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Jake Peavy Rumors: Thursday

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10:56pm: Axelrod suggestion the Giants as a possible destination for Peavy in a talk with Tim Sullivan.  He said, "I think they’ve got the money. But I don’t know if they’ve got the prospects."

8:20pm: Jon Heyman says that Peavy is frustrated by the team’s inability to trade him. His agent, Barry Axelrod, says that Peavy had begun to get used to the idea of being a Cub, and now that opportunity is apparently gone. Axelrod says if the Padres approach he and his client with a trade, they’ll consider it, but there won’t be any more lists of approved teams.

Axelrod also criticizes the majority of baseball executives for their lack of action at the Winter Meetings.

"It’s amazing to me how many people can waste time, money and resources, and get nothing done," Axelrod said. "Baseball moved lock, stock and barrel into that town, and absolutely nothing happened."

6:45: Mike DiGiovanna at the LA Times says that the Angels are now in the mix for Peavy. Trade talks could begin as soon as next week, with Brandon Wood, Erick Aybar, Reggie Willits, Nick Adenhart, and Kevin Jepsen all names that could be talked about. The Angels will only pursue Peavy if they can’t re-sign Mark Teixeira.

5:02pm: Talked to a person familiar with the Cubs’ thinking…he really could not see the Cubs revisiting a Peavy trade.  The Padres need to get Peavy’s $63MM off the books soon, yet were trying to swing 6-for-1 or 7-for-1 deals for him despite the extremely limited market.  Marshall was never in the mix, by the way.

3:27pm: MLB.com’s Mark Bowman says the Braves "won’t even think about renewing their pursuit of Peavy unless the talks are initiated by the Padres, who will no longer find a compensation package that includes Yunel Escobar."  Escobar is apparently off the table because the Braves no longer have Brent Lillibridge.

2:56pm: Tim Brown and Gordon Edes say the Cubs "remain optimistic that they can acquire Peavy, all but ignored Towers’ self-imposed deadline."  Meanwhile, Gerry Fraley says the Angels have already put together a package for the Padres to consider.

12:01pm: Kevin Towers told reporters the proposed Peavy deal with the Cubs is dead.  The Cubs pulled out.  Mike DiGiovanna heard earlier that the Angels remain interested.  Towers is not certain he wants to engage in further Peavy discussions at this time.  I think even hot stove junkies wouldn’t mind a respite.

11:30am: Towers still hasn’t heard back from Hendry on the Peavy deal.  Ken Rosenthal says eight to ten teams have called on DeRosa, adding the A’s to the mix of known suitors.

12:33am: Multiple reports suggested yesterday that the Cubs would not trade Mark DeRosa.  But new stories in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times do not support that notion.

Paul Sullivan of the Trib says DeRosa "appears to be the key to any Peavy deal."  Gordon Wittenmyer of the Sun-Times heard the Cubs would only trade DeRosa as part of a Peavy deal, and Jim Hendry inquired on Chone Figgins as a possible replacement.  And La Velle E. Neal III believes DeRosa is fair game in a Peavy deal or separately for the Twins or Phillies.  As far as Jason Marquis, both Chicago writers see him landing in San Diego with the Cubs eating about half his salary (one sign that the Cubs have "hand," as George Costanza would say).

Padres GM Kevin Towers wants to get a framework in place today.  The Cubs have the leverage, with Wittenmyer suggesting they also want to keep Sean Marshall.  One player most writers believe will be sent from the Cubs to the Padres is Josh Vitters.  But Towers says it’s in the Cubs’ hands.

Dodgers Could Pursue Hoffman; Cards Unlikely

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5:56 pm: According to Jayson Stark, the Dodgers, who are likely to non-tender Takashi Saito, could pursue Hoffman. Stark has sources who say that if the price is low enough and the contract is short-term, the Dodgers might be interested.

9:17 am:Cardinals manager Tony La Russa: "I mean, I love and respect Trevor Hoffman. But I don’t know that that’s the guy we’ve talked about a lot."  Instead, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Brian Fuentes is the Cardinals’ priority.

The Brewers seek a closer as well, but they’ll also take a pass on Hoffman.  We’ll have to see what the Tigers do.  The Dodgers don’t seem passionate; Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune thinks it’s time to mend fences with the Padres if they can afford Hoffman.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Wednesday

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8:36pm: MLB.com’s Corey Brock learned from Towers that he should know one way or another on a Peavy trade by the end of the Meetings.  Towers now believes a fourth team will be required.  Towers mentioned that Marquis and DeRosa may be hangups, especially Marquis’ contract.  Though he’d prefer not to, under certain circumstances the Padres might pay some of his salary.

There was some goofy Carlos Carrasco/Jason Donald stuff we didn’t link to today, and that was shot down.  Brock suggests names like Josh Vitters, Felix Pie, and Kevin Hart could be involved on the Cubs’ part.

8:31pm: Jayson Stark says Peavy to the Cubs doesn’t seem inevitable anymore, and the sides have not made progress in the last 24 hours.  The Cubs have leverage, so they’ve dug in their heels.  Stark adds that once word of the possible inclusion of DeRosa linked, Jim Hendry has been "bombarded with calls from other clubs interested" in him.  Hendry does not want to trade DeRosa.

6:00pm: Buster Olney says the Yankees have talked with the Padres recently about Peavy, but it didn’t go anywhere.

5:19pm: Brock talked to a Padres source who does not believe the Twins are involved.

4:10pm: Buster Olney says Axelrod left the Meetings with no word of a deal but the expectation is still that the Cubs will get it done.

3:48pm: Tom Krasovic reminds us that Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod said going into the Meetings that the Yankees would be more attractive to his client if they signed C.C. Sabathia.  Still, Peavy prefers the NL.

3:17pm: Corey Brock says the Phillies might want Scott Hairston from the Padres to use in left field.

2:33pm: Carrie Muskat’s Cubs source says DeRosa will not be traded.

9:45am: LEN3 says the Twins discussed DeRosa with the Cubs yesterday.  The Cubs will present the Twins with a list of pitchers they like, which will be influenced by the Padres’ preferences.

9:31am: There’s word from Jim Salisbury that pitcher Kyle Kendrick could be included in this three-team trade.

1:19am: If you dare to sort through yesterday’s Jake Peavy rumors, click here.  Today, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times maintains that the biggest obstacle is the Cubs moving part of Jason Marquis’ contract.  Another factor – the Padres will need to free up several spots on the 40-man roster.  The Cubs’ sale will not be an issue.

Wittenmyer adds that a Phillies official didn’t expect to get Mark DeRosa from the Cubs but rather other players.  Also, Cubs officials shot down the John Perrotto rumor that the Cubs might shop Carlos Zambrano after acquiring Peavy.

Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune also weighs in.  He says the Padres have discussed Phils catching prospect Jason Jaramillo.

Padres Have Interest In Vizquel; Dodgers Don’t

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7:39pm: Ned Colletti told Diamond Leung the Dodgers aren’t looking at Vizquel.

5:55pm: Andrew Baggarly says the Padres also have interest in Vizquel.  He adds that the A’s are looking at free agent pitcher Kevin Correia for a minor league deal.

4:52pm: Tony Jackson says the Dodgers might have interest in free agent shortstop Omar Vizquel if they can’t sign Rafael Furcal.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Tuesday

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11:07pm: Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune has Phillies sources saying the deal is in place if the Cubs will pull the trigger with the Padres.  Sullivan also talked to chairman Crane Kenney, who implied the Cubs included Peavy’s contract within projected budgets to bidders.

Sullivan adds that the Cubs have not had talks for Bobby Abreu yet.

9:17pm: Stark says there’s no way such a complicated trade will get done before the end of the Meetings.  He adds that extra teams are not necessarily requirements.  The Cubs will need to move a contract and get ownership approval, though.

8:39pm: Ruben Amaro Jr. came close to acknowledging the Phils are involved in the Peavy deal, says Jayson Stark.

8:31pm: Jeff Passan: the lone holdup in this complicated trade is the Cubs moving Marquis.  A deal is not imminent, though, according to Towers.

7:26pm: Brock talked to Towers, who met today with Hendry and said a trade seems more likely today than it did yesterday.  They’ll meet again tonight.  If a deal is reached, it’d be announced after Thursday’s Rule 5 draft.  Brock says the Phillies are believed to be the third team.

3:31pm: MLB.com’s Corey Brock says nothing is imminent and the Cubs appear reluctant.

2:25pm: The saga continues…Kevin Towers does not think this deal lost steam in the last 24 hours, according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown and Gordon Edes.  However, they say the Cubs are having second thoughts about this four-team mess.  The Cubs source says the price is too steep for them right now and they’re looking at another short-term option for the rotation (Randy Johnson maybe).

2:02pm: Tom Krasovic says the Padres are not seeking J.A. Happ or Chris Coste as has been previously rumored.  Also, Ronny Cedeno is not the Padres’ first choice to replace Khalil Greene at short.  Krasovic adds that the Braves apparently are now happy the Padres didn’t take their offer for Peavy.

Kras adds that the Padres did some fact-finding with Mark Grudzielanek’s agent.  Grudz wants to play for a winner though.

1:10pm: Roman Modrowski of the Chicago Sun-Times says Peavy sang "Go Cubs, Go" at a Vegas bar last night.  Good times.  But did Roy Oswalt sing along?  Also, Modrowski believes the Cubs would be willing to eat as much as $6MM of Marquis’ $9.875MM.

Jayson Stark says an Aaron Heilman-Marquis deal appears unlikely, as the sides cannot agree on what portion of Marquis’ contract the Cubs would assume.

12:08pm: Rosenthal says the Cubs maintain they’re not close on Peavy.  And they still need to identify their new owner before a deal can get done.  The Cubs are mulling Randy Johnson as a backup plan, and continue to prioritize the lefthanded bat.

10:36am: Phil Rogers says the key to this potential four-team Peavy trade would be the Phillies or Orioles taking on Marquis and some of his contract.  Rogers says "it will be a stunner if the Cubs don’t acquire Peavy."

1:00am: Chris De Luca says a source close to Jim Hendry characterized a Peavy deal as "very close."  De Luca’s sources say a Cubs-Orioles component is set (Felix Pie for Garrett Olson).  This runs counter to Roch Kubatko’s report below.  De Luca says the Cubs still want to trade Marquis and acquire a lefthanded hitter before closing the Peavy deal.

12:41am: Ken Rosenthal’s source says the Cubs’ attempts to bring in a third team have involved "probably 20 names with four to five clubs."  So it’s not necessarily DeRosa or the Phillies.  Rosenthal says an agreement is still not close.

12:30am: To summarize yesterday: Kevin Towers has facilitated an apparent three-team Jake Peavy trade that he will present to the Cubs.  I say three because Roch Kubatko says the Orioles don’t know of any agreement.  So the best guess right now (based on reports) is that the Cubs would send Mark DeRosa to the Phillies, and both teams would send young players to the Padres.  The Cubs could offload Jason Marquis in the deal, and the savings from Marquis and DeRosa would seem to neatly equal Peavy’s $11MM salary for ’09.

Twins Rumors: Kouzmanoff, Wigginton, Cantu

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6:38pm: Phil Miller says the Twins’ young pitching is quite popular at the Meetings.

12:04pm: The latest from La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

  • The Twins have discussed Kevin Kouzmanoff, Ty Wigginton, and Jorge Cantu internally.  It’s not known whether they’ve actually inquired.
  • Jack Wilson is still on the Twins’ radar.
  • Several teams have asked about Boof Bonser.

Pirates Rumors: Eckstein, Wilson, Turnbow

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5:29pm: A handful of teams have expressed interest in Doug Mientkiewicz, reports Jenifer Langosch.  He expects to sign within a few weeks, and his agent will meet with the Pirates this week.

4:56pm: Kovacevic confirmed that the Pirates are in negotiations with Eckstein.  The Orioles and Padres are also said to be in on him.  As for Wilson: the Dodgers are said to be exasperated by the Pirates’ asking price.

12:10am: Let’s check in with Dejan Kovacevic and Rob Biertempfel for the latest on the Pirates.

  • Kovacevic on Jack Wilson: the Tigers are out, the Dodgers are quiet lately, and the Twins are in.  Biertempfel says the Orioles continue to watch from afar.  Wilson’s contract is a sticking point for all suitors.
  • Kovacevic believes the Pirates have at least not ruled out the idea of pursuing Pedro Martinez.
  • Derrick Turnbow will throw for scouts in mid-January, so he probably won’t sign until then.  The Pirates and Giants are among eight teams that have expressed interest.
  • The Pirates seem likely to make a Rule 5 pick this year.
  • With Pirates target Mark Loretta signing with the Dodgers, Biertempfel wonders if the Bucs may pursue David Eckstein or Craig Counsell.

Perrotto’s Latest: Zambrano, Wolf, Anderson

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Gathering some rumors from John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus…

  • We know you like "crazy rumors," so here’s one Perrotto heard.  The Cubs would possibly entertain trading Carlos Zambrano if they acquire Jake Peavy.
  • The Cards have Randy Wolf on the radar.
  • The Rays have "at least some interest" in Garrett Anderson.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday

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11:02pm: Jim Salisbury backs up the idea that the Phils could receive DeRosa and the Padres could get Happ.  It’s worth noting that the Cubs could trim $5.5MM off the payroll by sending out DeRosa and using Fontenot at second base.

10:31pm: MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer says the Angels have not taken themselves out of the Peavy sweepstakes. 

Also, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune supplies more info.  A third team would definitely be involved in a Cubs trade.  DeRosa could wind up a Phillie, and Michael Wuertz is a new name of interest for the Padres.  Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod said again that Peavy will require a full no-trade clause upon a deal.  One more thing – Towers said trading Peavy could free up money for Trevor Hoffman.

9:00pm: MLB.com’s Corey Brock says the legwork on this trade "has essentially been completed."  No deal has been reached, but Towers says he’s facilitated a three or possibly four-team deal.  The third and possibly fourth teams (Orioles, Phillies) have agreed to players.  There could be some haggling remaining on players sent from the Cubs to Padres.

Brock says all Towers needs now is the go-ahead from Hendry.  Peavy, by the way, was spotted at the Meetings.

8:35pm: Jayson Stark gives his take on the Peavy-Cubs situation.  He says Hendry is dealing with restrictions due to the team’s ownership situation, despite his comments.

8:01pm: Scott Miller of CBSSports.com says Jason Marquis and Angel Guzman (among others) could end up with the Padres in the three-team deal.  The Padres could get J.A. Happ and/or Chris Coste from the Phils.  Miller adds that the Phils are known to have interest in Mark DeRosa.

6:53pm: Rosenthal says the Phillies are now in the mix as a possible third team in a Peavy trade.  Those talks are preliminary.  Rosenthal says the Cubs can’t complete a deal for Peavy until their new owner is decided.

5:33pm: Roch Kubatko says the O’s are still interested in Pie, but may only get him for Olson straight up if Olson is to be flipped to San Diego in a Peavy trade.

2:37pm: Joel Sherman learned from Towers that if he doesn’t reach an agreement on a Peavy deal with the Cubs at the Meetings, he will keep the pitcher to start the season.  The Dodgers are apparently the only other team to which Peavy has approved a trade.

Sherman adds that the Cubs "are willing to let [Peavy] keep his no-trade clause."  Not sure if Sherman is trying to say the Cubs would replace Peavy’s partial no-trade rights for 2011 and part of 2012 with full no-trade powers.

2:33pm: Kevin Towers told Ken Rosenthal he’s talking to only the Cubs about Peavy.  He expects to have a good idea on whether to drop it or move forward by the end of the Meetings.  Towers approached Ned Colletti but talks didn’t get far.

12:22pm: Jerry Crasnick says Kevin Towers and Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod drove together for the 4.5 hour ride from San Diego to Las Vegas, but Axelrod says they only talked about Peavy for about three minutes.  Also, Axelrod brought a sweet mix CD.

11:44am: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says the Cubs and Padres did not talk about Peavy on Sunday but will today.  He’s heard the Padres might be concerned with Vitters’ hand/wrist.

1:14am: Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs first want to trade Jason Marquis and acquire their left-handed hitting outfielder before Peavy.  Wittenmyer’s sources do believe the Cubs will eventually acquire San Diego’s ace.  However, his sources say the Tom Krasovic report about a five-for-one framework being in place is exaggerated.

Wittenmyer hears that the Orioles would be willing to swap Garrett Olson for Felix Pie; the Cubs would then send Olson to the Padres in the Peavy deal.

12:54am: According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, Padres GM Kevin Towers "envisions a way to do a [Jake Peavy] deal now only with the Cubs."  We’ve heard rumors of the Padres and Cubs trying to rope in the Orioles or Rays as a third team. 

Heyman adds that Peavy would approve a trade to Chicago "without any significant reworking of his contract or other major concessions."  Does that imply that the Cubs would not have to guarantee Peavy’s 2013 option ($22MM) or grant him a full no-trade clause?

Keep in mind that despite all the virtual ink that will be spilled on Peavy over the next four days, Jayson Stark sees "just about a zero chance" he’s dealt at the Meetings.  Still, the Cubs and Padres seem to already have a framework in place involving Sean Marshall, Kevin Hart, Josh Vitters, and maybe Ronny Cedeno.

Cubs Rumors: Hermida, Bradley, Roberts

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7:24pm: The Cubs met with Bradley last night, according to ESPN Deportes.

5:06pm: Cubs manager Lou Piniella asked Seattle reporters today whether Ibanez can play right field.

2:16pm: The Tribune Company filed for bankruptcy today, but the Cubs were not part of the filing.

1:59pm: Jayson Stark says Ibanez and Abreu rank much higher than Adam Dunn and Bradley on the Cubs’ list.  They’ve checked in on all four free agents.  As for Hermida, the Marlins want more than just prospects and the Cubs may not be able to do that.  Stark adds that the Cubs’ payroll is not frozen – they can temporarily go over budget assuming they can subtract payroll later.

On a related note, Stark talked to a source who described interest in Jason Marquis as not even in nibble form yet.

11:57am: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald adds more Cubs nuggets.  The Cubs are not looking to trade Mike Fontenot.  However Ronny Cedeno is available and could even be a non-tender candidate if the Cubs can’t find a match.

1:33am: Before trying to complete a Jake Peavy deal, the Cubs want to find a left-handed hitter.  Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times outlines a few targets.

Wittenmyer says Jeremy Hermida is high on the Cubs’ list (they’re not alone).  They’re also eyeing free agent Milton Bradley, who declined the Rangers’ offer of arbitration last night.  Manager Lou Piniella likes Raul Ibanez, and Wittenmyer likes Bobby Abreu.  The Cubs are still fond of Brian Roberts.  They also might consider acquiring a shortstop, which would create a surplus at second base.

The Cubs discussed Khalil Greene with the Padres before he was sent to St. Louis, even though Greene bats from the right side.

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