Staying true to it's form, the MLB Rumor Mill continues to churn out some juicy tid bits of information such as Brandon Webb being fielded by several teams, and the possibility of Carlos Pena going to the Cubs.
This week offers a bevy of new player news that does not reflect Derek Jeter's inflated 100+ million dollar salary request, Cliff Lee's speculated final destination, or the ongoing Jayson Werth saga leaving us with a new and exciting tidbits to savor upon.
So let's dig right in, shall we?
Juan Uribe – 2B - Giants:
Exploring their options to fill in the gap at second, the Dodgers are rumored to be interested in free agent infielder Juan Uribe.
Uribe could grab a two-year deal after his 24-homer season, but if the Giants want him, they'll have to outbid the Dodgers for his services.
Uribe fits the bill as a late flyer grab in your draft, so don't be too excited over this news, however, if he does in fact wind up in L.A. his value could increase just a bit.
UPDATE: 11/29/2010: Uribe signs new three year, 21 million dollar deal with Dodgers - Ken Rosenthal via Twitter!
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Brandon Webb – SP – D-Backs:
The Rockies have expressed interest in free agent Brandon Webb, according to the Denver Post's Troy Renck.
Webb is gaining a lot of looks from various teams—Cubs included—and has the right stuff to be an effective pitcher when healthy. Both Colorado and Chicago would be ideal parks to pitch in for a sinker ball pitcher and would significantly increase his overall fantasy value if a deal was made.
We’ll continue to follow this news closely.
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Carlos Pena – 1B – Rays:
According to FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi, the Cubs are showing interest in free agent first baseman Carlos Pena.
Finally, the Cubs are showing some sort of FA life, right?
Pena, 32, batted just .196 last season with the Rays, which should drive down his asking price. However, he wound up slugging 28 homers and 84 RBI for Tampa Bay while missing time with an injured heel. The Rays did not offer arbitration to Pena, so he won't cost a draft pick.
This news is particularly interesting considering the Cubs also showing interest in trying out Tyler Colvin at first instead of the outfield. My guess is if they can land Pena, it would give them more flexibility to move other players around, or even out of the mix altogether.
Pena would fair rather well in Wrigley, and would make a fine late round grab in your drafts this year, so don’t sleep on him just because of a poor 2010.
Rounding the Bases: A quick look at what’s running around the news wire this week.
- A surfacing rumor floating around about the Oakland A’s offering Adrian Beltre a five year 64 million dollar deal is said to be “unclear” according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. Either way, Beltre remains a top pick consideration in upcoming drafts.
- SP Javier Vazquez is now a Florida Marlin and will receive a seven million dollar contract with a no-trade clause attached. Nothing to see here people, Vazquez won’t offer fantasy owners much in 2011.
- News out of Minnesota is that Brett Favre loves cell phones and…err…sorry, SS J.J. Hardy will be tendered by the Minnesota Twins before Thursday’s deadline.
The first bit of analysis is to understand that this doesn’t mean Hardy will necessarily have a job come the spring time in Minny, as he can still be traded after being tendered. The likelihood of Hardy having any fantasy wealth as a .268 hitter, who basically fell of the map after 2008, isn’t very high either.
