"When you have a (Rule 5) guy, if there’s a way that guy can fit on your ballclub, you try to figure a way if you see a legitimate major-league future," La Russa said.

While Gonzalez’ spring numbers are solid (.308-1-5), Barton has also played well (.350) and offers the team more position flexibility as Gonzalez has been used primarily as a DH in the spring.

Barton must be offered back to the Indians for $25K or be kept on the 25-man roster all season. The Cardinals could try to work out a trade with the Indians that would allow them to option Barton to the minors, but Strauss says this path is unlikely considering how well Barton is playing.

Cork Gaines writes for Rays Index and can be reached here.

• I’m doing a fantasy baseball mailbag feature at The Hardball Times.  Check out the first entry.
• Nothing really new from Coco Crisp…if he loses the center field battle, he’ll probably prefer a trade.
• The Brewers are close to a minor league deal with Russell Branyan, who might have a hard time sniffing the big league roster anytime this season.
• The Toronto Star relays from J.P. Ricciardi that the Blue Jays no longer have an offer on the table for Shannon Stewart.
• Turns out Oakland’s Dan Meyer has a fourth option, meaning he’s likely to lose the fifth starter battle to Dana Eveland.
• I can’t help it…I love the Juan Gonzalez story.  I’m rooting for him for no apparent reason.
• Mark Teixeira didn’t offer much info regarding extension talks with the Braves.  He did refute that report about building a home in Atlanta and another about a rift with Scott Boras.
• Peter Abraham thinks the Yanks should trade Hideki Matsui.

Juan-Gone is 38 now, and hasn’t been in the Majors since that infamous one at-bat in 2005 with the Tribe.  He’s 66 home runs away from 500. 

FROM 12-29-07 at 10:38am:

El Vocero, one of the bigger newspapers in Puerto Rico, is reporting that the Yankees signed Juan Gonzalez to a two-year, $2MM deal.  This report definitely makes me raise an eyebrow, for three reasons:

• In both 2006 and 2005, odd reports surfaced about teams being interested in Gonzalez, only to have the teams publically deny interest a day or two later.
• It seems absurd to give Gonzalez two years or $2MM when he hasn’t played in the Majors since that one at-bat in 2005. He’s 38 currently.
• The Yankees would seem the last team with room for another DH.

Now let us all sit back and wait for those three clubs to re-deny interest.  It’s funny to me that the clubs even felt compelled to comment on the rumor in the first place.

Now let us all sit back and wait for those three clubs to re-deny interest.  It’s funny to me that the clubs even felt compelled to comment on the rumor in the first place.

The slimmed-down Gonzalez spent last year in the Atlantic League and he’s currently playing in the Caribbean Series.  Baseball Prospectus’s Derek Jacques reports:

"Juan Gonzalez makes the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz look nimble and flexible. Watching him run the bases, I constantly expected to hear a loud snapping sound followed by a trail of body parts. Igor still has the long looping swing, but his bat speed isn’t where he can really turn on Dessens’ heat in the third. He’s trying to cheat, and it just isn’t working."

Last year, Gonzalez was said to be in the best condition of his life and supposedly drew interest from the Cubs, White Sox, Red Sox, Athletics, and Rockies.

The slimmed-down Gonzalez spent last year in the Atlantic League and he’s currently playing in the Caribbean Series.  Baseball Prospectus’s Derek Jacques reports:

"Juan Gonzalez makes the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz look nimble and flexible. Watching him run the bases, I constantly expected to hear a loud snapping sound followed by a trail of body parts. Igor still has the long looping swing, but his bat speed isn’t where he can really turn on Dessens’ heat in the third. He’s trying to cheat, and it just isn’t working."

Last year, Gonzalez was said to be in the best condition of his life and supposedly drew interest from the Cubs, White Sox, Red Sox, Athletics, and Rockies.

Yesterday, Juan Gonzalez tried out for the Colorado Rockies in Puerto Rico.  He’s reportedly in magnificent physical condition.  That report has been passed along to Colorado’s front office, but there is no agreement as of yet.

Gonzalez tried out for the Athletics on Monday, and worked for the Red Sox and Cubs previously.  Despite reports that Gonzalez was due in Red Sox camp this week, a close friend of Gonzalez’s told El Nuevo Dia that he never signed a contract with them.  His agent has negotiated with the Sox, but he’s still a free agent.  There may have been a verbal agreement in place prior to the Wily Mo Pena trade.

The Biggest Games. The Best Tickets. StubHub.com

El Nuevo Dia is a Puerto Rican newspaper.  Yesterday, Hiram Alberto Torraca had an exclusive interview with former MVP Juan Gonzalez.  Gonzalez was last seen with the Indians, amassing a single at-bat before straining his hamstring.  If you want to register and can read Spanish, you can view the article here.  For the rest of you, allow me to do my best to give you the gist of it.

According to Gonzalez, the Cubs sent Carmelo Martinez to Puerto Rico to watch him swing the bat and run the bases.  [Note – Martinez is the hitting coach for the Cubs’ rookie ball affiliate, as far as I can tell.]  The Cubs have yet to make an offer to Gonzalez because they wanted to observe him first.

Gonzalez has been practicing daily and says that the Red Sox and White Sox have also shown interest in him.  Juan Gone’s thoughts on playing in the National League for the first time in his career:

"If I have to go the National League, I will do it.  With that there is no problem.  I am in the best condition of my life."

According to Gonzalez, Indians GM Mark Shapiro had promised a minor league invite for 2006 but didn’t keep his word.  On the subject of money, Gonzalez had this to say:

"At this time, money does not matter to me.  What I want is to play and to achieve some goals.  If no contract is offered I will be tranquil and happy because I arrived at where wanted and I achieved many things."

It’s anticipated that Gonzalez will see some time in the World Baseball Classic, although he has yet to be added officially to Puerto Rico’s 30 man roster.

Gonzalez was last relevant in baseball in 2003, when he hit .294/.329/.572 for the Rangers in 327 ABs.  It seems that teams continue to be tantalized by Gonzalez’s power even as he enters his age 36 season with a recent record of poor health.  Gonzalez has mashed lefties throughout his career, and would make an intriguing platoon partner for Jacque Jones to say the least.