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Steinbrenner: “Outside Chance” For Johan

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Hank Steinbrenner spoke to Kat O’Brien yesterday regarding Johan Santana.  The key quote: "There’s still an outside chance that we get him."  Steinbrenner also indicated that he has final say over this deal, in case you were wondering.

Plus, Steinbrenner said the Yankees looked into Mark Prior but are not currently interested.  No worries for Prior, he’s got plenty of suitors.

Odds and Ends: Barrett, Koufax, Santana

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A few notes from this evening…

  • Michael Barrett and the Padres avoided arbitration, arriving at a $3.5MM deal.  A little less than I expected given his $4.6MM salary in ’07.  If some team acquires Barrett on the cheap he could bounce back if he’s comfortable.  Wasn’t long ago he was one of the better-hitting catchers in the game.  Is there even a slight chance he wouldn’t embarrass himself back at the hot corner?
  • Great ShysterBall post in reference to Curt Schilling’s attempt to call out Roger Clemens.
  • Sandy Koufax did not do steroids.
  • Derrick Goold looks at how David Eckstein ended up leaving the Cardinals despite his desire to stay.
  • LENIII says it’s possible nothing has happened on the Johan Santana front since the Meetings ended.  Neal also names Kris Benson as a pitcher on the Twins’ radar.  They were one of many teams watching his recent session.  Plus they were eyeing Glendon Rusch before he signed with the Padres.

Stark’s Latest: Prior, Lofton, Otsuka

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ESPN’s Jayson Stark dishes some good rumorage in his latest column.

  • Stark dug around to find all the Mark Prior suitors and came up with this list: Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Mariners, Mets, Cardinals, Padres, Astros, Giants, Reds, Nationals (11 teams).  Let’s compare notes.  MLBTR readers have seen the Yankees, Mets, Cards, Padres, Astros, Reds, and Nats linked to Prior already.  So Stark has added the Red Sox, White Sox, Mariners, and Giants.  The idea of the Mariners runs contrary to this MLB.com article.  Stark did not name the Rangers, who are said to be aggressively pursuing Prior.  Prior is dead set on a one-year deal and would take a big league mound in May in the best case.
  • The Phils are focused on Geoff Jenkins and Mike Cameron, offering two year deals to each.  They might just take the first one to accept.  Stark says Kenny Lofton could be an option if both decline.  Lofton batted a career-best .335 for the Phils in ’05.
  • Stark rattles off a laundry list of pitchers the Phillies are interested in: Akinori Otsuka, Byung-Hyun Kim, Roberto Hernandez, Kris Benson, John Parrish, Sidney Ponson, Chad Durbin, Kyle Lohse, and Jeremy Affeldt.  Given Stark’s 21 years at the Philadelphia Inquirer, I imagine he has a connection or two.  Most of those are new names besides Benson, Lohse, Ponson, and Affeldt.
  • A source of Stark picks the Yankees as the favorite for Johan, but it should be noted that they’re having internal debates about pulling Phil Hughes off the table.
  • For all the crazy Cubs fans we’ve got here: Stark says they’ve talked to the Orioles about both Brian Roberts and Erik Bedard, but couldn’t pull off a deal for both.  They favor Roberts even though they need Bedard much more.

Odds and Ends: Giles, Chacon, Durbin

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Here are today’s random rumor tidbits.

  • The Rox are interested in Marcus Giles for their second base opening.  Giles was awful last year, they should just try something internal.  Other Rockies notes: contracts with Kip Wells and Luis Vizcaino aren’t quite finalized, and they may ink Victor Zambrano to a minor league deal.  UPDATE: Wells, plus Mark Redman, are done deals.
  • The Pirates still have their eye on Shawn Chacon and Chad Durbin.  That”ll put butts in the seats.  Also, Jake of Bucco Blog weighs in on a new Pirates hire.
  • Speaking of Durbin, did he comment on this blog and suggest he’s headed to the NL?  I’m not sure.
  • Drays Bay talked to Gerry Hunsicker.  Seth Speaks talked to Pat Neshek.
  • New prize added to our Hot Stove Hysteria contest – three months free of Scout.com access.
  • Things are mostly quiet with the Brewers, but this Tom Haudricourt blog post notes tepid discussions for Scott Rolen, Hank Blalock, and Andre Ethier.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Prior, Bedard, Haren

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The rumor mill is picking up today, thanks in no short part to Ken Rosenthal.  Check out his latest column.

  • Rosenthal believes the Padres are Mark Prior’s first choice, but as usual they won’t pay as much as other teams.  Both Texas clubs are in the lead for Prior currently.  Rosenthal also names the Cards, Mets, and Yankees are suitors, as we knew.  The Pirates, by the way, have not inquired.
  • Talks for Erik Bedard have slowed down, because the Orioles aren’t impressed with the offers.  The Mariners, Reds, and Mets are the top contenders.  Rosenthal indicates that the Reds may be overvaluing Homer Bailey, compared to the perception of other clubs.
  • Interesting late-game suitors for Dan Haren: the Rockies and Braves.  You wonder, then, whether they’ll also inquire on Bedard. 
  • Rosenthal notes that the Chris Burke acquisition could be a sign that the D’Backs won’t re-sign Orlando Hudson.  Burke will have to show something first though.
  • The Orioles don’t seem likely to flip Luke Scott; they like his style.  The guy could hit 30 bombs this year, in the opinion of Ron Shandler and Co.
  • The Twins are up to 39 on their 40 man roster, so they’ll have to be creative to take back four players in a Johan Santana deal.  It could mean including a player with Johan.

Latest Johan Santana Non-Rumors

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After getting volumes of new information each day during the Winter Meetings, the rumors surrounding the Johan Santana talks have slowed to a boring trickle.  It’s still a big deal, though, so here’s the latest.

  • Yesterday Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe notes that it may make sense for the Twins and Red Sox to hammer out a deal before front offices shut down for a week to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s.  He says talks between the two parties are ongoing, and the Twins are sitting back and hoping for the Red Sox to crack and put two of Ellsbury/Buchholz/Lester in the package.  The Yankees are lurking but similarly won’t give up two of Chamberlain/Hughes/Kennedy.  The Mets aren’t deemed worthy based on their prospects.  Edes’ source doesn’t expect a deal soon.
  • Today, Charley Walters wrote that the Red Sox are the favorites with their firm offer of Lester/Crisp/Lowrie/Masterson.  He says there’s buzz something could be done within days.  Walters reiterates Edes’ take on the Yankees’ stance and tosses the Angels into the mix as a dark horse.

Odds and Ends: Johan, Hudson, A-Rod, Dallas

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Collection o’ links…

Yankees Still Discussing Santana

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Ed Price of the Newark Star-Ledger spoke to Yankees senior VP Hank Steinbrenner yesterday.  He learned what we all suspected – the Yankees aren’t truly out of the running for Johan Santana, and have even spoken to the Twins recently about him.

Price’s Twins source indicated that the Yankees want to move Hideki Matsui’s $26MM before they get heavily involved for Santana.  Another option might be to ditch Mike Mussina and his $11MM salary for ’08.  He and Matsui both have no-trade protection though.

Twins Sign Mike Lamb

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UPDATE, 12-14-07 at 9:45pm: The Houston Chronicle has the dollars on this deal.  Lamb will get $6.6MM over the 2008-09 seasons.  Sounds about right.  In particular it’s $3.5MM in ’08 and $3MM in ’09.  LEN3 says bonuses and such plus the option year could make it a three-year, $12.5MM deal.

FROM 12-14-07 at 4:48pm:

According to Phil Miller, the Twins signed third baseman Mike Lamb to a two-year deal with an option for 2010. 

Not sure of the money yet, but I’m a fan of this value signing.  I’ve been saying for a while now that Lamb had some of the better numbers among free agents out there.  He hit .289/.366/.453 in 2007.  No doubt he’s been helped by Minute Maid Park, but he’ll surely top the .236/.308/.323 line the Twins got out of their third basemen in ’07.

Cubs Like Joe Nathan

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UPDATE, 12-14-07 at 2:47pm: George Ofman of WSCR radio 670 out of Chicago says the Twins would indeed want Marmol in a deal for Nathan.

FROM 12-13-07 at 11:26pm:

LENIII has just a single-line teaser for us at the end of his column:

The Cubs are interested in trading for closer Joe Nathan if he’s available.

That’s a new one; who knew the Cubs were looking for a closer?  Their deficiences seem to be at shortstop and perhaps in the rotation.  It seems that some combination of Carlos Marmol, Bob Howry, and Kerry Wood can handle the ninth inning.

What would the Cubs have to give up?  I’m drawing a blank trying to find a precedent – an elite closer dealt with one year left before free agency.  Billy Wagner was dealt in the 2003-04 offseason, but he had two seasons left on his deal.  How about Keith Foulke?  The A’s acquired him with one year left; the White Sox received Daylon Holt, Neal Cotts, and Billy Koch.  Maybe the Twins would ask for Marmol plus one more good young player.

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