Hot Stove Report

So, I kinda got interrupted during my Winter Meeting reports. I decided tonight would be a good time for a follow-up.

Starting pitching...
Still no movement here. A few options have been taken off the market but a lot of the (presumably) lower-priced options are still out there. There hasn't been much talk on this front lately which concerns me a little bit. With only three certain starters, I'd expect at least one decent signing to bolster the rotation.

Bullpen...
They non-tendered Saito after they couldn't reach a deal with him. It sounds like they're still hopeful to bring him back on a new contract but nothing seems close. The Hoffman rumors have cooled off a bit but I still think they should keep checking in with him to see how the price shakes out.

Infield...
This is where most of the news has been. A couple days ago, Rafael Furcal's agent said he expected to sign by Tuesday. This morning when I woke up, he seemed a lock to go to Atlanta for three guaranteed years and a vesting option for a fourth - a contract the Dodgers seemed unlikely to match. Sources inside the Braves organization seemed to think it was a done deal but sometime this afternoon, it leaked out that the agents were still talking to the Dodgers which appears to be Raffy's preferred destination. How will it all shake out? Furcal seems to be doing everything he can to give the Dodgers a chance to bring him back so he must really want to be here. Of course, some would argue if he really wants to be here, he'd take the lesser deal but we all know that's not going down. I would think the Dodgers would still resist the length of the deal and he'll end up a Brave but they ponied up the years for Casey Blake after I thought they wouldn't so who knows?

Outfield...
I saw somewhere today a post that said, "Tell Santa Frank that we want Manny for X-Mas!" That's the big name that everyone keeps waiting to see movement on. Personally, I don't expect Manny to sign until Texiera does with Boras pulling the strings. He really needs Tex in Boston so that the Yanks and Angels jump into the Manny chase. If the Angels land Tex, that puts the Dodgers and Yanks head-to-head but the Yanks are volatile and you never know when they'll pull out of a fight.

It's still a long winter to come but I expect when Tex signs, you'll see quite a few dominoes fall right after him.