Olney explains how the Reds have been Blanton’s biggest pursuer, while the Dodgers, Yankees, Angels, Red Sox and Phillies are jockeying for position.

…if i had to take a guess, i think he lands in red sox nation following shilling-gate…no matter what, it definitely feels good that the Mets don’t have to get involved in these discussions…

The Yankees, Dodgers, Rockies and Indians are not interested, says Rosenthal, though the Twins and Rays might be.

…ah, yes…remember the days of debating blanton…oh well…

…by the way, these videos from rosenthal crack me up…they must be filmed in his house…ken, throw up a curtain behind you, or a faux book shelf, something…or, do a segment while playing that piano…that would be great…

“I think Lohse is certainly a player they’re interested in, and while he hasn’t done much in his career, the Mets like his stuff, they like his durability, his age and they like the fact that he competed down the stretch for Philadelphia…He, essentially, is this year’s Gil Meche: a guy with a world of ability, who hasn’t put it together yet…My problem with him would be giving him three or four years at big money.”

By the way, SNY’s Mets Hot Stove airs live at 6:30 pm and again at 11 pm every Monday.

Lohse is now willing to accept a three-year deal with a vesting option, as opposed to the four-year deal he had been rumored to be seeking, reported Rosenthal over the weekend at FoxSports.com.

During a recent appearance on XM’s MLB Live, Lohse said that at least three teams are interested in signing him.

In 34 starts for the Reds and Phillies last season, the 29–year-old Lohse was 9–12 with a 4.63 ERA, while striking out 122 batters through 192 innings.

Additionally, Rosenthal had the following to say about the A’s, and whether they’ll trade Joe Blanton…

“I think what they’re waiting for is Santana to get traded or not, Erik Bedard to get traded or not, and then they’ll be sitting with a pitcher that others teams want.”

In a report yesterday for MLB.com, an A’s source said he expected Blanton to be Oakland’s opening day starting pitcher.

Last season for the A’s, Blanton was 14–10 with a 3.95 ERA through 34 starts, during which he allowed an average of just one walk per start.

He made at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons.

He is eligible for salary arbitration this off-season, and the two after that, and is eligible for free agency after 2010.

…as i wrote this morning, the recent buzz from Oakland suggests that the A’s are seeking a very specific type of package in exchange for blanton…my sense is that they’ll only pull the trigger on a deal if it meets that mark, otherwise they’ll revisit trade talks in late summer…

The report also details the health of Braves RHP Mike Gonzalez, the latest on Erik Bedard, and the state of the Rolen-for-Glaus trade, among other MLB notes.

…thanks to Peter Wade, our resident eyes and ears, for the link…

…the buzz from Oakland is that the A’s are seeking a very specific type of package in exchange for blanton…my sense is that they’ll only pull the trigger on a deal if it meets that mark, otherwise they’ll revisit trade talks in late summer…

…from what i can gather, while the Mets have expressed interest in blanton, the A’s hope to acquire more than the Mets will offer…and so, yes, the Mets have a shot at blanton, but they’ll need oakland’s other options to run dry, at which point the A’s may just look to trade him during the summer instead… 

Last season for the A’s, Blanton was 14–10 with a 3.95 ERA through 34 starts, during which he allowed an average of just one walk per start.

He made at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons.

He is eligible for salary arbitration this off-season, and the two after that, and is eligible for free agency after 2010.

‘The A’s almost certainly would expect at least three more young players in return for Blanton,’ writes Botte.

According to a recent report from Jerry Crasnick at ESPN.com, trade talks between the Mets and A’s regarding Blanton had ‘hit a lull.’  The Mets are still interested in Blanton, writes Crasnick, but not at the expense of Carlos Gomez, Kevin Mulvey and Aaron Heilman.

Last season for the A’s, Blanton was 14–10 with a 3.95 ERA through 34 starts, during which he allowed an average of just one walk per start.

He made at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons.

He is eligible for salary arbitration this off-season, and the two after that, and is eligible for free agency after 2010.

Botte also reports on Johan Santana, the Mets, and their interest in Kyle Lohse, Livan Hernandez, Jon Lieber and Freddy Garcia.

…from what i can gather, the Mets remain oddly confident regarding their talks with the Twins about Johan Santana…the thing is, not much has changed on that front…which, frankly, i view as a good thing…

…at any rate, the buzz around shea continues to suggest that the Mets have interest in Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon…frankly, i sense they’ll end up signing one of the two starting pitchers to a one-year deal, because it only makes sense from a risk-reward stand point…colon, by the way, is getting a lot of good reviews while pitching in the Dominican Winter League…

Colon, who has been battling shoulder and elbow problems since 2006, has a career record of 146-95 and a 4.10 ERA in 306 starts.

…the buzz during the Winter Meetings had been that the Mets were the front runners for garcia, but were holding back until they knew how best to proceed in the trade market…

Garcia, 32, is rehabbing from shoulder surgery on his labrum and rotator cuff and should be ready to pitch by midseason.

During his nine-year career, he is 117-76 and has a 4.07 ERA – though he was just 1–5 last season for the Phillies.

…i also sense that the Mets continue to have strong interest in Octavio Dotel, but that may depend more on the future of Aaron Heilman than anything else…additionally, i feel any reported interest in Kyle Lohse and Livan Hernandez may be severely overblown, unless one of the two pitchers is willing to accept much less of a commitment than they’re demanding…

…lastly, there is not much of a buzz in Oakland connecting the Mets to Joe Blanton…honestly, it seems like the mini-market for pitchers, such as colon, garcia, blanton, etc, are all more or less waiting on Johan Santana…

In a recent post to Athletics Nation, Nico writes the following about Blanton…

“It’s difficult to say exactly how good Joe Blanton is….He has never missed a start, he rolls (literally) out of bed and gives you 200 IP, and the guy has won 42 games in 3 years…The consensus around the league is that Blanton’s best seasons are behind him, not ahead of him…Blanton’s weight has scared off teams that think it reflects either a lack of conditioning, or a poor work ethic, a risky tendency, etc., and they believe Blanton is not nearly as good a health risk in the future as he has been in the past…Yes, Bartolo Colon and David Wells made it work for years on an ample frame, but many others didn’t. If I saw Joe Blanton at the hardware store, it would be difficult to convince me that he was a top athlete who could make the strapping young All-American boy-wonder look foolish on a slow curve.”

…so, nico, you’re saying that he literally eats innings…sorry, i had to do it…it’s an obvious joke…

Last season for the A’s, Blanton was 14–10 with a 3.95 ERA through 34 starts, during which he allowed an average of just one walk per start.

He made at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons.

He is eligible for salary arbitration this off-season, and the two after that, and is eligible for free agency after 2010.

…he’d be a nice fit, especially switching his game to the National League East…however, gomez, mulvey and heilman is a hefty price tag for a picther who, though he did well last season, had a 4.82 ERA in 2006…

In a recent chat for ESPN.com, Keith Law said the following when asked how the Mets should proceed, assuming Johan Santana and Erik Bedard are not an option…

“I think if they’re not getting either of those guys, they should skip the Joe Blantons of the world and roll the dice on Pelfrey and maybe Humber. You liked these guys enough to take them in the first round, and both did well in the minors. Pelfrey in particular still has #1-2 potential. Jerking these two guys up and down isn’t going to help the big club or enhance their trade value.”

…to me, if santana is not an option, and the Mets are confident heilman can be replaced, i would pull the trigger on that deal for blanton, because he, John Maine and Oliver Perez will make a solid, young foundation to build upon over the next few seasons, plus it means keeping pelfrey and humber…and, it is quite clear that the only way to acquire above-average starting pitching is to overpay in prospects…

…plus, though i’d be disappointed to not get santana, starting Pedro Martinez, blanton, maine, perez and, say, Bartolo Colon, would be a good-enough rotation – especially when compared to the rest of the division…

…for what it’s worth, given the holiday season, and the commish’s office being closed, my guess is that most all talks will hit a lull…

The Mets are still interested in Blanton, writes Crasnick, but not at the expense of Carlos Gomez, Kevin Mulvey and Aaron Heilman.

Last week, at his blog for ESPN.com, Buster Olney was the first to suggest that the Mets could acquire Blanton for the above package.

…this is consistent with what i said earlier in the week, which is that blanton will cost at least two, maybe three, of the Mets top prospects, including gomez…turns out, according to buster, it’s gomez, one pitching prospect and heilman…

Last season for the A’s, Blanton was 14–10 with a 3.95 ERA through 34 starts, during which he allowed an average of just one walk per start.

He made at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons.

He is eligible for salary arbitration this off-season, and eligible for free agency after 2010.

“The package making the rounds is Carlos Gomez, Kelvin Mulvey and Aaron Heilman, but that seems a little heavy from the Mets’ end for me…If I were Billy Beane, I’d take that in a minute…The Mets aren’t going to spend big money on Kyle Lohse, but I think they have enough young talent to deal for Blanton.”

…thanks to jason b for the link, who wonders if swapping Ruben Gotay for gomez would make more sense for the A’s…

…i doubt it…beane most likely wants gomez, more than any other player the Mets will offer…if there is a player who is tipping the scale, it’s heilman…

In the chat, Crasnick also discusses the Braves lack of activity, the Dontrelle Willis deal, and the future of Erik Bedard, which may end up being in Cincinnati or Seattle.