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Miguel Cabrera On The Trade Block?

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It's no secret that the Tigers are looking to cut down on future payroll, and to do so they've made both Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson available in trades. Lynn Henning of The Detroit News throws another name into the mix: first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

Henning says that nothing "irresistible" has been offered for Cabrera yet, and that GM Dave Dombrowski said "I'm not getting into any names," when asked about his first baseman. The Red Sox are looking to add a big bat, and we've already heard rumblings that they could turn around and move Clay Buchholz if they sign John Lackey.

Cabrera, still just 26, is about to enter year three of his eight year, $152.3MM contract. He's owed $126MM through 2015, so I guess we can rule out the small market clubs as trade partners. MLBTR readers discussed the idea of trading Cabrera earlier this month.

Angels Resume Pursuit Of Roy Halladay

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The Angels have gotten back into the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, according to Mike DiGiovanna of The LA Times. We know the Halos were hard after the former Cy Young Award winner at the trade deadline, but Giovanna says the talks broke down when the Halos refused to include Erick Aybar in the deal. They eventually moved on and acquired Scott Kazmir.

With J.P. Ricciardi out of the picture, DiGiovanna notes that new GM Alex Anthopoulos may be willing to do a deal without Aybar. We've already heard that Anthopoulos may consider granting a team a window to negotiate a contract extension with Halladay before a trade, as long as it improves the return. The Angels might lose incumbent ace John Lackey to free agency, and a deal for Doc is expected to cost them one of their better young pitchers – Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, or Ervin Santana.

DiGiovanna also reiterates what we heard last night, that it's a "long shot" that the Dodgers will trade for Halladay.

Olney: Teams Aggressively Pursuing Wolf

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According to the Twitter feed of Buster Olney, "teams are being aggressive in pursuit of Randy Wolf, who is one of the best of FA starters not named Lackey."

Wolf threw 214 1/3 innings with a 3.23 ERA in 2009, though it is worth noting that it was his first 200+ inning season since 2003.

For comparison, John Lackey, who is the very best free agent starter who is named Lackey, pitched 176 1/3 innings at a 3.83 ERA. Wolf is 33, Lackey is 31.

Mets Looking At Starters Besides Lackey

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The Mets are busy crafting a Plan B in the event that they do not win the John Lackey sweepstakes, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  They would love to sign the market's top starter, but if they don't, they want to add from a group that includes Joel Pineiro, Randy Wolf, Ben Sheets, and Jason Marquis.  According to a source, that group does not include Rich Harden.

Rosenthal and Morosi were told that the Metropolitans believe that Sheets has more upside than other hurlers coming back from injury, such as Kelvim Escobar, Erik Bedard, Mark Mulder, and Brett Myers.

Like many other clubs, the Mets are still unsure who the best consolation prize would be.  Who in your estimation would be the next best thing for the Amazins?

Cafardo On Lackey, Sheffield, Pavano

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In his usual Sunday morning column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo passes on some hot stove talk from around the majors. Let's check out the highlights….

  • The fate of John Lackey could potentially affect the offseason plans of each of the AL East powers. Both the Yankees and Red Sox have interest, and Cafardo suggests that landing Lackey would allow the Red Sox to turn around and move Clay Buchholz in a deal for a coveted bat, like Adrian Gonzalez.
  • Cafardo relays this quote from an AL GM: "The Red Sox could be the major player this offseason if certain things fall together for them. They still have enough chips in their farm system to make something big happen."
  • The Yankees, meanwhile, appear willing to part with Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain in the hunt for Roy Halladay, though they'd like to hang on to Austin Jackson.
  • Gary Sheffield will return in 2010 and has softened his stance on DHing since his Tigers days. He now says he'd accept a DH role, though he'd still like to play in the field occasionally. Cafardo names a handful of teams that could find a spot for Sheffield, noting that the 41-year-old would love to return to Atlanta or play in his hometown of Tampa Bay.
  • The Twins and Brewers are "very interested" in Carl Pavano.
  • The Brewers could also be players for John Smoltz, though the Cardinals would like to bring him back.

Mets Rumors: Holliday, Bay, Guillen

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Bill Madden of the New York Daily News doesn't expect the New York Mets to make too big a splash in free agency this winter. Madden notes that a left-handed hitter and a couple of starting pitchers are "absolute necessities" for the Mets, but he projects they'll only have about $20MM to spend.

Based on his payroll projections, Madden declares "you can count [the Mets] out right now" on top free agents such as John Lackey, Matt Holliday, and Jason Bay. Instead, he feels the Mets should be, and will be, focusing on second-tier free agents, such as Mark DeRosa, Randy Wolf, Jason Marquis, and Marlon Byrd.

In a separate article, Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News suggests that, if they're unable to sign a big bat like Holliday or Bay, the Mets might be interested in acquiring Jose Guillen from the Kansas City Royals. Rubin says that a potential deal isn't close, and it seems hard to believe that one could happen.

Rubin himself points out multiple roadblocks, including Guillen's lack of fielding ability and the $12MM that the 33-year-old is owed in 2010 (the Mets would want the Royals to take on a huge chunk of that figure). If Madden is right about the Mets' limited spending money, I can't imagine the club investing in a player like Guillen.

Odds & Ends: Chapman, Cubs, Holliday, Damon

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Links for Saturday afternoon …

  • Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News spoke with a baseball executive who believes the Yankees will wind up with Aroldis Chapman.  "My bet is that it'll come down to the Yankees and Red Sox, like it always does…" said the executive. "And I think the Yankees will get him.  They can give him a big-league contract over five years for $20 million and they don't even feel that."
  • The NY Post's Bart Hubbuch reports that the rumored three-way deal involving Milton Bradley, Kevin Millwood and Luis Castillo "isn't happening because the Rangers aren't interested in giving up Millwood so easily." He also mentions that the Mets aren't expected to make any majors moves until the Winter Meetings in two weeks.
  • Paul Sullivan at The Chicago Tribune rounds up some Cubs' rumors all in one convenient spot, just like our Cubs archive.
  • Meanwhile, Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune posted his projections on where some notable free agents will land. He sees Matt Holliday signing with Boston, while both Jason Bay and John Lackey land with the Angels.
  • Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post Dispatch notes that the market for Holliday is diminished because officials from the Angels and Giants said they "would not be vying" for his services. 
  • The Yankees' biggest focus right now is finding a "common ground" with Johnny Damon, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff. Hideki Matsui seems to be less of a priority. 
  • Larry LaRue of The News Tribune says that the Josh Johnson situation in Florida represents the worst-case scenario for the Mariners and Felix Hernandez.
  • Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a report that says Yusei Kikuchi has inked his first pro contract with the Seibu Lions. Kikuchi will not be eligible for international free agency for at least nine years, though Seibu could make him available through the posting process before that.

Dodgers Don’t Plan To Pursue Lackey

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They may be looking for starting pitching , but the Dodgers don't plan to pursue John Lackey, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Team president Dennis Mannion told Shaikin that the team has reservations about making a big free agent commitment.

"You can't ignore the fact the economy will be level at best for next year," Mannion said. "We're not going to make any outlandish-type decisions in a rough economy."

That doesn't mean the Dodgers will have to trade arbitration-eligible players to save money. The team's ownership is in flux because of the McCourt divorce, but the Dodgers intend to keep players like Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley as they become more expensive.

Angels Won’t Pursue Holliday; Bay Is An Option

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2:45pm: Moreno estimates that he has $12MM to spend on improving the club, according to FOX Sports. That could be enough to sign Bay if the left fielder agrees to sign a back-loaded deal.

1:16pm: Angels owner Arte Moreno told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that Matt Holliday is not an option for the Angels.

"He is not going to be an Angel," Moreno said. "We are not looking at Holliday at all."

Jason Bay, on the other hand, is a player "you have to look at," Moreno said. The Angels still have interest in bringing back John Lackey, Chone Figgins and Vladimir Guerrero, but Moreno told the LA Times that the Angels won't be able to bring both Figgins and Lackey back.

As for Guerrero, Moreno hinted that he won't be back without saying so explicitly.

Discussion: Is Marquis Perfect Fit On Mets?

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Jason Marquis, native of Staten Island, has made no secret of his desire to pitch for the Mets, describing himself as a "perfect fit" to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.

But is this the case? 

The Mets themselves aren't sure, ranking Marquis below both John Lackey and Joel Pineiro on their pitching wish list, according to Hubbuch.

Marquis' strengths are durability and his hitting. Both, particularly the former, would be something the Mets could use.

However, Marquis will likely command a sizable contract, particularly after making the 2009 All Star team. Is a big investment worth it for a pitcher whose strikeout rate over the past three years is just 4.9?

More to the point, if the Mets don't improve their defense, would Marquis or any pitcher that pitches to contact (such as Pineiro) be a good choice for New York?

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