The Hot Stove is smoking but we’re unlinkely to see any real flames until next week’s Winter Meetings in Nashville. With a shallow free-agent pool,  teams will have to resort to old-fashioned wheeling and dealing.
The focus of most attention is, of course, Johan Santana who Minnesota has on the block. The Twinkies are hoping that [...]

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Every newspaper on the east coast is reporting that the Yankees are in talks with the Twins about a trade for Santana (Johan not Carlos) but the price for the two-time Cy Young Award winner will be steep (Hughes and Cabrera?) since the Mets, Red Sox and Dodgers are also reportedly interested.

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The Seattle PI reports that GM Bill Bavasi and manager John McLaren are hoping to bring back more than just electronics when they return from their current Japanese shopping trip. They also hoping to wrap up pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. The club already has a strong Japanese contingent including catcher Kenji Johjima, outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and [...]

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The news on the Yankee front is mainly no news. Newsday has a “friend” of Rivera reporting that he’s ready to sign the 3-year $45 million offer the Yanks have on the table but the Daily News says he’s still trying to squeeze an option year out of the team.
Meanwhile, the NY Post  reports that [...]

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Let’s get A-Rod out of the way early today. Everyone (I saw it in the NYT and the NY Post) is reporting that the Yankees and Alex are down to working out the details on the bonus he’ll receive if he breaks the career home run record. Apparently that’s against the rules so they’ll call it “revenue sharing.” The [...]

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Apparently, even with a certain third basemen all but sure to return to New York next year, the Yankees still have interest in signing World Series MVP Mike Lowell. According to the New York Post, that would involve a move from third base to first for Lowell. Even if the Yankees don’t sign Lowell, their [...]

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In today’s mandatory A-Rod rumor, the New York Daily News has A-Rod settling for $275 million spread over 10 years. That $21 million less than what he could have gotten if he hadn’t declared for free agency (and $21 million Texas won’t have to pay over the next three years).Word is the contract will be announced once [...]

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I imagine it was with some glee that MLB.com reported that A-Rod has crawled back to the negotiating table to meet with the Yankees minus super-agent Scott Boras. The Yankees have refused to talk if Boras is even in the room. Apparently A-Rod wants to play in a World Series at least once in his [...]

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According to the NYT, the Yankees have a 3-year, $45 million offer on the table for reliever Mariano Rivera but he’s in no hurry to sign.  That would make Rivera the highest paid closer in the game (the Mets’ Billy Wagner is currently tops at $10.75 per year). The Yanks need Rivera if their plans to make a starter [...]

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Newsday reports that the Yankees are interested in World Series MVP Mike Lowell. The Red Sox supposedly want to retain Lowell but have only offered three years and he wants four. The Yankees, minus A-Rod’s hefty salary, could certainly afford to offer that. Of course, if the Sox lose Lowell, they’re likely to enter the [...]

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