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Corey Hart

Players Tendered Contracts

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Midnight ET is the non-tender deadline, so we'll keep track of all the players who are offered and/or agreed to contracts today in this post. Keep coming back throughout the day for updates.

Mets, Brewers Discussing Maine For Hart

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9:36am: Haudricourt says not to put much stock into this rumor, since the Mets are looking to add pitching.  SI's Jon Heyman wonders if Hart-Maine could happen if the Mets sign Randy Wolf first.  Of course, both clubs are after Wolf.

6:58am: Tom Haudricourt adds that it's important to remember that there are countless deals discussed at the Winter Meetings that never go anywhere; hearing a rumor like this doesn't mean we should immediately expect it to happen.  However, Haudricourt also lends credibility to the rumor by pointing out Maine's connection to new Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson.

1:55am: Joel Sherman provides us with a new rumor, stating that he's learned the Mets and Brewers are discussing a swap of John Maine and Corey Hart. He adds that the Mets are also discussing Kevin Millwood with the Rangers.

Maine and Hart both had down years in 2009, as Maine found himself limited to just 81.1 innings due to injury, while Hart posted a line of .260/.335/.418 and watched his slugging percentage continue to trend downward for the second straight season.

Both players will be arbitration eligible for the second time this season. Maine made $2.6MM last year while Hart earned $3.25MM.

The Brewers would likely welcome the chance to add an arm, though Maine's injuries the past two seasons have to be a red flag. In a similar vein, while Hart has shown in the past that he can be the power-hitting, right-handed corner outfielder the Mets want, his .418 slugging percentage and 12 HR in 2009 are a long way removed from his 24 HR and .539 slugging percentage of 2007.

Matt Murton Sold To Hanshin Tigers

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5:28pm: Murton's rights were sold to the Hanshin Tigers, explains MLB.com's Thomas Harding.

2:32pm: The Rockies released outfielder Matt Murton so he can pursue a career in Japan, according to FOX Sports.  Murton, 28, hit .324/.389/.499 in Triple A this year and would've been arbitration-eligible.  Murton is a known MLBTR reader; we wish him the best of luck!

The FOX report goes on to suggest that the Rockies might now have to retain arb-eligible outfielder Ryan Spilborghs, but (oddly) they've inquired on Corey Hart in case they do move him.

No Active Millwood Talk For Brewers

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Earlier today, it was reported that the Brewers have inquired about Kevin Millwood's availability. MLB.com's Adam McCalvy says that while that may very well be true, it hasn't been anytime recently. According to McCalvy, Rangers GM Jon Daniels says he hasn't spoken with Brewers GM Doug Melvin in weeks.

Despite a lack of active talks, McCalvy states that the Rangers remain a possible trade target for the Brewers, even if Millwood isn't involved, due to their depth of options at starting pitching. While many teams would like to try to pull Tommy Hunter or Derek Holland away though, the Rangers would be more inclined to deal someone like Brandon McCarthy, writes McCalvy.

Whether or not Milwaukee is a match for Texas is yet to be seen. Texas would like to add a right-handed bat, but the best Milwaukee will be able to offer is Corey Hart, who is coming off a disappointing 2009 season. The Rangers interest in Hart may be dependent on whether or not free agent Marlon Byrd finds himself back in Texas next season.

McCalvy feels that the Rangers are likely to hold onto Millwood this winter and build their rotation around him and Scott Feldman. It's not hard, however, to see the logic behind dealing a 35-year-old coming off his best season since 2005. And, as McCalvy points out, the Brewers have been linked to Millwood in the past.

Odds & Ends: Scutaro, Fielder, Bowden

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Some links on this Friday evening:

  • Daniel Barbarisi of The Providence Journal talks about the Red Sox shortstop search and concludes that Marco Scutaro is their best option.  The article mentions a few other possibilities, including Brewers infielder Felipe Lopez.  The 30-year-old is coming off of a career year but hasn't played shortstop regularly since 2007, when he posted a UZR/150 of -12.3.
  • In a column for CBSSports.com, Larry Dobrow lays out his suggestions for the Brewers this winter.  Dowbrow urges the club to lay the groundwork for a Prince Fielder deal and cash in their trade chips, Corey Hart and Mat Gamel.
  • Hey American League fans, ever wonder what Jim Bowden would do if he were your team's GM?  Well, wonder no more because with the help of his Amazing Technicolor Dreamtie, he lays out the moves he would make for several AL teams for FOX Sports.  Amongst other things, Bowden pushes the Yankees to beat Boston to the punch and deal Joba Chamberlain, Brett Gardner, and Ian Kennedy to the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay.

Braves Looking For Lowe Suitors

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6:36pm: MLB.com's Mark Bowman responds to Rosenthal's report, writing that even though they view the Brewers as a potential trade partner, the Braves aren't interested in Hart. If Atlanta were to work out a deal with the Brewers or Angels, Bowman thinks they might be more likely to trade for prospects than a major-league outfielder.

5:58pm: The Atlanta Braves are shopping Derek Lowe, but not having much success so far, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Rosenthal suggests that Lowe's contract situation (he'll make $15MM in each of the next three years) and his 2009 struggles (4.67 ERA in 34 starts) are discouraging teams' interest in the right-hander. The Braves, however, are still optimistic, believing that John Lackey is the only free agent starter on this year's market more appealing than the 36-year-old Lowe.

Rosenthal names the Angels and White Sox as potential trade partners. According to his sources though, the most serious discussions the Braves have had about Lowe were with the Milwaukee Brewers, involving Corey Hart. It doesn't sound like those talks are necessarily dead, but the Brewers would expect Atlanta to take on a large chunk of Lowe's salary, and even then aren't entirely sure they'd want him.

Brewers Owner Acknowledges Fielder Could Be Dealt

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Brewers owner Mark Attanasio believes that Prince Fielder is at his maximum trade-market value right now, writes Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  Fielder is due to receive $10.5MM on the back end of a two-year $18MM agreement and is hitting .297/.406/.596 with 43 HRs.  With that level of production and a reasonable contract, Fielder could fetch an awful lot – especially from AL squads that could put him at DH.

While Attanasio says that he doesn't like thinking about the Brewers sans Fielder, he also acknowledged that one player's strong performance doesn't automatically translate into wins.

At the same time, the Brewers clearly hit a string of bad luck as they lost Rickie Weeks in May and saw their pitching flounder with a team ERA of 4.75 – the fourth worst in the majors.  It's logical to think that the Brewers will see a marked improvement from their club if they stand pat, stay healthy and get better performances out of J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart.

Is it in Milwaukee's best interest to dangle Fielder this winter?  Or would they instead be better off keeping the 25-year-old and looking to improve by other means?  Should they consider signing him to a long-term deal?  Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.

Brewers Face Plenty Of Roster Decisions

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After a tremendous run last year that resulted in the club's first playoff berth in a quarter-century, the Brewers sat 13.5 GB of a playoff spot coming into today's action, and sport the National League's worst starting rotation thanks to their 5.22 ERA. As Adam McCalvy of MLB.com writes, the club has a ton of roster decisions to make this offseason, although GM Doug Melvin says "We've got a lot of decisions, and none of them will be discussed until the end of the season."

Some of the issues facing the Brew Crew this offseason are…

  • Impending Free Agents: Trevor Hoffman, Claudio Vargas, Mike Cameron, Felipe Lopez, Jason Kendall, Craig Counsell, Frank Catalanotto, and Corey Patterson will all be free agents after the season. The clubs holds a $3.7MM option for David Weathers next year ($400K buyout), and there's a $6.5MM mutual option for Braden Looper ($1MM buyout) that McCalvy says the club "will almost certainly pick up."
  • Arbitration Eligibles: Dave Bush, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks, Seth McClung, J.J. Hardy, Jody Gerut, and Todd Coffey are all eligible for salary arbitration. Coffey, who's been the club's primary setup man, figures to get a nice raise over his current $800K salary.
  • Starting Pitching: As I mentioned earlier, Milwaukee sports the NL's worst starting staff. McCalvy reports that "Melvin promised this week that he would be much more aggressive this winter in his search for answers," and that the club might take a "little more chances and risks" than they're accustomed to taking.

The Brewers also have questions about the key up-the-middle positions. They have to sort out the Hardy-Alcides Escobar situation at short, and decide whether to try and retain Lopez or give Weeks another shot at second base duty. Cameron and Kendall have both made it clear they'd like to return, but those decisions will have to wait until the winter.

Milwaukee also must figure out third base, and whether Mat Gamel or Casey McGehee deserves the job. Prince Fielder has the other corner infield spot locked down, and is under contract for $10.5MM next year before being arbitration eligible in 2011, his final year before free agency. McCalvy also mentions that manager Ken Macha faces a lame-duck year next season, and that Melvin is fielding questions about whether another managerial change may be in order.

Rosenthal On Vazquez, Hairston, Teahen

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Javier Vazquez has more value than any available hitter. Here are the details and the rest of Rosenthal's rumors:

  • Not even Matt Holliday or Corey Hart would be fair value for Vazquez, so Rosenthal asks why the Braves would want to trade him at all.
  • The Mets inquired on Scott Hairston, who could have been an affordable stopgap, but balked when the Padres asked for Bobby Parnell.
  • The Marlins offered Gaby Sanchez for Manny Delcarmen, but the Red Sox weren't interested.  
  • The Mariners, Tigers and Rays weren't far from agreeing to a deal that would have sent Edwin Jackson to Seattle and J.J. Putz to Detroit last offseason.  
  • Kevin Towers compares Rule 5 pick Everth Cabrera to Rafael Furcal. 
  • The Royals "do not seem terribly inclined" to deal Mark Teahen.  
  • The Pirates covet Eric Young Jr. of the Rockies.  
  • Some predict that the distribution of amateur talent- through the draft and international signings- will be the biggest issue in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Brewers, Braves Not Discussing Vazquez

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4:35pm: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke with Brewers GM Doug Melvin and heard that the two teams are not discussing a trade for Vazquez.

3:40pm: The Brewers heard Ryan Braun's plea for help and they have responded. They called the Braves about Javier Vazquez, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. However, Atlanta likely won't part with Vazquez in a deal that doesn't bring back Mat Gamel or Alcides Escobar, a pair of youngsters Brewers GM Doug Melvin has repeatedly deemed untouchable. Buster Olney said this weekend that the Brewers wouldn't be able to acquire Vazquez for Corey Hart alone.

The Brewers need pitching and the Braves have rotation depth, as Tim Hudson's expected to return next month. However, Braves GM Frank Wren won't make a deal unless he's "overwhelmed," as Vazquez is a major trade chip in a pitching-thin market. Vazquez makes $11.5MM this year and next and he can't be traded to any Western division team without his permission.
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