MLB Rumors

According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , the Pirates have expressed interest in free agent pitcher Noah Lowry.

The Denver Post reports the Rockies are also interested.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Mets received two possible breaks when the Dodgers did not offer arbitration to Randy Wolf and the Giants did not offer arbitration to Bengie Molina.

Both players can can sign elsewhere without draft-pick compensation and the Mets need to restock. The Mets have long wanted Molina and although the Dodgers say otherwise, Sherman suspects the financial situation of the Dodgers' will affect Wolf.


Another report in the Post suggests that although the Mets did not offer any free agents arbitration, the club remains interested in bringing back Carlos Delgado as a one-year bridge to top prospect Ike Davis at first base if Delgado can show GM Omar Minaya that he is healthy again when Minaya goes to Puerto Rico this month to watch him play winter ball. <!-- ad(quigo_intext_narrow,/sports,sports_story) <ad> <id>sports_story_lower</id> <page_type>sports_page</page_type> <quigo_pos>quigo_lower</quigo_pos> <placementid>1482096</placementid> <pid>871776</pid> <width>440</width> <height>225</height> <slug>*</slug> </ad> -->
<script type="text/javascript"><!-- adsonar_placementId=1483943;adsonar
_pid=871776;adsonar_ps=-1;adsonar_z
w=150;adsonar_zh=250;adsonar_jv='ads.adsonar.com'; // --></script> <script src="http://js.adsonar.com/js/adsonar.js"></script> Fernando Tatis, a favorite of Jerry Manuel, also has a chance to return. The Mets’ other free agents are Gary Sheffield, relievers J.J. Putz and Elmer Dessens and infielder Ramon Martinez. Dessens is the only member of that group expected to be back.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports on interest around the league in Jermaine Dye ...

Dye previously told the Sun-Times he has recieved calls from at least eight major-league teams and wasn't ruling anyone out.

The Yankees denied reports they were interested but Cowley believes the club is trying to work "under the radar."  A source said the Yankees already had asked for Dye's  medical reports.

The Texas Rangers were an early favorite, but Dye did not want to take most of his at-bats as DH.

The Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants also have shown interest.

According to the Los Angeles Times , GM Ned Colletti said that because the Dodgers didn't offer arbitration to any free agents does not mean their ownership situation is affecting them financially. Colletti said the decision "was made strictly from a baseball perspective."

As for Randy Wolf, a Type A free agent, is seeking a multiple-year deal.  As a Type A free agent,  other teams would will have to part with a high draft choice to sign him. As it was, Wolf said he was drawing interest from other clubs.

Randy Wolf could have earned substantially more in arbitration and Colletti says he remains interested in re-signing Wolf.

In a text message to MLB.com , Joe Mauer denied the report of a deadline in place for his negotiations on a contract extension with the Twins.

The text was in response to an earlier report that quoted a source saying that if a deal wasn't made by spring training, Mauer would end talks.

"I'm not going to react to every story/rumor that comes out or comment on any negotiations. As far as that report, I don't know where that came from.

"I've always said it will happen when it needs to happen and I truly believe that," Mauer said of a potential contract extension. "I'm not the kind of guy that, you know, says by this date we need to have something done."

SI's Jon Heyman posted on twitter feed that the Mariners rejected a Tigers' trade of "young pitchers Brandon Morrow and Shawn Kelley for Edwin Jackson.

According to the Denver Post , the Rockies are expected to offer only Rafael Betancourt salary arbitration. 

However, Inside the Rockies reports that Jason Marquis has also been offered arbitration.

A.J. Burnett makes a pitch for the Yankees to acquire former teammate Roy Halladay, as reported by the New York Daily News .

During their three years as teammates in Toronto, Burnett credited Halladay with helping him become a more consistent pitcher. 

"I think it's time for him to get a fresh start," Burnett said. "He's paid his dues there, been the face of the organization, done everything they've asked him to do and more. At this point in his career, I think he just wants to win."

Halladay has told the Blue Jays that he would waive his no-trade clause to go to the Yankees, while the Red Sox, Angels and Phillies.

 

Dustin Pedroia told Peter Gammons that the Red Sox have asked the second baseman to move to shortstop.

"They've asked me if I think I could play shortstop," says Pedroia. "They've put it out there and I've told them I'm all for it. I can do it. I can't wait for Tito [Terry Francona] to call me and ask, 'Can you do it?' I can do it. I really want to do it."

Pedroia was an all-American shortstop at Arizona State, and takes ground balls at the position during the season. The club things it may be easier to acquire a second baseman over a shortstop.

MLB.com speculates that the Red Sox may be holding steady this winter and already looking forward to the free-agent class of 2010.

As for next season, GM Theo Epstein said the Red Sox's foundation is "still strong" and they can build upon a "core of prime players." 

"There are probably 10 guys in their mid-20s or right around 30 who we can build around and a strong farm system with tremendous payroll flexibility going forward. [A transition] might not happen this offseason -- it might not happen until next offseason, but in the years ahead I think we have the ability to make the transition and hopefully it the type of transition no one notices because we keep winning games like the last transition or two we had."

Some of the big name players hitting the market next offseason include Joe Mauer, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Lance Berkman, Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, Roy Halladay, Brandon Webb, Jayson Werth and Cliff Lee.

According to media reports, Roy Halladay's representatives have announced the pitcher will not approve any trade after he reports to spring training.

Halladay can be a free agent after 2010 and has the power to veto any trade. 

The Boston Globe reports Marco Scutaro told a Venezuelan newspaper the Red Sox, Dodgers, Mariners, and Rangers have expressed interest in him.

Scutaro then narrowed it down saying,  “There are two teams that would interest me, which are the Dodgers and Boston."

The Sox could see Scutaro as a stopgap until either Lowrie or 19-year-old Jose Iglesias is ready to take over the position.

However, the Blue Jays are expected to offer Scutaro salary arbitration and he would not close the door on the possibility of accepting arbitration, but he admitted that was unlikely.

If you're waiting for the Cardinals and Albert Pujols to come to terms quickly... don't.  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that both sides are willing to wait it out rather than rush to negotiations this offseason.

Pujols has two years remaining on his current deal, and officials on both sides said that affords the first baseman time to see what the Cardinals do to remain competitive this next season and beyond.

Despite all the rumors surrounding Josh Johnson leaving the Marlins, MLB.com reports   The report notes that Marlins GM Michael Hill said on a radio interview that Johnson would be with the team in 2010.

"It's unfortunate that it [rumors they couldn't agree on terms] did get out there, because that's not how we operate," Hill said. "But from the standpoint of Josh's future, and how he fits, and how attractive he looks, no matter what his situation is, he's a good player, and a good pitcher. I don't ever think there would be a shortage of teams that would want to have him on their team, and we're very fortunate to have him as a member of the Marlins."

According to a major-league source, the Boston Herald reports  the Red Sox have expressed preliminary interest on free agent shortstop Marco Scutaro, as well as RHs Kelvim Escobar and Rafael Soriano.