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Cubs Still Not Close To Dealing Bradley

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Although at least three teams are still interested in Milton Bradley, no trade is close, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The FOX duo names the Rays, Rangers, and Mariners as interested parties, but notes that there are roadblocks in each instance.

The Rays have been unwilling to budge for weeks in negotiations involving Bradley and Pat Burrell. The Rangers have some interest, but Bradley's last stint in Texas didn't end on "the best of terms." The Mariners, meanwhile, may be reluctant to acquire a controversial player like Bradley on the heels of making positive news with the Chone Figgins signing and the Cliff Lee trade.

Rosenthal's and Morosi's sources indicate that the Cubs are unwilling to pay the majority of Bradley's contract, or to release the disgruntled outfielder. It's hard to imagine a scenario where Bradley returns to Chicago in 2010, so you have to think that his potential suitors are waiting for the Cubs to bite the bullet and pay for a bigger chunk of the 31-year-old's remaining salary.

Cust Hopes To Sign By Christmas

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Free agent outfielder/DH Jack Cust hopes to sign by Christmas, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  He's expected to have two or three offers from which to choose.

Crasnick finds the A's, Rays, and Mets unlikely to sign Cust despite varying degrees of interest.  Instead, the ESPN scribe considers the Royals, Mariners, and Tigers to be "possible fits."  The issue with the Mariners: it'd be out of character for them to endure Cust's ugly defense in left field, and signing him as a DH would reduce Ken Griffey Jr.'s role.

Crasnick does not mention the White Sox, Rangers, or Blue Jays, though those teams could technically make room for Cust at DH.

Given that Cust played his first full season at 28 in '07, the concern is that his downward offensive trends of the last two years will continue.

Multiple Teams Watching Kelvim Escobar

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WEDNESDAY, 10:52pm: Peter Greenberg, Escobar's agent, informed FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi that representatives from the Yankees and Twins were also at the throwing session (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 2:54pm: Zavarce tweets that the Rays, Cubs, Brewers, Giants, Pirates, Tigers, Mariners, and A's are on hand to watch Escobar throw.  Several of those clubs are new additions to the list of suitors.

TUESDAY, 10:17am: If you speak Spanish and would like to read Zavarce's full article about Escobar, click here to download a PDF.

MONDAY, 1:08pm: The Mets offered a minor league deal to pitcher Kelvim Escobar, reports Efrain Zavarce for Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional.  According to Zavarce, the Rays are also interested.  We cannot find Zavarce's article online, but follow him on Twitter if you speak Spanish.  Hat tip to ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr., who pointed followers to Zavarce's article and provided translation.

We learned during the Winter Meetings last week that the Mariners, Brewers, Orioles, Mets, and Yankees are other suitors for Escobar, who will pitch as a reliever in 2010 in hopes of preserving his shoulder.

Odds & Ends: Balfour, Orioles, Chapman, Lowe

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Rounding up the first batch of miscellaneous Sunday links….

  • The Rays agreed to terms with reliever Grant Balfour, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Balfour signed a one-year, $2.05MM deal, avoiding arbitration.
  • The Baltimore Orioles are still searching for a closer, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Zrebiec suggests that Fernando Rodney and Kevin Gregg could be atop the O's list of targets.
  • MASN's Roch Kubatko runs down the Orioles' closing options too, adding new free agent Matt Capps to the mix.
  • Meanwhile, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reaction from GM Neal Huntington, who says that media reports of the 26-year-old being non-tendered hurt his trade value.  Huntington also said that the Bucs would "love" to have him back in the bullpen – at the right price.  Capps isn't on the Yankees radar, says Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger (via Twitter).
  • John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Tigers' closer search also continues. The team was looking at J.J. Putz, but backed off because of health questions, not money concerns.
  • Tuesday could be "Judgment Day" for Aroldis Chapman, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Chapman will throw a session with a slew of teams expected to be in attendance.
  • Within a piece which focuses on yesterday's non-tender decisions, ESPN.com's Buster Olney mentions that a handful of clubs are interested in Brian Giles, including the Yankees and Reds. It's still up in the air whether teams will be willing to offer Giles more than a minor league contract.
  • One interesting tidbit from the latest article by Newsday's Ken Davidoff: An AL West official tells Davidoff that he'd like to see Jered Weaver, rather than Joe Saunders, leaving the division in a potential Roy Halladay trade offer. I have to think Jays fans would agree. Both pitchers were selected 12th overall in their respective drafts: Saunders in 2002 and Weaver in 2004.
  • Speaking of the AL West, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports thinks it's the most intriguing division for hot stove news this winter.
  • David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter) says that the Angels are a possible destination for Derek Lowe if they cannot re-sign John Lackey.  Other possibilities include the Mariners, Red Sox and Yanks.  O'Brien also suggests the Mets, provided that the Braves are willing to trade within their division.

Non-Tender Reactions: Buck, Wang, Capps, Cust

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Yesterday, MLBTR recapped some of the more interesting names not to receive contracts at baseball's non-tender deadline. Those players, along with the rest of the non-tender list, have inspired plenty of discussion and speculation. Let's check out some links….

Rafael Soriano-Jesse Chavez Swap Made Official

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The Rays made their deal for Braves reliever Rafael Soriano official today, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.  He says the Rays came to terms on a one-year, $7.25MM deal with Soriano, who was acquired from Atlanta for reliever Jesse Chavez.  A reminder on how this all played out:

On December 1st, the Braves made arbitration offers to Type A free agent relievers Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, expecting both to decline.  The Braves moved quickly to sign Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito in the days following, making it clear that Soriano and Gonzalez would have lesser roles if they returned.  Gonzalez, a Scott Boras client, declined arbitration.  But after his agent talked to teams all day Monday at the Winter Meetings, Soriano decided the best move was to accept arbitration (otherwise, he would've cost his signing team a draft pick).  The Braves held talks with the Orioles, Astros, and Rays at the Meetings, eventually shipping Soriano to Tampa Bay for Chavez.  So the Braves hoped to get two draft picks for the loss of Soriano, but instead received five years of Chavez.

And from the Rays' point of view…back in November, a few days before they had to decide between second baseman Akinori Iwamura's $4.85MM option and a $550K buyout, they traded him to the Pirates for Chavez.  It was a solid move, Chavez being under team control through 2014.  Still, he wasn't a guy to whom they'd hand over the ninth inning.  The Rays were expected to add a few bargain free agents to compete for the closer job, with owner Stuart Sternberg saying on December 6th, "There is no $7 million closer showing up."  Maybe Sternberg was being literal, as the Rays sent Chavez to the Braves and now have a $7.25 million closer.

Rays Acquire Rafael Soriano

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7:18pm: Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times says it's a "done deal." It'll be announced tomorrow.

6:29pm: David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the deal hasn't been finalized yet. The doctors didn't look at all the reports today, but it should go through tomorrow.

4:38pm: MLB.com's Mark Bowman says the medical reports have been reviewed and the Rafael Soriano–Jesse Chavez swap has been finalized.

11:00am: Rosenthal and Morosi say the Rays will sign Soriano for one year and $7MM or slightly more; the deal will be official after medical records are exchanged.  They say Soriano's contract will be non-guaranteed.

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Milton Bradley Rumors: Thursday

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3:03pm: Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that if a Bradley trade is close, it's not with the Rays.

1:37pm: USA Today's Bob Nightengale has Cubs officials saying they are close to a Bradley trade, and Nightengale thinks it'll be with the Rays.  MLBTR's source continues to say there's nothing new, however.

7:34am: MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says the Cubs are now scrambling to unload Milton Bradley. Tampa Bay – the team that's been most connected to Bradley through this ordeal – feels that they are in no way obligated to help the Cubbies out, and prefer one year of Pat Burrell to two years of Bradley. Hard to blame them.

Sheets Seeking Big Money?

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THURSDAY, 2:56pm: ESPN's Bruce Levine wrote last night that the Cubs had a conversation with Close about Sheets.  I'm guessing the Rangers are out now that they've signed Rich Harden, though the Yankees and Mets might still be in the mix.

WEDNESDAY, 3:02pm: Ben Sheets' agent Casey Close met with the Rangers yesterday, and according to ESPN's Richard Durrett, the pitcher "is apparently looking for money similar to what he made his last season in the majors — 2008, which was $12 million."  Sheets figures to be popular on the free agent market, but we'll have to see what kind of guarantee he requires after missing all of 2009.

Durrett also notes that the Rangers have interest in catchers Jason Kendall and Dioner Navarro, but have cooled on Rod Barajas due to his asking price.

Odds & Ends: Wolf, Stammen, Lackey

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Post-Winter Meetings links for Thursday…

  • ESPN's Keith Law calls the Astros' signing of Brandon Lyon "hobbling," but likes the Rays impending acquisition of Rafael Soriano.  He says the Soriano situation shows that if a team has a borderline call with a Type A free agent, they should offer arbitration.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney says Randy Wolf would've re-signed with the Dodgers for a two-year deal in the $14-16MM range.
  • Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun says the Blue Jays talked to the Nationals about pitcher Craig Stammen but "he does not appear to be available."
  • The Cardinals touched base with Scott Boras before leaving Indianapolis, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The Cards still haven't made an offer to Matt Holliday.
  • ESPN's Mike Salk heard that John Lackey is the Mariners' top priority.
  • The Hanshin Tigers signed reliever Randy Messenger for about $600K, says NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman.  Messenger will replace Scott Atchison, who signed with the Red Sox.
  • The Big Lead did a Q&A with new Yankee Curtis Granderson.
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