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Olney On Damon, Halladay, Molina, Carroll

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ESPN's Buster Olney kicks off his latest blog post with a poignant look at his relationship with Peter Gammons.  As for the rumors…

  • Olney says the Yankees and Johnny Damon appear to be far apart in early contract negotiations.  Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News believes the Yanks will turn to Hideki Matsui, Mike Cameron, or Mark DeRosa if Damon won't take a two-year offer within two weeks or so.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Damon seeks three or four years at $13MM annually, while the Yanks are at two years, $19MM (Bobby Abreu's contract). 
  • Olney heard the Blue Jays' asking price of the Phillies for Roy Halladay "is about the same" as it was in July.  That doesn't seem logical, but we are talking about two different GMs here.  Olney was able to confirm the reported Halladay demands the Jays made of the Yankees: Jesus Montero, Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes, and more.
  • The Mets' initial offer to catcher Bengie Molina contains a vesting option.  Olney doesn't speculate, but do you think the Mets were willing to guarantee the first two years? 
  • The Dodgers, Indians, and A's are among the teams eyeing Jamey Carroll, who seeks a two-year deal.  Carroll may look at Craig Counsell's yet-unsigned deal as a precedent.

Giants Make Offer To DeRosa?

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3:30pm: Baggarly believes DeRosa is one of multiple offers the Giants have out to free agents.  He's less certain that Johnson and Scott Podsednik received offers.

1:15am: Steve Henson of Yahoo! Sports says that DeRosa is the team's top third base target because he's cheaper then Beltre, and versatile enough to move if Pablo Sandoval can stick at third.

THURSDAY, 12:22am: Baggarly writes that the Giants "might be making a subtle misdirection play to get the Florida Marlins to take a lesser return" for Uggla.

1:07pm: MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that we should not rule out the Giants on Uggla – "there is still smoke."  He notes that the Marlins never asked for Madison Bumgarner in return.

WEDNESDAY, 12:59am: According to Baggarly, the Giants are hoping to sign one infielder from a group that includes DeRosa, Nick Johnson, and Adrian Beltre. Hudson is also a possiblity, while Adam LaRoche is a "back-burner option." Baggarly also notes that Sabean doesn't sound too enthusiastic about pursuing Jermaine Dye, despite previous reports of the Giants' interest in the veteran: "We want to stay young," Sabean said. "That's a blanket statement, not a comment against Dye."

TUESDAY, 7:50pm: Baggarly reports that the Giants are not a serious bidder for Dan Uggla. His salary (which could be $7MM or so) and his weak glove limit the team's interest. 

6:50pm: Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has the latest on the Giants:

  • Johnny Damon is not a fit for the Giants.
  • Bengie Molina will not return: in the words of Giants GM Brian Sabean, "that ship has sailed."
  • It's possible that Juan Uribe will reconsider the Giants' contract offer (for one year, plus an option).

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has more:

  • The Giants will move Freddy Sanchez to third base if they sign Orlando Hudson.
  • Mark DeRosa , however, would fit in at the hot corner if the Giants sign him.
  • Rosenthal confirms that the Giants and Padres have discussed a Kevin Kouzmanoff trade, but says the Padres aren't enticed by the Giants' youngsters.
  • Rosenthal hears that Sabean has at least considered signing Jason Bay.

Giants Aren’t Interested In Beltre

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8:10pm: The Giants have Scott Podsednik on their radar, Baggarly reports. He's apparently one of the center fielders the club is considering.

7:11pm: The Giants don't have interest in Adrian Beltre, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Giants GM Brian Sabean told Shea that his club isn't interested in the free agent "at this time." In fact, Sabean says the Giants have "no need" to talk to Boras right now, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.

Instead, the Giants are focused on adding a first baseman on a short-term deal. Sabean didn't name names, but acknowledged that his list doesn't include any surprise candidates. That probably means the Giants would consider Nick Johnson, Adam LaRoche and Mark DeRosa, though DeRosa probably wouldn't man first. Baggarly hears that the Giants might consider offering DeRosa a third year; they'd offer Johnson a two-year deal.

On another note, Sabean said it's possible the Giants could sign a center fielder and move Aaron Rowand to one of the corners.

Twins Rumors: Third Base, Harden

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2:34pm: Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press spoke to DeRosa's agent Keith Grunewald, who said talks with the Twins have been nothing more than preliminary.

10:49am: Neal has more, questioning the Feliz and Uribe links.  Also, Neal spoke to someone from Rich Harden's agency and came away thinking the Mariners are the favorite (the Twins have not been in contact recently).

9:28am: Let's take a look at the Twins' third base situation.  Yesterday afternoon, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports said they're considering free agents Adrian Beltre, Pedro Feliz, Mark DeRosa, and Juan Uribe, though Beltre and DeRosa might be too pricey.  He did not see Boston's Mike Lowell as a target.  ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. has the Astros and Orioles in on Feliz, in addition to the Twins.

La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote early this morning that the Twins are "very interested in DeRosa."  A trade for Kevin Kouzmanoff is another possibility, while re-signing Joe Crede hasn't been ruled out.

Cardinals Rumors: Holliday, DeRosa, Tejada

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The Cardinals' offseason plans hinge on Matt Holliday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Joe Strauss and Derrick Goold. In their latest articles, each writer explains how the Cardinals' pursuit of Holliday will affect the rest of the team's offseason.

Goold notes that if the team fails to sign Holliday, it could free up some money to fill out the starting rotation. Conversely, if they are able to ink Holliday to a deal, their rotation solution will likely be an in-house player rather than a free agent. The team is set with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Brad Penny, and Kyle Lohse as its top four, but will be searching for a fifth starter. Although the Cards are "out of the bidding" for Joel Pineiro, the team could pursue another mid-level starter if the Holliday money is available.

Meanwhile, Strauss writes that the more time the Cardinals spend going after Holliday, the greater chance there is that Mark DeRosa slips away. The Cardinals probably view DeRosa as a Plan B after Holliday, but with plenty of other teams interested, DeRosa may have signed elsewhere by the time Holliday makes a decision.

Strauss' article also mentions that Tony La Russa has interest in Miguel Tejada as a possible option for the left side of the infield.

Mark DeRosa To Turn Down Arbitration

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Mark DeRosa will turn down the Cardinals' offer of arbitration, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. The utilityman seeks a multi-year deal worth $27MM or so, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, so the decision is hardly a surprise.

DeRosa is still interested in returning to the Cardinals and his representatives will meet with team brass tomorrow. If the 34-year-old signs elsewhere, the Cards pick up a supplemental round pick in next year's draft, since DeRosa is a Type B free agent.

Odds & Ends: Reed Johnson, Laynce Nix, Counsell

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Links for Monday, the first day of the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis…

Overnight Links: Red Sox, Jays, Posey, Past Deals

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Some overnight links for your viewing pleasure as we start to get into the real late hours of the night:

  • USA Today's Bob Nightengale says good morning with a series of tweets; Nightengale says he continues to hear Edwin Jackson's name floated about, and that "most executives" feel he'll be traded soon. He also wouldn't be surprised to see Adrian Beltre fall into Boston's lap if he declines arbitration. Not sure where he envisions Mike Lowell in that scenario.
  • Jeff Zrebiec lists ten trade targets for the Orioles, though he admits that some are highly unlikely. In a separate piece, Peter Schmuck opines that it's not a waste of money if the O's spend money on free agents this offseason to add a few wins and show future free agents that Baltimore is trending in the right direction.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains why it would be unlike the Red Sox sacrifice a high draft pick for a free agent reliever such as Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano.  As you know, Boston currently owes their first-round #29 pick to the Blue Jays for signing Marco Scutaro.
  • Anything can happen at the Winter Meetings, writes Peter Schmuck, who reminds us of the 1990 deal between the Blue Jays and Padres that sent Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to San Diego for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. That trade started off as a minor discussion.
  • The Boston Herald has ten things to keep in mind at this year's Winter Meetings.
  • Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at how the economy will affect this year's Winter Meetings, and poses five key questions to keep in mind this time around.
  • Gordon Wittenmyer looks at why the Cubs are optimistic that they can move Milton Bradley this offseason.
  • Count Tim Wakefield and Daniel Bard among those in the Jason Bay camp for the Red Sox, says Michael Silverman. While Matt Holliday may be a more complete player, Wakefield and Bard would prefer their friend and proven AL East commodity. Good read, if for no other reason than Wakefield's quote at the end on how closely he follows the offseason: "…We’ll be sitting in the dugout in spring training in Fort Myers and I’ll look across and be, ‘How the hell did he get over there?’ ”
  • John Tomase touches on the Red Sox needs this offseason. Tomase hits most of the names we've already heard, and throws Mark DeRosa and Jamey Carroll into the mix as well.
  • Quick! Who do you see spending the most money on the draft in 2010? Bet you didn't guess the Blue Jays (unless of course you took into consideration the large hint I provided in the title of this post). Reports are that the Jays will have a ridiculous $16MM to spend on the draft in 2010. The Jays have eight picks in the first three rounds (nine if Rod Barajas signs elsewhere), and plan to take full advantage of it.
  • El Lefty Malo takes a look at the possibility that the Giants sign Jason Kendall as their starting catcher because of the belief that Buster Posey isn't ready. Apparently, it's not a thought that sits well.
  • MLB.com looks back at some of the best trades and free agent signings by each club in the National League and American League since the era of Divisional play began. They've also got a more generic list of the best moves of the past 40 seasons.
  • Per Kyodo News, several teams have expressed interest in So Taguchi, according to his agent Alan Nero. Several teams? Can't say I expected that one.

Cardinals Notes: Boras Meeting, Holliday Alternatives

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Joe Strauss from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses the Cardinals and their current situation with free agent Matt Holliday. Let's dive in:

  • The Cardinals are pushing for a meeting with Scott Boras at the Winter Meetings to discuss whether or not they have a legitimate chance to bring Holliday back to St. Louis.
  • If they were to retain Holliday, the club would be content to give David Freese his shot at third base and spend its leftover money on the rotation rather than infield help.
  • Re-signing Mark DeRosa is one alternative to Holliday in left, although the Cardinals understandably aren't fans of DeRosa's current asking price of three years and roughly $24MM.
  • The Cards had interest in bringing Chone Figgins aboard, prior to his agreement with the Mariners.
  • St. Louis continues to say that they don't have leverage to make trades after parting with a number of top prospects, but Strauss mentions that some teams looking to shed salary could make sense. He names Dan Uggla, Kevin Millwood, and (if he's made available) Brandon Inge as some candidates, though the Marlins are asking a lot in return for Uggla.
  • Strauss also mentions Adam Dunn, who's owed $12MM this season as a good fit, though the Nationals aren't intent on moving him. According to Strauss, several within the Cardinal organization were pushing for Dunn over Holliday last season before the deadline.
  • If the Cards are able to sign Holliday, backloading the contract as they typically do with large deals won't be beneficial as the expensive years will coincide with those of Albert Pujols, if and when he, too, gets a new contract.
  • Strauss names Vicente Padilla and Ben Sheets as possible free agent arms to target.
  • Interesting note on the Cardinals from Strauss; they haven't made a trade at the Winter Meetings since 2003 when they acquired Adam Wainwright, Jason Marquis, and Ray King.

Whatever comes of Holliday, team president Bill DeWitt plans to be active this offseason. Strauss quotes him, "If we don't spend on Holliday, we will spend on other players."

Odds & Ends: DeRosa, Bradley, Figgins

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Here are some links to check out as the snow falls for the first time this season in New York:

  • Free agent Mark DeRosa is in a state of flux, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Cardinals, Braves, Yankees, Giants, and Red Sox are all possibilities, but each have higher priorities than the 34-year-old.  The Mets and Nationals are also interested in the right-handed batter, but he would prefer to play for a contender.  DeRosa may be waiting by the phone for a while if he is unwilling to lower his asking price.
  • More from Ken Rosenthal as he writes that despite interest from the Rangers, the Rays remain the frontrunners for Milton Bradley.
  • Considering their plans to reduce their hefty payroll, It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Yankees won't consider Matt Holliday or Jason Bay (per Buster Olney's blog).  However, Mike Axisa of River Ave Blues wisely point out that this time last year, it was said that the Yanks didn't have enough cash to land Mark Teixeira after signing CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.
  • The Mariners' signing of Chone Figgins may indicate that the organization believes power is currently overrated, says ESPN's Keith Law.
  • In a footnote to his report of the Orioles re-signing Chad Moeller, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun writes that while the O's remain interested in righty reliever Ryota Igarashi and lefty Hisanori Takahashi, they aren't expected to be terribly aggressive in their pursuit.  Both players recently applied for international free agency.
  • On the heels of Phillies GM Ruben Amaro stating that the door is open for Pedro Martinez's return to the club, the 38-year-old reciprocated that sentiment to Scott Lauber of The News Journal.
  • Kevin Towers is leaning towards accepting an offer from his close friend – Yankees GM Brian Cashman, according to Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
  • Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel estimates that the Brewers will have about $12MM to spend on starting pitching after addressing the rest of their roster.  Since that probably puts them short of the capital needed to sign John Lackey, what do you think would be the best way to take care of their starting pitching needs on the open market?
  • The Pirates placed Luis Cruz on waivers to make space for their second pick in the Rule 5 draft, writes Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com.
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