With the New York Mets losing out on free agent catcher Bengie Molina, they might turn to another free agent in Yorvit Torrealba. However, signing Torrealba might be difficult considering their history together:
Turning to him would be intriguing, and perhaps costly, because Torrealba filed a continuing grievance against the Mets after they backed out of a three-year deal with him two years ago . . . Last month, the Mets and Torrealba attended a hearing on the grievance, conducted by the baseball arbitrator Shyam Das. A ruling is not expected for several months.
The Baltimore Orioles are rumored to have interest in reuniting with free agent infielder Miguel Tejada. Tejada would play third base for the O’s.
The team has previously shown interest in third baseman Joe Crede. If Baltimore were to sign a free agent third baseman, they would then look to move Ty Wiggington in a trade for relief pitching.
The Globe and Mail is reporting that despite the throwing session pitcher Ben Sheets will perform for several teams on Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs have “all but signed” the right-hander.
MLB Trade Rumors has a list of the teams attending the throwing session here.
ESPN is reporting that the Chicago Cubs are discussing a deal with free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye. Dye has said he’d be willing to take a job as a backup corner outfielder and first baseman.
I don’t see this being a fit for a few reasons. First of all, Dye shouldn’t come cheap, making him an expensive backup. Second, the Cubs already have a full outfield with Soriano, Byrd, and Fukudome. Soriano’s contract can’t be traded, and Byrd was just signed, making Fukudome the only one they could possibly move. However, Dye was one of the worst defensive outfielders in baseball last season, and right field in Wrigley is a notoriously difficult position (the sun during day games can be brutal).
According to a tweet from Jon Heyman, four teams have expressed interest in designated hitter Jim Thome, one of those teams being the Tampa Bay Rays.
If the Rays were to sign Thome, he’d be used in a platoon with Pat Burrell. This would cause a problem for the Rays as they would have to fill two roster spots with players that are restricted to only playing DH.
The Baltimore Orioles are showing interest in free agent third baseman Joe Crede.
The Orioles are seemingly set at third base with Ty Wiggington. They even have another third baseman set to play first base this season in Garrett Atkins. If the team were to sign Crede, it’s rumored that they’d then look to trade Wiggington for relief pitching.
Jon Heyman tweets that the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers “all-in” on Joel Pineiro.
The Angels and Dodgers have been very quiet this offseason and lost major players from their rotation last season (Lackey and Wolf). The Mets made one big move by landing outfielder Jason Bay, but are still looking to fill their rotation needs.
The goal for Pineiro is getting one of these three teams to offer him a three-year deal similar to the one Milwaukee gave left-hander Randy Wolf earlier in the offseason.
With the recent news that Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay will not be inclined to re-sign with the club when he hits free agency, a trade of the All-Star right-hander is imminent.
General manager Alex Anthopoulos laid out his plans for the team earlier this offseason, and the message seemed clear: the Blue Jays are taking a rebuilding (for lack of a better word) approach. The team doesn’t expect to pass the Yankees, Sox, or Rays anytime soon, and the right-hander wants to win now. With Halladay’s interests in mind and his impending free agency after the 2010 season, the team would do well to deal the Cy Young contender now. Anthopoulos is rumored to be considering granting a window to any trade parter to work out an extension with the pitcher. This would be a great move by the general manager as it would increase the return the Blue Jays see in any trade for Halladay.
The Blue Jays recently discussed Halladay with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, and no trade sounds close at the moment. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are expected to be big players as usual. The New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, and Philadelphia Phillies are likely to show at least some interest in the right-hander. Of all the teams listed, the Dodgers are most in need of Halladay’s services, while the Yankees and Red Sox have the most to offer.
In short, expect pitcher Roy Halladay to be traded sometime this offseason for a number of very good, Major League-ready prospects.