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Winter Meetings Previews

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We’ve added a few new Winter Meetings preview to the collection…

  • Yahoo’s Tim Brown runs through plans for all of the American and National League teams.
  • Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post says the Rockies are all about left-handed relief help.  They’ve got several trade chips to work with.
  • Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the Phillies covered.  You know the plan: starting pitcher, outfielder.
  • Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reminds us of the Cardinals’ wish list: starter, closer, lefthanded reliever.  Arthur Rhodes would fit, but he’s leaning toward the Reds.  Strauss wonders if John Mozeliak can match up with the Blue Jays to find relief help.
  • The Twins still want to add a shortstop or third baseman according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, though several options have already been eliminated.  Neal summarizes the players on the radar.  The Twins are also looking for bullpen help.
  • Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune discusses the Padres.  Kevin Towers will keep the Jake Peavy talks going with the Cubs while also searching for a shortstop and veteran catcher.
  • Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reminds us that Peavy and a left-handed hitting outfielder are on the Cubs’ wish list.  The bat comes first, says Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star says Dayton Moore has already accomplished his main goals, and now looks to replenish his right-handed relief.  The Royals would also like to add a proven middle infielder and seem to have a glut of corner/DH types.
  • Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and Jack Magruder of the East Valley Tribune analyze the Diamondbacks.  Josh Byrnes seeks a second baseman, left-handed reliever, and pitching in general.  Miguel Montero is the top trade chip.  They have about $10MM to spend, less if Brandon Lyon accepts arbitration.
  • Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News says the Rangers could trade Gerald Laird, Hank Blalock, Kevin Millwood, or Vicente Padilla.
  • Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel talked to Doug Melvin about C.C. Sabathia, who still hasn’t reacted to their offer.  If Sabathia and Ben Sheets leave, Melvin could add two starters.  Melvin also said it’d be too risky to trade J.J. Hardy and start Alcides Escobar at short.  Rickie Weeks has drawn interest, but Melvin would require "a pretty good hitter" in return.  Mike Cameron is a more likely trade chip.  As for the team’s closer search, Melvin doesn’t expect to be in on the big names.
  • Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post says the Marlins probably won’t steal headlines at these Winter Meetings as they did in ’07.  Still, Jorge Cantu, Matt Treanor, and Jeremy Hermida may be dealt.  The Fish have been "actively shopping" Treanor and Hermida.  The Marlins have mild interest in free agents Ivan Rodriguez and Carl Pavano.
  • Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune says Ken Williams has asked the Reds about Homer Bailey.  Could the Reds match up for Jermaine Dye?  The White Sox hope to add more MLB-ready starting pitching and maybe a backup catcher.
  • The Orioles need starting pitching, with a slew of names under consideration according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun: A.J. Burnett, Paul Byrd, Jon Garland, Mark Hendrickson, Braden Looper, Randy Wolf, Kenshin Kawakami, Koji Uehara, Bartolo Colon, and Matt Clement.  The O’s also hope to extend Brian Roberts, trade Ramon Hernandez, and find a shortstop.  They have interest in Adam Everett.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASN Online explains what it’s like for a reporter at the Meetings.

Giants Sign Renteria?

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11:24pm: Henry Schulman says Renteria took a physical for the Giants today and "a deal appears to be done."

9:26pm: Renteria’s (other?) agent Jeff Lane told MLB.com’s Chris Haft, "We’re very close to a deal."

7:51pm: Jon Paul Morosi also talked to Meister, who said the Giants are making "substantial progress" toward signing Renteria.  Henry Schulman gets the vibe the Giants might announce a deal with him tomorrow.

4:49pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Giants asked the Brewers about J.J. Hardy, but Milwaukee doesn’t want to move him. So Brian Sabean moved on to Cantu.

4:12pm: Brian Sabean told reporters he hopes to sign a free agent infielder later this week.

3:42pm: Jon Heyman chimes in; he also thinks a two-year deal could be completed soon.  Heyman says the Giants have yet to decide whether to target C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, or Manny Ramirez.  Are we seeing a shift back to the win-now plan in San Francisco?

1:53pm: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick talked to Renteria’s agent Barry Meister, who said they’re "much, much closer" to a deal with the Giants but "nothing is done."  Crasnick’s source says it could be in the two-year, $18MM range.

12:58pm: According to Yahoo’s Tim Brown, the Giants "believe they are closing in on signing shortstop Edgar Renteria."  Brown also says the Giants have discussed trading Jonathan Sanchez to the Marlins for Jorge Cantu.  That’d be a steal for the Marlins, who plucked Cantu off the scrap heap in January for a half-million bucks.

Brown adds that the Cubs remain in the mix for Jake Peavy, and they have two possible matches for a third team in the deal (the Orioles being one).

Schulman On The Giants

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Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle gives us a look at what the Giants’ offseason plans look like right now.

  • For one, they’d like to upgrade at shortstop. However, the Giants’ current pursuit of Rafael Furcal would be "impacted," says Schulman, by any deal that sends Jake Peavy to Atlanta. It’s expected the Braves would get in on the bidding for Furcal if Peavy were acquired. By "impacted," I’m going to assume this means the Giants would be much less interested in the free agent shortstop.
  • Second, they need an impact bat for the middle of the order. There seems to be "some dialog" between the Giants and Brewers regarding Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy. However, Schulman notes that teams across the league, the Brewers included, are hesitant to give up everyday players in exchange for anything but top-tier pitching.
  • As for pitching, the Giants are keeping an eye on Japanese starting pitcher Kenshin Kawakami, and will give Keiichi Yabu another shot at a spot in the bullpen this spring.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Hardy, Flowers, Wolf

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Another day, another column from Ken Rosenthal.

  • With multiple vacancies in the rotation and bullpen, the Brewers may need to see what kind of pitching Mike Cameron and/or J.J. Hardy can bring in return.  GM Doug Melvin is not ready to shop Hardy.  He’s received interest, but most teams have not given names (one team suggested swapping him for a pitcher Melvin termed, "a fifth starter.")
  • The Padres have asked the Braves to substitute catcher Tyler Flowers for center fielder Gorkys Hernandez in their Jake Peavy offer.  Dave O’Brien sees this as unlikely.
  • If they can’t sign Mark Teixeira, the Angels are ready to shift gears to C.C. Sabathia, Francisco Rodriguez, or other players.  The idea of a Manny Ramirez pursuit was "tabled rather quickly."
  • The Cardinals plan to add one or two lefthanded relievers, probably free agents.
  • In his quest for righthanded power, Reds GM Walt Jocketty inquired on Matt Holliday and Josh Willingham before they were traded.  Purely speculative – Jermaine Dye could be a nice fit.
  • At least half a dozen teams have expressed interest in free agent starter Randy Wolf.

Twins Rumors: Blake, Escobar, Hardy

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Joe Christensen has an update on the Twins’ search for help on the left side of the infield. Minnesota is one of seven teams interested in Casey Blake, according to Blake’s agent Jim McDowell.

Blake hit .274/.345/.463 last year for the Indians and Dodgers this year. He’s been released twice by the Twins, but he could come back to stabilize their third base situation.

Christensen has sources who suggest that the Twins are also targeting Yunel Escobar and J.J. Hardy in trades. If no deal is made, they could re-sign Nick Punto, who played 61 games at shortstop in 2008.

The Twins are also interested in trading for Garrett Atkins, who’s six years younger than Blake.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Fielder, Beimel, Eckstein

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Ken Rosenthal is on the scene at the GM meetings, and as usual has all kinds of new info.

  • The Brewers are unlikely to trade Prince Fielder, and reluctant to trade J.J. Hardy or Alcides Escobar.  It’d be smart to retain those three players.
  • Rosenthal still likes the Braves as the favorite for Jake Peavy, but wonders if the Cubs or another team could incorporate a third team to get it done.
  • The Cubs will need to spend much of their available money on pitching, which may leave little payroll room for an outfielder like Bobby Abreu.  They could backload contracts and move some of Jason Marquis’ salary though.
  • The Mets are interested in lefty reliever Joe Beimel, as well as usual suspects Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, and Kerry Wood.  They also like Raul Ibanez.
  • The Cardinals could move forward with a Ryan Ludwick/Colby Rasmus/Rick Ankiel outfield, or trade one of them.  Ankiel, entering his contract year, seems most likely to go if Rasmus is ready.
  • David Eckstein is marketing himself as a second baseman for 2009.
  • Don’t look for the Phillies to move Shane Victorino in a Matt Holliday deal.
  • The Cardinals and Nationals are not contenders for A.J. Burnett.  Still no word on Burnett’s opt-out.
  • The Marlins may wait until some of the top free agent starters sign before shopping Scott Olsen.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Peavy Suitors, Lowe, Cardinals, Marlins

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Ken Rosenthal has a new column up, focusing largely on suitors for Jake Peavy, but also touching on some other news at the end… so let’s take a look!

  • Rosenthal states that the following teams have been speculated to be suitors for the Padres’ ace: Braves, Angels, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Cardinals, Brewers, Rays, Rangers. While all of these are not serious possibilities, he elaborates on each team. He mentions Yunel Escobar as a likely centerpiece from Atlanta, and states that the Angels would love to acquire a frontline starter to allow them to send Ervin Santana and/or Joe Saunders to Colorado in a deal for Matt Holliday and/or Garrett Atkins. Rosenthal states that Howie Kendrick could be a big part of any trade, but his health seems like too serious of a concern to me. Rosenthal speculates on the possibility of a dominant rotation for the Yankees if they traded for Peavy and signed C.C. Sabathia. One rival executive’s speculative package for Boston included Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, and Justin Masterson. The Padres will likely charge the Dodgers considerably more for Peavy’s service, as they are division rivals. He lists Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy as a possible centerpiece for a Milwaukee blockbuster, but also points out that Ben Sheets has made the Brewers wary of injury concerns. The other teams don’t seem to match up well, in Rosenthal’s opinion.
  • Rosenthal says that he was wrong in stating that Derek Lowe would prefer to remain on the West Coast. Lowe has now told him that he’d prefer to go East, with Boston being his top choice. He reiterated this desire to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.
  • The Cardinals prefer a short-term solution for their closer situation, and will likely give Chris Perez the ninth inning job, or seek a lower-budget option through the trade market. They may also trade a young outfielder for an established bat at a corner OF position.
  • Kevin Gregg is still likely to be traded (perhaps an option for St. Louis), and four teams have asked Florida about Jeremy Hermida. Rosenthal speculates that the Marlins will begin 2009 with Cameron Maybin in center field and Cody Ross in right.

Heyman’s Latest: Sabathia, Hardy, Manny

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Let’s take a look at Jon Heyman’s column from yesterday.

  • The Yankees will go "all in" for C.C. Sabathia.  Heyman sees the Dodgers, Mets, and Giants as other possible suitors.
  • Heyman dismisses a rumor of J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, and another player for Matt Cain.
  • He predicts a "feeding frenzy" for Hardy.  I’m with Heyman though, I wouldn’t be quick to trade him this winter.
  • Heyman talked to a GM who feels the Mets will go after Boras client Manny Ramirez.  If the five-year demand is accurate, the list of suitors will probably shrink significantly.
  • Manny quote: "I gotta thank Scott for bringing me to L.A."  Hmmm.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Vlad, Cano, Peavy, Hardy

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Today we have a fresh column from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

  • Vladimir Guerrero’s $15MM option for ’09 is a lock, but perhaps the Angels will reconsider extending him beyond that.  Some of the money could be used to make Mark Teixeira the next franchise player.
  • Rosenthal says "virtually every club with a need at the position" has shown interest in second baseman Robinson Cano.  If you give Cano a mulligan for April, he hit .297/.326/.448 in 2008.  That seems like a reasonable American League projection going forward.  Cano, 26 in a few weeks, is signed through 2011 with two club options beyond that.  The Yankees would look for a starting pitcher in return.
  • Rosenthal agrees the Padres will explore the trade market for ace Jake Peavy.  He expects Kevin Towers to wait until the big-name free agent starters sign, which will accentuate the relative affordability of Peavy’s contract (basically four years, $63MM).
  • Rosenthal says Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy knows he is likely to be traded to make room for prospect Alcides Escobar.  It’d be a reasonable move, but only if Escobar proves he is a capable replacement.
  • Pat Gillick told Rosenthal he will not be returning as Phillies GM next year, despite recent speculation.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Huff, Hardy, Russ Ortiz

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column up.

  • Mark Attanasio set a dangerous precedent by firing Ned Yost.  Will he interfere with GM Doug Melvin’s plans in the future?
  • Rosenthal considers Aubrey Huff a "highly desirable trade commodity" this winter.  That begs the question – why did Huff pass through waivers unclaimed in August?
  • Trading J.J. Hardy is more likely than moving him to third base.  Hardy is under team control for two more seasons.  The Jays, Tigers, Royals, Twins, Giants, Dodgers, and Cardinals could be in the market for a shortstop.  Demand certainly outstrips supply.
  • Rosenthal believes Rafael Furcal would be a nice fit for the Blue Jays.  He agrees that GM J.P. Ricciardi is likely to return.
  • The Orioles might prefer affordable veterans to A.J. Burnett as they try to improve their pitching staff this winter.
  • Russ Ortiz wants to pitch in 2009, and he worked out for ten days a week ago.  ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick first reported the workout yesterday.  He says the Royals, Astros, Brewers, and Red Sox had scouts at the audition. 
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