Tigers, Braves interested in Damon

It’s not clear how many suitors are showing interest in Johnny Damon at the moment. But the Tigers and Braves are definitely among the group, multiple major league sources told FOXSports.com late Friday.

Both clubs hold spring training near Damon’s Orlando home and play their home games in the Eastern time zone — satisfying two criteria that Damon is said to be considering.

Thus far, the Braves have taken a more passive approach than the Tigers. They would be happy to sign Damon if he “falls into their lap,” one source said Friday, but are unlikely to offer him a lucrative deal.

In that sense, Atlanta is one of many clubs that could sign Damon if his price drops far enough. A number of teams — the Rays, Blue Jays or Angels, to name a few — would benefit from Damon’s presence. The issue is whether their respective owners are willing to authorize the additional expense at this late hour of the baseball offseason.

Late last month, one major league executive said agent Scott Boras was seeking at least $9 million for Damon.

Detroit’s pursuit hinges on the willingness of team owner Mike Ilitch to expand the budget for a star player — something he did previously with Boras clients Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez.

At a Thursday news conference to announce Justin Verlander’s new $80 million contract with the team, Tigers club president/general manager Dave Dombrowski was asked about the perception that the team was slashing payroll with the trades of Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson.

“I guarantee you, if Mike Ilitch owns the team, you’re going to try to win,” Dombrowski said. “There might be some adjustments you need to make. But he is going to try to win at this point. It starts with your owner, and he wants to win.”

Dombrowski declined to answer a specific question about Damon but did say that the Tigers’ 2010 payroll would be “pretty similar” to what it was last year. That could be an important piece of information, considering that the Detroit payroll stood at around $130 million as of last Opening Day.

With every arbitration case settled, the Tigers’ payroll is on course to be a little over $120 million once the regular season begins. According to those estimates, Detroit could offer Damon a one-year deal worth around $6 million and keep the payroll below where it stood at this time last year.

Vladimir Guerrero signs with Rangers

The Texas Rangers have agreed to terms with Vladimir Guerrero on a one-year deal with a mutual option for a second year, according to sources.

Guerrero is guaranteed $6 million in the deal, which is pending a physical. It includes $5 million plus performance incentives for 2010 and a $1 million buyout if the Rangers don't pick up the option, a source said.

Guerrero fills the Rangers' need for a right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup and will likely be the club's designated hitter.

Guerrero, who turns 35 in February, played in 100 games for the Los Angeles Angels in 2009, most of them at DH. He hit .295, his lowest average for any full season in the majors, but also added 15 homers and 50 RBIs. He also had a .334 on-base percentage, well below his career numbers.

The Angels showed little interest this offseason in retaining Guerrero, who had two stints on the disabled list in 2009 and turns 35 in February. Los Angeles signed free-agent slugger Hideki Matsui and kept Bobby Abreu with a $19 million, two-year contract, leaving no room for Guerrero in the lineup.

Guerrero, who spent six seasons with the Angels, is a career .321 hitter with 407 homers and 1,318 RBIs over 14 years in the majors.

Holliday re-signing with Cards

On Tuesday, the free-agent slugger announced on The Doug Gottlieb Show on ESPN Radio that he is re-signing with the Cardinals.

"Well, I think first of all going into free agency I had in the back of my mind that I really liked my time in St. Louis and felt it was a good fit for me and my family," Holliday said on the show.

He added: "At the end of the day we decided that was best for us."

Holliday said that the deal was for seven years and between $119 million and $120 million with a team option at the end of the contract. He also said the deal is pending a physical.

The Cardinals said a formal announcement was likely by Thursday.

Holliday's agreement is much bigger than the other two big free-agent deals of the offseason: pitcher John Lackey's $82.5 million, five-year contract with Boston and outfielder Jason Bay's $66 million, four-year contract with the New York Mets, which was finalized earlier Tuesday.

The three-time All-Star came to St. Louis from the Oakland Athletics in a July deadline trade last season. He batted .313 with 24 home runs and 109 RBIs between the two clubs.

Holliday is a career .318 hitter in six seasons.

Mariners eye Kotchman

The Seattle Mariners are expected to acquire first baseman Casey Kotchman from the Boston Red Sox in return for at least one minor leaguer, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

If the trade is completed as planned, Kotchman would be penciled in as the Mariners' starting first baseman.

While Boston would part with a backup infielder if the trade goes through, the team is still looking for ways to part with third baseman Mike Lowell and move forward with Adrian Beltre at third base and Kevin Youkilis at first. The Red Sox have reached an agreement with Beltre, who must pass a physical for his one-year, $10 million contract to become official. Beltre is expected in Boston by the end of this week, most likely on Thursday, to take that physical, according to an industry source.

Kotchman, who split 2009 with the Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves, hit .268 with seven home runs and 48 RBIs. He batted .282 in 87 games with the Red Sox, with whom he hit six of his seven homers. The Red Sox obtained Kotchman last season in a trade that sent Adam LaRoche to Atlanta.

He is a career .269 hitter in six seasons with the Red Sox, Braves and Los Angeles Angels.

Mets agree to deal with Jason Bay

The Mets have reached an agreement with free-agent outfielder Jason Bay, according to a major-league source.

The four-year deal is worth $66 million, with a vesting option for a fifth year, according to the source. If Bay reaches the requirements for the option to vest, the five-year deal would be worth over $80 million. The contract also includes a $17 million option for 2014 with a $3 million buyout.

Bay set career highs with 36 Home runs and 119 RBIs last season for Boston. The 31-year-old outfielder is a lifetime .280 hitter and has averaged 30 homers and 99 RBIs in his six full seasons in the majors.

Bay and left fielder Matt Holliday were the biggest hitters on the market. Holliday, who split last season in Oakland and St. Louis, is seeking an even richer deal than Bay.

Picked by many to be a playoff contender last season, the Mets never got into the race during their first season at Citi Field. Despite the addition of record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez, New York couldn't overcome injuries to the likes of Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado. By the end of the year, the Mets were fielding makeshift lineups on a daily basis.

The vast left field at the new ballpark turned into a revolving door, with eight players starting at least seven games there. Gary Sheffield, Cory Sullivan and Daniel Murphy spent the most time at the spot.

Pressure on the Mets to boost their roster heightened even more this winter when their city rivals, the World Series champion Yankees, traded for All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson and pitcher Javier Vazquez and signed free agent Nick Johnson.

The Mets recently signed free agent pitcher Kelvim Escobar, who's been beset by injuries, and added backup catcher Henry Blanco. But finding a major player was their priority and they hope Bay, a star since becoming the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year, will put them on the right track.

Reports: Red Sox agree to deal with Beltre

The Boston Red Sox have a reached an agreement with free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, according to multiple reports.

Terms of the deal remain unclear.

Beltre, 31, hit .265 with eight home runs in 449 at-bats with the Seattle Mariners last season.

Signing Beltre means the Red Sox likely would use Mike Lowell off the bench or trade him.

Red Sox reach deals with Penny and Bard

The Boston Red Sox and pitcher Brad Penny reached a preliminary agreement on a $5 million, one-year contract, according to several reports Monday. The team also struck a tentative agreement with catcher Josh Bard and both deals are pending physicals, the reports said.

A two-time All-Star, the 30-year-old Penny struggled with injuries to his shoulder and side last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA in 17 starts and two relief appearances.

Penny pitched well in that series against the New York Yankees, going 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA in two starts. He was the NL starter in the 2006 All-Star game and finished that year 16-9 with a 4.33 ERA. The following season, Penny went 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 33 starts covering 208 innings and placed third in NL Cy Young Award voting.

According to the reports, Penny could earn an additional $3 million in performance bonuses with the Red Sox. He is 94-75 with a 4.06 ERA in nine big league seasons.

Bard played seven games for Boston in 2006 but struggled to catch Wakefield's knuckler and was traded to San Diego. He batted .202 with a homer and 16 RBIs in 178 at-bats for the Padres last season.

The Red Sox need depth behind the plate becase captain Jason Varitek is a free agent.

Red Sox reach deal with Penny and Bard

The Boston Red Sox and pitcher Brad Penny reached a preliminary agreement on a $5 million, one-year contract, according to several reports Monday. The team also struck a tentative agreement with catcher Josh Bard and both deals are pending physicals, the reports said.

A two-time All-Star, the 30-year-old Penny struggled with injuries to his shoulder and side last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA in 17 starts and two relief appearances.

Penny pitched well in that series against the New York Yankees, going 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA in two starts. He was the NL starter in the 2006 All-Star game and finished that year 16-9 with a 4.33 ERA. The following season, Penny went 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 33 starts covering 208 innings and placed third in NL Cy Young Award voting.

According to the reports, Penny could earn an additional $3 million in performance bonuses with the Red Sox. He is 94-75 with a 4.06 ERA in nine big league seasons.

Bard played seven games for Boston in 2006 but struggled to catch Wakefield's knuckler and was traded to San Diego. He batted .202 with a homer and 16 RBIs in 178 at-bats for the Padres last season.

The Red Sox need depth behind the plate becase captain Jason Varitek is a free agent.

Reds sign CF Taveras

Willy Taveras and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a two-year contract, filling the team's need for a center fielder and leadoff hitter.

The speedy Taveras is coming off a disappointing season with Colorado. He batted .251 with a paltry .308 on-base percentage, though he did lead the major leagues with 68 stolen bases.

Taveras, who turned 27 on Christmas, became a free agent when the Rockies decided not to offer him a contract by the Dec. 12 deadline. He spent two injury-plagued seasons in Colorado after he was acquired from Houston in December 2006.

Taveras has a .283 career batting average with seven homers, 109 RBIs and 169 stolen bases.

Randy Johnson Signs with Giants

Randy Johnson has agreed to a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants, FOXSports.com has learned.

Johnson, 45, needs just five wins to reach 300. He's also chasing 5,000 strikeouts, entering the season with 4,789.

After an injury-plagued 2007, Johnson bounced back last season to throw 184 innings with a 3.91 ERA for the Diamondbacks.

Johnson joins a San Francisco rotation that already includes 2008 Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Barry Zito.

The Dodgers were also interested in Johnson, who preferred to stay on the West Coast while playing for a team that holds spring training in Arizona.