Giants trade Molina; Posey to earn more at bats

The Giants sent catcher Bengie Molina to Texas Wednesday for reliever Chris Ray. The move clears the way for rookie Buster Posey to take over as full-time backstop in San Francisco despite his recent slump. He's hitting just .146 over his last 14 games.

Fantasy Impact: The Rangers were searching for a catcher for quite some time, and Molina is a good fit. He should improve his ho-hum offensive numbers in the Rangers' stacked lineup.

Posey's labored promotion to the big leagues is suddenly accelerated with his promotion to starting catcher. The move means San Francisco is buying into Posey even if he's not hitting consistently at the MLB level. But to say that is misleading. Despite his slump Posey is at .289 for the season, and he routinely makes solid contact. His BABIP of .310 isn't exceedingly high, but it can improve when you consider that Posey has walked just 3 times in 102 plate appearances. That means he's likely chasing pitches early in at bats rather than finding a good pitch to hit. His better selectivity in the minors yielded a career batting average of .333. Once he becomes settled at the MLB level, expect big things.

Ray is less of a strikeout pitcher now (4.5 K/9 in 2010 vs. 7.7 for his career), but he's limiting hitters to just 6.8 hits per game. He'll be a setup-type reliever for the Giants.

Wagging Wagner

The New York Mets pitched Billy Wagner for the first time in about a year, and the results look pretty good. Wagner works a two-strikeout eighth inning for the Mets against the Braves in a 3-2 loss. Wagner did not factor into the decision, but he did throw about as well as he possibly could, needing 14 pitches to retire the side.

Fantasy Impact: Francisco Rodriguez is the guy the Mets acquired to fill Wagner's spot, and he's going to remain the Mets closer as far as anyone can tell. Wagner is considered trade bait at this point of his Mets tenure. Pitch well enough, and perhaps a suitor comes along that is willing to take the remainder of his $10.5 M salary for this season and $8 M option for next season. If he continues to pitch this well, the Mets are more likely to find a trade partner, and Wagner's fantasy value may climb to that of a full-time closer in September.

Padres & White Sox agree on Peavy deal

The Padres and White Sox have agreed on a deal that would send Jake Peavy to Chicago in exchange for four players, according to WSCR.

Peavy has a full no-trade clause and prefers to play in the National League, so there's a strong possibility the deal doesn't happen. The Sox are said to be offering Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard as part of the trade.

Fantasy Impact: Peavy would be going to a smaller ballpark, but his electric stuff should work anywhere. He'll have a much more productive lineup around him as well, so his win potential improves. Richard would immediately become a starter with merit. Poreda might have a shot at the Padres roster this season.

Trading Zack Greinke

Yahoo! fantasy baseball readers believe Zach Greinke is the real deal. When asked if it's a good idea to sell, buy or hold Greinke right now, most respondents to Yahoo! Fantasy sports' poll said they'd keep the star right-hander. Afterall, Greinke is off to potentially one of the great pitching seasons in baseball history. Only about one quarter of readers said they'd deal him away at this time.

If the price is right, however, why not deal a guy who almost certainly can't keep up the pace? There's got to be someone willing to overspend. Just looking at Greinke's player page on CBSsports.com you can see some of the deals managers are making for his services.

One deal I caught:

Yovani Gallardo & Hanley Ramirez
for
Greinke & Michael Young

Ramirez is likely the best fantasy performer in that deal year in, year out. Gallardo is a stalwart ace if he stays healthy. While Greinke is the better pitcher in the deal right now, Young is a nice hitter who loses SS eligibility next year. His value diminishes greatly at third base. In a keeper league, this deal is a no brainer - trade Greinke.

There are deals out there to be had, so if you own Greinke, float some trade offers. You might be surprised at what you can get.

Yankees third base options

Peter Gammons, commenting on the possibility of Alex Rodriguez missing an extended period of time this season with his hip injury, brought up two possible trade candidates for New York in terms of replacement third baseman. Adrian Beltre, who's coming back from a shoulder problem, is likely on the block in Seattle. Garrett Atkins, who has a one year deal through 2009 in Colorado might also be attainable via trade.

Update: Oddly enough, Atkins was scratched from today's Rockies game due to a hip flexor injury.

Contract alone can't keep Roberts in Baltimore

The Baltimore Sun points out that Brian Roberts is still on trade watch, despite his new contract with the Orioles.

Roberts had a very limited no-trade clause for the final year of his previous contract, allowing him to designate four teams to which he could not be traded. That was carried forward when the final year of the old deal was rolled into what essentially is a new five-year contract.

The no-trade protection graduates through the next three years of the contract. He will be allowed to designate eight teams he doesn't want to play for next year and 12 teams the following season. The no-trade clause becomes blanket protection a couple of months before Roberts would get it anyway as a 10-5 player.

He's certainly an attractive candidate to any contending team needing a leadoff hitting second baseman.

Orioles trade Hernandez for Freel; Wieters to benefit

A busy day at the winter meetings with hardly anything getting done. One trade to comment on from Tuesday with the Orioles sending catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Reds for utilityman Ryan Freel and two minor leaguers. The Reds get their quality starting catcher while the Orioles will use Freel in center field or wherever they see fit.

Freel had mixed emotions about the trade.

"It's hard to say right now," he said on a conference call. "A piece of me feels excitement and a piece of me is upset about the relationship I've had with Cincinnati. It's tough. One thing in life is you can't look in the past. You have to look in the future. I'm torn."

Freel said he had already spoken with MacPhail, but they didn't go into specifics about what Freel's role would be next season. MacPhail said Freel would play some in center field.

"They're excited to have me," Freel said. "I'm looking forward to a healthy upcoming season."

Freel's role as a heavily-used part-time player probably won't change much, and Hernandez should continue to be an above-average offensive catcher, even if he hit just .257 in 2008.

The most intriguing aspect of this deal is Matt Wieters, the Orioles likely replacement for Hernandez.

"This trade was more about Matt Wieters, frankly," MacPhail said. "It had been our goal to make sure we could introduce Matt into the major league scene somewhere over the course of the '09 season, not necessarily to start right away, but we thought he could handle it eventually after a little time in Triple-A possibly under his belt. We knew that would create a situation where we were going to have to split some playing time with him and Ramon, and we knew Ramon wouldn't be happy about that."

Wieters looks like the real deal. He's 6'5, 230, bats both, and hit .355 with 27 homers between Class A and Double-A. He's going to be coveted on fantasy draftboards as a potential breakthrough player in 2009.

Tigers trade for Laird

The Tigers got the catcher they so badly needed, dealing two minor league prospects to Texas for backstop Gerald Laird. It sounds like the Rangers got one prospect who is Major League ready and another who is a top young talent.

Detroit parted with two pitching prospects in the deal, right-handers Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo.

Moscoso, 25, made a splash in the Detroit farm system this year by going 5-4 with a 2.70 ERA in 21 games (12 starts) between Class A Lakeland and Double-A Erie. His moxie and swing-and-miss fastball have earned him some comparisons to former Tigers prospect Jair Jurrjens.

Melo, 17, pitched for the Tigers’ Dominican Summer League affiliate this year. He’s known for an explosive fastball that ranges from 92 to 96 miles per hour and has also shown a promising curveball and changeup.

Laird is a defensive catcher who hit .276 last year. His career average is down around .255, and he doesn't have a lot of pop. The Tigers obviously wanted someone to manage their pitching staff. You'll want to stay away from him in fantasy play, especially now that he's leaving on offensive park for a less offensive one.

The Rangers catching situation is intriguing. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Taylor Teagarden and Max Ramirez have to make up the most talented young catching trio in baseball, but is any of them ready to inherit the job full time? This situation must be monitored for fantasy implications through the spring.

Talking about Willis

Can Dontrelle Willis be the Cliff Lee of 2009? That's what the Detroit Free Press is asking, and it's not implausible.

The winter meetings begin anew tomorrow in Las Vegas, and many in the industry — Dombrowski included — believe this will be a very active week. The Tigers have a limited budget, and they need a catcher, shortstop and closer.

They could trade an expensive veteran to clear payroll, but how realistic would that be? Willis, for example, is due to earn $10 million next year and $12 million in 2010. Is any general manager going to look at Willis’ performance this year — 0-2, 9.38 ERA, too many outings were he could not throw strikes — and ask Dombrowski to send him the bill?

Well, not the entire bill. That’s an important distinction.

The odds do not favor a Willis trade this off-season, but the possibility will linger for a simple reason: Every team in baseball needs pitching.

But, then again, why not? Why wouldn't a contending team take Willis on as a 5th starter? As Detroit to pay a percentage of the bill, and if he rebounds anywhere near his former self, you get a steal. If he doesn't work out, he's just a 5th starter. A midseason trade can bring you another arm, or a minor league call-up might pan out. Willis could become an attractive name to many at this week's winter meetings.

Cubs trade for Gregg

The Cubs may not be bringing back Kerry Wood. They traded a minor leaguer for Kevin Gregg today. Gregg has closer capabilities, and coupled with Carlos Marmol, he could fill either the setup role or the closing role for the Cubs in 2009. Here's the release:

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today acquired right-handed pitcher Kevin Gregg from the Florida Marlins for minor league right-handed pitcher Jose Ceda.

Gregg, 30, went 7-8 with 29 saves, four holds and a 3.41 ERA (26 ER/68.2 IP) in 72 relief appearances for the Marlins last season. He tied for the National League lead with seven relief wins, ranked eighth in the league in saves and 11th with a .203 batting average against, including a .181 batting average (21-for-116) by left-handed hitters and a .222 batting average (30-for-135) by right-handed hitters.

In 2008, Gregg posted a 2.92 ERA or less in five of his six calendar months, closing the season with nine scoreless outings in September. In a three-month period from May 6-August 12, Gregg went 3-2 with 21 saves, a 1.86 ERA (8 ER/38.2 IP) and a .165 batting average against (23-for-139).

Since pitching exclusively in relief the last two seasons, Gregg has stranded 32 of his 36 inherited runners, an 88.9 percent success rate. He stranded 15 of 16 inherited runners last season, a 93.8 percent success rate.

Gregg recorded a 3.48 ERA (59 ER/152.2 IP), a .205 batting average against (114-for-557) and 61 saves in 146 relief appearances for Florida from 2007-08. The 6-foot-6, 238-pounder struck out 145 batters in 152.2 innings pitched, an average of 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings, and allowed only 10 home runs, an average of one per 15 innings pitched in the last two campaigns. Gregg went 2-3 with 13 saves and a 2.56 ERA (9 ER/31.2 IP) in 28 appearances against the National League Central during the last two seasons.

The righthander joined the Marlins prior to the 2007 campaign in a trade from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, where he spent the first four seasons of his major league career (2003-06). In his first season in Florida, Gregg set a career high with 74 relief appearances and 32 saves, which tied for eighth in the National League, while stranding 17 of his 20 inherited runners.

Gregg is 18-21 with 62 saves and a 4.00 ERA (181 ER/407.2 IP) in 271 major league appearances, all but eight in relief. He appeared in the 2004 and 2005 postseasons with the Angels, combining to toss four scoreless relief innings in two appearances. A native of Corvallis, OR, Gregg was originally selected by Oakland in the 15th round of the 1996 Draft. He signed with the Angels as a minor league free agent prior to the 2003 campaign.

Ceda, 21, combined to go 4-3 with nine saves and a 3.83 ERA (36 ER/84.2 IP) in 37 appearances (12 starts) between Single-A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee in 2008. The Cubs acquired the righthander from San Diego for infielder Todd Walker and cash considerations on July 31, 2006.

Jacobs dealt to KC

The Marlins traded slugging first baseman Mike Jacobs to Kansas City for right-handed reliever Leo Nunez. Jacobs can rip, but can he make contact?

Jacobs, 28, set careers highs with 32 homers and 93 RBIs last season, but his on-base percentage was just .299 and he struck out 119 times in 447 at-bats.

Jacobs also could have received a big raise in salary arbitration, an unpalatable scenario for the spendthrift Marlins, who must deal with a whopping 17 arbitration-eligible players this winter.

So much for that $40 million bubble the Marlins will spend toward this offseason. They'll probably throw a fair amount of it at players they already have on the roster.

As for Jacobs, he gives the Royals what Billy Butler couldn't: a lot of pop. He won't give them or your fantasy team much else. Treat Nunez as a middle reliever. He doesn't project as anything else at this time.

Peavy money ball

Forget Jake Peavy's no-trade clause. This deal will come down to one matter: money. That's the issue even if Peavy doesn't want it to be that way. It will be a market-driven move, according to the player's agent, Barry Axelrod.

“It's not that far of a stretch to say this is a free-agent situation,” Axelrod said, “and if there is a guy like Sabathia out there, we would have to look at what any given team is going to pay Sabathia, because he and Jake won the Cy Young award in the same year, and we're going to put Jake on the same plane as this guy.”

He added that “there might be some places where it is a more palatable deal to Jake than any other places.”

Axelrod already has said that whatever club would trade for Peavy, 27, likely would have to extend his full no-trade powers through contract's end.

Peavy and the Padres agreed in December to a three-year, $52 million extension that includes a $4 million buyout on a $22 million option for 2013, and full no-trade powers through 2010.

Sometime this offseason, Sabathia reportedly could sign for $25 million a year, and if a prospective trade partner doesn't thrill Peavy at that point, Axelrod would consider it fair game to bring Sabathia's salary into negotiations with a potential employer.

“Making this about money is not my style, nor Jake's style,” Axlerod said. “I think we proved that. But at the same time, I don't think Jake should have to sacrifice anything.

“Jake signed an under-market deal with San Diego because he wanted to stay in San Diego. It was worth it for Jake to take less.”

Peavy to Dodgers? Um, no

A Bleacher Report article breaks down the chances of the Los Angeles Dodgers acquiring the Padres' Jake Peavy in a trade.

The Dodgers have a ton of money coming off their books this winter but are just as obligated in dead-weight contracts for the likes of Pierre and Jones. They also have the potential for big paydays for all of the young studs that carried them through the first round of the National League Playoffs.

However, is there a better move that could be made than to not only add an annual Cy Young candidate to your rotation, but to take that same talent off a division rival? It is hard to think the Padres would move Peavy not only inside their division, but within a one (or five, depending on traffic) hour drive of their stadium without a substantial payout. This potential marriage has uber-blockbuster written all over it, with the likes of a Hershel Walker-to-Vikings deal written all over it.

Even if the pieces are in place to make this deal, I don't see it happening. Why would San Diego give away its ace to a division rival? As much as a trade could give the Padres a chance to get better, a trade to Los Angeles gives them a chance to be dominated be Peavy for many years. Jake Peavy will never be traded to the Dodgers.