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Outfield Options For The Braves

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The Braves have Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera, Jordan Schafer, Jason Heyward and Matt Diaz under team control next year, but they could still go after an outfielder.

ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says the Braves saved about $9MM by dealing Javier Vazquez. Jason Bay is too pricey for them, but Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady could be fits. As an alternative to free agency, Stark suggests the Braves could deal an outfielder for a bat (he mentions Dan Uggla as a possible trade target).

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Braves and Yankees both say Bay and Matt Holliday are too expensive. Both teams are interested in Mark DeRosa, and Rosenthal says we shouldn't rule out Marlon Byrd for either club. The Braves would prefer to sign a right-handed hitter like DeRosa or Byrd, but could still bring back lefty-hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche.

Odds & Ends: Treanor, Barton, Damon, Kelly Johnson

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More links as the weekend draws closer…

Olney On Gonzalez, LaRoche, Holliday

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney asked an "independent evaluator" to guess what the Red Sox would have to give up to obtain Adrian Gonzalez. Olney's source says the Padres need to acquire Ryan Westmoreland and Casey Kelly, plus other highly-touted prospects. Gonzalez is under control for two more years at $10.25MM. He'd probably be worth $40MM-plus over two years on the open market, so the Padres have some serious bargaining power. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:

  • The A's are interested in Adrian Beltre, but "only in an Oakland economy size financial package."
  • Some teams bristle at the idea of paying eight figures for Beltre.
  • Some teams have been put off by Adam LaRoche's asking price. 
  • The Orioles checked out of the Matt Holliday derby when they learned that he's asking for considerably more than $75MM. 

Mariners Notes: LaRoche, Gomes, Cust

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Let's take a look at some Mariners tidbits courtesy of The Seattle Times' Geoff Baker…

  • Recently non-tendered Ryan Langerhans indicated to Baker that his friend Adam LaRoche is being looked at by the Mariners.  Yesterday, it was reported that LaRoche is seeking a three-year, $31.5MM deal.  We've seen some rather surprising deals go down over the years, but does anyone see that as a realistic figure?
  • The aforementioned Langerhans wouldn't rule out the possibility of returning to Seattle on a minor-league contract.
  • As the M's have made it a priority to find a DH who can also play a field position, Baker doesn't anticipate Jonny Gomes, Jack Cust, or Mike Sweeney to land with the club.  As one person told him, "[The Mariners] can't carry two Griffeys."

Giants Make Offer To DeRosa?

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3:30pm: Baggarly believes DeRosa is one of multiple offers the Giants have out to free agents.  He's less certain that Johnson and Scott Podsednik received offers.

1:15am: Steve Henson of Yahoo! Sports says that DeRosa is the team's top third base target because he's cheaper then Beltre, and versatile enough to move if Pablo Sandoval can stick at third.

THURSDAY, 12:22am: Baggarly writes that the Giants "might be making a subtle misdirection play to get the Florida Marlins to take a lesser return" for Uggla.

1:07pm: MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that we should not rule out the Giants on Uggla – "there is still smoke."  He notes that the Marlins never asked for Madison Bumgarner in return.

WEDNESDAY, 12:59am: According to Baggarly, the Giants are hoping to sign one infielder from a group that includes DeRosa, Nick Johnson, and Adrian Beltre. Hudson is also a possiblity, while Adam LaRoche is a "back-burner option." Baggarly also notes that Sabean doesn't sound too enthusiastic about pursuing Jermaine Dye, despite previous reports of the Giants' interest in the veteran: "We want to stay young," Sabean said. "That's a blanket statement, not a comment against Dye."

TUESDAY, 7:50pm: Baggarly reports that the Giants are not a serious bidder for Dan Uggla. His salary (which could be $7MM or so) and his weak glove limit the team's interest. 

6:50pm: Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has the latest on the Giants:

  • Johnny Damon is not a fit for the Giants.
  • Bengie Molina will not return: in the words of Giants GM Brian Sabean, "that ship has sailed."
  • It's possible that Juan Uribe will reconsider the Giants' contract offer (for one year, plus an option).

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has more:

  • The Giants will move Freddy Sanchez to third base if they sign Orlando Hudson.
  • Mark DeRosa , however, would fit in at the hot corner if the Giants sign him.
  • Rosenthal confirms that the Giants and Padres have discussed a Kevin Kouzmanoff trade, but says the Padres aren't enticed by the Giants' youngsters.
  • Rosenthal hears that Sabean has at least considered signing Jason Bay.

Giants Aren’t Interested In Beltre

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8:10pm: The Giants have Scott Podsednik on their radar, Baggarly reports. He's apparently one of the center fielders the club is considering.

7:11pm: The Giants don't have interest in Adrian Beltre, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Giants GM Brian Sabean told Shea that his club isn't interested in the free agent "at this time." In fact, Sabean says the Giants have "no need" to talk to Boras right now, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.

Instead, the Giants are focused on adding a first baseman on a short-term deal. Sabean didn't name names, but acknowledged that his list doesn't include any surprise candidates. That probably means the Giants would consider Nick Johnson, Adam LaRoche and Mark DeRosa, though DeRosa probably wouldn't man first. Baggarly hears that the Giants might consider offering DeRosa a third year; they'd offer Johnson a two-year deal.

On another note, Sabean said it's possible the Giants could sign a center fielder and move Aaron Rowand to one of the corners.

Orioles Rumors: Millwood, Uggla, Atkins, Beltre

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WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: Millwood update: Zrebiec says the Rangers originally wanted David Hernandez and a low-level prospect for Millwood, and were willing to pay $3MM of the $12MM owed to the veteran.  Meanwhile Zrebiec's colleague Peter Schmuck says Chris Ray could be involved and the Rangers would pick up most of Millwood's salary, in one scenario.

TUESDAY, 9:36pm: Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports that the O's are still exchanging trade proposals with the Rangers for Kevin Millwood. T.R. Sullivan reported that the Rangers wanted Chris Tillman initially, but talks have since developed. The Orioles are among the frontrunners for Millwood.

The O's met with the Marlins about Dan Uggla, but the Marlins want two pitching prospects in return and the Orioles are reluctant to hand that kind of package over. The Marlins have one less suitor for Uggla, according to Andrew Baggarly, who says the Giants aren't serious bidders, so that could lower the asking price for the arbitration-eligible infielder.

Here are even more O's rumors:

  • Kevin Kouzmanoff and Garrett Atkins interest the O's to an extent.
  • Joe Crede and Pedro Feliz remain options for Baltimore, but Adrian Beltre has priced himself out of reach.
  • We heard about their interest in Hank Blalock, Carlos Delgado and Nick Johnson earlier today.
  • They also have "tepid" interest in Russell Branyan.
  • The Orioles aren't particularly intrigued by Joe Blanton and Derek Lowe, who are both available via trade.
  • Vladimir Guerrero, Adam LaRoche, Jose Valverde and Kevin Gregg all interest the O's slightly.
  • They do have interest in Rafael Soriano, and spoke with the Braves about him.
  • They're not interested in J.J. Putz.
  • MLB.com's Spencer Fordin reports that the Royals engaged the O's in Felix Pie trade talks without ever coming close to a deal.

Braves Eyeing Setup Candidates

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Now that the Braves officially have closer Billy Wagner in tow, they're considering some free agent candidates to fill the role of setup man.  Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution named Octavio Dotel and Fernando Rodney as candidates earlier today.  MLB.com's Mark Bowman went further, saying the Braves are pursuing Dotel, Rodney, and Takashi Saito.  While it seems unlikely, the Braves might want to make sure Rafael Soriano and/or Mike Gonzalez do not accept their arbitration offers before making offers to other free agents.

Bowman also notes that the Braves maintain interest in first baseman Adam LaRoche despite not offering arbitration to the Type B free agent.  The Braves appear unwilling to offer a multiyear deal.

Braves Notes: Soriano, Gonzalez, Wagner

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Mark Bowman of MLB.com discussed some of Atlanta's options in the free agent market, and here are a few of the more notable pieces of news….

  • Relievers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez "will likely leave Atlanta" for greener free agent pastures, and thus the Braves are looking for new options at the back of their bullpen.  Bowman says the Braves have talked to free agent closer Billy Wagner's representatives and "won't necessarily be scared" by Wagner's Type A status since Soriano and Gonzalez are also both Type A's.  If those two were to sign elsewhere, the compensation that Atlanta would receive would more than make up for the picks they would lose for signing Wagner.  The Braves and Wagner's most recent club, the Red Sox, may end up virtually trading relievers since Soriano and Gonzalez are two names on Boston's lengthy list of possible free agent targets.
  • Bowman lists former Brave Octavio Dotel as a potential set-up option, and Fernando Rodney as a signing who could serve as either a set-up man or a closer.
  • There isn't anything to rumors that Atlanta will try to trade with Detroit for Miguel Cabrera, or sign free agent Jermaine Dye.  Cabrera's big contract is too rich for the Braves' blood, and as for Dye, there is no DH spot in the National League to stash a right fielder who posted a -20 UZR and -24.5 UZR/150 last season.
  • Signing Marlon Byrd would make Jordan Schaefer expendable, Bowman reports.  Byrd wouldn't necessarily solve Atlanta's need for a right-handed outfield bat, however, given that Byrd's career splits against right-handed and left-handed pitching are pretty even — a .769 lifetime OPS against southpaws and a .759 OPS against righties.  Byrd actually hit significantly better against righties (.835 OPS) last season than he did against lefties (.744 OPS).
  • The Braves are prepared to see what other offers Adam LaRoche receives before they decide if they want to bring him back next season.

Braves Rumors: Heyward, Wagner, LaRoche

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We've been hearing for a while that the Braves may trade from starting pitching depth to free up money, but what other moves might we see? MLB.com's Mark Bowman has some answers:

  • Braves GM Frank Wren says there are "a lot of trade conversations going on" around the league.
  • The Braves don't seem concerned about finding another outfielder, because they will consider letting top prospect Jason Heyward start the season in the majors. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Braves sign an affordable outfielder, in case they decide to keep Heyward in the minors for a couple months.
  • The Braves are interested in Billy Wagner.
  • Free agent Adam LaRoche would be a good fit, but the Braves, who have prospect Freddie Freeman in the system, may hesitate to offer LaRoche a multi-year deal.
  • Frankie Piliere of AOL FanHouse hears that the Braves will deal Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez.
  • Piliere adds that the market for Rafael Soriano should be strong.
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