Marlins to deal Olsen?

According to sources, the Marlins are aggressively shopping left-hander Scott Olsen, with the Rangers and Indians being mentioned as potential suitors. Florida wants Jarrod Saltalamacchia fron Texas, but the Rangers seem unwilling to part with the 23-year old catcher for Olsen, 24, straight up. Texas also has Max Ramirez and Taylor Teagarden to deal.

Burrell rejects offer; Ordonez on the block

• Pat Burrell reportedly turned down a two-year, $22 million offer from the Phillies. Looks like he'll be saying goodbye to Philadelphia.
• It's rumored that Ken Griffey Jr. could end his career back in Seattle.
• The White Sox will try to move Javier Vazquez in the off-season. They will also look at middle infielders such as Brian Roberts and Orlando Hudson. Chone Figgins is another name that has been tossed around. If you remember, there was a rumor that Chicago was considering dealing Joe Crede to the Angels for Figgins not too long ago.
• Rumors are flying around about Magglio Ordonez, with some suggesting he could end up with one of the New York teams.
• One bizarre rumor today: Ian Kennedy for Willy Taveras. And to think Kennedy was being included as one of the centerpieces of a potential Johan Santana deal last off-season.
• Baltimore is aggressively searching the market for a shortstop, with names like Rafael Furcal, Orlando Cabrera, and Edgar Renteria surfacing. J.J. Hardy could also be an option if the Brewers decide to trade him.
• Not only is Milwaukee prepared to make CC Sabathia a huge offer, but it also appears that they are going to submit one to Ben Sheets, as well. I expect them to re-sign one of them, most likely Sabathia.
• Due to the Rangers' ridiculous surplus of catchers, they are looking to deal one of their backstops. Gerald Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia have been mentioned in several trade rumors, and Max Ramirez and Taylor Teagarden are likely on the block, as well. Of those four, I like Ramirez the best. The Marlins might offer up Scott Olsen for all except Laird, and the Red Sox could be in the market for one of them, as well. Texas is also considering dealing Hank Blalock. The Yankees are in search of a first baseman; maybe they contact GM Jon Daniels about Blalock's services.
• The Yanks will offer Bobby Abreu arbitration. In this case, New York would either sign him to a one-year deal or receive two draft picks if he signs elsewhere. Abreu is reportedly looking for a three-year contract.
  

Jacobs to KC; Yankees serious about Manny

• The first notable trade of the off-season went down today, as the Marlins sent power-hitting first baseman Mike Jacobs to the Royals for relief pitcher Leo Nunez. Jacobs was nearly traded to Kansas City earlier in the week, but the deal fell apart as minor-league pitcher Carlos Rosa, the player Florida would have received, had some medical issues. The 28-year old Jacobs hit 32 homers and drove in 93 runs while posting a .247 batting average in 2008. Nunez, 25, posted a 2.98 ERA and allowed only 45 hits (only two of them long balls) in 48.1 innings.
• The Yankees are very serious about attempting to sign Manny Ramirez. Should they ink him, Ramirez would play right field.
• The Tigers declined Edgar Renteria's 2009 option. No surprise there.
• A.J. Burnett will decide whether or not he is opting out of his contract by Monday. More than likely, he will. Outside of the Blue Jays, the Yankees are the frontrunners to acquire his services. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick also names the Red Sox, Mets, Rangers, Orioles, and Nationals as potential suitors for Burnett, who is looking for around $16 million per year.
• It will certainly be interesting to see what kind of interest Pat Burrell generates on the market. He tailed off considerably after a torrid start to the season (typical Burrell). Given the fact that his defense is below average in left field, I could see him winding up as a DH in the American League. Either way, I would not discount the chances of him re-signing with the Phillies.
  
• The Brewers have named Ken Macha as their newest manager. He was given a two-year contract.
  

Fielder available; Marlins to raise payroll

• The Brewers have indeed made it known that Prince Fielder is available. The Yankees might make a call, but any Fielder deal would probably have to start with Philip Hughes, and I'm not sure New York would be willing to do that. The Angels could be another potential suitor should they let Mark Teixeira walk.
• Speaking of the Angels, they exercised the 2009 options of Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey. They declined Garret Anderson's, though.
  
• Marlins' owner Jeffrey Loria will allow the team to have a payroll of up to $40 million for 2009. This should allot them enough money to re-sign most of their arbitration eligible players, including guys like Dan Uggla and Cody Ross. Again, Mike Jacobs, Scott Olsen, and Kevin Gregg are all available. Olsen is the least likely to get traded out of that trio. Jacobs has drawn interest from the Royals, Mariners, Giants, and Blue Jays. Four teams have asked about Jeremy Hermida, but the chances of him being dealt this off-season are slim.
• Is it time for the Tigers to trade Magglio Ordonez? Speculation says that it might in fact be. Detroit needs to trim some payroll, and Ordonez could be one of the casualties. With Pat Burrell being a free agent, I could see the Phillies making a play for him.
• It doesn't look like the White Sox have much interest in bringing back the likes of Joe Crede, Orlando Cabrera, and Ken Griffey Jr.

No Teahen deal; MIL to offer CC four years?

• So maybe the Royals and Indians weren't discussing a deal involving Mark Teahen after all, as Kansas City GM Dayton Moore called the rumor a "flat-out lie."
• A rumor is circulating that the Brewers might be preparing to offer CC Sabathia a four-year, $100 million deal. I could see Sabathia taking that in a second. Could this mean Milwaukee is also getting ready to put Prince Fielder on the trading block?
• It's official: the Rockies have said they would like to trade Matt Holliday before he enters the final year of his contract.
  
• Toronto wants to re-sign A.J. Burnett, but it seems like Burnett is interested in playing for the Yankees and might opt out of his deal to see what they're offering.
  

Howard homers twice, Phils crush Rays

Ryan Howard homered twice and drove in five runs, Joe Blanton pitched six outstanding innings, and the Philadelphia Phillies hammered the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 in game four of the World Series to take a 3-1 lead.

Things started poorly for Tampa Bay right from the get-go. Starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine walked Pat Burrell with the bases loaded to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, and the Rays, for the second game in a row, could not generate any offense early on. The struggles continued for Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria, who are now a combined 0-for-29 with 15 strikeouts in this World Series. The Phillies would then extend their lead to 2-0 in the third when Pedro Feliz drove in Chase Utley with an RBI single. The following inning, Tampa Bay would finally get on the board.

With two outs and no one on in the top of the fourth, Carl Crawford hit a solo home run, his second of the series and the postseason overall, to make it a 2-1 game. Still, when it looked like the Rays were finally starting to gain some momentum, Philadelphia took it all away once again in the bottom half of the inning.

Jimmy Rollins reached to lead off the frame on an error by Akinori Iwamura, his second of the night (his first allowed Utley to reach and then come around to score in the third). Sonnanstine then walked Jayson Werth, but after he was fortunate enough to strike out Utley for the first out, Howard went deep for the second time in as many games, smacking a three-run blast to opposite field to give the Phillies a 5-1 advantage. Eric Hinske hit a solo shot for Tampa Bay in the fifth, but that would conclude the team's scoring.

What probably was the telling point of Philadelphia's dominance in this game, and perhaps in this series, came when Blanton hit a line drive home run to give the Phils a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth. The rowdy crowd at Citizens Bank Park demanded Blanton come out for a curtain call, and he was then given a rousing ovation when he ran out onto the field to start the sixth.

Later, in the eighth, Werth smashed a two-run homer off of Dan Wheeler, putting Philadelphia up 8-2. Then, Howard struck again. Following a walk to Utley, the NL MVP candidate launched a two-run shot to right off of Trever Miller, making the score 10-2 and all but erasing any chance of a late-inning rally by the Rays.

Blanton went six innings, allowing two runs on four hits; he struck out seven. He is now 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in three postseason starts in 2008.

Jacobs almost dealt; KC discussing Teahen

• Apparently, the Marlins and Royals had agreed to a trade that would have sent Mike Jacobs to Kansas City, but a medical problem with one of the pitching prospects that would have headed to Florida killed the deal. The Marlins are clearly going to move Jacobs sometime during the off-season, if not this week. Rumor has it that they have also discussed Kevin Gregg and Scott Olsen. As stated previously, Dan Uggla will stay unless the Fish are blown away by an offer. It's looking like GM Larry Beinfest is reluctant to deal Jeremy Hermida, as well.
• The Royals are also talking to the Indians about a deal that would send Mark Teahen to Cleveland. Franklin Gutierrez, Ben Francisco, and minor-league outfielder Trevor Crowe are names that have been thrown around from the Tribe's side.
  
• The Braves said once again that they will not trade Tommy Hanson in any deal for Jake Peavy. They did not, however, specifically mention Jordan Schafer, although it is believed that Atlanta would rather keep him, as well. Jair Jurrjens also appears to be untouchable.
• The Red Sox are expected to re-sign Jason Varitek to a two-year, $16 million deal. I understand Theo Epstein and company want him to retire a Red Sock, but at that cost? I would figure Varitek would accept a much cheaper offer to begin with. Boston is also talking about moving Mike Lowell and then turning around and making a play at Garrett Atkins or Mark Teixeira (in Teixeira's case, Kevin Youkilis would move to third base).
• The latest is that the Dodgers do not want to give Manny Ramirez anything beyond a two-year contract. If that's true, then Dodger fans can say goodbye to Ramirez.
  

Offseason Outlook: New York Yankees

In what is expected to be an off-season full of spending and bidding wars in the Bronx, the Yankees have a lot of tough and important decisions to make. Despite finishing with 89 wins this past season, New York failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1993 to conclude what was a disappointing 2008 campaign.

Projected 2009 Starting Lineup:

C- Jorge Posada
1B- Mark Teixeira
2B- Robinson Cano
SS- Derek Jeter
3B- Alex Rodriguez
LF- Manny Ramirez
CF- Melky Cabrera
RF- Xavier Nady
DH- Johnny Damon/Hideki Matsui

SP- Mike Mussina
SP- A.J. Burnett
SP- Chien-Ming Wang
SP- Joba Chamberlain
SP- Andy Pettitte

Who likely won't be back:

Bobby Abreu- RF
Jason Giambi- 1B
Ivan Rodriguez- C

For some reason, the Yankees don't appear too adamant on re-signing Bobby Abreu. One could make the argument that Abreu was New York's best player in 2008, batting .296 with 20 homers, 100 RBI, and countless clutch hits. Still, this might have something to do with the fact that Hank Steinbrenner plans on going hot-and-heavy after Manny Ramirez. Xavier Nady would then take over in right, and Ramirez, who does not want to DH, would play left. That would leave Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui to alternate at the DH spot, and Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner would play center. However, whether or not Damon and Matsui be happy sharing playing time is a big question. Maybe the Yanks try to deal Matsui over the winter? The possibility is always there.

Jason Giambi is a goner for sure, meaning that New York has its eyes set on Mark Teixeira, as the Angels may not be able to afford to re-sign the 28-year old first baseman. If the Yankees cannot sign Teixeira, they will have to either sign a role player to fill that spot or tend to that internally; remember that New York brought up 25-year old Juan Miranda in September, and the front office thinks he could develop into a nice player. Also, despite trade rumors that may suggest otherwise, it looks like Robinson Cano will stay put. Cano only batted .271 in 2008, but that had a lot to do with the fact that he hit only .151 in April (he compiled a .297 batting average over the final five months of the season). And, with Ivan Rodriguez being a trade deadline bust for the Yankees this past year, there is a very slim chance that he returns to the team in 2009, meaning that the catcher job is all Jorge Posada's.

That brings us to the starting rotation, perhaps the biggest question mark for New York in the off-season. Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman have several targets, including CC Sabathia, Derek Lowe, and A.J. Burnett. Of those three, the most realistic signee would be Burnett. It has been said that Sabathia does not want to pitch in a big market, and Lowe is opposed to the idea of playing in the Big Apple. The chances of the Yankees inking one of those pitchers to a contract, though, are pretty good. Andy Pettitte said recently that he wants to play at least one more season for the Yanks, but it is not known what Mike Mussina wants to do yet. The general consensus is that he will come back for another year. Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain will round out the rest of the rotation, and unless one of Mussina or Pettitte decides to retire, Philip Hughes may very well end up being the odd man out. Who knows what will happen with Carl Pavano. Some feel that New York has no interest in bringing him back, but due to the fact that he showed flashes in his return last year, I could see Cashman signing him to a one-year deal.

The bullpen will most likely look very similar to the one the Yankees sported in 2008. We all know who the closer is going to be, and Damaso Marte will probably be the setup man. Youngsters Phil Coke and David Robertson might get a shot at playing big roles in the pen, as well, and don't be surprised to see Alfredo Aceves, who looked impressive as a starter for New York the final month of the season, get a shot. I don't, however, expect Hughes to spend any time as a reliever.

Holliday sweepstakes begin

• The Rockies have made it known that Matt Holliday is in fact on the trading block, and, as expected, many teams have inquired about him. Right now, the Red Sox, Phillies, Angels, Mets, Royals, and Nationals are considered potential suitors. The only two teams I can really see him landing with out of that group, though, are the Phils and Halos. Boston is already set at its corner outfield spots with J.D. Drew and Jason Bay, the Mets and Nationals simply don't have enough ammunition to make a Holliday deal happen, and the Kansas City idea is just bizarre. Philadelphia, on the other hand, almost acquired Holliday at the trade deadline, and the Angels always seem to be in the market for big-name players due to their ample amount of young talent. I still see the Yankees making a run at the 28-year old outfielder, as well. The Rockies are primarily looking for young pitching in return.
  
• Garrett Atkins also appears to be on the block, and Colorado would obviously prefer to move him instead of Holliday. The main issue with Atkins is his home/road splits. Interestingly, he hits more home runs at home (12 of his 21 came at Coors this season and he hit 15 of his 25 there last year), but his batting average dips considerably on the road (.233 this year compared to .342 at home, and .254 as opposed to .349 in 2007). Due to the fact that Mike Lowell's injury might be more serious than it was originally thought, the Red Sox are rumored to be interested. The Angels and Twins have also been mentioned as potential landing spots. In terms of what the Rockies want back for Atkins, it's the same deal as with Holliday: young pitching.
• Dodgers' GM Ned Colletti says the report about his team offering Manny Ramirez a two-year, $60 million contract are false. That doesn't mean Los Angeles won't make an attempt to re-sign Ramirez, however.
  

MLB News: Peavy rumors, Manny gets offer

• Although the Braves are considered the frontrunners in the Jake Peavy sweepstakes, GM Frank Wren insists that the team will not trade any of its best prospects for the right-hander. That includes Jordan Schafer and Tommy Hanson. The Cardinals have said that they have their 2009 rotation set in stone and have no interest in Peavy, but I find that hard to believe, especially this early in the off-season. Some major-league ready players from Atlanta that have been thrown around in rumors are Yunel Escobar, Kelly Johnson, and Jair Jurrjens.
  
• The Dodgers have reportedly offered Manny Ramirez a two-year contract worth $60 million. Although Ramirez would be making $30 million annually if he signs this contract, he and Scott Boras are still looking for four or more years. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Phillies, Mets, and even the Orioles are teams that have checked in. Don't look for him to wind up in Toronto or Baltimore, though, and Ramirez will most likely be too pricey for the Mets. A sleeper team could be the Angels.
  
• It has surfaced that the chances of Colorado trading Matt Holliday this off-season are very likely. The Phillies nearly acquired the 28-year old outfielder at the trading deadline this season, and with Pat Burrell likely on his way out, I would mark them down as a possible desination. The Red Sox have discussed him internally, and I assume the Yankees will make a call. Holliday will draw interest from just about every team in baseball. The Rockies might also look to deal Garrett Atkins.
  
• Derek Lowe is conjuring up a lot of interest, as expected. Boston is said to be Lowe's preferred choice, but he may be out of their price range. The Mets have also been rumored to be looking at him, although the 35-year old said he doesn't want to play in New York. There is still a very good chance that Lowe signs back with the Dodgers.
• The Marlins will most likely keep Dan Uggla, but they will put Mike Jacobs, Scott Olsen, and Kevin Gregg on the block. Of those three, Olsen would most likely bring back the nicest return, but he is also the least likely to be dealt of the trio. He is expendable, however, with Andrew Miller waiting in the wings to take his spot in the starting rotation. Jacobs and Gregg are all but definitely gone.
• Because of Francisco Rodriguez's ridiculously high asking price, the Mets have turned their attention to Brian Fuentes. Don't be surprised if Rodriguez has to shave $15-$20 million off of the $75 million he's looking for. It doesn't look like the Mets are going to spend big money this off-season, as it has also been said that there is almost no chance that they sign CC Sabathia.

Offseason Outlook: Florida Marlins

Although we are not going to see another firesale this time around from the Marlins, they still have a lot of important decisions to make during the off-season. The only thing one can be sure of is that Florida won't be moving another one of its superstars, as it locked up Hanley Ramirez to a six-year contract extension earlier in the year. So, there will be no Miguel Cabrera-like exit for Ramirez in 2008.

Projected 2009 Starting Lineup:

C- John Baker
1B- Gaby Sanchez
2B- Dan Uggla
SS- Hanley Ramirez
3B- Jorge Cantu
LF- Cody Ross
CF- Cameron Maybin
RF- Jeremy Hermida

SP- Josh Johnson
SP- Ricky Nolasco
SP- Chris Volstad
SP- Scott Olsen
SP- Anibal Sanchez

Who likely won't be back:

Paul Lo Duca- C
Mike Jacobs- 1B
Josh Willingham- LF
Kevin Gregg- RP

With the emergence of Gaby Sanchez and Cameron Maybin late in the year, it is very likely that the Marlins will attempt to move Mike Jacobs and one of their outfielders (most likely Josh Willingham) in the off-season. Maybin proved in September that he is ready to take on a starting role in the majors while Sanchez won the MVP of the Southern League in the minors this past season. He also looked impressive in the limited playing time he was given in the final month of the 2008 campaign. Florida also wants to get away from their "all-or-nothing" type of offense and insert players who can get on base and produce better in clutch spots (i.e., driving in a runner on third with less than two outs).

The feeling is that All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla will stay, as dealing both Jacobs and Uggla would subtract 64 home runs from the lineup. It would also leave a gaping hole at second base as top prospect Chris Coghlan does not seem ready to take on a major-league role yet and Alfredo Amezaga and Robert Andino are not full-time players. So, unless someone makes the Marlins an unbelievable offer for Uggla, he isn't going anywhere. Not this year, anyway. Also, don't expect this team to search for a catcher like they did at the trading deadline this past season; John Baker has that spot locked down due to his outstanding and more-or-less surprising 2008 showing.

Florida also seems to be running out of patience with Jeremy Hermida, but the general consensus is that management will give him one more chance at finally realizing his phenomenal potential. Recently, a scout questioned his passion for the game. If this is what is causing Hermida to not live up to expectations, then he needs to do something. Fast. Remember that this is a kid who batted .340 in the second half of 2007, so the talent is definitely there. There is pretty much no chance of Cody Ross getting dealt, so the Marlins' 2009 outfield will most likely consist of Ross and Hermida at the corners and Maybin patrolling center.

As far as the starting rotation goes, it seems like Florida will go into 2009 with the same five that they ended 2008 with. However, there is speculation that the Fish might shop Scott Olsen around to see what they can get for the 24-year old left-hander. The process of thinking here is that trading Olsen would free up a spot in the rotation for Andrew Miller. Miller was one of the two main pieces Florida got back in the Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis deal (Maybin being the other) with Detroit. Olsen was inconsistent this past season, but the fact that he is still young and has great stuff means that there will certainly be a lot of teams interested in his services. Still, if I were to guess, I'd say he remains in Miami. Also, some think Anibal Sanchez might be the odd man out of the starting five going into opening day, but the prospect of him being fully recovered from his shoulder surgery is too tempting to pass up based on how well he performed during his rookie season when he was healthy.

Another sure-thing is that the Marlins will definitely trade Kevin Gregg. He blew nine saves in 2008 to lose his job as the closer, as Matt Lindstrom took over and now projects to be Florida's closer of the future. Joe Nelson will likely be the setup man, and I expect Renyel Pinto to have a role despite his dreadful second half this past year (although that probably had more to do with Pinto being overworked than anything else, hence the reason why he was hurt for the final month or so).

MLB Rumors, 10/14/08

• The Jake Peavy sweepstakes have begun. San Diego has already put the star left-hander on the trading block, and it is believed the Yankees have inquired about his services. Any deal for Peavy would probably have to start with Philip Hughes. New York also has some farm-hands to offer, such as outfielder Austin Jackson.
• Don't discount the Tigers in the CC Sabathia market. With Justin Verlander not living up to expectations and Jeremy Bonderman spending more time on the injured list than the mound lately, Detroit might certainly make a play for the lefty. Still, I see Sabathia signing back with Milwaukee.
• Not that this should come as a surprise, but it definitely looks like the Marlins have put Dan Uggla on the block. The Giants have been mentioned as a possible suitor with Matt Cain going to Florida. That deal doesn't make much sense for either side. The Marlins are already loaded with young pitching and San Francisco appears to have something special with its one-two punch of Cain and Tim Lincecum.
• With the emergence of Jose Arredondo, the Angels don't seem to be that urgent to re-sign Francisco Rodriguez. But, of course, you have to consider them the frontrunner, as Rodriguez has stated that he would prefer to stay.
• Toronto has offered A.J. Burnett a two-year, $30 million extension. I would take that and run with it if I were Burnett. However, if he cares about winning, he might wait out for some other offers. I would expect the Yankees and Red Sox to come calling.