23 American League free agents were offered arbitration on November 23rd.  Four of those - Joaquin Benoit, John Buck, Victor Martinez, and Javier Vazquez - already have new contract agreements.  Current free agent Kevin Gregg has chosen to decline.  The remaining 18 AL free agents offered arbitration will have their decisions noted here and in our tracker.

• Cliff Lee (A) declined the Rangers' offer, as expected.
• Miguel Olivo will decline the Blue Jays' offer, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Jason Frasor (A) will accept the team's offer, according to Mike Wilner of the FAN 590. Scott Downs (A) will decline the Blue Jays' offer, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier that Jason Frasor would either sign a multiyear deal or accept arb (Twitter link).
• Adrian Beltre will decline arbitration from the Red Sox, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Felipe Lopez (B) will also decline an offer of arbitration, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford.
• Carl Pavano (A) has officially turned down arbitration, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff (on Twitter). Orlando Hudson (B) will decline the Twins' offer of arbitration, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.  Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune tweets of "strong indications" Jesse Crain (B) will also decline.
• A source tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that Paul Konerko (A) will decline arbitration (Twitter link). J.J. Putz (B) declined arbitration from the White Sox, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin (on Twitter). 
• Chad Qualls (B) and Carl Crawford (A) have declined arbitration, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (on Twitter). Grant Balfour (A) turned down arbitration, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). As anticipated, Randy Choate (B) declined the Rays' offer, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff. ESPN's Buster Olney predicted the decision earlier today.  Rafael Soriano (A) will decline the Rays' arbitration offer, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Brad Hawpe (B) will decline the Rays' offer as well, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. 
• Frank Francisco (A) will accept the Rangers' offer, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. 

The Twins signed 17-year-old shortstop Javier Pimentel to a $575K deal, according to the Dominican Prospect League.  In his July 2nd prospect rankings, Blake Bentley placed Pimentel in a tenth-place tie, calling him "a wide-shouldered shortstop with a solid bat and plenty of room for improvement."

In other news from the league, the Mets inked 17-year-old shortstop Alfredo Reyes for $200K.

Five years ago today, the Blue Jays signed closer B.J. Ryan to a five-year, $47MM deal, the largest ever for a reliever (the contract was later matched in total by Joe Nathan).  Ryan gave the Jays two solid seasons, earning his release in '09.  Today's links:

• White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez has until Wednesday to decide whether to choose arbitration over a $1.1MM salary for 2011, reports Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune.  Even as a first timer Ramirez would certainly beat that, so look for him to choose arbitration unless a multiyear deal can be hammered out.  The Sox have four other arbitration eligible players: John Danks, Carlos Quentin, Tony Pena, and Bobby Jenks.
• Carl Crawford's agents at Legacy Sports are sending interested teams iPads with pro-Crawford videos preloaded, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
• Versatile free agent Bill Hall is in play for eight teams, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown.  The Rockies are one interested club, tweets Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  The Yankees may be another, based on a Ken Rosenthal report from earlier this month.  Renck believes the Rockies will have interest in Ryan Theriot if he's non-tendered, as well.
• Tsuyoshi Nishioka sounds eager to sign with the Twins, based on press conference quotes passed along by Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
• Scott Boras has a proposal to replace the Rule 5 draft, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports provides the details.  Also, Rosenthal previews the rest of the offseason.

We're a week from the Winter Meetings, and starting pitchers Jon Garland, Hiroki Kuroda, Ted Lilly, Javier Vazquez, and Jake Westbrook have already signed - three of them with the Dodgers.  For the many teams that can't afford Cliff Lee, it's down to Jorge de la Rosa, Carl Pavano, and a field of comeback candidates or back-rotation arms.  Let's take a look at which teams are in the market.

• Astros - They subtracted Felipe Paulino, and have been linked to Brandon McCarthy and Jeff Francis.  GM Ed Wade explained earlier this month that he'd like to add someone on a one-year deal similar to the Brett Myers contract.
• Athletics - They showed their desire to add starting pitching by bidding $19.1MM for the right to negotiate with Hisashi Iwakuma.  If they're unable to reach a deal with him by Wednesday of next week, the A's could check out the free agent market.  They're known to be interested in McCarthy.
• Brewers - They're in on McCarthy, Francis, and Jarrod Washburn, but are expected to focus on trade possibilities as they look to add a starter or two.
• Cubs - The Cubs have five starters, but could add insurance with Jeremy Bonderman, Aaron Harang, Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, or Brandon Webb.
• Diamondbacks - They were linked to McCarthy prior to acquiring Zach Duke.  With their front four settled, I expect them to worry about other needs.
• Mariners - They've been linked to McCarthy and Jeff Francis, suggesting they're targeting injury comeback candidates.
• Mets - The rumor mill has been quiet, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post can see them getting in on a reclamation-project starter in the new year.
• Nationals - The Nationals are seeking pitching by trade, free agency, or both.  They're in on Lee, De La Rosa, Webb, and Pavano at the least.
• Orioles - They apparently have tepid interest in De La Rosa, and have been linked to position players more frequently this offseason.
• Padres - Garland's gone and Kevin Correia is a free agent.  The Padres have been linked to McCarthy and will probably seek late bargains.
• Pirates - They seem very likely to sign some kind of free agent starter this winter.  They've moved on from Duke and are eyeing Scott Olsen, De La Rosa, Webb, and Francis.
• Rangers - They could move Neftali Feliz to the rotation, but the top priority is signing Lee.  If Lee signs elsewhere they're expected to look into Zack Greinke.  They're known to be in on Webb, and happen to employ Webb's surgeon Dr. Keith Meister as the team physician.
• Reds - They've been loosely linked to Webb based mainly on geography, but already made a big commitment to Bronson Arroyo and don't have a ton of spending money.
• Rockies - They're likely to add a starter and are in on Webb and Francis.  They could also look at trades and lesser free agents, but at least they've added Paulino.
• Royals - The Royals cut Brian Bannister and are interested in Kevin Millwood, to name one option.  If Kyle Davies is non-tendered on Thursday that would heighten their need.
• Tigers - They seem content with their rotation options, but they were among the seven clubs linked to McCarthy.
• Twins - They'll need an arm, possibly Pavano.  They placed a bid on Iwakuma and have been tied to Webb.  Washburn could also work.
• White Sox - They haven't been linked to anyone, and appear to be in good shape even with Jake Peavy missing the beginning of the season given the possibility of moving Chris Sale into the rotation.  However, I won't rule Kenny Williams out if he finds one of the aforementioned free agent arms intriguing.
• Yankees - They're the favorites for Lee, and Andy Pettitte might be leaning toward a return.  The Yankees are not expected to participate in the next bracket of free agent starters if one of those options falls through, and the trade market is barren if Greinke is off-limits.
• The Angels, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants, Indians, Marlins, Phillies, Rays, and Red Sox have either stayed out of the rumor mill or already made their additions.  Still, it would not be a shock for some of these teams to add starting pitching.

Happy birthday to two former All-Star catchers!  Future Hall-of-Famer Ivan Rodriguez turns 39 today, while Angels manager Mike Scioscia turns 52.

Some news items...

• Count Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer as unimpressed by Detroit's contracts with Joaquin Benoit and Jhonny Peralta.  Pluto cites Benoit's 4.47 career ERA and Peralta's .696 OPS over his last two seasons.
• The Orioles' failed pursuit of Victor Martinez proves "the issue isn't how much money the Orioles are willing to give somebody. It's whether somebody suitable is willing to take it," writes The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck.
• Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog thinks Manny Ramirez would be a bad fit on the Yankees.
• By the time the sale of the Astros is finalized, the new ownership group should have few salary commitments to deal with, reports Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle.
• The Giants are betting that other teams don't value Juan Uribe as highly as they do, says CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban, which is why the club offered the infielder (a Type B free agent) arbitration.  San Francisco thinks Uribe won't be able to find a multi-year deal elsewhere and will thus accept arbitration or re-sign for a $5MM, one-year contract.  Even if Uribe does leave for another club, at least the Giants would get a draft pick in compensation.
• Urban also notes that the Giants are "tire-kicking" J.J. Hardy and Miguel Tejada as other infield options.  Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun predicts Tejada will be the best free agent bargain of the winter.
• In his look at the offseason needs of the AL Central clubs, The Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton names Detroit prospects Andy Oliver and Jacob Turner, Minnesota outfield prospects Joe Benson, Aaron Hicks and Ben Revere, and Kansas City's Robinson Tejeda and Alex Gordon as young players within the division who could be dealt.  (Oliver and Turner only in "major trade talks" since "neither will be cheap.")  Dutton adds that Grady Sizemore probably won't be dealt in the winter but "interest should quickly escalate" if Sizemore gets off to a healthy and productive start in 2011. 

The Twins won the bidding for Tsuyoshi Nishioka earlier today. Here's the latest on the infielder and his impact on Minnesota's offseason plans:

• The Twins see Nishioka as a second baseman rather than a shortstop, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. If the team agrees to sign the 26-year-old, he'll likely compete with Alexi Casilla for the second base job and Orlando Hudson will likely leave via free agency.
• From what Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune can tell, the Twins have decided to tender J.J. Hardy  a contract next week, partly since he still appears to have trade value (Twitter link).
• The Twins removed shortstop Estarlin De Los Santos from the 40-man roster and, after he cleared waivers, assigned him to Triple-A, according to Christensen (on Twitter).

The Twins won the bidding for Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Christensen hears that the Twins won with a $5MM bid, but a source estimated to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Twins bid roughly $5.3MM (Twitter link). The Twins now have 30 days to work out an agreement with the 26-year-old. If the sides do not reach an agreement, the Chiba Lotte Marines will not receive the posting fee.

The Giants, Dodgers, and Cardinals reportedly had some interest in Nishioka and the Red Sox submitted a bid in the mid-$2MM range, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Last year, the switch-hitter batted .346 with 22 steals and 206 hits. ESPN.com's Keith Law and Patrick Newman of FanGraphs recently explained Nishioka's game in more detail.

The Twins' middle infield is in flux. They could consider trading non-tender candidate J.J. Hardy and Orlando Hudson is a free agent. Hudson could accept the team's offer of arbitration and return to Minnesota on a one-year deal or decline in search for a multi-year deal on the open market. 

Matt Guerrier probably caught a break when the Twins decided not to offer him arbitration earlier this week. Fellow Type As Frank Francisco, Jason Frasor and Grant Balfour all got offers of arbitration and will cost picks, but teams can sign the 32-year-old Guerrier without having to surrender a draft choice. Here's a detailed look at his free agent stock:

The Pros

• Guerrier led the league in appearances in 2008-09 and pitched in 74 games this past season.
• He induces more grounders than fly balls.
• His slider is excellent.
• Guerrier has a 2.7 K/BB ratio against right-handed hittters in his career. 
• He has just a 1.5 K/BB ratio against left-handed hitters in his career, but he does induce more groundballs against them (55%).
• As mentioned earlier, it won't cost a pick to sign Guerrier.

The Cons

• Defense independent pitching stats like FIP and xFIP suggest Guerrier's 3.17 ERA would have been higher if he had been less lucky in 2010.
• He posted 5.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 last year. That's not spectacular and both rates were better in 2009.
• The free agent market is flush with right-handed relievers, so Guerrier won't have much leverage.

The Verdict

The Twins are one of many teams that could use a steady arm like Guerrier's. MLB.com's Kelly Thesier wrote last month that they seem more likely to retain Guerrier and Jesse Crain than their other free agent relievers.

The market has played out favorably for at least one reliever, but Guerrier doesn't have the gaudy numbers that Joaquin Benoit does. Teams will have interest in someone with a history of effectiveness and durability, but I will be surprised if Guerrier earns more than $4-5MM on a one-year deal.

MLBTR wishes all of its American readers a very happy Thanksgiving.  For those readers not from the USA...uh, happy Thursday!  Onto some news items:

• "Three contending clubs" have a "persisting interest" in Colby Rasmus, tweets Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Strauss noted in a follow-up tweet that these are teams with a "new interest," so presumably that eliminates past suitors like the Braves, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and White Sox.  The Rasmus rumor mill seemed to have petered out, with the most recent report stating that there was a 99% chance that Rasmus would still be in St. Louis next season.
• Dennis Gilbert will not try to buy the Houston Astros, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.  Gilbert led a group bidding for the Rangers earlier this year and has been rumored to be a potential future ownership candidate for the Dodgers.
• The Twins are "very much in on" Tsuyoshi Nishioka, tweets Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman.  We heard last week that Minnesota had an interest in the Japanese infielder.
• When Kevin Towers was general manager of the Padres, he planned to eventually bring Trevor Hoffman back to San Diego so the future Hall-of-Fame closer could retire as a Padre, tweets Fanhouse.com's Tom Krasovic.  Though Towers has moved on to Arizona, Krasovic says there's a chance Hoffman could still return to San Diego now that Sandy Alderson and Paul DePodesta are no longer with the organization.
• Bill James talks to CBSSports.com's Evan Brunell about a variety of topics, including the new Mets front office, the Justin Upton trade rumors and what the Royals should do with Zack Greinke.
• Joe Pawlikowski of the River Ave Blues blog wishes the Derek Jeter negotiations moved as smoothly as Mike Mussina's contract talks with the Yankees after the 2006 season.

The Yankees’ “lack of tact” in their negotiations with Derek Jeter isn’t helping them, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Here are Rosenthal's latest updates on the Yankees and other teams around the league:

• Even Cliff Lee’s representatives would be surprised if the left-hander received a seven-year offer like C.C. Sabathia did.
• The Rangers were in on Victor Martinez “big,” according to Rosenthal.
• The Rangers are talking to Vladimir Guerrero and showing interest in Paul Konerko. The White Sox offered the first baseman arbitration, so it will cost a top pick to sign him.
• The Dodgers showed serious interest in Aubrey Huff before he re-signed with the Giants, according to Rosenthal. 
• The Phillies discussed the idea of bringing Pat Burrell back to Philadelphia, but decided against it.
• Type B free agent Orlando Hudson almost certainly agreed in advance to reject the Twins’ offer of arbitration, Rosenthal says. The Twins agreed not to offer the second baseman arbitration if he was a Type A free agent, so Hudson may have agreed not to accept if he ended up a Type B.
• The Marlins have between $3-8MM to spend, depending on which one of Rosenthal’s sources you ask.
• Eric Hinske is close to deciding between the Braves and Brewers, who have both offered him contracts.