Another depressing day for Oakland fans

Oakland pulled the trigger on ace Danny Haren late Friday, dealing him and a minor-league pitcher to Arizona for a package of six minor-minor leaguers that general manager Billy Beane hopes will fuel-inject the Athletics' latest rebuilding project.

Alert readers who pay rapt attention to our baseball stuff here at CBSSports.com, of course, should have been among the least surprised when the news broke.

Why, as a chuckling Beane was telling us just 48 hours before the trade in this piece, "If I do something crazy, I like to do it right before the bowl games. Or right before the NFL playoffs, so everyone forgets about it."

To which, of course, I offered this suggestion in the same column: "Gee, with former Sen. George Mitchell's report on steroid use in baseball set to be publicly revealed on Thursday, now might be the perfect time for Beane to deal away from the spotlight."

Uh, as the fallout from the Mitchell Report continued on Friday, with folks still cringing from the allegation that Clemens was McGwire-like (or Canseco-like) in receiving injections in the buttocks and with Clemens' reputation in serious trouble ... do you think anybody noticed little ol' Billy dealing away the 2007 American League All-Star starting pitcher?

Well, as a reader already has posted on our message board, "As an A's fan ... I cannot even describe how much I hate the A's. If you can't keep your best players past 30, why even bother. They should just fold."

For this one, perhaps Beane should have waited for, say, an alien invasion. Or for Hannah Montana to play in Oakland. The Athletics fell from first place to third in the AL West in 2007, and Friday's deal was as much a tacit admission of not competing in '08 as there is. AL West champion Los Angeles already has signed Torii Hunter and traded for pitcher Jon Garland, Seattle is up and coming ... and the Athletics are getting younger (again) and looking to re-tool themselves back into a contender to coincide with the opening of their new stadium around 2011 or 2012.

For Oakland baseball fans, on the heels of the Mitchell Report, Friday was a second consecutive depressing day. However, Beane as architect has worked well before, and the six-player haul is significant. The A's received three left-handed pitchers in Dana Eveland, Brett Anderson and Greg Smith, a couple of outfielders in Carlos Gonzalez and Aaron Cunningham and infielder Chris Carter.

Four of those players -- Gonzalez, Anderson, Cunningham and Carter -- were among the Diamondbacks' top 10 prospects, according to Baseball America. Gonzalez was pegged as No. 1. Indications are that the return for Oakland will be very good.

Having been beaten by NL West-rival Colorado in the National League Championship Series this fall, however, the Diamondbacks decided the high cost was worth it. With their own rebuilding program having turned out at least a year or more ahead of schedule, Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes is doing the right thing.

Haren, 15-9 with a 3.07 ERA in '07, isn't so much a complement to former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb as a bookend. With that one-two punch, and a young lineup featuring Justin Upton, Stephen Drew, Mark Reynolds, Conor Jackson and others, the Diamondbacks probably just positioned themselves as the favorites to win a second consecutive NL West title.

True, they subtracted closer Jose Valverde (47 saves in '07) on Friday in a separate trade by dealing him to Houston, but the Diamondbacks are confident that young Tony Pena is ready to step in. And in acquiring set-up man Chad Qualls in the deal, the D-backs added to a back-end of their bullpen that already includes Brandon Lyon.

Meanwhile, in acquiring Valverde, who led the majors in saves last summer, the Astros filled a ninth-inning void left when they dealt Brad Lidge to Philadelphia. However, their starting pitching depth remains woefully under spec.

A few other thoughts on Friday's deal:

• Oakland will continue to listen to offers on right-hander Joe Blanton. Based on all of the above, the NFL postseason might be a very good time to move him (joke -- kind of).

• The Haren trade almost certainly removes the Bay Area for good as a potential landing spot if Barry Bonds still harbors hopes of playing in 2008. Oakland may have had some interest in him as a designated hitter if it was building a team it thought could contend in '08. Instead, with this obvious move toward getting younger and rebuilding, adding Bonds makes zero sense.

• The longer Minnesota holds out for a better package for ace Johan Santana, the smarter the Twins are looking. Florida received a package of six prospects from Detroit in exchange for third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis. Baltimore received a package of five prospects from Houston for shortstop Miguel Tejada. And Oakland received a package of six players for Haren and Triple-A right-hander Connor Robertson. In each of those packages, we're not talking one prospect and a handful of beanbags. Some legitimate prospects changed hands. So ... is a package of pitcher Jon Lester, center fielder Coco Crisp, shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie and one other minor-leaguer enough for a man who has won two AL Cy Young awards? The Twins so far are saying no. And as the evidence of other trades stacks up, they're right.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- As the winter meetings concluded Thursday, the Boston-Minnesota talks surrounding Twins ace Johan Santana don't figure to be the only thing in the "to be continued" department.

St. Louis is going to have to step up its efforts to trade third baseman Scott Rolen following manager Tony La Russa's tirade here Wednesday, and that well could mean revisiting talks with Milwaukee.

The Cardinals and Brewers spent time this week discussing a deal in which Rolen would head to Milwaukee in exchange for pitcher Chris Capuano. The Cardinals need pitching, and Capuano is in need of a fresh start after going 5-12 with a 5.10 ERA. He was an All-Star as recently as 2006, and he's the only Brewers starter to pitch more than 200 innings in two of the past three seasons.

The Brewers can afford to trade a pitcher from a starting stable that includes Ben Sheets, Jeff Suppan, David Bush, Yovanni Gallardo, Carlos Villanueva, Claudio Vargas and Manny Parra.

Rolen, though, is owed $36 million over the next three seasons, and the Brewers would require the Cardinals to assume a portion of that. The third baseman has a no-trade clause as well, but he has indicated he would waive it to play in Milwaukee, which would keep him near his Indiana roots and reunite him with close friend Suppan.

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin declined comment on the talks Thursday. Sources say they've cooled over the past few days, though given the Cold War between La Russa and Rolen, unless the Cardinals find another landing spot for Rolen, the Cardinals and Brewers are expected to revisit the talks.

Upon departing the winter meetings Thursday, Melvin said it was a productive week despite the fact that the only move the Brewers made was signing reliever David Riske.

Melvin said he gathered enough information and conducted enough talks that "we can narrow it down to what we think we want to do" after leaving Nashville.

From that perspective, Melvin said, the Brewers could be close to something.

•  Andruw Jones to the Dodgers remains an agreement in principle rather than an official signing until after Jones passes a physical examination. He's scheduled to be checked on Tuesday in Los Angeles. The Dodgers phoned Juan Pierre on Thursday to personally tell him that Jones will supplant him in center field and to advise him to prepare to move to left field. GM Ned Colletti says that acquiring starting pitching is still the club's top priority. He also says that, after adding Jones' bat, the Dodgers more than likely will stick with their in-house third basemen -- Nomar Garciaparra, prospect Andy LaRoche, Tony Abreu and Terry Tiffee -- rather than seek one elsewhere. That probably removes them for good from the Rolen talks with St. Louis.

•  Lots of chatter about a potential Baltimore-Houston swap that could send Miguel Tejada to the Astros. They attempted to acquire him in a package centered around Roy Oswalt at the trade deadline in 2006, but Orioles owner Peter Angelos killed the deal at the last minute.

•  Veteran infielder -- and crack CBSSports.com analyst during this year's World Series -- Aaron Boone's deal with Washington is for one year and $1 million, and he'll probably play some first base as well. "Depending on if Nick (Johnson) will be ready, they said I'll pick up Dmitri Young sometimes at first, in double-switches and things like that, go in for defense, and play when (Ryan) Zimmerman gets a day off," Boone said. Zimmerman played in all 162 games last season, and in 157 in 2006. Nationals GM Jim Bowden and manager Manny Acta would prefer to begin giving him periodic days off.

•  Japanese free agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, being hotly pursued by the Dodgers, Mariners, Diamondbacks and Royals, is expected to arrive in the United States next week and visit Los Angeles, Seattle and Arizona. It's unclear whether he will visit Kansas City. It's believed that his preference is to sign with a Western team. The bidding among the competing clubs is for at least three years or more and $40-plus million.

•  Another high interest Japanese free agent, outfielder Kosuke Fukodome, is expected to narrow his choices early next week after his agent presents him with a final report regarding his options on Friday. San Diego is believed to have offered three years and $36 million, and the Cubs may be up to as much as four years and $40 million. The Padres are hoping Fukodome prefers a western locale, because the Cubs almost certainly will out-bid them. Fukodome is a fleet center fielder who bats left-handed and produces high on-base percentages. The Cubs likely would play him in right field. Fukodome played center for Japan as it won the World Baseball Classic.

•  San Francisco, looking for creative ways to retool, is weighing an offer from Toronto of outfielder Alex Rios for pitcher Tim Lincecum.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Maybe third baseman Scott Rolen isn't the problem in St. Louis. Perhaps, when the Cardinals fired general manager Walt Jocketty, they should have started with a fresh manager, too.

Instead, they brought Tony La Russa back and, while La Russa is a Hall of Famer, he often has appeared off-kilter during the past year, from his arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol to his petty squabble with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch over a harmless piece poking fun at the Cubs to his abhorrent behavior when the team was in Milwaukee following the death of reliever Josh Hancock and he threatened to use his fungo bat to beat any reporter showing "insincerity."

The pattern continued here Wednesday when he spoke at length about third baseman Scott Rolen, comments that can only deepen the feud between the two men.

Speaking to a small group of reporters during his annual appearance at the manager interview sessions at the winter meetings, La Russa began by emphasizing that he does not think St. Louis should trade Rolen.

"I've had a long career, and I can't remember ever being the combination of mystified and concerned as I am about this situation," La Russa said.

He noted that the Cardinals need Rolen to "reassert himself as an impact player" and later said, "I don't understand why he can be down on the Cardinals. I don't understand why he can be down on me, to be honest."

"I think I've tried to converse," La Russa said. "Everything that I've ever said to him, I could substantiate. You know, I think the difference is that it's really out in the open. It's very clear that he's unhappy. And I'm making it clear I don't understand why he's unhappy.

"I told somebody the other day, I can make a list of 50 respect points that this man has been given by our organization. It's time for him to give back. ... He's got a contract to play, and we need him to play. And he's going to be treated very honestly. If he plays hard and plays as well as he can, he plays. And if he doesn't, he can sit.

"If he doesn't like it, he can quit."

By choosing to have at Rolen again publicly, a thinly veiled attempt either to get inside his head or to kick him one last time before the Cardinals trade him, it's as if La Russa can't help himself from picking at a scab.

"Where has he been disrespected?" La Russa asked. "What has ever been done to him other than this issue with his (injured) shoulder? I mean, is there anything else that he points to? I haven't heard it. ... I would love to know because it's driving me nuts."

La Russa, as he put it, "checked the pulse" of his players at year's end and said he felt it was "unanimous that everyone was for me (to return) except him."

"I think he's strong-minded enough that I don't see his opinion changing on a personal basis," La Russa said. "And it's gotten to the point where I don't care. What I care about is that he re-establish his stature as a major league productive star. ... I think that means a lot to him, so I think, he can play mad every day if he wants to, that's OK."

Sources have confirmed that the Cardinals this week have had trade discussions with Milwaukee, Texas and the Los Angeles Dodgers about Rolen. They are expected to continue beyond this week after clubs leave Nashville. Especially after La Russa's latest comments, this is a rift that appears to be irreparable.

Marlins' GM blasts Angels and Giants -- but not by name

Florida general manager Larry Beinfest strongly took issue with recent proclamations from rival clubs that they were changing deals that already were agreed upon and asking too much in return.

Though he did not mention names, he didn't have to. Angels owner Arte Moreno last week said that his club had deals in place twice with Florida for Miguel Cabrera only to have the Marlins change their demands for players.

And a few days after Moreno's comments, Giants GM Brian Sabean, who also was pursuing Cabrera, questioned whether the Marlins "really want to trade the player or if they absolutely, positively have to win the deal in such a one-sided fashion."

Speaking Wednesday after the Marlins and Tigers announced the eight-player deal that sent Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis to Detroit, Beinfest went out of his way to strike back.

"Based on what I was reading, (the Marlins) were tough on a lot of people, with comments on the asking price," Beinfest said. "A little comment on that: Miguel Cabrera is a unique player, 24 years old, over 100 home runs, 500 RBI. I think you can ask for anything you want, and legitimately ask for it.

"If teams didn't like that, fine. But to talk about it publicly, I thought, was a little off-base. And absolutely, we were asking for a lot more for Miguel Cabrera."

Beinfest said that "there were no deals. I think our track record has been that we deal straight up. We know what we want, and if there's a deal to be made, it will be consummated, there will be a letter of agreement in writing and then you move ahead. Obviously, the same program Dave and I did with the medicals and finalizing the deal with ownership approval.

"I can't tell you exactly what the other teams' final deals were. We knew what our bottom line was."

Angels GM Tony Reagins declined to respond to Beinfest's comments. When questioned whether he was concerned that the Florida GM's comments might cause other clubs to view the Angels as having behaved unprofessionally, Reagins said, "I don't deal with perception."

Don't expect the Marlins and the Angels to deal with each other anytime soon. According to sources with knowledge of the talks, as the Marlins were closing in on a deal with the Tigers, they went back to the Dodgers and White Sox to give them one final chance to up the ante, but they did not extend that offer to the Angels.

• Cubs manager Lou Piniella says that Ryan Theriot has earned the Cubs' starting shortstop job heading into spring training. But in an effort to become more versatile, Theriot currently is playing the outfield in winter ball.

• The Cubs also are actively working on Felix Pie's game this winter. "We sent our hitting coach to the Dominican twice to get him to shorten his swing, to work the count a little more, to hit the ball, to bunt once in awhile, to slap the ball by the third baseman," Piniella says. "I'd like to see Pie take a good look at Kenny Lofton and be that type of player. He certainly has the ability to."

• While the Red Sox offered arbitration to closer Eric Gagne, Texas and Milwaukee are aggressively pursuing him, according to sources. The Rangers might be Gagne's preference, though a large arbitration award might make it impossible for Gagne not to return to Boston.

• Again, forget the Angels in the Johan Santana trade talks. Reagins reiterated that his club "is not pursuing starting pitching." He did confirm his club met with the Twins on Wednesday but said that it was not about Santana.

• White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on AL Central rival Detroit adding Cabrera and Willis: "It makes that team better. Does it make the division tougher? My division is always tough. A lot of teams in the American League already have great offenses. No doubt, Detroit got better. But at this point, we have to worry about the White Sox moving forward now. The Yankees almost have had the same lineup the last 10 years and they've been as damaging as Detroit, with all due respect. No doubt, they're loaded all the way from first through ninth and they're not going to be easy to deal with."

• Texas has hired former Pittsburgh and Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn as an international scout with responsibilities in Asia.

• Baltimore, with one of the worst spring training arrangements in the game (the major leaguers train in Fort Lauderdale but the Orioles' minor league headquarters are in Sarasota), may be moving out of Fort Lauderdale soon. The Dodgers are leaving Vero Beach after this spring, and the Orioles are said to have agreed to a three-year exclusive negotiating window with Vero Beach officials as they work toward moving there.

• Congratulations, posthumously, to the late Larry Whiteside and, especially, to his family, who now can enjoy his election to the writer's wing of the Hall of Fame via the J.G. Taylor Spink award on Wednesday. Elected by members of the Baseball Writers' Assn. of America, Whiteside was a longtime baseball writer for the Boston Globe who was a pioneer among African-American reporters. Whiteside had a grace and dignity about him, a sense of humor and a tremendous sense of humanity.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The New York Mets, who already have lost Tom Glavine to Atlanta this offseason, continue scrounging for pitching help here at the winter meetings. They're discussing Johan Santana with Minnesota, Erik Bedard with Baltimore and they've met with the agent for free-agent pitcher Livan Hernandez.

They're also believed to be interested in trading for Oakland right-hander Dan Haren, though Athletics general manager Billy Beane is asking high and not that motivated to move Haren, who is signed for the next two seasons at a very economical $9½ million with a club option for $6.75 million in 2010.

"We'd like to do something, but you've got to have a willing partner," Mets manager Willie Randolph said here Wednesday morning. "We'd like to do something before we leave here. If not we have all winter and spring training.

"Everyone's looking for relievers and starters."

There are indications that part of the delay in trade activity here are the Minnesota-Boston-Yankees talks that remain at a logjam over Santana. There was no movement overnight Tuesday or Wednesday morning, with Boston holding fast to its original offer of pitcher Jon Lester, center fielder Coco Crisp, shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie and a minor league prospect -- and the Twins holding out for more.

"We're all in the same boat," Randolph said. "Santana is the big domino. I'm not saying we're waiting for that to happen ..."

He added: "Obviously, if Santana goes, wherever he goes, hopefully it's to us."

While his team's need for pitching is very clear, Randolph disputed the notion that the Mets need to make a big deal to deliver a jolt to the clubhouse following their limp toward the finish line in 2007, an embarrassing September in which they blew a seven-game lead to Philadelphia in the season's final 17 days.

"I don't think so," Randolph said. "I think that's overrated. Really, whoever you bring in has to produce. That's the big jolt."

• Day 3 of the Johan Santana Watch, and more of the same so far. "All kinds of talk and all kinds of this and that, but nothing has happened and nothing is imminent," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's still my starting pitcher. That's what I know about Johan Santana."

• Gardenhire didn't mention the Yankees, but he certainly referred to reports of the Yankees setting a deadline for the Twins to deal with them. "I've been here a few days now and been up in the office, sitting in that room," Gardenhire said. "And listen, there's not a lot of panicking going on here. As I said, we're waiting for the right situation here. We've heard ultimatums from teams. So I just get salve and rub some on my wrist that gets slapped. We go from there. We're doing just fine."

• Toronto has spent some time this week trying to piece together a deal with San Francisco that would send outfielder Alex Rios, who is eligible for arbitration this winter, to the Giants for one of two starting pitchers, Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum. What the Blue Jays would really like to do is find a way to shed third baseman Troy Glaus and his $12.75 million salary for next summer.

• The Twins right now line up with either Nick Punto or Alexi Casilla at shortstop, though that could change as the winter moves along. One potential target is David Eckstein, though his initial price -- something along the lines of the four-year, $36 million deal Julio Lugo is enjoying in Boston -- would have to drop sharply. "I've had a lot of respect for him," Gardenhire said. "He's a proven winner. Guys like that, those are decisions and things we'll talk about as you go along."

• Talks have cooled considerably involving Milwaukee, St. Louis and third baseman Scott Rolen. The Cardinals are said to be determined to trade him this winter -- among other things, his rift with manager Tony La Russa remains distinct -- and several clubs need a third baseman, including the White Sox, Dodgers, Texas and San Francisco. With Florida having moved Miguel Cabrera to Detroit -- still not officially announced, but expected later Wednesday -- talks involving Rolen and Baltimore's Miguel Tejada may become more fluid.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- With one blockbuster deal all but officially announced -- the Detroit-Florida-Miguel Cabrera trade -- the other one sits. And sits. And sits.

Minnesota and Boston remained at a standstill over ace Johan Santana on Tuesday night, with the Red Sox leaving their proposal at pitcher Jon Lester, center fielder Coco Crisp, shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie and another pitching prospect, and the Twins awaiting a better offer.

Meanwhile, the Yankees remained adamant that they would not include two of their top young pitchers, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, along with outfielder Melky Cabrera.

As the stare-down continued, reports circulated wildly, ranging from the Red Sox increasing their offer by adding a fifth name to the proposal (not true, say sources with knowledge of the talks) to multiple reports that the Los Angeles Angels had met with the Twins.

Not true, said Angels general manager Tony Reagins, who noted that he had informally spoken with Minnesota GM Bill Smith a day earlier but had not conducted any formal meetings with the Twins.

So where do these rumors come from?

"I ask myself that question," Reagins said. "Watching ESPN, I see things being reported and you wonder where it comes from sometimes."

Regarding whether he envisions a scenario in which a trade with Minnesota could develop, Reagins said, "That would be tough to say. There are a lot of things being reported out there, obviously. But I don't see anything on the horizon."

•  With the Angels out of the Cabrera sweepstakes, they could resurrect talks with Baltimore for shortstop Miguel Tejada. The Orioles are here shopping both Tejada and left-hander Erik Bedard. Tejada likely would move to third base if the Angels were to acquire him, though two years ago Orioles owner Peter Angelos scotched a deal that would have sent Angels infielder Erick Aybar and pitcher Ervin Santana to the Orioles for Tejada. The difference now? New president Andy MacPhail apparently has the autonomy to work without interference from Angelos.

•  The New York Mets are hot on the trail of several pitchers, with one of their targets being Bedard. "There's ongoing dialog," Mets GM Omar Minaya said, speaking generally of the Orioles. Free agent pitcher Livan Hernandez is among those who interest the Mets.

•  Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers also are talking with the Orioles about Bedard. The Blue Jays could build a package around young pitcher Dustin McGowan, the Dodgers could use pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw as bait.

•  With Cabrera headed toward Detroit, the Tigers likely will deal third baseman Brandon Inge, who signed a four-year, $24 million deal last year. Among those said to be interested are San Francisco, the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia.

•  While talks with Milwaukee have cooled regarding third baseman Scott Rolen -- the Cardinals aren't keen on sending him to a division rival -- St. Louis has spoken with Texas about a deal that would send Rolen and outfielder Chris Duncan to the Rangers for third baseman Hank Blalock and pitcher Kevin Millwood.

•  The Brewers-Cardinals talks regarding Rolen, while not necessarily hot, did advance to the point where the Brewers were checking medical reports on Rolen.

•  Does that include Josh Beckett and Manny Ramirez? Great line from Boston GM Theo Epstein, speaking to Oakland GM Billy Beane, on XM radio Tuesday morning, talking about the mammoth Opryland hotel complex that has 600,000 square feet of meeting space, more than 1,500 rooms and endless hallways that pretty much double as nearly impossible to figure out mazes: "I'll give him (Beane) any player on our roster for directions to Bayou C."

NASHVILLE -- Minnesota has obtained the medical reports on Boston pitcher Jon Lester as trade negotiations for Twins ace Johan Santana continue, but officials with knowledge of the talks said Tuesday morning that no deal is imminent with the Red Sox or anybody else.

In fact, no formal trade talks at all were conducted by the Twins on Tuesday morning, partly because the 30 GMs and each of their top two assistants were in a meeting to discuss various issues in the game, including instant replay and outfitting base coaches with helmets.

Minnesota GM Bill Smith, who declined comment on the discussions Tuesday morning except to say that keeping Santana "is an option for him and an option for us," is expected to talk with both the Red Sox and Yankees again later in the day Tuesday.

One source close to the talks called reports that the Twins were ready to accept a package from Boston of Lester, center fielder Coco Crisp, shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie and a pitching prospect "overblown." The source said that the Twins, in obtaining Lester's medical information, are simply doing their "due diligence" while considering their moves.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are believe to have cooled for now on Santana because the Twins are demanding that pitching prospect Ian Kennedy be included in a package that also includes another top pitching prospect, Phil Hughes, and outfielder Melky Cabrera.

Marlins talk Cabrera, Willis with Detroit

While their talks with the Los Angeles Angels over third baseman Miguel Cabrera have stalled for the time being, the Marlins are looking elsewhere, and the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox have emerged as possibilities.

The Tigers, in fact, have discussed a blockbuster in which they would acquire both Cabrera and lefty pitcher Dontrelle Willis, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions. Florida has been insisting on a four-player package in return and, under GM Larry Beinfest, the Marlins historically have sought high-end pitching prospects. The Tigers certainly have one in left-hander Andrew Miller, and outfielder Cameron Maybin would fill a Marlins outfield need.

The talks are described as being in the early discussion stage, and one of the sources cautioned, "I think we're a long way off from anything happening."

The White Sox continue to engage the Marlins in discussions as well, and almost certainly would have to include hard-throwing left-hander Gio Gonzalez in any deal for Cabrera. Considered the top prospect in the White Sox organization, Gonzalez already has been included in two other trades for major-league players -- the Sox dealt him to Philadelphia in the 2005 Jim Thome trade and then re-acquired him in the Freddy Garcia trade last winter. The White Sox also could include pitcher John Danks or outfielders Ryan Sweeney or Brian Anderson. They also intend to move third baseman Joe Crede this winter.

The Angels have backed off of Cabrera for now because of the Marlins' demands for a fourth player in a package that ostensibly would include second baseman Howie Kendrick, catcher Jeff Mathis and pitching prospect Nick Adenhart.

Meanwhile, despite weeks' worth of rumors, a Los Angeles official said that the Dodgers are out of the Cabrera talks.

• The Dodgers and Seattle are among the clubs that have spoken to Milwaukee about Ben Sheets. One NL executive described the Brewers as simply "gauging the value" of Sheets at the meetings.

• While they discuss the Cabrera-Willis potential blockbuster with the Marlins, the Tigers continue working on a setup man to fill the hole left by Joel Zumaya's injury (he is expected to miss the first half of the '08 season after hurting his shoulder moving boxes at his parents' home during the San Diego wildfires this fall). Among those the Tigers are discussing is LaTroy Hawkins, who is also being pursued by Houston.

• The race for Japanese free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda appears down to the Dodgers, Seattle and Arizona. Kuroda, who prefers to remain in the West, is said to have eliminated Kansas City from the bidding. It is believed that Seattle has offered a four-year, $44 million deal and that the Dodgers and Diamondbacks are at three years. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti's main priority this winter is adding a pitcher, though he's also looking for outfielders as well. Regarding Kuroda, Colletti said, "Our organization has had great success with pitchers from Japan and Asia."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It was only a few months ago, after a start in August, to be exact, that Jake Peavy was bemoaning the fact that he'd probably be priced out of San Diego when his contract is up in 2010.

Now, the unanimous NL Cy Young winner and the Padres are on the verge of agreeing on a deal that will keep him San Diego through 2012, paying him an average of nearly $17.5 million a season, with a club option for 2013.

Though the official announcement isn't expected before next week, Padres general manager Kevin Towers said Monday that it's pretty much down to "dotting the i's and crossing the t's. Our fans should be optimistic." Among the remaining hurdles are Peavy's passing an extensive physical examination and some contract language issues.

"This is big for us," Towers said. "We signed him, developed him, he came through the organization. He's a Cy Young winner, and to have him signed for the next six years and to have Chris Young signed for the next three or four years ... to have your top two pitchers signed, that allows you to develop some of the younger arms."

Several rivals inquired as to Peavy's availability at the GM meetings last month. While Towers listened to gauge Peavy's value, his first priority always was to re-sign the right-hander.

What he heard while fielding inquiries, though, stuck with him.

"Other clubs scout your guys, and this guy is talked about as one of the best pitchers in the game today," Towers said. "To have a player like that in your organization for the next six years is special. And he's still young. He'll probably get another big contract after this."

To attain security in San Diego, Peavy, 26, surely sacrificed a few dollars. Barry Zito is averaging $18 million annually under the seven-year, $126 million deal he signed with San Francisco last winter, and Carlos Zambrano's average is $18.3 million under the contract he signed with the Cubs last summer.

•  Andy Pettitte's decision to play for the Yankees again in 2008 may give the club more leverage in its trade talks with Minnesota regarding Johan Santana. With Pettitte informing New York that he'll be back, that's one fewer hole to fill in the Yankees rotation. Alan Hendricks, Pettitte's agent, said that the Yankees' pursuit of Santana and the prospect of how good the Yankees could be with him did not sway Pettitte's decision. "He had sufficient time to reflect on everything," Hendricks said. "He talked with his wife, had a lot of phone conversations with Yankees players ... this is what he wants to do." Among those phoning to recruit Pettitte back to the club were Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada.

•  San Diego, the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox are among those pushing hard to sign free agent Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. The 30-year-old outfielder, who started in center field for Japan's World Baseball Classic championship team, also is the subject of great interest in Japan, especially from the Tokyo Giants. Towers, who said his sense is that Fukudome will opt to play in the major leagues next season, views Fukudome as a potential replacement for Mike Cameron in center field. The Padres met with Cameron's agent on Monday and would like to re-sign him. They offered arbitration but expect Cameron to decline it at the deadline Friday. If Cameron and Fukudome don't work out, the Padres have spoken with St. Louis about the possibility of acquiring Jim Edmonds and they've spoken to free agent outfielders Geoff Jenkins and Darin Erstad. Houston also has offered outfielder Luke Scott to San Diego for minor league catcher Nick Hundley.

•  The Padres are one of several clubs that has inquired about St. Louis starter Anthony Reyes, who went 2-14 with a 6.04 ERA for the Cardinals last season.

•  The Dodgers have fired scout Chuck Cottier.

NASHVILLE -- Mid-afternoon Monday, and it has been a slow day so far for trade talks involving both Minnesota ace Johan Santana and Florida third baseman Miguel Cabrera -- largely because there was more flying than talking.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and his contingent, key players in the Santana trade talks, were en route to baseball's winter meetings and expected to arrive later Monday.

Los Angeles Angels general manager Tony Reagins and his assistants, key players in the Cabrera trade talks (and, possibly, in the Santana talks), were en route here from checking out their facility in the Dominican Republic.

Even had Reagins and the Angels been here earlier, they would have had difficulty negotiating a Cabrera trade because Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest and his assistants didn't check into the Gaylord Opryland Hotel until just after 1 p.m. local time after traveling from Miami on Monday morning.

And Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, whose pursuit of Cabrera is beginning to look more half-hearted by the day amid speculation that owner Frank McCourt is content with the hire of manager Joe Torre as the club's big move of the winter, wasn't due until late afternoon on Monday.

• As for Santana, the Twins privately are steamed with what they regard as the Yankees' tampering with the ace and are considering filing a formal complaint with the commissioner's office. On Sunday, speaking of the Twins playing the Yankees off the Red Sox in negotiations, Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said, among other things, "Because as much as I want Santana, and you can make that clear -- for his sake, to know that I do want him -- but the fact is that I'm not going to play the game." According to major league rules, club executives are not allowed to talk of players currently under contract with another team.

• Kansas City, which made a run at center fielder Torii Hunter earlier this offseason, continues making a strong push for Japanese free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda but competition is driving up the price. It's up to three years and $45 million, according to one source with knowledge of the talks.

• The Washington Nationals have acquired troubled outfielder Elijah Dukes from Tampa Bay for a minor-leaguer to be named. The move comes less than one week after the Nats picked up outfielder Lastings Milledge from the New York Mets. Say one thing for Nationals general manager Jim Bowden, he has never been adverse to taking a chance on players with character issues.

• The Chicago Cubs are fielding several inquiries about right-hander Mark Prior, enough that one official said that the Cubs "are not going to just give him away." San Diego is among the clubs who have contacted the Cubs about Prior, and the Padres think they have an inside track because Prior is from San Diego and the city is said to be his first choice to play (which could become an important issue because he's eligible for salary arbitration and, if he wants to play in San Diego, he could agree to a contract and avoid that). He's still recovering from shoulder surgery and isn't expected to be ready for opening day. The thinking is that he might be a month to six weeks behind.

• The Cubs continue looking to add a right fielder who can hit, probably via trade. Pittsburgh's Xavier Nady is among those available.

• The Dodgers maintain an interest in both Andruw Jones and Aaron Rowand. Among the Dodgers, Philadelphia, the Chicago White Sox, Texas and possibly the Yankees (if they deal Melky Cabrera), there currently appears to be more interest in Rowand than in Jones. Rowand is seeking a five-year contract.

• San Francisco needs a center fielder and a third baseman, but one NL executive said the Giants are not interested in Jones and that Florida's Cabrera is too rich for them. Jones, the source said, "is not the same player he was. He doesn't work hard, he's not as fast as he used to be and he's not the same outfielder he used to be." As for Cabrera, a source with knowledge of the Giants' thinking says they do not intend to trade Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain.

• Pittsburgh continues shopping left fielder Jason Bay (to Cleveland and Toronto, among others) and Nady (San Francisco, San Diego).

• The Pirates talked with San Diego last week about a deal sending Nady and center fielder Nate McClouth to the Padres for infield prospect Chase Headley, though Padres GM Kevin Towers says that isn't going to happen. "I like McClouth," said a scout for one of the clubs the Pirates talked to on Monday. "I like him better than Nady. I think he's a year away from being a pretty good everyday center fielder."

• St. Louis continues to search for pitching, and the Cardinals are expected to look to trade third baseman Scott Rolen this winter. Rolen has had three shoulder surgeries in two years and does not get along with manager Tony La Russa. New St. Louis GM John Mozeliak has spoken with Milwaukee about a possible deal that would send Rolen to the Brewers for pitcher Chris Capuano, which would then necessitate Brewers third baseman Ryan Braun moving to left field.

• Colorado is in the market for a second baseman after losing Kaz Matsui to Houston. The Astros might deal Chris Burke, though it might not necessarily be a match with Colorado because the trade history between the two clubs is sketchy at best. Houston thinks Colorado knew more about pitcher Jason Jennings' ailing shoulder than the Rockies when the two clubs traded last winter, though there are new baseball people in charge in Houston now. GM Ed Wade has replaced Tim Purpura.

• Veteran center fielder Steve Finley is floating through the lobbies here looking for a job. He last played in June, before Colorado released him June 13 following a .181 batting average in 43 games. Finley turns 43 before opening day next year.

NASHVILLE -- The old Hall of Fame Veterans Committee specialized in pitching shutouts, to the degree that everybody wondered why they even bothered wasting everybody's time with the thing.

So the Hall's revamped Veterans Committee went to work this week and, presto, a month before the writers' ballots will reveal which players will be elected to Cooperstown in 2007, went ahead and elected five former executives and managers. The quintent -- former managers Dick Williams and Billy Southworth and former executives Barney Dreyfuss, Walter O'Malley and Bowie Kuhn -- was announced Monday as baseball's annual winter meetings opened.

And do you know what?

Those who were not elected are probably more notable than those who were.

Few are going to quibble that Williams has the credentials to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, especially if Sparky Anderson, Tommy Lasorda and Earl Weaver already are.

But if he's in, how about Whitey Herzog falling one vote short Monday?

"I'm very despondent about that," said Lasorda, who was on the 16-member committee voting on managers and umpires. "Very despondent. God almighty, he has the credentials. You start matching him against the other managers. ...

"I'm very sad about him. I know I voted for him."

Weaver, who also served on the committee with Lasorda, also expressed similar sentiments.

"It has to hurt when you're that close," Weaver said. "Whitey is on an equal (plateau) with me. Thank goodness Dick got in."

Perhaps most surprising, Marvin Miller, the man who started the players union, received only three votes from the 12-member committee reviewing the executives (nine votes were needed for election).

"I'm not surprised by anything anymore," said Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey. "You have 10 people on the ballot, and (committee members) can vote for up to four people ... how you're going to use your votes, it's hard to say. Everybody on the ballot is deserving, and these guys will be considered forever. Maybe they'll get elected down the road. This election was about this year."

Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, who also served on the committee charged with reviewing the executives and was active when the players union started, said that Miller "did a tremendous job for the players, no question about it."

Miller, of course, was a controversial figure who clashed with management when negotiating. But Killebrew also added, "I didn't hear anybody say they didn't respect Marvin Miller for the things he stood for and did."

Another notable miss was former umpire Doug Harvey, who, like Herzog, came up one vote short.

"I thought Doug Harvey belonged in there," Lasorda said. "He controlled the game very well. He was a good umpire. He wasn't one of those guys who looked for trouble all the time. You could talk to him, discuss things. That's a good umpire."