Monday, December 3, 2007

Winter Meetings, Presented by ESPN

Fun little blog on ESPN.com from the winter meetings.

Among the items of interest from Jerry Crasnick:

• The Phillies and Rays both spoke with Damon Lapa, the agent for free-agent outfielder Geoff Jenkins. It's not a strong year for left-handed hitting corner men -- with Trot Nixon, Shawn Green, Cliff Floyd, Brad Wilkerson and Luis Gonzalez as the other main options -- so Jenkins is getting considerable play. "We expect multiple multiyear offers," Lapa said. San Diego and Texas are among the other clubs keeping tabs on Jenkins.

The Phillies, Rays, Padres and Rangers obviously need someone to be The Glue for their franchise, obviously. Good luck Geoff.

• The Reds need pitching, but they don't have a lot of money left after signing closer Francisco Cordero to a five-year deal. So Cincinnati is talking trade with a bunch of teams here in Nashville and using some of its young position players as bait for a starter.

The Reds don't have much money left? No s!#$, that's what happens when a small market team gives out a $46 million (and possibly $58 million) for a closer. Perhaps the Reds can find a starter to get a lead to Cordero when Harang doesn't pitch.

• Chris Capuano-for-Scott Rolen trade talk is alive and well at the Opryland Hotel. But the Brewers are wary of Rolen's medical reports, and they would have to pick up a significant chunk of the $36 million left on Rolen's contract over the next three years. Given the hard feelings that exist between Rolen and St. Louis manager Tony La Russa, Rolen probably wouldn't be averse to waiving his no-trade clause. "It hasn't gotten any better," one person with the Cardinals said of the Rolen-La Russa dynamic.

This is starting to sound like a deal that is going to get done, doesn't it?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I like the risk if it's only Cappy to give up. Rolen would save like 20 errors at 3rd. Braun in the OF would create a logjam with LaPorta looming. Maybe Billy is on the way out. Braun in LF, Hart in CF, and some guy in RF. Or keep Hart in RF, and find a stopgap in CF. Gwynn?