Hot Stove Update

This first Hot Stove Update includes news that happened off the field during Post-Season play.

Brewers

** Prince Fielder was named the Brewers Player of the Year, and Yovani Gallardo the Pitcher of the Year by the Milwaukee area baseball writers.

** Former Mets and A’s pitching coach Rick Peterson has been named the Brewers’ pitching coach. Peterson worked with both manager Ken Macha and bench coach Willie Randolph. Stan Kyles will return as bullpen coach.

** Chris Bosio, who served as interim pitching coach during the season, has been named advance scout for the team.

** LF Ryan Braun was named to the Sporting News NL All Star team.

** Nine Brewers, including C Jason Kendall and CF Mike Cameron, filed for free agency. The club declined RHP David Weathers’ option.


Cubs

** RHP Rich Harden and OF Reed Johnson were the first two Cubs to file for free agency.


** The Ricketts family was introduced to the Chicago media as the new owners of the Cubs.

** LHP Ted Lilly underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder and should be ready to pitch by spring.

** Former Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo was named the team’s hitting coach.


** Naples, Florida, and Mesa, Arizona, are competing to host the Cubs in spring training. The team has trained in Arizona since the 1950s and at the Mesa site since 1979. The Cubs can buy out their contract with Mesa after 2012.


Twins

** C Joe Mauer was the top vote getter in the Sporting News All Star poll of 31 MLB general managers and assistant general managers.

** Mauer also was picked the Outstanding Player in the AL by his peers, the AL MVP by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Twins’ MVP by the area baseball writers. He is considered a leading candidate for the AL MVP, which will be announced Nov. 23.


** RHP Joe Nathan was picked the team’s Most Valuable Pitcher by the writers. For other honors, go to the Twins’ web site via MDR links.

** The club picked up an option for 2011 on OF Michael Cuddyer.

** Five players, including SS Orlando Cabrera and RHP Carl Pavano, are eligible for free agency. The Twins are likely to let Cabrera go now that they have dealt for J.J. Hardy.

** IF Brian Buscher was moved to the Triple A roster.


White Sox

** The Sox bought out the contract of OF Jermaine Dye, which means he will become a free agent.

** 3B Gordon Beckham was named the Sporting News Rookie of the Year in the AL. Beckham will move to second after Chris Getz was included in the trade for Mark Teahan.

** Infield prospect Dayan Viciedo was shut down in the Arizona Fall League because of an elbow problem.

** OF Alejando De Aza was claimed off waivers from the Marlins. Utility player Mark Kotsay signed a one year deal.

** The Sox are talking with the agent of OF Scott Podsednik, who had a comeback season in 2009.

** OF Dewayne Wise has declared free agency. The Sox picked up the options of pitchers Freddy Garcia and Matt Thornton.

Sox Also Work Deal

Hardy, Gomez Trade Places

The Brewers and Twins swapped .229 hitters Friday, but believe both OF Carlos Gomez and SS J.J. Hardy could help their new teams.

“Carlos brings to our club great speed, athleticism and energy at a position that we needed to fill,” said Brewers GM Doug Melvin. “His defense will serve as a key component to us improving our pitching. At only 24 years of age, Carlos can further develop the offensive aspect of his game and give us a different look to our lineup.”

Gomez batted .229 with 3 HR, 28 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 137 games with Minnesota this season. He made 86 starts in center field and committed just one error. The highlight of his season came on October 6 vs. Detroit when he scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning of the Twins’ victory in the American League Central tie-breaker game.


In 2008, his first full season in the Major Leagues, he batted .258 with 7 HR, 59 RBI and a team-leading 33 stolen bases in 153 games, including 143 starts in center field. He set a Twins single-season record with 30 bunt hits, leading the Major Leagues, and produced 50 infield hits overall, which ranked second only to Ichiro Suzuki (52).


Gomez was acquired by the Twins on February 2, 2008 as the key player in the deal that sent two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana to the Mets. He joined the Twins after being ranked as the Mets’ third-best prospect by Baseball America heading into that season.


"He's very, very talented and has a lot to learn, yes," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Gomez during the playoffs. "But like I said, when you see him out there in center field covering all that ground and then some of the offensive things that he can do that other people can't do, that's why the guy is in the big leagues."

Hardy, 27, batted .229 with 11 HR and 47 RBI in 115 games with the Brewers this season.


“J.J. has been a steady performer for the Brewers,” said Melvin. “His professionalism and popularity with our fans and his teammates made this difficult, but he has been given the opportunity to go to a great organization to play and perform at the high level he is capable of playing.”

In another deal involving a MDR team, theWhite Sox have acquired infielder/outfielder Mark Teahen and cash considerations from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for infielders Chris Getz and Josh Fields.


Teahen, 28, hit .271 (142-524) with a career-high 34 doubles, 12 home runs and 50 RBI in 144 games with the Royals in 2009. He made 99 starts at third base, 31 in right field and three at second.


The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder is a career .269 (667-2,480) hitter with 146 doubles, 24 triples, 59 home runs and 293 RBI in 676 career games, all with Kansas City (2005-09). He was named the Royals Player of the Year in 2006 after establishing career bests in average (.290), home runs (18) and RBI (69).


For more on the deals, go to the team web sites via MDR links.

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Off-Season Schedule

Breaking news, such as trades, free agent signings and others, will be posted when events happen. Regular weekly features will include:

** Mondays - Hot Stove Update, a review of news notes for the previous week through the weekend for the four MDR big league teams.

** Wednesdays - A Look Back historical feature or Elsewhere in Baseball, a brief of interest about Midwest baseball at some level other than the MLB.

** Fridays - The Weekend Rhubarb, an opinion brief intended to stir some debate on the MDR Archives/Blog board, or a Featured Collectible, about a baseball collectible offered by MDR's sister site, Old School Collectibles.

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MDR Season Honors

Players of Year - Joe Mauer, Twins & Prince Fielder, Brewers

Pitcher Of Year - Joe Nathan, Twins

Manager of Year - Ron Gardenhire, Twins

Rookie of the Year - Casey McGehee, Brewers