Short Hops: Lackey, Figgins still on Angels' radar

CHICAGO -- Short hops, quick pops and backhand stops as the general managers meetings wrapped Wednesday:

• When the Angels acquired Scott Kazmir last summer, most people assumed that he'd wind up being the replacement for John Lackey. While that still could happen, Angels GM Tony Reagins said Wednesday that there's "no question" the club intends to attempt to retain Lackey, as well as leadoff man Chone Figgins. Both are high atop the desirables this winter in a weak free-agent class.

Angels GM Tony Reagins says there's 'no question' his club will try to keep Chone Figgins and John Lackey. (AP)

Asked whether the club could re-sign them before the free-agency period opens, as it did with outfielder Bobby Abreu, Reagins said, "Things happen real quickly for us. That remains to be determined."

Still, it will rank as a significant upset if the Angels are able to re-sign either before the opening of the free-agency signing period Nov. 20.

Lackey is certain to receive lots of attention this year because the gap between him and the rest of the available starting pitchers is more significant than the time-zone change between the West and East Coasts. After Lackey, who has a career record of 102-71 with a 3.81 ERA over eight seasons, teams scrounging for pitching help are left with names like Erik Bedard, Miguel Batista, Jarrod Washburn, Jon Garland, Rich Harden and Justin Duchscherer.

Reagins said the Angels have been in touch with Lackey's representative, Steve Hilliard, since the season ended.

"The communication has been good thus far," Reagins said. "I think that's what's important."

As for Figgins, whom the Philadelphia Phillies and others have expressed interest in, Reagins says that there have been "positive lines of communication."

The Angels maintained a player payroll of $113 million in 2009 and Reagins said he expects it will be similar in 2010.

• The Yankees on John Lackey? GM Brian Cashman lists their needs as pitching, left field (which includes the Johnny Damon dance), DH (which includes the Hideki Matsui tango), backup catcher and bench help.

Adding Lackey to a rotation that already includes CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and, presumably, another year of Andy Pettitte could lock up another World Series appearance for Team Steinbrenner. But a week after winning the World Series, things appear to be moving a little more slowly -- for now -- for the Yanks.

"Anybody who says we're on any player right now would be false, because we have not met [internally]," Cashman said. "We have not met on anybody.

"Any representation of a player we're going to pursue would be someone that's just talking to the wrong person in the organization. Because until we have our meetings, that's just pin the tail on the donkey right there."

• No trades during an extremely quiet GM meetings session. As for the market, Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin said: "There's not much trade talk yet."

•  The Mets spent time with agent Scott Boras on Tuesday night discussing, among other topics, Alex Cora, Matt Holliday and Jarrod Washburn.

Boras said this week that he sees Cora, who played for the Mets in 2009, as a good fit for them in 2010.

As for the Mets, their chief winter concerns are finding a left fielder, first baseman and catcher.

• New Padres GM Jed Hoyer received lots of inquiries regarding first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and closer Heath Bell. Boston and the Dodgers made runs at acquiring Gonzalez last July and the Red Sox are believed to be preparing to make a serious run this winter.

• On a conference call following the announcement of his second Gold Glove on Wednesday, Gonzalez, a San Diego native who has grown increasingly disenchanted with the Padres' regression over the past 12 months, appeared like a man resigned to spending his turn in the trade rumor spin cycle. "All this talk about this and that, for me, I'd rather be away from it and let what happens, happen," Gonzalez said. "I've always said I'm in a win-win situation.

"If I stay, I get to stay in my hometown and play before these great fans. If I'm traded, more than likely I'll be traded to a team in position to win a World Series next year."

• Gonzalez also is days away from leaving for a monthlong trip that will take him "all over Europe", and he says he's glad he is because he will not return until just after the winter meetings finish and he can't help but wonder if he's on the move every time the phone rings and it's his agent, John Boggs.

• The Twins would love to announce a long-term contract extension for catcher Joe Mauer in conjunction with the opening of new Target Field in April.

• Though new GM Alex Anthopoulos was much more mum on the subject of ace pitcher Roy Halladay than his predecessor, J.P. Ricciardi, rival executives expect the Jays to shop Halladay some more this winter and see what they can get while attempting to unload his $15.75 million salary due in 2010.

An All-Star in 2008, Ben Sheets is available after missing all of 2009. (Getty Images)

• Brewers' Melvin on Ben Sheets, who underwent elbow surgery and missed all of 2009: "Nobody's heard from Ben." Texas was interested last year, and the Brewers always had a good relationship with him. If somebody does hear from Ben, those are the two likeliest candidates.

• Cashman says the Yankees have yet to set their 2010 payroll. As for the real world, Melvin, after three days of hob-knobbing with the other GMs here, said, "I haven't heard a team say they're adding payroll yet."

• The Brewers, Mariners and Twins are among the teams initially interested in free-agent left-hander Jarrod Washburn, though the Tigers don't have much money to spend and may wind up cutting payroll. Washburn, who was very happy playing in Seattle, is a Wisconsin native and also is very amenable to playing for Milwaukee or Minnesota. Let the negotiations begin.

• The Twins definitely want to add a veteran starting pitcher to a young and not-so-proven rotation. Free-agent pitcher Carl Pavano could be that guy.

• Here we go again: Yes, the Yankees are looking for pitching. But they do expect to add two internal candidates to the rotation mix next spring: Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. "I look at them as starters," Cashman said. "I look at them as starters who can relieve, but I look at them as starters."

• Cashman on where Chien-Ming Wang fits in (and whether the Yankees will offer him arbitration for 2010) after he hurt his shoulder against Toronto on July 4 and was sidelined the rest of the season: "We'll take all the time we need to collect as much medical data as possible and then we'll talk to his agent and make the appropriate decision at that time."

• Orioles president and GM Andy MacPhail, after trading Aubrey Huff last year and letting Melvin Mora walk this offseason, is looking for corner infielders but says, "Any pitching we can get, we will gratefully accept."

• The Red Sox will keep the conversation lines open with Holliday as they progress this winter, but their clear choice is to bring Jason Bay back to play left field. Another goal of GM Theo Epstein's is to improve the overall defense ("We were the third-best offense and the worst defense last year," he said) and, as always, says the Sox will look for starting pitching because "you need more than five starters to get through a season. You have to build depth." As of now, the Sox rotation includes Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield.

• Agent Scott Boras has discussed client Matsuzaka with the Red Sox and the two sides have agreed: "It is important for the player to report in shape," Boras said.

• Add Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik, who re-signed Ken Griffey Jr. on Wednesday, to the list of execs scouring the catching market. With Kenji Johjima opting out of his contract last month, the Mariners aren't left with much. "Now we're starting out here with two inexperienced catchers," Zduriencik said of Rob Johnson and Adam Moore. "We have to figure out what we're going to do." Regarding Johjima, Zduriencik said: "I liked Kenji. He's a good worker and a hard-nosed kid."

• The Twins' new ballpark will include a "weather room", where the head groundskeeper will have the digital equipment to monitor incoming storms. It will be big enough for the groundskeeper to meet with the umpires and the two managers in the event a meeting is needed before a big game.

• Boras is comparing free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre to the Magglio Ordonez of 2004-2005, after Ordonez got his knee fixed and came back to be a very productive player in Detroit. Beltre suffered through a painful 2009, missing all of July following shoulder surgery and missing two weeks in August after he took a hard ground ball in the groin and suffered bleeding in the testicle.