Tazawa Close To Deal With Sox

Japanese right-hander Junichi Tazawa has rejected offers from all clubs exept the Boston Red Sox. The announcement of his signing could come as early as Monday, as the Red Sox have added yet another japanese arm to their arsenal. The 22-year old rightie told Japanese clubs not to draft him as he wanted to start a career in the MLB. This may have opened a can of worms, as MLB and Japanese baseball had a "gentleman's agreement" that they wouldn't touch the other countries players until they have proper experience.

The deal could open tons of possibilities for Japan to pursue MLB free-agents, possibly luring them into other lands just as the NBA is experiencing. It is quite disrespectful for the Red Sox to perform such a deed, but they have and it is time to assess the facts. Tazawa pitched for the Nippon Ham Fighters this year, going 6-1 with a 1.00 ERA in 54 innings. His fastball doesn't have much speed on it, ranging from 89-92, but he locates it well and has a bit of natural movement on it. He will be an expensive minor-leaguer and will probably need at least one season in the farm before makign it on the scene in Boston.

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Quick Hits

• The agent for free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez has made it clear that he believes K-Rod won't sign until after the winter meetings, which are scheduled to being December 7th.
• The Oakland Athletics are examining the medical records of Nationals' first baseman Nick Johnson. Nick has been hit hard by the injury bug lately, but is quite the Beane player. He is a .400 OBP bat waiting to happen, and it would be a great move if they can lure him away from Washington instead of signing a free-agent like Jason Giambi.
• CC Sabathia's agent Greg Genske has closed talks down for the weekend, meaning that there still isn't a deal close for the franchise-caliber lefty.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking into acquiring short-stop Jack Wilson from the Pittsburgh Pirates, but would require a large chunk of his salary to be paid by Pittsburgh. They have a hole at short with Rafael Furcal becoming a free-agent.

Pettite Considering Dodgers

It's been a horrifically slow offseason, but here's a post to keep you interested. Free-agent starter Andy Pettite feels that the Yankees are being a little too nonchalant with him and he isn't liking it too much. Reports say that Pettite has talked to ex-Yankee and current-Dodger manager Joe Torre about possibly signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, even after making it clear that he wanted to resign with the Yankees or retire.

There's no doubt the deal would help LA, as they are lacking starting-pitching depth with ace Chad Billingsley breaking his left fibula a couple of days ago and free-agents Derek Lowe and Brad Penny looking to go elsewhere.

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Quick Hits

• The Tigers are expressing interest in Pittsburgh Pirates short-stop Jack Wilson, who is set to make $7M in '09 and holds a club option for 2010. Detroit is looking for a replacement for free-agent Edgar Renteria.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks have offered a contract to free-agent infielder Ramon Vasquez. Ramon had a nice season for Texas last year, hitting .290 in 109 games. He would likely become the teams' opening day second baseman.
• It looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers will let left-handed reliever Joe Beimel walk away. Beimel has allowed a gaudy one home-run in 116 innings the past two years. I consider him the best lefty on the market.
• The San Francisco Giants are big time players this early in the offseason, already touching bases with both Rafael Furcal and Edgar Renteria.
  

Giants "Seriously" Interested In Signing Hudson

MLB.com's Chris Haft is reporting that the San Francisco Giants are very interested in signing free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson. Orlando might be seeking a 5-year/$50M deal, and it looks like the Giants still find that reasonable.

The Giants might be have an offseason for the ages, as they are attempting to sign CC Sabathia, Rafael Furcal or Edgar Renteria, as well as another reliever such as Juan Cruz. It might not be a bad idea to add a top-tier second baseman who can give a horrific offense some life.

Photo Courtesy: ESPN: (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Burnett Only Considering 5 Year Offers?

SI.com's Jon Heyman has the goods, the agent for free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett is telling teams that his client is only accepting offers of 5-years or more. The Yankees seemed to be the prime candidate to sign Burnett, but multiple sources are beginning to wonder if they can take such a gamble by offering the injury-prone Burnett a proposal of that length.

The suprising front-runner for the Burnett sweepstakes now has to be the Boston Red Sox, who have touched bases with his agent and told multiple sources that they have signing A.J. a "priority".

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Red Sox Ship Crisp To KC

The Kansas City Royals have made their second consecutive reliever-for-hitter deal, this time sending 27-year old Ramon Ramirez to the Boston Red Sox in return for center fielder Coco Crisp. They have now added both a powerful hitting first-baseman in Mike Jacobs as well as an above average center fielder and lead-off hitter. The 29-year old Crisp was behind rookie sensation Jacoby Ellsbury in Boston's center field depth chart, but still found himself playing 118 games and hitting .283 in the process. He added 20 steals, and has shown consistency at the top of their order for multiple seasons.

As for Ramirez, the 27-year old had a tremendous 2008 going 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA while holding opponents to a mere .222 batting average. He gives the Red Sox the option to shift pitcher Justin Masterson from the set-up role into the rotation if they feel it would better the club.

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Dempster Resigns With Cubs For $52M

The Chicago Cubs didn't let free-agency phase their prized starter Ryan Dempster, announcing early Tuesday that they have resigned the 31-year old starter to a 4-year deal worth $52M. The terms of the deal are as followed: He receives a $4M signing bonus, will make $8M in '09, $12.5M for '10, and $13.5M for '11. The deal also includes a 2012 player option worth $14M.

Dempster went 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA in over 200 innings. He was especially strong at home, so it's no wonder the Cubbies would want his right-arm to remain a fixture in their rotation and not someone else's.

Photo Courtesy: (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Giants Sign Affeldt

The San Francisco Giants made a superb signing on Monday, inking reliever Jeremy Affeldt to a 2-year deal worth $8M. Affeldt had a good season in Cincinatti, going 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA for a club with a definite lack of pitchers. He will likely get the set-up nod for the Giants, who just landed a tremendous 29 year old left hander.

It's definitely a good deal for GM Brian Sabean and San Francisco, landing one of the top 4 relievers on the market to a slightly below market value deal. While they were linked to another free-agent lefty in Joe Beimel, this deal likely pushes them out of the running. Rafael Furcal and Edgar Renteria seem like two other candidates that the Giants could land.

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Albert Pujols Wins NL MVP

The National League MVP winner was announced today, as St. Louis Cardinals first-baseman Albert Pujols collects his second career MVP trophy. Pujols hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs, all while dealing with an injured elbow which required offseason surgery.

It's the first time a 4th place Club held the MVP winner since Andre Dawson did it with the Cubs in 1987. Congratulations to Mr. Albert Pujols.

Other Notable Winners (Thus Far):
AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee CLE
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum SFG

AL ROY: Evan Longoria TB
NL ROY: Geovany Soto CHC

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Yankees Land Swisher

Seems like the Yankees finally got their hand on a true centerfielder, as they have acquired switch-hitting Nick Swisher as well as prospect Kanekoa Texeira from the Chicago White Sox. The Sox will receive infielder Wilson Betemit as well as prospects Jhonny Nunez and Jeff Marquez.

The White Sox needed to shed some salary, and trading Swisher makes sense in all aspects. They already have enough outfielders and there was no need to pay $22M over the next 3 years for Swisher. As for the Yankees, they were quite weak in center as Johnny Damon is pretty much a left fielder now, and Swisher still brings a game-changing glove as well as some pop. He launched 24 home runs in 588 plate-appearances last year.

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Cubs Acquire Gregg, Say Goodbye to Wood

The Chicago Cubs have acquired closer Kevin Gregg from the Florida Marlins in return for flame-throwing prospect Jose Ceda. Gregg was seemingly the veteran on a Florida Marlins club who finished 3rd in the National League East, saving 29 games and posting up a 3.41 ERA. He made $2.5M this year, and will likely get a raise in arbitration this off-season. As for Ceda, the 21-year old is the classic example of a live arm with control problems. He posted a 3.83 ERA between Single and Double A this year, but still has control problems with a horrific 4.89 career BB/K ratio.

On the flip side of this deal, Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry told the media that Chicago would indeed allow closer Kerry Wood to go elsewhere. Wood collected 34 saves of his own, posting a slightly lower 3.26 ERA compared to Gregg. Look for the Mets, Tigers, Angels, Indians to be in the market, with the dark horse being the Kansas City Royals.

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Nationals Land Olsen/Willingham

The Washington Nationals have acquired left-handed starter Scott Olsen as well as outfielder Josh Willingham from the Florida Marlins. The Fish are seemingly rebuilding again, as they've already moved Olsen, Willingham, as well as first baseman Mike Jacobs.

The Marlins will receive second baseman Emilio Bonifacio, as well as minor-league hurler P.J. Dean and shortstop Jake Smolinski. Seems like a wierd deal for Florida, as they receive players at the two positions that they have a lock on. Bonifacio will be shaded by the powerful Dan Uggla, and Smolinski will never see time at short with Hanley Ramirez in front of him. Could this mean Dan Uggla might hit the market? It's quite the possibility, but they could always just move him to third.

Photo Courtesy: (Kyle Terada/US Presswire)

Oakland A's Acquire Holliday!

The Oakland Athletics and general-manager Billy Beane have shocked the world today, acquiring the powerful left fielder Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies. In return, the Rockies will receive left-hander Greg Smith, reliever Huston Street, and super outfield prospect Carlos Gonzalez. You must believe that Oakland will extend Holliday, as its very un-Beane like to move your best prospect in a deal for a 1-year rental.

Quite the haul for Colorado, as they get two strong pitchers who will solidify both their rotation and pen as well as a strong outfield prospect who will thrive in hitter-friendly Coors. CBS is reporting that they might move closer Huston Street elsewhere, which strikes me as a terrible move if they go that direction.

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Quick Pitch

• There's been a lot of talk about which team is going to sign the 22-year old Japanese import Junichi Tazawa. If I were to guess, the Atlanta Braves seem to have the upper-hand.
• Shea Hillenbrand has hinted at coming back, especially after hitting .340 for an Independent ball club. I bet the Giants still whimper at giving Toronto Jeremy Accardo for the veteran Hillenbrand.
  
• Greg Maddux seems to be close to retiring, and if it's true I would be the first to congratulate him on an amazing career.
• Orioles' closer George Sherrill is being shopped around for rebuilding Baltimore, who should look for a couple of younger relievers to fit the bill.
  

Holliday To Cards Seems Dead

The Rocky-Mountain News recently had a chat with St. Louis Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak, who made it clear that he believes his club will not acquire outfielder Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies. Multiple news sources reported yesterday that St. Louis was the front-runner for the powerful left-fielder, possibly centering a deal around Ryan Ludwick. Talks seemed to have stalled once Colorado pushed their wants to Ludwick, Skip Schumaker, and reliever Mitchell Boggs. The three-some of players seemed to have demolished the deal for both sides.

You must be a bit more loose on Holliday talks if your the Cardinals, because everybody knows he's probably just a one-year rental. They should of been quite content with Ryan Ludwick and a strong reliever in Mitchell Boggs, but instead wanted to add Schumaker who would of only made their outfielder more crowded. Their best case scenario is still moving Holliday for some pitchers, so they will continue to test the waters all offseason until they find the right fit.

Photo Courtesy: (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Dodgers Buy Out Penny

The Los Angeles Dodgers have cut ties with 2007 NL All-Star Game starter Brad Penny, declining his $9.25M option for 2009. Penny disappeared late in the season after the Dodgers shut him and his bum shuolder down. The big right-hander went 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA in only 94+ innings after such a superb '07 campaign.

Brad will receive a $2M buyout and will be a great option for lower market teams to sign a low-risk high-reward type pitcher. He should still receive at least $6M per though (at least as I believe the market to be).

Photo Courtesy: (Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

Burnett Opts Out Of Deal

Wow, who would of thought it? A.J. Burnett has opted out out his contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and will now become a free-agent. It was quite the predictable move, especially knowing he can get plenty more on the open market. Toronto still has interest in bringing him back, and it could be a perfect fit. The Yankees will still be there, especially if they somehow can't sign CC Sabathia.

Burnett is a strong pitcher when healthy, but healthy is rarely a term used with his name. It'll be interesting to see who receives the bigger bounty: A.J. Burnett or Ben Sheets, especially with their health concerns.

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Brewers Make Offer to CC

Milwaukee Brewers' GM Doug Melvin told the media today that his club has made a contract offer to prize free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia. "It's in their hands" Melvin told the press after revealing this information. He would not discuss dollar figures, but there's no doubt it has the chance to surpass Johan Santana's lucrative deal of last off season.

If Sabathia decides to leave Milwaukee, there will be boatloads of cash for him courtesy of the New York Yankees. He has expressed an interest in playing in his home state of California, making both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the picture.

Photo Courtesy: (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Dempster To Test Open Waters

Free-agent starter Ryan Dempster has informed the Chicago Cubs that he will test the market instead of signing an extension. While there's still a chance he will remain in Chicago (thanks in part to his great relationship with GM Jim Hendry), you must believe that he could get quite the contract elsewhere.

You want a black-horse? The Baltimore Orioles could use the 31-year old atop their rotation and seem to have the money to spend. Dempster went 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 206.2 innings this year and was the Cubs' Game 1 starter in the postseason.

Photo Courtesy: (Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

Red Sox Front-Runners for Teixeira?

Newsday's Kevin Davidoff has confirmed the ongoing rumor that the Boston Red Sox are going to make a serious push at free-agent Mark Teixeira. The move would cause quite the stir, as it would push Kevin Youkilis to third-base and push Mike Lowell seemingly out of Boston.

Teixeira must be happy, as the three major markets (Los Angeles, Boston, New York) are all going to a bidding war for the 29 year old's services. Expect him to receive ridiculous money and re-sign with the Angels. But hey, that's an Angel fan speaking.....

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