I’m sorry, were you not expecting a terrifying monkey logo?

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Offseason Notes.

1. Assorted Headlines
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Venezuelan Winter League
3. Prospecting: BA’s Top-10 Lists for Miami, New York NL, Philadelphia

Assorted Headlines
All the nerd that’s fit to print.

Cubs Name Saber-Friendly Bohringer Director of Pro Scouting
The Cubs have added Joe Bohringer as director of pro scouting, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he (i.e. Bohringer) participated in both of our live events in Arizona this past March, when he was still scouting for the Diamondbacks. To say that Bohringer is “saber-friendly” is just another way of saying that he’s both curious and open to the best possible information.

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“Tear down this wall,” trade candidate David Wright said with his actions.

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Offseason Notes.

1. Assorted Headlines
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League
3. Notable Minor League Free Agents

Assorted Headlines
All the nerd that’s fit to print.

Mets Willing to Trade Wright
“We will listen on [David] Wright for sure,” a Mets official, cloaked in secrecy and/or an actual cloak, has told Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The 29-year-old third baseman, who batted .254/.345/.427 (.302 BABIP) in 447 plate appearances this season — good for a 118 wRC+ and, minus 10 or so runs for fielding, a 1.9 WAR — is due to make $15 million in 2012, with a club option for $16 million ($1 million buyout) for 2013.

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Wang cited Washington DC’s beautiful flora as his main reason for staying with the Nats.

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Offseason Notes.

1. Assorted Headlines
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League
3. Projection: ZiPS for New York (NL)

Assorted Headlines
All the nerd that’s fit to print.

Wang Re-Signs with Washington
Ground-balling right-hander Chien-Ming Wang has signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Washington Nationals, reports Amanda Comak of the Washington Times. The move gives the Nats a 2012 rotation along these lines: Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, John Lannan, Chien-Ming Wang. Ross Detwiler, Tom Milone, and Brad Peacock are likely to compete for the fifth-starter role. For more on Wang, read Jim Breen’s piece on him from only two weeks ago.

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Jose Reyes won’t take a hometown discount to sign with Santiago’s Águilas Cibaeñas.

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Offseason Notes.

1. Assorted Headlines
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Dominican Winter League
3. Prospecting: John Sickels on Detroit

Assorted Headlines
All the nerd that’s fit to print.

Reyes Will Not Take Hometown Discount
There is almost no chance that Jose Reyes will accept a hometown discount to remain with the Mets, Reyes’s friend’s girlfriend’s house cleaner’s postmaster told Mike Puma of the New York Post. “Reyes is also a reggaeton musician and owner of a record label,” according to his Wikipedia page.

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Andrew Brackman, who signed a major-league deal out of NC State, is no longer a Yankee.

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Offseason Notes.

1. Assorted Headlines
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League
3. Prospecting: Baseball America’s Top 10 Atlanta Prospects

Assorted Headlines
Yankees Decline Option on Former First-Rounder Brackman
The New York Yankees declined the 2012 option on 25-year-old right-hander Andrew Brackman’s contract, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reports. Brackman signed a four-year, $4.55 million deal after being taken 30th overall in the 2007 draft. Though generally considered a top-ish propsect (he was ranked as the 92nd overall prospect by Baseball America before 2009 and 78th overall before 2011), Brackman missed all of 2008 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow, and walked and struck out 75 batters a piece in 2011. He’s now a free agent, although it wouldn’t be shocking to see him sign a minor-league deal with New York. (Read Mike Axisa’s analysis of the Brackman Situation here.)

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Offseason Notes.

1. Assorted Headlines
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Venezuelan Winter League

Assorted Headlines
It’s Official: Mets’ Citi Field to Shrink
The Mets front office has announced Monday that the outfield walls of Citi Field will be altered before the 2012 season, Andrew Keh of the New York Times reports. You can see the new specifications by following the link, but the most notable change seems to be the placement of a new eight-foot wall in front of the 16-foot wall in left field. While, as the article notes, the move should aid the Mets’ power hitters, all signs point to the Mets’ opponents having the same exact advantage.

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Japanese sensation Yu Darvish pitched in the NPB playoffs on Friday (i.e. Saturday). More info here.

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Offseason Notes.

1. Assorted Headlines
2. SCOUT Leaderboards: Arizona Fall League
3. Projection: ZiPS for New York (AL), Boston, Chicago (NL), Philadelphia

Assorted Headlines
Brewers Decline Options on K-Rod and (More Importantly) Betancourt
The Milwaukee Brewers declined Sunday to exercise the 2012 options for both Francisco Rodriguez and Yuniesky Betancourt, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports. Rodriguez would have been owed $17.5 million in 2012; Betancourt, $6 million. The pair’s buyouts were $4 and $2 million, respectively. While the Brewers will no doubt miss the offensive production of Prince Fielder, replacing Yuniesky Betancourt with someone who’s not Yuniesky Betancourt will go some way towards mitigating the loss of Fielder.

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In the sweat of Carlos Zambrano’s face shalt he eat bread — and also per the terms of his contract.

Assorted Headlines
Zambrano May Pitch in Venezuelan Winter League
Carlos Zambrano — who hasn’t pitched since an August 12th incident that saw him concede five home runs, attempt to hit Chipper Jones, and perform emotional hara-kiri — might pitch for Caribes in the Venezuelan Winter League, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports. The right-hander, who posted the highest xFIP- of his career (113) in 2011, is owed $18 million in 2012. Reports suggest that he maybe also eats children*.

*These reports come from a dream I had last night.

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White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, seen here enjoying his vast wealth.

Assorted Headlines
Cardinals Exercise Wainwright’s 2012 and ’13 Options
During this postseason run, the Cardinals officially notified Adam Wainwright and his agent that his options for 2012 and 2013 have been exercised, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Wainwright will make $9 million in 2012 and $12 million in 2013. He’s scheduled to throw his final side session of the year today, and plans to do so at maximum effort.

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A bearded man attempts to steal Jim Thome’s tie during a Cleveland-area event Monday afternoon.

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of Offseason Notes.

1. Assorted Headlines
2. Discovery: Winter League Stats by Organization
3. SCOUT Leaderboards: Mexican Pacific League

Assorted Headlines
News as it happens about 16 hours after it happens.

Phillies Decline Options on Lidge, Oswalt
The Phillies declined options on both Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. Oswalt would’ve made $16 million in 2012; Lidge, $12.5 million. The players’ respective buyouts were $2 million and $1.5 million. Oswalt finished with an xFIP- above 100 for the first time in his career this season, although he still managed to post a 2.5 WAR in 139 innings — or roughly $12.5 million dollars of value. Brad Lidge, for his part, struck out 42.6% of the 369 batters he faced in 2004. His 2011 was less productive.

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