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C.C. Sabathia

Jake Peavy Rumors: Wednesday

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8:36pm: MLB.com’s Corey Brock learned from Towers that he should know one way or another on a Peavy trade by the end of the Meetings.  Towers now believes a fourth team will be required.  Towers mentioned that Marquis and DeRosa may be hangups, especially Marquis’ contract.  Though he’d prefer not to, under certain circumstances the Padres might pay some of his salary.

There was some goofy Carlos Carrasco/Jason Donald stuff we didn’t link to today, and that was shot down.  Brock suggests names like Josh Vitters, Felix Pie, and Kevin Hart could be involved on the Cubs’ part.

8:31pm: Jayson Stark says Peavy to the Cubs doesn’t seem inevitable anymore, and the sides have not made progress in the last 24 hours.  The Cubs have leverage, so they’ve dug in their heels.  Stark adds that once word of the possible inclusion of DeRosa linked, Jim Hendry has been "bombarded with calls from other clubs interested" in him.  Hendry does not want to trade DeRosa.

6:00pm: Buster Olney says the Yankees have talked with the Padres recently about Peavy, but it didn’t go anywhere.

5:19pm: Brock talked to a Padres source who does not believe the Twins are involved.

4:10pm: Buster Olney says Axelrod left the Meetings with no word of a deal but the expectation is still that the Cubs will get it done.

3:48pm: Tom Krasovic reminds us that Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod said going into the Meetings that the Yankees would be more attractive to his client if they signed C.C. Sabathia.  Still, Peavy prefers the NL.

3:17pm: Corey Brock says the Phillies might want Scott Hairston from the Padres to use in left field.

2:33pm: Carrie Muskat’s Cubs source says DeRosa will not be traded.

9:45am: LEN3 says the Twins discussed DeRosa with the Cubs yesterday.  The Cubs will present the Twins with a list of pitchers they like, which will be influenced by the Padres’ preferences.

9:31am: There’s word from Jim Salisbury that pitcher Kyle Kendrick could be included in this three-team trade.

1:19am: If you dare to sort through yesterday’s Jake Peavy rumors, click here.  Today, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times maintains that the biggest obstacle is the Cubs moving part of Jason Marquis’ contract.  Another factor – the Padres will need to free up several spots on the 40-man roster.  The Cubs’ sale will not be an issue.

Wittenmyer adds that a Phillies official didn’t expect to get Mark DeRosa from the Cubs but rather other players.  Also, Cubs officials shot down the John Perrotto rumor that the Cubs might shop Carlos Zambrano after acquiring Peavy.

Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune also weighs in.  He says the Padres have discussed Phils catching prospect Jason Jaramillo.

Sabathia Signs With Yankees

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1:25pm: Sherman has more details on the Yankees’ talks with Sabathia.

12:49pm: Rosenthal talked to a rival exec who sees no upside to Sabathia’s opt-out clause.  I think it could benefit the Yankees if Sabathia performs decently in the third year but the Yanks do not feel he’ll be worth $92MM over the following four years.  But, opt-out clauses obviously favor the player.

10:50am: For the first time, Brewers GM Doug Melvin confirmed he offered five years and slightly more than $100MM to Sabathia.  Adding a sixth year was under serious consideration.  Tom Haudricourt also learned from Melvin that Sabathia wanted an opt-out clause no matter where he signed, and the Brewers were prepared to offer one.  Ken Rosenthal says the Brewers will not conduct a fire sale in the wake of Sabathia’s departure; Melvin intends to "scramble for pitching."

10:14am: Tim Brown and Gordon Edes of Yahoo report that the deal is for $161MM over seven years (which would top Johan’s average annual value). 

The deal has an opt-out clause after the first three years, which are worth $69MM.  The 31 year-old Sabathia will make his opt-out decision after the 2011 season with four years, $92MM remaining on the deal.  He would have to buck the opt-out trend (or renegotiate) to make this more than a three-year, $69MM deal for the Yankees.  That is not necessarily a bad thing for them.

8:07am: Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the deal is seven years for approximately $160MM – the fourth largest in MLB history.  If that’s the exact amount it’s a hair under the average annual value of Johan Santana’s deal.

7:53am: According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, C.C. Sabathia has chosen to accept the Yankees offer after his latest meeting with Brian Cashman.  The news first came in around 3:36am CST.

After three straight days of face-to-face meetings between GM Brian Cashman and Sabathia, the big lefty decided he wants to spend the next six years of his career as a Yankee. The decision came late last night after Cashman flew to see Sabathia at his home in San Francisco. By the time the meeting was concluded, Sabathia had informed the Yankees that he had made his decision to call New York his baseball home, the Post has learned.

Sherman says the deal is not finalized and that there are still "minor hurdles" to overcome. Sherman does not mention if the final offer was any different than the original six-year, $140MM offer or if the contract will require an opt-out clause as was previously speculated.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.  Tim Dierkes also contributed to this post.

C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Wednesday

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1:08am: Gordon Edes notes that Giants GM Brian Sabean told reporters he would not be willing to give Sabathia a sixth year on a contract.  They are the fallback option if the big lefty decides he wants to take less to pitch close to home.

12:25am: The big news on the C.C. Sabathia front is that Yankees GM Brian Cashman flew to San Francisco to visit with Sabathia for the third time in three days.  ESPN’s Jayson Stark says the visit is not about money and was initiated by Sabathia.  Some believe Cashman will attempt to sell Sabathia’s wife Amber on New York.

Stark talked to several baseball people who still don’t believe Sabathia wants to be in New York.  One predicted the Yanks would have to include an opt-out clause.  Also, Stark speaks of indications that the Dodgers told C.C. they might be interested if they can fill some of their other needs affordably.

C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Tuesday

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11:55pm: Joel Sherman has a source saying it’s possible Cashman could begin the process of finalizing a contract for Sabathia while in San Francisco.

Sherman notes that Cashman is looking at many other free agent starters as well, and is pushing to begin closing deals.

10:30pm: As you might imagine, Dan Graziano speaks of a breakthrough in the Yankees’ negotiations for Sabathia.

10:07pm: Jon Heyman talked to Angels owner Arte Moreno, who said, "I wouldn’t say we’re in the Sabathia picture at all."

9:14pm: Ken Davidoff and Kat O’Brien say Cashman bailed on his media session today to meet with Sabathia in San Francisco.  Cashman may want to meet Sabathia’s wife, who is obviously a factor in his decision.

9:13pm: Sabathia is a fallback position for the Giants, according to Brian Sabean. 

7:56pm: Doug Melvin says the Brewers have not increased their offer to Sabathia, nor have they decided that they won’t.  The ball is in Melvin’s court on whether to increase the offer.

6:30pm: Brian Sabean says reports of a weekend scheduled with Sabathia are false.

6:05pm: Danny Knobler says the Halos remain a serious player for Sabathia and could trade a pitcher like Jered Weaver for a bat if they sign him.

5:03pm: An update from Peter Gammons:

Some players have said the Angels have made it clear to Sabathia that they’ll guarantee him six years, but both sides say it is not true. Sabathia has not turned down the Yankees, either. He has offers from the Brewers, Angels and Red Sox, and the Giants have made it clear they will be in the bidding in certain circumstances.

4:45pm: According to Ken Davidoff, the Brewers do not intend to raise their offer to C.C.

4:32pm: Rosenthal says there’s no truth to the rumor that Sabathia declined the Yankees’ offer.

4:09pm: Baggarly talked to an exec close to the Sabathia talks who believes the Brewers are emerging as the frontrunner.

3:39pm: Joel Sherman doesn’t say anything about the Yanks’ offer being declined, but he does say the Yanks have heightened interest in A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe as Brian Cashman continues to wait on C.C.

3:24pm: Unconfirmed rumor from Andrew Baggarly: Sabathia declined the Yankees’ offer.  He still printed it though.  The Giants are expected to meet with Sabathia this weekend; they’d need to get creative to sign him.

2:21pm: Dan Graziano says Sabathia is convinced the Giants will become a serious bidder.

1:45pm: Tony Jackson’s heard word that Giants officials are "supremely confident" they’re going to sign Sabathia.

1:34pm: Sabathia apparently spent a lot of his time with the Yankees peppering them with lifestyle questions about New York, says Yahoo’s Jeff Passan.

12:11pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Giants intend to meet with C.C. Sabathia, perhaps in San Francisco this weekend.  They weren’t able to get together while Sabathia was in Vegas.

A.J. Burnett Rumors: Tuesday

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10:57pm: Heyman says the Yankees’ topped the Braves offer for Burnett by a few million dollars.  He says the Yanks apparently will attempt to sign all three top free agent starters – C.C. Sabathia, Derek Lowe, and Burnett.

8:34pm: J.P. Ricciardi says the Blue Jays won’t offer Burnett a five year deal or four years with an option.  Braunecker still won’t admit the Jays are out of it.

5:18pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Yankees are considering making a five-year offer to Burnett.  Dan Graziano believes Burnett has the personality to thrive in New York. 

3:21pm: Ken Rosenthal says it’s not out of the question that Burnett’s price could rise to five years, $100MM if the Yanks miss out on Sabathia.

3:06pm: ESPN’s Keith Law says Burnett is unlikely to sign this week, barring a major change.

2:14pm: Rosenthal says the Braves will meet with Braunecker again today.

2:07pm: Some talk from Braunecker via Amalie Benjamin:

Braunecker also said that about a half dozen clubs have "significant mutual interest" in Burnett, including one team that entered the fray in the last 72 hours and one that has essentially been eliminated from the mix.

1:23pm: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says the Yanks’ meeting with Burnett took place Monday night, and they’ll talk again today.  The Yankees are prepared to top Atlanta’s offer and wouldn’t mind signing both Burnett and C.C. Sabathia.

1:00pm: Joe McDonald of The Providence Journal says the Red Sox had "significant dialogue" with Burnett and he appears to be Boston’s main free agent pitching target.

12:26pm: Joel Sherman says the "Blue Jays have now acknowledged there is almost no way Burnett is returning," which J.P. Ricciardi pretty much said publicly a few days ago.  Sherman notes that they hope to sign Carl Pavano to a minor league deal.  He says the Jays are targeting an $83MM payroll, something I originally missed but Drunk Jays Fans didn’t.

11:15am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Brian Cashman hopes to meet with A.J. Burnett’s agent Darek Braunecker today.  The Yankees are expected to top Atlanta’s four-year, $60MM plus a vesting option bid.  The Braves seem willing to counter, though.

C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Monday

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11:12pm: Clarification of the earlier Colletti stuff from Tony Jackson: "What Colletti actually said was that Sabathia had made the Dodgers aware, not directly but through conversations with third parties, that he had a desire to pitch for them."

10:38pm: Heyman says the Red Sox talked parameters with Sabathia and "perhaps even" made an offer.  They’re not expected to beat the Yankees’ offer though.

Jeff Passan offers his take on the Brewers’ angle.

9:26pm: Rosenthal’s source says the Red Sox were just doing their due diligence in meeting with Sabathia.  The Sox are focused on Mark Teixeira.

9:19pm: The Giants say it’s "debatable" as to whether they’ll meet with Sabathia.  Andrew Baggarly indicates Brian Sabean implied they don’t plan to make a competitive offer to Sabathia.

9:14pm: Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash says Sabathia is not concerned about the makeup of the Brewers’ roster.  Doug Melvin does not believe they’d need to be too creative with a contract.

7:26pm: Dan Graziano says Sabathia requested both Yankees meetings, the second of which took place at the pitcher’s room at the Wynn.  Sabathia’s left Vegas, and didn’t give the Yanks a timetable.

7:17pm: Bill Shaikin talked to a Giants official who says they’re "definitively" not interested in Manny Ramirez.  They are, however, interested in Sabathia.

Abraham notes that Sabathia requested that second meet with the Yanks.

6:19pm: Peter Abraham learned from Brian Cashman that the Yanks met with Sabathia again today.

5:41pm: Sabathia’s meeting with Yankees officials lasted 2.5 hours yesterday, as he gathered information on the team and the city.  He told the Yankees he’s not delaying his decision due to a desire to pitch elsewhere; he just wants to gather the facts.

4:32pm: Sabathia apparently told Colletti he wants to be a Dodger?  Speaking to reporters, Colletti left it as a "possibility" the Dodgers could get involved.

4:12pm: Doug Melvin deems the opt-out and sixth year chatter "speculation" (despite the reports below and another from Phil Rogers).  But after meeting with Sabathia’s agents today, Melvin says the Brewers are still in it.  They’ll meet again later in the week.

Also, there’s an article making the rounds where Bill Madden quotes an industry source as saying Greg Genske is "dead as an agent" if Sabathia ends up signing for $120MM.

12:03pm: Joel Sherman says Brian Cashman brought Joe Girardi and Reggie Jackson along for their recent meeting with Sabathia.  Privately, the Yanks feel that Sabathia would be entirely invested in New York if he signs with them (despite his West Coast leanings).

11:49am: Jon Heyman has a Brewers update.  He says they’re open to adding a sixth year, bringing the total to $120MM (closer to $110MM with deferred money).  He also heard an opt-out clause could be added after two years.  Heyman says Sabathia hated having Spring Training in Florida, a slight mark against the Yankees.

10:30am: Dan Graziano was told yesterday that the Brewers added a sixth year to their Sabathia offer, but he admits there are conflicting reports on that.

9:33am: Buster Olney says to take it for what it’s worth, but his source says the meeting between Sabathia and the Yankees went "great."

8:44am: According to George King of the New York Post, the Brewers could offer C.C. Sabathia an opt-out clause after three seasons to entice him to sign (similar to the Blue Jays’ deal for A.J. Burnett).  At this time, only the Brewers and Yankees have offers on the table for Sabathia. King talked to a source who said in regard to the Giants, "It would have to be a total default position in terms of years and dollars."  Perhaps that indicates the Giants can’t really go beyond the Brewers’ five-year, $100MM offer.

A.J. Burnett Rumors: Monday

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9:57pm: Jerry Crasnick says the Red Sox met with Braunecker today and are "right there in the mix with Atlanta and the Yankees for Burnett."

6:37pm: Dave O’Brien is getting indications Burnett could make a decision this week and not wait for Sabathia.  But O’Brien believes it’d take a five-year offer (no vesting option) for him to do that.

6:15pm: Heyman agrees, suggesting a forthcoming Yankee offer for Burnett in the four-year, $64MM range.

5:38pm: Jerry Crasnick and Jayson Stark believe the Yankees want to meet with Burnett’s agent, and may be willing to offer more guaranteed money than Atlanta did.  The Braves apparently guaranteed $60MM over four years and added a vesting option.  Burnett and Derek Lowe hope to wait until C.C. Sabathia signs.

3:56pm: ESPN’s Peter Gammons says Burnett’s agents feel talks are progressing with the Braves.

11:54am: According to Ken Rosenthal, free agent starter A.J. Burnett talked to former teammate Carl Pavano about the Yankees.  Pavano did not steer Burnett away, despite his poor experience.

Colletti Frustrated With Manny Situation

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9:44pm: Jayson Stark says Boras requested a meeting with the Dodgers for Tuesday, presumably to discuss Manny.  However, Danny Knobler suggests negotiations for Manny will be handled by Frank McCourt.

3:34pm: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti seems frustrated with the Manny Ramirez situation, based on quotes obtained by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick:

"I just find it curious.  We made an offer and never heard back. We made an arbitration offer and never heard back. Maybe we have to look into the communications we’re using."

It seems that Scott Boras didn’t seriously consider accepting either offer, given the complete lack of communication.  Colletti will continue trying to fill the team’s other needs.

Colletti was chatty with reporters; Joel Sherman has more.  The Dodgers have moved on from Derek Lowe and are past the possibility of Jason Varitek.  C.C. Sabathia doesn’t sound like a priority for Colletti, while Rafael Furcal remains on the radar.  And of course a deal may be close with Casey Blake.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Burnett, Garland, Aurilia

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8:22pm: John Mozeliak said tonight the Cardinals never engaged with Burnett’s agent.  A commitment of more than two years to a free agent starter is extremely unlikely.

3:40pm: Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says it’s "not true" that the Cardinals are players for Burnett.

8:30am: The latest from Ken Rosenthal:

  • The Cardinals are a serious bidder for A.J. Burnett.  They also pursued him back in 2005.  The Blue Jays would get the Cardinals’ #19 pick next June if they sign him.  However, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently wrote that the Cards "are not expected to pursue the free agent pool’s bigger fish: C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe."
  • The Mets have Jon Garland on the radar.  Jerry Crasnick likes Garland as a fit for the Cards.
  • The Brewers haven’t decided to increase their offer to C.C. Sabathia at this time, and won’t consider it until they meet with the big lefty.  A meeting is scheduled; Sabathia may grill the Brewers about their other offseason plans.  Rosenthal thinks Kerry Wood might make the most sense among free agent closers.
  • The Mets, Indians, and Cardinals are interested in J.J. Putz.
  • The Cubs are eyeing Rich Aurilia, but only if they happen to move Ronny Cedeno or Mike Fontenot.
  • The Nationals "aren’t terribly enamored" of Willy Taveras, contrary to previous reports.  The Nats instead have Carlos Gonzalez in their sights.
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