huntington:

"The key word you're going to be hearing from us is value… We could do something big just so that we can feel good about ourselves and show everybody that we did something or that we're spending up to a certain level. But we're not going to do that unless it makes sense and unless there's a real value to the Pittsburgh Pirates."

The Pirates are currently projected to have a $34MM payroll, down significantly from the $49MM they spent on their 40-man roster in 2009. So the "value" that Huntington mentions doesn't necessarily have to mean "inexpensive."

Still, Kovacevic calls any real interest in Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Rich Harden, or Mike Gonzalez "unlikely," and reminds us that the Pirates free agent contact so far has consisted of Rick Ankiel, Hank Blalock, Justin Duchscherer, Noah Lowry, J.J. Putz, Ron Villone, and Kameron Loe.

Danny Knobler from CBS Sports seems to think the Pirates have some money as well though, as he's heard them linked to Juan Pierre. Knobler reports that the Dodgers would like to acquire Zach Duke or Paul Maholm in any deal, meaning they'd have to eat a significant portion of Pierre's salary. Personally, I'd assume they'd have to include some prospects as well to make the deal make sense for Pittsburgh.

While the Pierre scenario may not entirely make sense for the Buccos on the surface level, it does add to the thought that Pittsburgh may be in line to surprise us at this year's meetings. Any thoughts on an ace that Huntington may have up his sleeve?

Tigers Notes: Needs, Cabrera, Jackson, Granderson

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Steve Kornacki takes a late-night look at what Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski needs heading into the Winter Meetings. Not surprisingly, help at the back of the bullpen, a spark plug at the top of the lineup, and a shortstop top Kornacki's list. Here's the highlights of the piece:

  • With Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney expected to receive multi-year offers, Detroit will need to address its bullpen. Kornacki doesn't like the Tigers chances to sign the two. Lyon's agent has "guaranteed" his client will receive multiple years.
  • The Tigers could re-sign glove man Adam Everett if a shortstop can't be had via trade. Everett had yet another strong season at shortstop, posting a 13.6 UZR/150. They've also been linked to Bobby Crosby, but I don't think any team would feel comfortable entering the season with Crosby as their primary shortstop option.
  • Kornacki would be surprised to see Miguel Cabrera dealt anywhere. "Nothing even remotely possible has been reported," writes Kornacki.
  • If Edwin Jackson or Curtis Granderson is dealt, it will be in to make the team better and not to slash payroll. With Seattle's recent agreement with Chone Figgins pending, if the Angels want to acquire Granderson to fill the leadoff spot, the price may have just gone up.
  • Kornacki says the biggest offensive need is a leadoff man, and suggests scenarios for both Juan Pierre and Carl Crawford.
  • Kornacki suggests packaging Jackson and Carlos Guillen to bring Pierre and George Sherrill to Detroit.
  • He suggests a one-for-one swap of Granderson for Crawford, provided Dombrowski can extend Crawford. The thinking there is that Granderson will be more affordable for the Rays down the line.

Kornacki finishes up by reminding how active Dombrowski was at last year's meetings. If you'll remember, he acquired Gerald Laird on day one, signed Adam Everett two days later, and on the final day sent Matt Joyce to Tampa Bay in exchange for Jackson. He also spent a great deal of time attempting to acquire J.J. Putz.

Kornacki opines that the biggest move will come somewhere we're not looking, which always makes for fun discussion. Any thoughts on what Dombrowski may have up his sleeve? If you're still up with me, let's hear it in the comments.

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