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Cafardo’s Latest: Pettitte, Kotsay, Red Sox

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a number of items to cover in today’s Sunday paper:

  • While the Mets are front-runners in the Derek Lowe sweepstakes, the Red Sox have a lot of money to play with having lost out on Mark Teixeira and could make a strong play to outbid competition.
  • The Dodgers and Rangers are interested in Andy Pettitte if he doesn’t accept the Yankees reduced $10MM offer.
  • Don’t rule out a return to the Red Sox for Mark Kotsay as a fourth outfielder and added infield depth.
  • Cafardo reports a source close to the talks says Teixeira was "very concerned" with Mike Lowell’s fate should he sign with Boston, but that financial matters and the negotiations process removed that "awkward situation."
  • Jose Fernandez can play first and third base. He’s 34 and just completed seven years in Japan, hitting 20+ HR every year. He could be an interesting right handed-hitting option for teams looking to add depth to their infield and DH.
  • The Red Sox, Orioles, Braves, Reds, and Cardinals remain interested in Kenshin Kawakami.
  • Now that Teixeira is gone, Jim Bowden is not interested in Manny Ramirez. Perhaps Adam Dunn?
  • The Sox are still unwilling to deal Clay Buchholz for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Olney’s Latest: Lowe, Castillo, Hudson

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Buster Olney focuses his new column on reluctant-to-spend teams and how they’ve changed the market. He turns up some interesting rumors…

  • The Rays and A’s are in a "bidding war" of sorts over the likes of Jason Giambi, Pat Burrell, Garret Anderson and Bobby Abreu. Both teams are willing to spend, but neither wants to go first since prices are higher now with both teams interested than they will be once the first team signs a player.
  • The Mets are in a great position since the Cards and Brewers aren’t likely to compete for Oliver Perez, Derek Lowe and Randy Wolf. This means they can wait, knowing that bargains will likely surface.
  • The Mets have "quietly continued to gauge" the Luis Castillo market and are interested in moving him and some of his salary.
  • If they find a taker, they could pursue Orlando Hudson.
  • As Joel Sherman predicted, the Nationals are now courting O-Dog.
  • Olney asks whether aging stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Pedro Martinez will choose to play for the offers they’re likely to get.
  • Brad Penny may soon decide where he wants to pitch next year. He’s weighing "an overture from the Cardinals" against other options.

Cardinals Payroll Developments

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Here’s a bit of "pure speculation" from Buster Olney: he wonders if the Cardinals have scaled back their payroll going forward.

Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III recently sounded reluctant to lower payroll, saying it would lead to a "spiral" he’d rather avoid.

The Cards have been patient on the free agent market so far, but the Mark Teixeira saga slowed everything down, so they could be more active soon. Now that they seem to have pulled their offer to Brian Fuentes, the Cardinals’ next steps will be telling.

Olney’s sources tell him that some teams have scaled back spending by as much as $20MM for next year and more may do the same as they project their revenues in the weakened economy.

Comparing Teixeira and Pujols

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Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch took a minute to analyze the impact of the Mark Teixeira signing on the contract situation of another hard-hitting first baseman, Albert Pujols.

Pujols signed a seven-year, $100MM deal back in 2003.  At this point, as Goold states, "he’s been a bargain."  A very, very solid bargain.  Pujols, 28, could potentially become a free agent in 2011, two years from now, and has accomplished a few feats that Teixeira, also 28, has not.  El Hombre has two MVPs, won a World Series in 2006, and has a higher career batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage than Tex.

Goold describes Pujols’ free-agent value as simply "mind-boggling" and asks whether Albert will become baseball’s first "$30-million year man."

Cardinals Practice Patience

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Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the St. Louis Cardinals are taking a patient approach to the free agent market. Cardinals management is being cautious after making offers early in the offseason that didn’t receive much response.

That status stands for free agent closer Brian Fuentes, who had an offer from the Cardinals before the franchise pulled it. Goold notes that the Los Angeles Angels have become suitors for Fuentes.

Cards Turning Page On Fuentes?

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According to Frank Cusumano of Channel 5 in St. Louis, the Cardinals are "turning the page but not shutting the door" on Brian Fuentes after making an aggressive offer and apparently not hearing back.  It’s been suggested that Fuentes wants three years at more than $10MM per.  He’s seemingly waiting on Mark Teixeira to see if the Angels will have the available funds to sign him.

Odds and Ends: Wilson, Bautista, Hairston

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Linkage for Friday…

19 Teams Interested In Joe Nelson

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There’s a good chance your favorite team has inquired on free agent reliever Joe Nelson.  MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro learned that Nelson’s agent has received inquiries from 19 teams.  A few teams have topped a $1MM in their offer.  The known suitors: the Royals, Cardinals, Red Sox, Braves, Rays, and Mets.  Nelson is hoping to sign before Christmas.

On Friday, the Marlins made the thrifty decision to non-tender Nelson, a positive development for the 34 year-old reliever.  He hasn’t ruled out the Marlins, but a return doesn’t seem likely.

Cardinals Rumors: Fuentes, Saito, Kawakami, Uehara

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Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the latest on the Cardinals’ hunt for pitching.

GM John Mozeliak is getting impatient with Brian Fuentes’ agents, who are waiting for the market to develop.  They might be waiting for the Angels to jump in, but that won’t happen until the Mark Teixeira situation is resolved.  Strauss says the Cardinals have offered two years and $16-18MM, and the ball is in Fuentes’ court.  Fuentes, of course, wants three years and more than $30MM.  The Cardinals are reluctant to give him the third year.

Strauss says the Cards "may investigate the availability" of Takashi Saito, though the Dodgers hope to re-sign him.  Strauss also learned that Mozeliak met with the agents for Kenshin Kawakami and Koji Uehara at the Winter Meetings.

Odds and Ends: Cabrera, Tejada, Teixeira

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A few random notes from around the MLBiverse…

  • The Cardinals signed infielder Joe Thurston and catcher Justin Knoedler to minor league deals with spring training invites. Thurston appeared in four games for the Red Sox in ’08, while Knoedler last appeared in the majors with the Giants in ’06.
  • Jordan Bastian says the Blue Jays are not one of the teams that have offered a contract to Daniel Cabrera. The Jays are interested, but want to see Cabrera pitch in the Dominican Winter League before making an offer…Cabrera’s agent says eleven teams have shown interest and Cabrera has received two contract offers.
  • Jon Heyman is reporting that the FBI is still investigating Miguel Tejada, which will hinder any attempts to trade the shortstop…We previously heard that the Astros were trying hard to move Tejada but had yet to find any suitors.
  • Mike Bauman believes the Red Sox offer to Mark Teixeira could be a direct reaction to the recent signings of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett by the Yankees. Bauman says the Red Sox "cannot sit idly by and watch the Yanks make dramatic, if incredibly expensive, improvements."

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

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