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Oliver Perez Rumors: Tuesday

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4:57pm: Just to hammer the point home, Brewers GM Doug Melvin responded "absolutely not" when asked if he’s in on Perez.

4:02pm: Anthony Rieber’s source says the Mets are "a little bit closer" to signing Perez, but they’re maintaining dialogue with Ben Sheets, Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland.  Rieber says the Mets have shown a willingness to go to four years for Perez.

1:34pm: Heyman says the Mets remain the favorite for Perez, even though talks slowed in the last day or two.  The Mets’ offer exceeds three years and $30MM.

9:02am: Tom Haudricourt finds the Brewers-Perez connection to be Scott Boras propaganda – the Brewers don’t like his price and don’t want to give up a draft pick.

8:14am: Matthew Cerrone passes along a Jon Heyman MLB Network report of rumblings that the Rangers and Brewers may be in on Oliver Perez.  The Mets remain the favorite.

At 27, Perez is the youngest free agent starter this year.  However, I imagine a four-year deal would still be a tough sell for the Rangers or Brewers.

Wolf Makes Sense For Dodgers

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Yesterday, we did a write-up on a Gammons post that said Randy Wolf, Jon Garland and Braden Looper were all receiving similar offers in the $5MM-a-year range. A report this evening conflicts with that notion.

Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News says Garland does not fit the Dodgers’ budget, but Wolf does. In reference to Wolf, Jackson writes: "Sounds to me like this is the guy the Dodgers are going to end up with."

Astros Pulled Offer To Wolf

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Many people have felt that Randy Wolf grossly misread the market this offseason, by rejecting a three-year, $28.5MM offer from the Astros early on. According to Ken Rosenthal, however, Wolf didn’t even have time to reject that offer before Houston pulled it off the table, citing the economy as a reason:

"Wolf told me Saturday night that he was close to re-signing with the Astros in late November when the team abruptly pulled its offer, citing a changing economic climate.

Astros general manager Ed Wade confirmed Wolf’s account, saying the team was ’fully engaged in negotiations and had to stop. It had nothing to do with a lack of interest on our part or Randy’s part.’"

Rosenthal reiterates that the Dodgers are currently the leading suitor for Wolf’s services, but they’re still talking with Jon Garland and Braden Looper as well. The Mets could be another fit, but are focused on Oliver Perez.

Wolf may have to settle for a one-year deal, and if he does, it will almost certainly be at a lower rate than the $9.5MM the Astros initially offered. Rosenthal points out that would mean the downturn in the economy could cost Wolf upwards of $20MM. That could be ok for Wolf, though, who explicitly states that signing for him isn’t about who offers the most money – his goal is to pitch in October.

Gammons On Pitching: Wolf, Garland, Looper

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In a blog post that leads off with a discussion of the effect of the WBC on pitching, Peter Gammons offers up a quick update on a few back-end starting pitchers.

According to Gammons, Randy Wolf, Jon Garland, and Braden Looper are all receiving similar offers at this point: roughly $5 million per year, plus options and incentives.

Gammons also mentions that Wolf in particular was not close to a deal with any particular team as of Friday, perhaps adding his two cents to the recently debunked rumor that the pitcher was close to signing with the Dodgers.

Mets Offer Perez Revised Contract

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According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Mets have offered another contract to Oliver Perez. They already offered a deal that appeared to be for three years and about $30MM, but the Mets are "believed to have improved" their first offer. Earlier today we heard that the Mets might be willing to add a fourth year to their offer.

The Mets are still talking with representatives for Randy Wolf, Jon Garland and Ben Sheets, but Perez remains their top target.

D’Backs Focused On Jon Garland

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According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Diamondbacks "seem to be focusing now on free agent hurler Jon Garland."  Heyman says the D’Backs originally had their eye on Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling, but now believe they might be able to afford a younger pitcher.  The D’Backs struck out on Randy Johnson, Brad Penny, and Randy Wolf already.

Surprising to see no mention of Braden Looper, who was reportedly the next target.

Dodgers Intensify Talks With Wolf, Garland, Looper

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3:30pm: A bunch of reporters played telephone with Rosenthal’s "inside track" report on Wolf, saying the Dodgers were close to a deal.  You can see that Stark rejected that notion below, and Tony Jackson agrees that they are not close.

12:50pm: According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Dodgers have intensified their talks with free agent starters Randy Wolf, Jon Garland, and Braden Looper.  Stark says that rather than favoring Wolf, the Dodgers have equal interest in all three and hope to sign one within a few days.  He adds that the Dodgers haven’t spoken to Wolf’s agent Arn Tellem in several days.

Stark says the Dodgers continue to pursue Dennys Reyes, Luis Ayala, and Russ Springer, and plan to take care of their pitching staff before addressing Manny Ramirez.

Dodgers Are Lead Suitors For Wolf

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According to Ken Rosenthal, major league sources say the Dodgers have the "inside track" on signing Randy Wolf. Such a deal would likely be for one or two years.

The Dodgers are talking with Jon Garland and Braden Looper as well as Wolf.

The Mets, who consider Wolf an alternative to Oliver Perez, are still talking with Ben Sheets and Pedro Martinez as well as Garland and Perez.

Phillies Unlikely To Add A Starter

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Chuck Hixson of PhillyBaseballNews.com recently asked Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. about free agent starters Braden Looper, Jon Garland, and Randy Wolf.  Amaro responded:

"I’d like to think that we’re at the point on our payroll, where those guys wouldn’t fit. We’re really kind of looking more for bullpen help.  We are looking at some guys from outside the organization to add some depth and experience for us in the bullpen."

Diamondbacks Continue to Strike Out

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As Nick Piecoro reports, Randy Wolf is the latest free agent starting pitcher to decline an offer from the D’backs this off-season. Brad Penny, Randy Johnson, and Jon Garland are some of the others who have already indicated their desire to pursue other options.

Not much is known about the offer made to Penny, but Johnson was apparently offered a one-year deal in the $2-3MM range, and Garland is rumored to have been offered both a one-year deal that included two option years and a guaranteed two-year deal worth at least $13 million.

Piecoro notes that the rapidity with which Arizona appears to be cycling through its options could turn out to be an effective strategy for getting the right player at the right price. Pedro Martinez, perhaps? Of course, this is all assuming that they can get someone to actually say yes.

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