Diamondbacks and the Winter Meetings, Day 3

Miley next on the block?

The chatter overnight seems mostly to focus around the possibility of the team trading Wade Miley. [Note to self: do not just search Twitter for "Miley", and expect to get any significant baseball content...]

The Arizona #Dbacks are now trying to reduce payroll to $90 million; listening to offers for Wade Miley.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 10, 2014

Well, they probably don't need to trade him if that's their goal. B-R.com currently estimates our 2015 payroll at $85.4m - admittedly, that's not including Tomas, but he's only due $2 million next year. Anyway, who might be interested? Boston and Miami appears commonly mentioned.

The Red Sox had scouts watching #Dbacks Miley late last season. A report out of Miami two weeks ago indicated the Marlins had interest.

— Jack Magruder (@JackMagruder) December 10, 2014

Among top current possibilities for #RedSox: #DBacks’ Miley. Reported last night with @jonmorosi that teams are talking. #Marlins in, too.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 10, 2014

We should certainly also add the Rangers to the list, with Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News providing a bit more depth than 140 characters to their interest."The latest, most serious talks to progress, but without a resolution, have been with Arizona, according to two major league sources. The Rangers have discussed left-hander Wade Miley, who is entering his first season of arbitration. At one point, they were optimistic a deal would come together, but the structure apparently changed early on Tuesday and by late in the day it had to be reformed."

What now?

Updating a list from last week:

1. Clear shortstop logjam
2. Get out from under Miggy's contract
3. Deal surplus outfielders
4. Improve our starting rotation significantly

According to Stewart [H/T James in this morning's SnakeBytes], the team may be done, in particular for #4. "It'll be a better market next year. I'd like to see where we're going to end up. Let's see where we are once we get out of spring training. I think we're going to be a better team." He also downplayed the need to acquire a left-handed bat, even though the departure of Montero leaves David Peralta and his eight home-runs last year as our biggest power threat from that side. So, translating from Stewartish, this means Mark Trumbo will be dealt for a starting pitcher and southpaw slugger by the end of the day, then...

And, elsewhere...

Jon Lester will be a Cub, having signed a contract for six years and $155 million, the second-highest per year rate of any current pitcher, trailing only Kershaw. I think the Cubs may be a genuine World Series threat - maybe not this year, or the next, but certainly once their stacked farm system comes through. A nice link between this and the above, I was amused by this reaction. Or, rather, a reaction to a reaction:

I see that the garbage Red Sox fans are already complaining about how Wade Miley isn't Jon Lester, as if that's what he'd be acquired to be.

— Marc Normandin (@Marc_Normandin) December 10, 2014