Pedro Feliz signs with Houston Astros

Former Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz agreed yesterday to a $4.5 million, one-year contract with the Houston Astros on the final day of baseball's winter meetings.

Polanco Signs with Phillies

Placido Polanco, 34, will make roughly $18 million over three years going back to Philadelphia. It is structured as $5 million, plus a $500,000 signing bonus, in 2010. He will make $5.25 million in '11 and $6.25 million in '12. The mutual option in '13 is $5.5 million with a $1 million buyout.

Alex Rodriguez Admits A-Rod is A-Fraud

In an interview with ESPN, it is being reported that Alex Rodriguez admitted that while he was with the Texas Rangers from 2001-2003 he did steroids, including the season where he won the MVP and including the time right after he got his super large contract.

An article on the admission is here.

Seems to me that the only person in baseball we can trust about steroids is Jose Canseco.

Ty Wiggington Signs With Baltimore Orioles

Ty Wiggington, the Houston Astros' former third baseman that carried the team in the last third of the season, signed with the Baltimore Orioles with a two year, $6 million deal. Prior to the economic collapse it would have not been a surprise to see the Astros pay Wiggington $6 million for one year to avoid arbitration.

As an Astros fan, it is hard for me to understand why the Astros didn't do this deal with Wiggington themselves, but I suppose the Astros needed to use the 3B position for cost savings. I think the Orioles got a steal.

Cold Stoves That Should Be Hot Stoves

This has been an interesting offseason, to be sure. With some ballclubs, like the New York Yankees spending like it is going out of style (after dumping nearly $85 million in payroll) while others like my beloved Houston Astros cutting quality mid level players to desperately try to reduce payroll to prepare for the economic collapse, it certainly has not been dull. There are, however, many free agent names that are barely getting press that should, in my opinion, have signed by now or at least had front runners/news to report. With that in mind, here is my list of "where are they now?":

1. Ben Sheets - Yes, there have been health issues,, but the guy is a #1 starter and is not that old...clearly there is a team that could use him.

2. Manny Ramirez - In a normal offseason, there would be a dozen teams looking to add his bat to their lineup, offseason problems or not. Granted, Scott Boras clients are likely out of the question for smaller market clubs, but for the Dodgers, Angels, Mets or Cubs not to sign this guy by now is pretty amazing to me.

3. Derek Lowe - There has been some scuttle here and there for Lowe, but normal offseason you would, I think, see a clear front runner with some piping hot small market clubs in the running.

4. Randy Wolf - This guy had a phenomenal second half of the season and is left handed yet he remains unsigned and was even not offered arbitration by the Astros, who really needed his services.

5. Ty Wiggington - Like Wolf, Wiggington had a great second half an actually held his own fielding at 3B in Houston last year. Granted, he's getting a raise from the bargain the Astros got him for, but it is still fairly in line with 3B salaries for a guy that can play every day.

6. Brad Penny - Yes he's been hurt and can be wild, but he's a big dude, throws hard, and has shown he can be a top of the rotation kind of guy. As far as I've heard, only the Red Sox are seriously talking to him at this point, normally there would be a dozen teams talking to him.

7. Adam Dunn - yes, the Red Sox nation started to talk about Dunn after Teixeira signed, but so far Boston has not pulled the trigger. He's another guy that was not offered arbitration, something that would probably have been unheard of last year.

8. Pat Burrell - I mean, he only was the starting OF for a World Series club with 33 HR. Granted, he's pricey if he wants to make what he did last year.

9. Brian Fuentes - 30 saves and a 2.73 ERA while pitching in Colorado. Hellllllooooo?

Anyway, check out the free agent tracker at ESPN and see for yourself. Weird year for the Hot Stove League and us at the Hot Stove Report.

Ty Wiggington, Reggie Abercrombie non-tendered by Houston Astros

In a move only done because of the economy, the Houston Astros non-tendered 3B Ty Wiggington. The Astros appear to be offering the job to Geoff Blum or prospect Chris Johnson, but neither will probably excite the Astros' faithful. Brandon Backe was tendered, as was Jose Valverde and all the other Astros eligible players except for OF Reggie Abercrombie.

Decisions, Decisions for the Astros re: Ty Wiggington and Brandon Backe

Tonight is the deadline for teams to tender contract offers to arbitration eligible players, and the Houston Astros have not hidden the fact that dumping a lot of payroll is on their horizon. The Grocer Drayton McLane has made it priority one for the Astros, which brings us to Brandon Backe and Ty Wiggington.

The Houston Astros had hoped during the Winter Meetings to move Ty Wiggington and his arbitration eligible self. This was not a decision based on baseball alone, as Wiggington showed himself to be a pretty decent 3B toward the end of the 2008 season, and also showed the power that the Astros thought they had gotten when they traded with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for him in exchange for setup man Dave Wheeler. Although it was criticized at the time due to Wiggington's questionable glove, he showed himself at least able to field the position during the year. Now it looks like that good play will make him likely win an arbitration award of about $7 million a year at a time where the Grocer is looking to put everything in Aisle Three on sale, not that the Astros have a major league caliber certainty at the hot corner waiting in the wings. This is simply The Grocer looking at the payroll and the advanced ticket/luxury box sales, not a decision anyone in the organization wants.

Brandon Backe is the enigma, but the numbers game may keep him on the roster. He, too, is arbitration eligible, but he really has not returned to his pre-injury form and has been a spotty right handed starter, at best. He's a great athlete, and you figure he might be able to do more with a little more distance from the injury, but you just never know. Either way, he's under contract, has some years of service, and may be non-tendered just because what he gives you you could probably get cheaper elsewhere. I project Backe, even if signed, may end up as a middle reliever. Which is saying alot, given how little the Astros have as starting pitching even assuming Mike Hampton lives up to his contract value and incentives.

But tonight is the night. We'll see where it goes...should be interesting.

Astros not likely to move Valverde but Tejada and Wigginton drawing interest

According to Alyson Footer of MLB.com, Ty Wigginton, Jose Valverde and Miguel Tejada are the three Astros' names generating the most activity on the rumor mill at the Winter Meetings, but in all likelihood it's Wigginton and Tejada who will stay on the front burner, while Valverde has the best chance to still be wearing a Houston uniform in 2009. Tejada is scheduled to make $13 million next year, so it's likely the team would have to absorb some of his salary if they move him.

Indians to look at Astros' Valverde and Wiggington?

Although I thought that Wiggington would be an Astro next year, looks like the Tribe may be interested in a deal for Valverde and Wiggington, at least according to this article. Valverde is likely going to be trade bait for the Astros, since a team that is likely rebuilding is not going to be looking for a closer, but I see Wiggington staying with the Astros as he has a Drayton McLane temperment. I guess we'll see.