MLB Rumor Mill

MLB Rumor - Feb 23 Manny Ramirez is known for saying some curious things. This is his latest pronouncement: The Dodgers star insists his days in LA are numbered. “I know I’m not going to be here next year,” Ramirez said Monday. Ramirez’s contract expires after this season. Why is he so certain he won’t get an extension? “I don’t know,” he said. “I just know I’m not going to be here.” "The Globe and Mail Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Feb 8 "Foxsports.com reports that the Tigers and Braves are among teams interested in the services of free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon. The report says the Tigers' chances of getting Damon rest on whether owner Mike Ilitch wants to expand the team's budget."Denver Post Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Feb 3 "The Blue Jays are closing in on adding Chicago Cubs free-agent closer Kevin Gregg. “We would hope there would be a resolution within the next day or so,” said Gregg’s agent Dan Horwits from Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon. And when one new reliever enters the team picture ... one is likely to leave. The Jays may portray Gregg’s entrance as a new entry — joining lefty Scott Downs and Jason Frasor — in a three-horse derby. However, the Jays could move Downs elsewhere for prospects."The Toronto Sun Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Jan 19 "The Seattle Mariners reportedly have a long- term deal in place for pitcher Felix Hernandez. ESPN reported the agreement late Monday night saying the multi-year pact was pending a physical for the right-hander, who made $3.8 million last season. He was likely going to get a big pay raise through salary arbitration."Tacoma News Tribune Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Jan 13 "The Mets are inching closer to a deal with Bengie Molina. A baseball source confirmed a report yesterday that indicated the free-agent catcher has backed off the three-year deal he was seeking and is now amenable to a two-year contract. But it remains unknown if GM Omar Minaya is willing to go beyond one year with an option that could be easily attained based on plate appearances -- similar to the deal he struck with Jason Bay that includes a fifth-year option."New York Post Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Jan 6 "According to a source with knowledge of the discussions, the Sox have agreed to trade Casey Kotchman to the Mariners for a pair of players and cash. The first baseman will fly to Seattle today for a physical. One of the players in the deal is Bill Hall, a righty hitter with some pop (35 homers in 2006 for Milwaukee) who can play third base, shortstop and in the outfield."Boston Herald Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Jan 3 "Orlando Hudson has been the subject of much speculation this off-season. Reports have said the Tigers are interested in having him replace Placido Polanco at second. According to Mark J. Miller of Yahoo!Sports, the Phillies reportedly asked Hudson if he would switch to third before signing Polanco, and Hudson said no way. The Minnesota Twins and New York Mets also have been mentioned in the mix. The Colorado Rockies were, too, but Miller said general manager Dan O'Dowd denied it."Detroit Free Press Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 18 "Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports the Dodgers are exploring a deal with the Reds for pitcher Aaron Harang in exchange for one or two players on the Dodgers major league roster. The Times cited multiple sources in the report. Harang went 6-14 last season with a 4.21 ERA."Akron Beacon Journal Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 18 "In a move that almost certainly would end Johnny Damon’s four-year run in the Bronx, the Yankees were close to completing negotiations on a one-year contract with Nick Johnson late Thursday. According to several people with knowledge of the talks, Johnson would serve as the Yankees’ designated hitter and possibly hit second in the batting order. That was Damon’s spot last season. The Yankees and Johnson were on the verge of an agreement worth around $5.5 million, pending a physical. Damon made $13 million and was said to want a three-year contract without a pay cut."The New York Times Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 17 "According to multiple major league sources, the Red Sox are unlikely to acquire San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez before the season, and characterizations the teams were nearing a deal were described by one as “an overstatement.” While the Sox and Padres could eventually be a match once the regular season begins, right now the chances of making a trade are slim. “Way premature,” the second source familiar with the talks said."Boston Herald Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 11 " GM Omar Minaya handed offers to outfielder Jason Bay and catcher Bengie Molina as the four-day gathering ended, the team confirmed to the Daily News. The Mets have prioritized Bay over fellow free-agent outfielder Matt Holliday, having determined in studies that Bay's ability to pull the baseball is more conducive to homering at Citi Field than Holliday's gap power. Scott Boras, in imploring the Mets to bid for Holliday - his client - Wednesday while calling the Mets and their TV network, SNY, a "juggernaut economically," appeared to tip his hand that the Mets weren't showing overwhelming interest in his client."New York Daily News Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 11 "According to a scout familiar with the situation, the Sox were one of two teams in the American League Central letting the New York Yankees know during the winter meetings this week that they covet outfielder Brett Gardner. The Kansas City Royals also were wondering what it would take to acquire the promising 26-year-old leadoff hitter. Williams is friendly with Yankees GM Brian Cashman, and they've done deals before. He acquired Jose Contreras from the Yankees in 2004, and the Yankees acquired outfielder Nick Swisher last winter."Chicago Sun Times Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 9 "If you think Curtis Granderson is going to be the only big move of this offseason for the Yankees, then you don’t know the Yankees.

Even while finalizing a deal in which they gave up three prospects to complete a trade in principle for Granderson, the Yankees were continuing to talk — and talk some more — to Blue Jays officials about a trade for Roy Halladay, The Post has learned.

Major league officials described Toronto as intensifying efforts to trade its ace at the Winter Meetings, though the expectation is that a deal will not get done at this gathering. However, those same officials say that all signs point now to the Blue Jays definitely trading Halladay this offseason. And the Yankee contingent is signaling they are in by making it clear to Toronto officials that they are willing to discuss major prospects even after letting the touted Austin Jackson go in the package for Granderson."Akron Beacon Journal Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 9 "Mets officials expressed confidence Bengie Molina would sign with the club, while insisting Tuesday they had a realistic shot at landing John Lackey, too. The Mets intend to first focus on their starting pitching and catching voids, then tailor their left-field plan based on how much they spend on the first two categories. If the Mets can land Lackey rather than a second-tier starter from the group that includes Joel Pineiro, Jason Marquis, Doug Davis and Jon Garland, they would spend modestly on left field. If the starter comes from the latter group, at least considering Matt Holliday or Jason Bay becomes more realistic."New York Daily News Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 8 "Two club sources said the Yankees spent the first day of the Winter Meetings talking to the Tigers and Diamondbacks about the possible blockbuster deal. According to a Foxsports.com report later confirmed by The Post, the teams discussed a three-way trade that would bring Granderson to The Bronx, send pitcher Edwin Jackson from Detroit and Ian Kennedy from the Yankees to Arizona, and the Tigers would receive right-hander Max Scherzer from Arizona as well outfield prospect Austin Jackson, and left-handed relievers Mike Dunn and Phil Coke from the Yankees."New York Post Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 8 "The Detroit Tigers are close to trading right-handed starter Edwin Jackson, according to foxsports.com Writers Ken Rosenthal and Free Press alumnus Jon Paul Morosi cite unnamed baseball sources in the report. It's not known where Jackson is headed, but the Diamondbacks and Mariners are known to have interest while the Brewers, Mets and Dodgers don't, according to the report."Detroit Free Press Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 8 "Word started to spread that the Brewers had emerged as the leader in their pursuit of free-agent left-hander Randy Wolf. They appeared willing to go the three years it would take to sign Wolf, 33, leaving only the financial details to be worked out. Melvin declined to name any pitcher he was trying to sign, noting that offers can be shopped to other teams. "It hurts us in negotiations (to reveal names)," said Melvin."Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 8 "The New York Mets appear to hold the key to the Cubs trading Milton Bradley as quickly as this week, as part of a three-team deal that would land the outfielder with the Tampa Bay Rays -- still the clear front-runners to acquire Bradley. But a source familiar with the talks said Monday the more likely scenario is an eventual one-for-one swap of Bradley and Rays outfielder Pat Burrell. The possible three-way deal, which would have sent second baseman Luis Castillo to the Cubs, was raised more than a month ago and has remained one of several options heading into the winter meetings this week. But the Mets have balked at settling on Burrell as their left fielder with high-profile free agents Jason Bay and Matt Holliday still on the market."Chicago Sun Times Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 8 "Put veterans Jason Kendall and Rod Barajas alongside Ivan Rodriguez as free-agent catchers drawing attention this week from the Royals as the winter meetings unfold. “Our catching is an area of focus for us,” general manager Dayton Moore admitted. “I don’t have a great feel for what we’ll do or where we’ll go at this point.”"Kansas City Star Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 8 "Even if the Pirates are not outright shopping any of their players, they are discussing potential trades involving closer Matt Capps, catcher Ryan Doumit and, to a lesser extent, starters Zach Duke and Paul Maholm. Sounds fairly significant, right? Asked about Capps and Doumit yesterday on the opening day of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings, general manager Neal Huntington replied: "We've had conversations on a number of players, where clubs have asked us if we would consider moving them. Our standard answer is: We're open to any good baseball trade.""Pittsburgh Post Gazette Comments (1)

MLB Rumor - Dec 7 "The annual baseball winter meetings kick off Monday with the Twins waiting to learn whether righthander Carl Pavano will accept or reject their offer of arbitration. The Twins have been trying to sign Pavano, who came over in a trade last season with Cleveland and is looking for a multiyear deal. If Pavano is confident that he can get a two-year offer from other clubs, he'll likely reject the Twins' arbitration offer. The Twins, however, can still negotiate with Pavano, who is headed into his 13th year."Minneapolis Star Tribune Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 4 Things are starting to heat up in the rumor mill as the baseball winter meetings approach. As colleague Larry Stone wrote yesterday, FoxSports mentioned the Mariners were pushing hard for British Columbia native Rich Harden to join their starting rotation. The Mariners have let other agents know that pitching is a priority for them at the moment and that other potential deals will be on the back burner....We've been told the Mariners have made a concerted push to land B.C. product and local resident Jason Bay, a Type A free agent left fielder from the Red Sox. This despite the fact that Bay (who gained his U.S. citizenship this year), is not the defensive whiz Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has prefered in other deals he's made.Seattle Times Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 4 An X-Man sequel? The Pirates have made initial inquiries on free-agent outfielder Xavier Nady, as well as reliever Ron Villone and shortstop Bobby Crosby, though none of those inquiries is known to have moved past that stage. In the cases of Nady and Villone, management likely will wait until closer to spring training in search of the best value. Multiple sources confirmed the inquiries."Akron Beacon Journal Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 2 "Depth and contract offers were the reverberating themes Tuesday for the Rockies. They have expressed interest in free agent utilityman Bobby Crosby and pitcher Noah Lowry, while extending salary arbitration offers to pitchers Rafael Betancourt and Jason Marquis. Crosby, who will turn 30 in January, was a star at Long Beach State before Troy Tulowitzki. Crosby, a former American League Rookie of the Year, is a right-handed hitter capable of playing first and third base. "Denver Post Comments (0)

MLB Rumor - Dec 2 "Heading into next week's winter meetings in Indianapolis as the new kid on the block with the biggest drawing card in Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos expects to be taking a call or two from rival GMs. “I think it will be a zoo,” the Major League Baseball executive said yesterday. “I'm being honest, I'm being completely candid. “I think just the media speculation about Roy Halladay and so on, that goes without saying. I think no matter what I say, whether I comment or not, I understand that it's going to be a story. That's just the reality of it.”"The Globe and Mail Comments (0)