• The biggest move of the month was the Diamondbacks’ acquisition of slugger Adam Dunn for Dallas Buck, Micah Owings, and Wilkin Castillo.  I can’t remember any August trades of this magnitude.
• Bronson Arroyo told the media Dunn would be seeking over $100MM this offseason; Dunn denied the report wholeheartedly. I’d be surprised to see him get $100MM, but I also certainly don’t think it would be the worst signing we’ve seen in the past few offseasons.
• The Red Sox acquired Paul Byrd from the Indians. Boston will pay the remaining portion of Byrd’s salary. Byrd has been very good lately, and you can never have too much pitching depth. Not a bad move for Boston, in my opinion.
• The Twins were very active in discussions this week, though nothing surfaced as of yet. Minnesota claimed Jarrod Washburn off waivers from Seattle, but a deal wasn’t worked out. Boof Bonser and salary relief was originally thought to be the offer, but that report was later denied. Passing a chance to unload Washburn’s salary makes no sense to me. The Twins also claimed Alan Embree from Oakland, but he was pulled back.
• Freddy Garcia signed a minor-league contact with the Tigers. They must have liked what they saw at his audition. If he can return to be as effective as he was in his Chicago days, that would be a great signing. Nice low-risk move for Detroit.
• We’ve seen a lot of teams signing their young talent to long-term deals, but it looks like San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum will not be one of them. He’d prefer to go year-to-year.
• Minor moves happening around baseball: The Reds DFA’d David Ross, the Blue Jays released Shannon Stewart, and the Twins signed Bobby Kielty to a minor-league deal. The Giants DFA’d Jose Castillo, and Richie Sexson’s time in New York was cut short when he was released after just 35 plate appearances. The Rockies added another arm, signing Oscar Villareal.
• And now, for the draft-pick signings! Here are all the signings and not-signings teams made with their top picks this week: The White Sox signed Gordon Beckham, the Orioles signed Brian Matusz, the Padres signed Allan Dykstra, the Rangers signed Justin Smoak, the Giants signed Buster Posey, the Pirates signed Pedro Alvarez, the Royals signed Eric Hosmer, and the Reds not only signed Yonder Alonso, but Venezuelan outfielder Yorman Rodriguez as well. The Nationals failed to sign Aaron Crow, and the Yankees failed to sign Gerrit Cole.
• And to cap things off, since we just covered a bunch of guys who probably weren’t even alive when Jamie Moyer first started pitching in the Majors… he didn’t deny the possibility of pitching until he’s 50. He’s 45 right now with 11 wins and an ERA of 3.64, who knows?

• With Mike Lowell headed to the DL, Jeff Horrigan wonders if a waiver trade for an infielder could be in order.
• ESPN’s Buster Olney mentioned the Indians’ Jamey Carroll as a possibility for the D’Backs on Monday, though he noted the two teams have not talked.
• Evan Grant suggests the Rangers trade Engel Beltre or Elvis Andrus for pitching this winter.  Additionally, he thinks the Rangers might end up trading Jarrod Saltalamacchia rather than Gerald Laird.
• Aaron Gleeman revisits the ’03 trade of Bobby Kielty for Shannon Stewart.
• Patrick Newman runs down some lesser-known Japanese free agents.
• Rany Jazayerli has an interesting post about Royals first base prospect Kila Kaaihue.
• Jeff Passan’s list of this year’s 25 most improbable success stories is a good read.
• MLB.com’s Justice B. Hill has a story about a kid who had Tommy John surgery at age 14.
• ESPN did a bunch of mini-features about this year’s hired guns for their magazine.

• Live chat here today at 2pm CST.
• Brian Matusz is hopeful about striking a deal with the Orioles by Friday’s deadline.  Roch Kubatko has a source saying it’s likely.
• Baseball America’s Jim Callis warns us not to listen to the posturing – he still expects all the first-round draft picks to sign with the possible exception of Allan Dykstra.
• Should the Mariners offer Raul Ibanez a three-year deal at $10-11MM per?
• No word yet on possible Rays acquisitions in wake of the Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria injuries.  Marc Lancaster wonders if Kenny Lofton or…don’t say it…Barry Bonds would make sense.
• The Mets had no interest in Adam Dunn.  They wonder about his passion, according to Joel Sherman.  Did you know he doesn’t like baseball?
• The Phillies were more interested in Casey Blake than Manny Ramirez.
• Athletics Nation looks at some free agent options for ’09.
• Shannon Stewart didn’t understand his latest Blue Jay Experience.
• The Yankees, Mets, Angels, and Padres have scouts at the Olympics to watch Hitoki Iwase, Koji Uehara, Kenshin Kawakami, Yu Darvish, and Kyuji Fujikawa.

Stewart, 34, hit .240/.325/.303 in 200 plate appearances.  He dealt with a sore groin and ankle sprain during the season.  Stewart was paid $1.5MM.  Adam Lind had an excellent July and seems entrenched in left at least for the rest of the year.

SATURDAY: The Globe and Mail’s Jeff Blair refers to "scuttlebutt among scouts" about the Jays placing outfielder Reed Johnson on waivers.  However, J.P. Ricciardi said this was not true.  The Toronto GM said a choice is close regarding Johnson and Shannon Stewart, and both won’t make the team.  The Mets might be a match for Johnson.

I’m surprised by the way the Jays have gone about things in left field this year.  They brought back Matt Stairs, who can pretty much only play left since Frank Thomas and Lyle Overbay own the DH and first base spots.  They’ve got a seemingly Major League ready (and cheap) outfielder in Adam Lind.  They decided to tender a contract to Johnson, something I did not expect.  And then they signed Shannon Stewart on top of it all.  What are the Jays going to do with all these guys? 

Sherman says Stewart is a long shot since he can’t handle right.  The Mets want someone who can handle both corners, and Johnson could be that someone (he’s played 64 games in right in ’06 and 13 in ’07).  The 31 year-old will earn $3.275MM this year.  He could be useful if last year’s back problems are behind him.

• The Mets, Cardinals, and Orioles are listed as possibilities for Kyle Lohse.  However, the Mets may deem him unnecessary, reports are conflicting on the Cards’ interest, and the Orioles are wary of the price.
• Rosenthal says Rafael Furcal’s agent met with Ned Colletti a few days ago, but the Dodgers would likely want to see Furcal return to form before entertaining an extension.  Click here to see the other shortstops eligible for free agency after the ’08 season.  The Dodgers may have a viable replacement for Furcal in defensive whiz Chin-Lung Hu.
• Rosenthal notes that the Yankees, in search of a right-handed outfielder, considered Shannon Stewart and Mike Cameron this winter.
• Kenny Lofton’s chances of a getting the big league deal he wants with the Reds or Twins look slim. 
• The rumor going around for Corey Patterson is the Marlins, if the price is right.
• Rosenthal confirms two additions for our 2008 Out Of Options list – Gabe Gross and Clint Barmes.
• Rosenthal says the Mets need a right-handed hitter who can play left field and first base.  Here are some names I came up with: Ryan Ludwick, Xavier Nady, Matt Murton, Franklin Gutierrez, and Kevin Millar.  Granted, not all those guys know their way around first base.

2-24-08: According to Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail, Shannon Stewart has signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays. It seems that Stewart’s agent switch helped facilitate the contract, as the Jays made an offer earlier in the winter.  My guess is that this is around a million bucks, and you really can’t complain about that.  Stewart is a fine defender in left and a solid fourth outfielder.  Stewart was originally drafted by the Jays 19th overall in ’92.  That draft also had Derek Jeter, Jason Kendall, and Johnny Damon in the first round.

By the way, the A’s are set to receive the 39th or 46th overall pick as compensation for Stewart, depending on what Mike Piazza does.

Meanwhile, Adam Lind joins the class of expendable young outfielders with MLB experience.  Lind, 24, didn’t hit much last year but projects at .267/.324/.443 according to PECOTA.  That’s a notch below other available guys like Matt Murton and Gabe Gross.

• 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.

The idea of the Padres and Mariners being interested in Stewart was misconstrued a bit.  Jerry Crasnick said Towers "might be tempted to look at a free agent" and that the Mariners "seem like a potential fit." My summary of his article said the Mariners and Padres were possibilities.  I should’ve been more clear that Crasnick was speculating on those two clubs rather than reporting specific interest – sorry about that.  As for Stewart, only the Blue Jays have made an offer.  He came up in the Toronto organization and had some nice seasons for them.

Back to the Padres.  Brock adds that Michael Barrett is not likely to be traded – Towers likes having two starting-caliber catchers on the roster.  Not an ideal situation for Barrett, but it was his choice to accept the Padres’ offer of arbitration.

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick notes that Stewart "apparently scared off some clubs by looking for a two-year deal earlier this winter."  Is that something Stewart pushed for, or was it his representatives at Legacy Sports Group?  Either way, Stewart has switched to Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro given his lingering unemployment.

Crasnick suggests the Mariners and Padres as two possibilities for Stewart, who is likely to sign quickly under the new representation.  If he sets his sights on one year and a fourth outfielder role he should find something. If Stewart signs elsewhere and Mike Piazza retires, the A’s stand to snag the 39th overall pick in June.  The A’s could find the next Joba Chamberlain, Clay Buchholz, or Huston Street with that pick.

• Friend of MLBTR Susan Slusser quotes Shannon Stewart as saying the A’s are one of several teams in the running for his services.  If you browse the ol’ free agent list, you’ll see that the other available free agent left fielders include Barry Bonds, Luis Gonzalez, Kevin Mench, Reggie Sanders, and Brad Wilkerson.
• Chris Shelton, we hardly knew ye – the Rangers have already DFA’d him.  Career OPS of .825, seems the guy deserves a decent shot somewhere.  Other Rangers news, Jason Jennings seems like a lock at this point.
• The Pirates and Adam LaRoche agreed at $5MM for ’08.  They could still work out an extension that starts with the ’09 season.
• Wondering which service to use for your fantasy league this March?  I merely started the discussion at RotoAuthority, and then commenters weighed in with tons of excellent feedback.

• A few notes from Brian Cashman…the Yanks have talked to Luis Vizcaino’s agent about bringing him back.  Also, they’ve yet to inquire on any free agent center fielders.
• Miguel Cabrera has been talking to Ozzie Guillen daily since the season ended.  The article makes Cabrera sound like a big kid.
• The Red Sox have had a couple of inquiries on Julian Tavarez.
• Five or six teams have inquired on Shannon Stewart, who wants a two-year pact apparently.
• The Phillies, contrary to previous reports, are not interested in re-signing Jon Lieber.
• On a scale of 1 to 10, the chances of the Astros trading for a Miguel Tejada were rated a 2.  The ’Stros don’t want to give up the farm.  That’s also why Joe Nathan is unlikely for Houston.
• Scott Boras recently called Ed Wade to sell him on Eric Gagne, Jeff Weaver, and Rodrigo Lopez.  Wade seemed unimpressed.
• Nothing much new on the Padres front – still interested in Kosuke Fukudome, Geoff Jenkins, Jim Edmonds, Darin Erstad, and Mark Prior. 
• Brian Cashman’s phone has been ringing off the hook about Melky Cabrera.

• An Atlanta TV station states that Tom Glavine would take a lot less money to play for the Braves.  Also, the Astros have reportedly been in touch with him.
• Joe Torre senses that Jeff Kent will return in 2008.  The Dodgers certainly hope so; he led the team with 20 home runs in ’07.
• Trey Hillman took a parting shot at Japanese reporters (hat tip to JapanBall).
• Reliever Masafumi Hirai might come over to MLB.  I’ll have to learn more about him.
• Hiroki Kuroda prefers to play on the West Coast because he doesn’t like cold weather.  Hmmm, Chicago might not work for him.  Kuroda has declared free agency, and the Mariners are interested.  There is word here that the Rangers have scouted him as well.
• The Braves are interested in Masahide Kobayashi to close, while the Mariners like him as a middle reliever (link in Japanese).
• There will be no Mike Lowell + A-Rod combo in Boston.
• Luis Gonzalez would like to return to the Tigers, while the team is interested in Cliff Floyd and Shannon Stewart for left field.  Ben Broussard may also be on the radar.
• The Rangers also like Broussard, and they’ve contacted Mike Lamb as well regarding their first base vacancy.  Lamb could play third if they trade Hank Blalock.  Jon Daniels also has Kerry Wood in his sights.
• The Rockies like Shawn Chacon, but only as a reliever.
• Derrick Goold breaks down the options for the Cardinals at shortstop.
• Don’t forget to make an entry in our Hot Stove Hysteria contest.  The deadline is November 12th.  If you feel the need to edit your entry, just post a new one.  They’re time-stamped; your latest entry will be used.  A new prize has been added: a fantasy draft kit from Big Dawg Baseball.

• MLB.com’s Free Agent Frenzy has begun.  You can win Opening Day tickets by closely predicting where 15 free agents will land.  A good strategic move would be to wait until deadline day, November 15th, before submitting.  That way you’ll have more info (keep your browser right here for all the latest free agent info).  By the way, my Top 50 Free Agents list should be ready around Monday.
• Fielding Bible has their 2007 awards (click the Winners tab).  So much for those who say Andruw is slipping!
• Miguel Cabrera is available, according to Peter Gammons.  Gammons thinks any package would have to begin with a top pitching prospect such as Phil Hughes, Clay Buchholz, or Clayton Kershaw.
• Sounds like the Rockies want to keep the 2007 club mostly intact by bringing back free agents (Kaz Matsui, Yorvit Torrealba, Matt Herges, LaTroy Hawkins).  However Josh Fogg and Jeremy Affeldt may be allowed to leave.
• Though they’re on his list, it doesn’t sound like the D’Backs can afford Curt Schilling.
• The A’s are talking about re-signing Shannon Stewart, but I don’t see it.  That would have to cost at least $3-4MM.  Meanwhile, Mike Piazza might retire.  Susan Slusser talks about how the A’s would receive compensation for Stewart and Piazza, both Type B free agents.  But that’s only if they offer them arbitration, which is questionable.
• Comeback time!  Matt Mantei is all surgically repaired and wants to get back into action.  He feels great!  He’d take a minor league contract and/or play for the minimum.  Can’t wait til spring, when we can hear about all the guys who are in the best shape of their careers.  The Tigers might need him with Joel Zumaya’s new, odd injury.
• A couple of 40+ southpaws will pitch in ’08 – Tom Glavine and David Wells.
• The O’s will pass on Kris Benson at $7.5MM next year, no surprise.  He had rotator cuff surgery last March.
• U.S.S. Mariner’s "reasonable" offseason plan.