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Tigers Targeting Wood, Putz

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6:13pm: Yahoo’s Gordon Edes says the Tigers made overtures to Wood, while the Red Sox like the idea of signing him as a setup man.

4:36pm: Geoff Baker says Tigers prospect Jeff Larish has attracted interest from the Mariners in the past.

On the Kerry Wood topic, a thought – now that the Tigers spent only a million bucks on their shortstop, maybe they have more cash to work with for their closer.

1:29pm: According to Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers are targeting Kerry Wood and J.J. Putz for their closer vacancy.  The Mets are also competing for both relievers.

Also, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick notes that the Tigers considered trading for Angels catcher Mike Napoli before they acquired Laird.  The price for Napoli was too high.  WEEI reports that the Tigers also inquired on Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden.  The Tigers decided against Jason Varitek after he was offered arbitration, plus they liked Laird more anyway.  According to WEEI’s Lou Merloni, Varitek continues to seek a multiyear deal and a starting gig. 

Odds and Ends: Shelton, Laird, Baldelli

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Links for Monday – Winter Meetings, Day 1.

  • Check out the minor league signings for the week at Baseball America.  Hey, Jerome Williams to the A’s!  Also, Chris Shelton signed with the Mariners.
  • Funny quote from Scott Boras: "There can be a lot of late-night meetings where you’re in a room and people are falling asleep.  And you’ll have some late-night GMs who want you to drink. I’ll allow them to do it, but I won’t do it. I do have some interesting things written on napkins over the years."
  • Dave Cameron likes the Tigers’ acquisition of Gerald Laird.
  • Buster Olney talked to some agents who believe "the stated concern about the economy is providing a nice cover for Major League Baseball to roll back salaries."  Another note from Olney, he’d be "shocked" if Rocco Baldelli doesn’t sign with Boston.
  • Tony Massarotti makes five recommendations for the Red Sox.
  • David Murphy asks ten questions about the Phillies.

Stark’s Latest: Dye, Greinke, Teixeira

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Jayson Stark’s Winter Meetings preview is up; let’s take a look.

  • Stark sees "just about zero chance" the Padres trade Jake Peavy at the Meetings.  The Cubs will need at least a few weeks to settle their ownership situation before they can make a trade and take on his contract.  Plus, a Stark source says it makes sense for the Padres to wait until the top free agent starters are off the board.
  • The Braves, Reds, Royals, Rays, and possibly Mets have shown interest in Jermaine Dye.  Dye played for the Royals from 1997-2001 before he was traded for Neifi Perez.  The White Sox are willing to trade Paul Konerko and Jim Thome too.
  • The Mariners would listen on "pretty much anybody."  But given the surplus of closers on the market, it seems unlikely that Jack Zduriencik will be bowled over with an offer for J.J. Putz.
  • The Royals really don’t want to trade Zack Greinke, but they’ll at least discuss him.  The price would be massive.  It doesn’t look like they want to trade David DeJesus or Mark Teahen either, but Jose Guillen can be had.
  • The Marlins have been pushing Jorge Cantu over Jeremy Hermida, though Hermida’s drawn plenty of interest.  Nick Cafardo named the Rays, Reds, and Giants earlier today.
  • The Angels figure to attach a two or three-day deadline to their eventual Mark Teixeira offer.
  • Stark sees Rafael Furcal and Casey Blake as the two free agents most likely to sign this week.  Most execs Stark surveyed see Teixeira and Manny Ramirez signing in January.

Perrotto’s Latest: Peavy, Giles, Wilson, Putz

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MONDAY: Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times found no indications the Rays have talked with the Padres and Cubs about getting in on the Peavy talks to acquire Giles.

SUNDAY: The latest from Baseball Prospectus’ John Perrotto:

  • Perrotto speaks of a "wild rumor" – the Rays could be the third team in a Jake Peavy-Cubs trade, with Tampa Bay acquiring Brian Giles.  Would he waive his no-trade clause to play there?  One way or another, Kevin Towers wants five players back for Peavy.
  • The Tigers are backing off Jack Wilson, as they consider Adam Everett his equal.  They’d like to use Jeff Larish in a trade for Michigan native J.J. Putz if possible.

Raul Ibanez To Decline Arbitration

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Raul Ibanez will decline arbitration today, according to Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune blog. Says LaRue,

"The Phillies, Cubs, Mets, Rays, Yankees and a half-dozen other teams are pursuing Ibanez, who last year made $5.5 million. He wants a multi-year contract, and the Mariners weren’t in position to offer him one."

LaRue praises Ibanez for his work ethic and propensity to challenge, in a positive way, both young and veteran players in the clubhouse.

This was expected since at least ten other teams have interest in Ibanez who will certainly receive a number of multi-year offers. As a Type A free agent, the Mariners will gain 2 draft picks for him.

Orioles Rumors: Uehara, Kawakami, Millar, Tex

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The latest on the Orioles…

  • Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun tell us the Orioles plan to meet with the agents for Japanese hurlers Koji Uehara and Kenshin Kawakami at the Winter Meetings.  Lefty reliever Ken Takahashi is also on the radar.
  • The Sun reporters also spoke to free agent first baseman Kevin Millar, who desires a starting gig but is realistic about his chances.  Millar is willing to come back to the Orioles as a part-time player if they’ll have him.  He mentioned the Mariners by name as well.
  • Steve Melewski of MASN Online debates the pros and cons of the Orioles signing Mark Teixeira.

Mets Prefer K-Rod?

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According to MLB.com’s Marty Noble, the Mets prefer Francisco Rodriguez to Brian Fuentes and J.J. Putz.  Noble adds that they don’t expect to return from the winter meetings with a closer.  No reason to rush with supply exceeding demand.  Putz’s availability, though, remains in question.

ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Mets have discussed internally the idea of making multiple offers to free agent closers and signing whichever one jumps first.

Olney’s Latest: Cano, Burnett, Furcal, Giambi

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Good stuff from ESPN’s Buster Olney in today’s blog post.

  • Olney says the Yankees would ask for Chad Billingsley or Clayton Kershaw from the Dodgers for Robinson Cano.  After the Dodgers turn down that request, the Yanks will ask for Matt Kemp.  If the Yankees do move Cano, they could then pursue Orlando Hudson.
  • Rival executives believe the Braves’ offer to A.J. Burnett is worth $75MM over five years, if the fifth year vests.
  • The A’s will leave their offer to Rafael Furcal on the table for perhaps another two or three days before moving on.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik will reach out to Raul Ibanez to discuss his situation.  Ibanez has been devalued in the eyes of potential suitors by the draft pick cost that comes with him.  Still, most teams must’ve expected the Ms would offer arbitration.
  • Jason Giambi’s agent is suggesting a three-year deal.  Good luck with that.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Byrd, Putz, Wilson

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Rumor machine Ken Rosenthal has a new column…

  • Free agent starters C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett are in no hurry to sign. Makes sense; they’re obviously special compared to the other starters on the market.
  • Nationals owner Ted Lerner "has spent extensive time" with Scott Boras, presumably in regard to Mark Teixeira.
  • The Cubs want to acquire their left-handed hitting outfielder before worrying about Jake Peavy.  Rosenthal says the trade market is bleak, suggesting free agents such as Raul Ibanez and Milton Bradley might make sense.  As we’ve said, there is no perfect fit for the Cubs’ right field vacancy (unless Brian Giles will waive his no-trade clause).
  • Paul Byrd is "virtually certain" to decline Boston’s offer of arbitration.  He aims to pitch near his Atlanta home – the Braves, Marlins, or Rays could work for him.
  • A Rosenthal source pegged Jon Garland’s chance of accepting arbitration at less than 50-50.  ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick recently indicated it was 75-25 he’d decline.  Buster Olney says "some executives are stunned" that Garland will seemingly not accept.
  • Rosenthal spoke to officials from two teams interested in Mariners closer J.J. Putz.  The Ms haven’t decided yet whether to make him available, contrary to a previous report.  Jack Zduriencik apparently doesn’t consider his club in rebuild mode.
  • The Giants’ signing of Edgar Renteria: "widely panned in industry circles."  Joel Sherman found the same consensus.  This differs from the web, where Keith Law and Dave Cameron liked it.
  • Rosenthal says the Dodgers are not pursuing Jack Wilson; those talks broke down earlier in the offseason.  Who to believe?  He says the Tigers are making a "more serious push."
  • Phillies shortstop prospect Jason Donald is a popular trade target, but the Phils might need him to fill in for Chase Utley at the start of the season.

Stark’s Latest: Burnett, Cantu, Lowe, Furcal

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Jayson Stark’s got a heaping helping of hot stove updates in his most recent blog post at ESPN.com.

  • The Braves’ most recent offer makes them the frontrunners for A.J. Burnett, says Stark.
  • We’re still waiting for another team to come close to the Yankees’ offer for C.C. Sabathia. Stark suggests Sabathia may make up his mind by next week.  He also says there’s "increasing buzz about the Yankees’ interest in Ben Sheets."
  • The White Sox appear to have expressed some interest in Jorge Cantu.
  • Stark doesn’t think the Phillies stand a very good chance of signing Derek Lowe.
  • Only the Dodgers and A’s, and perhaps the Orioles, remain interested in Rafael Furcal.
  • If the Dodgers end up missing on Furcal and Casey Blake, their focus might shift to names like Ty Wigginton and Adrian Beltre.
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