In parts of 14 Major League seasons, "El Caballo" hit .285/.339/.483 with 358 homers, 1363 RBIs and 125 stolen bases. During his peak years from 2003-07, Lee posted five straight seasons of 30 or more home runs. He made three straight All-Star appearances, won two Silver Sluggers and collected MVP votes on three separate occasions.

Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference both agree that Lee was worth slightly more than 28 wins above replacement over the course of his 2099 games with the White Sox, Astros, Brewers, Rangers and Marlins. According to Baseball-Reference, Lee earned $130.275MM in his career.

• The Yankees acknowledge that their roster doesn’t have the same kind of depth it did in past seasons, when players such as Eric Chavez and Bartolo Colon were available to step in after others sustained injuries.
• Anything is possible for the Yankees at this point, Davidoff writes. Free agent Carlos Lee would be one option, but he hasn’t been willing to sign for a low base salary, according to Davidoff.
• Scott Rolen is available in free agency, but he hit just .244/.301/.397 in 2011-12.
• While Tyler Colvin doesn’t have a starting role with the Rockies, the Yankees and Rockies “haven’t clicked” in recent trade talks.
• GM Brian Cashman explained that he’s not at all worried about Derek Jeter’s health. “He’ll be ready when it counts,” the GM said.

Yet the Brewers are not in the mix to acquire Mike Carp, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The Mariners designated the first baseman for assignment last week and appear to be on the brink of trading him. 

The Brewers will start by examining internal options instead of trading for Carp or signing a free agent such as Carlos Lee, Rosenthal reports. Taylor Green, Hunter Morris and even Alex Gonzalez are among the club’s internal options at first base. Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that Martin Maldonado, Taylor Green and Bobby Crosby could also play the position.

Rosenthal suggests GM Doug Melvin could pursue players such as Lyle Overbay, Travis Ishikawa and Juan Rivera later in Spring Training if necessary.

• The Marlins have no interest in re-signing first baseman Carlos Lee despite concerns about the health of Logan Morrison, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Morrison, recovering from right knee surgery, isn't expected to begin running until a week into Spring Training. 
• The Marlins are one of several teams in talks with free agent reliever Matt Capps, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
• Within the same piece, Jackson writes the Marlins are expected to sign Austin Kearns. Clark Spencer, Jackson's colleague at the Herald, adds the deal includes an invitation to Spring Training. Kearns spent 2012 in Miami posting a slash line of .245/.366/.367 in 175 plate appearances while playing both corner outfield positions, first base, and serving as DH in interleague play and as the team's primary right-handed pinch hitter. 
• Jackson also writes Marlins owner Jeffery Loria has told team president David Samson he can no longer do interviews. This comes in the wake of Loria banning Samson from doing his radio show. Jackson opines this is a mistake because Samson has made himself more accountable and accessible than many team presidents, even amid unpopular decisions made solely by Loria, who, Jackson adds, has refused to speak to the media since mid-November.
• The Rays will hold their annual development camp this week for 31 of their top prospects. One point of emphasis will be baseball's drug policy in the wake of the organization seeing six of their minor leaguers receive 50-game suspensions in 2012, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "It stunk, very disappointing," Rays Director of Minor League Operations Mitch Lukevics said of the suspensions. "We spend as much time on the education of 'Do's and Don'ts' and derailers as much as we do hitting or pitching or throwing. It was very disappointing, there's no getting around it."

• Manager Ozzie Guillen seems like a safe bet to return in 2013, but there’s a perception among some rival evaluators that the Marlins aren’t competitive this month, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. Guillen is in the first year of a four-year contract and isn’t exempt from scrutiny himself.
• Ken Rosenthal reported today that the Marlins seem more likely to make front office changes than replace Guillen.
• The Marlins will talk to Carlos Lee’s representatives about what it would take to bring the first baseman back for 2013, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post reports. It’s more likely that the Marlins will move Logan Morrison to first base, however.
• The Marlins want a legitimate power bat at third base, especially if they open the season with Donovan Solano at second. Miami is expected to consider a variety of options for third base, Capozzi writes.

For Lee to be eligible for another team’s postseason roster, he’d have to be on another club by tomorrow. He was on waivers earlier in the month, but it’s unclear if he was claimed. The Giants are among the teams currently seeking right-handed hitters.  

The Marlins are responsible for paying Lee the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary, while the Astros are covering the rest of his $18.5MM salary. The 36-year-old has a .278/.346/.388 batting line in 486 total plate appearances for the Astros and Marlins this year. He has spoken to Miami officials about the possibility of returning for the 2013 season. 

The Marlins tried to move Lee at the trade deadline, according to multiple reports. The Yankees agreed to pay Miami $1MM in exchange for Lee, who blocked the proposed deal. The Marlins also tried to move Lee to Baltimore at the trade deadline, according to Jon Heyman. Lee blocked a potential deal to Los Angeles back in June.

• The Giants' search for an outfielder is going "nowhere fast," reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Dodgers and Diamondbacks have waiver priority and can block deals, though San Francisco likes having Gregor Blanco's defense in left for their fly ball pitching staff.
• Following their recent major move, the Red Sox want to keep Cody Ross according to Rosenthal (on Twitter). Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston says that Ross knows this and an extension could happen before the end of the season (Twitter links). Talks have not yet begun, however.
• The Rangers have claimed a number of players this month, including Justin Upton according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The club is looking for a number of ways to improve prior to August 31st.
• Before moving on to Adrian Gonzalez, the Dodgers made another attempt to acquire Justin Morneau last week according to Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. They tried to land the Twins' slugger prior to the trade deadline as well.
• There is mutual interest between the Marlins and Carlos Lee about a return next season, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Earlier this month we heard that Lee wanted to return to Miami, but the club's intentions were unclear.
• Royals GM Dayton Moore told Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star that the team's focus this offseason will be the pitching staff, including an attempt to re-sign Jeremy Guthrie.
• Jonny Gomes told Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle that he would like to return to the Athletics next season. The 31-year-old is hitting .248/.360/.478 with 15 homers in 267 plate appearances this year.

“I like this team,” said Lee. “I don’t know what their plans are, but I like it here.”

Spencer hears the Lee's representatives at Wasserman Media Group have already spoke to the club about coming back next season, though they would like to use Logan Morrison at first base.

The 36-year-old Lee has hit .301/.398/.369 with one homer and more walks (17) than strikeouts (13) in 123 plate appearances since being acquired from the Astros. He is making $18.5MM this summer, the final year of the six-year, $100MM contract he signed with Houston prior to 2007.

• MLB executives say they don’t expect Cliff Lee to be claimed by this afternoon, the deadline for clubs to submit a waiver claim on the left-hander. However, one AL exec said someone might claim him since many teams are short on pitching. The Dodgers seem like the most likely candidate to claim Lee, according to the executives Heyman surveyed.
• Lee could prevent the Phillies from assigning his contract to any one of the 21 teams on his no-trade list if he is claimed on waivers, Heyman adds. Approximately 59% of 12,000 MLBTR readers expect Lee to be claimed.
• The Yankees agreed to pay the Marlins $1MM in exchange for Carlos Lee before the trade deadline, but Lee blocked the deal as Jayson Stark reported this week. The Marlins tried to get $2.5MM from the Orioles for Lee, Heyman reports. However, the Orioles declined the offer (it’s unclear if the Orioles are on Lee’s 14-team no-trade list).
• The Astros are paying Lee all but the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary, so the Marlins would have turned a profit had they completed a deal with either AL East team. Lee, who is now on waivers, could be traded in August.

• Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports explains why teams should be willing to pursue Lee despite what is perceived to be a down year for the veteran left-hander.
• The Dodgers should claim Lee and dare the Phillies to let him go for nothing, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs writes.
• Carlos Lee is on waivers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Marlins considered moving Lee to the Yankees earlier this week, but he declined to approve the potential trade.
• The Rockies re-arranged their front office yesterday, but Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports is skeptical that the changes will really address the team's biggest concern: pitching.

• The Astros are paying virtually all of the $9MM left on Carlos Lee's contract, but one club that spoke to the Marlins said Miami wanted as much as $2.5MM in return for the slugger. Talks never progressed.
• The Orioles spoke to the Mariners about Kevin Millwood, but Seattle wanted a better return than what was offered given the right-hander's bargain $1MM salary.
• The Orioles also discussed a deal with the Royals that would have sent one of their young arms to Kansas City for Luke Hochevar and Jonathan Broxton. Rosenthal speculates that it may have been Jake Arrieta.
• The Brewers were close to trading Francisco Rodriguez to the Giants about a week before the deadline, but San Francisco backed off after the right-hander blew two saves and allowed six runs in Philadelphia last week.

10:40am: The Marlins are trying to unload first baseman Carlos Lee, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  At this stage in his career, Lee is a low-power 36-year-old with little defensive value, so teams might view him as a right-handed bench bat.  The Marlins added Lee earlier this month, with the Astros paying most of his $18.5MM salary.

• The Indians continue to insist they don't expect to trade Justin Masterson or Shin-Soo Choo, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes. They'd have to be overwhelmed to trade Choo, but an NL exec says Masterson is "definitely" on the market.
• The Marlins are begging teams to take Carlos Lee off their hands, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
• Scott Miller of CBSSports.com explains the challenges the Phillies face and how they arrived where they are today.
• The Pirates continue trying to add a right-handed outfield bat, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).

• The Braves are telling teams they’re shifting their focus away from the rotation to possible bullpen and bench upgrades, Stark reports.
• The Marlins are working hard to trade Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Lee, Stark writes. Ricky Nolasco is also available.
• The Rangers are mainly focused on Zack Greinke and James Shields, but the odds of a trade involving Shields are diminishing because Evan Longoria is on his way back to the Rays’ lineup.
• The Cubs are offering to absorb all but $2MM of Alfonso Soriano’s contract, Stark writes. The left fielder earns $18MM per season through 2014 and the Cubs might take it all on for the right prospect.
• The Phillies are still considering trading Shane Victorino, but they are likely to wait a few days before making a decision on his future.
• The Padres have told teams they are likely to trade Huston Street if they can’t sign him to an extension. The Padres are expected to attempt to lock Street up to a one-year extension.
• Reds GM Walt Jocketty "feels a need to do something" and has asked around for a middle-of-the-order hitter, Stark reports.

• One official who spoke with the Marlins brass estimates that the odds Josh Johnson remains with Miami are "95 percent." The Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Royals have all checked in.
• Carlos Lee, Ricky Nolasco, Heath Bell, and Gaby Sanchez are all very available. Other than Johnson, Giancarlo Stanton will be the toughest player to pry away from the Fish.
• The Phillies have talked about trading Cliff Lee following the Cole Hamels extension and they haven't discouraged other teams from inquiring, but their game plan right now is to keep their trio of aces intact.
• Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton are good bets to be dealt and the Phillies will listen on Hunter Pence. They want multiple young big leaguers to plug holes at third base, in the outfield, and in the bullpen in return.
• The Dodgers are in on a number of starting pitchers, including Nolasco, Blanton, Kevin Millwood, and Jason Vargas in addition to Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. They've also checked in on outfield and first base help, including Victorino and Justin Morneau.
• Clubs have not been assured by the Cubs that Garza will make another start before the trade deadline due to his triceps issue. He's more likely to be dealt in the offseason.
• In the wake of acquiring Wandy Rodriguez, the Pirates are sending signals that they could trade away a starter like Jeff Karstens or Kevin Correia.
• The Twins' asking prices for Morneau ("pricey"), Denard Span ("more pricey"), and Josh Willingham ("it made me laugh") are high. Minnesota insists they will listen on anyone and Stark says Morneau is the bat they're most likely to move. Francisco Liriano is "nearly 100 percent" likely to be traded.
• The Orioles continue to look for pitching, someone they consider a number three starter or better. Garza and Vargas have their eye but Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado are off the table. They've gotten hits on Jake Arrieta but won't move him unless they get a similar young arm with several years of team control remaining in return.
• The Brewers will trade Randy Wolf "for nothing if you take the money," according to one official. 
• The Rays have "got a big market" for Wade Davis.