Yankees Acquire Javy Vazquez

The Yankees are the rich getting richer, and re-acquired solid #2 starter Javy Vazquez from the Braves for Melky Cabrera. New York also got left-hander Boone Logan as part of the trade, and the Braves obtained a pair of pitching prospects, left-hander Mike Dunn and right-hander Arodys Vizcaino, along with about $500,000.

The Yankees' payroll for next year now tops $200 million, which is more than the #2 Los Angeles Angels were purchased for a few years ago.

Tom Glavine Re-Signs with Atlanta Braves

Smoltz is gone, but the Atlanta Braves have one of their glory days pitchers returning to the bump. Tom Glavine signed a one year, $1 million contract with the Braves plus incentives. The Braves hope he and the umpires will rediscover the eight foot wide strike zone that brought him prominence throughout the 90s.

Randy Wolf Signs With Dodgers

Randy Wolf, who last year carried the Astros in the second half of the season, signed, as expected, with the Los Angeles Dodgers for one year, $5 million guaranteed with $3 million in incentives. Wolf had originally been offered bthree years, $28.5 million from the Astros before they pulled the offer off the table during the economic collapse. It was reported that Wolf wanted three years, $30 million guaranteed but had to readjust after the collapse. Wolf, who was 12-12 last year with the Padres and Astros, pitched for the Dodgers in 2007, and the Dodgers sought his return this offseason after losing Brad Penny to the Red Sox, Derek Lowe to the Braves ang Greg Maddux to retirement.

Mets, Oliver Perez Agree to 3-Year Deal

The New York Mets, who have definitely been working diligently to try to re-sign Oliver Perez, and they announced they have done so. The lefty Perez, who was 10-7 and pitched 194 innings last year, agreed to a 3 year, $36 million contract to remain a starter with the organization. This, along with the signing of Tim Redding and Freddy Garcia, probably forecloses the idea that Randy Wolf or Pedro Martinez will be in a Mets uniform next season.

Andy Pettitte Takes Yankees Deal

The Yankees and Andy Pettitte agreed on an incentive laced deal that is worth roughly $5.5 million guaranteed, much lower than the $16 million earned last year by the left handed starter. The incentives are reportedly enough for Pettitte to reach $12 million. It is unknown where Pettitte will be in the rotation, but it is speculated he will start the season as the #5 so as to make the first start in the new Yankees stadium.

Astros Sign Geoff Geary and Wandy Rodriguez

On Monday the Astros inked their final two arbitration-eligible players to one-year deals, signing right-hander Geoff Geary for $1.7 million plus incentives and left-hander Wandy Rodriguez for $2.6 million plus incentives.

Phillies Lock Up Cole Hamels

Avoiding arbitration, the Phillies signed LHP Cole Hamels to a three year, $20.5 million deal. The Phillies starting pitcher, who at 25 years of age went 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA (and 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the post season) last year, will make $4.35 million in 2009, $6.65 million in 2010 and $9.5 million in 2011.

Andy Pettitte Rejects New York Yankees' Offer

The New York Times is reporting that Andy Pettitte rejected the one year, $10 million offer to pitch in pinstripes again next year in the new Yankee Stadium. Pettitte made $16 million last year, so the pay cut would be substantial, and apparently too substantial for Pettitte and his agents. Pettitte had originally indicated that he would pitch for the Yankees or retire, but he wanted to return. The Yankees are in a position where they'd like to have him, but now after their free agent signings, don't really need him. I'm betting this deal gets done eventually.

Orioles sign LHP Mark Hendrickson

Mark Hendrickson, former NBA player and LHP for the Florida Marlins, signed a one year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. Hendrickson was 7-8 and an ERA above 5 and was demoted to reliever last year. I would have expected a minor league deal for Hendrickson, but the way the Orioles have been going, perhaps that's exactly what the Orioles are going to be this year...

Randy Johnson Signs with San Francisco Giants

The Big Unit signed a one year, $8 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. Although as an Astros fan I know what a healthy Randy Johnson can do for a team, this contract seems like a desperate reach. He has been injured and not nearly that effective for the last few years, and with an offer of $8 million, I can see why the D-Backs let him go. He's a decent pitcher, with an 11-10 record last year, but his injury history makes him a stretch for that kind of money. However, given that he is 5 wins away from 300, he'll likely be a gate draw at least for that one game...

Mark Teixeira Signing Adds Insult to Milwaukee Brewers' Injury

According to this article on MLB.com, the signing by the Yankees of Mark Teixeira double screwed the Milwaukee Brewers. Not only did the Yankees take their #1 starter and free agent CC Sabathia, but the signing yesterday of Mark Teixeira, according to the antiquated system for compensation for free agent signings, also screwed the Brewers out of their #1 compensation pick.

It is an interesting read, I highly recommend it. This may push a lot of small market owners to start demanding a new free agent system. Now I know that a lot of people are angry with the New York Yankees, and I have a little of that too, it seems to me that the Yankees are largely just playing the game according to the screwed up rules set up by the collective bargaining MLBPA and the MLB owners. Obviously, any system of real revenue sharing would bring about much screaming from NY and Boston markets, who are the big winners in this system, but really many of the other markets would do well to start watching their home town teams religiously and then the advertising revenue local would increase such that free agent signings would be possible there as well. The real problem for smaller market clubs is not that they are not big towns, usually...the problem is that they do not have the passion about their teams in large enough numbers to stay competitive.

That said, the system I think should change, and I've long advocated a salary cap system like the NBA for baseball. Oh, and let Mark Cuban buy a team.

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.

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.

Yankees Sign A.J. Burnett: The Rich Get Richer

The Yankees have landed their top two choices from the free agent pitching market. A.J. Burnett has reached a preliminary agreement on a five-year, $82.5 million contract with New York, as first reported by ESPN.com, and they also landed C.C. Sabathia during the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. Looks like Boston, you've been served.

Yanks get their man, CC agrees to 7 year, $161M deal pending physical

CC Sabathia has decided to sign the richest contract of any pitcher in Major League history with the New York Yankees. An official announcement will not be made until many items can be agreed upon and reflected in the contract's language. Sabathia must also pass a physical examination, but that is expected to be a mere formality.

An additional season and $20 million, authorized by Hal Steinbrenner and offered in the final minutes, sweetened the package. The deal now represents a record-setting seven-year pact for about $161 million, adding to the original offer presented to Sabathia on Nov. 14, which was reported to be for $140 million over six years. Reports on Wednesday afternoon said the package is worth $161 million and will include a buyout clause that will give Sabathia the right to opt out after three years, which was added to allay any concerns Sabathia and his family had about living in New York.

Are They Putting the Band Back Together?

An article (located here) says that the Angels, Cubs and Astros are all showing some interest in the Big Unit. Randy Johnson was an Astro for a phenomenal two months in 1998 (with Mike Hampton, who recently signed with the Astros for a one year deal). The Diamondbacks and Johnson's agent are apparently pretty far apart, so this may be Winter Meeting press releasing, we'll see.

CC update

ESPN is reporting that Sabathia's deal with the Yankees will pay him as much as $160 million, and that there are "zero roadblocks" to getting the deal done.

Sabathia in Pinstripes

The NY Post is reporting that CC Sabathia is going to accept the 6 year, $140 million offer from the Yankees. Apparently the meeting with Cashman went well and Sabathia took the money offer.

CC to wait on West Coast offers

CC Sabathia has spoken with Brian Cashman and the Yankees but is reportedly holding off on a decision pending any forthcoming offers from the Angels, Dodgers, and Giants, presumably once those teams get some other priorites settled. He could also be waiting on Mark Texeira to sign first, although he has met with Cashman for a second time. In tow with Cashman Sunday night were Yanks' skipper Joe Girardi and Yankees' icon Reggie Jackson.

Yankees Plan "B": "B"en Sheets

As insurance that they cannot sign the best free agent pitcher on the market CC Sabathia (who yesterday apparently indicated that he wanted to pitch next year for the Dodgers), the Yankees met with Sheets on Monday at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, and the New York Daily News reported that according to a source, they will offer the right-hander a multiyear deal, believed to be for two years and about $30 million dollars. The offer is expected to be made before the Meetings wrap up on Thursday and is seen as an insurance policy related to Sabathia, as clearly the Yankees have made no doubts that it wants Sabathia wearing pinstripes. Sabathia is no Boras client, however, and seems to be resistant to playing on the East Coast, although the money the East Coast teams are floating are so huge he may not be able to resist.