SB Nation - Max Ramirez

Mike Lowell Needs Surgery, Trade Between Texas and Boston is Off

Adam J. Morris — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:09:19 -0000

Evan Grant is reporting that Mike Lowell has a torn ligament in his thumb which will necessitate surgery that will sideline him from 6-8 weeks.

That surgery apparently has killed the much-discussed trade between the Rangers and Boston, whereby Lowell was going to come to Texas in exchange for Max Ramirez.

Thus, the Rangers are back in the market for a righty bat to split DH duties with David Murphy.

Mike Lowell-to-Texas trade off

Eli Greenspan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

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Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald is reporting that Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell will need surgery on his thumb, so the trade for Rangers catcher Max Ramirez is off.

Lowell will need six-to-eight weeks to recover, but should be ready to go by the time Spring Training gets going.

This could put the Rangers in the market for Adrian Beltre, or they could wait to see how Lowell does in Spring Training.

Saturday morning Rangers stuff

Adam J. Morris — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:57:40 -0000

Nothing much out there right now.

Jeff Wilson says that Mike Lowell will be in Arlington today for a physical, which should allow resolution to the much-discussed Lowell for Max Ramirez trade by Sunday, one way or the other.

MLB Trade Rumors: Red Sox Sign John Lackey and Mike Cameron; Is Deal for Adrian Gonzalez Next?

raygu — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:00:20 -0000

by David Zalubowski - AP

2 months ago: San Diego Padres' Adrian Gonzalez follows the flight of his single to drive in two runs against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning of the Rockies' 11-10 victory in a baseball game in Denver on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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The Boston Red Sox also made news on Monday signing starting pitcher John Lackey to a reported 5 year $85 million deal, and signing Mike Cameron to a 2 year $15 million deal. It appears that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is placing more and more value into defensive metrics illustrated by his signing of Marco Scutaro and Mike Cameron. Epstein appears to have washed his hands of Jason Bay and his big bat/no glove in left field.

Epstein is also close to dealing third baseman Mike Lowell to the Rangers for catcher Max Ramirez. Lowell has been injury prone over the last two years, and Epstein is looking to sign Adrian Beltre to play 3B, or is he?

Now that the Sox have signed John Lackey, they have an extra starting pitcher that new Padres GM Ned Hoyer covets in Clay Bucholz. Could the Sox be entertaining the idea of del Bucholz now that they have signed Lackey? A package of Bucholz, Casey Kelly, Ryan Westmoreland and 1-2 more prospects would surely entice Hoyer who knows the Sox system inside and out. And Gonzalez's bat and glove would be an ideal fit for Epstein's new approach to building a ballclub.

Poll

Will Padres GM Ned Hoyer finally cave and deal Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox?

Boston Red Sox Top 20 Prospects for 2010

John Sickels — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:52:45 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

3 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Josh Reddick fouls off a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, in Baltimore. The Red Sox won 3-1. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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Boston Red Sox Top 20 Prospects for 2010.

All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get beyond the Top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you want to emphasize. Complete reports on these and over 1,000 other players will be in the 2010 Baseball Prospect Book, now available for pre-order, shipping on February 2^nd!

1) Ryan Westmoreland, OF, Grade B+: I love this guy: Five Tool/Seven Skill player who can do everything. I expect more power will come. Just needs to stay healthy.

2) Casey Kelly, RHP, Grade B+: He's not a shortstop, but he's a very good pitching prospect who could advance quickly. Possible number two/three starter.

3) Ryan Kalish, OF, Grade B: Another guy with a broad skill base. I like him slightly better than Reddick due to his superior plate discipline and he's one year younger.

4) Josh Reddick, OF, Grade B: He was rushed. Most people would rank Reddick ahead of Kalish since Reddick has more power. My instinct says Kalish but it's close.

5) Michael Bowden, RHP, Grade B: His component ratios deteriorated in Triple-A, but I still like him. Very similar minor league components to Jeff Suppan, not an ace but if Bowden ends up throwing 2411 average major league innings it counts as a success.

6) Junichi Tazawa, RHP, Grade B-: Bowden ranks a bit ahead because he's younger, but Tazawa is another guy who can be a good inning-eater. Deserves another chance despite poor pitching in Boston.

7) Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Grade B-: Great human interest story and a very solid hitter, but needs to show more power at first base. I think it will come.

8) Lars Anderson, 1B, Grade B-: A difficult grade, but I'm going to give him an injury mulligan and see what he can do with a fresh start. Like Rizzo, will he have the home run power you want in a first baseman?

9) Reymond Fuentes, OF, Grade B-: Borderline C+. Great tools, will he develop skills?

10) Stolmy Pimentel, RHP, Grade B-: Borderline C+. Still projectable, throws strikes.

11) Jose Iglesias, SS, Grade C+: Amazing glove, but I won't rank him higher than this until he shows that he can be an adequate hitter. Could be an Omar Vizquel type if he does.

12) Derrik Gibson, INF, Grade C+: Very athletic, controls the strike zone, steals bases, will he develop some pop?

13) Luis Exposito, C, Grade C+: Deserves more attention than he's received both on offense and defense.

14) David Renfroe, SS-3B, Grade C+: Great scouting reports about bat and athleticism, but need some data.

15) Alex Wilson, RHP, Grade C+: Good fastball/slider combination with sharp command, could rise through system quickly.

16) Roman Mendez, RHP, Grade C+: Breakthrough candidate with a lively arm, need to see what he can do outside the Gulf Coast League, but very intriguing.

17) Pete Hissey, OF, Grade C+: No power yet, but very athletic and projectable.

18) Yamaico Navarro, SS, Grade C+: Injury mulligan. Tools are still here but will he refine them?

19) Madison Younginer, RHP, Grade C+: Raw high school arm with immense potential.

20) Stephen Fife, RHP, Grade C+: Strike-thrower who could develop into an inning-eater type.

21) Kyle Weiland, RHP, Grade C+: Another inning-eating possiblity.

OTHERS (Grade C): Michael Almanzar, 3B; Drake Britton, LHP; Ryan Dent, INF; Felix Doubront, LHP: Tim Federowicz, C; Alex Hassan, OF; Brandon Jacobs, OF; Ryan Lavarnway, C; Che-Hsuan Lin, OF; Will Middlebrooks, 3B; Adam Mills, RHP; Daniel Nava, OF: Eammon Portice, RHP; Jason Rice, RHP; Dustin Richardson, LHP; Manuel Rivera, LHP; Oscar Tejeda, SS; Mark Wagner, C; Fabian Williamson, LHP.

Since the trade isn't final yet, I decided to put off writing about Max Ramirez until I get to the Rangers. I haven't decided on a grade for him yet, but he's somewhere in the B- range I think.

As with the Cardinals, it was really hard to knock this down to 40 players; there were at least another 10 guys I could have written up. I tried to provide a mixture of upside players, role players closer to the majors, and guys I just like for one reason or another. Other guys you could write about include Randy Conseugra, Jason Place, Jose Vinicio, and Zach Daeges, and Aaron Bates. I have to draw the line somewhere however. There just isn't room to include everyone and I could spend a week just trying to make decisions between Grade C guys.

This is a very deep system, though trades and difficult 2009 seasons for some prospects (Anderson, Navarro, Bowden to a lesser extent) reduced what the overall ranking at the top might otherwise look like. They have a good mixture of tools and skills players, polish and upside. The plan to spend money on high-upside guys with difficult signability seems to be working, although not everyone has panned out exactly as expected. A year from now things could look even better: Westmoreland and Kelly are both potential Grade A/A- prospects, and several of the C+ guys have higher grade potential.

All in all, there is a lot here for Red Sox fans to be happy about.,

No More Complaining About Payrolls for Red Sox Fans

Ben Buchanan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:28:27 -0000

More photos » by M. Spencer Green - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein talks to reporters during Major League Baseball's 2009 General Managers Meetings, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

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It was always a comfortable, if perhaps not entirely respectable fallback to point at the Yankees' payroll. It was not the most valid of excuses--fans of small market teams would be and were entirely justified at laughing their heads off at the $120 million giant crying about cash. But the Yankees' $200 million was a clear outlier, heads and tails above the #2 team in the league.

Red Sox fans will have to give up that excuse in 2010, though. Sure, barring more signings, the Yankees will still be ahead of the Red Sox by a fair amount. But as it stands now, with the Yankees aiming at a reported $185 million figure and the Red Sox standing around $150 million--give or take a few million based on arbitration guesses--the Yankees are not in a league of their own anymore. While last year only the smallest market teams in the league could claim that the Sox had as much an advantage over them as the Yankees did over the Sox, this year it will likely be well over half the teams in the league.

The $150 million will not all be on the field for the Sox. $9 million comes from Julio Lugo, who was traded to the Cardinals last year on the condition that the Sox pay for him. Mike Lowell, though he's still with the team for now, could also well be in Texas within the week, still costing the Sox $9 million himself. Add in $1.5 million in buyouts, and that's nearly $20 million in bad contract money.

But what impact does this have on the average reader? Well, to start with, it's gonna be tough to expect any more signings this year. Matt Holliday is almost certainly out. Jason Bay will join him. Instead, if the organization is willing to go all out this year, expect at most mid-money, 1-year contracts. Say, Mike Cameron. Given the hole at 3B, and $3 million potentially coming off the books from a Lowell trade, even Adrian Beltre is not impossible. But if anyone was expecting a big push in the outfield department, think again.

Popular thinking has the Red Sox shipping Clay Buchholz and others off to the Padres in a deal for Adrian Gonzalez, and while Adrian Gonzalez has a very team-friendly contract at the moment, that's bound to change within the next few years. I doubt the Sox would be willing to invest not only Clay Buchholz, but also Casey Kelly or Ryan Westmoreland in any deal for Adrian Gonzalez that does not also include an extension. Any extension would cost a great deal of money, even considering discounts given a guaranteed raise over the years remaining on his current contract. Even with a Lowell trade, Gonzalez would likely put the Sox at around $160 million even without a left fielder. The rumor of Mike Cameron would put that number closer to an incredible $170 million.

Also at issue is next year's payroll. Assuming a $170 million dollar payroll this year, the Red Sox will have a number of unpopular contracts coming off their books. But just how much spending money will that result in? First, both "bad contracts" come off the board for $20 million. Then there's David Ortiz' $13 million, Josh Beckett's $12 million, Jason Varitek's $3 million, and Victor Martinez' $7.7 million. After losing all that, the Sox will barely be under the $120 million they spent in 2009. And that's not even factoring in raises! Youkilis gets $3 million more. Daisuke is up $2 million, Lester adds $2 million, and Pedroia $2 million. Let's mercifully assume that the Red Sox' 7 players going to their next year in Arbitration adds only $10-15 million, and we're still left with Ellsbury and Buchholz starting their first arbitration years, and due for probably $8 million between them at least. A conservative estimate puts the Red Sox well over $140 million starting 2010's offseason, and that's without a catcher, DH, and one top-of-the-rotation pitcher. Forget about Joe Mauer, this team might not be willing to sign A.J. Pierzynski.

There are 2 directions the Sox front office could go with. Either this is an all-out gamble for the next few years, with money on the Sox' prospects coming through to fill in holes (Either Exposito, Wagner, or possibly Max Ramirez at catcher, maybe Lars at DH), or the Red Sox' ownership is committing to setting a new bar for payroll. If this isn't just a flash in the pan of spending, then it's official: we're rivaling the Yankees, and it's time to swallow our jeers and, quite frankly, show some shame. I, for one, have been calling for a salary cap and floor for years, and I will not stop doing so now just because we're now spending as much as our greatest enemies. But I will probably talk quieter, and I'll expect even more derision for it.

Either way, though, at least those $5 ticket hikes are going to the right places.

Innumerable thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for so many numbers in this piece. Fantastic site for anything contract related.

Monday morning Rangers things

Adam J. Morris — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:54:47 -0000

Not much out there this morning.

Jeff Wilson writes that the Rangers are still evaluating information on Mike Lowell's thumb, and thus the Lowell/Max Ramirez deal is still in limbo while that is going on.

That's about it.

Thinking about Mike Lowell and Ryan Garko

Adam J. Morris — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:17:52 -0000

Ryan Garko was non-tendered by the Giants yesterday.

This was surprising to me, because the Giants sent a pretty decent prospect to the Indians for him in July.

Back in July, when the Rangers were desperate for a righty bat who could DH and play some first base, I thought Garko was the best target out there for Texas.

T.R. Sullivan writes that the Rangers were interested in him at the trade deadline last year, before he was dealt to San Fran, and suggests that he could be a target now.

Of course, if the Rangers had interest in him, it would be as a righty-hitting DH/1B option, and as we all know, Max Ramirez is supposedly heading to Boston so that we can pay Mike Lowell $3 million for the privilege of filling that role.

Garko has been about as productive as Lowell the past few years, doesn't come with the injury issues that Lowell does, will probably cost less on a one year deal than $3 million, and, of course, wouldn't cost the Rangers Max Ramirez. Garko also has a career .313/.392/.495 line against LHPs, and if you are looking for someone to fill a platoon role, that's pretty impressive.

Lowell, on the other hand, has a longer track record, can play third base, and has gotten praise from the Rangers for his leadership, experience, and role on a championship club.

Max Ramirez, coming off a lost season in 2009, has seen his value drop significantly...he's going to be out of options after the 2010 season, and I think the Rangers -- and most other clubs -- don't view him as a catcher on the major league level, other than as a very short-term or emergency option. And he doesn't really have another position, so he's either going to stick as a DH or he's a minor league lifer. How much value you think he has is going to depend on how likely you think he is to hit well enough to be a decent DH for at least a few years.

More telling to me, though, is the targeting of Lowell by the Rangers, and their willingness to apply a pretty big chunk of their very limited resources this offseason to acquiring him. Lowell isn't much of an offensive threat at this point...he's benefited from the Monster (he had a 932 OPS at home last year, 713 away, and 993/767 in 2007, although he was a little better on the road than at home in 2008), and while he's probably better than, say, Andruw Jones, he's not likely to be a good DH in 2009.

And yet, he's clearly someone the Rangers have zeroed in on, even with Garko and Jonny Gomes coming available at the non-tender deadline, and Vlad Guerrero and Fernando Tatis, among others, already on the free agent market.

Really, I struggle to understand what you get with Lowell that you can't get with Tatis, who is a free agent righty hitter who can play the four corners and who is likely going to cost less than $3 million per year, who appears to be a fair bet to be as productive with the bat as Lowell and who wouldn't take Max Ramirez out of your farm system.

There's a couple of possibilities. One is that the Rangers, having viewed the free agent landscape and determined that the utility infielder choices are scarce, have decided that Michael Young will back up Elvis Andrus this year. And since Elvis isn't going to start 162 games, they want someone who can give them 30 games a year at third base and acquit himself well there. That means that you could have Esteban German or Joe Inglett in a bench role, along with a backup catcher and David Murphy, and leave your 25th spot for someone like Craig Gentry or Brian Anderson or Jeremy Reed, a true backup centerfielder who can spell Julio Borbon when he needs a day off and who can pinch run late in a game. Presumably, you don't want Murphy or Nelson Cruz or Josh Hamilton to be your backup plan in center

The other possibility -- one that doesn't necessarily preclude the first one -- is that the Rangers feel leadership and championship experience is more of a need than offense, and Lowell is this year's Brian Jordan, the pretty much washed-up, broken down veteran who the team hopes to squeeze a productive season out of, but who is primarily here to provide intangibles to a young team.

I don't know Lowell, and can't say what he brings to the table in terms of the off-the-field intangibles. But I do know that an inability to score runs is what kept the Rangers out of the postseason in 2009, and I find it troubling that the team seems committed to go to the well once more with the well-worn veteran retread/bounceback candidate, after seeing Jordan, Brad Fullmer, Phil Nevin, Andruw Jones, Greg Colbrunn, Richard Hidalgo, and Sammy Sosa all provide mediocre at best performance when brought in under similar circumstances.

Yo, Adrian (Beltre)! Where You At? We're Waiting

Randy Booth — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:34:00 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

4 months ago: Seattle Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre, right, readies a throw to first on a bunt by Chicago White Sox's Scott Podsednik in the fifth inning as catcher Rob Johnson races behind Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, during a baseball game in Seattle. Podsednik was out on the play. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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Now it's time for us Sox fans to play the waiting game. A waiting game that could take just a few days, but it will probably feel like an eternity.

What are we waiting for? First, the Mike Lowell trade to go through. As we know, that's pending everything medical related. That could certainly hit a snag as both Lowell and Max Ramirez have injury history.

But we're also waiting for Adrian Beltre. If Theo Epstein is the general manager we know he is, he's trying to work out a deal for the amazing defender as you read this.

Don't be fooled: the Red Sox are most certainly interested in Beltre:

...it increasingly appears that they’re preparing to make a serious run at free agent defensive whiz Adrian Beltre.

According to multiple sources, the Red Sox are believed to have significant interest in the third baseman, whom they have long admired for his combination of defense and power.

[...]

But the Sox don’t view Beltre as just any player. They believe he is one of the most game-changing defenders in the majors. He’d perfectly fulfill their goal of completing a defensive makeover from 2009, when the left side of their infield was slow (Lowell) and inconsistent (the shortstops before Alex Gonzalez was acquired).

Let's take a closer look at Beltre's defense in comparison to Lowell's, courtesy of The Bill James Handbook:

Runs Saved, Third Basemen
3-Year Leaders
Beltre - +51 (2nd overall) *Ryan Zimmerman, 1st, 53

Runs Saved, Third Basemen
2009
Beltre - +22 (3rd overall)
Lowell - -18 (tied, dead last)

This is a 40-point swing in runs saved! Michael Young tied with Lowell with -18 -- and now they're teammates.

Plus/Minus, Third Basemen
3-Year Leaders
Beltre - +66 (1st overall)

Plus/Minus, Third Basemen
2009
Beltre - +27 (3rd overall)
Lowell - -23 (dead last)

This time, a 50-point swing.

For more information on Plus/Minus and Runs Saved, visit FieldingBible.com.

Hopefully that helps put Beltre's and Lowell's abilities at third base into perspective a little bit better. Simply, Beltre is much, much better. Lowell, who used to be an amazing defender, has seen his best days.

Now the offense may be more of a question mark in most peoples' minds. The Red Sox, though, seem to think Beltre in Fenway would be great for the third baseman:

Offensively, the Red Sox believe Beltre’s production could increase dramatically once he leaves Seattle’s expansive Safeco Field, which has depressed the production of many right-handed hitters.

The home/road splits certainly bear this out.

In the last three years, Beltre has posted a below-average .703 OPS at home but an above-average .819 OPS on the road. He’ll never be a high on-base percentage player (.325 lifetime), but if he slugs close to .500, as he has on the road, he’ll provide at least as much offense as the Red Sox could have expected out of the soon-to-be-36-year-old Lowell.

It all comes down to the contract. Beltre and agent Scott Boras want five years, but the Sox won't (shouldn't) get sucked into that deal. If they can bring him down to three, that'd be amazing, but unrealistic. Maybe three an an option for a fourth? Maybe just straight four with a club option for a fifth? The money will also be hookup (obviously -- we're talking Boras here), as they are seeking around $12 million a season. Seems a little steep considering Chone Figgins racked in four-years, $36 million. I'll take that deal for Beltre.

Now let's wait and see if Beltre comes aboard as the Hot Stove hopefully keeps true to its name (because it's cold, darn it).

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:20:18 -0000

by Brian Snyder - AP

Yes, Randy Wolf is a Brewer now.

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Some things to read while remembering that "port" is "left."

Welcome to day one of the Randy Wolf era (FanShot). He'll make $29.5 million over the next three seasons, plus an option for 2010. Reaction to the deal has come from everywhere:

Miller Park Drunk credits the Brewers for signing the best available free agent.
Master Reid of Quevedo at the Buffet says it's a gamble the Brewers had to take at this point.
Erik Manning of FanGraphs explains why this deal shouldn't be compared to the Jeff Suppan signing.
Jordan also offered his thoughts on that topic, and reasonable expectations for Wolf.
Adam McCalvy noted that Wolf's deal is the third richest for a pitcher in team history.
Jorge Says No! says the Brewers are "going for it" in 2010.
Babes Love Baseball thinks the Brewers overpaid for him.
Aaron Gleeman says he'd rather have the deal Rich Harden signed with the Rangers.
Wolf's contract inspired Rob Neyer to write a two parter on the economics of player salaries.
Meanwhile, Diamond Leung has a quote from Wolf about the divorce situation with the McCourts that might have led to Wolf's departure from Los Angeles.

But, the Brewers weren't done there: They decided to burn a little extra money by overpaying for bullpen help. The result is a two-year, $7.5 million deal for LaTroy Hawkins (FanShot). The move ensures the Brewers will have at least three pitchers in their bullpen earning more than $3.5 million next season (Hoffman, Riske and now Hawkins), as well as two pitchers with closing experience, both of which are 37 or older. Two more links on Hawkins: one good, one bad.

Aaron Gleeman notes that Hawkins has posted a 3.35 ERA over the last six seasons, in 379 innings.
Brian McTaggart quoted Hawkins as being "very disappointed" about leaving Houston, which is pretty much exactly what you don't want to hear from a guy you just threw a lot of perfectly good money at.

Both signings and a few other topics came up in Doug Melvin's MLB Network interview last night, which Tristarscoop chronicled for us, in case you missed it.

Since then, Doug Melvin's had an interesting 12 hours or so. First, a valet lost the keys to his car. Then, after presumably getting a ride back to the meetings, Melvin raised his offer to Craig Counsell. Melvin seems confident a deal will get done, and if he's saying so, that means he's pretty sure. Counsell has also spoken to the Reds, but it doesn't sound like there's much happening there.

Meanwhile, what once looked like a sure thing still isn't done: Mark Mulder remains unsigned, and now the Royals are also showing interest in his services.(h/t MLB Trade Rumors)

The Brewers also filled one more spot on their 40 man roster, selecting Indians lefty Chuck Lofgren in the Rule 5 Draft (FanShot). In a later post, Baseball America called him one of the best stories taken. It sounds like he's had a rough couple of years, but he's a big, athletic lefty who throws hard (90-93), so he's exactly the kind of pitcher the Brewers should be seeking out to work with Rick Peterson.

Can't get enough Triple G? Batter's Box Interactive has some photos from a Gregg Zaun at bat in Toronto last season. Zaun was also the starting point for today's Thursday Thinker: stop back for that at noon.

You still have a few hours to cast your vote for a second baseman on our BCB All Decade Team. Voting for that position closes at 4 today. Prince Fielder officially became the first Brewer elected to the team yesterday. Voting for a shortstop opened yesterday and closes at 4 tomorrow. Voting at third base, perhaps the most ~~depressing~~ interesting choice on the team, will open at 4 today.

Around baseball:

Astros: Acquired reliever Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins for two minor leaguers and a PTBNL, and signed Brandon Lyon to a three year, $15 million deal.
Mariners: Signed Corey Patterson to a minor league deal. (FanShot) Also re-signed infielder Josh Wilson.
Mets: Re-negotiated their contract with Henry Blanco, due to concerns over the health of his shoulder.
Orioles: Acquired Kevin Millwood from the Rangers for reliever Chris Ray and a PTBNL.
Padres: Released pitcher Eulogio de la Cruz.
Rangers: Agreed to terms on a one year, $7.5 million deal with Rich Harden, with a club option for 2011 and acquired Mike Lowell from the Red Sox for catcher Max Ramirez.
Rays: Acquired Rafael Soriano from the Braves for reliever Jesse Chavez.
Red Sox: Acquired Boof Bonser from the Twins for a PTBNL or cash.
Royals: Released Mike Jacobs and pitcher John Bale
Tigers: Designated pitcher Freddy Dolsi and catcher Dusty Ryan for assignment.

Two former Brewers continue to search for work, and for once I'd rather have Jay Gibbons. Jason Kendall has received a two-year offer from the Royals, while Gibbons is drawing interest from the Dodgers.

While some players are looking for new teams. J.J. Hardy is busy making friends with his. He recently played in Harmon Killebrew's golf tournament, and the Hall of Famer had some nice things to say about him.

Easily the biggest trade at the meetings so far has been the three way deal involving the Tigers, Yankees and D-Backs. A lot of people are burying Arizona for giving up on Max Scherzer, but Patrick Sullivan of The Baseball Analysts and I agree: The Diamondbacks might come out ahead in this deal, trading a pitcher with an unsure future for two that might pitch in their rotation this season. Meanwhile, no one seems to mention that the Yankees traded two starters and a center fielder for one player.

Ever wonder what folks in minor league front offices do during the offseason? I don't know, but the Timber Rattlers' premiere episode of The Offseason would suggest they have some time on their hands.

With Jason Kendall gone, I guess we probably won't be talking about plunkings as much, and that's probably ok. With that said, Jeremy Greenhouse of The Baseball Analysts has a look at the probability of getting hit by a pitch, and what matchups and velocities make a batter most likely to get plunked.

It's been a pretty busy week at the Winter Meetings, and the flow of information has been dizzying at times. Just imagine how fast information would flow out if the internet was working.

Still looking for a gift for someone this holiday season? I might have a suggestion for you. Boys of Summer is a documentary chronicling Robert Cochrane and his father's summer long road trip to visit all 30 major league parks. The film is now available on DVD for the first time, with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help support research on Parkinson's Disease.

On this day in 1986, the Brewers sent Tim Crews and Tim Leary to the Dodgers for first baseman Greg Brock. Brock would go on to hit .261/.348/.387 over five seasons as a Brewer.

Happy birthday today to Doug Henry, who turns 46. Henry pitched the first four seasons of his major league career (1991-1994) as a Brewer, racking up 61 saves.

Drink up.