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Padres Discussing Kouzmanoff

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618pm: Stark hears that the Padres offered Kouzmanoff up for Lewis and Frandsen. That doesn't match with the reports below, which suggest the Padres wanted more. Stark agrees with Nightengale that the Padres wanted more than Glen Perkins in return from the Twins.

WEDNESDAY, 5:21pm: Jayson Stark of ESPN.com hears that the Padres are aggressively trying to move Kouzmanoff. The Twins and Giants are interested.

TUESDAY, 5:39pm: The Twins offered Perkins for Kouzmanoff, but the Padres want more, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

4:50pm: MLB.com's Corey Brock hears that Kouzmanoff has drawn interest from as many as eight teams. The Padres aren't interested in Lewis or Frandsen.

1:47pm: USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets about an NL West trade discussion: the Giants are talking to the Padres about third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, but the Padres want more than Fred Lewis and Kevin Frandsen.  I'm guessing the Padres would prefer not to pay Kouzmanoff the $3-5MM he'll get through arbitration.

Meanwhile La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Padres would like to discuss Kouzmanoff with the Twins.  He wonders if they'd be interested in Glen Perkins, who is available.  Neal notes that Pedro Feliz's agents would like to talk to the Twins as well.

Twitter Rumors: Capps, Felix, Harden, Pierre

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A fresh batch of Twitter rumors, for those of you with extra-short attention spans…

  • MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch learned that the Pirates plan to tender a contract to Matt Capps.
  • Stubborn Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says he has no regrets about not offering arbitration to Randy Wolf, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.  Hernandez also notes that the Dodgers are considering Ronnie Belliard, Craig Counsell, Juan Uribe, and Jamey Carroll as second base options.  The Reds also like Carroll, says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
  • Yahoo's Steve Henson says the Rockies are open to re-signing Jason Marquis at a reduced number (less than the $9.875MM he made in '09).
  • SI's Jon Heyman believes Felix Hernandez is seeking six years and $100MM, while the Mariners are thinking four years plus an option at less than $50MM.  That phrasing makes a possible divide seem larger than it is, since those last two years of the deal would be the most expensive (more than $15MM per year).  At any rate, Shannon Drayer and Mike Salk learned that no numbers have been exchanged on Felix yet.
  • La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen wants Mike Redmond to back up A.J. Pierzynski.
  • MLB.com's Steve Gilbert says the Rangers may have interest in arbitration-eligible D'Backs infielder Augie Ojeda.  The Rangers added Joe Inglett off waivers, but were said to still be looking at utility infield candidates.
  • Morosi tweets that Rich Harden is "willing to sign a one-year deal with a lot of incentives."  Will he exceed Brad Penny's $7.5MM base salary?  Morosi names the Red Sox, Yankees, and Mariners as the most serious suitors. 
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Tigers have interest in Juan Pierre, and are "looking for a third team to supply the pitcher L.A. needs."  Odd, since the Tigers have more bad pitching contracts than anyone.  The Tigers apparently prefer to unload Carlos Guillen.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates are not interested in bringing back Brian Giles.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Red Sox "have two or three teams they could trade Mike Lowell to right now" if they'd take a similar contract back.  Looking at our Bad Contract Swap Meet I don't see any obvious matches for one year and $12MM.
  • There's been some tire-kicking with the Phillies and Ron Mahay, writes Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Red Sox were linked to Mahay by Michael Silverman on Monday.  Martino also says the Phillies met with John Smoltz's agent this morning, "but discussions remain informal."
  • Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star characterizes the White Sox and Red Sox interest in Coco Crisp as "low-level," but says that's still more than the Royals have shown.  Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the White Sox would consider Crisp, Mike Cameron, and Marlon Byrd. ESPN's Mike Salk notes that the Mariners spoke to Byrd's agent.
  • Dutton also has the Red Sox eyeing Ryan Shealy on a minor league deal.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports names the most asked-about Padres: Heath Bell, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Adrian Gonzalez (in that order).  He says the Padres are "not hearing anything compelling on Bell."  MLB.com's Corey Brock says about eight teams inquired on Kouzmanoff.  Surprised not to see Kevin Correia mentioned by Rosenthal.  He'd be a great affordable option for a team like the Brewers.  ESPN's Buster Olney heard from rival execs who expect the Padres to get second-line prospects for Kouzmanoff and Correia.
  • The Mets appear to find a Luis Castillo deal unlikely, says Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Yankees are shopping their #1 pick in tomorrow's Rule 5 draft, which they acquired for Brian Bruney.  If they don't trade the pick, Yahoo's Steve Henson says the Yankees could use it on pitcher Arquimedes Caminero.

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.

Padres Release Eulogio De La Cruz

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The Padres released righty Eulogio De La Cruz today, according to a team press release.  The 25-year-old was traded by the Marlins to the Padres in March, but then designated for assignment in April.  He ended up posting a 3.12 ERA, 7.7 K/9, and 5.7 BB/9 in 69.3 Triple A innings, allowing only two home runs.

Here's what Padres exec Paul DePodesta said about De La Cruz in March, when the Padres acquired him:

Described by our scouts as a "little bull with a big arm" De La Cruz has supposedly thrown 100 mph. Most of the time, however, he sits between 93-97 mph with his fastball, which he complements with both a curveball and a changeup. He has just 16 innings at the big league level (and they weren't very pretty), but we believe he's big league ready. And now for my standard ending… we're excited to have him.

Padres Expected To Non-Tender Kevin Correia

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WEDNESDAY, 1:36pm: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that Correia declined the Padres' final contract offer and has been told he'll be non-tendered by the Saturday deadline.  Does he have no trade value?

MONDAY, 1:20pm: Going a little further, ESPN's Buster Olney says the Padres "are not expected to tender Correia" a contract, "barring a reversal."  Commenters below note that trading him makes a lot more sense.

1:03pm: In what would be a sadly cheap move, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Padres are likely to non-tender starter Kevin Correia if he doesn't agree to another discounted contract by Saturday's deadline.  Correia ended up making $1.1MM this year and provided the Padres with 33 starts and a 3.91 ERA, 6.5 K/9, and 2.9 BB/9.  He'll do fine on the open market if the Padres are really this cheap.

Overnight Links: Myers, Castillo, Verlander, Padres

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As we gear up for another long night, here's some links to take a look at if you're still awake:

  • Paul Hagen questions the Phillies' logic when refusing to look at bringing Brett Myers back. The Phils are looking for an inexpensive fifth starter candidate; Myers fits the bill and brings plenty of upside. Do they feel he's just not worth the trouble anymore?
  • Ben Shpigel explains why, in spite of a resurgent season from Luis Castillo, and in spite of the Mets' feeling that his contract is better than that of Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Juan Pierre, and Gary Matthews Jr., they're still looking to move him.
  • Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press feels the Tigers must do whatever it takes to keep Justin Verlander in Detroit for as long as possible. Rosenberg makes the interesting point that with one more dominant season, Verlander could put the Tigers in a similar position that Johan Santana put the Twins, though he concedes that Verlander's not as good. At least not yet.
  • Corey Brock tells us that new Padres GM celebrated his 36th birthday by kicking off the Winter Meetings and fielding calls on about "half a dozen" of his players, including Heath Bell, who could be due as much as $5MM through arbitration. Still, Brock suggests the Padres would prefer to keep Bell.
  • The Phillies payroll for 2010 will likely be around $140MM, says David Murphy. He also quotes Ruben Amaro Jr., implying that Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey will be tendered contracts.
  • Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says that the Indians could look to trade Kerry Wood during the Winter Meetings, but then discusses why it might be smarter to wait until midseason.
  • MLB.com's Brian McTaggart feels that Jose Valverde's probable departure is probably for the best, given the economics of the situation. 
  • Danny Knobler at CBS Sports explains why the Pirates would even bother showing interest in Juan Pierre, whom they were linked to last night.
  • Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Sun-Times says White Sox GM Kenny Williams declined to comment on the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, and implies that Hideki Matsui may not be a fit for the South Siders, even if Carlos Quentin moves to right field. Scott Podsednik, however, may still fit.
  • Aaron Gleeman looks at what it means to the Twins to have Carl Pavano back for 2010. Gleeman says Pavano's a better fit than past veteran starters the Twins have tried, as well as a safer bet than signing Jarrod Washburn to multiple years.

Odds & Ends: Reed Johnson, Laynce Nix, Counsell

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

Twitter Rumors: Doumit, Mahay, Wolf, Jenkins

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Collecting some tweets I couldn't quite turn into posts…

  • Four unknown teams are in on Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit, says Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • The Nationals have interest in free agent catcher Brad Ausmus, says MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • The Red Sox have interest in free agent lefty Ron Mahay, says Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The 38-year-old posted a 4.29 ERA, 7.5 K/9, and 3.9 BB/9 in 50.3 innings for the Royals and Twins this year.  Two years ago he was quite a hot commodity on the free agent market.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says Brett Myers is seeking a two-year deal.  The Rangers and other teams are interested at one year.  Crasnick wrote a few days ago that the Astros are also interested, while Andrew Baggarly named the Giants as a suitor today.
  • Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times shoots down Danny Knobler's rumor that the Pirates have interest in Juan Pierre.  Nonetheless, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets of interest from the Pirates, White Sox, and a third team.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Yankees want to resolve the Andy Pettitte/Johnny Damon situations before moving on to Hideki Matsui and other starting pitcher options.
  • White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune that the Sox are not in the market for a pure DH.
  • The Brewers are making a "strong run" at Randy Wolf, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Ruben Amaro Jr.'s comment that "those are guys we will probably count on" implies relievers Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey will be tendered contracts by the Phillies (Andy Martino reporting).
  • Crasnick says Geoff Jenkins wants to make a comeback in 2010 and has been working out at first base and outfield in hopes of landing a bench role.
  • Crasnick says to expect the Cubs to tender a contract to Mike Fontenot on Saturday.
  • Bill Shanks quoting Braves manager Bobby Cox: "clubs are knocking on the door for Kelly Johnson."  I imagine Johnson will be dealt by Saturday.
  • ESPN's Gordon Edes says that while Red Sox owner John Henry is a big fan of Miguel Cabrera from their Marlins days, the Red Sox "don't have the Major League-ready position players Detroit wants in return."
  • Crasnick expects Elmer Dessens to re-sign with the Mets, though the pitcher has talked to the Dodgers and Padres.
  • Yahoo's Steve Henson says the Braves want to move Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez, but not Kenshin Kawakami.
  • Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies will meet with Chan Ho Park's agent today "and attempt to resolve their differences over Park's value."  The Phils did not offer arbitration to Park, a Type B free agent.  Park craves another shot at starting, which won't happen in Philly.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Phillies like Brandon Lyon, but aren't "willing to pay the price for him."  Lyon is said to be seeking a multiyear deal.  He is expected to turn down the Tigers' offer of arbitration today.  The Yankees have been named as another suitor.
  • Crasnick says the Astros "have very little money to spend, unless Drayton McLane suddenly has a change of heart."

Padres Needs Continue To Grow

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You can add catching to the list of San Diego needs now that the Mets have signed Henry Blanco, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

With the Mets inking the veteran backstop to a one-year deal last week, the Padres now find themselves without a complement to Nick Hundley behind the dish. The organization is currently split on whether or not Hundley is a starting or backup catcher, according to Center. San Diego had discussed re-signing Blanco, but Center now wonders if they'll instead explore the trade market for options.

He names Heath Bell and Kevin Kouzmanoff as the Padres main most desirable trade chips not named "Adrian Gonzalez." As Center points out, there are numerous late-inning relief options on the market. While that might normally hamper a reliever's trade value, you've got to imagine Bell as an exception. The National League saves leader will cost significantly less than most other available options, as he's arbitration eligible after earning just $1.255MM last season.

Kouzmanoff is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, and could appeal to any number of teams in search of a third baseman. The Twins, Orioles, and Astros could all use help at third base, to name a few teams.

The Padres find themselves in need of another catcher, a right-handed hitting center fielder, rotation help, and a backup middle infielder who can be a defensive asset. Can Jed Hoyer find a way to make this a reality while maintaining a reasonable payroll?

Odds & Ends: M’s, O’s, Closers, Molina, Willingham

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Let's take a look at some Sunday links:

  • A number of league officials have told the New York Post's Joel Sherman that they expect the Mariners and the Orioles to spend big this offseason.  The M's have already started spending big, inking Chone Figgins earlier this week. Hearing that the Orioles are ready to spend big, however, comes as a surprise.
  • Peter Gammons agrees on the Mariners; he tweets that one executive says we should watch for Seattle to be in on both Jason Bay and John Lackey. The Mariners have money, and as Gammons says, "Jack Z loves to lay low and strike." 
  • We know that there are plenty of capable closers available on the open market, but Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports reports that there are a handful available via trade as well.  The Reds are hoping to move Francisco Cordero and the remainder of his hefty contract – two years, $25MM.  San Diego believes that Heath Bell's value is at its absolute zenith and is looking to capitalize.  The Pirates hope to find a new home for Matt Capps, who they labeled as their closer for 2010.
  • Jon Heyman wonders aloud if Bengie Molina is seeking a three-year pact, since the Mets are willing to give him two years and there is no deal in place yet (via Twitter). 
  • Heyman also tweets that the Cubs and Rays are not close on a Milton Bradley-for-Pat Burrell swap.  The possibility of including the Mets and Luis Castillo in a three-way trade is "not helping things."
  • The Mets are interested in Josh Willingham, according to William Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter).
  • Don't expect the Padres to move Adrian Gonzalez in Indianapolis, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com.  However, if San Diego does make any moves at all, it will likely be via trade.
  • Jon Paul Morosi offers a high-level preview of each team's thoughts going into the Winter Meetings, broken down by National League and American League.
  • A few overseas updates courtesy of Patrick from NPB Tracker: The Hansin Tigers are nearing a deal with Randy Messenger, and have interest in Jason Bulger, should he be removed from the Angels' 40-man roster. Patrick also adds that Nelson Payano is likely to return to MLB-affiliated ball. The lefty last worked with the AA affiliates for Seattle and Atlanta in 2008.
  • Ken Davidoff tweets that once the Yankees non-tender Chien-Ming Wang, the Dodgers will have interest in the right-hander, as Joe Torre and Larry Bowa are both big fans.
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