@Enrique_Rojas1: Deal done between Fernando Rodney and #Rays. Rodney get $1,75 million in 2012, $2.5 million option in 2013 and 250K buyout

I’d expect the career reliever to either serve in a setup role, possibly even just middle relief. Rodney throws hard and gets a lot of groundball outs but gives up way too many runs for a contender like the Rays to hand over their closer role.

Yes, in 2009 he was pretty successful with the Detroit Tigers by saving 37 games but even then he had an ERA of 4.40. That’s not something you want from your closer, it’s even worse when you realize his career ERA is 4.29. He’s best suited to be a supporting member of the bullpen.

Regardless, I like the signing for the Rays. The price tag isn’t that high on they’re only on the hook for one full season. If he doesn’t work out that’s fine. If he does well the Rays bullpen is that much deeper.

Four American League contenders — the Rangers, Angels, Red Sox, and Blue Jays — have shown interest in free-agent left-hander Darren Oliver, a major-league source told FOXSports.com.

Oliver, 41, is coming off a season in which he posted a career-low 2.29 ERA in 61 relief appearances for the Texas Rangers.

Oliver pitched for the Red Sox (2002) and Angels (2007-2009) earlier in his career.

Oliver has reached the postseason in each of the last six years but is still looking for his first World Series ring. So, he is almost certain to sign with a team that has a realistic chance of winning it all in 2012. He lives with his family in the Dallas area, so a return to the Rangers would be easiest from a personal standpoint. (FOX Sports)

With all of these teams involved now his price tag has definitely gone up. In 2011 he made $3.25 million with the Rangers and could get more then that if a bidding war ensues.

Who would have ever thought that so many teams would be interested in a 41-year old? I guess when you’re a lefty and coming off the best season in years, possibly his career, I guess that will happen.

@Ken_Rosenthal: Sources tell me and @jonmorosi: A. Ramirez visited Angels, offer likely coming. #Brewers have also inquired. #MLB

If the Angels are serious about adding Ramirez they’re offer is going to have to be substantial if they want this to end quickly as he’s got other teams interested. Only a few minutes after the tweet Rosenthal posted an article listing the Milwaukee Brewers as a legitimate contender for his services.

The Brewers also are among the teams pursuing Ramirez, sources say. If Milwaukee signs Ramirez, then Mat Gamel and incumbent third baseman Casey McGehee could combine to replace Prince Fielder at first base.

Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin has been aggressive in attempting to upgrade the infield, with Jerry Hairston Jr. and Jimmy Rollins among his targets. The Brewers are not interested in Jose Reyes at his present contract demands, sources say. (Ken Rosenthal & Jon Paul Morosi – FOX Sports)

I’m thinking the offer won’t be high enough to end things quickly. So yea, expect Ramirez’s agent to be meeting with Milwaukee officials next week at the Winter Meetings.

The Angels’ pursuit of free-agent pitcher C.J. Wilson will continue Monday night when Manager Mike Scioscia and General Manager Jerry Dipoto have dinner with the veteran left-hander in Los Angeles. The meeting was confirmed by a source familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly about it because of the sensitive nature of talks. (Los Angeles Times)

No word on if owner Arte Moreno will join the dinner but it’s no big deal if he does. Owner and player already have a relationship after the latest CBA negotiations. Moreno has also already had dinner with Wilson’s agent Bob Garber that lasted three hours last week. So the seeds are planted but its now time for the manager and player to see if they can co-exist.

Once these intimate dinners like this start to occur you know the contract offers are going to follow. Even if Wilson wants to be an Angel I wouldn’t expect a decision anytime soon as he’s still scheduled to meet with East Coast teams after the Thanksgiving holiday.

If Los Angeles can pull this off it would be a major coup and could catapult them back to the top of the American League West. If not well they’ll still be aggressive as they know pitching is what they need to get back on top.

The Angels had hoped a month in extended spring training in Arizona and another month in the minor leagues would help Kazmir regain the form that made him one of baseball’s better young left-handers…

Kazmir’s 30-day rehab window would give him time to make one more start, but it appears the Angels will have no choice but to release him and absorb the $14.5 million on his 2011 contract. (Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times)

That’s a lot of money right there that the team will eat. That $14.5 million amount thou included the entire season, what’s left to pay is about $7 million as well as a buyout of $2.5 million for the 2012 season. With that much money on the line it’s a big decision for General Manager Tony Reagins to make but it looks like a move he’ll have to make.

Reagins actually visited Salt Lake City, Utah last night to watch Kazmir’s start and had to leave unhappy. Scott gave up six earned runs, five hits and walked three in 1 & 2/3 innings, striking out only one and hitting a batter. Not numbers you expect to see when a pitcher is on his FIFTH rehab start.

His overall line in Salt Lake doesn’t look much better. He’s sporting a 17.02 ERA over 15 & 1/3 innings pitched. He’s given up 29 earned runs, 22 hits, 20 walks and struck out 14.

DiGiovanna states what it pretty much looks like to the naked eye, the kid has no control of his pitches anymore. “Kazmir, who has lost considerable velocity on his fastball and command of all three of his pitches, has made no progress.”

If that truly is the case the Angels just have to cut ties and turn their focus elsewhere. Scott is still young so I’m sure he’ll find a home in another teams minor league system but I’d say its a question mark as to if he ever hits the major leagues again.

Maybe they’ll be a team who can rework his mechanics and make him effective once again. Maybe they’ll be a team who can get his head straight for at least a couple batters and turn him into a reliever.

Unfortunately thou if that fastball is gone and not coming back then he won’t be either.

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“That door is open for a number of different reasons,” Soriano’s agent, Scott Boras, told ESPNNewYork.com.

“I don’t think there is a team in baseball where he could be asked to be a setup guy other than the Yankees,” Boras said.

“It is a different scenario … There is also a value in playing with Mariano Rivera,” Boras said.

Boras is right there a number of reasons why Soriano would consider the Yankees, even if he weren’t going to get the opportunity to close. I’d say the reasons are eight digits long. For those of you who don’t get it, i mean $xx,xxx,xxx per year.

Soriano has some very high demands this off season and who can blame him. He was phenomenal in 2010, his first full season as a closer, saving 45 games in 64 appearances with a 1.73 ERA. He was arguably the leagues best closer and wants to be paid like one.

Unfortunately for him those numbers, combined with those demands aren’t getting him much attention. You’ve got the Yankees obviously involved as well as the Chicago White Sox. The Texas Rangers have bowed out since signing Adrian Beltre and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, well are showing they don’t want to spend ANY money this year.

So basically that leaves the Yankees and White Sox, I’d lean towards the Yankees to if I was Soriano.

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Scott Boras, says there is value in playing with Mariano Rivera. That is partially true, Boras tells ESPN NewYork that learning from the greatest closer in history would be huge for Soriano and his career. Apparently that opportunity is one of the things the pitcher finds appealing.

I think the thing he finds most appealing (outside of the money) is that the Yankees are still searching for Mo’s replacement. Yes, Rivera signed a two-year contract but who knows how long he’ll be effective. Personally, I think they’ll be no drop off this year but who knows, he is 41 years old.

Soriano himself is only 31 years old and is young enough that he could be the heir to the throne. If Mo plays out his contract, Soriano would be 33 and have plenty of years left in his arm.

At that point, he could take over the closing duties for the biggest named team in baseball which would mean even more dollars on his next contract. That would be the main appeal of playing with Rivera, the prestige and the money that comes with closing for the New York Yankees.

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One other problem in signing of Soriano, is that he is a Type A free agent so the signing team has to give up their first round draft pick. If any team was willing to pay a reliever eight figures and give up the pick would be the Yankees.

After losing out on Cliff Lee the Yankees needed to do something. GM Brian Cashman preached patience but if he loses Andy he MUST do something. Signing Soriano would give the Yankees an unmatchable 8th/9th inning combo in the bullpen which should help out a mediocre bullpen and a young starting rotation.

I’m assuming Rafael winds up signing with the Yankees sometime within the next week.

Eric Chavez will work out for the Dodgers on Jan. 20, the longtime A’s third baseman told The Chronicle, and his agent said that Chavez will hold private workouts this month for two American League teams (not the A’s) as well. (per SF Chronicle)

Let’s get this straight from the beginning, after only playing 64 games over the past three seasons there is virtually no chance Chavez is offered a big league contract. Yes, Eric says he’s feeling better then he has in years but I’m not sure if that really means anything. He’s had so much injury history with his shoulder and back that I really question if he could make it through a whole season.

The best he can hope for is a minor league contract, with a spring training invite and loaded with incentives should he actually make the big league team.

With that being said, his agent says he has tryouts with three teams, one of which is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Makes sense to me, they could use a reserve corner infielder and if anyone can sympathize and figure out a way to work with Chavez’s back history it’s head coach Don Mattingly.

Now for the two American League teams, I have no idea who they could be. I’d like to assume the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are one of them, as they play in Southern California which is a preference for Chavez. But that’s just that an assumption, your guesses are just as good as mine at this point.

So how healthy is Chavez at the moment? I’d say after barely playing over three seasons he’s probably in good enough shape to go to Spring Training. He’s currently been fielding grounders at the hot corner, while working out at the Athletics Performance Center.

“The throwing has been unreal,” he said in a text. “I need to see live pitching to judge the hitting accurately, but things look good.”

We’ll find out really soon if this comeback is legit and in a few months whether he can handle the big league stress.

@jonmorosi: #Athletics looking for offense, would prefer FA to trades. Matsui and Vlad are on list. #Oakland #MLB

I could definitely see the A’s bringing in Matsui, he had a pretty good 2010. He batted .271 with 21 homers and 84 rbis with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I’m pretty sure it won’t cost much to sign him, not at this point in his career. He puts up solid numbers but definitely goes through deep long struggles, (.184 avg in May, .228 in July). The problem in signing Matsui, will be the same as Vladdy, length.

Guerrero wants a three year deal after his resurgence in Texas. MLB.com’s TR Sullivan wrote, “”Length of contract appears to be more important to Guerrero than the financial terms.” Even so we know that Vlad will give the Texas Rangers a one-year discount for giving him a chance. Will the A’s be willing to go as high as three years?

The A’s are willing to offer multiple years to aging vets, remember they did offer Berkman two years but I’m not sure if they’d go as high as three for Guerrero. That’s never really been Billy Beane’s style to give an aging vet that long of a deal.

For that very reason, if the A’s were to sign either of these guys I think it would wind up Matsui on a one-year deal.

When it comes to the Nationals, they have to ask themselves how close they are competing? Yes, they have Stephen Strasburg but that’s not enough pitching. Cowley says that the Nats are looking to build the team with young arms around the phenom, meaning they want to build up their pitching first. Dunn could definitely help add young pitching if dealt to the right team.

Another thing to consider is the cost of resigning Dunn. If the Nats can trade him for a couple young pitchers they’d have more available money when the team comes close to competing. With it being the Nationals, you know that aspect (the money) is definitely a consideration.

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If the White Sox were to trade for Dunn it would be huge for the organization. They’re only two games back of the Detroit Tigers and could desperately use a power bat. They’re designated hitter this year has been Mark Kotsay. Yep, you read that right, Mark Kotsay. So you know just by the name they desperately need a DH.

Let’s compare the two lines.

Kotsay – .212 average 6 hr and 16 rbis over 156 at bats in 54 games.
Dunn – .276 average (highest of career) 17 hr and 47 rbis in 272 at bats.

A bat like Dunn’s would be huge in the middle of that lineup and change the entire look of that offense. The real question is this, do the White Sox have the young talent to give up in a deal? Cowley points out that recent trades have left the system pretty void of top prospects.

And most of the Sox’ highly regarded pitching prospects were dealt in previous trades to acquire Jake Peavy and Juan Pierre.

After right-hander Daniel Hudson, there’s a big drop in the Sox’ system to Carlos Torres and Santos Rodriguez. One movable piece would be third baseman Brent Morel, who seems to be in a logjam behind Dayan Viciedo and the three-year, $14 million extension Williams gave Mark Teahen this winter.

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It’s obvious the White Sox could really use Dunn but the Angels could use him even more. The Angels are 4.5 games back of the Texas Rangers and have a bigger power void themselves. Their leading homerun hitter this year is Mike Napoli with 13, yes Napoli. They’re so desperate for hitting they have Napoli, they’re backup catcher as the starting first baseman. So yea, adding a player like Dunn is something they’ve had to seriously consider.

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There’s one major hurdle that both Chicago and Anaheim would have to jump thou and I’m not sure if they can, especially the Sox. Adam Dunn is having a huge season and should easily become a Type A free agent. Once again for those that don’t know what that means, if the Nationals offer arbitration they’ll get two draft picks if he signs elsewhere.

So if the Nationals do trade him they’re going to want comparable talent to the type of draft picks they’d get. Would either team be willing to meet that for a half season rental? Yes, they’d have the chance to get those draft picks if he left but its more of a crap shoot giving their own prospects they already know away.

With Dunn’s love for Washington its conceivably possible that the Nats could trade him get those two prospect and then…. Sign Dunn in the offseason and because of their record would not have to give up their first round pick.