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Pirates Claim Jakubauskas; Karstens Designated

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The Pirates claimed pitcher Chris Jakubauskas off waivers from the Mariners, according to a team press release.  Jakubauskas, 31 next month, allowed 91 hits and 27 walks in 93 innings for the Mariners last year, striking out 47 for a 5.32 ERA.

The Pirates designated Jeff Karstens for assignment to clear roster space.  Karstens, 27, was pretty well-regarded by the Pirates when he arrived as part of the Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte trade with the Yankees in July of 2008.  He pitched well in his nine starts that year but was bumped from the rotation in June for Charlie Morton.

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Cubs, Red Sox, Hawkins

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Some more links to read through as we count down the hours until teams can start serious negotiations with all free agents…

  • GM Neal Huntington tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch that the Pirates won't be spending big on relievers this year: "Our focus is going to be more on the borderline-type guys that may not get $3-4 million or may not even get a Major League contract," Huntington said.
  • The Cubs probably can't afford Rich Harden or Reed Johnson, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
  • Harden and Erik Bedard appear on Jeff Zrebiec's list of ten free agents the O's might target.
  • Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun says the O's need at least one middle-of-the-order bat.
  • The Cubs don't intend to pursue Pedro Martinez this offseason, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
  • David Ortiz tells WEEI.com that the Red Sox can always use more power.
  • The Astros have already offered LaTroy Hawkins a contract, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
  • Peter Gammons of ESPN.com shows that the low-budget Marlins have had a lot of recent success because they're well-run.
  • Giants GM Brian Sabean hinted that he could approach ownership with creative offers for big-name free agents, according to MLB.com's Chris Haft.

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Jeter, Marlins

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Let's take a look at some Sunday morning links….

  • Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says that the Pirates may be able to add one or two low-cost free agents this winter, but, as usual, they won't be making any big splashes.
  • The Boston Globe's Chad Finn thinks that the Red Sox should be doing whatever it takes to acquire Adrian Gonzalez.
  • When it comes to Derek Jeter, the Yankees ought to rethink their rule about not discussing early contract extensions, according to Bob Klapisch of FOX Sports.
  • Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press writes that all of the Curtis Granderson trade rumors could be much ado about nothing.
  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff has a few tidbits of info from around the league. He mentions that he doesn't see the Yankees taking care of their outfield/DH situation until after the winter meetings.
  • The latest Marlins mailbag from MLB.com's Joe Frisaro includes a few hot stove inquiries from readers.
  • Roch Kubatko looks back at some of the names that were bounced around Orioles hot stove talks a year ago and wonders if the Orioles will again be linked to Braden Looper, Jon Garland, and Matt Treanor now that they're all back on the market.
  • Joe Pawlikowski at River Ave. Blues hopes to see the Yankees stay internal to solve fill the eighth inning role, rather than venture to the free agent market and spend on a name like Rafael Betancourt, LaTroy Hawkins, or Octavio Dotel.
  • Adam McCalvy at MLB.com examines some of the rumored discussions that obviously fell through when the Brewers and Pirates were talking JJ Hardy.
  • El Lefty Malo crunches some numbers to try to predict how many additional runs the Giants will need to score to approach 90 wins and make a postseason run. 

Odds & Ends: Duke, Hardy, Mets, Angels

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Some Saturday evening links…

  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports write that the Brewers asked the Pirates for Zach Duke or Paul Maholm in exchange for J.J. Hardy.  Pittsburgh hoped to land the shortstop in exchange for closer Matt Capps or catcher Ryan Doumit.  When the Pirates refused to budge, the Brewers pulled the trigger on the deal with Minnesota for Carlos Gomez.
  • Also noted is that the Mets are considering former Indians skipper Eric Wedge as a candidate for their bench coach vacancy.  The position could be a stepping stone to the head job as Jerry Manuel is in the final year of his contract.  Bob Melvin and former Orioles bench coach Dave Jauss are also in the mix.
  • After recently signing GM Tony Reagins to a new contract, the Angels have made a few front office changes, reports Lyle Spencer of MLB.com.
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer implores the Reds not to trade Bronson Arroyo or Brandon Phillips to clear payroll.
  • Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun suggests that Dan Uggla would make a good fit for the Orioles.  Based on conversations that Schmuck has had with beat writer Jeff Zrebiec, it doesn't seem as though the O's front office agrees.
  • Marquis Grissom will not return as the Nationals' first base coach, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.

Olney On Lackey, Astros, Rangers, Doumit, Carroll

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In today's blog post at ESPN.com, Buster Olney writes about Michael Bourn, and how he went from hitting .218 with a .273 OBP in the first half of 2008 to hitting .285 with a .354 OBP in 2009 thanks to a suggestion from Astros' coach Dave Clark.

Here's a roundup of Olney's rumors…

  • The Angels last offer to John Lackey was a $72MM package, made earlier this year.
  • Olney's educated guess is that the Mariners are the best bet to sign Lackey, followed in order by the Angels, Brewers, Mets, Red Sox, and Yankees.
  • Olney hears that the Astros "are cutting payroll, and will have the flexibility to make only minor moves, such as getting a right-handed hitting third baseman, to platoon with Geoff Blum."
  • Tom Hicks is still trying to find a way to hold onto the Rangers, but bids from prospective buyers are due next week.
  • The Pirates "first made it clear" they were willing to deal Ryan Doumit before the trade deadline, while the Dodgers have been having "internal conversations" about bringing Jamey Carroll aboard as a utility infielder.

Odds & Ends: Lackey, Upton, De La Rosa, Wood

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Some more links to check out as you celebrate the end of the work week…

  • MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez confirms that the Red Sox did indeed meet with John Lackey's agent. This morning we learned that Boston expressed preliminary interest in the free agent hurler.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Rangers asked the Rays about outfielder B.J. Upton as part of their offseason routine, but no talks are ongoing.
  • Rockies' GM Dan O'Dowd said that they will only look at a one year deal for the arbitration eligible Jorge De La Rosa, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
  • ESPN's Keith Law writes that Indians' closer Kerry Wood could be a "nice pickup on the cheap for a team unwilling to go multiple years" on some of the free agent closers. Wood is owed $10.5MM in 2010, with an $11MM club option for 2011 that could vest based on games finished.
  • The Pirates intend to be more aggressive in Japan, says MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Picking up Akinori Iwamura will help put the team on the radar of Japanese players looking to come to the U.S.
  • ESPN's Peter Gammons writes about the impact of the economy on the free agent market, among other things.
  • Giants' prospect Angel Villalona had his visa revoked by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Villalona was charged with killing a man in the Dominican back in September.
  • Ben Kabak at River Ave. Blues takes a look at each of the Yankees' five arbitration eligible players.

Pirates Could Trade Doumit

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The latest update from Ken Rosenthal's and Jon Paul Morosi's blog at FOX Sports indicates that the Pittsburgh Pirates are willing to trade Ryan Doumit.

Rosenthal and Morosi hear that multiple teams asked about Doumit's availability at this week's GM meetings, and that the Pirates "would not hesitate" to move him for the right package.

The 28-year-old struggled through an injury-plagued 2009 campaign, posting a .250/.299/.414 line in only 75 games. He's just one year removed, however, from a .318/.357/.501 season in which he played almost exclusively behind the plate. His ability to play multiple positions (including catcher), combined with his power, could make him an attractive option to a handful of teams. The FOX report names the Giants, Mariners, and Rays as good fits, though it doesn't confirm that any of the three teams have expressed interest.

Odds & Ends: Astros, Schmidt, Callaspo

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A few Thursday evening links to browse through….

Giants, Pirates Interested In Igarashi

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The San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates are among the teams interested in Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi, according to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker.

Giants GM Brian Sabean says that while Igarashi isn't their main priority, he's someone they're "looking into." Meanwhile, Pittsburgh GM Neil Huntington says that acquiring Akinori Iwamura was a factor in their interest in Igarashi: "In acquiring Iwamura, we opened the door to getting Japanese players. We gave up a middle reliever to get Iwamura, so he [Igarashi] is a player we have interest in."

Igarashi is represented by Arn Tellem and the Wasserman Media Group, which Tim profiled earlier today.

Click here for more information on the 30-year-old reliever.

Odds & Ends: Smoltz, Holliday, Varitek, Tejada

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Let's round up a few more links in a busy day of rumors….

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