Week In Review

More trades and a few signings over the past week, let’s dive right in:

• The Royals continued their busy offseason when they acquired Coco Crisp from the Red Sox in exchange for Ramon Ramirez. Crisp gives the Royals some much-needed OBP and speed, but I don’t understand why the Royals are breaking up one of their strengths from 2008 by trading away their bullpen. If Moore can find a way to trade for some more established bullpen help, I’ll like this trade a lot more. I give the edge to the Royals in this deal, but you have to like the flexibility this gives Boston with their pitchers. Here’s some additional reactions.
• The Cubs opened up the checkbook and re-signed Ryan Dempster to four-year, $52MM contract this week. I honestly thought Dempster would sign for much more than this wherever he wound up, as it’s only $4MM more than Carlos Silva received in 2007. Dempster put up a great 2008, but it’s hard to imagine him repeating those numbers for 2009. I wasn’t a Dempster believer, so it’ll take a strong repeat in 2009 to convince me that this is a good signing. Additional reactions on this one here.
• The Giants signed Jeremy Affeldt to a two-year, $8MM deal. I’m not as much of a fan of Affeldt as Tim is, but this is still a nice, surprisingly affordable signing. If Affeldt gets a shot at starting, as suggested in these additional reactions, I like the move even more, though I understand the importance of San Francisco improving their ‘pen.
• Mike Mussina officially retired this past week. Moose went out on top after finally getting a 20-win season. Congratulations to Mussina on an great career.
• One guy who’s not retiring is Pedro Martinez. He told the media he’ll pitch in 2009 this week. Does he have anything left though?
• Philles fans got some disastrous news this week, when it was reported that Chase Utley will be on the shelf for 4-6 months following hip surgery. How will this affect their moves in the offseason?
• The White Sox signed Cuban third baseman Dayan Viciedo to a four-year, $11MM contract. I absolutely love this signing for the Sox. The potential for a bat of his quality and that price are outstanding.
• It’s five years or nothing for A.J. Burnett. So far, no one’s stepped up with that kind of offer. Who’s going to make the offer?
• The Cubs are looking at Mark Teahen to fill their right field vacancy. Will they part with Sean Marshall in order to get him?
• The Astros need to trim payroll, and are looking at moving both Ty Wigginton and Jose Valverde.
• The Twins are still talking with Casey Blake, and making progress, though no formal offer has been issued yet. Minnesota is one of eight clubs with interest.
• Orioles Notes: While they’re not major names, the Orioles signed Brad Hennessey and Donnie Murphy to minor league deals this week, and are looking at Cesar Izturis to play shortstop for 2009.

It’s been a busy week since last Sunday, and with free agency officially beginning earlier this week, I’m sure we’ll have plenty more to come! Let’s take a look at some of the more notable stories of the week…

• I was completely shocked to see that Matt Holliday was acquired by the A’s on Monday. The A’s gave up a great deal of value, sending Greg Smith, Huston Street, and Carlos Gonzalez to Colorado for one year of Holliday. I don’t get this move unless the A’s aren’t done yet, or they’re planning on dealing Holliday again in July. I don’t feel that the move makes Oakland a contender, especially given how tough McAfee is on right-handed hitters. The Rockies, in my opinon, got a great package, and the A’s can either deal Holliday again or perhaps emerge as surprise contenders in the West, depending on what other moves they make. There’s been speculation that the Rox could turn around and deal Street immediately, with the Twins being mentioned specifically. We heard later that Colorado may just keep him as well, however. Here’s some more reactions to the trade.
• The Yankees made a surprise move as well, acquiring Nick Swisher and Kanekoa Texeira from the White Sox in exchange for Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez, and Jhonny Nunez. I like this move for New York, as Swisher could rebound nicely and be a big-time producer in New York, while none of the pieces acquired by the Sox offer overwhelming promise. This could push the Yankees out of the running for Mark Teixeira, which means more money to throw at the top free agent starters. Here’s some additional reactions.
• The Nationals acquired both Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham from the Marlins, in exchange for Emilio Bonifacio, and minor leaguers P.J. Dean and Jake Smolinski. It seems like the Marlins could have gotten more for these two, and a second baseman is a curious acquisition, with Dan Uggla obviously occupying that slot in Florida. Is a trade or a move to third base is on the way for him? I love this deal for the Nationals, giving them a little added power and even a league-average arm is an upgrade for their rotation. Olsen’s just 24, though his effectiveness has been going in the wrong direction. Still, it seems like a pretty unspectacular return for a young left-handed pitcher and an affordable outfielder who can hit for respectable power. Here’s more reactions for this one.
• The Cubs also acquired a Marlin this week, when they traded Jose Ceda for Kevin Gregg. This is another one I don’t get at all. It seems like this makes it a guarantee for the Cubs to part ways with Kerry Wood, and while Carlos Marmol can take on the ninth inning with ease, Gregg won’t offer the same security for the eighth inning that Marmol did. Gregg/Marmol is hardly the 1-2 punch that Marmol/Wood was. Wood even said he would do anything to stay in Chicago, including signing a one-year deal. Ceda put up very good numbers at AA this year, and seems like far too great of a price for Gregg. A year ago, Ceda was deemed "untouchable" even in a trade for Brian Roberts. Now he’s being dealt straight up for Gregg? I don’t get the thinking here. Here’s the additional reactions.
• The Yankees made an outrageous, six-year, $140MM offer to C.C. Sabathia. Can he really turn that down?
• A few signings this week, as the Yankees brought back Damaso Marte at a cheaper price (3 years, $12MM) and the Phillies also brought back a lefty reliever – Scott Eyre. Eyre will get a one-year, $2MM deal. Both seem like solid signings to me.
• A few other reliever notes: Trevor Hoffman is likely done as a San Diego Padre. It’s hard to imagine, but it looks like he’ll be pitching elsewhere in 2009. Here’s a recap of the whole situation. The Brewers could be a fit for Hoffman, considering their best option is off the table. Salomon Torres announced his retirement (again) this week.
• Once again, just to put Dodgers fans at ease… Russell Martin isn’t going anywhere.
• A few notes for Twins fans: Bill Smith doesn’t understand where the Delmon Young trade rumors came from, but also doesn’t affirmatively say he won’t be traded. It’s been speculated Young could be moved for a third baseman, but that may not be necessary, because they’re reportedly preparing to make an offer to Casey Blake.

We’ve seen a massive amount of news here since last Sunday, with rumors swirling around names like Jake Peavy, Matt Holliday, Mark Teixeira, and several more. Let’s take a look back and try to hit some of the highlights from the chaos:

• The Cardinals may be the frontrunner for Holliday, with a package centered around Ryan Ludwick being the big draw. I’m not entirely sold on Ludwick, but it’s impossible to ignore the outrageous numbers he put up this season.
• The latest Peavy rumors can be found here. We’ve heard that the Cubs may be the frontrunners, but I can’t see him ending up anywhere other than Atlanta, based on what the Cubs have to offer in comparison. Could the talk about Chicago be just a tool to up the pressure on the Braves? The Cubs, by the way, want Peavy as well as Ryan Dempster for 2009 and beyond.
• Apparently the Dodgers REALLY want Manny Ramirez to stay… I think in the end, he will, but the Dodgers will have to up their offer to at least three years, probably four, first.
• Here’s a look at some of the Teixeira madness. Remember, he turned down eight years, $140MM from the Rangers last year. I know a lot of people are picking the Yankees, but I see them focusing more on pitching as well. Everyone says the Angels will make one quick offer and dip out if he rejects, but my prediction is that he stays put when it’s all said and done.
• We saw a couple of rumors this week, including a scenario that would send Javier Vazquez to the Mets, and another that would involve a swap of Ryan Ludwick for Kelly Johnson. Some of the talks surrounding the Vazquez trade puzzled me, especially people equating his contract to that of Luis Castillo. The Sox may also be shopping Nick Swisher.
• Couple of Scott Boras notes: He expects Magglio Ordonez to stay put in Detroit, and has publically stated that he wants "Posada money" for Jason Varitek. As absurd as that sounds, keep in mind how good Boras is at what he does. He’s likely setting the bar far higher than his actual expectations in this case.
• No surprise here, but A.J. Burnett has finally officially opted out of his contract. I imagine he’ll be in for quite the large payday. My own personal prediction? Yankees.
• Few notes for Dodgers fans: Russell Martin is NOT available, accodring to Ned Colletti, while Rafael Furcal may test the open market in search of a four-year deal.
• Brian Fuentes will definitely not be back in Colorado next season. Miguel Olivo, however will be returning to Kansas City despite previous reports.
• Greg Maddux is likely to call it quits following the 2008 season. Hats off to Maddux for one of the greatest careers the game will ever see.
• Several options exercised this week: Mike Cameron, Brian Giles, and Hank Blalock.
• A few moderately notable signings include the Yankees signing Sergio Mitre for $1.25MM, and the Astros signing LaTroy Hawkins to a one-year, $3.5MM contract.
• A few pieces on the offseason plans for various teams, including the Cardinals and Phillies. Tim also capped off the Offseason Outlook series with some of his own insight for the Phils.
• Jon Heyman offered up his free agent predictions early in the week. Tim did the same when he posted his list of picks for the Top 50 Free Agents.
• Tim also did an interesting feature on notable picks selected as compensation picks for losing a Type A or B free agent: First Round, Supplemental Round.

First off, congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays as well on great seasons! I always hate to see the season end, but it always leads to a very exciting MLB offseason. With the 2008 season in the books, let’s look back at the latest week here on MLBTR:

• The Royals and Marlins wasted no time in getting the offseason trades going, when Florida shipped first baseman Mike Jacobs to Kansas City for reliever Leo Nunez. I really don’t get this move, as the Royals had a stockpile of 1B/DH players, and it’s been well-documented that they have OBP woes, finishing 26th out of 30 MLB teams. Despite clubbing 32 HR in 2008, Jacobs posted just a .299 OBP, and is only at a mark of .318 for his career. Also, given that the 32 HR was a jump from his previous career high of 20, it seems a bit unrealistic to expect 30+ HR again (though 22-25 is a good bet). Nunez posted pretty good numbers across the board, and good bullpen help is always hard to find. I like this deal for the Marlins. Feel free to voice your own takes on the deal.
• Speaking of Kansas City, we heard last Sunday that the Royals and Indians were exploring a trade involving Mark Teahen. The next day, Royals’ GM Dayton Moore emphatically denied that rumor, calling it an "absolute lie."
• Couple of notes on two of the biggest free agent pitchers on the market: The Brewers are considering offering C.C. Sabathia four years, $100MM. Elsewhere, A.J. Burnett has said that he will see if the Yankees are interested if he opts out of his deal in Toronto. Personally, I think it’s just a matter of when he opts out, not if.
• We saw a glimpse into some offseason targets and plans for several teams, including the White Sox, Cubs, and Orioles. Tim also did his Offseason Outlook for the Tampa Bay Rays.
• If you’re curious to see who’s available for those teams, as well as your own, here’s a list of 65 players who had filed for free agency as of this Friday.
• Lots of news about possible trade scenarios this week: The Mets may look to the trade market for a closer. Names like Huston Street and Kevin Gregg would make sense. Given their payroll concerns, the Tigers might have to look at moving Magglio Ordonez. Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder is another big name who could be on the move. And if you’re in the market for starting pitching, the White Sox might have a match for you in Javier Vazquez.
• Lots of options exercised and declined this week. The Angels exercised their options on Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey, while declining Garret Anderson’s. Anderson could be back for less. The Tigers declined Edgar Renteria’s 2009 option; he’ll enter a very weak shortstop market. The White Sox cut ties with Ken Griffey Jr. and Toby Hall. Junior is open to returning to Chicago as well as returning to Seattle. The Mets picked up Carlos Delgado’s option, the Blue Jays did the same with Rod Barajas, and Tim Wakefield will be back in Boston in 2009. Henry Blanco’s option was not exercised by the Cubs. So Taguchi, Jason Michaels, Alan Embree, Craig Counsell, and Tom Gordon all had their options declined as well.
• Two signings this week: Fernando Tatis inked a one-year, $1.7MM contract with the Mets. Jason LaRue will be back with the Cardinals, making $950K.
• Keith Law offers his take on the possible list of Type A/B Free Agents.
• Don’t always have time to sit down at your computer? Try checking out MLBTR Mobile!

We’re nearing the end of the 2008 season, as the Phils lead the Rays 2-1 in the World Series, but that doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of material here on MLBTR. Let’s look back at the past week!

• Talks for Padres ace Jake Peavy slowed down a bit this week, but there are still plenty of rumors circulating. We learned that Peavy will want full no-trade protection, and heard that he is not a good fit for the Cardinals (sorry St. Louis fans). Executives feel it will take top prospects such as Tommy Hanson or Jason Heyward, but we’ve heard Frank Wren say they are not available… multiple times. As has been said countless times, there’s no rush to trade Peavy, though it’s hard to imagine a deal getting done without at least some of Atlanta’s top young players.
• I’ll resist making a bad pun about the "Holliday Season" approaching (ok, no I won’t) as I link to this piece here, informing us that yet another huge name – Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday – has been officially made available on the trading block. The Rox will be looking for solid young starters in return. The Phillies were interested in July, we know the Mets have been searching for a power-hitting corner OF, and what would any trade sweepstakes be without at least mentioning the Red Sox or Yankees these days?
• If you don’t feel like giving up the pitching for Holliday, you could always go ahead and go after Manny Ramirez. We’ve been hearing a lot about him these days as well. I’d be surprised to see him get the six years he’s after, though I also don’t see him taking the enormous two-year deal the Dodgers are reportedly preparing to offer. Speaking of Manny, in case you forgot… Curt Schilling really doesn’t like him.
• The Mariners put an end to their GM search, hiring Jack Zduriencik of the Brewers to fill the position. Zduriencik carries a great reputation as a result of several successful draft picks for the Brewers.
• Couple of notes on rehabbing pitchers: The Cardinals will buy out Mark Mulder’s 2009 option, and Mark Prior could be ready for the beginning of the 2009 season. Both are among a list of pitchers who would like to attempt comebacks in San Diego.
• The Marlins will discuss what to do with Mike Jacobs, Kevin Gregg, and Scott Olsen, three arbitration-eligible players they are willing to move. Dan Uggla will likely be staying put unless they’re blown away by an offer.
• The Blue Jays claimed Bryan Bullington off waivers from Cleveland and also signed Adam Loewen following his release from Baltimore this week. Loewen will attempt a Rick Ankiel-esque comeback as an outfielder following even more injury problems in his pitching arm.
• The Orioles may have lost Loewen, but some good news for their fans: They began discussions about an extension for Nick Markakis this week.
• Tim continued the Offseason Outlook series with entries for the Red Sox and Dodgers.
• For more on the Red Sox offseason, here’s a look courtesy of several New England media outlets, and one more from Tom Massarotti. It also seems like they may not want to pay top dollar for Derek Lowe.
• Here’s a look at the projected Elias Rankings for NL 1B/OF, AL infielders, and NL Infielders as well.

It’s been a busy week here at MLBTR, with the news that a certain NL ace (some guy named "Jake Peavy…" heard of him?) is likely to be traded in the coming weeks. Let’s take a look back at the Peavy-mania and other notable stories of the past week:

• October 13, 2008: Peavy-Mania officially begins. Since then it’s been Peavy, Peavy, Peavy, and, oh yeah… more Peavy. The current frontrunners appear to be the Braves, with possible centerpieces including Yunel Escobar, Tommy Hanson, and Jason Heyward. A combination of those would certainly be appealing, but it sounds unlikely that more than one is available. Peavy would like to remain in the NL, and other possibilities have included the Dodgers, Astros, and Cardinals, though none seem to match up nearly as well as Atlanta. Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal analyzed some of Peavy’s suitors, and seems to be leaning towards the Braves as well. Braves fans don’t seem thrilled with the concept of giving up Escobar, Hanson, or Heyward. Personally, Peavy leaving PETCO wouldn’t worry me. He’s posted three dominant seasons away from PETCO, and clearly has the stuff to be dominant in any park. Facing the facts, any team is going to have to give up more than they’re comfortable with to land Peavy, because otherwise Kevin Towers won’t pull the trigger. This isn’t Johan Santana giving his team an ultimatum like we saw last offseason; Towers is in the driver’s seat.
• From one ace to another: The Brewers will at least make an attempt to keep C.C. Sabathia in Milwaukee.
• Scott Boras is working his magic on Manny Ramirez, now stating that Manny deserves an "iconic" contract of six years, and $150MM. I can’t see anyone coughing up a deal for that much money, or that many years for Manny, regardless of his superhuman stint with the Dodgers. But hey, gas is up, and so is Manny. He’s a five-tool player now… just ask him.
• MLBTR has suggested that Rafael Furcal would be a good fit for a lot of teams, and he will… if he ever hits free agency. That’s not necessarily a guarantee though, as we learned that Furcal wants to stay in LA, and the feeling is mutual.
• Lots of talk about the Marlins trading some arb-eligible players, but if you ask Buster Olney, Dan Uggla won’t be one of them. The Marlins are now saying that they won’t have to make any payroll-motivated moves, though it’s possible they’re putting that message out there to re-gain a bit of leverage in trade talks.
• Juan Pierre wants to be a starter again, and is willing to waive his no-trade clause if that will make it happen. Unfortunately for Pierre, he’s got a three years and $28.5MM left on his contract; he’s not going to be easy to move. Any suggestions on a fit for Pierre?
• The Indians exercised Jamey Carroll’s $2.5MM option for 2009.
• Jon Heyman takes a look at the Yankees’ upcoming offseason, while Tom Powers looks at the offseason for Minnesota.
• If that’s not enough offseason news for you, Tim added Offseason Outlooks for the Yankees, Mets, Angels, Brewers, and Cubs.
• Curious to see who’s going to net your team some draft picks? New Elias rankings are out for AL Starters, AL Relievers, and AL 1B/OF/DH.

Let’s take a look at the last week in MLB Trade Rumors.

• The Orioles will try to re-sign second baseman Brian Roberts.
• Brian Cashman is back as Yankees GM, but Mike Mussina may retire.  Cashman may have $180MM to work with.  He could lose Bobby Abreu, who wants at least three years on his next contract.  Cashman will find plenty of interest in Robinson Cano, if he wants to make a deal for pitching.   
• Omar Minaya’s extension was also made official, and manager Jerry Manuel was re-signed.
• The Jays still haven’t discussed dollars with A.J. Burnett‘s agent.
• 2009 options: the Padres will probably exercise Brian Giles for $9MM, the Tigers will pass on Edgar Renteria for $12MM, the Astros passed on Doug Brocail at $3.25MM, and the Mets will retain Carlos Delgado at $12MM.
• Kyle Lohse signed a four-year, $41MM extension (full no-trade clause) with the Cardinals, forgoing free agency.  Wes Helms re-upped with the Marlins for two years and $1.9MM.  The A’s will try to re-sign Mark Ellis.
• The Padres chose the prospects they’ll receive in the Greg Maddux deal.  The Indians chose Michael Brantley to complete the C.C. Sabathia trade; the Brewers may look to re-sign Sabathia.
• Buster Olney named young starters who may be available, chief among them Jake Peavy.  The cost-cutting Padres are trying to retrieve over a million bucks in salary with a grievance against shortstop Khalil Greene.
• Offseason Outlooks: the Indians, Diamondbacks, and Blue Jays.
• The Pirates will explore the free agent market this winter.  The Twins are fond of free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera.

Let’s try something new – a review of the past week.  The major rumors and events for June 22-28:

• A major event for this website, at least – we rolled out the new design.
• The A’s, Rangers, and Reds are battling to sign 16 year-old Dominican righty Michel Inoa.
• Ben Sheets plans to test free agency.
• The Indians will make a final effort to sign C.C. Sabathia.
• Shawn Chacon asked for a trade, bodyslammed his GM, and was placed on waivers.
• Jayson Stark said Francisco Rodriguez is looking for at least four years and $60MM.  No reliever has ever gotten even $50MM.
• The Nationals are discussing a two-year extension with shortstop Cristian Guzman.  They’re also talking about sending Felipe Lopez to Baltimore.