Roundup: New options for Bay, Holliday?

Red Sox might be in hunt as Yankees open outfield spot.


Here's a look at the Hot Stove happenings from Tuesday, as teams look to finalize their holiday shopping.

Don't rule out Sox on Bay, Holliday
At least that's what The Boston Herald wrote late Monday night. With big money going to John Lackey and the outfield pretty much full with the offseason acquisitions of Jeremy Hermida and Mike Cameron, it remains a long shot that Boston would throw big money at Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. But both Type A free-agent outfielders are without a home, and each seems to have only one true suitor at the moment, so the Herald writes that it's "within the realm of possibility" that Bay or Holliday could fall into the Red Sox's hands.

The Mets are believed to be the only team aggressively after Bay, as they have reportedly offered a four-year deal worth about $65 million. A fifth year is thought to be the sticking point, but the Herald added that the Red Sox aren't expected to budge from their initial four-year offer. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have reportedly offered Holliday about $15 million to $16 million annually through at least five guaranteed years. The Herald reported that the Red Sox also made a five-year offer on Holliday, who is younger and perceived to be more athletic than Bay.

FOXSports.com, meanwhile, talked to an official of one interested club who said there are four teams that remain involved in the bidding for Bay: the Mets, Mariners, Giants and Angels.

Yankees could be a suitor, too
The Yankees are always in the mix to land big-time free agents. And Tuesday morning, they opened up a hole in the outfield when they traded Melky Cabrera to the Braves for right-hander Javier Vazquez. The 33-year-old Vazquez, a combined 42-34 with a 3.74 ERA the past three years, joins CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte to form a dominant starting rotation in New York. The trade allows either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes to move to the bullpen in a setup role to Mariano Rivera.

Meanwhile, the loss of Cabrera leaves the Yankees with a hole in left field, with Johnny Damon still out there, along with Bay and Holliday.

Damon reportedly wants a three-year deal the Yankees aren't willing to give him, while Bay and Holliday have been deemed to be too expensive for the Yankees this offseason. And general manager Brian Cashman reiterated that when he said he'll "continue to look at any remaining piece, but it won't be a big piece". So that could mean that guys like Mark DeRosa and Jermaine Dye could also be a fit.

Angels closing in on Rodney
While Valverde continues to look for answers, another closer nears a new home. According to ESPN.com, the Angels are actively bidding for free-agent reliever Fernando Rodney. As MLB.com's Lyle Spencer points out, Rodney "is the brand of hard-thrower manager Mike Scioscia likes." The 32-year-old right-hander converted 37 of his 38 save chances this past season but had an ERA of 4.40. If Rodney signs with the Angels, he would likely return to a setup role or form a lefty-righty tandem with Brian Fuentes, who led the Majors with 48 saves this past season.

Guardado gearing up
The Nationals are set to sign left-hander Eddie Guardado, according to a baseball source. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Guardado is not expected to close for the National but will serve as a mentor as well as a setup man. The club has been interested in Guardado, 39, since the Winter Meetings. According to the source, team scouts told general manager Mike Rizzo that Guardado would be a big help to the club.

Nats still interested in Hudson
The Nationals are interested in free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported. If Washington signed Hudson, who won the Gold Glove at second base with the Dodgers last year, it would mean that Cristian Guzman would remain at shortstop.

Atkins, Oliver signings become official
The Orioles announced they signed third baseman Garrett Atkins to a one-year, $4.5 million deal while the Rangers also announced they signed left-handed reliever Darren Oliver to a one-year, $3 million deal. Atkins' deal was originally reported on Dec. 16 while news that the Rangers agreed to a deal with Oliver came on Sunday.

Capps' decision coming soon
The list of suitors for the services of Matt Capps has been long since the Pirates decided not to tender the 26-year-old right-hander a contract this month. But that list is expected to narrow to one by Wednesday night. Capps is expected to choose his club for next season at that time, and it will come down to the Nationals and Cubs. While notching 27 saves in 2009, Capps had a 5.80 ERA in 57 games. But he sports a 2.58 ERA with 39 saves the previous two seasons.

Royals sign OF Anderson
With Coco Crisp close to signing with the Athletics, the Royals inked outfielder Brian Anderson to a one-year Major League contract. With the White Sox and Red Sox in '09, the 27-year-old -- mostly a center fielder throughout his five-year MLB career -- batted .243 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 86 games (starting 55 of them).

Valverde's market surprisingly thin
As MLB.com's Brian McTaggart writes, the market for former Astros closer Jose Valverde is nowhere near as fruitful as the 30-year-old right-hander expected. Valverde sported a 2.33 ERA and 25 saves in '09, and over the past three years, he has a cumulative 2.84 ERA and 116 saves. So when he declined the Astros' arbitration offer in search of a multiyear deal after making $8 million this past season, it really wasn't a surprise. The surprise is the limited options Valverde has now despite his effectiveness. Going into the offseason, there were more closers than closing vacancies open, and one of the few teams looking for answers in the ninth inning, the Orioles, recently signed Mike Gonzalez. The others -- like the Marlins, Pirates and Tigers -- don't seem to be willing to dish out the money and Draft picks that it's going to take to sign Valverde, a Type A free agent. Will a club open up its wallet to sign the best closer remaining in the free-agent pool, or will Valverde just have to take a lot less than he expected?