Meanwhile, the Cubs signed infielder Aaron Miles to a two-year, $4.9 million deal, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Cubs are also close to sending infielder Mark DeRosa to the Indians in exchange for three minor-league pitchers, reports ESPN Radio in Chicago.

…hat tip to MLB Trade Rumors for the information…

According to Phillips, two other teams have become interested in signing Fuentes, but it was unclear who they are.

One of the two other teams interested may be the Nationals, as Dave Sheinin of Washington Post reports.

Fuentes’ agent told Sheinin the Nationals have expressed interest in the 33-year-old left-hand reliever, but seemed focused on signing a hitter before addressing their bullpen needs.

Sheinin also reports the Nationals have expressed interest in RHP Juan Cruz.

Also, the Rockies and free-agent reliever Alan Embree have agreed on a one-year deal worth roughly $2.5. million, according to the Denver Post.

Speaking of relief pitchers…

The Cardinals, Angels, Nationals, Brewers and Tigers are all showing interest in free-agent RHP Brian Fuentes, reports Ken Rosenthal on his live blog for FoxSports.com.

According to Rosenthal, “The Angels view Fuentes as a possible replacement for Rodriguez. The Cardinals are looking for a short-term closer, and the Tigers are also in the market for a ninth-inning specialist.”

…this is why fuentes will never agree to be a set-up man for the Mets, in the event you feel he is an option…

“The D’Backs offered a contract to left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes,” reports MLB.com.

…honestly, i have always wanted this guy on my team, so i can repeatedly say, ‘Rhodes, where we’re going we don’t need Rhodes,” you know, because i am clearly a dork…

…also, this is the second time-machine reference in four posts, which means i need some sleep…or new material…

Though they have not have substantive talks in Vegas, the Rockies and Mets have been in talks for nearly a month, as the two sides continue to discuss Aaron Heilman.

Meanwhile, during his appearance on SNY’s Hot Stove show, SI.com’s Jon Heyman suggested the Mets could also show interest in free-agent Brandon Lyon and Juan Cruz, as well as Jon Rauch, who Minaya has expressed interest in before.

According to Heyman, Minaya would prefer not to trade prospects in his attempt to acquire a set-up man, and so he is more likely to deal in the free-agent market.

I believe the the Mets communicated to Trevor Hoffman the possibility of pitching in a set-up role, but he will first look to sign with another team, like the Angels or Indians, and be a closer.

According to Heyman, ‘It looks like K-Rod will be their new closer.”

The way I understand it, Rodriguez’s agent and the Mets essentially agreed in principle late yesterday to a three-year, $36 million deal.

However, the two sides are expected to finalize the deal later today, which could be announced in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Rodriguez plans on leaving Las Vegas tomorrow.

“Omar Minaya acknowledged multiple offers have been issued, reports Adam Rubin in the Daily News, who speculates that Brian Fuentes may have also been offered a two-year deal.

On ESPN Radio this morning, Buster Olney also said the Mets made an offer to Fuentes when the two sides met yesterday.

That said, in Newsday, David Lennon writes, “Minaya had his scheduled meeting with Fuentes on Monday afternoon, but only talked parameters of a contract rather than make a solid offer.”

From what I can gather, Kerry Wood’s agent will be in Las Vegas later tonight, at which point he too will schedule a meeting with the Mets.

According to the New York Post, FoxSports.com and SI.com, the Mets offered Francisco Rodriguez a three-year deal today.

Last week, on ESPN.com, Buster Olney said the Mets might decide to make appropriate offers to each closer, ‘and the first one to jump at their proposal will be signed.’

…in other words, the heat is on Francisco Rodriguez…Omar Minaya waits for no one…let’s go, buddy…grab for the pen…

Lennon and Davidoff continue on in their report to provide further details of the team’s meeting on Sunday with Rodriguez.

Speaking of which, according to Jon Heyman at SI.com, the Mets have made an initial offer of three years to Rodriguez.

Rodriguez

…from what i understand, they prefer a K-Rod-Street combination, and feel confident it can happen, though that, of course, depends on Colorado’s asking price…

“The goal would be to keep Rodriguez to a three-year deal, with a fourth-year option,” says Heyman.

That said, “The Mets are confident they’ll wind up with either Rodriguez or Fuentes,” writes Ken Davidoff in Newsday.

In a post to ESPN.com, Buster Olney continues to report the Mets will begin doling out offers to closer this week, ‘according to their terms, and not the terms of the agents.’

…jeez, i’m getting antsy…make the offer, guys…do it, just do it…

“For example,” Olney explains, “It is not known exactly what the Mets intend to offer to the top-flight closers, but let’s say they proposed a three-year, $36 million deal to Francisco Rodriguez; a three-year, $30 million offer to Brian Fuentes; and a two-year, $18 million offer to Kerry Wood. And then they could tell all three that the first to bite gets the contract. The Cardinals, Brewers, Indians and other teams are looking for closers, but probably won’t spend at the same level as the Mets.”

…this is an odd strategy, unless, of course, the Mets truly do not care which of these three is their closer…in that case, if they value them all the same in terms of talent, in terms of ability to close out a game, then i guess it makes sense…assuming these take-it-or-leave-it offers are the absolute minimum the Mets are willing to pay, before lowering the bar to a point that other teams could jump in…

Olney also blogs about potential talks between the Dodgers and Yankees, regarding Robinson Cano, and how that could impact Orlando Hudson; Atlanta’s offer to A.J. Burnett; Jason Giambi’s lofty request; and whether Jon Garland will accept arbitration from the Angels, among other things.

…unless he is open to being a set-up man, ‘with experience as a closer,’ i hope Omar Minaya’s interest is limited to simply asking for an autograph…

The 41-year-old Hoffman had 3.77 ERA with 30 saves last season for the Padres.

…signing hoffman to a short-term deal to be the team’s closer makes zero sense to me…i bet the Mets agree…let’s say he’s awesome in 2009…great, then what…one year from now the Mets will be in the same boat, searching for a closer, all while Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, Kerry Wood, etc., are locked in with other teams…

…i suppose the Mets could acquire Huston Street from the Rockies and then sign hoffman to a short-term deal, let him walk next off-season and give the job to street for 2010…but, even still, they would be better off signing rodriguez to a three-year deal, like people believe he will eventually accept…

…rodriguez clearly has the temperament and energy level to close out big guys in New York City…i cannot say the same for Brian Fuentes, street, J.J  Putz, or hoffman, who has actually developed a reputation over the last few years of doing the absolute opposite…

…to me, the single-biggest factor in being a closer in this town is the ability to bounce back from failure – to blow a save and face the fans and reporters, talk radio and the backpages, yet get back on the hill, beneath the white-hot spotlight, and be focused only on success…

…maybe putz can do this, maybe fuentes can as well, maybe street, who knows, but i have seen K-Rod pitch with tons of energy and be successful in a World Series, in Los Angeles, in All-Star Games, in New York against the Yankees, etc., and so i just have a better feeling with him…

According to multiple reports, the Mets will likely meet with the agents for both Fuentes and Rodriguez while in Las Vegas next week for the Winter Meetings.