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Rockies Rumors: Iguchi, Cook, Kip, Holliday

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UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 12:57pm: According to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, David Eckstein is now a Rockies’ target for second base.  They talked to Mark Loretta today, also.  Harding adds that the holdup on the Cook deal is the amount of a fourth-year option.

FROM 12-6-07 at 12:21pm:

The Denver Post’s Troy E. Renck has a lunchtime Rockies update.

  • Renck doesn’t see Tadahito Iguchi getting Kaz Matsui money, noting that only the Rockies are pursuing Iguchi at his preferred position of second base.  That could change if the Orioles trade Brian Roberts.
  • Though Aaron Cook’s 3/30 extension isn’t final, GM Dan O’Dowd believes it will get done.
  • Free agents on the radar: LaTroy Hawkins, Shawn Chacon, Octavio Dotel, Victor Zambrano, and Kip Wells.  There was recent chatter about Wells trying to become a setup man.
  • According to Scott Boras, he’s never received a contract offer from the Rox for Matt Holliday.  The original rumor was that the Rockies were planning to offer a four-year, $60MM extension.

Mets Rumors: Kuroda, Livan, Estrada, Colon

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UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 5:49pm: Jayson Stark says the Mets haven’t talked to the the A’s or Orioles at all in Nashville, meaning no talks for Haren or Bedard as of yet.

FROM 12-4-07 at 8:05am:

What’s cooking with the Mets?  Let’s round ’em up.

  • Mark Hale reports that the Mets have advanced to "Round 2" of the bidding process for Hiroki Kuroda.  They did this by indicating a ballpark of what they might offer but without actually making an offer.  Hale says 8-10 teams are in on Kuroda, including the Royals, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Mariners.  The Ms reportedly have some kind of offer out to him, either 3/30 or 4/44.  The Phils are said to have an offer out as well.  Hale doesn’t name the Dodgers but it’s been said they’re getting aggressive on him too.  The Cubs and Rangers are other teams that have been connected to Kuroda. 
  • The Mets appear to have mild interest in Livan Hernandez, perhaps as a fallback innings-eater option.  The Phillies, Cardinals, Nationals, and Astros are other known suitors for Livan.
  • The big fish are still out there in Johan Santana, Erik Bedard, and Dan Haren.  The Mets won’t include Jose Reyes, David Wright, or Carlos Beltran in any deal.  It’s been said that a Carlos Gomez/Aaron Heilman/Philip Humber package was offered for Bedard and rejected.
  • Dan Graziano says the Mets also inquired on Dontrelle Willis, Ben Sheets, and Roy Oswalt and were told none of the three are available.  Graziano adds that the Mets are looking into signing Bartolo Colon.
  • Omar Minaya will meet with the agents for Octavio Dotel and Shawn Chacon today.
  • Minaya disputes Ken Rosenthal’s report that he sought an extension from the Mets and didn’t get one.  Ownership told him he’ll be there "a long time."
  • Though they didn’t want him in the Lastings Milledge deal, the Nationals are interested in acquiring Johnny Estrada for their catcher vacancy.  Damian Miller is also known to be a target of Jim Bowden’s.

Rangers Rumors: Bay, Gagne, Fukudome

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T.R. Sullivan has the Rangers goods for us this evening.  Wow, did MLB.com send 30+ reporters out to Nashville?

  • The Rangers are still pursuing Eric Gagne to return as their closer (and then maybe they’d flip him again).  The interest is mutual. 
  • The team is also considering LaTroy Hawkins, Shawn Chacon, Luis Vizcaino, Trever Miller, and Octavio Dotel.  Basically, most of the relief market.  Problem is, the Rangers don’t want to give more than one year to any of these guys.
  • The Rangers are moving toward filling center field internally after exploring options.  Carlos Gomez, Felix Pie, and Carlos Gonzalez proved unavailable or too pricey (though if all the Mets wanted for Gomez was Gerald Laird, Daniels should’ve pounced).
  • Daniels has shifted gears to a corner outfielder.  Kosuke Fukudome remains on the radar.
  • The Rangers had a preliminary conversation with the Bucs about Jason Bay. 
  • The team isn’t focused on getting pitching for once, but Daniels is still perusing medical reports on Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, and Jason Jennings.   
  • Daniels said he’s not shopping Hank Blalock.

Brewers Rumors: Crede, Riske, Gagne, Dotel

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MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy recently filed a report with a few new Brewers tidbits.  Nothing new on the Scott Rolen front, but feel free to jump over to that rumor to discuss it.  On to McCalvy’s article:

  • The Brewers briefly discussed Joe Crede at last month’s GM Meetings.  The Brewers and White Sox have been on friendly terms in the past; maybe they can work something out.  There hasn’t been much buzz about Crede lately, but the Carlos Quentin acquisition seems to punch his ticket out of town.
  • The Brewers passed on an effective one-year, $8.5MM contract for Geoff Jenkins for ’08.  The Brewers prefer to replace him with a lefty hitter with a solid OBP, but don’t find the free agent options to be superior.  A Gabe Gross/Tony Gwynn Jr. combo may be sufficient.
  • The David Riske signing may be announced Tuesday, but the Brewers need to clear up a 40-man roster spot first.  My guess is that Melvin will dispense of Kevin Mench one way or another.
  • The Brewers have a passing interest in Eric Gagne and Octavio Dotel, but probably won’t end up with either due to injury concerns.  Melvin has not been in touch with their agents.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Roberts, Barrett, Piazza

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Ken Rosenthal is presumably in Nashville doing what he does best – collect trade rumors by the dozen.  His latest column is an excellent example.  What’s the over/under on Rosenthal scoops over the next four days?  I’ll set it at 10.

  • Rosenthal says the Mets are unwilling to extend the contract of GM Omar Minaya, who is signed through 2009.  The lack of job security could compel Minaya to mortgage the future, and the Lastings Milledge trade was a good example.  Carlos Gomez, watch out.  Here’s MLBTR’s look at Omar Minaya’s Mets trade profile.
  • The Astros, Giants, and Cardinals aren’t really in the running for Miguel Cabrera, so they don’t need to wait for that shoe to drop to go after Miguel Tejada.  However it sounds like all three clubs don’t have the talent even for a Tejada trade.  Jon Heyman mentioned today that the Orioles do have interest in Adam Everett and Michael Bourn of the Astros.
  • Here’s a good one: Peter Angelos favorite Brian Roberts might be available.  The Mets and Astros inquired but moved on, but Roberts might be just what the Cubs are looking for.  The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec recently told us that he doesn’t expect Andy MacPhail to move Roberts unless he’s "totally overwhelmed."
  • The Marlins, Rays, and Orioles have interest in Michael Barrett.  In the case of Baltimore, the interest indicates the availability of Ramon Hernandez.  If Barrett can find a multiyear deal from one of those teams, he may decline the Padres’ offer of arbitration.  It’s a catch-22, though, because that would make Barrett much less signable in terms of draft pick compensation. 
  • If Barrett does decline, the Padres might bring Mike Piazza back.
  • The Nationals keep asking for Rickie Weeks for Chad Cordero, and the Brewers keep saying no.
  • The Braves are big fans of Coco Crisp, and could have a passing interest in Corey Patterson.  But they certainly wouldn’t mind going with internal options in center next year.
  • Aaron Rowand is definitely getting that five-year deal – a Mystery Team has already offered one.  The Yanks could pursue him if they trade the Melk Man. 
  • Deja vu – the Yanks and Mets both like Octavio Dotel, again.  It’s known that Octavio loves New York.

Tigers Offer Contract To Hawkins?

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Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Tigers have interest in free agent reliever LaTroy Hawkins and may have even offered him a multiyear contract.  Among free agent relievers the Tigers have previously expressed interest in Octavio Dotel.

Dotel is 32 and a health risk, but he still has that huge strikeout rate.  I’m guessing he wants at least two years, $12MM.

Hawkins is 35 and healthy; he did somehow manage to post a 3.42 ERA in 55 innings with the Rockies.  That’s not easy to do.  But his 1.8 K/BB and 4.7 K/9 rates were not impressive.  He might be after a two-year, $8MM deal.

Mets Interested In Santana, Dotel, Chacon

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The New York Post’s Mark Hale has an update for us regarding the Mets’ pursuit of pitching.

  • Even though the Wilpons haven’t made any declarations to the media, the Mets are showing interest in Johan Santana.  Hale notes a couple of stipulations: David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Beltran won’t be dealt, and the Mets would want a 72-hour negotiation window.  I don’t think anyone expected anything different on either point.  The Twins could certainly use an influx of outfield talent, and the Mets have it.
  • Octavio Dotel is one free agent on the Mets’ radar, though we’ve known that since the 16th.  "On the radar" is getting overused…I need an alternative.  Dotel would be fine with a setup role, though I’m guessing it would take two years and $12MM or more.  Dotel came up through the Mets’ system as a starter, and was traded to the Astros in ’99 in the Mike Hampton/Derek Bell/Roger Cedeno deal.  The Tigers and Royals may also be in on Dotel.
  • The Mets also like Shawn Chacon, possibly as a swingman.  The Rockies have interest in Chacon but only as a reliever.  He’s said that he’d prefer to start. 

Brewers May Pass On Gagne, Percival, Dotel

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UPDATE: Here is the official Journal-Sentinel article.  New material – Melvin admitted to an interest in David Riske, and may have an offer out to him.  Thanks to Al’s Ramblings for the tip. 

Tom Haudricourt recently spoke to Brewers GM Doug Melvin about his pursuit for a closer candidate.  Melvin recently had Kerry Wood pass over his two-year, $6MM offer for a one-year deal with the Cubs.

Melvin seemingly would only offer a one-year deal to Eric Gagne, Troy Percival, or Octavio Dotel.  All want multiyear contracts, however.  It’s a bit odd that he wouldn’t offer two years to any of these guys but did to Wood.  Maybe the Brewers only budgeted $6MM or so for this.  I imagine Gagne, for instance, would want more than that for just one year.

By the way, both Melvin and owner Mark Attanasio were perturbed by Bean Stringfellow’s handling of the Francisco Cordero negotiations.  The Crew lost out by just $4MM but didn’t get a chance to match Cincinnati’s offer.  Stringfellow’s agency represents a couple of current Brewers in Greg Aquino and Claudio Vargas, plus free agent reliever and former Brewer Luis Vizcaino.  I imagine Vizcaino is not among the eight or nine relievers on Melvin’s radar.

Odds And Ends: Cabrera, Bay, Liriano, Clement, Dotel

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Lots to go over this morning, so this might not be the last bullet point list you see.

  • The Angels and Marlins are progressing in talks for Miguel Cabrera. It’s believed that the Angels are willing to deal players like Reggie Willits, Howie Kendrick, and Jeff Mathis, but the sticking point here is the inclusion of Nick Adenhart. If the Angels want Cabrera, I would have to think Adenhart would be a part of any deal.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington says that he is not actively shopping any of his players. However, he acknowledges that if he hears an offer, he’ll have to consider it. Some of his team’s asking prices are "outrageous," he says. This includes players like Jason Bay and Jack Wilson. But the Pirates may choose in the end to dish Bay, since their strength, if any, is the outfield, and Bay is slated to make $13.25 million over the next two years. That might not seem like a lot, but it’s costly when you’re working with a paltry $50 million budget. Surely Huntington would love to deal Wilson, though he denies it. He might have trouble finding a partner on that one.
  • Though the Twins deny it, any Johan Santana deal might be dependent on the status of Francisco Liriano. The 24-year-old "hasn’t had a single setback" in his recovery from ligament replacement surgery last October. He’s completed his rehab program, and might pitch in the Dominican this winter. He’s expected to be ready in February fo Spring Training.
  • Add the Pirates to the list of teams interested in Matt Clement. It now spans the Rockies, Diamondbacks, Royals, Padres, and Blue Jays in addition to the Bucs. However, with their payroll cap, Clement might not be feasible.
  • The Tigers remain interested in closer Octavio Dotel. There is no word on whether the team has offered him a contract.

Joe Pawlikowski is co-author of River Ave. Blues.

Mets Rumors: Eckstein, Dotel

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Let’s catch up with the Mets, who are moving on to other needs now that they’ve settled their catching situation.

  • MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone says the Mets have some interest in David Eckstein as a second base option, and may meet with him soon to wine and dine him.  Eckstein might be the backup option to Luis Castillo.  I’ve said all along, I don’t get why Eckstein would market himself as a second baseman.  As a shortstop he stands to get $21MM over three years; as a second baseman he doesnt.
  • Ben Shpigel of the New York Times adds that the Mets would love to trade for Orlando Hudson but might need to save their top prospects to trade for starting pitching.  Shpigel says the Mets have inquired with Octavio Dotel’s agent.  Dotel came up as a starter with the Mets, debuting in 1999.  He was dealt to the Astros soon after in a package for Derek Bell and Mike Hampton. 

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