• Last week, the three-way trade the Phillies were looking to send Joe Blanton to the Angels for Bobby Abreu, then flip Abreu to the Yankees for A.J. Burnett, sources tell Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  The Phillies' thinking was that two years of Burnett would have provided at least a bit of a safety net if they lost Cole Hamels to free agency, Olney tweets.
• Cameron's retirement will force the Nationals to get creative in center field and possibly look for another right-handed hitter at the position, writes Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider.  Alternatively, Washington could let either Rick Ankiel or Roger Bernadina take the job outright or move Jayson Werth to center field and put Bryce Harper in right.
• Bill Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter) spoke with Cameron who said Nationals GM Mike Rizzo tried to talk the veteran out of retiring.  The center fielder said that he made up his mind last Wednesday.
• Third baseman David Wright's future with the Mets is likely independent of the club's performance, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post.  The Mets hold a $16MM team option on the 29-year-old for next season, but Wright can void that option if he is traded.
• Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton isn't worried about hearing his name in trade rumors, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The Phillies have reportedly shopped Blanton in order to create payroll flexibility and explored a three-way trade to land A.J. Burnett before he was traded to the Pirates.

The 39-year-old was designated for assignment by the Red Sox in June before being dealt to the Marlins.  In total, Cameron hit just .203/.285/.359 in 269 combined plate appearances and saw his season come to an end when he was released by the Marlins for conduct detrimental to the team.

In 17 big league seasons, Cameron hit .249/.338/.444 with 278 home runs for eight different clubs.  According to Baseball Reference, the centerfielder earned more than $76MM over the course of his career.

Cameron, 39 in January, also drew interest from the Indians recently. His production took a big dip in 2011, when he hit just .203/.285/.359 in 269 overall plate appearances with the Red Sox and Marlins. The advanced metrics continue to rate his outfield defense very well, however. Washington figures to keep looking for a long-term solution in center field, but Cameron represents a solid stopgap player or bench piece.

Cameron, 38, saw a dip in production in 2011 with the Red Sox and Marlins, hitting .203/.285/.359 in 269 overall plate appearances. However, the Indians view him as an insurance policy for center field if Grady Sizemore continues to be plagued by health problems, according to Pluto.

The 28-year-old LaRoche, meanwhile, would likely just provide the organization depth at the Triple-A level. The former top prospect spent the past season with the Athletics, splitting time between the big league club and Triple-A Sacramento.

The Indians have made a handful of depth moves already this week, acquiring Aaron Cunningham from the Padres, and signing both Jose Lopez and Felix Pie to minor league deals.

• “We think he’s going to be ready, but he might not be," said Mets GM Sandy Alderson to Dan Martin of The New York Post when asked about the status of Johan Santana. "That’s where the [pitching] depth becomes important.”
• We can add Mike Cameron to the list of Nationals' bench targets according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Yesterday we heard they have interest in Greg Dobbs.
• By non-tendering Brooks Conrad rather than outright releasing him, the Braves will not have to wait until mid-May to re-sign the utility player according to Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

TUESDAY: The Indians are looking at right-handed hitters such as Derrek Lee, Andruw Jones, and Mike Cameron, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Yesterday we heard the Indians have mild interest in Josh Willingham, and on Friday they were linked to Mark DeRosa.

Also, Morosi says the Indians are willing to trade from their bullpen depth to acquire the right bat.

• Mike Cameron, Tim Wakefield, Edgar Renteria and Craig Counsell intend to play in 2012.
• Jon Garland might throw for teams this offseason if there’s demand, according to Morosi. The right-hander missed most of the season recovering from shoulder surgery and the Dodgers declined their 2012 option on the 32-year-old. Garland intends to continue as a starter.
• Some teams view Jamey Carroll as an everyday second baseman. I’m not surprised to hear that since Carroll has repeatedly proven his ability to get on base and many teams will be in the market for second basemen.
• Former Orioles right-hander Daniel Cabrera is pitching in the Dominican Winter League after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Agent Mike Powers told Morosi that Cabrera intends to return to MLB as a starter. The 6'7" right-hander hasn't appeared in a Major League game since 2009.
• For more thoughts on Lincecum and the Giants, check out the piece Dave Cameron wrote yesterday at FanGraphs.

• Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that scouting director Tim Wilken is scheduled to meet with Cubs ownership about an extension similar to the four-year deal farm director Oneri Fleita recently signed. Former Cubs GM Jim Hendry recently met with commissioner Bud Selig and could resurface in a high-profile job before long, according to Wittenmyer.
• MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes provided the latest Cubs updates this morning and we heard later in the day that the Reds intend to keep Walt Jocketty in Cincinnati.
• Kevin Millwood told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he hopes to pitch in the Major Leagues again next year. Rockies manager Jim Tracy says he can imagine Millwood returning to the organization in 2012.
• Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears that the Marlins released Mike Cameron after he got into a "verbal altercation" with a flight attendant that prompted the charter company to complain.

• White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he might retire after 2013, when his current contract expires. The 35-year-old has a terrific .308/.395/.528 line with 29 homers in the first season of the three-year, $37.5MM deal he signed last offseason.
• The Marlins released Mike Cameron because of conduct detrimental to the team, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. 
• The Braves have increased the responsibilities of three front office members following the departure of director of player personnel Kurt Kemp, according to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Assistant GM Bruce Manno will oversee player development, Ronnie Richardson was promoted to director of minor league operations and John Coppolella was promoted to director of professional scouting.
• Troy Renck of the Denver Post can see the Rockies pursuing Michael Cuddyer and Josh Willingham this offseason (Twitter links). 
• Renck also suggests Jason Hammel is available. Hammel's strikeout rate (5.0 K/9) and ground ball rate (43.5%) dropped this season, while his ERA (4.91) and walk rate (3.7 BB/9) rose, so his trade value is considerably lower than it would have been last winter. The 29-year-old is under contract for $4.75MM in 2012.
• Fernando Rodney told Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he would have liked more chances to close with the Angels this year. The right-hander will look to sign with a team that can provide him with more regular work when his two-year contract expires after the season.

Cameron, 38, hit .239/.333/.423 in 163 plate appearances after being acquired from the Red Sox on July 5th.  The Red Sox paid the majority of Cameron's salary, having designated him for assignment a week prior.

Talking to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post this month, Cameron hinted at retirement, saying, "I may be too young to quit, but my body’s telling me different. My body’s 45."  Perhaps he'll change his mind once his body heals up, but if Cameron does call it quits he'll finish with a .249/.338/.444 batting line, 278 home runs, and over 15,000 innings of strong center field defense for the White Sox, Reds, Mariners, Mets, Padres, Brewers, Red Sox, and Marlins.

“I may be too young to quit, but my body’s telling me different. My body’s 45,” Cameron said.  “[Retirement is] a small window that’s wide open…I’m not going to make a decision now because there are too many variables much more than how I feel.”

Capozzi noted that Cameron's comments could have been borne of frustration with his injury, but Cameron has struggled this season.  The outfielder has a combined .203/.286/.360 line in 268 plate appearances with Florida and Boston this season.  Cameron joined the Fish in July after being designated for assignment and dealt by the Red Sox.

Cameron has played for eight teams over his 17 seasons in the big leagues.  At his peak, Cameron brought a strong blend of speed (297 career steals), defense (three Gold Gloves ) and power (eight seasons with 20+ homers, plus a four-homer game on May 2, 2002) to the table.  He enjoyed a 24-homer season as recently as 2009 as a member of the Brewers.

Cameron's career has been an impressive one – ten seasons with at least 18 home runs, eight seasons with at least 22 steals, and consistently tremendous defense in center field. He's provided a ton of value to his eight teams.

And from a trade perspective, the Griffey swap is one of merely four exchanges involving Cameron. All of them, save the most recent one, had huge impacts on each team involved in every deal. Think of Cameron like a trade Zelig, if Woody Allen could play center field.

The White Sox selected Cameron in the 18th round of the 1991 draft. By 1995, he'd made the major leagues, and by 1997, he'd become the Cameron he'd be for nearly all of the next decade-plus – OPS+ of 109, great defense in center field. But he had his one bad year in 1998, with his OPS+ dropping to 63.

Meanwhile, the Reds had this power-hitting first baseman they'd just acquired that July from the Dodgers for Jeff Shaw: Paul Konerko. On November 11, 1998, the two teams made a one-for-one deal. The White Sox, naturally, have to feel good about the deal – Konerko will represent them in the 2011 All Star game, his fifth such appearance with Chicago. He also won the 2005 ALCS MVP, and yes, a World Series. So, you know, not a bad return.

Interestingly, though, as per Wins Above Replacement, the White Sox lost the deal, if one assumes Cameron would have stayed in Chicago from the deal until today, as Konerko has. While Konerko has posted a WAR of 26.2 with the White Sox – his defense at first base hasn't added much value – Cameron's WAR, due to his defense in center field, checks in at a robust 41.2. Cameron posted a 5.4 WAR in his one season with Cincinnati- roughly a fifth of Konerko's total in the twelve years since the trade.

As to why Cameron played just one year with the Reds, his 1999 was good enough to entice the Seattle Mariners to ask for him as the centerpiece of the Griffey deal. Cincinnati traded Cameron, Brett Tomko, Antonio Perez and minor leaguer Jake Meyer to the Mariners for Griffey. The deal turned out to define the Reds for much of the subsequent decade, with Griffey's injuries keeping him from seriously threatening Hank Aaron's all-time home run mark, as so many expected him to. Both Meyer and Perez were solid prospects, though Perez had the far greater upside, as a power-hitting infielder. Tomko continued to be what he was in all of his many stops – a pitcher with better stuff than results.

Cameron was terrific in his four years with Seattle, hitting home runs, stealing bases, catching everything, and getting underrated by some due to a low batting average and high strikeout total. After the 2003 season, he signed as a free agent with the New York Mets, and had another season-and-a-half of Mike Cameron production, before an ugly head-on collision with Carlos Beltran in San Diego ended his 2005 season.

The Padres were either unfazed or impressed by Cameron's collision, and traded for him that November, giving up Xavier Nady. At first blush, the trade made sense for the Mets, who didn't need Cameron's center field skills with Beltran around. Assuming Nady's bat could make up for his lack of defense, the trade could have been a win-win. But Nady's bat didn't make up for the loss in defense, Cameron won his third Gold Glove in the first of two successful San Diego campaigns and everything that followed for the Mets appears to be retribution for trading Cameron away.

Nady had a solid half-season in New York, but an injury to Duaner Sanchez at the 2006 trading deadline pushed the Mets to deal Nady the the Pirates for Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez. While Perez pitched well for the Mets in 2007 and 2008, the team then signed him to a three-year, $36 million contract, which he's still receiving while pitching for Washington's Double-A team in Harrisburg. Nady's replacement in right field, Shawn Green, even dropped the critical fly ball off the bat of Scott Spiezio that lost Game 2 of the NLCS to the Cardinals. Safe to assume Mike Cameron catches that ball. When the Mets traded Cameron, they stepped on a butterfly that really had it in for them.

Will the trade of Cameron to South Florida produce the same kind of results for both teams involved this time around? It seems unlikely, but then again, at one point it seemed unlikely that Ken Griffey Jr. would stop being the consensus best player in baseball, or that Paul Konerko would play for the same team for a dozen seasons, or that Oliver Perez would make $12 million to pitch against minor leaguers. The world around Mike Cameron trades is a crazy place where fever dreams come true.

The Red Sox will likely receive some cash back for Cameron rather than a PTBNL, a team source tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  When all is said and done, the Red Sox will pay about $3MM of the $3.6MM owed to Cameron, tweets Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.  As of right now, however, Florida will be responsible for less than $200K of Cameron's remaining salary, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel. 

Cameron, 38, was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on June 30th.  The veteran was expected to hit left-handed pitching this year, but he posted a .143/.214/.302 line in 70 plate appearances against southpaws. 

The centerfielder could have a chance to be an everyday player in Florida as Chris Coghlan has struggled offensively this season and will be out-of-action as he rehabs a knee injury.  The Marlins are Cameron's eighth career club.

• The Orioles' reliance on Mitch Atkins and Chris Jakubauskas as starters shows that Baltimore's rotation has been a disappointment, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen have not pitched as well as expected, so the rotation has become a consistent weakness.
• The Orioles will purchase Atkins' contract today to add him to the active roster and they could consider designating Jakubauskas for assignment to create space, according to Connolly.
• Derek Jeter, who returned to the Yankees' lineup from the disabled list last night, told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that he's unhappy with his first half performance and intends to improve "everything" in the second half.
• Alex Speier of WEEI.com looks back at Boston's free agent additions under GM Theo Epstein and concludes that "the pricier investments have offered suspect returns." That's certainly true of two free agents the Red Sox signed before the 2010 season: Mike Cameron and John Lackey.

• The Orioles could have an interesting decision to make on 33-year-old Luke Scott after the season, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun.  Scott will enter his final year of arbitration after making $6.4MM this season and the O's probably won't want to pay much more than that.  Trading him might be the logical move but Zrebiec doesn't see much of a market for the 33-year-old.
• After being DFA'd, outfielder Mike Cameron pointed to his lack of playing time with the Red Sox for hurting his overall play.  However, the veteran knew that he'd be seeing a reduced role this season, writes Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald.
• The New York Times Co. has sold more than half its holdings in the Fenway Sports Group, which includes the BoSox, for $117MM, writes Beth Healy of The Boston Globe.  Times Co. has recouped more than what the media company spent on its entire original investment.  The purchasers of the shares were affiliates of existing partners, according to Sox owner John Henry.