@Ken_Rosenthal: Sources: Hairston is done with #Dodgers. Passes physical. 2 yrs, 6M plus incentives.

In my opinion, this is a pretty hefty deal for a utility man. Hairston can play all three outfield positions, shortstop and second base for the Dodgers. I’m sure the reason he got such a hefty contract is because he’ll be Dee Gordon’s replacement at short if he proves not ready to handle everyday duties. Even then I’m not sure why they’d spend so much on a guy who only hit .270 over 376 plate appearances, with only five homers last season.

@Ken_Rosenthal: #Dodgers still working on Harang. Deal expected to be north of Capuano. Two years, $12M range.

It appears the Dodgers are throwing darts at the wall when it comes to starting pitchers this free agency. They first signed Chris Capuano for two years, $10 million now they’re bringing in Aaron Harang. With the guys they’re bringing in they are some very expensive darts.

I think Harang will be better for the Dodgers though as he’s just simply a better pitcher then Capuano. My only concern is how he’ll respond in pitching all of his games outside the friendly confines of Petco Park. It’s not like the park is a bandbox but it’s still bigger then his former home.

The reason for concern is his 4.70 ERA over 11 starts in 2011. Although he does have a good career at Dodger Park, 3.65 ERA over 24 innings pitched. Hopefully for them that continues.

@Buster_ESPN: The representatives for Clayton Kershaw have had early contact with the Dodgers about a long-term deal,but no serious talks have taken place

Arbitration is a main reason but there’s a bigger one that makes me think a deal won’t get done. That reason is Dodgers ownership. The team is on sale and no one has any idea what group will take the team over. Who knows what that group is going to want to spend payroll wise.

Only way I could see a deal getting done is if it’s very team friendly, which I don’t think Kershaw would go for. After four seasons, Kershaw has a 2.88 CAREER ERA with 745 strikeouts in 716 innings and a 47-28 record. Since becoming a fulltime starter in 2009 his ERA hasn’t ended the season over 3.00. Oh and let’s not forget he’s already won a CY Young Award too.

If I was Clayton, I’d never take a team friendly deal.

So yea, it’s nice to hear the two sides are talking but with three more years under team control and the team for sale don’t expect anything to happen anytime soon.

The Rockies have talked with Atlanta. Multiple executives said that the Braves are still in a fact-finding stage, trying to determine what they want in return a player who could start at second or third base for the Rockies. The discussions are expected to restart at the general manager’s meetings that begin Tuesday in Milwaukee. (Troy Renck – Denver Post)

With a weak market at the position and Ellis off the board, you would have to think the Rockies are reaching the desperation point right? General Manager Dan O’Dowd would like you to believe other wise “We had interest in both players, but we have other things going on and there is a lot of winter left. “We are very comfortable with our in-house options.”

I think he’s blowing smoke so the Braves don’t try to rape his organization of it’s talent. It’s been known that the Braves are interested in outfielder Seth Smith, while also having interest in Charlie Blackmon and Tim Wheeler (two guys they’d like to not move). They’ve also expressed interest in Dexter Fowler, an Atlanta native.

Personally, if I was the Rockies giving up Smith and Blackmon or Wheeler may be worth it. Prado is a legitimate talent who can help solidify the middle of the Rockies infield for years to come.

Prado had an off year in 2011, batting .260 with 13 homers and 57 rbi. For his career though he’s got a .293 average with career highs of 40 doubles and 15 homers.

The problem for the Rockies though again, is how much the Braves are going to ask for. As more teams get interested, the Detroit Tigers are now in the mix, the price will only go up. Which means the Rockies need to strike fast and get things done before the Baseball Winter Meetings in December.

Wallach had a solid career as a player and has been pretty impressive so far as a coach / manager.

- Over 17 seasons, he batted .257 with 260 homers and 1125 rbis, he also had 432 doubles. His numbers would have been better but he played for about six seasons longer then he should have, as he had a steep drop in production after the age of 32.
- He’s won two gold glove awards, two silver sluggers and finished top 10 in MVP voting twice (once finishing fourth).
- He was the 2010 Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year after coaching the Albuquerque Dodgers (Los Angeles Triple-A affiliate)
- In 2011, he was the Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach.

Sounds like a guy who knows what he’s doing, much more then the guy the Chicago White Sox just hired to fill their position.

The Red Sox are also considering others, they include:
Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin
Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Dave Martinez
Cleveland Indians third base coach Sandy Alomar Jr
Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum

While there are no big names amongst the group it is a solid group of candidates as they’re all former big league ball players who had mild success. They’ve also got solid coaching experience with teams that have been in pressure situations.

If I had to choose one out of the group I’d go with Alomar Jr, even with the success Wallach has had as a manager. He’s a baseball lifer thanks to his bloodlines and with him being a catcher he’s seen the game from a perspective no other candidate has. He in my opinion was also the most successful of the group as a player.

@dgoold: Furcal has no-trade protection, but he is open to deal to #Cardinals, I’m told #STLcards still talking with #dodgers to work out a fit.

The on field fit for the Cardinals is there as Furcal would be a drastic defensive upgrade over Ryan Theriot. Offensively thou I’m not to sure, which is sad when you consider Theriot is batting .268 with only one homer and 35 runs batted in this year.

Furcal is currently batting .197 with a homer and 12 rbi in 37 games played. Furcal missed a lot of time due to injury but looks like he might be rounding into form. Over the past 10 games he’s batting .277 (more in line with his lifetime .283 average) with three doubles, five rbi and two steals. If that continues then he’d be an all around upgrade for the Cardinals.

I’m sure the Dodgers won’t be asking for much as they would love to dump Furcal’s salary. His 2011 salary was $11 million, with a $11 million option for 2012.

The problem will probably come down to what he wants to waive the no-trade clause.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Mattingly said. “Obviously, if Vicente comes in and is pitching well out of there, it’s hard to just hand something over to somebody else. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” (LA Times)

“Like everybody else, we try to get guys back in the mix [in nonpressure situations] before we start throwing them in tight situations,” Mattingly said. (LA Times)

I was absolutely floored when reading this, Padilla closing over Broxton?? Yes, Padilla has pitched well this year four holds and two saves in seven innings, with a 2.57 ERA but come on its still Vincente Padilla!!! The same pitcher who over the course of a full season hasn’t had an ERA under 4.00.

Now don’t get me wrong he could have a nice late career boost by going to the bullpen, much like Jose Contreras did BUT I can’t see him being a dominant closer. He could be effective but not the dominant closer a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers are used to having.

Broxton himself hasn’t been dominant but I wonder if part of his struggles last year were tied to the bone spurs discovered this year. When it comes to crunch time in August and September, I think Broxton has the better chance of dominating opposing hitters.

Now to Mattingly’s quotes. Is he serious or playing a good manager’s role and giving Padilla confidence?

Personally I think he’s playing the good manager. Padilla is the closer right now and with Broxton’s prior struggles he should feel like it’s going to be his role to lose if he continues converting opportunities. There is no doubt in my mind thou that Donnie Baseball will eventually put Broxton back in that role.

Much like the Toronto Blue Jays just did with Frank Francisco, he’ll let Broxton get back into shape on the major league level. Pitching in middle relief and setup situations till he proves he’s ready. Once he is, Mattingly will plug him back into the closer role as soon as Vincente struggles.

And you know what? It’s Vincente Padilla so you know the implosion will eventually come.

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.

Well, Thole is a pretty solid catching prospect, hits for average but not much power and he’s alright defensively. He’s enough of a prospect thou that even Barajas knew he’d eventually be cast away for the kid.

(per Adam Rubin of ESPN New York) “When you have a guy as talented as Josh — a young guy who you see as part of your core nucleus going into the future — if he’s up here and he’s playing well, you’re going to want to keep playing him,” Barajas said. “And I understand that. I’ve been around the game long enough to know what direction teams are trying to go. For me, if that was going to be the case and there was an opportunity for me to go somewhere else and get some playing time, then that would probably be the best-case scenario for everybody involved. … Now Josh has a chance to not look over his shoulder.”

When it comes to hitting Thole looks like he could be an on base machine, currently he’s hitting .292 with a .364 OBP. He’s a throw back type hitter, he’s one of the few hitters in the game this still chokes up on the bat no matter the count. That of course sacrifices his power but he obviously cares more about getting good at-bats.

His manager Jerry Manuel believes that even with his batting style, Thole will eventually be a 10 to 15 homerun guy. Before you go that’s all?? remember that’s not bad for a catcher.

(per Adam Rubin of ESPN New York)”Right now we see a good, young spray hitter,” Manuel said. “I think he will develop a little power. For a catcher to hit for a high average, you’ve got to be a pretty good hitter, because you ain’t going to get no infield hits — that type of thing.

“He’s a left-handed hitter. That’s always good to have a left-handed-hitting catcher, I think. I think there will be some power there. I don’t know how much. I think at some point you might see a season where he might hit 10 to 15 home runs.”

The most impressive thing so far about the kid thou isn’t his ability to hit for average but his defense. Thole began as a first baseman but switched to catching three years ago, so he’s pretty much a work in progress but is progressing quite rapidly. He’s had two stays in the big leagues this year and the difference in his defense was night and day.

In his first go around this season, he wasn’t that great at calling a game, receiving the pitches and definitely not the greatest at throwing runners out. Most scouts actually consider his arm to be below average. After the Mets sent Thole back to the minors thou he took the role more seriously.

Once being recalled the team instantly made him R.A. Dickey’s personal catcher, we all know those knuckle balls need a dedicated catcher. But other then that Thole started working with all the teams pitchers during bullpen sessions. Between those sessions and occasional starts the teams comfort grew in the youngster, enough to where Manuel feels comfortable with Thole calling a game. He’s even got slightly better at throwing runners out attempting to steal.

With such a turn around in a short period of time, you could see why the Mets feel so comfortable giving the kid the keys to the pitching staff. With more time behind the plate at the Major League level he’ll get even better.

With his ability to hit for average and being a quick study behind the plate, Thole should become a serviceable starting catcher. Maybe even a little better then that.

I hate the Mets but I’m glad they’re giving the kid a chance to play. When your team is as bad as the Mets, you should rid of the dead weight, give the kids a chance to play and see which of them can stick.

@Buster_ESPN: With some money freed up, Dodgers expected to target some pitching. Joel Pineiro, said to be looking for 3- to-4 years, might be a fit.

The argument that Pineiro could be a good fit in Los Angeles is very sound. Last season he was pretty comparable to Wolf, going 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA in 214 innings, arguably his best season in his 10-year career. He could essentially step right into Wolf’s spot and give you the same production. The issue thou comes down to money and years.

Jayson Stark of ESPN says that Pineiro is looking for a better contract then the one Wolf got, meaning he wants three or four years with a higher annual salary. Wolf is making just south of $10 million.

The Dodgers did free up $8 million by trading Pierre but with part of his salary still on the books, would they be willing to pay Pineiro the kind of money he wants and for that length of time?

That I’m not sure about. Personally, I wouldn’t as who knows what you’re going to get from Pineiro. Throughout his career he’s been pretty inconsistent. Early on he was lights out, the middle portion he was getting hit all over the place and now all of a sudden he’s pitching well again.

Could he have finally solved whatever problems he had? Yea it’s possible but for me their is too much uncertainty to guarantee him $10+ million a season.

I’m sure the Dodgers will think along the same lines and look for cheaper alternatives.

The Orioles do have a few players that have drawn interest, they’re the usual suspects Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora and Danys Baez. None of whom could be considered be big ticket items, they’d be role players on a contending team. Very good role players, but still spare parts. They’re guys that could get you at best a mid-level prospect and guys that could easily be had at the waivers deadline in August.

So looking at the Sun’s article I have to say the only way there would be a big deal was if it involved Sherrill, it’s the only noteworthy one they could make.

Sherrill is 32 now and an average big league closer. He was the Orioles 2008 All-Star representative ending the season with 31 saves and a 4.72 era. He’s been much improved in 2009, sporting a 2.40 era with 20 saves in 23 opportunities. Even with the improvement I’d still call him an average closer as he loves to let runners on base, 47 in only 41 and a third innings.

Looking at that you have to wonder what makes him attractive to a contender. Well, he’s proven he can get out of the jams he creates, but more importantly he’s a left handed pitcher. If he were to go to a contender with a solid closer, he could be an outstanding talent in the 8th inning. To no surprise the teams with the elite closers are the ones looking at him.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – The Angels of Brian Fuentes whose had an outstanding year. He’s already had 30 saves matching last years total. He’s also got the problem of making things interesting. Bringing Sherrill in would give manager Mike Scioscia more options depending on the situation.

Los Angeles Dodgers – They’ve got Jonathan Broxton and you have to ask is there many better in the National League. He’s got 23 saves with a 2.76 era and 73 strikeouts in 45 innings. The Dodgers problem lately has been getting the ball to Broxton. They’ve got solid relievers but they’re starting to show signs of fatigue, the norm with Joe Torre relievers at this time of year.

Philadelphia Phillies – The Phils have Brad “Lights Out” Lidge and an outstanding set-up man in Ryan Madson but they do have question marks everywhere else in that bullpen. They’ve got two key middle relievers, JC Romero and Chad Durbin both on the disabled lists and way too many Chan Ho Park sightings. If the deals for Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee fall through the Phillies can turn to Sherrill and the Orioles. What this would do is help shorten the game to six innings on most night for their starting pitchers. With guys like Pedro Martinez and Jamie Moyer, you’ll need those extra quality relievers.

The Orioles won’t be selling Sherrill for cheap. Both the Angels and Dodgers have been told they’ll have to give up their top third base prospects in any move. For the Dodgers that would mean Josh Bell, and for the Angels Brandon Wood.

Can’t blame the Orioles one bit, Sherrill may be 32 but he’s under team control for two more seasons. Fr a financially strapped club you got to keep those kind of guys.

“There are very few teams in baseball that couldn’t use a quality left-handed reliever,” president Andy MacPhail said. “We don’t feel an obligation to be the farm system for a contending team. We’ll act on whatever we perceive is in the best interest of the club.”

I don’t blame the Orioles one bit for putting a high price on their trade chips. The future is bright for this young team and to compete in the American League East they’ll need all the help they can get.