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Brewers Looking For Pitching

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9:00pm: Tom Haudricourt has an update.  Nothing came of Doug Melvin’s talks with the Rangers, and he denied talking to the Giants or Mariners.

The Brewers haven’t made an offer yet to Randy Johnson, who seems to prefer the West Coast.  Melvin says he won’t pursue Hoffman.  And, some of the $100MM offered to Sabathia is available for pitching.

5:06pm: MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan says Melvin spoke to the Rangers about pitching.  Melvin is said to hold Kevin Millwood in high regard.

3:27pm: Danny Knobler heard from two sources that Brewers GM Doug Melvin can’t shift any of the $100MM offered to C.C. Sabathia to players, and the Brewers are "very unlikely" to pursue a closer (this despite meetings with closers that are known to have taken place).

1:51pm: This information has all pretty much surfaced prior to today, but let’s put it all in one place.  The Brewers are considering Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman as closer options, with Randy Johnson a rotation option.

Jeremy Hermida Rumors

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7:12pm: MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro says Mariners catcher Rob Johnson and Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia were discussed in these Hermida talks, but no match was found.

6:31pm: Baker says the Marlins wanted catching prospect Adam Moore from the Ms in a Hermida deal.  Baseball America ranks Moore as the Mariners’ sixth best prospect.  They say he looks like a future big league starting catcher; he’ll start ’09 at Triple A.

5:31pm: Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald says the Ms and Rangers initiated the Hermida talks, and they didn’t get far.

4:44pm: Geoff Baker says the Marlins offered Hermida to the Mariners and Rangers for catching.

12:34pm: Rays Index found a note from MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan on Monday – the Rays like Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz.

12:26pm: Berardino has an update.  He says the Marlins proposed trading Hermida to the Rays for two pitchers, likely among Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson, and Mitch Talbot.  The Rays rejected the offer and it’s unlikely to be revisited.

Berardino now says the Reds have yet to inquire on Hermida.

12:04pm: Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel discusses Jeremy Hermida trade possibilities in a blog post today (hat tip, Rays Index).  He says the Reds have definitely shown interest, and also discusses the Rays.  Berardino’s sources believe Micah Owings could be had, but not Johnny Cueto.  In the case of the Rays it’d apparently take Andy Sonnanstine rather than Edwin Jackson.

By the way, the Marlins have talked about the possibility of moving Hermida to left field if they keep him.  Hermida has been a slightly above-average right fielder according to the plus/minus system.

Cardinals Reliever Rumors

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5:57pm: K-Rod’s agent Paul Kinzer said the Cardinals did not offer his client a similar contract.

9:08am: According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals made a bid for Francisco Rodriguez in the neighborhood of the Mets’ successful three-year, $37MM bid.  The search continues.  Strauss says the Cards plan to explore trades before escalating talks with Brian Fuentes.  Potential trade targets: J.J. Putz, Matt Capps, and Jon Rauch.  Talks for Jose Valverde "stalled abruptly earlier in the week."  The trade bait will probably be on of the Cardinals’ outfielders.

Strauss adds that GM John Mozeliak met with Scott Boras yesterday, possibly to discuss Oliver Perez.

J.J. Putz Rumors: Wednesday

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2:04pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Cardinals offered Rick Ankiel and a prospect for Putz.  The Tigers remain interested as well.

9:23am: According to Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press, "the Tigers’ interest in acquiring closer J.J. Putz from Seattle appears stronger than ever."  Morosi says the Mariners insist the Tigers include Jeff Larish and Matt Joyce in a deal.  If the Ms acquire Larish and are convinced he can play third base, they may be motivated to shop Adrian Beltre.  Morosi adds that Brewers and Cardinals have also inquired on Putz.

Brian Fuentes still seems too pricey for Detroit, and Kerry Wood is apparently off the board.  Morosi says the Tigers have "mild interest" in Baltimore’s George Sherrill.  Joe Beimel remains their top choice among lefty relievers, but the Tigers have yet to offer a contract.

Mets Bullpen Rumors

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The Mets signed Francisco Rodriguez yesterday, but GM Omar Minaya is not done tinkering with his bullpen.  SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Matt Capps, Huston Street, and others are on the radar as setup possibilities.  However, teams are asking for Jon Niese and the Mets don’t want to give him up.  Heyman adds that the Mets have talked to the Mariners and Cubs about relief help as well.

J.J. Putz Rumors: Tuesday

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9:57pm: The Mariners spoke with the Cardinals and Brewers today about Putz, though a Fielder for Putz deal never came up.

7:58pm: Doug Melvin didn’t reference Putz specifically, but he did tell reporters he did not find a match with the Mariners in trade talks.

6:02pm: From ESPN’s Steve Phillips:

The Mariners need a power hitter. The Brewers need a closer. There is speculation that the two teams are discussing a package involving Putz and Prince Fielder.

11:22am: Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press says talks between the Ms and Tigers for Putz are ongoing.

11:04am: Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Indians "are not really contenders" for Mariners closer J.J. Putz, as they’d prefer to sign a free agent.  He notes lukewarm interest from St. Louis and believes the Tigers and Brewers are more serious.  Baker questions whether the Tigers have the young players to get it done.

As for the Brewers, Baker speaks of a possible large multiplayer deal that’s "all just a concept for now."

Tigers Bullpen Rumors

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9:15pm: Jon Paul Morosi says Beimel still tops the Tigers’ list among lefties, but they’ve also expressed interest in John Parrish.

2:23pm: MLB.com’s Jason Beck says the Tigers talked to Joe Beimel’s agent at the Meetings.  They intend to sort out their closer situation first though.  The Reds also like Beimel.

2:28am: For roughly $4MM in ’09 salaries, the Tigers filled two needs Monday with defensive-minded pickups Gerald Laird and Adam Everett.  Now Dave Dombrowski will set his sights on a closer.

Jon Paul Morosi maintains that the Tigers are most interested in J.J. Putz and Kerry Wood.  It may come down to how they’d prefer to pay – in prospects or in dollars.  Morosi notes that Marcus Thames, expected to earn $2MM+ in ’09, could be shipped out to save additional cash.

Indians Hope Mets Sign K-Rod

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8:55pm: Rosenthal says the Indians met with Kerry Wood’s agent today and remain interested in Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman.

1:03pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Indians hope the Mets sign Francisco Rodriguez, as they’d like to get a bargain on Brian Fuentes.  The Tribe could also attempt to acquire J.J. Putz from the Mariners.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Burnett, Garland, Aurilia

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8:22pm: John Mozeliak said tonight the Cardinals never engaged with Burnett’s agent.  A commitment of more than two years to a free agent starter is extremely unlikely.

3:40pm: Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says it’s "not true" that the Cardinals are players for Burnett.

8:30am: The latest from Ken Rosenthal:

  • The Cardinals are a serious bidder for A.J. Burnett.  They also pursued him back in 2005.  The Blue Jays would get the Cardinals’ #19 pick next June if they sign him.  However, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently wrote that the Cards "are not expected to pursue the free agent pool’s bigger fish: C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe."
  • The Mets have Jon Garland on the radar.  Jerry Crasnick likes Garland as a fit for the Cards.
  • The Brewers haven’t decided to increase their offer to C.C. Sabathia at this time, and won’t consider it until they meet with the big lefty.  A meeting is scheduled; Sabathia may grill the Brewers about their other offseason plans.  Rosenthal thinks Kerry Wood might make the most sense among free agent closers.
  • The Mets, Indians, and Cardinals are interested in J.J. Putz.
  • The Cubs are eyeing Rich Aurilia, but only if they happen to move Ronny Cedeno or Mike Fontenot.
  • The Nationals "aren’t terribly enamored" of Willy Taveras, contrary to previous reports.  The Nats instead have Carlos Gonzalez in their sights.

Mariners Rumors: Putz, Washburn, Beltre

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Ryan Divish sums up the learnings from Jack Zduriencik’s media session:

  • Several teams contacted the Ms about J.J. Putz.  A Putz trade could affect the team’s plans for Brandon Morrow.
  • No formal talks for Jarrod Washburn or Adrian Beltre.
  • The Mariners aren’t looking to trade any of their catchers.
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