The Phils discussed trades involving Rockies first baseman Jason Giambi and Twins first baseman/DH Jim Thome prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, and they would still like to acquire either of those sluggers, according to Brookover. However, both would be long shots at this point because it's unlikely Giambi or Thome would fall to the Phillies through waivers.

Ross Gload and Brian Schneider are the only lefty hitters on the bench presently, although the Phils recently signed former Athletics and Mariners slugger Jack Cust to a minor league contract in hopes that he could serve in a Matt Stairs-like role. Cust has declined in recent years, though, and has not had much success in his career as a pinch-hitter, so it doesn't sound like the Phils are expecting much there.

Otherwise, one remaining option would be to recall Domonic Brown, although that is less than ideal because he is slumping with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and needs to play every day to develop. Another option the Phils have discussed, a source tells Brookover, is recalling Brandon Moss from Lehigh Valley. Moss, of course, was involved in the three-team swap that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers and Jason Bay to the Red Sox a couple years back.

The Phils look to be fine-tuning things before the postseason. We also heard yesterday that they are seeking a left-handed reliever.

• Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Marlins have made finding relief pitching a priority over replacing Ross Gload.  Jackson mentioned Adam Kennedy and Jeremy Reed as left-handed hitters "mentioned in informal talks" that Florida might be interested in signing once they take care of their bullpen.
• It looks as if Dan Uggla will still be a Marlin when the 2010 season starts, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  Rodriguez thinks that if the Fish can't find a trade partner for Uggla, they may shift gears and "start taking calls" about Jorge Cantu.  Cantu's ability to place both first and third base makes him an attractive option to teams looking for help at the corners.  Could Baltimore be interested?  We know they're still in the market for a corner infielder, and the Orioles and Marlins touched base with each other about an Uggla trade earlier this winter.

• The Tigers signed lefty Brad Thomas out of Korea, and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that they paid $1MM.
• Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirmed our report of the Pirates' interest in Kelly Johnson, explaining that the Pirates view him as a corner outfield option.
• FanGraphs' Dave Cameron wonders why teams seem to undervalue Cliff Lee.  In a related story, Lee's agent Darek Braunecker believes their position has been mischaracterized. 
• ESPN's Buster Olney expects Jamey Carroll to choose between two-year offers from the A's and Dodgers, probably today (I mistakenly wrote the Angels earlier).
• Mentioned first on Twitter: I've heard that Coco Crisp would prefer a one-year deal with the Padres or A's.
• Boston's Mike Cameron signing was officially announced today.  Michael Silverman and John Tomase of the Boston Herald have details on the two-year, $15.5MM contract.  John Lackey's deal was also announced.
• WEEI's Alex Speier says the Red Sox told Jeremy Hermida they'd trade him if they re-signed Jason Bay.  Speier wonders if the Cameron signing will prompt a Hermida deal.
• The Angels' one-year, $6.5MM deal with Hideki Matsui was also announced, as was John Buck's one-year, $2MM deal with Toronto and Ross Gload's two-year, $2.6MM deal with the Phillies.
• The Royals put out word they've re-signed outfielder Shane Costa to a minor league deal.  Costa, 28, missed almost the entire '09 season with a leg injury.
• USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets details on LaTroy Hawkins' two-year, $7.5MM deal with the Brewers.
• Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker examines the reports about reliever Ryota Igarashi, who might be headed to the Red Sox or Mets.
• The Mariners signed 19-year-old shortstop Pedro Okuda to a minor league deal, according to a team press release.  Okuda was born and raised in Brazil but attended high school in Japan.

• MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says Fernando Rodney and John Smoltz are "believed to be" top targets for the Phillies.
• Ross Gload's two-year deal is worth $2.6MM, according to Scott Lauber of the News Journal.
• Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phils had two scouts watch Aroldis Chapman today. The NL champs are not considered major threats to sign the lefty, though.

We heard earlier tonight that the Marlins and Braves were also willing to offer Gload two-year deals. The 33-year-old led the league in pinch hits last year and can sub in at first and in left or right. He hit .261/.329/.400, appearing in over 100 games for the third straight season.

He hit .261/.329/.400 in 259 plate appearances with the Marlins this year, playing a combination of first base, left field and right field. He even pitched a scoreless frame against the Rays this May, inducing a double play ball off of Dioner Navarro.

• The Brewers signed Trent Oeltjen to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  Oeltjen, 27 in February, hit .303/.362/.500 in his third Triple A tour, playing the outfield corners.
• Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash spells out why his team won't be acquiring Roy Halladay, talking to McCalvy.
• MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets six minor league free agents signed by the Marlins, including Jesse Foppert, Vinny Rottino, and Hector Luna.
• The Pirates expressed "mild interest" in free agent pitcher Clay Hensley, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Hensley, 30, spent the year at Triple A in the Astros and Marlins organizations, posting a 3.56 ERA in 124 innings.
• Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post feels there's "still a good chance [Ross] Gload returns [to the Marlins] with a two-year deal."
• Darren Dreifort's five-year, $55MM deal tops Jeff Passan's list of the ten worst contracts of the 2000s for Yahoo.
• Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues explains why the Yankees probably won't sign Rafael Soriano.
• In his Winter Meetings preview for AOL FanHouse, Ed Price says there was some discussion about a Tigers-Diamondbacks trade involving Edwin Jackson and Max Scherzer.
• ESPN's Buster Olney talked to rival executives who say the Tigers have not aggressively shopped Curtis Granderson.
• Olney doesn't think the Mariners will pay up for Jason Bay.  He believes the Red Sox are "controlling the market" for Bay and Matt Holliday.
• Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals are "increasingly weighing spreading what it would cost to retain Holliday over several players."  Bernie Miklasz of the P-D feels the Cards are "enacting their exit strategy from the Holliday sweepstakes."  I would not be surprised to see the Cardinals make their best offer soon - let's say $110MM over six years – and entirely move on if Scott Boras rejects it.
• SI's Jon Heyman tweets that Nick Johnson is "drawing interest from the Giants, maybe Braves, and a half-dozen more."
• MLB.com's Corey Brock talked to former Padres GM Kevin Towers, who will meet with the Mets, Yankees, Mariners, and Red Sox at the Winter Meetings.
• ESPN's Keith Law isn't impressed with the Phillies' Placido Polanco signing.  My initial impression upon hearing about the signing is that no other team would've valued Polanco that highly.
• MLB.com's Joe Frisaro tweets that other teams have been more aggressive on Jamey Carroll than the Marlins.  Other Carroll suitors include the Rockies, Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, A's, Rangers, Pirates, Reds and Indians.

Calero merited consideration after posting a 10.4 K/9 and 1.95 ERA in 60 innings, but apparently the Marlins did not want to risk giving him a raise on this year's $500K salary.  It's a similar story for Johnson, whose .426 OBP leads all free agents.

Gload hit .261/.329/.400 as a pinch-hitter and occasional starter for Florida in 2009, and stated previously that he'd like to stay with the Marlins. As of midnight tonight, of course, any team will be able to negotiate with Gload.

Later in his article, Spencer adds Ronny Paulino's name to the ever-growing list of Marlins players that teams have looked into acquiring. Ricky Nolasco, Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu, and Cody Ross have also "received nibbles."

The 33-year-old Gload hit .261/.329/.400 in 259 plate appearances last year, but the lefty swinger excelled off the bench, hitting .318/.418/.455 in 79 plate appearances as a pinch hitter. He even threw a scoreless inning for good measure.

• MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Royals received righty Eric Basurto as the player to be named later in the Ross Gload trade.
• Tom Glavine hopes to pitch in the Majors this month, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
• Back on May 3rd, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times wrote about the possibility of Barry Bonds signing with the independent league Long Beach Armada (the team already employs Hideki Irabu and Jose Lima).  But Bonds' agent Jeff Borris said, "He's not going to do that."
• It appears that Tony Armas Jr. signed a minor league deal with the Braves after the Mets released him.
• Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News says Padres beat writer Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune will be out of a job come August.  Sorry to hear it; Krasovic does excellent work.
• MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo talked to Tony Gwynn about Stephen Strasburg.
• Johnny Damon talked about his future again, this time with MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
• Jim Thome would like to return to the White Sox next year, based on his comments to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.

• The Marlins chose Ross Gload over Frank Catalanotto, but are still considering signing Cat for the minimum now that he's been released. 
• The Braves are not interested in bringing back Gary Sheffield.  Meanwhile, Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Mets (as well as the Phillies and Reds) have an eye on Sheffield.
• Sheffield is apparently the only right-handed hitter on the Phillies' radar.  Rosenthal learned that the Rockies' asking price for Jeff Baker is high.
• The Braves almost made a deal for Dodgers outfielder Jason Repko, but backed off recently.
• The Yankees will pass on Dallas McPherson, but the Giants may consider him.
• The Yanks don't seem desperate to move Melky Cabrera.  They've received multiple calls on him but Rosenthal says "the team will only move him for the right price."

11:47am: According to a press release, the Royals traded first baseman Ross Gload to the Marlins for a player to be named.  Gload, 33 in a few days, hit .273/.317/.348 in 418 plate appearances for the Royals last year.  He's owed $1.9MM this year and has a $2.6MM club option for '10.  It's surprising to see the thrifty Marlins make this seemingly pointless acquisition.  Previously their corner options consisted of Jorge Cantu, Emilio Bonifacio, and Wes Helms.

• The Dodgers designated Justin Orenduff for assignment to make room for Manny Ramirez, according to Tony Jackson.
• The A's contracts with Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra are official.
• WEEI's Alex Speier talked to Marlins prospect Mike Stanton and manager Fredi Gonzalez about the near-acquisition of Manny last summer.
• In another column, Speier looks at the players the Red Sox and Yankees have battled for in recent years.
• Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says a bunch of relievers are vying for one bullpen spot for the Cardinals, now that they've signed Dennys Reyes.
• Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star suggests there's a chance the Royals release first baseman Ross Gload and eat the $1.9MM owed to him in 2009.  Rany Jazayerli talks about Gload as well as the chances of the Royals competing this year.
• Tom Tango says Juan Pierre would have to defer his contract for 50 years to be worth acquiring.
• Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies says the Rox offered Joe Beimel more than $1MM but so far he's passed.  Beimel's home run prevention trend might be challenged at Coors Field.  Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says the A's are in on Beimel but "have not yet have substantive talks" with his agent.
• Check out a Giants Spring Training preview from the guys behind El Lefty Malo and McCovey Chronicles.

Seems like a big win for the Sox.  Sisco, a big lefty, turns 24 in January.  Since jumping from A ball to the Majors in ’05 as a Rule 5 pick from the Cubs, Sisco has been in over his head.  The White Sox could fix him up as a lights out reliever like they did with Matt Thornton, or else switch him back to starting.

How does Gload help the Royals?  He’ll turn 31 next season and the club has absolutely no room for another 1B/OF.  Shouldn’t Dayton Moore be stockpiling young arms instead of guys like Gload?