Phils Sign Players to Minor League Deals

The Phillies signed Shigetoshi Yamakita and Naoyo Okamoto to minor league deals. They each spent 2009 with the Shonan Searex, a minor league team of the Yokohama Bay Stars. Both players are left-handed pitchers.

Yamakita, 32, posted a 2.47 ERA in 27 innings. Okamoto, 26, had a 5.28 ERA in 15.1 innings.

In other minor league signings, the Phillies added veteran outfielder Freddy Guzman. Guzman is currently playing in the Caribbean Series and made highlights when he stole home. The switch-hitter spent most of 2009 in different Triple-A affiliates, however he played in ten games with the New York Yankees, and stole four bases.

Bryce Harper Watch! Bryce Harper went 3-for-15 in his junior college tournament. That's a .200 AVG. Even in a limited number of at-bats, that is struggling, especially for the phenom named Bryce Harper.

He went 0-for-8 in a double header. He has 1 home run. He went 2-for-6 in another game .

Again, it's a small sample size.

Former Phillies News

Some players from the former Phillies rosters made the latest baseball headlines:

Matt Stairs signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.

The deal has a major league invitation to spring training. With a weak hitting Padres club, Stairs has a good chance to make the big league roster as a left-handed bat off the bench.

The Padres also signed Jon Garland.

The Washington Nationals reached a one-year agreement with Tyler Walker.

Walker, 33, pitched well in 35.1 innings with the Phillies in 2009. In July, I was surprised a team like the Nationals, who had a weak bullpen, didn’t take a chance on him when he was designated for assignment by the Phillies. Instead, he stayed in the Phillies system and pitched well down the stretch.

The Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays are among teams looking at Chan Ho Park. The Cubs also signed Xavier Nady.

Park was a huge factor in the Phillies bullpen last season, and it’s a shame the Phillies can’t bring him back. Park mentioned that he wants to start again, but he was more effective in the bullpen last season.

The New York Yankees acquired former Phillies prospect Greg Golson.

Golson was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers last week. After being designated for assignment, a team has a certain amount of days to trade the player. The Rangers are trading Golson to the Yankees for Mitch Hilligoss and cash considerations.

The Minnesota Twins and Jim Thome agree to terms. No terms were announced, but the deal is one-year, with incentives.

The Phillies claimed Brian Bocock, a 24-year old, off waivers. Bocock was an infielder on the Blue Jays. Bocock brings the Phillies 40-man roster up to 37.

In other baseball news, the Athletics signed Ben Sheets, and are thinking about Johnny Damon. Sheets will get $10 million in 2010 without even throwing a pitch in 2009.

Lastly, the Cardinals signed Rich Hill.

Phillies Sign Contreras; Other News

Earlier today, it was said that the Phillies backed off on John Smoltz, but were interested in Jose Contreras. ESPN’s Enrique Rojas is reporting that the Phillies have agreed to a one-year deal with Contreras, pending a physical.

Because Smoltz wants to start, the Phillies moved onto Contreras, who will serve as a right-handed reliever. Contreras, 38, went 6-13 with a 4.92 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP with the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies in 131.2 innings last year.

In other Phillies news, the Phillies apparently offered Cliff Lee a 3-year, $60 million extension before he was traded. It is uncertain whether Lee formally denied the offer.

Yesterday, the Phillies avoided arbitration with Joe Blanton and Shane Victorino by signing them both to a three-year deal. Blanton will get $24 million; Victorino $22. Blanton originally wanted a laughable $10.25 million in arbitration, but the Phillies offered him seven. Nevertheless, the Phillies and Blanton worked out the differences.

MLB News:

The New York Mets acquired Gary Matthews Jr. If you were unaware, thats Sarge's (Phillies broadcaster) son. Matthews spent most of the 2009 season on the bench. He makes $11 million this year.

The Mets recently missed out on Bengie Molina. The Mets offered the catcher a $5 million deal, but he accepted the Giants' $4.5 million offer.

The Kansas City Royals reach an agreement with Rick Ankiel. The Nationals are interested in Mike Jacobs.

The Seattle Mariners signed Felix Hernandez, 23, to a five-year, $78 million deal. Hernandez had a 2.49 ERA in 2009.

Durbin Avoids Arbitration

Chad Durbin avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a $2.125 million contract.

Durbin signed with the Phillies as a free agent in 2007. He pitched very well in 2008 which earned him $1.635 million in 2009. In 2010, Durbin gets a significant raise despite pitching almost 20 innings less and having an ERA almost two points higher in 2009, compared to 2008. Durbin went 2-2 with a 4.39 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 69.2 innings last year.

Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton remain arbitration eligible.

Other Phillies News: It was reported that Jimmy Rollins was in the Cayman Islands when an earthquake hit on Tuesday. Rollins, who is getting ready for his wedding, is reportedly fine.

Lidge, Contreras, Fans, NL East News

As seen on Phillies Nation.

There's eighty days until Roy Halladay (I'm already penciling him in as the Opening Day starter) throws the first pitch of 2010. There's 35 days until pitchers and catchers report. The season is quickly approaching, and soon we'll be hearing more Phillies news on a daily basis. There was still plenty of baseball news today:

• The Phillies announced that Brad Lidge had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, and his status for Opening Day is questionable.

"The surgery went well, and Brad is expected to begin his throwing program in 10 days," head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan said. "We're not sure if he'll be ready by Opening Day, but we don't expect that he'll be too far behind. This surgery was not directly related to any previous surgeries."

Loose bodies and a portion of his meniscus were removed. This is Lidge's second surgery this off season (elbow). This is his third surgery on his right knee since 2007. Lidge missed opening week in 2008 due to knee surgery, and also missed part of 2009 due to knee pain.

• The Phillies, along with four other teams, are interested in Jose Contreras.

Contreras, 38, had a 4.92 ERA in 131.6 innings with the White Sox and Rockies last year. Contreras would likely relieve, despite spending some time as a starter last year. If you were hoping for a reliever like D.J Carrasco, cross his name off the list. He reached an agreement with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Phillies need bullpen help, but personally I don't think Contreras is the answer.

• Smile! The Hardball Times named Phillies fans "the happiest in MLB."

Honestly, I was kind of surprised to see the Phillies listed as number one. I was expecting the 3-5 range, thinking Philadelphia would recieve the usual Philly fan stereotypes. A championship, two pennants, and three division titles in three years; yeah, that makes me happy.

• Brandon Duckworth and Jason Standridge sign minor league deals with the Phillies.

The Duck Pond is back!! I can’t believe I missed this news. Honestly, Duckworth was one of my favorite players in the early 2000’s, despite his struggles.

Since leaving the Phillies, Duckworth, 34, has spent time in the Astros’ and Royals’ system. Standridge, 31, was a first-round draft pick in 1997.

National League East news:

• The Atlanta Braves are pursuing Johnny Damon.


• Carlos Beltran had surgery on his knee without asking the Mets for permission.

The Mets' injury woes continue into 2010. Beltran is expected to miss at least twelve weeks.

In other Mets news, the Mets are close to signing catcher Bengie Molina. Molina batted .265 with 20 home runs with the San Francisco Giants last year.

• The Washington Nationals are interested in Orlando Hudson.

The Nationals could offer Hudson a two-year deal -- at the right price. Hudson could want as much as $9 million, which may be too much for the Nationals.

• What about that other team in the National League East?

The Marlins? You may have noticed that they haven't been spending a lot of money. Well, they reached an agreement with the players' union to increase spending due to complaints about the team's payroll violating baseball's revenue sharing provisions.

Blog of Note: We Should be GM's has a nice motion picture of the man, Chase Utley.

Week In Review: January 7th

I apologize for the lack of substance on Swing and a Long Drive this week. I had all intentions of updating, but one thing led to another. Plus, our numbers have been down so it's not like anybody is rushing to see our site. It's the off season, so it's slow.

The good news is that there are 87 days until Opening Day (or bad? It depends how you look at it, if you want baseball tomorrow). Either way, we're going to catch you up on the latest baseball news from the week.

The Phillies signed Danys Baez to a two-year, $5.25 million deal. The Phillies gained a reliever, but they also lose one-- or two.

Clay Condrey has official moved on. The long man has agreed to terms with the Minnesota Twins. Condrey missed most of last year with injuries. He has a career 4.10 ERA. Clay, have fun throwing to that stud behind home plate that they call Joe Mauer.

Reliever Scott Eyre is calling it quits. The 37-year old has decided to retire after 13 major league seasons. During the 2009 season, Eyre pondered the idea of retirement. Eyre had surgery during the off season, and the Phillies offered him a minor league contract for 2010, but Eyre had his mind set or retiring.

In 1997, the lefty broke into the majors at the age of 25 with the Chicago White Sox. In 649.1 career innings, Eyre went 28-30 with a 4.23 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. Eyre had the most success in Philadelphia, where he went 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA in two seasons.

With Eyre gone, this puts more on J.C Romero, who was suspended and hurt last year. If he can be healthy and as effective as he was in 2008, the Phillies are in good shape as far as a lefty-specialist goes.

Other Phillies News:

The Phillies invited 13 to spring training. Some of the bigger names include Domonic Brown, Joe Savery, B.J Rosenberg, and Phillipe Aumont and Tyson Gillies, who were involved in the Cliff Lee deal.

MLB News:

Andre Dawson was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Dawson had a .279 career average, 438 home runs, and .807 OPS.

The decision by the writer's association wasn't a bad choice at all, but Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez and Bert Blyvleven wouldn't be poor choices either.

Speaking of the Hall of Fame and retirement, a future Hall of Famer is retiring. Randy Johnson is hanging up the cleats after 22 seasons. The lefty went 303-166 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in his career. Johnson, a five-time Cy Young winner, spent most of his career in Seattle and Arizona.

The biggest splash came from the Cardinals, who signed Matt Holliday to a seven-year, $120 million deal. Holliday is a career .318 hitter. He averages 29 home runs and 100 runs batted in per year. Holliday and Albert Pujols make for one of the best 3-4 punches in baseball.

The Boston Red Sox signed third baseman Adrian Beltre. The Red Sox plan to move Mike Lowell, but are having a tough time because he's injured. A thought was a trade to the Mets, where Lowell would play first base, and Luis Castillo would head to Boston. Meanwhile, the Mets are still interested in bringing back Carlos Delgado.

A decision for Cuban Adrolis Chapman could be coming soon. Every team in the majors seems to have interest in the prized pitcher.

The Mariners acquired Casey Kotchman. They also extended Franklin Gutierrez's contract. Gutierrez was signed to a four-year, $20.5 million deal with an option for a fifth year.

The Atlanta Braves signed Eric Hinske and Troy Glaus. Hinske is a career .254 hitter and Glaus has 300 career home runs.

In other news, the Rangers offered Vladimir Guerrero a $7 million deal, the A's agreed to sign Jack Cust, the Twins made an offer to Jarod Washburn, and the Nationals signed Matt Capps to a one-year $3.5 million deal.

Phillies Sign Baez & Bozied

The “mystery reliever” has been revealed. The Phillies are aggressively going after Danys Baez, and have agreed to sign the right-hander.

The 32-year old had a 4.02 ERA in 71.2 innings with the Baltimore Orioles last year.

You're it! The Phillies also signed Tagg Bozied. Bozied spent last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Triple-A club, where he batted .288 in 240 plate appearances. Bozied, 30, is a corner outfielder and first baseman.

Bozied was a big-time power prospect for the San Diego Padres. However, he tore a tendon in his knee while celebrating a walk-off home run in 2004.

In other news, the Chicago Cubs signed former Phillie Marlon Byrd. The deal is believed to be three years, $15 million. Yup, that much money for THAT Marlon Byrd.

Mets Sign Bay; Giants Sign DeRosa

With the holidays, there was a lack of baseball news throughout the week. When Eric Bruntlett signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals, that was the biggest headline in Philadelphia sports. With the new year approaching, a few more moves were made.

The New York Mets signed free agent Jason Bay to a four year, $66 million contract. The Mets were desperately in need of a left fielder. They got one. However, like so many major league contracts, Bay was given too much money.

Bay is a great player, but has been extremely over rated since his departure from Pittsburgh. The money shows.

In addition, Bay was a better fit for Boston. Bay, not known for his defense, will go from a very small left field in Fenway to a very spacious outfield in Citi Field. In addition to potential defensive struggles, Bay's power numbers will go down. Citi Field has taken a damper on home run numbers; just look at David Wright's decrease in home run totals from 2008 to 2009.

In other baseball news, the San Francisco Giants signed Mark DeRosa to a two year, $12 million deal. DeRosa, an extremely versatile player, will likely spend the majority of his playing time at third base, with Pablo Sandoval moving to first. DeRosa may spend time in the outfield as well.

The Giants need a bat badly. DeRosa probably won't be the answer, although he will help a very weak hitting ball club. The Giants have pitching, but if they can improve their hitting, they could be the favorites in the National League West.

There's not much left of the free agent market. Matt Holliday seems to be the only big name remaining. The Cardinals are rumored to have offered him a $100 million contract.

In minor moves, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed Kelly Johnson and the Oakland Athletics signed Justin Duchscherer.

Angels Sign Rodney

The Los Angeles Angels signed Fernando Rodney to a two year, $11 million deal.

The Phillies were another team interested in him. Rodney had a 4.40 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP last season. No thanks. The Phils have enough bullpen issues -- they don't need more walks. Plus, the Phillies front office is saying that they're "in red" as far as money goes. If they were to get him, they'd have a lot of explaining to do; some of that money could have went to Cliff Lee, who everybody would rather have.

Phillies apparently did sign a mystery reliever though, perhaps Danyz Baez. The Phillies were also linked to Mike MacDougal. Either way, it sounds like the Phillies are getting somebody on the cheap side.

In other reliever news, the Nationals are close to signing Matt Capps to a one year deal. Capps was non-tendered by the Pirates after having a rough 2009 when he had a 5.80 ERA. Capps was solid in previous seasons; in 2007 he had a 2.28 ERA. Capps has 67 career saves.

Braves Exchange Vazquez for Melky

And... the Phillies biggest competition in the National League East just got weaker! The New York Yankees traded Melky Cabrera to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Javier Vazquez.

Melky is a career .269 hitter and has a career .716 on-base plus slugging percentage. He has five major league years under his belt, and he is only 25.

Vazquez, a former Yankee, is 142-139 with a 4.19 career ERA. Vazquez pitched excellently with the Braves last season. He went 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA in 219.1 innings pitched. He struck out 9.8 batters per nine.

The Yankees got the better end of the deal. Melky's decent, but the Braves are losing a solid pitcher, who pitched well for them last year. A good pitcher is arguably more valuable than an average outfielder, at best. Pitching can be hard to come by; there is a lot of outfield depth throughout the league.

With Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, and Derek Lowe, the Braves have a solid rotation, but it won't be as strong without Vazquez. The Yankees, on the other hand add Vazquez to a rotation that already involves CC Sabathia and A.J Burnett.

This could open the gate for a return of free agent Johnny Damon. Right now, the Yankee outfield consist of Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson. Brett Gardner would be the next best on the depth chart, but knowing the Yankees, they would want to do better.

In other MLB news, the Blue Jays acquired Brandon Morrow from the Seattle Mariners. Morrow would have been a great piece in the deal for Cliff Lee. Morrow is somebody that the Phillies need -- a reliever. Even if it wasn’t Seattle, plenty of teams would have listened on a Lee offer, so the Phils could have gotten more in return.

Speaking of the Lee trade and relievers, the Phillies are interested in Fernando Rodney. Rodney is seeking a 2-year $12 million deal. If that deal goes down, I won’t be happy. Some of that money could have belonged to Lee. The Angels are also interested.

Halladay Blockbuster Complete

It looks like the deal is complete. It’s two separate trades. Cliff Lee goes to Seattle. The Phillies get Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and Juan Ramirez for Lee. For Halladay, the Phillies trade Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis D’Arnaud to Toronto. The Phillies also get $6 million.

The Phillies and Halladay have agreed to an extension. The contract is an average of about $20 million per year, taking Halladay through 2013.

Michael Taylor will likely be traded to Oakland for Brett Wallace.

I'm not a fan of this trade. The Phillies barely got anything in return for the ace they gave up: Cliff Lee. Aumont, a reliver, doesn't macth Drabek. Plus, I thought Drabek was "untouchable." If Drabek was going to be in the deal, why not trade him last July for Halladay?

The Mariners are the clear cut winners of this deal. If the Blue Jays get Wallace, that doesn't put them too far behind. Wallace is projected to be bettert than Taylor. Halladay is great; he's better than Lee and it'll be scary to see what he does switching from the American League to the National League. However the Phillies -- well, they gave up way too much.

Is it True: Lee for Halladay?

A couple days ago, Ken Rosenthal "had a hunch" that Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee could be traded in the same deal. Either he knew what he was talking about, or he had one lucky guess. Ken Rosenthal's hunch appears to be 100% accurate.

The Phillies are reportedly close to getting Roy Halladay. Cliff Lee would go to the Seattle Mariners for prospects. Those prospects would go to Toronto. The Phillies don't appear to be going anywhere with a Cliff Lee extension; Lee might require $23 million per year, and might want to test the free agency market. On the other hand, Halladay may sign for the Phillies cheaper, due to the chance to contend. Halladay wants around $20 million per year. He would want a contract extension before waving his no-trade clause. The Phillies have been rumored to offer him 3-4 years as of now.

But the deal is not official.

The Phillies may have to give another prospect for the deal to be complete. Michael Taylor seems to be the appropriate choice: major league ready, a great prospect, but not the Phillies top prospect. The Phillies are already losing their ace (granted, they get a better ace in return), but they shouldn't have to give up their best prospect, Drabek, who is now rumored to be involved in the deal.

But if Drabek is dealt, does that mean that Lee still goes? We have yet to find out. There are so many rumors surrounding this trade, that it's almost impossible to keep track of.

Michael Taylor, Travis D'Arnuad, Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek, J.A Happ, Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels, the Phillie Phanatic, a Schmitter, the Liberty Bell, the bat boy, a dead Veterans Stadium jail cell rat, Chase Utley's hair gel, Ruben Amaro himself, a cheese steak, 6 beer men, FIVE World Series rings, Chris Wheeler's toupee, two beat writers to be named later, and a partridge in a pear tree have all been rumored to be in the deal (well, not the last few!).

We'll see what happens, but one thing is official: the Red Sox and John Lackey agree to a five-year deal. Why is this important? Because the Angels have now lost Chone Figgins and Lackey. If the Mariners do land Lee, watch out. They've made some improvements and could be a surprise after finishing last year at the bottom of the American League West.

Rosenthal: Halladay for Lee Deal?

As seen on Phillies Nation.

I originally wasn't going to post this because there is "no proof" that the Phillies are considering this. However, there seems to be a lot of talk regarding this topic.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay could be traded in the same deal. It sounds absurd, but if you read into it more, it makes a little bit of sense. It would not be a straight up exchange; it would be a part of a three or four team trade. Basically, Lee would be traded for prospects. Those prospects would be sent to Toronto for Halladay. If the Phillies send more prospects, there is a chance that the Blue Jays would eat some of Halladay's salary. Remember, "it's just a hunch."

Most of you are thinking: the idea is to have Lee AND Halladay. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com also breaks down the idea. Money is the issue. Moving Lee would free up about $2 million. The Phillies aren't making much progress on a contract extension with Lee, who might want to test free agency next year. Halladay, also a free agent next season, would most likely require a contract extension for him to wave his no-trade clause. Then, the Phillies would have Halladay long term instead of Lee. If Lee and Halladay are on the same team, and even if the Phillies are able to lower their payroll (Joe Blanton would probably be the first one to go), it's unlikely that the Phillies would be able to keep both Lee and Halladay past 2010.

With that being said, I do not think trading Lee for Halladay is a good idea. I'd take the risk of having Lee and Halladay on the same team for one year; a year that instantly makes the Phillies World Series favorites. If that can't happen, I'm perfectly fine with signing Lee long term.

What do you think? Is trading Lee for Halladay a good or bad idea?

More Winter Meeting Tidbits

Texas was popular today, but here is what else happened during day three of the Winter Meetings.

The Phillies signed Ross Gload to a two-year deal. The first baseman and outfielder will likely spend most of the season off the bench. Gload also received offers from the Marlins and Braves.

The Phillies have been equally aggressive on Fernando Rodney as they have been on Brandon Lyon. However, it's unknown if the Phillies would pay Rodney "closer-type money.”

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Bobby Crosby. Crosby never lived up to his expectations. After winning Rookie of the Year and receiving a five-year $12.75 extension from the Oakland A's, Crosby fell off the radar. This deal will be worth approximately $1.5 million.

The Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels are interested in Hideki Matsui. The White Sox may be closing in on a deal with J.J Putz.

Ben Sheets is seeking a contract around $12 million. Talk about ridiculous. The guy's a great pitcher when healthy, but he didn't even throw a pitch in 2009. I'll be completely shocked if he gets anything close.

The Red Sox have interest in Adrian Beltre. They would trade Mike Lowell first. The Giants, however, do not have interest in Beltre.

More MLB News, in bullet point form:

• The Kansas City Royals offer Jason Kendall a two-year deal.


• The Colorado Rockies are closer to a two-year deal with Yorvit Torrealba.


• The New York Yankees re-signed Andy Pettitte. One year, $11.75 million.


• Multiple teams are eyeing Joel Pinero, Nick Johnson, Derek Lowe.


• The Milwaukee Brewers signed LaTroy Hawkins.


• The New York Mets and Washington Nationals are going after Jason Marquis.
• The Mariners sign Corey Patterson.


• The Tampa Bay Rays are front runners for Rafeal Soriano.


• The Padres are discussing trades for Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Breaking News: Some Halladay rumors are coming out.

The Phillies are "joining the fray" for Halladay, as well as the Red Sox and Yankees. But the Angels are pulling trigger. They made the following offer, according to Jon Heyman of SI:

Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Peter Bourjos for Halladay. If the Blue Jays accept, the only question is if Halladay would wave his trade clause. Halladay previously said he would acccept a trade to the Angels.

Update (9:41 PM): Not long ago, the Phillies headlines read "Phillies in the mix for Halladay." Now, the Phillies.com homepage reads: "Phillies not likely to land Halladay."

Texas Headlines Day 3 of Winter Meetings

The Texas Rangers made the most headlines during day three of the Winter Meetings:

Rich Harden is close to a deal with the Rangers, which would be a terrific move. When healthy, Harden can be a great pitcher. The Rangers have a great offense, however their pitching could use a boost, although they have a lot of up and coming talent in Scott Feldman and other starters. Their bullpen was toward the top in ERA (3.95) last season. With their potent offense and improved pitching, the Rangers could finally get over the hump and be in the playoffs.

Speaking of the Rangers and pitching, they traded Kevin Millwood to the Baltimore Orioles for Chris Ray. I'm not sure how much of an upgrade this is. Ray was great in 2005 and 2006. He had Tommy John Surgery in 2007 and hasn't returned to his old form. He had an awful 2009: an ERA over seven. Millwood was one of the Rangers best pitchers in 2009, but he has had a history of injuries. The move serves as a salary dump more than anything. Millwood had a 3.67 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 2009.

The Rangers are done yet. They're also discussing a deal with the Red Sox for Mike Lowell.

Staying in the state of Texas, the Houston Astros acquired Matt Lindstrom from the Florida Marlins. The Marlins will receive Robert Bono and Luis Bryan.

MLB News Bullet Points

The Tigers, D'Backs, and Yankees made a blockbuster deal. Here's some other bullet points of what happened today around MLB.

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Brad Penny to a one-year deal worth $7.5 million, or up to $9 million in incentives. Absolutely ridiculous. Way too much money for a guy who has barely pitched in the last three years, and isn't nearly as good as he was before injuries took a toll.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays are discussing trade options for Ryan Doumit.

The Milwaukee Brewers offered a three-year, $31 million deal to Randy Wolf. It would be smart to accept that puppy, unless he gets offered another deal (the Mets seem to be the only other team with interest). Like the Penny deal, $31 million is a lot of money.

Multiple teams are interested in Kelvim Escobar. The White Sox and Angeles are interested in Hideki Matsui. The Dodgers and Rockies are going after Luis Ayala. The Marlins are hearing offers for Dan Uggla, Matt Lindstrom, and Renyel Pinto. The Giants and Padres are discussing Kevin Kouzmanoff.

The Texas Rangers are hearing offers for Kevin Millwood. The Phillies may also be hearing offers for Joe Blanton. The Phillies may also be interested in Cuban Aroldis Chapman.

The Washington Nationals signed Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. They are also interested in former Phillie Vicente Padilla.

Speaking of former Phillies, the Chicago Cubs are close to a Milton Bradley- Carlos Silva trade. It's still ideal for the Cubs to trade Bradley to the Tampa Bay Rays for Pat Burrell, who they would flop for prospects or a second baseman.

The Rockies offer backup catcher. Yorvit Torreabla a two-year deal.

Tigers, D'Backs, Yankees Make Blockbuster Deal

It's day two of the Winter Meetings, and we have a blockbuster deal. The New York Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson; the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy; the Detroit Tigers acquired Max Scherzer, Phil Coke, and two other young prospects.

Granderson has a healthy mix of speed and power. He batted just .249 last year, but hit 30 home runs. He has a career .828 OPS. For Granderson, the Yankees surrender Ian Kennedy, one of their top prospects. However, Kennedy has yet to live up to his expectations. A change of scenary may help him; there won't be as much pressure to succeed in Detroit than in New York.

The biggest loss in the trade goes to the Diamondbacks. They get 25-year old Edwin Jackson, who had a 3.62 ERA in 214 innings last year. However, they lose 24-year old Max Scherzer and other young prospects. It's surprising that Scherzer was even in the deal; he's young and has a load of potential, equal or greater than Jackson's. Jackson is a good pickup, but losing Scherzer was a negative.

Placido Polanco Returns

Placido Polanco returns to Philadelphia! The Phillies new third baseman was give a three-year, $18 million deal.

Instead of waiting to see how the market develops, the Phillies decided to start the market. Personally, I would have preferred Beltre, but Polanco's not a bad option. However, I do think that three years is a bit much. Two years with an option for a third would have been fine.

Polanco "never really wanted to leave" Philadelphia. He had no choice to go with a young Chase Utley in the wings. David Bell manned third base, so the Phillies shipped him for a much needed reliever in Ugueth Urbina, who currently resides in jail.

With the exception of 2009, Polanco only reached double digits in home runs while with the Phillies (2003 & 2004). Polanco is a career .303 hitter with a .348 career on-base percentage. He gets on base and does not strike out much, with a positive for the Phillies.

The Phillies also looked at Chone Figgins this offseason, but chances are he lands in the Mariners. Seattle appears to be "on the verge" of signing the third baseman to a four year, $36 million deal.

Amoung other free agent signings, the Red Sox signed Marco Scutaro.

Arbitration, Catchers, and Red Sox

The Hot Stove was buzzin' today. There was a lot of baseball news:

The Phillies signed Brian Schneider to a two year-deal worth just under $3 million. The Phillies might be eyeing John Smoltz. The Phillies also declined arbitration for free agents Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre.

The Phillies and Mets are basically switching catchers, because the Mets signed Chris Coste. The Mets also re-signed Alex Cora.

The Boston Red Sox are asking Dustin Pedroia to play short stop. The Red Sox are without a shortstop and the free agent market is small. Pedroia has played shortstop in the past, although not at the major league level. The Red Sox may also be looking at Adam Kennedy or Adam Everett. They are also interested in Rich Harden.

Roy Halladay said that he will not accept a trade after Spring Training. The pitcher said he would accept a trade to the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox and Angels.

Joe Mauer denies any rumors stating that he has set a deadline for a contract extension.

Placido Polanco was not offered arbitration from Detroit. Adrian Beltre was offered arbitration from Seattle. The Angels offered arbitration to John Lackey and Chone Figgins.

The Houston Astros offered Jose Valverde arbitration, but not Miguel Tejada. The Cardinals, Phillies, Rangers, Astros and Giants are all interested in Tejada.

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Kelly Shoppach from the Cleveland Indians. The Indians have some of the top catching prospects, including Lou Marson or Carlos Santana, both who could start this year.

Last but not least, Derek Jeter was named SI's Sportsman of the Year.

Hot Stove Commentary

Here is the latest Hot Stove news and rumors, and some unnecessary commentary:

Roy Halladay said that he would approve a trade to the New York Yankees. Traitor! Going to a division rival!? The Blue Jays want a pitcher and a hitter for him.

The Marlins might be looking to deal Josh Johnson. Typical Marlins: draft a good player. Bring him up through the farm system. Have a successful first few years in the big leagues. Then, trade him away for some prospects. Have those prospects come up and put together a successful team. Possibly win, then trade those players away. Repeat the process.

The Cubs are looking for an outfield bat. They still have to get rid of Monopoly-- errr, Milton Bradley.

Pirates would like to bring Mike Gonzalez back, but would it matter? They also might be looking at Blalock and Ankiel. Iwamura, Gonzo, Blalock, Ankiel, are they trying to be contenders?

The Baltimore Orioles would consider Erik Bedard and Ben Sheets. This is not much of a risk. Orioles probably won't contend in 2010 and both these guys have health issues. It would be worth a shot, as long as it's not too expensive.

Tim Lincecum is looking for a one year deal. Probably smart for him because when he wins another Cy Young, he'll be able to get another contract that makes even more money.

Jamie Moyer is doing well after minor surgery. Moyer had surgery to wash out a small collection of blood cells that could have been infected.

“The surgery is not likely to impact his rehab schedule and is likely to have minimal impact on his spring training schedule,” said Michael Ciccotti, the team doctor. Moyer will remain hospitalized until Monday.