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ESPN’s Jayson Stark says that three-team trade talks that would have sent Pat Burrell to the Mets are dead, but that Milton Bradley still might head to Tampa Bay. The Rays seem to have far more interest in Bradley than any other team, yet there’s no way that they’d do a deal without moving Burrell…

The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro believes there’s something to rumors that the Diamondbacks could part with Max Scherzer in a trade for Edwin Jackson. The deal simply wouldn’t work as a one-for-one. Scherzer is just as talented as Jackson, if not more so, and he still has give years to go until free agency, whereas…

The Pirates have been mention in connection with a bunch of second-tier free agents this winter, most notably Xavier Nady, Rick Ankiel and Hank Blalock. They have money and they need offense, so it’s completely understandable. Yet, at the same time that they’ve keep looking for a first baseman or a right fielder, indications are…

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports that the Yankees’ talks with the Tigers regarding Curtis Granderson didn’t go very far, apparently because Detroit wanted both Phil Hughes and Austin Jackson in return for their center fielder. Jackson would be an obvious choice to go in a Granderson deal, since the Yankees would…

Brad Penny’s one-year deal with the Cardinals is worth $7.5 million guaranteed and includes $1.5 million in incentives, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney and others. Some will express surprise at the cash involved, given that Penny finished last season with a 4.88 ERA in 173 1/3 innings. I like the deal for the Cardinals, though.…

Dan Uggla’s agent said last month that the 29-year-old had no intention of moving off second base for the Marlins or any other team, but it doesn’t appear that the player himself is quite so inflexible. Or as Uggla told MLB.com yesterday: “It’s a tough subject. I feel like I’m a second baseman. I feel…

Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Rockies are waiting to hear back after offering multiyear deals to closer Huston Street, infielder Clint Barmes and catcher Chris Iannetta. Street, who is just one year away from free agency, received a three-year offer. He made $4.5 million last season and is likely due to…

It’s a lesson all of the AL contenders have learned in recent years: a team must be very, very careful when looking to NL pitchers to bolster their staffs. Jason Marquis is exactly the kind of pitcher who needs to be left in the easier league. He’s an accomplished innings eater, but he hasn’t finished…

The News Journal’s Scott Lauber’s believes the Phillies would consider trading Joe Blanton to land the setup man for Brad Lidge they desire. There’s no reason to believe it’s been discussed, but a Joe Blanton-for-George Sherrill deal would make perfect sense if the Dodgers have any financial flexibility at all. Blanton figures to make $8…

The latest from FOXSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi has the Rays asking about Roy Halladay and potentially offering both B.J. Upton and Wade Davis for his services. It sounds crazy and likely is. The Rays are thought to have little money to play with this winter, and while they might be willing to stretch their budget…

Content to stick with their same shortstop situation, the Tigers have re-signed free agent Adam Everett to a one-year deal. Everett was believed to be seeking a raise from $1 million to the $3 million range, even though he hit just .238/.288/.325 in 345 at-bats last season. The Tigers received superior production from the arbitration-eligible…

FOXSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi still believes the Tigers are on the verge of trading Edwin Jackson, with the Diamondbacks now serving as a chief contender for his services. Morosi also doesn’t rule out the Mariners as a possibility, though they rejected Detroit’s proposal last week. He says the Brewers, Dodgers and Mets are not involved…

We assume they’ll keep him this time. The Red Sox initially signed Scott Atchison as a minor league free agent after the 2007 season, only to sell him to the Hanshin Tigers a month later. He compiled a 2.77 ERA in two seasons out of the pen for the Tigers, but he expressed his desire…

Rangers manager Ron Washington isn’t content with his team just yet, but he said that if the season started now, he’d have Julio Borton starting in center field, with Josh Hamilton shifting to left field. Taking Hamilton out of center was an obvious move. He was never a real asset there in the first place,…

The Rockies on Monday released Matt Murton so that he could pursue opportunities in Japan. Murton’s career started out in very promising fashion, as he hit .321/.386/.521 in 140 at-bats as a rookie in 2005 and .297/.365/.444 while playing regularly for the Cubs in 2006. The Cubs, though, wanted more power that he was giving…

SI.com’s Jon Heyman reports that the Mets would consider swapping Luis Castillo for Juan Pierre if the Dodgers are up for it. Both players have two years left on contracts their teams have long regretted handing out. Pierre is owed $18.5 million, while Castillo is due $12 million. The Mets would probably want some cash…

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets that the Rangers have picked up left-handed reliever Clay Rapada from the Tigers for cash or a player to be named. Rapada was barely clinging to a spot on Detroit’s 40-man roster, so the Tigers didn’t require much in return here. Rapada, a 28-year-old specialist, had allowed…

A large-market team should be able to pay a top-notch setup man $4 million-$4.5 million. That’s what the Royals gave Kyle Farnsworth, and at last check, Kansas City wasn’t a large market and Farnsworth wasn’t top notch. The Dodgers, though, seem to be facing greater financial problems by the day, and according the FOXSports.com, they’ve…

- The Nationals are talking to free agent Jon Garland, says ESPN.com’s Peter Gammons in his blog. Garland is surely hoping for some multiyear security this time around after settling for a one-year deal last winter. There’d be little reason for him to take a short-term deal with the Nats when there will probably a…

Here’s a quick look at what the National League teams could be trying to do this week in Indianapolis. Arizona – The Diamondbacks should have some money to spend, and they need a starter, a setup man, a first baseman and a closer. They probably won’t do any long-term deals, though, and they may well…

Just a couple of quick sentences on what each team may be looking to do this week. Baltimore – The Orioles are on the lookout for a couple of corner infielders, a starting pitcher and a closer, but with youngsters on the way, they’re more after veteran stopgaps than building blocks. Felix Pie is on…

The Kansas City Star’s Bob Dutton tweets that the Royals are close to an agreement with Cuban defector Noel Arguelles on a major league contract worth $7 million over five years. We rated Arguelles as the No. 50 free agent in this year’s crop: With fellow Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman getting all of the attention,…

The Associated Press has learned that the Mariners and Chone Figgins have come to terms on a four-year, $36 million contract with a vesting option for 2014. The option is also for $9 million, making the deal potentially worth $45 million. SI.com’s Jon Heyman reported that the Mariners began the day at $27 million for…

Rangers claimed infielder Joe Inglett off waivers from the Blue Jays. Inglett, 31, played a key role of the 2008 Jays, but he spent most of last season back in the minors, as the team preferred the right-handed-hitting Jose Bautista in the spot the lefty-swinging Inglett could have occupied. He’s a career .293/.349/.396 hitter in…

Everything else is moving as slowly as anticipated, but the non-first base portion of the infield market has been extremely active in the early part of the winter, and now that Chone Figgins (apparently), Marco Scutaro and Placido Polanco have all agreed to terms, the picture for Orlando Hudson, Adrian Beltre and others is coming…