Balentien, 28, will earn $950K in 2013 because an option in his previous contract vested. The Octagon client hit 31 home runs and posted a .272/.386/.572 batting line in 422 plate appearances this past season. Balentien, a three-year veteran of the big leagues, last appeared at the MLB level in 2009.

Milledge, a former first round pick and top prospect on this side of the Pacific, produced at the plate in Japan this past season. The 27-year-old posted a .300/.379/.485 batting line and added 21 home runs in 546 plate appearances.

Barnette saved 33 games for the Yakult Swallows in 2012. The 29-year-old right-hander posted a 1.82 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 54 1/3 innings.

The Mets selected Milledge, now 26, with the 12th overall selection in the 2003 draft. He made the Major Leagues in 2006 and posted a .787 OPS in '07 as a 22-year-old. However the Mets traded him to Washington after the 2007 season and before long the Nationals sent him to Pittsburgh. Milledge signed with the White Sox before the 2011 season, but appeared in just two games for Chicago. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .295/.364/.441 line in 505 plate appearances.

"I don't want to prognosticate at all, but in the next week or so we'll hear from [La Russa]…. Albert may take a little while, I guess…. Who knows? Maybe we'll get something done in the quiet period (during which teams are only permitted to negotiate with their own free agents). But if you've waited this long, you're probably going to see what's out there."

Here are the rest of the morning's notes and rumors from the NL Central:

• Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is surprised by DeWitt's lack of urgency regarding Pujols, and wonders if it's a good idea to allow the slugger to be wooed by teams who may be more aggressive than the Cardinals.
• Fielding Reds-related questions for the Dayton Daily News, Hal McCoy says it's unlikely that Cincinnati makes a play for Roy Oswalt.
• The Pirates will likely look at second- or third-tier free agents, but they won't make a huge splash this winter, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Biertempfel says the Bucs will be shopping for a catcher, a first baseman, and starting pitching, naming Jason Varitek, Rod Barajas, Jeff Francis, and Chris Young as a few possible targets.
• In a Twitter exchange, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus discuss Bryan LaHair of the Cubs and former Pirates outfielder Lastings Milledge, two players being eyed by Japanese teams. Goldstein suggests the Cubs would like to hang on to LaHair, but hears rumblings that Milledge could sign in Japan as early as next week (all four Twitter links).

Dusty Brown (Pirates), Travis Buck (Indians), Armando Galarraga (D'Backs), Jay Gibbons (Dodgers), Edgar Gonzalez (Rockies), Steve Holm (Twins), Wil Ledezma (Blue Jays), Andy LaRoche (Athletics), Felipe Lopez (Brewers), Lastings Milledge (White Sox), Pat Misch (Mets), Pat Neshek (Padres), Mike O'Connor (Mets), Matt Palmer (Angels), Felix Pie (Orioles), Brad Snyder (Cubs), Brett Tomko (Rangers), Wyatt Toregas (Pirates), P.J. Walters (Blue Jays), Randy Williams (Red Sox), and Reggie Willits (Angels).

• The Astros are asking for as much in return for Wandy Rodriguez as the Rockies are for Ubaldo Jimenez. General manager Ed Wade is in a difficult position, caught between an ownership change.
• Half a dozen teams are looking for right-handed offense, but the Rockies won't trade Ryan Spilborghs and the Cubs are holding onto Jeff Baker. Gammons says that reduces that market to Conor Jackson, Josh Willingham, Reed Johnson, Lastings Milledge, and Jeff Francoeur. The Twins recently announced they won't trade Michael Cuddyer as well.
• The Dodgers want to shed salary, but don't have much to shed besides Jamey Carroll and Hiroki Kuroda. Gammons spoke with two East coast executives that said Kuroda, who has a full no-trade clause, won't accept a deal to an East Coast team.
• The Athletics will move veteran bats and probably a reliever or two.
• The Mariners won't have a fire sale, and aren't likely to get much for Erik Bedard in light of his injury.
• The Nationals are willing to trade Tyler Clippard, and have been continually pursuing Michael Bourn. They're also one of several teams who showed interest in Julio Borbon prior to his injury.
• Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is in a tough spot because he doesn't know which way owner Peter Angelos wants him to go, according to a rival GM.
• Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario make it possible for the Rockies to trade Chris Iannetta, but the Red Sox seem content wth their catching options.

THURSDAY: The White Sox designated Lastings Milledge for assignment to create roster space for Jeff Gray, the team announced (on Twitter). Milledge broke camp with the team after signing a minor league deal and appeared in two games (he went 1/4 with a double), but the White Sox needed relief, particularly after consecutive extra innings contests against the Royals.

Ozzie Guillen's relievers have combined for 11 1/3 innings of work since Tuesday, so Gray gets the call. The former Cubs reliever has a 4.91 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 40 1/3 innings at the Major League level. The White Sox signed him last November, after the Cubs granted him free agency.

• Jason Donald's hand injury inspires Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer to ask whether the Indians would consider starting Lonnie Chisenhall's service clock as soon as Opening Day.
• Lastings Milledge, who was the youngest free agent available this past winter, is off to a good start with the White Sox, says Brett Ballantini of CSNChicago.
• Mark Buehrle won't keep pitching for money or milestones, writes Dan McNeil of the Chicago Tribune. If he keeps pitching beyond 2011, it'll be with a contender and in a place that's comfortable for his family.
• Jhonny Peralta isn't fretting his transition back to the shortstop position, writes MLive.com's Dick Scanlon.
• Hoynes answers plenty of reader questions in this Q&A for the Plain Dealer, and address issues such as the prospect hauls for departed All-Stars and maximizing trade value. He also opines that Orlando Cabrera could become a mid-season target for the Phillies if Chase Utley's injury is serious enough.

The Pirates non-tendered the 2003 first rounder after he hit .277/.332/.380 in 412 plate appearances. He played left and right for the Pirates last year, but before that had spent most of his career in center field. Milledge has a below-average -8.0 UZR/150 on defense in his career and the only position at which his defensive numbers are above-average is left field.

The White Sox lost Andruw Jones, last year's fourth outfielder, via free agency. If Milledge has a strong spring, he could make the team and provide manager Ozzie Guillen with depth behind Juan Pierre, Alex Rios and Carlos Quentin.

When MLBTR's Mike Axisa discussed Milledge a month ago, he suggested it would be better to gamble on Milledge than hope that "an aging veteran fights off Father Time for another year."

• Although recent trade rumors involving Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona were quickly shot down, Cafardo says if both players are healthy and playing well this year, they could be "major trade deadline chips."
• Four teams are in discussions with agent Jim Masteralexis, regarding client Manny Delcarmen. We heard earlier this month that the Rays had interest in the ex-Red Sox, so they're likely one of the four.
• One executive told Cafardo that he's surprised Lastings Milledge is still available. While the exec's team doesn't need another outfielder, he argued that "you just don't give up" on a talent like Milledge.
• Scott Schoeneweis, who hopes to play this season, is being considered by the Diamondbacks.
• Friends of Pedro Martinez say the right-hander has yet to get pitching out of his system. Pedro will turn 40 later this year, and didn't pitch in the bigs in 2010, but he had success for the Phillies in 2009, compiling a 3.63 ERA, 7.5 K/9, and 1.6 BB/9 in nine starts.
• Cafardo speculates that Boston could be a good fit for Jeremy Bonderman on a minor league deal.

• The Mets' two-year deal with R.A. Dickey could be a coup, says Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger.
• Daniel Murphy has played all over the diamond in recent years, and will head into the 2011 season aiming to become the Mets' starting second baseman. Manager Terry Collins says Murphy could also play some first and third base. ESPNNewYork's Adam Rubin has the details.
• Speaking to the media, Jorge Posada discussed his and Derek Jeter's defensive positions for 2011 and beyond. Peter Botte of the New York Daily News passes along quotes from the Yankees' new designated hitter, who says he still expects to see some time behind the plate this year.
• Chad Jennings of the Journal News explores possible fits for the Yankees' bench, naming Lastings Milledge or Felipe Lopez as potential targets.

Players can still become a free agents without having six years of service time though, but their team would have to non-tendered at some point. That's what happened to Lastings Milledge this offseason, and he is currently the youngest free agent (with recent and substantial MLB time) on the market at 25 years old. Born on April 5, 1985, he'll turn 26 about a week into the 2011 season. 

It wasn't too long ago that Milledge was one of the game's very best prospects. Baseball America ranked him as the ninth best prospect in baseball prior to the 2006 season, a year after they dubbed him the 11th best. The Mets were never shy about aggressively promoting prospects under Omar Minaya, and Milledge made his big league debut at age 21. He was traded to the Nationals during the 2007-2008 offseason, then traded to the Pirates before the 2009 deadline. In 1,655 career plate appearances, he's a .269/.328/.394 career hitter, hardly justifying his reputation as a top prospect.

Because he is still just 25 and theoretically on the upswing of his career, Milledge could have more to offer a team than some of his fellow free agent outfielders. The best of that lot includes guys like Johnny Damon, Andruw Jones, and Scott Podsednik, all of whom are on the wrong side of 30 with their best years clearly behind them. Milledge's strikeout rate has continued to improve throughout his career, and he's maintained a batting average right around .270 since 2008. The power isn't there yet, but it's usually the last tool to come and he still has some time left to grow into it.

Milledge could be useful to a big league team right now because he has some defensive versatility, capable of playing both outfield corners as well as center in an emergency. UZR doesn't love his defense, but it takes thousands of innings at a position before the stat stabilizes and becomes reliable. He has also hit left-handed pitchers pretty well in his career, a .289/.363/.435 batting line. We know the Yankees are looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder, but the Braves, Dodgers, and Phillies could be other clubs in that mix as well. 

Any team that signs Milledge will not only have him for the 2011 season, but also for the next two as an arbitration-eligible player as well. He's out of options, meaning he'd have to clear waivers to go to the minors, but that could be taken care of with a minor league contract. Milledge has just 580 total plate appearances at the Triple-A level (scattered across four seasons, no less), so perhaps a trip back to the bush leagues could do him some good. If he wants to ensure a return to the big leagues at some point, he could insist that an opt-out be included in his contract. Established big leaguers often have these clauses put in minor league contracts, and it allows them to elect free agency if they're not back in the majors by a certain date.

Milledge's age compared the rest of his free agent cohorts makes him an intriguing option. He's not far removed from top prospect status and won't require an arm and a leg to sign. If he flops, it would be an easy move to back out of given the minimal commitment. But if he starts to live up to his potential, whatever team signs him would have Milledge at a below market for the next three seasons. For some teams, it might be worth the risk as opposed to hoping an aging veteran fights off Father Time for another year.

Cedeno is the incumbent starter at shortstop, though the Pirates are known to be looking for help at the position.  The veteran has played mostly shortstop over the last two years, but has also played second, third and the outfield in his career.  Cedeno has a .682 OPS in 672 plate appearances as a Pirate.

Karstens came to the Bucs in July 2008 as part of the trade that sent Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady to the Yankees.  In 74 appearances (41 of them starts) for Pittsburgh, Karstens has posted a 4.95 ERA and a 1.73 K/BB ratio.  As Biertempfel pointed out in his longer article, Karstens' $1.1MM salary for 2011 is almost triple what he earned last season.

Other news from Biertempfel…

• Infielder Argenis Diaz, outfielder Lastings Milledge and left-handers Brian Burres and Donald Veal were all non-tendered by the Bucs, but the club wants to re-sign Burres and Veal.  Diaz "is unlikely to return."
• Milledge could be welcomed back "if we think it's the right fit for the team, and he thinks it's the right fit for him," said Neal Huntington.  The Pirates GM said he couldn't work out a contract with Milledge before the non-tender deadline and "began to explore alternatives" to fill Milledge's corner outfield spot.  Two options are Jack Cust and Matt Diaz, both of whom were non-tendered themselves by the A's and Braves, respectively.

• Rockies: Manny Delcarmen
• Mets: Sean Green Chris Carter, John Maine
• Nationals: Joel Peralta, Wil Nieves, Chien-Ming Wang
• Dodgers: Russell Martin, George Sherrill, Trent Oeltjen
• Giants: Chris Ray, Eugenio Velez
• Pirates: Lastings Milledge, Argenis Diaz, Donnie Veal, Brian Burres
• Diamondbacks: Blaine Boyer, Ryan Church, Augie Ojeda, D.J. Carrasco
• Marlins: Jose Veras, Ronny Paulino
• Padres: Tony Gwynn, Scott Hairston, Matt Antonelli, Luis Perdomo
• Brewers: Todd Coffey, Joe Inglett
• Astros: Sammy Gervacio
• Braves: Matt Diaz

Hanrahan has tossed 63 innings for the Pirates with a 3.00 ERA, 11.9 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, and 0.43 HR/9.  He's totaled 1.0 WAR for the Pirates.  His fastball velocity has increased since the trade, to the point where he's averaging 95.4 mph this year.  Hanrahan will be arbitration-eligible for the first time after this season, and he's under team control through 2013.  He's part of a strong late-game relief trio in Pittsburgh, along with Evan Meek and Octavio Dotel.

Milledge is hitting .281/.339/.384 in 490 plate appearances for the Pirates.  He's played 928 innings in left field, but has moved to right field since Jose Tabata's promotion.  He's totaled 1.2 WAR for the Pirates.  Like Hanrahan, Milledge is arbitration-eligible for the first time in 2011 and under control through 2013.

For the Nationals, lefty reliever Sean Burnett has a 2.96 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, and 0.70 HR/9 in 51.6 innings.  He's totaled 0.4 WAR for the Nats.  That value came entirely from 2010, as he's increased his K/9 to 8.1.  He's earning $775K this year after losing an arbitration hearing in February.  Burnett is under team control through 2012.

Morgan is hitting .291/.345/.368 in 530 plate appearances with 41 stolen bases in 59 attempts for the Nationals since the trade.  His 2.7 WAR comes entirely from 2009, as he's actually had negative value in 2010.  Morgan's '09 season ended in late August with a broken wrist.  It's been a rough 2010 season offensively, and Morgan leads the league with 11 times caught stealing.  Morgan has tallied 1,000 innings in center field in his time with Washington.  After the season it appears that he'll miss the Super Two cutoff by a few days, meaning he will not be arbitration-eligible until after the 2011 season.  Morgan is under team control through 2014.

I'd rather have Hanrahan than Burnett at this point, and the Pirates' reliever is under team control for an extra season.  Morgan's last two months have been discouraging, but he might be better than Milledge defensively and is under control for an extra year.  While the Nationals are ahead 0.9 in WAR, this challenge trade remains something of a toss-up a year later.

Manny was fresh off being named World Series MVP, but the idea behind trading him was to use the savings for then free agents J.D. Drew and Adrian Beltre. Drew went on the sign with the Dodgers, Beltre the Mariners, though both found their way to Boston eventually.

There were several variations of the deal with the Mets, but the two constants were hotshot prospect Lastings Milledge and the veteran Cliff Floyd. At various other times, the package of players included Heath Bell and Ian Bladergroen, who the Mets eventually traded the the Red Sox for Doug Mientkiewicz.

The deal fell apart because of money. The Mets wanted to the Red Sox to kick in some of the $77MM left on Manny's deal, but Boston "wanted to get money back in the deal to pursue the available free agents." Bradford goes through some what-could-have-been scenarios in his article.

Ramirez went on to hit another 120 home runs and win another World Championship with the Red Sox, while the Mets fell just a game short of qualifying for the 2006 Fall Classic. They did, however, land one superstar responsible for helping the Red Sox end their World Series drought that offseason, signing Pedro Martinez to a four year, $53MM deal in December of 2004.