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Rangers Rumors: Byrd, Valverde, Littleton

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We haven’t discussed the Rangers much lately.  Let’s take a look at the latest from MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (here and here).  Hat tip: The Newberg Report.

  • The interest shown in Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla has been "tentative at best."
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels wants Clay Buchholz from the Red Sox for one of his catchers, but Sullivan says the Sox made it clear Buchholz is not available under any circumstances.  Sullivan suggests the Sox might be more inclined to trade Justin Masterson or Michael Bowden if they bolster their minor league pitching depth by signing Junichi Tazawa.
  • Sullivan wonders if swapping John Mayberry Jr. for Greg Golson gives the Rangers the outfield depth to trade Marlon Byrd (perhaps because Golson is capable of playing center field).
  • A club official told Sullivan it’s "doubtful" that the Rangers would be interested in Jose Valverde.
  • Wes Littleton has drawn trade interest; he was designated for assignment last week.

Looking Beyond Varitek

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According to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, a slew of catchers are being shopped to the Red Sox.  Among them: Jeff Mathis, Mike Napoli, Brian Schneider, Miguel Montero, John Buck, Ramon Hernandez, Bengie Molina, Carlos Santana, Kelly Shoppach, Victor Martinez, Jesus Flores, Kenji Johjima, Jeff Clement, Yorvit Torrealba, and the Rangers’ guys.  Silverman says the Braves, Cardinals, and Rays also have catchers available.  It seems that teams are asking for players like Justin Masterson, Clay Buchholz, or Lars Anderson in some cases.

On the Jason Varitek front, Scott Boras told the AP yesterday that he’s had no financial discussions with the Red Sox.  He expects the matter to be discussed after Thanksgiving.  Curt Schilling commented last week about Varitek possibly playing fewer games in 2009, but Boras shot down the idea of a reduced role.

Crisp-Ramirez Trade Reactions

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The Red Sox traded center fielder Coco Crisp to the Royals for reliever Ramon Ramirez today; tip of the cap to Brian McRae for the scoop.  Let’s round up the reactions and consequences.

Gammons’ Latest: Penny, Jenks, Salty

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Let’s take a look at Peter Gammons’ Saturday blog post.

  • Gammons indicates that Brad Penny is working hard this offseason, and teams such as the Cardinals, Red Sox, Rangers, and Blue Jays "appreciate" his past success.
  • The Mets are apparently worried about Bobby Jenks’ declining strikeout rate, a sentiment echoed by Joel Sherman.  Sherman talked to a Mets official who said the chances of acquiring Jenks are "close to zero."
  • The Rangers apparently wanted Clay Buchholz or two of Justin Masterson/Nick Hagadone/Michael Bowden for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  The Red Sox aren’t biting.
  • The Rangers would probably have to trade Hank Blalock ($6.2MM) to make room for Kerry Wood.

Rangers Rumors: Blalock, Blake, Catchers

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Next up we’ll dig into the latest Rangers rumors, courtesy of Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

  • The Rangers are expected to pick up their $6.2MM option on Hank Blalock today.  It doesn’t seem that Blalock will spend much time at third base if he’s with the Rangers in 2009.  Instead, he’d play first and DH.  Of course, a trade is possible.
  • The Rangers may look at outside options for third base, and they’ve been in touch with Casey Blake’s agent.  The Rangers have an eye on defense, which might rule out Garrett Atkins.  Grant finds Joe Crede questionable, though he might be a decent fit given his glovework.
  • The focus of the GM meetings for Texas has been shopping catching for pitching.  The main suitors are the Red Sox and Marlins, with the Tigers a fallback.  Names in the mix could include Scott Olsen, Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and Justin Masterson.  Over at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jeff Wilson profiles the Rangers’ four catchers.

Red Sox To Pursue Peavy?

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The Red Sox could make a pitch for Jake Peavy, according to Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald.

"It stands to reason the Padres would want two of the team’s three best young arms – Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Justin Masterson – plus another position player.

If the Sox were to include highly regarded first baseman Lars Anderson in a package with two of their best pitching prospects, talks between the clubs would certainly become interesting. But officials with other clubs believe the Sox consider Anderson to be virtually untouchable."

Beyond the names mentioned above, Sox prospects Ryan Kalish and Josh Reddick need more seasoning before they can be considered "near major league ready." The Red Sox didn’t let go of their prospects for Johan Santana so I’m not sure they’d do so for Peavy, unless they’ve lost any confidence in Clay Buchholz.

Odds and Ends: Posada, Uribe, Wise, Red Sox

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Today’s links…

  • Jorge Posada could rejoin the Yankees as early as Wednesday (a few reports suggested Tuesday). Kat O’Brien of Newsday says the Yanks will hold on to both Jose Molina and Chad Moeller for "a while" after Posada returns, but as Peter Abraham points out on the LoHud Yankees blog, the Yankees have a real need for a set-up man now that Joba Chamberlain is starting.
  • Juan Uribe has been activated from the 15-day DL, and although Ozzie Guillen said he wasn’t guaranteed  playing time, they had to make room on the roster nonetheless.  DeWayne Wise was designated for assigment. 
  • The news that Clay Buchholz has been optioned to Pawtucket comes as a shock to yours truly, but it underscores just how much starting pitching the Red Sox have right now, even with Daisuke Matsuzaka currently on the 15-day DL. Free agent pickup Bartolo Colon has worked out so far as a low-risk, high-reward signing. They’ve also got a good spot-starter in Justin Masterson, currently in Double A. And as if that weren’t enough, Curt Schilling could start throwing off a mound June 6. The odd man out could bring something useful in a trade. Just idle speculation, and I know there’s no such thing as too much pitching…but the Red Sox do have some holes to fill.

Sarah Green writes for UmpBump and the Boston Metro. She can be reached here.

On The Hot Seat: Giambi, Hafner, Sexson, Timlin

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I love lists, and here’s one from Peter Abraham at The Journal News that details who he thinks is in the hot seat.  In other words, who might be traded or released if current trends continue.  There are a number of managers and GMs on the list, but we like to focus on players here.  I’m going to go through the list and take stabs-in-the-dark whether a player is likely to be dealt or if they’re just fluff for Mr. Abraham’s article – and then we can discuss in the comments.

Jason Giambi – An announcer this year said that Giambi’s defensive range extended from his right knee to his left knee.  As a fielder, he’s decent with no range; however, as a hitter Giambi has never been considered a slow starter, as Abraham notes he is a career .281 hitter in April.  Still, like Carlos Delgado, Giambi has shown some recent spurts of life in his bat, and he does have 7 HR (one shy of the league leading 8) and 20 RBI.  PECOTA projects .230-24-73 with a .362 OBP.  If he can bring his average up, he’ll be roughly on target for that projection.  If he can’t, Abraham thinks the Yankees "might as well give someone else a chance."  So far, Joe Girardi’s been supportive and patient calling the slump a product of bad luck.  Prediction: Staying put.

Travis Hafner – Abraham sees .256 with 27 HR in almost 700 ABs and wonders if the Indians would rather trade him to a team who believes he can turn it around than risk eating the remaining $56MM on Hafner’s contract.  At 31, Hafner is an oddity.  Last year the slumping behemoth of a man saw his power drop by almost 20 HR.  He’s currently continuing that trend with his OPS at a mere 640 and w/o a homerun since April 17 (!).  During an ESPN game, they were discussing how his timing – particularly with his front foot-plant – is off making it hard for him to get ahead of pitches.  So his problem seems both perceptual and mechanical – but why can’t Pronk seem to correct this?  I’d be worried because his contract is slowly going from bothersome to disastrous.  PECOTA is not a believer, projecting .275-28-98 – hardly a rebound.  He’s making $6.3MM this year and is on the books for another $70MM until 2013 (with a $2.75MM buyout in his last year).  Is there a batting coach out there on a big-market team that can fix this?  Wouldn’t count on it.  Prediction: Staying put.

Richie Sexson – In the Year of the Slumping First Basemen, Richie Sexson is not at all unlike Giambi or Delgado.  Abraham pulls no punches with Richie, calling him "one of the worst hitters in baseball during the last two seasons and shows no signs of coming around."  He’s making $14MM this year, owed approx. $11.2MM more, and then he’s surely done in Seattle.  I agree with Abraham that $11.2MM will "buy him another month or two" but the Mariners have options and I’d expect them to explore them by trading Sexson and eating some of the contract – maybe sooner rather than later as cutting your losses is (almost) acceptable practice this season.  Sexson has never been the hitter Delgado, Giambi, or Hafner have been and has been intolerably bad for just too long.  Prediction: Shipping off.

Mike Timlin – Making $3MM this year, Abraham notes Timlin has allowed 9 runs in 7 1/3 IP and with a small contract would be an easy piece to move.  But I ask why?  Relief pitching is a commodity, and Timlin – known to the Red Sox as the captain of the bullpen – brings to the team a fair deal of intangible value, particularly as they integrate Craig Hansen and Justin Masterson into their relief corps.  7.1 IP is hardly a sample worth examining as he’s basically still in spring-training-form.  Last year he had a 3.42 ERA in 50 IP and while he’s not the 2.24 ERA Timlin that saved 13 games when Keith Foulke went down, he’s serviceable.  If he fails to progress and becomes a liability then maybe the Red Sox will move him from mop up duty to another team.  Still, I doubt it.  Prediction: Staying put.

Let’s hear your thoughts.  Who did Abraham forget?  Who disagrees?

By Nat Boyle

Latest Johan Santana Rumors

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UPDATE, 12-11-07 at 2:54pm: Jon Heyman puts the Red Sox, Yankees, and Mets as the three leading suitors for Johan.  Matthew Cerrone, however, believes the Rangers, rather than the Yanks, are the third leading suitor.

FROM 12-11-07 at 8:52am:

Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has the latest buzz surrounding the Johan Santana trade talks.

The Red Sox and Twins talked yesterday, and the Twins are leading toward Jacoby Ellsbury rather than Jon Lester.  Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson would also be included, and the sides are trying to figure out a fourth player.

The Yanks and Twins haven’t talked much lately, but apparently Kei Igawa’s name has come up in the talks.  He can’t have much trade value in the Twins’ eyes.

Christensen implies that the Mets might be trying to finish second here, staying involved for the sake of PR.

Christensen also notes that the Twins are fond of Jered Weaver, and the Angels could jump in if they decide to use their trade chips on another starter.

Also, the idea of the Twins including another player on their end has come up.  In the past Joe Nathan has been mentioned, but Christensen is referring more to Twins’ prospects.  They don’t have much in the system though.

Johan Santana Rumors: Tuesday

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UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 11:00pm: LENIII says that despite their public proclamations, the Yanks haven’t told the Twins they’re out on Johan.  Neal recommends you go to bed anyway.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 10:28: A new team is in the mix for Johan, but barely.  The Rangers talked to the Twins today about what it would take, but they’re not expected to pursue it much further.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 10:05pm: Talks are expected to re-open in about an hour, after the execs have dinner.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 8:21pm: Theo Epstein expects negotiations with the Twins to carry "well into the night."  He says the Red Sox are being flexible, so it sounds like they’ll hammer something out.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 7:50pm: Not much to report here.  Twins and Sox still haggling, per LENIII.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 7:09pm: Hank is sticking to his story, that the Yanks’ deadline for a Santana deal has passed.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 5:02pm: All the Santana-Angels stuff is bogus, according to GM Tony Reagins.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 4:28pm: Per Will Carroll at Baseball Prospectus: Santana to Boston is "all but done" with Lester, Masterson, and Kalish in the package.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 4:25pm: Stark says the Angels and Twins continue to talk Santana, with many of the youngsters earmarked for Cabrera being mentioned.  Seems the Halos have shifted gears from Cabrera to Johan even though they have no need for starters.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 4:14pm: Hey, it’s been a few minutes without a Johan update.  A Red Sox source told Gordon Edes he’s not buying that the Yankees are out on Santana.  I heard the exact same thing from my own Winter Meetings source – my guy says the Yanks fully expect to hear back from the Twins about a final offer later tonight.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 3:26pm: The Yankees, who rarely have kept their word lately, have closed the door on Johan talks.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 3:08pm: The Twins want to get this thing done by day’s end.  700 reporters just sighed in relief. 

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 2:51pm: Per Peter Gammons, this baby is getting closer and is now a 5-for-1 deal.  The addition is outfielder Ryan Kalish.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 2:12pm: Phil Miller heard some speculation that the Twins could throw in another player on their side to make this thing work.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 2:04pm: According to Sean McAdam, the Twins will also meet with the Angels this afternoon to discuss Santana.  The Twins would want Jered Weaver and Brandon Wood for starters.  McAdam says the Red Sox and Twins haven’t spoken since this morning.  Meanwhile Joe Christensen says there’s lobby buzz about the Red Sox/Twins deal becoming a 5-for-1. 

Peter Abraham chimes in, saying the Yankees have made their final offer and the Twins would have to approach them now.  That’s one way to frame it; Joel Sherman says it’s more that the Yankees just won’t get a chance to top Boston’s best offer.  The Yankees left off pushing Hughes/Cabrera/Marquez/Alberto Gonzalez.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 1:15pm: ESPN Peter Gammons says the Twins are trying to decide between a 3-for-1 (Ellsbury/Lowrie/Masterson) or a 4-for-1 (Lester/Crisp/Lowrie/Masterson).  No contract negotiations with the Red Sox and Santana’s agent have taken place yet.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 1:08pm: The Boston Globe has an update, basically saying negotiations are to resume this afternoon between the Red Sox and Twins.  It’s still not known whether the Twins will take an Ellsbury package or the Lester one.  Meanwhile WFAN’s Sweeny Murti expects the Red Sox to send Lester, Crisp, and two others for Johan.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 12:02pm: Jon Heyman says the Red Sox will enhance their offer one more time to get this thing done.  It still won’t include both Lester and Ellsbury.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 10:13am: Not sure when this morning he wrote it, but George King still thinks the Yankees are the favorite for Johan.  Peter Abraham quotes Hank as saying the Yanks are done talking to the Twins about Santana, for now.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 9:59am: Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald has an update.  The Red Sox looked at Lester’s medical records and saw no issues.  There are two different possible scenarios/packages of players still in play.  None include Ellsbury and Lester/Buchholz.  Masterson and/or Lowrie are expected to be in there one way or another.

UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 8:34am: LENIII is hearing the four players are Lester, Crisp, Lowrie, and Masterson – same as Gordon Edes said.

FROM 12-4-07 at 7:31am:

It was a long Monday with all the twists and turns you’d expect in the Johan Santana talks.  Here’s the latest, which will surely be updated throughout the day.

The Red Sox and Twins called it a night around 2am CST, but Gordon Edes thinks the Red Sox are close and a deal could be announced this morning.  The Twins looked at Jon Lester’s medical records; the Red Sox reviewed Santana’s.  The supposed deal right now is Coco Crisp, Justin Masterson, Jed Lowrie, and Lester.  Not bad but it would represent a concession by the Twins.  If an agreement is reached, the Red Sox still need to pull off a contract extension.

Ed Price has a different take on Boston’s offer – his source says it’s Lester, Crisp, Ellsbury, and Lowrie.  It would be odd to see two center fielders included, but there you go.

Meanwhile Mark Feinsand says the Yankees are moving on to Dan Haren.  Brian Cashman will probably find equal if not bigger demands coming from Billy Beane.

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