So the Winter Meetings have commenced over in Indy. What have the Mets accomplished? Meetings!

I have am so serious.

Then again, what did you expect on the first day. Right now, it is all about meeting with agents and seeing if you can hammer a deal out. November was all about getting a feel for what was being asked for and what was available. Now you work out deals.

One deal seems to be imminent and could happen by tomorrow.

I’m speaking about catcher, Bengie Molina. This is according to Mike Silva of NY Baseball Digest. Apparently what seems to be the problem is the length of the contract. Molina wants three years and the Mets are only willing to go two years.

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports the Mets want to offer a $6 million deal for one year with an option for a second. If push comes to shove, they might be willing to go up to two guaranteed years, but do not want to if they do not have to.

The Mets are getting smart in not giving free agents long term contracts. I like the idea of only going two to four years on a player depending on their age, ability, etc.

Other names linked to the Mets are Josh Willingham and Nelson Cruz. Of course everyone’s favorite first baseman, Nick Johnson has also been mentioned.

Joel Sherman of the Post has brought up pitcher Kelvim Escobar as being an interest of the Mets and Yankees in a tweet.

I’m very weary of Escobar since he has only made one appearance in two years due to injuries. You know how I feel about players like that. That’s one reason I was never to keen on bringing in Johnson.

So nothing is very promising right now. There are still a couple of days left. So no need to panic right now.

The Mets are still looking into John Lackey and others.

More as I get it.

The Seattle Mariners mean business.

General Manager Jack Zduriencik is entering just his second offseason at the club’s helm, but clearly has the franchise headed in the right direction.

Last offseason, he engineered a number of low-risk, high-reward deals and helped turnaround a club that had just 61 wins in 2008 to 85 victories last season.

Aside from adding a solid crop of new players, Zduriencik also took by strides by hiring manager Don Wakamatsu and bringing a more combined approach to the scouting department, by mixing both traditional scouting and modern statistical analysis.

Zduriencik is in an enviable position this offseason.

The Mariners have a very solid core in Felix Hernandez, Ichiro Suzuki, Brandon Morrow, and Franklin Gutierrez.

The club plays in a division that appears more wide-open than it has in half-a-decade and, most importantly, Seattle has some serious payroll flexibility.

The large salaries of Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, Kenji Johjima, Erik Bedard, and Adrian Beltre are all officially off the books.

The total savings amounts to roughly $50 million to spend on free agents this offseason.

Additionally, Zduriencik has plenty of organizational depth to deal from and talented Major League players who could be used in trades.

As such, Zduriencik has wasted no time making improvements.

The club has already reportedly inked third baseman Chone Figgins to a lucrative four-year, $36 million contract and they don’t figure to be anywhere near done shopping.

Earlier this offseason the club signed defensive stalwart Jack Wilson to a two-year, $10 million deal to anchor the infield at shortstop.

The club also brought back future Hall of Famer—and arguably the most popular player in franchise history—Ken Griffey Jr. on a one-year, $2 million for the 2010 campaign.

The club is also in the mix to add at least one front-line starter, as the departures of Jarrod Washburn and Erik Bedard have left the depth chart a little barren beyond ace, Felix Hernandez.

Hernandez, 23, is arbitration-eligible for the first-time this offseason and—after finishing second the American League Cy Young balloting—figures to command a significant raise after earning just shy of $4 million last season.

Talks of a signing Hernandez to an extension have begun, but nothing serious has come out of the talks as both sides are said to be “far apart” in negotiations.

If an extension can’t be worked out, there is a possibility the club could move the young fireballer for a slew of prospects.

Numerous teams were rumored to have inquired about Hernandez’s availability at the trade deadline, and acquiring “King Felix” would no doubt require a king’s ransom.

In addition to bolstering the rotation, the club is also in the market to improve a lineup that ranked last in the American League in runs scored (640) in 2009, as well as tied for last in batting average (.258) and on-base percentage (.314).

Zduriencik figures to be on the lookout for a slugging left fielder, a veteran catcher, and improvements to the right side of the infield.

Jason Bay’s name has been floated as a potential target for Zduriencik this offseason and for good reason.

Signing Bay, who lives near Seattle, makes plenty of sense for both parties.

Bay, 31, has made it clear that he would love to play close to his home and his family and friends in and around Seattle.

The Mariners would love to add his 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs into the lineup that lacked a real home run threat for most of 2009.

Bay has already rejected a proposed four-year, $60 million deal from the Boston Red Sox and could cost more than Seattle would care to pay, but he could also give a hometown discount to gain the comfort of playing close to home.

He may not fit into Jack Zduriencik’s defensive-minded lineup, but he could split his time between left field and designated hitter to minimize his impact. Additionally, with Franklin Gutierrez covering ground in center field, Bay’s defensive ineptitude would be less of a burden.

The club has also reportedly not given up on bringing back third baseman Adrian Beltre, who has until midnight eastern Monday to accept or decline arbitration.

If the Mariners and Beltre did re-unite it would create an interesting situation with the recently signed Figgins. The club would logically want to keep Beltre’s glove at the hot corner and move Figgins to either second base or left field.

Both of those potential moves would hinge on the club’s ability and/or inability to sign Bay and/or trade incumbent second baseman Jose Lopez.

If the club did sign Bay and bring back Beltre, it wouldn’t be out of the question to move Figgins to second and slide Lopez over to first where his defensive shortcomings would be less detrimental.

If Beltre does not return, the club figures to push very hard to acquire Bay to add some power and could look toward Nick Johnson, Adam LaRoche, Lyle Overbay, or even Carlos Delgado—obviously on a short-term deal—to play first base.

The club has not yet ruled out a reunion with Russell Branyan, but the sides still seem far apart on contract negotiations after Branyan rejected a one-year deal earlier this winter.

The Mariners’ other big need, a catcher, offers fewer options this winter.

There are a number of solid, but past their prime options available such as Ivan Rodriguez, Rod Barajas, and Bengie Molina.

None of the three figures to be an impact player, but the club is more interested in having their primary backstop serve as a mentor to incumbent starter Rob Johnson and rookie Adam Moore.

As the Winter Meetings open today, it seems that the Mariners are already pushing ahead of their American League West counterparts.

The Texas Rangers are still in a state of financial flux. The club is set to be sold this winter. In fact, a deadline of December 15 has now been set, so the Rangers don’t figure to be major players in free agency until the ownership situation is resolved.

The Los Angeles Angels entered the offseason with a slew of potential free agent loses.

The club has addressed a few of the holes, having already re-upped with outfielder Bobby Abreu while seemingly deciding to let outfielder/designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero leave.

Losing Figgins to a division rival was no doubt a big blow to the Angels who had hoped to bring back their starting third baseman and leadoff hitter. Figgins will now serve as a catalyst to the arguably the Angels biggest threat for division dominance.

It is also rumored that the Mariners are interested in former Los Angeles ace, John Lackey.

If Seattle is able to sign the right-hander, it would serve as a veritable knockout blow to Los Angeles as the free agent market offers few, if any, pitchers who figure to have the same impact as Lackey.

The Mariners and Jack Zduriencik realize that they have a very limited window to win a championship during the Ichiro Era and/or the second Griffey Era and it seems as though they’re willing to go all-in to make it happen.

That fact should be enough to put the rest of the American League on notice, the Seattle Mariners mean business.

Halladay on the trade block

In light of reports that suggest Roy Halladay will NOT accept a trade after the beginning of Spring Training, the 2010 Winter Meetings just became the most likely spot for Halladay’s departure from the Toronto Blue Jays. With Halladay trade rumours swirling in recent weeks, it appears his suitors have been narrowed down to four possible teams; the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, LA Dodgers and LA Angels.  Halladay, of course, wants to play for a sure contender, which significantly reduces the number of possible destinations for the superstar. While the Yankees and Red Sox have the most to offer in a trade scenario, Jays General Manager Alex Anthopolous may be hesitant to trade Halladay within the American League East. If the Jays are truly building for the future, trading him within the division should be less of a concern as long as they receive big name prospects in return.

The Winter Meetings kick of on Monday and Halladay is, without a doubt, the biggest name rumoured to be on the move. Other big names that will likely have new homes come the end of this week include; John Lackey, Matt Holliday and Canada’s own Jason Bay.

Anthopolous has stated that he doesn’t see a quick fix for the Blue Jays via free agency, so don’t expect the Jays to take a run at Jason Bay. However, understanding the impact that losing Halladay to free agency before the 2011 season would have, expect Anthopolous to be aggressive in trying to move the long time staff ace.

Has Halladay handcuffed the Blue Jays management team by setting a deadline for his potential trade?

The Yankees offered Andy Pettitte a one-year deal for around $10 million to remain in the Bronx, but the initial offer was not accepted. Pettitte made around $10M this past season between his base salary and bonuses. Andy has been called the team’s number one priority this offseason, as he is a very important chip to this team’s success.

His 2009 base salary was$5.5M, but it was an incentive-laden deal that allowed him to make as much as $12 million if he reached all of the contract’s incentives. Andy Pettitte gave us his best in ‘09, and he wound up getting another World Series ring on his finger because of it. He was a workhorse during the postseason, and he could always be counted on when the ball was given to him in a big game situation. He definitely earned his money.

Andy stands as the only player to have been made an offer by the Yankees since the World Series ended. Even though the offer was not accepted, an NL official who had spoken to an involved party insisted that a deal would get done. Why would he want to go anywhere else? It doesn’t make any sense really. Count on him being in the Yankees rotation next season. Assuming they get a deal done, that will leave the Yankees with 60% of their rotation filled. Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte would fill the first three spots of the rotation. Hughes and Joba are up in the air, as their roles are unknown and they could possibly be traded. That also brings up the idea that the team will likely go after some other pitcher through free agency or the trade market. The two big names linked to the Yankees are Doc Halladay and John Lackey.

I don’t really know why the contract was rejected, but I wouldn’t worry about it. Let’s not get on Pettitte because we don’t really know if that was the exact amount of money was it for. I’m sure we’ll hear more about it in the coming days. Andy has nowhere else to go, and he knows the best chance for him to win another ring would be in the Big Apple. The Winter Meetings have officially started for the Bombers.

He'd look good in Pinstripes, wouldn't he?

With the Baseball Winter Meetings set to open on Monday in Indianapolis, expect the rumors to fly, and figure the Yankees to be garnering headlines.

In fact, some stories have already come out, with predictions that the Yankees will reduce their payroll for the 2010 season. Of course, like last year, the public pronouncements about slashing payroll could be nothing more than a smokescreen, something that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is adept at concocting.

Remember when Cashman declared that the Yankees were comfortable with Bubba Crosby starting in CF in the offseason following the 2005 regular season? Then the Yankees swooped in and signed Johnny Damon when no one expected it.

Last year, history repeated itself when Mark Teixeira, who seemed headed to Boston, signed with the Yankees, and then revealed at his press conference the Yankees had been trying to get him from the start of the offseason.

This year’s cloak and dagger act may be all about securing the best starting pitcher on the market. Reading between the lines, one gets the sense that John Lackey will be in Pinstripes come April.

Why Lackey? The Yankees have been linked primarily to Andy Pettitte and Roy Halladay thus far. It would seem more likely that one, or both, will be with the Yankees next year, right?

Go back to the 2007-08 offseason, when the Yankees were presented an opportunity to trade for Johan Santana, and then sign him to a lucrative, multi-year contract. The Yankees backed away, despite the fact that Santana was a two-time Cy Young winner.

They did so because they believed the cost in prospects and cash was too much of a burden on the organization.

While the Yankees were initially second-guessed for their decision when they failed to reach the playoffs in 2008, the critics backed off last offseason, when the Bronx Bombers spent to sign free agents C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira.

One World Series title later, thanks in part to players the Yankees didn’t trade to Minnesota, Cashman looks smart for holding off on that Santana trade.

Returning to the present, one wonders how a trade for Halladay would make enough sense from the Yankees’ perspective. Halladay is four years older than Santana was when he was dealt, and Halladay has logged over 700 more innings than Santana had at the time of the Mets’ acquisition of him.

Working in Halladay’s favor is his familiarity with the American League East, along with his unquestioned durability. Plus, the thought of having C.C. Sabathia, Halladay, and A.J. Burnett slotted as the top three pitchers in the rotation would make the Yankees prohibitive favorites to repeat as champions.

However, the idea of trading three prospects and signing Halladay to a four-year extension for roughly $90 million should be enough to make the Yankees reconsider. While Halladay would be a tantalizing addition, the Yankees have shown in recent years a reluctance to make similar moves.

As for Pettitte, he was brought back last season and expected to fill the role of the veteran #4 starter in a deep rotation. Chien-Ming Wang’s ineffectiveness and injuries thrust Pettitte into a more prominent role, and he was solid.

Back in February, the idea of Pettitte being required to pitch on three days’ rest in the postseason would have been cause for Cashman to swing a trade or sign a veteran innings-eater. Yet, that’s exactly what Pettitte had to do for the Yankees in the 2009 playoffs, and things worked out. However, the Yankees do not want to be faced with the same predicament in the postseason next season.

The Yankees have publicly stated they would like to have Pettitte back, but they made similar public overtures to Bernie Williams toward the end of his career. Pettitte, who turns 38 in June, is the same age Williams was when the Yankees decided Bernie’s playing days were over.

I’m not trying to draw a  comparison from Pettitte’s free agency to how Williams was handled late in his career. However, it would appear that the Yankees are saying the right things, knowing that Pettitte will either pitch for them, or retire. They can rest assured knowing Pettitte will be back, if both sides can come to terms.

Still, as great as it would be for the Yankees to have the steady Pettitte return, he is not a frontline starting pitcher anymore. He is a good, league-average pitcher, and should be viewed as such. Should he return, it should be as the team’s #4 starter.

Whatever the outcome is regarding Andy Pettitte, it is clear that the Yankees need a third above-average starting pitcher. The best available option on the open market is John Lackey, hands down.

As speculation of where Lackey will sign begins to grow, the Yankees have yet to be associated in those rumors. Teams mentioned as being interested in Lackey include the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets. Yet the Yankees should be considered the front-runners, despite not being published as such.

Lackey, at this point is his career, enters free agency as more reliable and less injury-prone than A.J. Burnett. Lackey is also two years younger than Burnett was last winter when he cashed in, and Lackey also has postseason experience, something Burnett did not have. With rumors of a $100 million total price tag being floated in media reports, Lackey’s suitors could diminish, leaving an opening for the Yankees to pounce.

The Yankees do not know exactly what they have in Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, or Ian Kennedy. They are not sure what Pettitte’s intentions are, although they believe he will return.

It would be nice to simply re-sign Pettitte and hand over the #4 and #5 spots in the rotation to two of the home-grown pitchers, but none of the youngsters have shown enough to be given anything, and at this stage of his career, Pettitte is not a great option in the #3 spot in the rotation.

As much as Yankees fans would like to see Halladay and/or Pettitte in the rotation next season, the Yankees financial and human resources should be directed toward signing John Lackey. He presents the Yankees with the best available option to fill the #3 spot in the rotation, and his arrival would allow Brian Cashman the flexibility to explore trade options to fill other holes. And if Pettitte does decide to return, he can be properly slotted in the #4 spot the Yankees had in mind for him last year.

UPDATE:

The article I was referring to has since been revised to exclude “latin”. The quote now reads:

…signing low-budget players,…

It was the right call to edit out the word “latin”. However, do you think the damage was already done?

I think so only because we all know what he originally meant.

-

So Jonathan Ragus of MVPGotham.com brought my attention to a piece that Bill Madden of the Daily News wrote.

Mets? Did somebody say the Mets?

They won’t spend the money for Holliday, Bay or Lackey and apparently, they’re only interested in signing low-budget Latin players, having shown little or no interest in Byrd, Figgins, DeRosa, Wolf or even Staten Island’s Jason Marquis, while waiting for their markets to come to them.

At the same time, the Phillies and Braves wasted no time in addressing their needs. Sad.

Well good flippin’ whoopdeedoo for the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

I think saying he is starting a racial war is a little strong to say, as one person said and numerous others are thinking. (By the way, I LOVE the comments left for Madden after he wrote the article.)

Here’s what Joew99 said:

Thanks to racist Madden I will now pick up the Post and USA Today even if it costs me .50 more daily. Madden you are such a racist bigot!

So Chris Coste is a “low-budget Latin player”? That is very interesting. I did not know there were Latinos in Fargo, North Dakota.

Here’s a newsflash for you, my dear Madden sir. The hot stove is just starting to heat up.

Another newsflash: The GM Meetings commence tomorrow.

So in other words, allow me to make it simpler for you, this is when everything really starts to happen.

Just because it seems to you like there has not been a lot of interest in a player, does not mean that there isn’t any.

Did it also dawn on you, Mr. Madden, that the Mets have so many holes to fill that they have to somehow spread out the money they intend to spend? Um, after all, they almost have to build an entirely new team from scratch.

You mention Lackey, Holliday, and Bay. The Mets cannot sign all of them. Maybe just one because those players will demand two arms, two legs, and maybe a torso. Or did you forget that Scott Bor-a$$ is Holliday’s agent?

The Mets are not the Yankees. They may have the second-highest payroll, but they are most certainly not the Yankees.

Maybe you should partner up with your fellow News writer, Anthony McCarron, who feels the Mets could be serious players in the services of Mr. John Lackey.

By the way, McCarron also mentions that Lackey has had trouble staying healthy the past couple of years. That should give the Mets more reason to go for him, isn’t that right Mr. Madden?

Madden, the News sounds like the Mets front office. You guys cannot agree on who the Mets are going for. You are a little discombobulated.

Would you like to lobby for a job?

Finally, it starts to get interesting.

Pitching is Theo’s top priority at the Winter Meetings.  It looks like we’re shifting our focus from Roy Halladay to John Lackey.  That’s very good news.  I don’t want to give up both Clay Buchholz and Casey Kelly for a pitcher who is, in all likelihood, past his prime.  Yes, it’s possible he could be another Randy Johnson, who won four straight Cy Youngs after turning thirty-five, or Curt Schilling, who was a Cy Young runner-up three times after turning thirty-three.  But it’s also possible that he just won’t deliver or that he’ll become a medical liability or, worse yet, the dreaded combination of both.  (See Randy Johnson in pinstripes.  Talk about disasters.) And if you compare the two, Roy Halladay doesn’t even enjoy a complete edge in the numbers.  In his career, he started and won more games, struck out more batters, and had a lower ERA, OPP AVG, and WHIP.  But Lackey’s gone the distance more often (which translates to durability) and has allowed fewer earned runs, home runs, bases on balls, and hit batters.  And if we land Lackey this offseason, it would be through a signing, not a trade, so we wouldn’t have to mortgage our future.  Besides, we theoretically have some money left over from our decision to not pick up Alex Gonzalez’s option.

Supposedly, we’re also seriously pursuing Rich Harden.  I like that less.  He’s got a 3.39 career ERA with 783 strikeouts and a record of fifty and twenty-nine, but he’s never thrown two hundred innings in a season and has only made more than twenty-six starts once.  Durability? Not so much.  But he’d be a good bargain option, arguably a better one than Smoltz or Penny, because he’s pitched in the American League.

Speaking of pitching, the Braves cleaned out two of our peripheral relievers.  Wagner signed a one-year deal worth seven million dollars to close for them.  I would’ve liked to see him come back to Boston, but he did give us fair warning that he wanted to close, and we don’t exactly have a vacancy in that position.  One day later, the Braves signed Saito also, to a one year deal worth just over three million plus incentives.  I’m not too torn up about it.

Say hello to the latest shortstop to don a Boston uniform: Marco Scutaro.  If I sound cynical, it’s because I am.  He’s wearing Number 16; the last Boston shortstop to wear Number 16 was Edgar Renteria, so here’s hoping this time around will work out a little bit better.  Let’s not kid ourselves: he’s a veteran.  He’s a career .265 hitter with fifty home runs, 294 RBIs, and 297 walks to his credit.  But he’s thirty-four years old.  There’s a reason why the deal was only for two years.  It’s worth eleven million dollars plus a dual option.  Things that made this possible: the draft pick we’re getting from the Braves that will offset the one we have to give to the Jays, another undisclosed team pushing hard for Scutaro that forced the issue, and Scurato has reached that point in his career when he really wants a ring.  (Ironically, Alex Gonzalez signed a one-year deal with the Jays earlier, worth close to three million plus an option.) Either way, we now have a shortstop who is not Dustin Pedroia.

That needs to be cleared up once and for all.  Dustin Pedroia said he would be willing to play shortstop if the team needed him to.  But the team wasn’t about to let that happen.  Trust me.  You don’t move a Gold Glove second baseman to short because you don’t want to spend some money.  You don’t do that for a number of reasons.  Not the least of which is the fact that it doesn’t solve anything.  Fine; you move your second baseman to short.  Now you need a second baseman.  Sure, the market for second basemen is more fluid than that for shortstops, but not when you’re talking about second basemen as good as Dustin Pedroia.  Also, the caliber of Pedroia’s defense at short would be comparable to, if not worse than, any career shortstop on the market, with the obvious exception of Julio Lugo.  Thirdly, shortstop is no defensive walk in the park.  It’s the most difficult infield position.  And that means it carries a higher probability of injury, especially for someone who’s not used to it.  So we would have lost valuable playing time from him, both in the field and at the plate, had he made the switch.  Would he have been capable of doing so? Absolutely.  If anyone could, Dustin Pedroia could.  If there’s one ballplayer who embodies the don’t-tell-me-I-can’t-‘cause-I’ll-show-you-I-can attitude, it’s him.  Not to mention the fact that in 2003 he was the NCAA National Defensive Player of the Year at short.  And he’s actually in a better position to play shortstop at the Major League level now than he was when he first came up, due to his offseason workouts and in-season conditioning that have made him lighter and faster.  But even though he’d use his baseball acumen to compensate, his range would leave much to be desired.  And sometimes, in pressure situations in that part of the field, the range of the shortstop is what it comes down to.  It would have put considerable pressure on Mike Lowell to improve his range as compensation, that’s for sure.  So while I’m not doubting Pedroia’s ability to make the switch, I don’t think it would be a good for him or the team in the long run.  The team wasn’t actually serious about that possibility anyway.  Ultimately, Theo never would have allowed it.  Thankfully, it’s a moot point now either way.

But that would explain our earlier interest in Placido Polanco.  After the Tigers declined to offer him arbitration, we made a call or two.  But like I said, we don’t need a second baseman, and even if we did, he was all but off-limits.  The Phillies have since closed the deal.  So much for Chone Figgins, who ended up signing a four-year deal with Seattle.

Last but not least, we extended arbitration to Bay earlier this week.  (We declined offers to Baldelli and Byrd.) That means that, even if he signs with someone else, we get compensatory draft picks.  So the saga continues.

Congratulations to Joe Castiglione, Dave O’Brien, and Jerry Remy for landing on the ballot for the Hall of Fame’s Frick Award, honoring the baseball’s best announcers.  They definitely deserve it.

We beat the Lightning and the Leafs.  Not so much the Habs.  We lost, 1-5, to Montreal.  Ugh.  That was just an awful game to watch.  Even with that loss, though, we’re in first place in the Northeast! Finally! One point ahead of the Sabres, but I’ll take it.  But the most significant B’s news this week has nothing to do with wins and losses.  Marc Savard signed a seven-year extension.  Ladies and gentlemen, that could very well be the highlight of the regular season.  It’s going to have a hugely positive impact it’s going to have on our future.  There is arguably no other center in the league who is as multi-faceted and deeply talented as Marc Savard.  Things aren’t as cheerful on the football front.  Talk about awful games to watch.  The Saints defeated us, 38-17.  Yeah.  Awful.

Boston Globe Staff/Jim Davis

With Yankees organizational meetings now over, the plans for the Yankees have become a little bit clearer than they were a mere few days ago. As expected, the Yankees plan on shedding some payroll this year, how much, is unknown at this time. While Buster Olney tweets that it should be between $190-$200 million, but it isn’t a hard number, obviously. Considering that Buster Olney’s blog always keeps us in the know, it has to be true. ESPN reports that the payroll could go as low as $185 million, though I doubt it will go that low. Time will tell…

Moving on to other news Olney has reported, it appears as if the Yankees don’t have Jason Bay or Matt Holliday at the top of their list, especially if they can resign Johnny Damon for about $7-8 million. I am glad that they are not going to spend a ton of money on either one of them, especially Matt Holliday, as I don’t think he’d be a great AL player, regardless of what Scott Boras tells you. In a minor note, Arn Tellem and Brian Cashman are to get together to talk about Hideki Matsui during winter meetings.

Moving on to plans not related to hitting the ball out of the yard. As you probably have heard, retaining Andy Pettitte is Cashman’s number one priority, which makes sense. If Pettitte retires, that would set a number of contingency plans in motion that would obviously bring in any combination of Ben Sheets, John Lackey, Aroldis Chapman or Roy Halladay. However, this is not to say that Lackey and Halladay aren’t on the Yankees radar, because they are.

In addition to previously mentioned pitchers, the Yankees are reportedly going to look into Rich Harden, Randy Wolf and Joel Piniero. I don’t know about you, but I would only entertain the possibility of one of those pitchers and that would be Rich Harden. Randy Wolf has spent his entire career in the NL, so I don’t want Denny Neagle, part two. Joel Piniero, while has pitched in the AL, finally had a good year after a five year slide, not exactly the guy I would go after. If they want to give Rich Harden a incentive laden deal, I wouldn’t be against it as his upside is pretty high.

So, obviously, the number one priority overall this offseason is pitching, if you haven’t picked up on that pattern yet. Going this route, obviously is the best way to go considering how past seasons have paid off when they have focused on pitching. I wonder if we’re going to see Lackey and Halladay in Pinstripes next year? I doubt it, but the thought is appealing, isn’t it?

Yesterday the Yankees brass started their annual organizational meetings, while Joe Girardi would be in attendance today. Most likely the topics to dominate the meeting would be the budget for 2010, whether or not to re-sign either Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui (What, no Jose Molina love?) whether to go after free agents John Lackey or Matt Holliday and whether to go after Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay.

According to ESPN.com, The Boss has taken part in some of the meetings so far. I don’t know if it’s me, but in years past you would have figured that Big Stein would have been hot on Doc Halladay’s trail by now. Now, we have the Yankees trying to appear to be ‘fiscally responsible’ which is all good, but when the best pitcher in baseball becomes available, acting like you don’t care won’t win. However, the Yankees may come out of their meetings and go after him, which makes my above statement null and void.

The Winter Meetings in Indianapolis begin on Monday, so the outcome of organizational meetings might be obvious then. We’ll just have to wait and see.

This offseason Yankees fans are wondering how much they’d have to fork over for Doc Halladay or how many years and millions John Lackey would command. Though there is a dark horse candidate lurking in the background that many Yankees fans might not think is on the radar. According to Peter Gammons, the Yankees have not ruled out going after Ben Sheets, which in theory wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Pros

Upon mentioned his name, I know I invoke a few groans and rolls of the eyes, which is well deserved, in some cases. Though, the stats do not lie, in 8 active years, he has an ERA of 3.72 and 7.6 Ks per nine innings. Though, when healthy (and that’s a big IF) he can throw 200+ innings easily and even with injury riddled years, he provides 6+ innings in his starts. Think of this, Andy Pettitte re-signs, Roy Halladay doesn’t get traded and John Lackey goes elsewhere, you can slide Ben Sheets in as a 4th or 5th starter and move Joba or Phil to the bullpen or rotate their starts. With Ben not needing to be the #1 starter like he was in Milwaukee, he can relax and pitch his game. When healthy, Ben Sheets has the potential to be a front line starter.

Cons

Sheets missed all of last year due to rehabilitation of his surgically repaired elbow which he injured in 2008.  All the eye rolling and scoffing at him possibly signing is well deserved. The biggest con against him is his health. If you remove 2008 from his pitching records, from 2005 to 2007, his innings pitched were: 156.2, 106, 141.1. Not exactly stellar, more like Joba rules were in effect for him. Another big IF is whether or not he’d be able to pitch in a big city market like New York. Many pitchers have come and not lived up to their expectations or wilted under the pressure (See: Javy Vasquez, Kenny Rodgers, Jack McDowell, Randy Johnson, etc al).

Given his ability, I don’t think the Yankees would be too far off their rockers if they offered him a decent base salary heavy with incentives, similar to what Andy Pettitte received in 2009. Yes, he received a very nice 12.1 million from Milwaukee in 2008, however, Sheets has to know that after elbow surgery, his injury riddled past, that an incentive laden deal would be the best way to go. There won’t be many teams crazy enough to take a chance and offer $10+ million guaranteed a year for him due to his history.

Now, comparing this to his colleagues available this year, he would be a steal if he returned to form. John Lackey made $10 million in 2009 and will like be able to command close to $12 if not more and if the Yankees acquire Doc Halladay, it’s likely he’ll be signing a deal worth $15-23 million annually as well. While a signing like this may be the wild card out of the Lackey, Halladay, Sheets pool, it could turn out to be a great move.

For those of you who are not aware, yesterday at 11:59 pm est was the last day at teams could offer their free agents arbitration. Once a team offers arbitration to a player, that player has until Dec. 7 to accept.

A team would offer arbitration to a player–especially to a Type A or a Type B free agent because that team then would receive draft compensation as a result of that player signing with a new team.

A great example of this is what we saw this morning.

Since Billy Wagner signed with the Atlanta Braves and he was a Type A free agent who was offered arbitration, the Boston Red Sox will receive the Braves’ first-round pick (20th overall) and a supplemental pick in 2010.

Here is a list of the players who were offered arbitration by their current clubs. This list is courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors.

Type A Free Agents (10 players)

Chone Figgins

Figgins was offered arbitration by the Angels

John Lackey
Jose Valverde
Marco Scutaro
Mike Gonzalez
Rafael Soriano
Matt Holliday
Billy Wagner
Jason Bay
Rafael Betancourt

Type B Free Agents (13 players)

Justin Duchscherer
Rod Barajas
Joel Pineiro
Mark DeRosa
Adrian Beltre
Ivan Rodriguez
Marlon Byrd
Brian Shouse
Gregg Zaun
Jason Marquis
Brandon Lyon
Fernando Rodney
Carl Pavano

Yesterday was a good day for guys like Bengie Molina, Jermaine Dye, LaTroy Hawkins, and Kevin Gregg, who are all Type A free agents. Since these players were not offered arbitration and will not cost a first-round draft pick, they become much more attractive for teams to sign.

My predictions are that Molina ends up with the New York Mets and Dye ends up with the San Francisco Giants.

Yesterday was a bad day for a player like Rafael Betancourt. With him being a Type A free agent and offered arbitration by the Colorado Rockies, he is going to have a hard time finding work.

It’s hard to justify giving up a first-round pick for a middle reliever, who has been up and down for much of his career. My guess is he ends up back with the Rockies in 2010.

After Dec. 7, we will start to see the dominoes start to fall in the free agent market.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

This year 23 free agents were offered arbitration.

Of those 23, ten are Type A free agents and thirteen are Type B.

Teams that sign a Type A free agent will lose their first-round pick—if that club finished in the top fifteen in the league—as well as a sandwich pick between rounds one and two of the draft.

Teams that sign a Type B free agent do not lose a draft pick, but the team that offered arbitration does receive an additional supplemental round pick.

The following players were offered arbitration on Tuesday, and now have until December 7th to decide whether to accept:

Check out the slideshow featuring all 23 free agents at BleacherReport.com.

I am a follower of the site “mlbtraderumors.com” during the offseason and when it becomes closer to the trade deadline of the baseball season. Usually, I am very interested and agree with a lot of what the site says. However, they posted their Top 50 Free Agent Predictions, and I throughly disagree on many. Here is my list:

Matt Holliday (above) watches the game from the dugout.

1.  Matt Holliday – Mets.   The Mets need offense, plain and simple. They have the money, and want to add the big bat.

2.  John Lackey – Red Sox. Boston’s rotation was almost a sure thing prior to last season. Now, Beckett and Lester are the only two definite starters, so signing Lackey is a top priority.

3.  Jason Bay – Red Sox.  Boston is the only place Bay has won, and he fits in very nicely there. I expect him to wait until Holliday signs, but after realizing Boston is his best spot, he will resign.

4.  Chone Figgins – Cardinals. A bit of a surprise here, as most believe Figgins will either sign with the Phillies or return to the Angels. However, the Cardinals struggled with solidifying the top of their lineup all season, and Troy Glaus is no longer a sure thing at the hot corner.

5.  Randy Wolf – Dodgers. L.A. is in the same situation as Boston, and have no idea what their rotation will look like next season. It’s highly unlikely that the Dodgers could acquire Roy Halladay, so Wolf is a must to bring back.

6.  Andy Pettitte – Retirement. Yes, Pettitte is finally going to walk away. After winning a World Series in 2009, who wouldn’t want to go out on top?

7.  Jose Valverde – Yankees. This will be the biggest splash of the offseason in the Bronx, as the will sign Valverde to set up Rivera, and possibly be his replacement.

8.  Marco Scutaro – Red Sox. The Sox let SS Alex Gonzalez walk, and Scutaro fits nicely. He can bat at either the top or bottom of the lineup, and will help SS Jed Lowrie stay fresh throughout the season.

9.  Adrian Beltre – Angels. They will need to fill the void that Figgins leaves, and I don’t think that they are ready to hand over the job to minor leaguers yet. This signing makes much more sense if the Halos are unable to bring back OF Vladamir Guerrero.

10.  Rich Harden – Mets. I believe the Red Sox will get Halladay, and that is why I have Harden going to the Mets. In desperate need of starting pitching and a winning club, look for New York to go on a spending spree to try and fill the stands at Citi Field.

11.  Mike Cameron – Royals. Kansas City already declined Coco Crisp’s option, and they need a center fielder. Frankly, the need elsewhere for Cameron’s services is limited.

12.  Johnny Damon – Giants. The Giants need to add offense, and Damon would fit nicely by the bay. Damon would also be the final piece of an outfield that includes Aaron Rowand and Nate Schierholtz.

13.  Orlando Hudson – Diamondbacks. It was a mistake letting Hudson walk in the first place, and Arizona was a dreadful team last season. They need to make improvements, and second base is one of the many holes on this club.

14.  Miguel Tejada – Orioles. I think Tejada would be good for the Phillies,

Miguel Tejada (above) could dawn that same Orioles' uniform again.

 but I just can’t see that happening. After the relationship soured between Baltimore and Melvin Mora last season, a hole at third base opened up for Tejada to step right back into.

15.  Joel Pineiro - Mets. New York needs rotation help, and its no secret that GM Omar Minaya likes the idea of building a latin oriented team.

16.  Nick Johnson – Orioles. Baltimore let 1B Aubrey Huff go at the trade deadline, and can afford to offer an incentive laden deal to the oft-injured Johnson.

17.  Aroldis Chapman - Reds. This could be the surprise of the offseason. After all the hype, when teams actually see him throw, I believe that his value will fall in the eyes of GMs, and will join the Reds rotation of the future, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Micah Owings.

18.  Marlon Byrd – Rangers. It is the only place where Byrd has had success in his major league career, and there is not much of a market for center fielders, prompting the Rangers to keep Marlon.

19.  Vladimir Guerrero – Twins. This is another surprise pick here, but Minnesota needs to add a bat to help MVP Joe Mauer and 1B Justin Morneau. Guerrero would be the perfect DH to open a new ball park in the Twin Cities.

20.  Felipe Lopez – Dodgers. With Orlando Hudson leaving the Dodgers, Lopez fits right in as a bat in the No.2 hole of the line up, or down at the bottom.

21.  Adam LaRoche – Braves. LaRoche has spent most of his big league career in Atlanta, and the Braves can’t afford to lose too much offense. Look for LaRoche to get a pay raise to ensure that he doesn’t leave Georgia.

22.  Rafael Soriano – Angels. Adding this right-handed late inning reliever will give L.A. the ability to play the numbers, and put in either Soriano or closer Brian Fuentes based on matchups.

 23. Jon Garland - Twins. Minnesota would like another arm to go in their rotation, and Garland would be a nice addition. He is one of the lower pitchers of this year’s crop, so his price will not be outrageously high.

24.  Carl Pavano - Nationals. Pavano was given a shot by the Indians last season, and was then traded to Minnesota. While Carl could still return to Cleveland, the Nationals are in need of a veteran starter, and a stop gap until all their young pitching talent arrives.

25.  Brad Penny - Diamondbacks. Arizona needs everything, and Penny would give the D-Backs a deeper rotation, as well as a veteran starter.

26.  Erik Bedard – Dodgers. Bedard is often injured, and this could lower his price. However, price isn’t much of an issue in L.A. Bedard is also rumored to be a pain in the clubhouse, in which he would fit right in with Dodgers OF Manny Ramirez.

World Series MVP Hideki Matsui (above) won't leave the Bronx.

27.  Hideki Matsui – Yankees. Believe it or not, the Yankees need the Japanese media in New York. Not to mention, Matsui was just World Series MVP, and there is no way that he is let go.

 28.  Bengie Molina – Mets. The Mets need bats, and their offseason spending frenzy will continue with the signing of Molina. Acquiring one of the best hitting catchers in baseball will help New York build a deeper line up.

29.  Mike Gonzalez – Braves. A possible destination is in the Bronx, but if Soriano leaves Atlanta, Gonzalez may like having the closer’s role all to himself.

30.  Jason Marquis – Rockies. Marquis had a stellar first half in Denver, but struggled down the stretch. I believe that he will hold out in hopes of a bigger deal, but the market will not play in his favor and force a return to the Rockies.

31.  Placido Polanco – Rays. Money isn’t a plenty down in Florida, but after trading 2B Akinori Iwamura, the Rays could use a stabalizing force at the top of their line up. CF B.J. Upton was inconsistent last season, which is why signing Polanco could happen.

32.  Tim Wakefield – Red Sox.  Boston’s rotation is very uncertain, and Wakefield has only ever played for one team. If Wakefield doesn’t return to Boston like I believe, look for retirement.

33.  Ben Sheets – Rangers. Sheets has taken a year off to recover from shoulder surgery, and looks to mount a comeback. Not many teams will be willing to offer him a contract, but the Rangers are always in need of starters, and could offer him an incentive laden deal. Not to mention, Sheets is the same kind of pitcher that owner Nolan Ryan used to be, so that must make him attractive.

34.  Doug Davis – Brewers. Davis has already played for the Brewers, and Milwaukee doesn’t have the money to sign a top-notch starter. Davis’s signing looks even more likely since the Brewers claimed him on waivers in August but couldn’t work out a deal.

35.  Jarrod Washburn – Mariners. There were no bitter feelings between the two sides after trading Washburn to Detroit, and the pitcher said that he would like to return to Seattle. The Mariners aren’t deep on pitching, so bringing back Washburn makes perfect sense.

36.  Russell Branyan – Mariners. I don’t believe that any other club will take the chance of signing Branyan, for he very likely could be a one year wonder. Also, Branyan has the desire to stay in Seattle, so why would he leave?

37.  Billy Wagner – Nationals. Wagner has questions about his health and age, which makes him an unreliable option in the late innings. However, he has stated that he wants to close for the Washington Nationals, and they have no one better. There is no reason that this deal shouldn’t get done.

38.  Juan Uribe – Mariners. Uribe had a good season in San Francisco last season, but not good enough to demand a crazy amount of money. The Mariners will need a third basemen if Adrian Beltre opts to leave, making Uribe a fit in Seattle.

39.  John Smoltz – Retirement. Smoltz’s attempt to come back from shoulder surgery failed last season, and there is no reason to believe that he would be able to make it through a full season. I don’t believe any club in contention would take a chance on Smoltz.

40.  Jermaine Dye – Royals. Dye is in the last stretch of his career, and being a former Royal may appeal to him. His market is not that big, therefore Kansas City would be able to afford him.

41.  Mark DeRosa - Phillies.  The Phillies have tried to acquire DeRosa for years. It makes perfect sense for both sides, as Philadelphia will need a third basemen going into next season.

42.  Coco Crisp – Padres. Money is an issue for San Diego, and it helps that Crisp can’t demand a ton of it. The Padres need an outfielder, and Crisp would be a nice addition to the top of the line up.

43.  Carlos Delgado – Blue Jays. Delgado is another aging superstar, and

Carlos Delgado (above) could also be returning to Toronto.

may want to return to his old stomping ground in Toronto. The Jays are totally devoid of power, and could bring back Delgado at a low price.

44.  Orlando Cabrera – Twins. Both sides have interest, as Cabrera was the emotional leader of last season’s squad. I don’t see Cabrera going any place else.

45.  Gregg Zaun – Rays. The Rays need a backup catcher, and Zaun is cheap. Perfect fit.

46.  Jim Thome – White Sox. Thome has had a good run in Chicago, and the only other place I could see him landing would be Cleveland. I think the issue here will be money, and Thome will not get what he want, but Chicago will offer a little more than Cleveland.

47.  Fernando Rodney – Phillies. Rodney is a good fit in Philadelphia because of his versatility. He can close, set up, and pitch in middle relief. If Brad Lidge struggles again next season, Rodney would be the best insurance policy.

48.  Xavier Nady - Diamondbacks.  Nady provides corner outfield depth, and can play first base. He’s not an all-star by any means, but a decent player that could help out in Arizona.

49.  Kiko Calero - Rays. Calero would be cheap, and as I have previously said, that makes him a fit as a reliever in Tampa.

50.  Rafael Betancourt – Rockies. Betancourt was one of the Rockies best relievers last season, and there will be interest in him. However, I think Colorado will offer some decent dollars to Betancourt, and keep him around.

There is one thing that I did agree with on the site, and it is that this is a difficult puzzle. If one player signs with one team, it ultimately could effect another team’s interest in another player, and all sorts of mayhem in which is the MLB offseason. Although, I thoroughly believe that my predictions will prove more accurate.

The Yankees recent World Series victory got me thinking about the birth of a new dynasty. Some say it’s impossible to build a dynasty these days with all the different teams out there and the competitive free agent market. We saw the Bronx Bombers build a dynasty in the late 90’s, which stood strong until the blooper up the middle off of Gonzo’s bat.

My question is..can it be done again? It’s very rare that we see back-to-back champs, or even three straight championship victories. You can be the best team out there, and still not win it all. Entering the postseason, it’s all about the hottest team and situational hitting. The Yankees were unstoppable in the playoffs this past postseason, mainly because of their starting rotation and they got the big hits when it mattered most.

I think it can definitely be done, especially with the Yankees because they have such great financial resources. Bring in a big-time free agent, let go some of the older veterans, and bring in a new group of youngsters. That’s how it’s done. It’s about having a mix of experienced players and the next generation. Decisions need to be made on Damon, Matsui, Pettitte, Wang, Hughes and Joba. It’s hard to say if Cashman will pull the right strings this time around, (he certainly had a terrific 2008 off-season) but I feel that if he follows that plan than it could work.

Some of my suggestions: Sign either one: Damon/Matsui, Bring in John Lackey or Roy Halladay (all depending on what they are asking for), call up Austin Jackson. If they let Matsui and Damon go than they must go after a big time outfielder…possibly Matt Holliday.

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Skip Bayless

Sportsfans, sports broadcasting history was made today. A female sports reporter (whose name and picture I can’t freaking find anywhere on the internet) was talking about the problems with Notre Dame and Charlie Weis. Basically,  the problem is what Notre Dame thinks of itself. They aren’t executing their offense because they don’t have the personnel to run an NFL Superbowl offense because they simply can’t recruit.

Nameless intelligent female reporter to Skip Bayless: “…these kids weren’t even alive, Skip, when Notre Dame was good.”

Brian Scalabrine

That was it, it wasn’t a monologue, but she’s absolutely right. Notre Dame needs to take the pressure off Weis, which I don’t think they will because their Boosters are so deep in their own asses they can’t see straight, and commit to rebuilding the program based on a few targeted key recruits. They tried to do this around Clausen but only went half way because of Notre Dame’s self imposed pressure to win a National Championship.

Also. The Sox getting Miguel Cabrera would be just fine. Actually, it arouses me. I’m tired of the myth that the most important player is an Ace. For us, it’s a 30/120 bat. AND we can still get an arm. We need to spend our balls off and lock up Bay or Holliday, and go nuts on some pitching, get Lackey, I don’t even care. Just get me some shit-talk fuel.

I don’t wanna win in 2 years. I want to win today. Pitchers and Catchers: February 18.

SMC

A lot has been said about Zack Grienke’s amazing season, and at an astounding 9.4 WAR, it was certainly one for the ages. But aren’t there other factors to consider as well, such as how tough your opposition was? According to Baseball Prospectus, Grienke’s opponents had an average OPS of .753 (the AL average was .764). Justin Verlander faced hitters with a composite .762 OPS, and that’s worthy of some consideration, no? How about Roy Halladay, who faced a composite .770 OPS? How much does this kind of thing matter?

As a Boston Red Sox fan, I’ve always considered that the AL East is the toughest pitching environment in baseball; of the top 6 offenses in the AL this year, 4 of them were from the AL Beast: the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Rays. If you want to compete with the payroll of New York, and to a lesser extent, Boston, you’re going to have to marshal some real talent, so this division is the toughest there is.

So I decided to try a little thought experiment. I can’t just compare AL East pitchers with pitchers in other divisions, not with a weighted schedule. But I can look at how AL pitchers as a whole did against each team and this particular division. Baseball-Reference has a really nice splits page which I used to generate FIP ERA of AL pitchers against each AL team:

Look at it this way, and the AL East is home to the the four toughest offenses in the American League. And, there’s a suggestion in there that the difference between pitching against the best offense in the league versus the worst offense could mean a difference of 1.4 earned runs in your ERA in a given start (for an average pitcher). That’s big.

Looking at the AL East as a division, you see an average of 4.81 FIP against. The Central comes out to a 4.28 FIP, and the West clocks in at 4.21 FIP. That’s more than half a run differential. Of course, you don’t pitch every game within the division, but even then it could mean a difference of 0.25 runs per nine. Could there really be that big of a gap between pitching in the East versus the other two divisions? Would John Lackey get a quarter of a run tacked on to his ERA by pitching for the Yankees or Red Sox?

Roy Halladay

A Tuesday report from the New York Daily News suggests that Roy Halladay may be headed to the Boston Red Sox. The Sox are reportedly interested in getting a deal done before the December 7th MLB Winter Meetings and are pushing aggressively to make it happen.

The Red Sox would likely need to part ways with young pitcher Clay Buckholtz and blue chip prospect, Casey Kelly. Halladay’s price tag may be even larger given the fact that the Blue Jays would be trading him within their own division.

Halladay would give the Red Sox another ace to go along with Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, John Lester and Tim Wakefield; forming arguably Major League Baseball’s best rotation.

The Angels have also reportedly stated their interest in Halladay as they prepare for the reality that staff ace John Lackey will likely test free agency.