Hot stove lukewarm at winter meetings

My apologies for being absent from the blog for 3 days. I've been a bit worn out by trying to keep warm and scraping ice. I'm not as used to either of those things for a while.
I've also been held back today by losing my original draft.
Anyway, it's warm in Florida, where the hot stove has been simmering.
Not sizzling or boiling, though.
Can you rally get fired up about LHP Brett Anderson to Colorado, with LHP Drew Pomeranz and RHP Chris Jensen in return to Oakland?
Or how about a three-team -- what will probably be called a "blockbuster" in some circles in this nation of devalued language -- trade of OF/1B Mark Trumbo from the Angels to the Diamondbacks, with OF Adam Eaton going from Arizona to the White Sox and LHPs Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs from Chicago to Anaheim. Oh, and the D-backs will get a player to be named or cash from each of the other teams.
Gets you excited, no? No.
Skaggs, returning to the organization that originally drafted him, was just 6-10 with a 4.59 ERA at Triple-A Reno and 2-3, 5.12 for Arizona last year. Jensen, already 23, was 5-8 with a 4.55 ERA in the high A California League. You might see that Jensen's ERA was the 10th-best in a hitters' league, but remember that the best pitchers move up before they have enough innings to qualify for the ERA title.
Speaking of devalued, I was disppointed to see that the Top Prospects Team selected by Arizona Fall League managers and coaches included two players at each position. Doesn't anybody have the balls to decide on one best player anymore? I also saw this morning a high school football all-district team with 20-some "first team" players each on offense and defense. Geez! Give them all participation trophies while you're at it.
I'll post later with more on the Top Prospects Team, other fantasy sports and possibly the winter meetings.

Napoli getting higher salary than Beltran or Granderson

Lots going on, but this will be short-form because I don't have much time. Have to chip the ice off the car and hope I can make it to see the Stars and Flyers (featuring goalie Steve Mason) on the ice.
The biggest new news is the reported 3-year, $45-million contract between the Yankees and OF Carlos Beltran. Looks as if another aging outfielder, Ichiro Suzuki, could be looking for a new employer.
For an even bigger average annual salary, 1B Mike Napoli reportedly will be back with the Red Sox for 2 years and $32 million.
OF Curtis Granderson's new 4-year contract with the Mets is being reported at $60 million, also 15 per year.
In a minor Yankees move, they signed IF/OF/DH Kelly Johnson to a 1-year contract.
RHP Scott Feldman appears to be the Astros' ace by default, with a 3-year, $30-million contract. It will be nice to see him in Arlington more frequently, and not just because the Rangers might light him up.
Speaking of the Rangers, they reportedly are close to signing C J.P. Arencibia. Some home runs, but is Texas any better off with him than they could have been by re-signing much older C A.J. Pierzynski?
Another question: Will the Rangers re-sign OF Nelson Cruz, go for free-agent OF Shin-soo Choo or plan on unproven OF Michael Choice in left field this season. I'd expect anything short of Cruz or Choo (or possibly just Choo) to be considered in the Metroplex as another wasted off-season.
The position-player free-agent list beyond Choo and Cruz is very thin, and the list of available pitchers isn't a lot better: RHPs A.J. Burnett, Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, Bronson Arroyo and the tarnished star of Matt Garza.
Another report has OF Nate McLouth moving a bit south to play for the Nationals for 2 years at $10.75 million.
The Marlins continue to make near-the-back-page news. Their new acquisition reportedly is 1B/OF Garrett Jones for 2 years. They're losing RHP Ryan Webb to the Orioles for 2 years and $4.5 million. I know! I had to look to see what more than $2 million a year can buy for your bullpen. Well, Webb was 2-6 with a 2.91 ERA with 3 blown saves this year. That extended his save-less streak in the majors to five seasons, during which he was mostly hidden from view by the Padres and Marlins. He did have 3 saves in a minor league career that included a 5.06 ERA.

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Hockey/basketball. Not a lot to report. My hockey team picked up half a point in ATOI, but fell six games behind the second-place team. My replacement for Jason Spezza is Tampa Bay's Valtteri Filppula. He's in today's lineup as the utility player. It's still 5-3 in my basketball-league series with 2 days remaining this week. I have the best chance to pick up a game in 3-point FGs or possibly FG percentage.

The last of the 10-year contracts?

Three thoughts about the reported agreement between the Mariners and free-agent 2B Robinson Cano.
1. It's a great deal for Cano and his agent, even though it would be for $65 million less than the original asking price. I guess it's like buying a mansion. What's $6 million a year when you're getting $24 mill? I hope the deal will also bring good things to young people, in Seattle or the Dominican Republic from Cano's affordable largesse.
2. It signifies that the Mariners now could become a large-market team -- competing with the Yankees, Red Sox and possibly Dodgers-Angels-Rangers (with big TV money anticipated) -- for top-dollar free agents. The other direction Seattle could take is toward the financial problems that beset Tom Hicks in Texas after the ill-fated A-Rod signing didn't work. I think there's plenty of Japanese money available, so I don't think that would happen to the Mariners.
3. I wonder when we'll see the end of 9-10-year contracts. My guess is after A-Rod's contract plays out. (By the way, shouldn't we be hearing something about his hearing pretty soon? Not sure why that should be taking 9 months when most player hearings are over within 9 days.) The easiest prediction from the Cano signing is that there's no way it -- like similar deals for Albert Pujols, the aforementioned A-Rod and probably Prince Fielder, and going all the way back to Wayne Garland nearly 40 years ago -- will come close to paying off in results equal to even half of its value.
Let's look at the particulars. Cano is already 31. He wouldn't get any better in any circumstances. He can't equal in Seattle the offensive statistics from playing home game at Yankee Stadium with its favorable left-handed-hitting setup. He'll have 9 years of not worrying about playing for a contract and financial security. Actually, 10. If he's still playing in 2023, it would be on a going-into-retirement cruise.
Can Cano help the Mariners in the short run? No question. He's filling what has become an abyss since Dustin Ackley didn't work out at second base. Cano could probably reach 20 homers for a few years. But when his range at second base inevitably declines, he'd become a below-average left fielder or first baseman or DH. At that point, the best hope would be to have some other needy team  take him off the Mariners' hands, saving Seattle a fraction of the money it would owe Cano.
Lots of activity in New York. The Yankees apparently also are losing OF Curtis Granderson's left-handed bat. The New York Post reported that he agreed to a 4-year contract with the Mets, no doubt for far less than he could have received even 2 years ago. Granderson is 32, coming off an injury-plagued 2013 and struggles against left-handers.
Also, the Yankees retained RHP Hiroki Kuroda for 2014. The busy Post reported the contract is for $16 million, with a $250,000 incentive for innings pitched. Kuroda has been mostly reliable in his two seasons in the Bronx. He has exceeded 200 innings in each of the last three years. But ... he has two winning records in six seasons in the U.S., will be 39 next season and didn't win a game after Aug. 12. (I know that too well; he was on one of my fantasy teams.) He's an exception to the rule that the ancient Yankees are getting somewhat younger.
Another situation I've commented on without a follow-up is 1B/DH Paul Konerko's re-signing. I applaud his or his agent's foresight in structuring his 1-year contract so he's paid $1.5 million in 2014, with $1 million deferred until 2015. That will make his transition out of the game much smoother. It's not likely that Konerko would suffer through another poor season in '15 -- barring an unlikely late-in-life resurgence such as Ted Williams and Stan Musial had in 1959 after bad years in '58. It's no coincidence that White Sox play-by-play man Ken Harrelson's contract expires after 2015, and he already has curtailed his travel schedule. In 2012, Sox color man Steve Stone made a reported $600,000 (with a lot of broadcast experience). There would seem to be room for Konerko in the broadcast booth, or even making a few hundred grand as a coach.
Marlins fans! Don't make World Series plans yet, but Miami did sign SS Rafael Furcal to a 1-year contract. He's expected to move to second base, with former 2B Donovan Solano or a player to be acquired at third. Apparently, the 36-year-old Furcal no longer is strong enough to unseat Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop, especially after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March and missing all of last season. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel indicated that Furcal's contract is for $3.5 million, plus incentives. We'll find out during spring training whether he'll be ready by opening day. But really, does this look like a contending infield? Wait! I'm forgetting 1B Logan Morrison, who hasn't batted even .250 in any of the last three seasons.

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Football. Both of my teams were off to a good start Thursday night, with Texans TE Garrett Graham scoring a touchdown and gaining 72 receiving yards. So I took early leads of 13-0 in my scoring-plus-yardage league (first week of a two-week consolation playoff semifinal) and 6-0 in Week 14 of my scoring-only league. In that one, I'm still projected for a tie against one of the two teams tied for first place a game ahead of me.

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Hockey. Important key: The downside of having a lot of players, especially forwards, in your lineup, is that they can drag you down, especially by your plus/minus and ATOI.
I filled my starting lineup with 15 skaters and 2 goalies -- and lost 3 1/2 points. Where I was within 2 points of second place, I dropped to 5 back overnight. Here's what happened. The two goalies' team played but they didn't. I read a note saying that Jean-Sebastien Giguere would start for Colorado Friday, but forgot that it was Thursday. The 15 skaters totaled 0 goals and 2 assists, and were minus-6. In addition, defensemen Jan Hejda and Victor Hedman both left early because of injuries, hurting my ATOI even more. They join Henrik Zetterberg on my injured list. Also, I have to get the minus-9 Jason Spezza from the loser Senators off my roster. Clarke MacArthur can stay for the time being.

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Basketball. Important key. If you have a guy on your roster who isn't playing tonight, but is tomorrow, be sure to put him into an open spot in your starting lineup instead of a player who is inactive for the next 2 days -- even if he's a franchise player.
I didn't follow one of my other important keys Wednesday. I didn't set my lineup until nearly 7 p.m. EDT. By that time, the Cavaliers' game already had started, so I couldn't get Anderson Varejao into my lineup. I could have put him in the lineup Tuesday (see Important key under hockey), guarding against the possibility of getting around to setting the lineup too late. I could have used his 18 points, 13 rebounds and assorted assists, blocks and steals. I made up somewhat for that lost production Thursday, regaining a 5-3 lead for the week.
For now, I'm off to find a hockey forward to replace Jason Spezza.

Catchers on the move, mostly to Florida

CF Jacoby Ellsbury is a Yankee, for 7 years and $153 million. Justin Morneau is with the Rockies for 2 years and $13 million. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia is a Marlin for 3 years and $21 mill.
Those signings now are official.
Salty's move was either a reaction to or a done deal before Boston's signing of free-agent C A.J. Pierzynski. That should be a short-term improvement for the Red Sox. Pierzynski is not the player he was half a decade or more ago. Before he came to Texas to play, I'd heard all of the talk about his prickly personality. He may have mellowed, but he seemed like nothing but a positive influence in the Rangers' clubhouse.
The team with a surplus of catchers now is the Rays. They made a three-way trade in which they acquired C Ryan Hanigan from the Reds and RHP Heath Bell from the Diamondbacks. Cincinnati, which had signed C Brayan Pena to join C Devin Mesoraco, could afford to part with Hanigan. The Reds obtained just LHP David Holmberg. Arizona obtained RHP Justin Choate and a player to be named or cash.
Tampa Bay seemed to benefit most. Hanigan had the second-best success rate in the majors throwing out base stealers in 2013, behind Cardinals C Yadier Molina. Hanigan can't hit, but he and 38-year-old C Jose Molina, re-signed for 2 years and $4.5 million, have at least known how to throw out runners. The Rays extended Hanigan's contract for 3 years. The question is where younger C Jose Lobaton, a better hitter, fits in. Could he be trade bait to fill another need, possibly to attract a larger cache of prospects from the Rangers for LHP David Price? Or could he go to the White Sox, whose catchers averaged .196 this season? Can they keep three catchers, and use Lobaton at times as a DH or first baseman? Believe me, the Rays have a plan. We just don't know what it is yet.
The Mariners are making the most news about their as-yet-unrequited desire for free-agent 2B Robinson Cano. They did, however, agree to reacquire free-agent utilityman Willie Bloomquist for 2 years and $5.8 million, according to CBSSports.com. Who is his agent? I want him representing me. Bloomquist is a hustling crowd-pleaser, but also the kind of player who's just good even to help your team lose. Kind of a 21st-century Tom Brookens. Bloomquist doesn't really matter in fantasy baseball, where he would have a negligible impact.
The Phillies joined a list of teams re-signing bench players who would be eligible for arbitration. Infielder Kevin Frandsen signed for $900,000 to return to Philadelphia. He needs just a position, or maybe a little better glove, to challenge for serious playing time. Frandsen is worth watching.

Ellsbury following Damon's footsteps to New York?

Tuesday's flurry of moves continued into the evening, with the biggest individual move of the day -- CF Jacoby Ellsbury's reported agreement on a 7-year, $153-million contract with the Yankees. If this sounds familiar, it sort of echoes Johnny Damon's career path, except that Ellsbury is younger than Damon was when he moved from Boston.
It seems likely that Brett Gardner would move to Yankee Stadium's spacious left field, that OF Vernon Wells would hit the road again and OFs Ichiro Suzuki and Alfonso Soriano would fight it out to see who plays in the field and who joins the DH picture.
Another apparently imminent free-agent signing would have 1B Justin Morneau moving to the Rockies for 2 years and $13 million.
Colorado already was a major player Tuesday, dispatching CF Dexter Fowler to the Astros for CF Brandon Barnes and RHP Jordan Lyles.
The Rockies, on a smaller level than the Athletics but with greater needs, may have helped themselves in several places. Despite Morneau's disappointing stretch run with the Pirates, he still has more tread on his tires than the 2013 1B, Todd Helton. To avoid Morneau's difficulty hitting lefties, Colorado could give C Wilin Rosario more playing time by putting him at first against southpaws. OF Michael Cuddyer, who spent plenty of time at first during his career season, can go back to right field. Barnes would replace the more athletic Fowler in center field, which looks like a win for Houston. Lyles was just 7-9 with a 5.59 ERA for the last-place Astros. He might not be able to do even that well at Coors Field, but that still could be an improvement over some of the cast of characters who started games for the '13 Rockies.
In addition to jettisoning RHP Jim Johnson to Oakland for discredited 2B Jemile Weeks and a player to be named, the Orioles avoided arbitration with OF Nolan Reimold by signing him to a 1-year contract for $1 million. Reimold already will be 30 next season and, really, how much has he done in the majors.
The Tigers continued to be active players in the market. They reportedly are giving RHP Joe Nathan a 2-year contract to fill a sinkhole as their closer. Detroit's rotation won't be quite as good, because they traded RHP Doug Fister, a 14-game winner, to the Nationals for utility infielder Steve Lombardozzi (not the original, a 2B for the Twins when they won the 1987 World Series, but his son) and LHPs Ian Krol and Robbie Ray. Krol reached the majors in 2013 without much distinction (3.95 ERA in Washington's bullpen). As a starter, Ray was a combined 11-5 with a 3.36 ERA in high A and Double-A.
Fister always has ranked high in my Rule of 25 listing of pitchers' true ability (aiming for a .250 opponents' average and 2.5:1 K/W ratio), even when he was losing games for Seattle. The soon-to-be 30-year-old had more than three strikeouts for every walk, and earned 54 per cent of his outs on ground balls. Those stats helped lead to a 14-9 record and 3.67 ERA.
His new home park may not be as pitcher-friendly, but he'll remain a vital cog in a deep rotation in Washington that would include RHPs Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman and LHP Gio Gonzalez.
Detroit also made a bargain-basement signing to avoid arbitration with OF/IF Don Kelly. He will receive $1 million for 2014.
The Yankees freed up some loose change to help pay Ellsbury when they traded C Chris Stewart to the Pirates for a PTBN. Pittsburgh and Stewart reportedly agreed on a $1-million contract for him to back up C Russell Martin as he did in New York. The loser in that transaction was C Michael McKenry, who was designated for assignment.
Still a few player moves needing comments. I'll do those after I get home. Maybe Wednesday if I'm tired tonight.

So much for calm before the meetings

I take back what I wrote about teams' being likely to coast into the winter meetings. Now I'm wondering whether there will be any deals left to make.
The Athletics clearly are leaving nothing to chance to alleviate their long dry spell in playoff series, epitomized by Derek Jeter and Jeremy Giambi.
After signing free-agent LHP Scott Kamir to a reported 2-year, $22-million contract, Oakland
-- Traded surplus 2B Jemile Weeks and a player to be named to the Orioles for RHP Jim Johnson, the major league leader in saves each of the last two seasons.
-- As insurance or at least a setup man, acquired RHP Luke Gregerson from the Padres for OF Seth Smith.
-- Dealt young OF Michael Choice and infielder Chris Bostick to the division-rival Rangers for OF Craig Gentry and Quadruple-A RHP Josh Lindblom.
Before I go further, let me interpret what this means for the A's.
Their pitching, top to bottom, could be the best in baseball next season. This is an organization that hasn't made spectacular moves in recent years, but has added incrementally for great improvement. The 2013 season could have been called "Moneyball II"; the coming year could be "Moneyball III."
$11 million a year for Kazmir might seem steep, but he made a major comeback for the Indians this year, and was even better than his 10-9 record down the stretch -- 7-5 with a 3.06 ERA in his last 18 starts. He'll be starting home games in a better pitchers' park.
Can Kazmir, a multi-year All-Star, head a rotation? Possibly, or Oakland might strike paydirt with a young pitcher such as RHPs Sonny Gray, Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin and Daniel Straily or LHPs Tommy Milone or Brett Anderson. Parker and Griffin were very tough in the latter stages of 2013, much better than I would have anticipated after seeing them in Double-A. Anderson could be bait in still another trade -- for infield defense? even more bullpen help? left-handed power?
At 30, Kazmir should be more mature than he was in his early 20s. His arrival most likely means that 40-year-old RHP Bartolo Colon, an 18-game winner in '13, is free to sign elsewhere as a free agent.
The dependence on young starting pitcher also could blow up in the Athletics' faces. But I don't think so in this case.
Gentry, who can fly, would bring improved defense in a park with a large outfield. He could play center field, or left field -- with OF Yoenis Cespedes available as a DH.
Probably more to come later tonight, after I'm finished with Bobcats-Mavericks.

Hughes to join Nolasco in improved Twins rotation

The Twins apparently are making another move to shore up their rotation.
The latest report is that Minnesota and RHP Phil Hughes have agreed to a 3-year, $24-million contract. That may sound like a lot. But even though Hughes probably isn't as good as the 18-game winner in 2012 (especially pitching for the Twins) but he's way better than the stiff who showed up every 5 or 6 days for the 2013 Yankees. That's assuming he doesn't have fundamental or irreversible arm problems.
It seems almost 100 per cent likely that RHP Ricky Nolasco and Hughes are a big improvement over the bottom-of-the-rotation starters they'll displace in Minnesota. The Twins will go into many series with a good chance to win two of three because they have that pair.
Much of the talk heading into next week's winter meetings is over which potential free agents will be tendered contract offers. In many cases teams are gambling that players they don't really want would decline their offer so that their 2013 team 1) wouldn't have to pay somewhat inflated guaranteed offers and 2) would receive draft-pick compensation for players who don't accept the tender. A third possibility is that teams could re-sign players who aren't tendered for a smaller dollar figure than they'd have to pay tendered players.
It's kind of confusing. Be prepared for many tendered and non-tendered players to sign elsewhere. And be prepared to hear 3 or 4 years from now about young 2014 draft picks who were "steals" because their team picked them as compensation for not signing (insert name of 2017-18 stiff here).

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Good week in my fantasy football leagues. I'm guaranteed a win in both.
I'll go into the playoffs in my 10-team scoring-plus-yardage league with a 6-7 record and in sixth place. That would put me in the middle-division playoffs. I think given breaks I could have contended for the top-division playoff title, but I didn't make that level. I'll be disappointed if I don't win the second-division playoffs to finish fifth.
In my scoring-only league, I'm still third but now only one game behind the teams tied for first lace with four weeks remaining. I hope to be a contender.

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Will just two players starting today, my hockey team appears to have dropped 1 1/2 points today but stayed in third place. I'm about 10 points out of second, but also about 15 ahead of the fourth-place team. The bottom seven teams are separated by about 5 points. Turns out I put the wrong Senator in Sunday's lineup. Clarke MacArthur was minus-1, dropping me down another point in that category. Jason Spezza, whom I didn't start, was plus-1.
Saw the Stars lose their second shootout in three nights, to the lowly Oilers. Edmonton gave starting G Devan Dubnyk the night off, until G Ilya Bryzgalov suffered what might have been a concussion in the second period. Dallas' Ryan Garbutt had his first NHL two-goal game, but I wouldn't expect a whole lot more of those from him.

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With Carmelo Anthony and David West provided 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds, my fantasy basketball team finished the week 4-4. Thus, I didn't catch the seventh-place team that split with me, but I did gain ground on two or three teams immediately ahead of that one.