The Mariners signed Jose Guillen to a one-year, $5.5 million deal with a mutual option for 2008, the first formal signing of the winter meetings.
A few days ago, the Giants inked Dave Roberts to a 3-year contract worth $18 million.
Rodrigo Lopez is almost certain to be traded this winter, but Roch says the O's will have to throw in young pitching to get anything of real value for Rowdy Roddy. I hate the SOB and I would trade him for C-grade prospects or an aging fifth outfielder, but that's me, and the Orioles and I very rarely agree on personnel moves. The Orioles are open to trading Hayden Penn, though most teams are interested in Bedard or Cabrera. That's one thing the O's and myself do agree on -- trading Penn is the best option of the four that have any real value (Bedard, Cabrera, Penn, Loewen).
Roch also has a feeling that it's unlikely we'll see Benson AND Wright in the Oriole rotation in '07. Fine by me. In a better world I'd see neither of them in the Oriole rotation.
There's little else going on. The Luis Gonzalez news is still looking like its OUR top story, and that's just sad.
The Mets are looking at Julio Lugo, the Braves signed Tanyon Sturtze, and the Indians signed Roberto Hernandez and Aaron Fultz.