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Odds and Ends: Gammons, Kawakami, Buck

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Links for Monday…

Rockies Rumors: Fuentes, Embree, Taveras

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Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has a few Rockies tidbits today…

  • It deserves another mention – Brian Fuentes has scheduled a visit with the Mets.  If he signs there, the Rockies will add the Mets’ #25 pick to their own #11 pick in the first round while also snagging a sandwich pick.
  • The Rockies want two lefties, probably from the pool of Glendon Rusch, Alan Embree, Brian Shouse, and Joe Beimel.  Renck says the Tigers are aggressively pursuing Beimel, while Embree might have extra appeal if he can be had on a one-year deal.
  • The Rockies hope to trade Willy Taveras, while free agent Cory Sullivan could fit with the Marlins or D’Backs according to Renck.  The Rockies plan to use Ryan Spilborghs in center and perhaps re-sign Scott Podsednik as a reserve.

Indians Shift Focus To Closer

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According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians decided last week that multiyear deals for Rafael Furcal or Orlando Hudson would be too risky (health concerns).  They’re likely to switch their focus to finding a closer.

Hoynes says the Indians have talked to the agents for Brian Fuentes, Trevor Hoffman, Jason Isringhausen, and Francisco Rodriguez.  Hoynes believes the Mets have the upper hand on K-Rod.  Still, Fuentes has scheduled a trip to New York to visit with the Mets.

Reds In Trade Talks For Dye?

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SUNDAY: A small update from Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune – any deal involving the Reds and Dye is "complicated by financial matters."  Not sure why; Dye is only on the hook for $11.5MM next year.

SATURDAY: John Fay got Walt Jocketty to admit he’s talked to the White Sox (nothing is close).  Jocketty’s non-denial about the Dye rumor seems to indicate it’s accurate.

TUESDAY, 5:42pm: MLB.com’s Scott Merkin notes that the Mets and Phillies are two of the six teams on Dye’s no-trade list.  Dye’s agent, Bob Bry, has not been contacted by Ken Williams in regard to a possible trade to either club.  The Reds don’t appear to be on the list, though, so Williams would not need clearance to make a deal with them.

12:13pm: Lance McAlister of 1530 WCKY in Cincinnati has a rumor up regarding trade talks between the White Sox and Reds.

McAlister’s source says the White Sox initiated talks to send Jermaine Dye to the Reds for Homer Bailey and another player.  Ken Rosenthal says Dye’s no-trade clause mostly covers teams in the northeast.  Perhaps the Sox can trade him to the Reds without his consent.  Ken Williams and Walt Jocketty matched up in July on the Ken Griffey Jr. trade.  It’s known that Jocketty prefers trades to free agency.

Perrotto’s Latest: Teixeira, Burnett, Wilson

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John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus has his Sunday article up. Let’s go through it:

  • The Angels may be willing to match the Yankees $140MM offer to CC Sabathia. They won’t offer 10 years to Mark Teixeira. If they can’t land Teixeira, they will consider Pat Burrell for first base.
  • A.J. Burnett is looking at the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, Orioles, and Phillies.
  • The Twins want a left-side infielder for Delmon Young, so they can open a spot for Denard Span in the starting lineup.
  • The Tigers are pursuing Jack Wilson from the Pirates and Matt Treanor from the Marlins. They are also putting high priority on signing Joe Beimel who’s getting interest from a number of teams.
  • The Dodgers will not re-sign Rafael Furcal for health reasons so the Giants, Athletics, and Reds are his most likely destinations.
  • The Cubs will need to offer more than Jason Marquis to the Royals for David DeJesus. If they can’t get it done, they’d sign Raul Ibanez over Bobby Abreu.
  • The Braves are interested in Javier Vazquez and Jermaine Dye…
  • The Reds need to offer more than Homer Bailey to get Dye.
  • The Mets are considering Jon Garland, Vazquez, Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnanstine. The Rays want more than Aaron Heilman for either of their starters.
  • The Mets could soon become suitors for Manny Ramirez.
  • The Brewers could soon become suitors for Francisco Rodriguez.
  • The Astros are targeting Paul Bako and David Ross as backup catchers.
  • The Rockies are trying to find lefthanders, eyeing Alan Embree, Will Ohman, Brian Shouse, and Glendon Rusch.

Cafardo’s Latest: Lowe, Lowell, Dye, Saltalamacchia

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says when Derek Lowe sat down with his agent, he inquired first about the Boston Red Sox. Says Cafardo,

"This Lowe doesn’t bear much resemblance to the guy who left the Sox after 2004. Back then, his out-of-control personal life seemed to consume him. The Red Sox didn’t want to deal with it and let him become a free agent. Lowe feels leaving was the best thing. ’I think I’m a lot better pitcher now, teammate now, than I was four years ago,’ he said. ’Sometimes you have to learn, and I think getting out of Boston was the best thing for me.’"

Lowe notes the Red Sox fit the mold of what he’s looking for in his next team.

And around the bigs:

  • Roy Oswalt is pushing Ben Sheets to consider the Astros.
  • Split opinions on interest in Mike Lowell, but either way this shouldn’t affect the Red Sox pursuit of Mark Teixeira. Cafardo lists Dodgers, Angels, Indians, and Twins as possible destinations for Lowell.
  • Jermaine Dye is a good fit for Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, and the Mets. The White Sox would want more than Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson in exchange for Dye.
  • Jarrod Saltalamacchia looks good in the Dominican League, hitting .435 with 4 homeruns and 2 doubles in 23 ABs.
  • Willie Bloomquist could be Alex Cora’s replacement at utility in Boston.

Mets Will Try To Trade For Bullpen Help

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The New York Times has sources who say the Mets will look to improve their bullpen through trades before starting more involved discussions with Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes.

According to the article, the Mets have had discussions with various teams about trading for Jose Valverde, J.J. Putz, Huston Street and Bobby Jenks and are considering free agent relievers Kerry Wood and Trevor Hoffman.

Even if the Mets add one of these relievers, they could still sign K-Rod or Fuentes in their efforts to completely remodel their bullpen.

This week Mets GM Omar Minaya said Fuentes’ asking price was “a bit high,” so the Mets are considering alternatives even though they will continue to pursue K-Rod and Fuentes.

Latest On Raul Ibanez

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According to Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune, the Cubs, Mets, and Phillies talked to Raul Ibanez’s agent this week.  Those three clubs remain high on him.  LaRue says the Mariners fielded a call from Ibanez’s agent, but he’s unlikely to sign because he wants to win and does not want to be a designated hitter.

Another reason to let Ibanez leave is his Type A status.  He’s highly unlikely to accept an offer of arbitration, and the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs all have unprotected first-round picks.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Varitek, Burnett, Teixeira

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Let’s take a look at what is being written around the Blogosphere…

  • River Ave. Blues debates Ben Sheets versus A.J. Burnett and wonders if Sheets will be the better bargain in the end.
  • Detroit Tiger Thoughts shows that Jason Varitek is not a good fit with the Tigers, even in a platoon situation.
  • Fire Brand of the American League lays down several reasons why the Red Sox should avoid signing Teixeira.
  • Where have you gone, Andy Van Slyke? sees no downside to the Pirates’ signing of Indian imports Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh.
  • The ’Burgh Blues feels Eric Hinske is an economical fit for the Bucs.
  • Amazin’ Avenue does not see Raul Ibanez as an upgrade for the Mets, suggesting he may not be any better than Fernando Tatis.
  • The Baseball Opinion breaks down what the acquisition of Tyler Lumsden means for the Royals and Astros.
  • Batter’s Box takes a look a recent J.P. Ricciardi quote and the current state of the economy and wonders if the Jays are going to reduce their payroll.
  • Royals Review lists the ten best free agent signings in Royals history, topped by David Cone. Amazingly, four of the signings occurred in the last five seasons.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.

Fuentes’ Price A Bit High For Mets?

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According to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News, Brian Fuentes’ agent told the Mets he’s looking for three years and $10-11MM per.  The article headline says this demand "rocks" Omar Minaya, but the body of the article just says Minaya finds it "a bit high."  It’s hard to imagine the Mets being surprised by Fuentes’ asking price, as most fans could’ve guessed it.  Earlier reports actually had Fuentes asking for more.

Rubin says the Mets will negotiate on parallel tracks for Fuentes and Francisco Rodriguez, content to sign either closer.

Other minor news: Minaya confirmed interest in Raul Ibanez, and will talk with Scott Boras at the winter meetings to determine Oliver Perez’s asking price.

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