Morning (TROT) COFFEY.

(* Trade Rumor Offerings To Chew On For Fun, Even Yuks)

 

Not to be confused with journeyman righthander Todd Coffey, the TROT COFFEY is a mailing list-only update on what the media has unearthed at various busy times of year, such as the July and August trade deadlines, the GM Meetings, and the Winter Meetings:

 

A little Saturday morning COFFEY, which I need myself more than usual since I arrived at a conclusion 45 minutes ago that only a parent of eight- and four-year-olds can conceivably arrive at, that whoever wrote the "High School Musical" song "We're All in This Together" seems to have thieved parts of the melody from the theme song to "Full House" (yes, it's in syndication, and suddenly a stopdown for my daughter), a disturbing conclusion to be sure, disturbing primarily in that the analysis even took place in my decaying brain.  Gimme some baseball.

 

• One local reporter suggests that Boston, Florida, and Detroit make up the top tier of contenders to trade pitching to the Rangers for a catcher, with Kansas City, San Francisco, the Mets, and Cincinnati as fringe suitors, and the Yankees as a longshot.

 

• The same reporter believes the Rangers prefer the potentially available young pitchers from Boston in this order: Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and Justin Masterson, while the Red Sox prioritize the Texas catchers as follows: Taylor Teagarden, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Gerald Laird.

 

• The same reporter believes the Marlins are interested in Teagarden, Saltalamacchia, and Max Ramirez, but not Laird, and while they are pushing Scott Olsen and Kevin Gregg, Texas will probably try to redirect talks toward Ricky Nolasco or Andrew Miller, either of whom would take more than just a catcher to acquire - the reporter proposes Saltalamacchia or Teagarden plus Neftali Feliz for Nolasco and left-handed reliever Renyel Pinto, which just gave me a stomach ache.

 

• The same reporter points out that Detroit lacks the young pitching Texas would need in a catcher trade, suggesting that perhaps Laird plus a pitching prospect could fetch Jeremy Bonderman, unless Texas would consider Laird for Nate Robertson, the latter of which just gave me a stomach ache.

 

• The same reporter suggests that Cincinnati seemed interested at one point in a Laird for Homer Bailey trade, but the fact that Bailey finished the season hurt might gum that possibility up. 

 

• Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty has visited with the Rangers regarding their catchers, and if Bailey is available at all, it won't be for a "quick fix" - I'm not sure if the two points are related (John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer)

 

• The Braves are now in on Olsen . . . and I hope they get him (Scott Miller of CBSSports.com)

 

• The Rangers, along with the Angels, Mets, and Tigers, have asked to look at reliever Chad Cordero's medical records . . . the former closer's first choice is to pitch for the Angels (Bill Ladson of MLB.com)

 

• The Mets are shopping relievers Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis, and Pedro Feliciano, and Texas is interested in at least Heilman (Ken Davidoff of Newsday)

 

• The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that an anonymous baseball source is saying "there's no way Bud [Selig] and the owners are going to let" Mark Cuban buy the Cubs.  "Zero chance," says the source.

 

• There are evidently two external candidates for San Diego's vacated television play-by-play gig - Josh Lewin and Victor Rojas, though both are under contract with the Rangers (Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune)

 

 

 

 

Some notes:

 

Atlanta named Dom Chiti special assistant to general manager Frank Wren.  Chiti pitched for five seasons in the Braves' minor league system 30 years ago.  Among the other special assistants the Braves employ are Jim Fregosi and Chuck McMichael.

 

Pittsburgh hired Perry Hill to coach first base.  Milwaukee named Brad Fischer third base coach.

 

Texas reportedly hired Mike Maddux without needing a face-to-face meeting. 

 

Davidoff notes that the Mets have dismissed scout (and former Chicago Bulls GM) Jerry Krause, who sat 10 feet away from me at an August or September Rangers game and is a very, very oddly shaped man.

 

According to MLB.com, right-handed reliever Kazuo Fukumori signed a minor league contract to return to the Rangers.

 

According to local reports, Scott Servais said the Rangers will be the sixth organization in baseball to employ a full-time strength and conditioning coach at every minor league level.

 

The Rangers' minor league free agents, according to Baseball America: righthanders Kiko Calero, Brian Gordon, Trey Hodges, Jose Jaimes, Brandon Puffer, Elizardo Ramirez, and Steven Rowe; lefthanders Derek Lee, Raul Mayora, Zach Parker, John Rheinecker, and Bill White; catchers Tim Gradoville, Justin Pickett, and Nick Trzesniak; first basemen Nate Gold and Jason Hart (who is now coaching in the system), and infielder Drew Meyer.

 

The Lincoln Saltdogs of the independent American Association named Marty Scott manager.  Scott served briefly as the Mets' interim AAA manager in New Orleans last season.

 

There are now links on the right side of the front page of www.NewbergReport.com to the cover story that the Dallas Observer did on the Newberg Report four years ago, and to the Observer's "Fab 50" Most Powerful People in Metroplex Sports rankings for 2006, 2007, and 2008.

 

Also, if you click the image on the front page of the 2009 Bound Edition, you'll be sent to a page that gives you almost-full details on the book - all it lacks is the added special that if you buy at least two copies of the book, you'll get a free copy of any previous year's volume, your choice.

 

As for the $2 discount special on the 2009 book, that one expires in one week.

 

Should have final details on the site for the December 10 Book Release Party this week.  Stay tuned.

 

Jamey