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Rosenthal On Lackey, Dunn, Young, Isringhausen

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Here’s a look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal.

  • John Lackey is due up for extension talks with the Angels, as he’ll be eligible for free agency after the ’09 season.  He’d easily be the best available starter.  Rosenthal says talks with the Angels should occur before the beginning of the season, but the Halos may not be willing to offer A.J. Burnett money (five years, $82.5MM).  In November, Jayson Stark said Lackey had been telling friends he expects to have an extension by Opening Day.  That came after Lackey’s confirmation he’d wait to see the Angels’ offensive plans before re-signing.
  • The Braves paid $60MM for Derek Lowe, though no one else made a comparable offer.  This is a testament to Scott Boras (and perhaps the Braves’ desperation), though Boras has more challenging work ahead in Manny Ramirez and Jason Varitek.
  • The Red Sox have shown interest in Adam Dunn, one rival exec tells Rosenthal.  Rosenthal considers the possibility a longshot – "a square peg in a round hole."  The Sox could always make a midseason deal if their offense isn’t cutting it.
  • A Rangers official put Michael Young’s chances of being with the team on Opening Day at at least 90%.  The Rangers aren’t interested in moving Ian Kinsler to left field and Young to second base.
  • Rosenthal believes Xavier Nady is likely to garner Type A status when he becomes a free agent after the ’09 season, but half of the equation (his 2009 stats) is missing.
  • Jason Isringhausen is considering four teams, and he’d have a shot to close for those clubs.  The Dodgers aren’t terribly interested, while the Cardinals and Tigers are possibilities.
  • Should the Mets sign Andy Pettitte as well as Randy Wolf or Oliver Perez?  One rival exec suggested the idea.
  • The Astros apparently made a three-year, $28.5MM offer to Wolf before pulling it back.  Looks like he’ll be settling for less.
  • Rosenthal says a Rangers trade for Jermaine Dye is "not happening."  They’ll go with Hank Blalock’s left-handed offense rather than sign an aging veteran.  Blalock is headed into a contract year.
  • If Todd Helton has a healthy spring, the Rockies could shop Garrett Atkins.
  • The Red Sox and D’Backs are not close to a deal involving catcher Miguel Montero.  Arizona will need to add a capable backup catcher if they do find a deal for Montero.

Odds and Ends: Lowry, Kawakami, Lowe, Young

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Links for Wednesday…

Michael Young Requested Trade From Rangers

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9:41pm: More from Sullivan – he has quotes from Jon Daniels on Young tonight:

"We’re not looking to trade him and have no plans to. We plan on him being a big part of our ballclub going forward."

5:22pm: Another interesting update from T.R. Sullivan at MLB.com regarding the Michael Young situation.

The article focuses on Elvis Andrus’ official invitation to Spring Training. Sullivan makes a point to clarify that the starting shortstop job is not Andrus’. Sullivan writes:

"It is also not guaranteed that Andrus will be the Opening Day shortstop. The Rangers still have Joaquin Arias as an alternative."

Wouldn’t Young, not Arias, be the next alternative? Just further affirmation of how serious the Rangers are about moving Young over to third.

2:20pm: T.R. Sullivan has new quotes from Jon Daniels.  Daniels says he’s still preparing as if Young will play third base for the 2009 Rangers. Sullivan says no trade is imminent.

MONDAY, 8:35am: More on the topic of Young asking for a trade.  Young is upset that he wasn’t given a choice about the position switch, saying, "My hand’s been forced with this one."  He says he’s "adamant" about not playing third base.  Young has given the Rangers a list of teams to which he’ll accept a trade, according to the Dallas Morning News.  He’d consider a move back to second base for a new team.  Young is owed $62MM over the next five seasons.

SUNDAY, 9:25pm: FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reports that Rangers shortstop Michael Young asked for a trade back in December when club officials requested that he play third base in the upcoming season.

According to Rosenthal, Young was "absolutely livid" that the Rangers would request such a move just months after he was awarded his first Gold Glove (the award was not supported by his advanced statistics).  The team was hoping to clear a spot for top prospect Elvis Andrus, but now they’ve got a real problem on their hands. 

GM Jon Daniels is expected to explore trade opportunities, but a deal seems unlikely at this point.  White Sox GM Ken Williams has already said that he "would not waste time" discussing the possibility.  The asking price would be far too high for most clubs.  Other teams that have popped up in rumors this winter: the Twins, Mets, Angels, Dodgers, and Royals.

Odds and Ends: Smoltz, Young, Cameron

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Links for Tuesday…

Heyman On Young, Pettitte, Dye, Cordero

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The latest from SI.com’s Jon Heyman…

  • It’s more likely that Michael Young will give in and move to third base than be traded.  Heyman runs through six (long shot) "potential contenders."  Most were addressed here, but Heyman adds the Yankees.
  • Yankees people believe there is less than a 50% chance of the team re-signing Andy Pettitte.  He could instead retire or sign with the Dodgers or Astros.
  • Heyman suggests Bobby Abreu or Garret Anderson for the Reds, noting that Abreu is probably too expensive.
  • The White Sox want "top pitching prospects" for Jermaine Dye, not necessarily big league-ready ones.
  • The Dodgers were among 12 teams who watched Chad Cordero throw on Friday.  The Mets, Twins, Brewers, Rangers, Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Nationals are among the other known attendees.

Nationals Rumors: Young, Swisher

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Chico Harlan of the Washington Post has a few notes on the Nationals.

  • The Nationals and Rangers have had basic discussions about Michael Young, but Harlan says the Nationals will not be players for him.
  • So far the Nationals haven’t offered enough for Nick Swisher, but at the least he provides leverage to use on the team’s free agent targets.
  • Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson remain of interest.  Harlan considers recent stories about their high prices to be posturing by the Nationals.

Evaluating Michael Young Suitors

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Michael Young’s trade request is the hot topic this morning.  Young, 32, is owed $62MM over the next five seasons and controls his fate with his full no-trade clause.  He’s submitted a (small) list of teams to which he’d accept a trade to Rangers GM Jon Daniels, and we don’t know who’s on it.  Ken Rosenthal says the Rangers want a young third baseman in any deal.  Young is willing to consider playing second base if he’s dealt. 

Before we take a look at various possibilities, we have to establish that Young is overpaid at a $12.4MM average salary over the next five seasons.  FanGraphs suggests he was worth that amount only once, in 2006 (the dollar value of a win will increase, but Young will decline).  Even if we’re being generous it’s hard to value Young at more than $10MM a year over the next five.  On to possible suitors, starting with those who have been rumored:

  • Twins: Jon Heyman wrote about a month ago that they inquired, but wondered if Young would waive his no-trade clause to go there.  The Twins re-signed Nick Punto to play shortstop, but could find a place for Young.  Third base is probably considered a bigger need.  Surely the Rangers would love to pry one of their young starters loose though.
  • Mets:  Luis Castillo’s contract is an impediment for the Mets, who are focused on their rotation currently.
  • Angels:  Brandon Wood or Chone Figgins might fit from the Rangers’ point of view, but Rosenthal says the increased price for a division rival makes a deal unlikely.  Plus, the Angels are set with Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar.
  • Dodgers:  The Dodgers were said to be interested before they re-signed Rafael Furcal.  Adding Young as a second baseman would put Blake DeWitt out of a job for no reason, and the Dodgers have pitching to acquire.
  • Royals:  The Royals have Mike Aviles at shortstop with Alberto Callaspo and Willie Bloomquist battling at second.  And Young’s contract would figure to be a problem.
  • White Sox:  Josh Fields could fit for the Rangers, though GM Ken Williams seemed to indicate a recent Jermaine Dye-Young rumor was baseless.
  • Red Sox: Nick Cafardo wrote earlier this month that they do not have interest in Young.

Which young third basemen might be available?  The Reds have Edwin Encarnacion, a third baseman in name only.  The Rockies have Garrett Atkins, but probably lack the payroll room.  The Rays have Willy Aybar, but not the need or payroll room for Young.  Can anyone think of a reasonable match for Young?  Commenters below are suggesting the Cardinals.

Williams Shoots Down Dye Rumor

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In an e-mail to Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune, White Sox GM Kenny Williams denied that there’s anything to yesterday’s rumor that the White Sox are talking with the Rangers about a deal that would send Michael Young to Chicago in exchange for Jermaine Dye and Aaron Poreda.

Williams wrote that he "would not waste time" debunking the rumor, implying that there’s nothing to it.

He also denied interest in former Sox starter Jon Garland, who’s now a free agent.

Levine On Young, Dye, Poreda, Peavy, Heilman

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ESPN Radio’s Bruce Levine has some good info tonight.

The White Sox are seeking a top-of-the-order hitter, and they’ve discussed Michael Young with the Rangers.  The Rangers asked for Jermaine Dye and Aaron Poreda, and the Sox are unwilling to trade Poreda.  The Rangers like Dye, so maybe the two teams will find a match on players.  Young is owed roughly $60MM over the next five years.

If the Cubs are to restart their talks for Jake Peavy, the new ownership groups for both the Cubs and Padres will have to be willing.  Levine also notes that the Cubs have an eye on Mariners pitcher Aaron Heilman, a player they’ve shown interest in before.  Levine speculates that Ronny Cedeno could be a fit for Seattle.

Cafardo’s Latest: Quota, Saito, Mulder

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The column is from Sunday, but we missed a lot of good stuff from Nick Cafardo’s latest.

  • Finally an answer!  Cafardo learned that teams can sign as many as nine Type A or B free agents this year.  So to all those who emailed: yes, the Yankees can technically sign Manny Ramirez.  I tried to decipher the quota section of the Basic Agreement in October, but didn’t come up with nine.
  • At some point this winter, the Red Sox made an offer to Takashi Saito.
  • Cafardo says Boston does not have interest in Michael Young.
  • The Brewers and A’s "are big on" Mark Mulder.  The Red Sox will also watch him throw this month.
  • Luis Gonzalez is likely to sign somewhere as a fourth outfielder.
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