Gather the wood. . .time to fire up the Stove!!

[metirish]

The Redsox are apparently looking to trade Renteria to the Braves in a three-team deal that would send Devil Rays shortstop Julio Lugo to Boston.

http://www.prosportsdaily.com/mlb/mlbrumors.html

[Guest Rotblatt]

That's a great deal for Boston, even if they pay half.

Marte was being heralded as the next Wright just a year ago, and Renteria was pretty bad last year. Lugo should be an average shortstop offensively and he's supposed to be pretty good defensively, IIRC.

Lowell at first, Marte/Youkilis at third? They might look to trade Lowell or Youkilis for a 1B . . .

[Gwreck]

First half of that Renteria deal is complete, with Renteria to Atlanta for Andy Marte.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2252297

[nymr83]

renteria is overpaidm good job by boston, i hope Marte turns out to be david wright now

[Guest rpackrat]

Desperation move by the Bravos. This is shaping up as the year the Braves finally collapse.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

="rpackrat"]Desperation move by the Bravos. This is shaping up as the year the Braves finally collapse.

Heard that before.

[Valadius]

Far too often. But one can hope.

[Valadius]

In other news:

Jose Mesa signed with the Rockies.
Tony Womack was traded to Cincy with cash for two minor leaguers.

[DocTee]

Ray King to Colorado for Larry Bigbie.

In the rarefied air of Coors Field, how long till opponents are raking Ray King? (sorry)

[smg58]

Not sure what the Reds need Womack for. Those two prospects better not have any value.

[metirish]

I should stop digging up old threads about trades.

[Elster88]

Tejada wants out

I'm guessing no one is going to like this idea, but I'd give up Reyes and a superfluous pitcher in a heartbeat for Tejada. Hell, depending on who else they want I'd consider moving Milledge.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Your buddy Nymr already pitched it.

[Elster88]

Where? I should RMPL.

Nymr and I are more like Internet Acquaintances than buddies.

On edit: wow, a full day late on this one. This is why everything should be kept in one thread.

[Guest GYC]

Cairo still going to be in NY
http://www.nypost.com/sports/yankees/59339.htm

] CAIRO MAY BE BACK IN BRONX By MARK HALE and GEORGE KING Email Archives Print Reprint December 10, 2005 -- For the second straight offseason, Miguel Cairo appears as if he will be joining a different team in the same city. Cairo, the free-agent veteran who played this past year with the Mets and played in 2004 with the Yankees, looks to be headed back to The Bronx. The Yankees are getting close on a one-year deal with the infielder. The 31-year-old Cairo would be a backup infielder for the Yankees. Cairo had one of his best seasons with the Yankees two years ago after coming over from the Cardinals. In 2004, he played 122 games with the Yanks, batting .292 with six homers, 42 RBIs, 11 steals and a .346 on-base percentage in 360 at-bats. This past year with the Mets, though, Cairo struggled. He batted only .251 in 100 games with two homers, 19 RBIs and a .296 OBP in 327 at-bats. Cairo did tally 13 steals. Cairo can be a versatile player. He played five different positions with the Mets last year. He spent 82 games at second base but also played eight at first, three at third, two in left field and one in right. The Yankees are believed to be interested in free agent Eduardo Perez, who hit .255 with 11 homers and a .368 OBP in just 161 at-bats with Tampa Bay this past year. The 36-year-old Perez, a right-handed hitter who played mostly first base in 2005, hit 10 of those homers in 137 at-bats against lefties. He also clobbered the Yankees this past year, going deep four times in 17 at-bats.

He just doesn't go away.

[smg58]

The Yankees' loss is our gain.

[Guest sharpie]

Phils trade Vicente Padilla to Texas for a PTBN.

[MFS62]

Vicente will be happy to know that they're moving the fences back in Philly just in time for him to leave for another band box.
But for a PTBNL?
He was a regular starter. That would have to be a pretty good player.
The draft is over and the rosters prettywell secure. Why the wait?
Hmmmm, could be it will be a player they will be receiving in a soon-to-be- announced deal.

Later

[Valadius]

Kenny Rogers signed with Detroit for 2 years, $16 million. I don't know why anybody would take such a temperamental guy.

[Valadius]

Ricardo Rincon has signed with the Cardinals for two years for $2.9 million. Also, Damion Easley has signed a 1-year, $700,000 contract with Arizona.

[Valadius]

Devil Rays obtain right to negotiate with Japanese pitcher

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Shopping for bullpen help, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays obtained the right to negotiate with Japanese League All-Star reliever Shinji Mori of the Seibu Lions.

The Devil Rays said Monday that they have until Jan. 11 to sign the 31-year-old right-hander to a contract.

Mori, a Pacific League All-Star three of the past four years, is 44-44 with a 3.39 ERA in nine seasons with Seibu. He became a full-time reliever in 2000 and was 2-2 with a 4.22 ERA in 48 appearances last season.

[smg58]

Valadius wrote: Kenny Rogers signed with Detroit for 2 years, $16 million. I don't know why anybody would take such a temperamental guy.

Because there isn't nearly enough pitching to go around. It could pay off if he keeps his head in check. And comes within a foot of the strike zone when the season absolutely depends on it. (Not that I harbor lasting grudges or anything...)

[MFS62]

Redarding the Padilla for a PTBNL trade:

And from the outgoing president of the BBWA, from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram - TR Sullivan

] The Texas Rangers acquired right-handed pitcher Vicente Padilla on Monday from the Philadelphia Phillies for a player to be named later. One of the players on the list for the Phillies to choose from is right-handed pitcher Ricardo Rodriquez. He was 2-3 with a 5.53 ERA for the Rangers last season.

Imagine, being traded for Ricky Ricardo.

Later

[Guest Rotblatt]

That's a great trade by Texas. They have a new GM now, right? He seems to be doing a pretty good job.

[Valadius]

Washington has signed utilityman Robert Fick and pitcher Joey "Frankenstein" Eischen to one-year deals and signed catchers Mike DiFelice, Alberto Castillo, Wiki Gonzalez and Brandon Harper to minor league deals. Also, the Soriano trade has been made official.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Get back to work on your papers

Get through your papers, then you can goof off over break.

Get thorugh college then you can goof off at work.

[Valadius]

Royals pursuing Mientkiewicz
By DOUG TUCKER, AP Sports Writer
December 13, 2005

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Kansas City Royals are attempting to sign Doug Mientkiewicz, the Gold Glove first baseman best known for taking the ball from the final out of Boston's World Series win in 2004.

"We definitely have an interest and we are pursuing it," Kansas City general manager Allard Baird said Tuesday. "I do not get the feeling that anything is imminent."

Mientkiewicz, who turns 31 in June, is a career .268 hitter with 55 home runs and 305 RBIs. A good contact hitter and a top defensive first baseman, he has only 25 errors in 6,377 chances.

He spent last year with the New York Mets. Slowed by a hamstring injury, he hit .240 with 11 homers and 29 RBIs in 275 at-bats. His best year was 2001 with Minnesota, when he hit .306 with 15 homers and 74 RBIs and won a Gold Glove. In 2003, he hit .300 with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs.

Mientkiewicz would bring stability to one of the many positions where the Royals were lacking in consistency last season while losing a franchise-record 106 games. He could also provide better defense at first than the Royals have had for many seasons.

All-Star Mike Sweeney, one of several players the Royals put at first base last year, would not become a fulltime designated hitter.

"Mike would still get time in the field. We are not thinking of doing anything else," Baird said.

The Red Sox filed suit last month, asking a judge to let the team keep the infamous ball, whose ownership has been in dispute since pitcher Keith Foulke flipped it to Mientkiewicz for the out that gave Boston its first World Series since 1918.

After he was traded to the New York Mets in January, he loaned the ball to the Red Sox for one year. He would get it back "unless the ultimate issue of ownership has been otherwise resolved," the agreement said.

"The Red Sox continue to assert that their former employee, Mientkiewicz, obtained the baseball through the course of his employment, that he acquired no ownership interest and that the Red Sox are the rightful owners of the baseball," the team stated in its suit.

The Royals are have a preliminary agreement on a $700,000, one-year contract with free-agent catcher Paul Bako, a career .239 hitter who would be a backup to John Buck. He played 13 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year and underwent surgery on June 24 to repair his anterior cruciate ligament.

"I'd still like to find a starter and improve the outfield situation as well," Baird said.

[Elster88]

Enjoy!

[Valadius]

A's Get Milton Bradley

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-athletics-dodgerstrade&prov=ap&type=lgns

[smg58]

An interesting deal, two major leaguers for one prospect, and not necessarily an elite one either. LA's got a long way to go to patch up their lineup. Perez was probably their best third base option for this year, too, and there's still no guarantee they'll get Meuller. As for Bradley, who knows maybe he'll get tired of wearing out his welcome everywhere he goes. Or maybe not.