[Willie Bee]

Might be good to keep up with player movement in one location. Here are the first couple of personnel moves of the offseason.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3672970
DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers declined the option on shortstop Edgar Renteria's contract Thursday, choosing to give him a $3 million buyout instead of bringing him back at an $11 million salary.

The Tigers previously announced plans to part ways with the 33-year-old Renteria, who hit .270 with 10 homers and 55 RBIs this season -- well off his career averages of .290 and 77 RBIs over 13 seasons in the majors.

Detroit acquired the five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove shortstop shortly after the 2007 season from Atlanta for pitcher Jair Jurrjens and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.

Detroit also rehired bullpen coach Jeff Jones, promoted Bruce Tanner to major league scout and outrighted the contracts of pitcher Gary Glover and catcher Dane Sardinha to Toledo.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3673042
MIAMI -- The Florida Marlins traded power-hitting first baseman Mike Jacobs on Thursday to the Kansas City Royals for relief pitcher Leo Nunez.

The Marlins were shopping Jacobs because he was due a big raise in arbitration, and have plenty of options at first base. In exchange, they got a right-hander who throws in the mid-90s.

"We are trading from an area of depth to an area we wanted to create more depth in," said Larry Beinfest, Marlins president of baseball operations.

Nunez, a native of the Dominican Republic, was 4-1 last year with a 2.98 ERA in 45 relief appearances. He has a 9-7 lifetime record in the majors.

This move was the first of several expected out of Florida, which has baseball's smallest payroll and 17 players eligible for arbitration this winter. The deal was actually completed much earlier, but the teams waited until the World Series concluded to announce it.

Jacobs is a career .262 hitter the Marlins acquired in the 2005 Carlos Delgado trade with the New York Mets. He had 32 home runs and 93 RBIs last season, both career bests, and helped the Marlins become the second team in MLB history with three infielders hitting 30 homers in a season.

"Obviously we like him a lot. He was among the top hitters in all of baseball last year, I think ranking 11th or 12th. And you know he plays in a really big ballpark," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "Has a lot of power to the middle of the field. Has a lot of energy, plays with enthusiasm, plays to win and he's a personality. He gives us a middle of the lineup presence."

Moore said Jacobs would probably bat somewhere in the No. 4 to No. 6 holes for Kansas City. Though the Royals have a crowd at first base, Moore said Jacobs would be in the lineup daily, either there or as the designated hitter.

The Marlins think they have cheaper options at first base in Gaby Sanchez, a 25-year-old who batted .314 with 17 home runs and 92 RBIs in Double-A last year. Also, they could play last season's third baseman Jorge Cantu at first and use Wes Helms or Dallas McPherson at third, Beinfest said.

Beinfest said the Marlins tried to get Nunez before. He said the 25-year-old pitcher, who also has a slider, could throw immediately out of the Marlins bullpen in late-inning setups.

[Willie Bee]

Cross Wakefield off the list of possible FA's...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3675580
BOSTON -- Tim Wakefield's $4 million option for 2009 was exercised by the Boston Red Sox.

The 42-year-old knuckleballer was 10-11 with a 4.13 ERA in 30 starts this year, his 14th season with Boston. He is second in club history with 1,797 strikeouts and has 164 wins for Boston, 28 behind Roger Clemens and Cy Young, who share the team lead with 192.

Wakefield struggled in the fourth game of the AL championship series when Tampa Bay went ahead three games to one with a 13-4 victory. In 2 2/3 innings, Wakefield allowed three homers and five runs. He also pitched poorly in two of his last five regular-season starts, giving up a total of 13 runs in four innings in those two games.

He is working under a contract that gives the team the option to renew it on an annual basis at $4 million.

[Willie Bee]

Carlos Delgado gets to spend another season with the underachievin's...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3675442

NEW YORK -- Carlos Delgado's $12 million option for next year was exercised Friday by the New York Mets.

Following a terrible start, the 36-year-old first baseman hit .308 with 27 homers and 80 RBIs in 84 games from June 27 on. That left him with a final average of .271 with 38 homers and 115 RBIs.

"Carlos is a key part of our plans for 2009, and we wanted to let him know as quickly as allowed that we wanted him back," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said in a statement.

"Yesterday -- the day following the conclusion of the World Series -- was the first day that we could pick up the option per the contract. It was our full intent to promptly close our deal with Carlos, and that's what we did."

New York had until next Wednesday to exercise the option. If the Mets had declined, they would have owed him a $4 million buyout.

Pedro Martinez was among six Mets who filed for free agency Friday, a group that included outfielder Moises Alou, second baseman Ramon Martinez and pitchers Tony Armas Jr., Luis Ayala and Ricardo Rincon.

[Willie Bee]

I'm as surprised as Cameron that his option was picked up.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3680365

MILWAUKEE - - The Milwaukee Brewers picked up a $10 million option Monday to bring back center fielder Mike Cameron for 2009.

Cameron, a three-time Gold Glove winner and 2001 All-Star, hit .243 with 25 home runs and 70 RBIs in 120 games in 2008.

"I didn't think my option would get picked up," Cameron told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "This was a surprise, to be honest with you."

The 35-year-old was suspended by the league for 25 games to open the season for using a banned stimulant last year.

"In a statistical analysis, he ranked as the sixth-best center fielder in the major leagues," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said, according to the Journal Sentinel. "And he improved our pitching by playing center field the way he did.

"The only difficult thing is that we're so right-handed," Melvin added, regarding the lineup. "But we felt he has value. When you look at his contract, we paid him $7.5 million average for two years. That's the way we viewed it."

Monday was the last day the Brewers could exercise Cameron's contract option.

"I'm just thankful to get another opportunity to be involved with a team that's on the verge of knocking some doors down on a yearly basis," Cameron said, according to the newspaper.

[element1286]

Originally Posted by Willie Bee

I'm as surprised as Cameron that his option was picked up.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3680365

Me too. Pretty mediocre CF. Used to be able to hang your hat on his defense, not so much anymore.

[Willie Bee]

Basically came down to a $6 million decision for the Padres, and in today's market that $6 million is almost chump change.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3689749
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres on Friday exercised their $9 million option on right fielder Brian Giles, whose .398 on-base percentage was one of the best in baseball.

"He's a professional hitter, a guy that kind of really makes our offense go," Padres general manager Kevin Towers told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Friday. "Those guys are hard to find out there, even in the free-agent market. That was a move that we felt we needed to make."

Giles, who turns 38 in January, will be back for his seventh season with his hometown Padres. The team had a choice between the option or a $3 million buyout.

"I'm happy," Giles told the Union-Tribune on Friday, adding he believes the club can contend in the NL West in 2009 despite finishing last in the division.

"I know we lost 99 games last season, but if we can add to our bench and our bullpen, we'll be OK," Giles told the newspaper. "That's how we've won here. Who's to say 84, 85 games won't win the division again? It's a young division, and with youth comes inconsistency.

"I wanted to stay in San Diego and have an opportunity to win."

Giles hit .306 with 40 doubles and 12 homers, along with 63 RBIs and 87 walks.

[Willie Bee]

Marlins once again playing the role of a Quadruple-A club to feed talent to the rest of the majors

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3694827

WASHINGTON -- Starting pitcher Scott Olsen and outfielder Josh Willingham were traded by the Florida Marlins to the Nationals on Tuesday in a five-player deal that signals the start of Washington's efforts to revamp its roster after a major league-worst 59-102 season.

"They talk about the plan they have with this team," Willingham said, "and I believe in it."

The Marlins received second baseman Emilio Bonifacio and two minor leaguers: second baseman Jake Smolinski and right-hander P.J. Dean.

Each player the Nationals got is entering his first year of salary arbitration.

"Money does matter, certainly in these transactions, but you want to get something back, too," Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. "We'll talk in a few years and see how this trade went."

Olsen went 8-11 with a 4.20 ERA in 2008, his third consecutive season with at least 31 starts -- he has never been on the disabled list. The left-hander is 31-37 with a 4.63 ERA in the majors.

[TheLock]

Originally Posted by Willie Bee

Marlins once again playing the role of a Quadruple-A club to feed talent to the rest of the majors

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3694827

Willie I realize this was not a good trade for the Marlins (although they stole Ceda from the Cubs for Gregg a few days later) but are you aware of how many games the Marlins won last year?

Everytime they make one of these trades they get called a AAAAA team. They've won 2 World Championships in the last 11 years.

[TheLock]

ESPN reports that Yankees have offered CC a 6 year deal worth over 100 million.

[harsh506]

Wonder whens Hanley gonna be traded.....theyve dumped every1 else good theyve had, y not get rid of possibly a future HOF