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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Beltre, Wolf, Callaspo, Rule 5 Draft

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On this date two years ago, the Tigers acquired Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis for six players including Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller. Only one of the other four players, Burke Badenhop has yet to see significant playing time at the big league level. With this year's winter meetings set to begin next week more big players could be on the move. Let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…

  • Jorge Says No! wonders if the smart move for Adrian Belte is to accept arbitration from the Mariners now that the Phillies no longer need a third baseman.
  • Around the Majors explains why the Dodgers made a mistake in not offering arbitration to Randy Wolf.
  • The Baseball Opinion looks back at how each team did with their '04 free agency compensation draft picks.
  • Royals Authority makes a case for trading Alberto Callaspo.
  • River Ave Blues wonders who could play left field for the Yankees if they don't land Johnny Damon, Matt Holliday or Mike Cameron.
  • UmpBump looks at what the Astros need this off-season.
  • MLB Notebook believes Justin Duchscherer would be a good fit for the Pirates.
  • Bucco Fans previews the right-handed pitchers in the upcoming Rule 5 draft with Aneury Rodriguez of the Rays listed as one of the top options overall.
  • DRaysBay looks at some relief pitchers that are available in the Rule 5 draft.
  • We Should Be GMs examines the free agent market for relief pitchers and who might be a good fit for the Phillies.
  • The Pinstriper looks back at what might have happened had the Yankees not re-signed Alex Rodriguez in '07.

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

Odds & Ends: Oeltjen, Hensley, Gload, Halladay

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Links for Friday, as team execs and media folk pack their bags for Monday's Winter Meetings in Indianapolis…

  • The Brewers signed Trent Oeltjen to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  Oeltjen, 27 in February, hit .303/.362/.500 in his third Triple A tour, playing the outfield corners.
  • Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash spells out why his team won't be acquiring Roy Halladay, talking to McCalvy.
  • MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets six minor league free agents signed by the Marlins, including Jesse Foppert, Vinny Rottino, and Hector Luna.
  • The Pirates expressed "mild interest" in free agent pitcher Clay Hensley, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Hensley, 30, spent the year at Triple A in the Astros and Marlins organizations, posting a 3.56 ERA in 124 innings.
  • Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post feels there's "still a good chance [Ross] Gload returns [to the Marlins] with a two-year deal."
  • Darren Dreifort's five-year, $55MM deal tops Jeff Passan's list of the ten worst contracts of the 2000s for Yahoo.
  • Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues explains why the Yankees probably won't sign Rafael Soriano.
  • In his Winter Meetings preview for AOL FanHouse, Ed Price says there was some discussion about a Tigers-Diamondbacks trade involving Edwin Jackson and Max Scherzer.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney talked to rival executives who say the Tigers have not aggressively shopped Curtis Granderson.
  • Olney doesn't think the Mariners will pay up for Jason Bay.  He believes the Red Sox are "controlling the market" for Bay and Matt Holliday.
  • Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals are "increasingly weighing spreading what it would cost to retain Holliday over several players."  Bernie Miklasz of the P-D feels the Cards are "enacting their exit strategy from the Holliday sweepstakes."  I would not be surprised to see the Cardinals make their best offer soon - let's say $110MM over six years – and entirely move on if Scott Boras rejects it.
  • SI's Jon Heyman tweets that Nick Johnson is "drawing interest from the Giants, maybe Braves, and a half-dozen more."
  • MLB.com's Corey Brock talked to former Padres GM Kevin Towers, who will meet with the Mets, Yankees, Mariners, and Red Sox at the Winter Meetings.
  • ESPN's Keith Law isn't impressed with the Phillies' Placido Polanco signing.  My initial impression upon hearing about the signing is that no other team would've valued Polanco that highly.
  • MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that other teams have been more aggressive on Jamey Carroll than the Marlins.  Other Carroll suitors include the Rockies, Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, A's, Rangers, Pirates, Reds and Indians.

Odds & Ends: Harper, Phillies, Yankees, Marlins

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Some afternoon links…

  • Baseball America's Conor Glassey reports that Bryce Harper passed his GED exam, which will allow him to attend junior college next year and be eligible for the 2010 draft. Harper is the odds on favorite to go first overall.
  • Now that they've taken care of third base and the bench, Andy Martino of The Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies will focus on their bullpen. He notes that GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is "intrigued by low-risk/high reward types," which is why the team recently kicked the tires on J.J. Putz. ESPN's Buster Olney mentions Brandon Lyon as a name to watch as well.
  • Mark Feinsand of The NY Daily News has some hot stove related quotes from Yankees' manager Joe Girardi.
  • Marlins' president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said "we're definitely going to be active" at the Winter Meetings next week, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
  • Jarrod Saltalamacchia's recent winter ball injury (he felt tingling and numbness in his right arm) could making catching a priority for the Rangers next week, writes T.R. Sullivan on MLB.com.
  • The Rays have released righty Ramon Ramirez, according to Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times. Ramirez was claimed off waivers from the Reds back in early November.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette says the Pirates are one of the teams interested in Bobby Crosby. This morning we learned that about six teams were interested in the former Rookie of the Year.
  • SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that even though the Mets asked for his medical records, they are not going after Hideki Matsui.

Eight Teams Interested In Carroll

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There's no shortage of interest in Jamey Carroll this year. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse reports that the Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, A's, Rangers, Pirates, Reds and Indians all have interest in the 35-year-old utility man. We know the Marlins are interested, too.

Carroll hit .276/.355/.340 with the Indians last year, spending most of his time at second and third, and playing some outfield as well. UZR/150 suggests Carroll has been an above-average defender at second base over the course of the last five years. 

Pirates, Dodgers, Braves, A’s After Kameron Loe

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the scoop on righty Kameron Loe, who spent the year in Japan and is apparently contemplating a return.  Back in November of '08 the Rangers sold Loe's rights to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who paid him $900K.  He pitched only 27 innings, posting a 6.33 ERA.  Kovacevic names the Pirates, Dodgers, Braves, and A's as teams interested in Loe.

Another Pirates note: president Frank Coonelly confirmed the team's interest in Rick Ankiel, in an MLB.com chat with fans today.

Multiple Teams Interested In Noah Lowry

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1:45pm: Aside from the Pirates and Rockies, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says the Dodgers, Padres, A's, Mariners, and Reds are interested in Lowry.

10:56am: The Pirates are interested in free agent lefty Noah Lowry, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  As Kovacevic notes, the former Giant had forearm surgery in March of 2008, which the pitcher's agent later claimed was a misdiagnosis.  In May of '09 Lowry had surgery to remove a rib to help with thoracic outlet syndrome.  Earlier this month, Lowry's agent said his client is finally "completely healthy."  Yesterday, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post noted the Rockies' interest in Lowry.

The first four spots in the Pirates' rotation appear set, with Paul Maholm, Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf, and Charlie Morton.  Lowry could compete for the fifth starter job; the Bucs would have three lefties in the rotation if he won it.  Lowry's best season came in 2005, when he made 33 starts with a 3.78 ERA.  That campaign netted him a four-year, $9.25MM extension.

Rosenthal, Morosi On Betancourt, Doumit, Jackson

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A look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports…

  • The Cubs and Giants were interested in reliever Rafael Betancourt before the Rockies offered arbitration to him yesterday.  The Phillies were named as another suitor.  The writers are not sure whether the Cubs and Giants maintain interest now that Betancourt will cost a draft pick (assuming the Type A free agent turns down the Rockies' offer).  The Giants would have to surrender their #24 pick, the Cubs their #49.  Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News gave the impression yesterday the Giants prefer to keep their first-round pick.   As for the Cubs, one source with knowledge of the situation said there's nothing to it at this time.
  • The Blue Jays have mild interest in Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit, who is guaranteed $9.15MM over the next two years.  Doumit was sidelined by wrist surgery and a concussion this year.  Looking at the trade market for catchers, the Jays have already inquired on Chris Snyder and Doumit, while Kelly Shoppach is now a Ray.
  • While the Braves like D'Backs first baseman/left fielder Conor Jackson, Arizona would only trade him for a young starting pitcher.  A Jackson trade appears unlikely and the Braves have not expressed interest recently.  Jackson seems back on track and should be tendered a contract after a strong showing in the Domincan winter league.

Phillies, Pirates, Astros Eyeing J.J. Putz

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The Phillies, Pirates, and Astros have inquired on free agent reliever J.J. Putz, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  Earlier today, Crasnick named the Rangers as a suitor.

It was a lost season with the Mets for Putz, who pitched only 29.3 innings due to an elbow problem.  Back in 2006-07, Putz was one of the game's best relievers, striking out 186 and walking just 26 while compiling a 1.86 ERA.  His '06 season led to a three-year, $13.1MM extension with the Mariners.  He joined the Mets a year ago as part of a three-way trade.

While Putz would prefer to close this year, he'd be open to an eighth-inning job.

Pirates, Royals Interested In Jamey Wright

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The Pirates are interested in free agent reliever Jamey Wright, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.  Dutton notes that the Royals remain interested in re-signing him.

Wright, 35 later this month, soaked up 79 bullpen innings with a 4.33 ERA this year.  His walk rate was ugly, but unlikely most free agent relievers he posted a strong groundball rate (59.1%).  Wright earned $1.4MM for his efforts.

D’Backs Attempting To Trade For A Starter

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The Diamondbacks "are more focused on trades than free agents" in their search for a starting pitcher, according to a source of Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The writers suggest the D'Backs will look for a cheap back-end rotation type, speculating on non-tender candidates Dave Bush, Brian Tallet, and Tim Redding.  It sounds like the D'Backs don't want to give up a ton in trade, as they're reluctant to meet the asking price for Edwin Jackson and haven't inquired on Pirates starters Paul Maholm and Zach Duke.

Back on November 12th, we named about 30 potentially available starters, including Tallet and Bush.

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