@Buster_ESPN: Oakland Athletics are in negotiations with Bartolo Colon.

@jaysonst: The #Diamondbacks, who still have an opening for a 5th starter, are showing interest in Bartolo Colon.

Both of those teams wouldn’t be bad options for the veteran, especially the A’s. Oakland has an opening at the tail end of their rotation and Colon could fit nicely.

Bartolo struggled mightily down the stretch but is that a surprise it was his first full season since 2005. Most of his struggles though actually came at home at Yankees Stadium. Playing in a park like the Oakland Coliseum could be very beneficial to him. Remember that was the place he had his best start of 2011, pitching a complete game shutout.

If he doesn’t sign with anyone anytime soon though it might be hard for him to get a guaranteed major league deal.

@Ken_Rosenthal: Sources: Saunders receiving one-year and multi-year offers. Three-year deal possible. #Tigers, #Marlins among logical fits. #MLB

Some will argue that Saunders doesn’t deserve a multi-year deal, me I’m not against it if it’s at the right price. Saunders actually stayed healthy for the entire 2011 season, throwing a career high 212 innings over 33 starts. His ERA of 3.69 was also the second lowest of his career.

His career ERA is slightly over four and he does tend to give up the long ball at a high rate. So if I were say the Tigers or Marlins I’d say it’s buyer beware. For a contender he’s not a bad choice to put in the middle to back end of your rotation, they just have to judge how much they want to risk in hopes of a repeat performance.

I watched a good part of the video and it was refreshing to see someone so high up in management so excited. This guy was genuinely happy about how things turned out. He said it was so much more then what they expected and that they didn’t expect to compete until the 2012 season.

He made sure to mention manager Kirk Gibson and how he’s a big reason things turned around in the desert. He also mentioned how good this team can become as they’ve got plenty of young talent ready to come up and produce. Young talent that has been battle tested as they recently won as their Double A affiliate Mobile BayBears won the Southern League Championship. Remember most big league players come from Double A now, not Triple A.

I’d say give this video a watch, I wouldn’t post it if I didn’t think you should. If you’re a Diamondbacks fan or a fan of any NL West team then it’s definitely a must.

Unlike the championship team of 2001 I have a feeling this DBacks team is going to be around for a few years.

Heilman hasn’t started since 2004 but shouldn’t have an issue transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation. During his career, Aaron’s only thrown more then 100 innings once but that doesn’t mean the arm strength isn’t there. In each of the past five seasons, he’s pitched in at least 70 games. So yea, he’s used to a heavy workload.

So far this spring, he’s been pretty impressive, almost perfect actually, which is making manager’s Kirk Gibson decision difficult.

“He’s been great,” Gibson said. “He was well prepared. You could tell he threw a lot coming into camp. He hasn’t walked anybody. He’s keeping the ball down, getting lots of ground balls. But it’s a long spring.

“Some guys are throwing the ball better than others and we’re going to get into a different stage of spring training here. He’s certainly on a good track, though.” (per The Arizona Republic)

The main issue for Aaron, is adding an additional pitch (in this case a slider) to his repertoire. In the bullpen, he’s a fastball / changeup guy, as a starter that won’t work.

“In the bullpen, you can get away with two pitches,” Gibson said. “Starters, though, once you start seeing guys three or four times, it’s important to have more weapons.”

In my opinion, that’s going to be what determines if Heilman gets a spot in the rotation. If the slider continues to get better and his other pitches keep the hitters off balance this spring then he’ll get back to where he always wanted to be, the rotation.

(per Jason Beck of MLB.com) – “We’re making some progress on some trade talks at this point,” Dombrowski said. “Not quite sufficient to make any announcements, but I would think by the middle of next week we would be in a position where we would make a deal.”

Asked then if a trade is likely, Dombrowski said, “Yes, I think it’s likely.”

Many teams have rotation needs, they include the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians and quite a few others. Surprisingly none of those teams are the ones pushing for Armando.

Cleveland Indians – Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com says that the Indians aren’t interested in Galarraga because of his price. Armando’s contract calls for him to make $2.5 million in 2011 and that would be too expensive for the Tribe. Hoynes tweet goes along with a recent post where I mentioned that the Indians would be bargain shopping this winter.

@hoynsie: Don’t look for #Indians to work a deal with Armando Galarraga. He’s making $2.3 million and that’s too rich for Tribe. Which is too bad.

Pittsburgh Pirates – Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the Pirates do have interest in Galarraga but it’s not likely that a deal happens. He mentions that it shouldn’t be because of money so I wonder what that reasoning is.

@RobBiertempfel:#Pirates have some interest in rhp Armando Galarraga. Considering they made serious offer to Pavano, I’d say they have the $$ for Galaragga.

@RobBiertempfel: Regarding galarraga to #pirates, trusted source just told me, “I don’t see it happening”

Washington Nationals – Bill Ladson of MLB.com says that the Nationals aren’t interested in Galarraga as they don’t see him as an upgrade. That is somewhat surprising to me as they’ve been scouring the free agent market all winter for a pitcher. Personally, I’m not sure how he wouldn’t be an upgrade but whatever there loss, he should of came cheap.

@washingnats: I was informed that the #Nats are not interested in #Tigers RHP Armando Galarraga. The #Nats don’t consider Galarraga an upgrade to what they already have in their rotation.

Now time for the surprise team, at least in my opinion. The Arizona Diamondbacks. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic says that the D-Backs are in this heavy and making a strong push to acquire Galarraga. So much so that the two sides have already started discussing names. If Arizona did make the deal he’d likely compete for the fifth spot in the rotation to start, I’m sure a switch to the National League would help his performance.

The clubs are said to be exchanging names in trade talks; minor league right-hander Kevin Eichhorn has been discussed. A source said a deal isn’t expected to occur until sometime next week. (per Arizona Republic)

With all the various tweets and reports today, I’d have to say things are looking promising for the Diamondbacks. They obviously look like as the favorite as they’re the only team that is known to have exchanged names. Although, I’d have to say watch out for a dark horse team. There’s always a chance another team could creep in with the Tigers waiting till next week to make it happen.

@SurfingTheMets: Source: Mets are closing in on a deal with reliever D.J. Carrasco. Terms could be finalized as soon as tonight, but not physical.

@ed_price: #Mets and DJ Carrasco are working on a two-year deal.

There is one thing here thou that does surprise me and that is the length of the deal. Yes, it’s only two years but Carrasco is pretty much your run of the mill middle relief pitcher. He’s not a guy you’d consider to pitch in the late innings, just someone who could bridge the gap to the setup man and closer.

Those type of guys usually work on year to year deals, so I wonder if the Mets overpaid in length out of desperation. New general manager Sandy Alderson knows his bullpen really needs some help, so I think he overpaid to make sure he can address the situation.

Lefty Mike Hampton is another Rodgers client, and the agent said he has had “extremely productive conversations” with the Diamondbacks about Hampton returning next season.

After recovering from surgery to repair his labrum and rotator cuff, Hampton signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks and made 10 appearances for them in September, retiring 12 of the 16 batters he faced and not allowing a run in 4 1/3 innings.

It sounds like the Diamondbacks are expecting to work something out, one source saying it would be a “mild surprise” if Hampton doesn’t re-sign. (From Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic)

For a while I’ve actually felt the guy should hang it up, as a starter he just wasn’t cutting it. His last productive and full season was in 2004. Since then he’s been riddled by injuries, never regaining the talents that made him a successful pitcher. That is till Arizona got a hold of him.

Pitching in the D-Backs system they switched Hampton to a relief role and he took off. Once recalled to the bigs he showed he could still be effective but only in small spurts. 10 appearances, 4.1 innings pitched, three strikeouts and no runs allowed.

As long as the D-Backs use him as a lefty specialist and don’t try to return him to a starting role, he could easily pitch a few more years at the major league level.

The DBacks have eight more days to try and trade Byrnes to another team, only catch is he has a no trade clause and can refuse any deal he doesn’t like. With his 2010 salary at $11 million he’d be pretty hard to trade anyways, especially since he hasn’t hit higher then .226 or more then 8 homers since 2007. Most of that is due to injuries but regardless his stock has dropped majorly so not many, if anyone, would trade for him at that rate.

The most likely option is for the Diamondbacks to outright release him this week and eat the salary. They’ll just pay him the $11 million and let him hit free agency. Byrnes know that is the most logical case which led to him saying the Giants were his “best fit”.

“It’s not a real secret (that) I’d definitely be interested,” Byrnes said in a phone interview. “The Giants, of course, that’s the best fit geographically.”

Knowing he’ll get his paycheck next season he’ll be willing to sign for the league minimum next season, something that should surely appeal to the Giants. What may be even more appealing is that Byrnes has done something not many other athletes would do. He didn’t come out saying he can still be a dominant player, he swallowed his pride and said what kind of player he actually is now.

“I’m not in a position to say I’m an everyday player. The most important thing for me at this point in my career is to help a team win, wherever that is,” said Byrnes.

In my opinion, the Giants would be foolish not to sign him at the league minimum. For a team working within a tight budget he’d be much more cost effective then going after a player like Johnny Damon.

Byrnes may not be an everyday starter anymore, he may not provide the big offensive numbers but he’s still a pretty good outfielder and still athletic enough where he can give the starters at all three outfield positions a break. He can also provide enough on the offensive side to where he wouldn’t be a total liability.

Byrnes calls the Giants his “best fit” but you know what Byrnes might also be the “best fit” for the Giants.

First, the Yankees traded Brian Bruney to the Washington Nationals for the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft. Not a major deal but could wind up being very big for the Yankees bullpen. Steven Henson of Yahoo.com says the Yankees are considering drafting Florida Marlins pitcher Arquimedes Carminero, a strong armed reliever who boasts a 10+ strikeout per nine inning ratio. That is if they don’t trade the pick. Jayson Stark of ESPN.com says the Yankees are trying to move that pick themselves. I’d think for another minor league player. The Yankees also needed to clear a little payroll for the moves they want to make so Bruney could save them close to $2 million after his arbitration raise.

Next, the Yankees made a blockbuster trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers. They gave up a pretty big prospect in Austin Jackson, as well as Phil Coke and Ian Kennedy. In return they got a player they’ve wanted for a long time Curtis Granderson. He’s got power, 30 homers last year, something that a player needs when playing at Yankee Stadium. He’s got speed, 57 triples in 6 seasons (twice league leader) and 20 steals last season, something the Yankees could always use more of with their aging lineup. There are two major knocks thou.

He strikes out a lot, something the Yankees don’t need as this is a team that’s always wanted patience at the plate. Maybe the vets can rub off on the kid. He also can’t hit lefties (.183 with 2 homers in 180 at bats) to save his life and that’s a problem. Teams don’t save their lefties to pitch in Yankees Stadium anymore, but they do face more then their fare share. If this trend continues he could quickly become a platoon player, something someone making his kind of money shouldn’t be.

Regardless, Granderson is going to be a terror in that stadium, especially against right handed pitchers. His swing is perfect for the short porch in right and with his speed he can definitely take advantage of the spacious center field while batting. The question is going to be does he play left, or bump Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner over there.

And finally today, the Yankees acted on one of their priorities they resigned Andy Pettitte to a one-year deal. You remember those priorities right? Take care of their three free agents first then look elsewhere. Anyone who believed that, I laugh and say its the Yankees and if any GM calls Cashman he’ll talk.

So back to Pettitte he’s been brought back on a one-year deal for $11.75 million, slightly more then what he made last season. The difference is this year its all guaranteed, last season most of his $10+ million was made via incentives. After his performance in the playoffs this year, you knew an incentive laden deal wouldn’t do. I’m glad he’s back, he’s the rock in the middle of that rotation and he’s a Yankee lifer, what Houston? I don’t remember those couple years ever happening.

As a Yankees fan, I’m enjoying the moves they’ve made so far. Dealing Bruney brings in some possible youth, really cheap youth if they keep the Rule 5 pick. They bring back a legit pitcher and bring a big time bat/defensive player. We may one day regret giving up Austin Jackson, just like we will regret losing Jose Tabata but hey if Granderson plays as he always had we won’t care. He gives us a better chance at winning now, and that’s always the Yankees priority.

I just know one thing, Curtis better learn to hit some lefties and FAST!

——-

About a month or so ago we talked about the Detroit Tigers and their lack of a closer. We said the Tigers had decided to not focus on the position at the time as General Manager Dave Dombrowski wasn’t impressed by any of the options out there. Now that Spring Training is drawing near the Tigers have changed their tune. With it almost being game time one can’t blame the Tigers for now scouring the market, there is still some talent out there and it’s all becoming very cheap. The person at the head of the class is former Arizona Diamondbacks closer Brandon Lyon.

Lyon had a strange 2008 campaign, before the All-Star Game he was lights out, a money closer saving 19 games with a 2.43 era. After the All-Star break was a completely different story. He racked up an era of 8.46, with only one save coming after August 12. All of that led to him losing his job to Chad Qualls. Because of this one has to wonder which Brandon Lyon the Tigers will see. Will it be lights out Lyon or lit up Lyon? Will it be somewhere in between.

The Tigers have enough interest in Lyon thou where they are willing to offer a two-year deal, rumored to be worth $9 million. There’s enough interest where they are going to give him a chance at the closer role currently occupied by Fernando Rodney. The St. Louis Cardinals are also in the mix thou, so things aren’t quite finalized yet.

Regardless of what happens it can’t be worse then last years nightmare. Todd Jones was just atrocious in the role, and Rodney wasn’t much better. While Lyon had a horrendous second half of the season, he still had a better overall season when it came to save situations. So with that being said, if he can just perform in the middle of his two extremes then stability would be brought to the Tigers bullpen. Which is something the pitching staff at a whole missed last year.

Does this move turn the Tigers back into a contender? No, definitely not but it’s a step in the right direction. The offense should rebound this year, there is just too much talent for them not too. For the Tigers to succeed it’s all going to come down to the starting pitching. If those guys can rediscover their form, then having a capable closer like Lyon on the back end should definitely help.

“I think before it’s all said and done, there’ll be more of a veteran presence in our bullpen than people think,” manager Jim Leyland said during a stop on the team’s winter caravan Thursday.