• Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports looks back at the day in June, 1995 when the Yankees optioned Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter to the minors together. Rivera hasn't said whether this will be his last season as a Major Leaguer, but he told Morosi that winning another championship would be the perfect way to end his career.
• Even Rivera's teammates marvel at the closer's ability and accomplishments, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.
• The Cardinals will stretch Lance Lynn out in case Chris Carpenter isn’t ready for Opening Day, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Roy Oswalt remains available for a mid-season deal in case a long-term opening emerges in the Cardinals’ rotation.
• Carlos Guillen told George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press that he retired because his body wasn't keeping up with the daily grind of Spring Training. The 36-year-old retired last week.
• David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that shortstop prospect Andrelton Simmons is opening some eyes in Braves camp. The 22-year-old hasn't yet reached Double-A, but some are wondering if he could win the Opening Day shortstop job from Tyler Pastornicky. 
• Braves executives view Simmons as the long-term answer at short, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio tweets.

Guillen, 36, has spent an increasing amount of time on the disabled list in the last four seasons.  In a 14-year career for the Mariners and Tigers, he hit .285/.355/.443 with 124 home runs in 1,305 games.  He was a three-time All-Star with the Tigers, garnering MVP votes in '04 and '06.  The Venezuelan spent the bulk of his career at shortstop, but also logged innings at the other infield positions and left field.  Baseball-Reference indicates he earned about $69MM in his career, which included a four-year, $48MM contract with Detroit.  Guillen came up through the Astros' farm system, but was traded with Freddy Garcia and (eventually) John Halama to the Mariners for Randy Johnson at the July 1998 deadline.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

• “We’d all like something resolved by the end of spring training,” said Matt Cain to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com when asked about a contract extension. “I don’t think either side wants that to linger into the season.” Cain has already indicated that he will not give the Giants a hometown discount after already signing one team friendly contract.
• Jon Garland will take his physical on Monday, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland-Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Garland agreed to a minor league deal with the Indians earlier this week, but the physical is far from routine after shoulder surgery.
• Carlos Guillen told MLB.com's Greg Johns that he had other opportunities, but chose to return to the Mariners on a minor league contract. "I decided to come here because this is my first house," he said. "I know the city, and I'm happy to be back."
• Jesus Flores told Amanda Comak of The Washington Times that he hadn't planned on being a backup catcher at this point of his career, but asking the Nationals for a trade is "not on [his] mind." The 27-year-old Flores will backup Wilson Ramos this season.
• Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen hasn't even thrown a pitch since signing a three-year, sub-$12MM deal with Orioles earlier this offseason, but he's already told Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun that he hopes to stay in MLB for the next ten years (Twitter link).
• Rod Barajas told MLB.com's Tom Singer that he's excited to be reunited with A.J. Burnett. Barajas and Burnett played together with the Blue Jays before both landing with the Pirates this offseason.

1:47pm: The Mariners announced they've signed infielder Carlos Guillen to a minor league contract with a spring training invite.  Guillen made his big league debut with the Mariners in 1998, becoming a regular at shortstop and third base for four years before being traded to the Tigers eight years ago.

Guillen, 36, was limited to 699 plate appearances for the Tigers over the last three seasons.  The Octagon client had knee surgery in September of 2010, delaying his 2011 debut.  Wrist and calf injuries affected the tail end of his campaign.

• The Athletics feel like they're much closer to moving Andrew Bailey than Gio Gonzalez, but even that may not happen until after the Meetings, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
• GM Walt Jocketty finds the lack of action in Dallas for the Reds so far "very frustrating," says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Jocketty said he was approached with one proposal today that' he's considering, but "nothing is close."
• Candidates for the Royals' utility infielder opening include Edgar Renteria, Mark DeRosa, Orlando Cabrera, and Carlos Guillen, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. No deals are imminent.
• The Rays are still attempting to figure out the best way to bolster their offense, writes Bill Chastain at MLB.com.
• The Mariners are displaying interest in Arthur Rhodes, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
• Jorge Posada would still like to play if he can find the right situation, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
• Former Angels GM Bill Stoneman will return to the team for another year as special advisor to the GM, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

• Not surprisingly, Athletics GM Billy Beane told MLB.com's Jane Lee and other reporters that a long-term deal for Gio Gonzalez isn't happening anytime soon. Beane said they had talks last year. Gonzalez has become one of the hottest trade chips on the market at the Winter Meetings.
• Octavio Dotel could be a target for the Rangers, speculates T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Rangers brass met with Beverly Hills Sports Council (Dotel's agency) reps today, and some Texas officials have a high opinion of Dotel.
• John Harper of the New York Daily News is of the opinion that as tough as it sounds, the Yankees should be willing to trade Jesus Montero in a Gio Gonzalez deal.
• The Astros may name a new GM this week, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, and Rockies executive Bill Geivett may be the favorite.
• Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times tweets that Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik met with Carlos Guillen's agent on Tuesday. We heard Monday they were one of five teams in on the former Tiger.
• Angels skipper Mike Scioscia told reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, that he prefers to add a starting pitcher rather than a bat: "…you need a full rotation to give yourself that opportunity to get into the playoffs." DiGiovanna's piece has a video link of Scioscia discussing C.J. Wilson, whom the Angels are targeting. The Angels though, reportedly won't offer six years.
• Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears Mets GM Sandy Alderson would like to bring back Chris Young a minor league deal in 2012 (Twitter link). Young was limited to 24 innings with the Mets due to shoulder troubles in 2011, and has totaled just 120 innings since the end of 2008.

• The Royals seek a right-handed alternative to play third base and give Mike Moustakas an occasional break, GM Dayton Moore told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.  Casey Blake and Kevin Kouzmanoff are a couple of free agents who could fit the bill, in my opinion.
• The Royals have a full 40-man roster, so they'd have to free up a spot to make a Rule 5 pick on Thursday.
• The Royals tried for Derek Lowe before the Braves traded him to the Indians.
• Manager Ned Yost told Dutton the Royals would like to add a situational lefty to serve as an alternative to Tim Collins.  Check out the free agent lefty relievers here.
• Moore seemed to acknowledge interest in Guillen, but noted, "I think there are going to be quite a few players like that around in January if we want to supplement our team."  
• Dutton confirmed the Royals' interest in Gonzalez with a source, though they currently don't like the Athletics' asking price of multiple impact prospects.
• Regarding unfounded lobby rumors yesterday, Moore commented to reporters including MLB.com's Dick Kaegel, "I'd like to keep Wil Myers' name out of the paper as much as possible.  Wil Myers is a young, talented player. He had a tremendous Arizona Fall League. We live with him every day. We love him and he's a big part of our future. But he's a Double-A player. He's going to produce at his own natural rate. We're not going to put unrealistic expectations on him. What other cliche do you want?"

Guillen began his big league career with the Mariners and was traded to the Tigers in January of '04. The M's will meet with Polidor at the Winter Meetings to discuss the possiblity of bringing his client back to Seattle, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).

The 36-year-old missed much of the 2011 season with knee, wrist and calf injuries. However, he hit a combined .257/.333/.419 with 17 homers in 597 plate appearances from 2009-10. As Morosi points out, Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen knows Guillen, a fellow Venezuelan, from their time in the AL Central.

• It's very unlikely free agents Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen will be back next year.  Reliever Joel Zumaya would be on a minor league deal if he returns.
• Victor Martinez will be the Tigers' full-time designated hitter next year, so Dombrowski will seek a back-up catcher for Alex Avila.
• Dombrowski sees the arbitration eligible Delmon Young as his left fielder in 2012 on a one-year deal.  Matt Swartz projects Young to earn $6.3MM next year through the arbitration process.  
• "In so many words, Dombrowski ruled out any run at [Jose] Reyes," tweets Lowe.
• Most likely, Jacob Turner and other youngsters will compete for the Tigers' fifth starter job next spring, with a veteran on board for projection, tweets MLB.com's Jason Beck.

• As first mentioned on Twitter, MLBTR learned that Tigers infielder Carlos Guillen switched agencies this spring, from Peter Greenberg to Octagon.  Our new Agency Database has all the goods.
• Dennys Reyes' opt-out date with the Red Sox is Friday, tweets WEEI's Rob Bradford.  The lefty has allowed one run in seven strong innings this spring.
• With the Mets eating $12MM to release Oliver Perez today, ESPN's Adam Rubin looks at the other big contracts the Mets have gobbled up to make a player go away.
• The Tigers and White Sox have better pitching staffs than the Twins, explains Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
• Kirby Arnold of the Everett Herald projects the Mariners' 25-man roster.

• First base (Miguel Cabrera) and centerfield (Austin Jackson) are the only positions set in stone for next year, and they plan to fill several others from within. Alex Avila (.228/.316/.340 in 333 plate appearances) will take over as the starting catcher, and Ryan Raburn (.280/.340/.474 in 410 PA) will essentially have a full-time outfield job. Second base will also be filled from within, with Will Rhymes and Scott Sizemore representing the early favorites. Once he returns from knee surgery, Carlos Guillen is expected to be a "jack of all trades."
• The Tigers do have interest in bringing Ordonez back, presumably at a rate much lower than the $15MM option they declined. That could fill the hole at designated hitter.
• Dave Dombrowski acknowledged that Brandon Inge's defense is why they want him back, but they feel he can chip in double digit homers as well. Yesterday we heard that the two sides were discussing a multi-year contract.
• Brennan Boesch, who hit .163/.237/.222 in the second half after a .342/.397/.593 first half, will "have to step up" like any young player who wants a full-time job according to the GM.
• Dombrowski told Tom Gage of The Detroit News that he wants to add a middle-of-the-order bat, and he would prefer it to be a lefthanded hitter (Twitter link). Cabrera led the league with 32 intentional walks, so finding him some protection is a must. Some notable lefty bats that will be on the free agent market: Adam Dunn, Russell Branyan, Brad Hawpe, and Hideki Matsui, though all of those guys are defensively challenged. 

• David Ortiz tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he thinks Carl Crawford will sign with the Yankees or Angels this winter.
• Joe Girardi doesn't expect Alfredo Aceves or Damaso Marte to be back with the Yankees in 2010, tweets MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
• The chances of lifetime Angel Scot Shields returning to the club's bullpen next season are "less than remote," says Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Whether Scott Kazmir will be a part of the Angels' rotation also remains to be seen, DiGiovanna writes in a separate piece. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith examined the team's 2011 rotation yesterday.
• The Astros are looking into the possibility of signing Barret Loux, but haven't made an offer yet, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
• Carlos Guillen would like to play second base for the Tigers next season, write Jason Beck and Alex DiFilippo of MLB.com.
• Jack Moore of Fangraphs looks into the outstanding numbers Geovany Soto is putting up this year. Earlier today, we looked at Soto as a possible candidate for an extension.

SUNDAY, 7:33pm: Talks between the Mets and Royals are fluid, though it doesn't appear that Guillen will be headed to Queens, says Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  It seems that if Guillen is dealt elsewhere, then Kansas City would be interested in Francoeur, Martino adds.

7:00pm: Francoeur and Perez are on the block, a source tells Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter).  Another source tells Heyman that a trade with Kansas City "might happen" (Twitter link).

6:36pm: The Mets are in talks with the Royals and three names from each side are "in play," writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Those Royals players are Gil Meche, Kyle Farnsworth, and Jose Guillen while the Mets being discussed are Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo, and Jeff Francoeur.  It is unclear how advanced the talks are, cautions Rosenthal (via Twitter).

While the two sides aren't necessarily looking at a three-for-three swap, the two biggest contracts do match up well.  Meche and Perez's contracts are identical over the next two seasons, with both pitchers earning $12MM in this year and next.  The Mets made an attempt to swap the two just over a week ago.

Francoeur and Farnsworth also match up well, says Rosenthal.  Farnsworth's contract has a club option for 2011 for $5.25MM, though he has the right to void it in favor of a $500K buyout if he is traded before the 2010 World Series.  Francoeur will make $5MM this season before entering his final year of arbitration eligibility.

• MLBTR's Luke Adams summed up the latest on the unsigned starting pitchers yesterday, looking at the latest on Jarrod Washburn, Pedro Martinez, Braden Looper, and John Smoltz.  Washburn told Morosi that neither the Dodgers nor the White Sox have shown interest so far.  The Sox have gotten ugly performances from Jake Peavy, Gavin Floyd, and Freddy Garcia, while Dan Hudson has been knocked around in Triple A his last two times out.
• Morosi talked to Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, who said the team isn't looking to sign a free agent hitter despite Carlos Guillen's hamstring strain.
• Morosi chatted with Vernon Wells, who said, "I have no plans on going anywhere" in response to a question about his ability to opt out of his contract after the 2011 season.  I doubt Wells' agent at Legacy Sports would recommend abandoning four years and $86MM.
• Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston, in reference to Lyle Overbay, said it wouldn't be right to bury a player who's headed toward free agency.