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The Mark Prior Derby

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Let’s do a recap on the Mark Prior Derby, which is getting more confusing each day.  Jerry Crasnick has added some good info this afternoon.  Prior wants a one-year deal and hopes to be on a big league mound before the end of May.

  • Yankees – They’ll probably pass, per Hank Steinbrenner.
  • Red Sox – Named only by Jayson Stark.
  • White Sox – Named only by Stark.
  • Mariners – Named by Stark, denied by Jim Street.
  • Mets – Named by Stark, Crasnick, Ken Rosenthal, Ed Price
  • Cardinals – Named by Stark, Crasnick, Rosenthal, Matthew Leach
  • Padres – Named by many, made an offer according to Crasnick. Prior went to USC but would have to take less money to play in San Diego
  • Astros – Named by many, made an offer according to Alyson Footer
  • Giants – Named only by Stark
  • Reds – Named by Stark, Crasnick. Prior previously played under Dusty Baker
  • Nationals – Named by Stark, Crasnick, Bill Ladson
  • Rangers – Named by Crasnick but not Stark, aggressively pursuing according to Rosenthal
  • Marlins – Named only by Crasnick
  • Indians – Named only by Crasnick

One more and we’re at half of all baseball teams linked at some point.  The Phillies and Pirates are not interested, and it’s probably safe to count the Cubs out.

Olney On Blanton/Mets

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Buster Olney heard that the Mets could acquire starter Joe Blanton from the A’s if they’d agree to surrender Carlos Gomez, Aaron Heilman, and Kevin Mulvey.  I wonder if Oakland would try Heilman in the rotation. 

The A’s would probably go with an outfield nucleus of Travis Buck in left, Gomez in center, and Carlos Gonzalez in right.  That could make Nick Swisher – signed for five years through 2012 – expendable.

Mets fans: would you do it?

Odds and Ends: Roberts, Otsuka, Walker, DaVanon

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A few minor moves to speak of…

  • The Cubs don’t appear to be concerned about Brian Roberts’ steroid admission.
  • The Padres’ talks for Xavier Nady are "on hold," according to Bill Center.  Also, the Friars continue to eye Akinori Otsuka.
  • Aside from the aforementioned Michael Barrett, the Padres signed Robert Fick and Jeff DaVanon.  DaVanon, a switch-hitter, has had some decent years against righties.  Ken Rosenthal believes the Padres may consider their outfield situation settled now after missing out on Geoff Jenkins and signing DaVanon.
  • Todd Walker, remember him?  He was released by the Padres this year in Spring Training and hooked on with Oakland.  After a month and a half there, they designated him for assignment.  He wasn’t picked up, and enjoyed spending the time with his family.  Now, however, the Rockies have had preliminary conversations with him according to Tracy Ringolsby.  Walker played for the Rox in 2000, posting a .929 OPS in limited duty.  He had another half season in Colorado in ’01 before being traded to the Reds for Alex Ochoa.
  • Excellent team blogs are going corporate – Bucco Blog was purchased by Baseball Interactive Media, and MetsBlog partnered with SNY.  Both seem like positive developments for readers – Jake and Matthew maintain editorial control, but perhaps gain additional access and technology.

Phillies Out On Lohse

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George King has a few quotes from Phillies’ assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. today.  Basically, the Phils wouldn’t go past three years on Kyle Lohse, and have dropped out of the bidding for the Scott Boras client.

King indicates that this might put the Mets in the lead for Lohse, perhaps the best of a mediocre group of free agent starters.  Ken Davidoff, however, wrote yesterday that the Mets "did not seem particularly interested" in Lohse at the current price.  Tim Brown wrote on Monday that both the Phils and Mets had four-year offers out to Lohse.

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.

Phillies, Mets Made Offers To Lohse?

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UPDATE, 12-19-07 at 11:14am: Todd Zolecki says there’s nothing to the report that the Phils made a four-year offer to Lohse.  So, Zolecki and Davidoff do not agree with Tim Brown.

UPDATE, 12-19-07 at 9:24am: Ken Davidoff wrote this morning that the Mets "do not seem particularly interested" in Lohse, Carlos Silva, or Livan Hernandez at the current prices.

FROM 12-17-07 at 1:58pm:

Yahoo’s Tim Brown indicates that the Mets and Phillies both have offers out to free agent starter Kyle Lohse, though it’s not the lead of his story (hat tip to MetsBlog).

There hasn’t been a ton of buzz around Lohse yet.  It seems that other aspects of the pitching market may have to settle first.  Lohse could be a Plan B for the Mariners.  He could be an option for St. Louis as well.  It’s been said that Scott Boras, Lohse’s agent, may try to get five years for him.  As Jerry Crasnick says, Boras is "willing to wait for teams to get desperate."  You can check out Boras’ spin on Lohse here.

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.

About Nine Teams Watch Benson

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UPDATE, 12-19-07 at 11:07am: The Braves were in attendance, according to a source of mine. 

UPDATE, 12-19-07 at 8:42am: The Giants were in attendance, so we know eight of the nine teams that watched Benson.  Is it normal for each team to send three scouts, by the way?  It’s been said that 25 of them watched.

UPDATE, 12-18-07 at 1:39pm: The Yankees, Mets, Astros, and Phillies definitely attended.  I also received an email about a radio report indicating the Cards were there. That’s seven of the nine.

FROM 12-18-07 at 10:40am:

According to Todd Zolecki, about nine teams watched free agent Kris Benson throw 60 pitches yesterday.  The Phillies and Nationals were definitely present.

Feel free to guess at the other seven teams.  The Astros were probably there, and some of the Yankees, Cardinals, Royals, Marlins, Rockies, and Dodgers were probably on hand as well.

Benson had surgery in March to repair a partially torn rotator cuff.  Before that he’d usually been good for 180 nearly league average innings.

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