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Edwin Jackson Rumors: Monday

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9:43pm: D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes told Piecoro that team execs are heavily involved in trade talks and currently "talking about a lot of guys." He didn't mention Jackson specifically, but you have to think Byrnes would have squashed this rumor if the D'Backs and Tigers weren't talking about a possible Jackson deal.

8:27pm: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic thinks the D'Backs are making a push for Jackson, but doubts they'd include Max Scherzer in a deal. As Piecoro points out, Scherzer's under team control for three more years than Jackson, who can become a free agent after 2011. Those three extra years add lots of value.

8:03pm: MLB.com's Steve Gilbert wonders whether the Tigers and D'Backs could complete a deal without a third team. Do you see a potential fit?

6:26pm: The Tigers approached the Rockies about Jackson, but Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the asking price was too high for Colorado.

3:58pm: Rosenthal and Morosi say talks for Jackson have been more serious with the D'Backs than the Mariners, and the Angels are in on both Jackson and Granderson.  The Red Sox are not in on Jackson, tweets Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic says the D'Backs are not close to getting Jackson.

3:27pm: Price is back with something a little more concrete: he says the Tigers are sorting through offers from 12 teams for Jackson.

2:26pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports agree with Nightengale – the Tigers are close to trading Jackson.  They say the Brewers, Mets, and Dodgers "are not on Jackson."

2:09pm: Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets that a Mets official denied a Jackson trade.

1:54pm: Cryptic tweet from Ed Price of AOL FanHouse: "Rumor that Mets acquire Edwin Jackson."  Price then updated that the rumor was "heard in the lobby" but not confirmed.

12:57pm: USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets that the Tigers are close to trading Jackson, "perhaps as early as today."  No word on the potential destination, but we'll keep you apprised in this post.  What's more, Nightengale says the Tigers hope to trade Curtis Granderson this week.

The Tigers acquired Jackson from the Rays during the Winter Meetings last year, on December 10th.

Mariners Interested In Darren Oliver

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The Mariners are doing their best to make the Angels feel uneasy. They're interested in free agent lefty Darren Oliver, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The M's are expected to finalize a deal with longtime Angel Chone Figgins soon and they're in the mix for John Lackey. The Angels didn't offer Oliver arbitration, so, unlike Figgins and Lackey, he won't cost a draft pick.

In the words of one unnamed FOX source, "there's some gamesmanship going on."

Mariners Discussing Extension For Felix

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5:20pm: Nero told Larry Stone of the Times that he's been "philosophically dancing" with Zduriencik so far regarding a long-term deal for Hernandez.  Nero hopes fans and media will just chill out, because Felix is happy and the relationship remains strong.

MONDAY, 11:39am: Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says Zdruriencik had an informal chat with Hernandez's agent Alan Nero today, and they'll hold more serious talks later this week.  SI's Jon Heyman tweets that Felix "will likely seek" about $100MM over six years.

SUNDAY, 4:24pm: Ken Rosenthal reports that the Mariners have begun discussing a long-term deal with Cy Young runner-up Felix Hernandez. Both sides are still far apart, according to one of Rosenthal's sources.

Hernandez, still just 23, is under team control for another two seasons, and could be in line for an epic contract through free agency if he remains healthy and is not extended. Rosenthal states that the Mariners have offered somewhere in the range of a four-year, $45MM deal to their ace.

After earning $3.8MM in 2009, Rosenthal speculates that King Felix could earn $7MM or more in 2010, and over $10MM in 2011. Using C.C. Sabathia's $23MM annual salary as an estimate point for Hernandez's free agent salary, Rosenthal theorizes that Felix could earn near $60MM over those four years going year-to-year.

Hernandez could fetch a deal worth more than $100MM over six years if he reaches free agency, but as Rosenthal says, he enjoys pitching in Seattle and you have to imagine the Mariners want to make every last effort to keep him.

Players face this dilemma all the time; is it wiser to hold out and go year-to-year for more money, when one injury could cost you everything, or do you take an extension that may net you less money than the alternative if you stay healthy?

The very fact that the two sides are talking is good news for Mariners fans. After reaching an agreement with Chone Figgins just a few days ago, the possibility of a long-term deal for their ace gives more reason to be happy if you're a Seattle fan. If you were Jack Zduriencik, how many years and how many dollars would you offer to keep one of the best young arms in the game with your club?

Adrian Beltre To Decline Arbitration?

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MONDAY, 1:26pm: SI's Jon Heyman agrees; he says Beltre plans to decline the arbitration offer today.

SUNDAY, 11:03pm: Word in the Winter Meetings' lobby is that there's "no way" Scott Boras will allow Adrian Beltre to accept the Mariners' offer of arbitration, says Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. Tomorrow is the deadline for the 20 or so free agents that were offered arbitration to either decline or accept.

There was some thought on Friday that the Mariners couldn't finalize their deal with Chone Figgins until Monday because the team first had to make sure Beltre would decline arbitration. The 31-year-old former NL MVP runner-up is said to be looking for at least $10MM per year, and has drawn interest from the Giants.

Heyman On Mariners, Valverde, Damon

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A look at the latest column from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • Aside from Jason Bay and John Lackey, Heyman names Marlon Byrd, Rich Harden, Randy Wolf, and Joel Pineiro as Mariners targets.  That's the first I've heard of Byrd, Wolf, or a Pineiro reunion.  Heyman names the Cubs and Braves as other Byrd suitors.
  • Heyman says "execs expect" Jose Valverde to remain in Houston, whether through accepting arbitration today or just re-signing later.
  • Heyman expects the Yankees to offer about two years and $20MM to Johnny Damon, and otherwise move on to Mike Cameron, Jermaine Dye, Curtis Granderson, or possibly Byrd.

Mariners Unlikely To Pursue Bay?

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12:02pm: ESPN's Buster Olney says the Mariners are "unlikely to get involved" on Bay.  He never did seem to fit with Jack Zduriencik's style.

5:12am: Geoff Baker tweeted that the he's heard Jason Bay told his former Pittsburgh teammates he'd "stand on his head and sing" to play for the Mariners.

It makes sense geographically that Bay would like to play in Seattle, as his home province of British Columbia is north of the Emerald City. Additionally, his wife is from Kirkland, just 30 minutes outside of Seattle, and Bay and his family live there in the offseason (Hat tip: Ryan Divish). We've heard several reports that the Mariners are interested in Bay already, which stands to reason as they could use some added punch to the middle of their lineup.

While Bay's defense has been called into question time and time again this offseason, the team that general manager Jack Zduriencik has put together thus far in Seattle figures to be one of the best defensive clubs in baseball in 2010, so sacrificing some glovework to add a legitimate power threat in the middle of the lineup might make sense. A lineup that features Chone Figgins, Ichiro Suzuki, and Bay toward the top is certainly one that should generate some runs.

With their agreement with Figgins in place, talks of extending Felix Hernandez, and interest in Jason Bay, the Mariners are definitely not shy when it comes to spending this offseason. Adding Bay would go a long ways toward making them favorites in the AL West. What type of offer should the Mariners make to land Bay?

Giants, Mariners, Rockies Interested In Olivo

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The Giants, Mariners, and Rockies are leading the charge for free agent catcher Miguel Olivo, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.  Olivo, 31, hit .249/.292/.490 in 416 plate appearances for the Royals this year, catching 845.6 innings.  The Royals, intending to reboot their catching situation, declined Olivo's $3.3MM mutual option last month.  Of the three suitors named here, you'd have to think Olivo would find the Rockies the least appealing given the presence of Chris Iannetta.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick notes that the Rockies also maintain interest in re-signing Yorvit Torrealba.

Odds & Ends: Melky, Green, Branyan, Lowe

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It's officially Winter Meetings time! New thread for links as the folks in Indianapolis begin to wake up and get going:

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets an interesting situation: the Cubs and Yankees both like Mike Cameron, while the Cubs like the Yanks' Melky Cabrera.  The Cubs will need to clear payroll space before they can try for Cameron though.  Also muddying the picture: both clubs may have interest in Curtis Granderson.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney is hearing that the starting pitching market is "intensifying."
  • Larry Stone of the Seattle Times has all kinds of amusing Winter Meetings memories from years past, and he explains why the Meetings were cancelled for five years in the nineties.
  • David Lennon of Newsday says Mets COO Jeff Wilpon is not scheduled to come to Indianapolis this week, suggesting the team won't be signing major free agents at the Meetings.
  • The Dodgers met with Nick Green's agent, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown.  Green, 31, hit .236/.303/.366 in 309 plate appearances for the Red Sox this year while playing all around the infield (mainly shortstop). 
  • The Mariners have begun preliminary negotiations with Russell Branyan, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Branyan already rejected an offer from the Mariners in November.  The Mets appear to be among Branyan's other suitors.
  • Jon Heyman reports, via Twitter, that Adrian Beltre is "not likely" to accept Seattle arbitration offer. They'll still likely try to retain him, however.  It might be difficult to keep Branyan, Beltre, and Jose Lopez, with Ken Griffey Jr. already signed.
  • In case you were wondering, Morosi tweets that nothing is cooking with the Braves and Diamondbacks for Derek Lowe.  Nor are the D'Backs in on Bronson Arroyo.
  • Dan Uggla doesn't like the uncertainty surrounding what uniform he'll be wearing in five months. The Marlins slugger says he still sees himself as a second baseman, though many teams would like to move the 30-home run machine to third base. Matt Lindstrom is in a similar spot.
  • Andy MacPhail told Steve Melewski that free agents are beginning to look at Baltimore in a different light, thanks to the great reviews their farm system is getting in the national media. That said, Melewski still feels that if the O's add a big name this offseason, it'll be through a trade.
  • Alex Speier takes a look at what pieces the Red Sox could potentially use as trade bait.
  • Joel Sherman explains why Andy Pettitte is so important to the Yankees, why personal relationships matter among GMs, and the Mets struggles in finding a taker for Luis Castillo.
  • Mark Feinsand gives Yankee fans five situations to watch this week, including Pettitte, Roy Halladay, Johnny Damon, the Tigers, and Hideki Matsui.

Cardinals Notes: Boras Meeting, Holliday Alternatives

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Joe Strauss from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses the Cardinals and their current situation with free agent Matt Holliday. Let's dive in:

  • The Cardinals are pushing for a meeting with Scott Boras at the Winter Meetings to discuss whether or not they have a legitimate chance to bring Holliday back to St. Louis.
  • If they were to retain Holliday, the club would be content to give David Freese his shot at third base and spend its leftover money on the rotation rather than infield help.
  • Re-signing Mark DeRosa is one alternative to Holliday in left, although the Cardinals understandably aren't fans of DeRosa's current asking price of three years and roughly $24MM.
  • The Cards had interest in bringing Chone Figgins aboard, prior to his agreement with the Mariners.
  • St. Louis continues to say that they don't have leverage to make trades after parting with a number of top prospects, but Strauss mentions that some teams looking to shed salary could make sense. He names Dan Uggla, Kevin Millwood, and (if he's made available) Brandon Inge as some candidates, though the Marlins are asking a lot in return for Uggla.
  • Strauss also mentions Adam Dunn, who's owed $12MM this season as a good fit, though the Nationals aren't intent on moving him. According to Strauss, several within the Cardinal organization were pushing for Dunn over Holliday last season before the deadline.
  • If the Cards are able to sign Holliday, backloading the contract as they typically do with large deals won't be beneficial as the expensive years will coincide with those of Albert Pujols, if and when he, too, gets a new contract.
  • Strauss names Vicente Padilla and Ben Sheets as possible free agent arms to target.
  • Interesting note on the Cardinals from Strauss; they haven't made a trade at the Winter Meetings since 2003 when they acquired Adam Wainwright, Jason Marquis, and Ray King.

Whatever comes of Holliday, team president Bill DeWitt plans to be active this offseason. Strauss quotes him, "If we don't spend on Holliday, we will spend on other players."

Tigers Notes: Needs, Cabrera, Jackson, Granderson

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Steve Kornacki takes a late-night look at what Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski needs heading into the Winter Meetings. Not surprisingly, help at the back of the bullpen, a spark plug at the top of the lineup, and a shortstop top Kornacki's list. Here's the highlights of the piece:

  • With Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney expected to receive multi-year offers, Detroit will need to address its bullpen. Kornacki doesn't like the Tigers chances to sign the two. Lyon's agent has "guaranteed" his client will receive multiple years.
  • The Tigers could re-sign glove man Adam Everett if a shortstop can't be had via trade. Everett had yet another strong season at shortstop, posting a 13.6 UZR/150. They've also been linked to Bobby Crosby, but I don't think any team would feel comfortable entering the season with Crosby as their primary shortstop option.
  • Kornacki would be surprised to see Miguel Cabrera dealt anywhere. "Nothing even remotely possible has been reported," writes Kornacki.
  • If Edwin Jackson or Curtis Granderson is dealt, it will be in to make the team better and not to slash payroll. With Seattle's recent agreement with Chone Figgins pending, if the Angels want to acquire Granderson to fill the leadoff spot, the price may have just gone up.
  • Kornacki says the biggest offensive need is a leadoff man, and suggests scenarios for both Juan Pierre and Carl Crawford.
  • Kornacki suggests packaging Jackson and Carlos Guillen to bring Pierre and George Sherrill to Detroit.
  • He suggests a one-for-one swap of Granderson for Crawford, provided Dombrowski can extend Crawford. The thinking there is that Granderson will be more affordable for the Rays down the line.

Kornacki finishes up by reminding how active Dombrowski was at last year's meetings. If you'll remember, he acquired Gerald Laird on day one, signed Adam Everett two days later, and on the final day sent Matt Joyce to Tampa Bay in exchange for Jackson. He also spent a great deal of time attempting to acquire J.J. Putz.

Kornacki opines that the biggest move will come somewhere we're not looking, which always makes for fun discussion. Any thoughts on what Dombrowski may have up his sleeve? If you're still up with me, let's hear it in the comments.

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