A check on what's cooking

Front burners warm with Hot Stove talk

As the World Series draws closer to a conclusion, the Hot Stove talk should start escalating right through the winter meetings in December. And likely beyond.

Many teams, including the Red Sox, have already outlined a "game plan" in internal discussions. Some are having their organizational meetings before the general managers convene Nov. 3 in Dana Point, Calif., where much of the groundwork will be laid for deals.

Adding to the intrigue is the issue of the economy. You're hearing more general managers use the word "budget" when they preface any free agent talk.

The consensus is that the big-name players will get their money and there will be competition for them, but not so much for the mid-level free agents. Here are some of the latest thoughts on free agent signings and trades:

CC Sabathia. Though the West Coast sentiment is strong for the Bay area native, would the Angels or Dodgers make a massive outlay of money for him? The Brewers are trying to keep him, but they might not have much of a chance. Which always brings us back to the Yankees. While New York doesn't appear to be Sabathia's cup of tea, what type of sweetener would it take? The Yankees could do it.

Mark Teixeira. The Angels would be out of their minds not to re-sign him, especially if they let Frankie Rodriguez go. If it's a five-year, $100 million deal Scott Boras wants, the Angels have to do it. If not, the Yankees and Red Sox won't be shy, though the Yankees need to think of Jorge Posada as a first baseman/DH in a year or two.

Frankie Rodriguez. If the Angels don't keep him, watch for the Tigers, Mets, Brewers, Cubs, and possibly Dodgers showing interest. The Rays will claim they can't afford him, but there's the Joe Maddon tie-in (former Angels coach). There's still a "buyer beware" aspect, with Rodriguez's reduced velocity at the root of it.

A.J. Burnett. The Blue Jays still have a window where they might be decent if they keep Burnett, but if they can't, they could lag far behind the Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees. There's no shortage of bidders for Burnett - Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, Phillies, Cardinals, Astros, Braves, Brewers, Tigers and perhaps others. Burnett loves the idea of St. Louis, though he lives in the Baltimore area.

Jake Peavy. Whenever you have a quality 27-year-old pitcher being dangled in trade talks, there's going to be interest. The Braves appeared to be the best fit, but GM Frank Wrenn is backing off Kevin Towers's demands. The Astros, Cardinals, and Brewers (perhaps the best fit) will be out there. The Sox are waiting to see whether Peavy would erase them from his no-trade list, though he's not a huge priority.

Peavy was in the Padres' system when Theo Epstein and Larry Lucchino were team executives, so there's a history. The Sox would be able to satisfy San Diego's demands for low-priced players, especially a shortstop (Jed Lowrie), a center fielder (Jacoby Ellsbury or Coco Crisp), and a pitching prospect (Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Justin Masterson).

Derek Lowe. He may be the most sought-after pitcher out there. Lowe told this reporter he wants to play for the Red Sox again, but it's unclear whether the feeling is mutual. The Mets are going after him strong and have the resources to land him. They also employ Lowe's personal trainer, Chris Correnti, but Lowe, who wants to play for a winning organization in a place where he's comfortable, may not see the Mets that way. St. Louis, Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Detroit might be better fits.

Manny Ramírez. SI.com reported that he may get a two-year, big-money offer from the Dodgers, but even if it's offered, he would walk away because it's not the minimum four-year deal he's seeking and only a fraction of the seven-year deal he'd love to have. So the Mets and Yankees could be players. While there have been reports of Blue Jays interest, GM J.P. Ricciardi has downplayed them. Ramírez may not be offered anything more than three years. The Phillies could be players because of the Charlie Manuel association, but it wouldn't be like them to unbalance their payroll for one player.

Pat Burrell. The Phillies want him back and he'd like to come back, but Burrell will play the field with so many teams in need of a righthanded power bat.

Matt Holliday/Garrett Atkins. The Rockies might get inquiries, but don't expect either to go unless there is big-time value coming back. Holliday would be a perfect Red Sox player, but like Willie McGee, where would you play him? Ditto Atkins. The Mariners might take a shot at one or both.

Congratulations, it's Twins
Twins general manager Bill Smith said he was flattered when he saw that the "2009 Bill James Handbook" ranked his team No. 1 in young talent, even though it didn't have one player ranked in James's top 25.

"I think it's a tribute to our scouting staff and our entire organization," Smith said. "We feel good about our people and the decisions we've made with our young talent, but it's always nice when that's reinforced by someone with Mr. James's reputation and credentials."

According to James, the Twins have six players in the top 100, eight in the top 120, and 10 in the top 150. The major league average, says James, is five in the top 150.

The Twins' top 10 young players are Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, Justin Morneau, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Carlos Gomez, Nick Blackburn, Jason Kubel, Denard Span, and Glen Perkins.

"And then," writes James, "they have Michael Cuddyer, and Francisco Liriano, and Boof Bonser, and Craig Breslow, and then they have a bunch of other guys. The Twins rank seventh in the majors in young pitching talent, and first in non-pitching talent."

After the Twins, the Diamondbacks, Rays, Marlins, Royals, Brewers, Indians, Rockies, Braves, and Red Sox round out the top 10. The Yankees ranked 29th and the Blue Jays 28th.

Only four teams - the Brewers, Mets, Red Sox (Dustin Pedroia at 6 and Jon Lester at 16), and Dodgers - had two players in James's list of the top 25 young players.

Smith said his offseason needs are in the bullpen and at shortstop and third base.

"Everyone's looking for bullpen help," he said, "and shortstop and third basemen are hard to find. But between free agency and trades, we're hoping we can come up with quality at those positions that would allow us to compete with the White Sox, Indians, Tigers, and Royals."

Gordon says surgery will have him in good operating order
A few questions for injured Phillies reliever Tom Gordon:

How is your rehab coming along from elbow surgery (to remove three bone spurs)?

TG: "Everything is really great. The fact I was able to avoid another Tommy John surgery means that I'm going to be OK and I'm going to be able to resume my career. If I had to have Tommy John again, there's no way I'd make it back at my age. But now, I'm looking forward to playing next year."

You feel as though you can still pitch effectively at age 41?

TG: "No doubt. Really, since 2006, I've been hurt. I haven't been myself. I threw a lot of innings and pitched a lot of games from '03-05 and it took its toll on me. I've had a great career and enjoyed every minute of it and I never wanted it to end, but now I don't think it has to. I went to Dr. [James ] Andrews, he did the surgery and found that I didn't need anything severe and he feels I should bounce back and I'm more encouraged than ever now."

Tough not participating in the World Series?

TG: "Absolutely, but at least I've been able to rejoin the team and be around these guys so maybe I can help out by just offering some advice. I'm so happy for all of the guys here. The bullpen has had a great year and it's great to see how guys out there have developed. Brad Lidge, what a sensational year, to save that many games in a row and be perfect for a year is really remarkable."

Wait a minute, you saved 54 straight with the Red Sox in 1998 and part of 1999.

TG: "I was blessed to be able to do it, but that's in the past. Brad really helped our team get to this place and we're all grateful for all he's accomplished. His numbers have been phenomenal."

Would you like to return to Philly next year?

TG: "I would love it. They have an option on my contract, but given my injury . . . we'll see. This is where my heart is and I hope they feel the same way. But I'm going to pitch somewhere."

Etc.
Touching the bases
Apropos of nothing: 1. Love the idea of Rocco Baldelli as a fourth outfielder for the Red Sox, but also keep this name in mind: Gabe Kapler; 2. Ran into Frankie Viola, who told me he's finishing his final 31 credits online at St. John's so he can be a college baseball coach; 3. Would the Sox offer Pedro Martínez an incentive-laden deal to compete for the No. 5 starter's job?; 4. Eric Gagne's philanthropic efforts on behalf of childhood cancer victims and other civic matters are commendable and honorable; 5. Phillies reliever Chad Durbin's side business, "ShowcaseU.com," which helps high schoolers get recruited for college programs, is pretty successful.

Who will be their masked man?
The consensus among scouts who have watched Red Sox prospect Mark Wagner in the Arizona Fall League is that his catching is much improved and he has a good idea of how to call a game. That seemed to be a negative on Wagner this season in Portland. The Sox are about to tread through very precarious waters with Jason Varitek, who they hope will be reasonable in his demands given his poor offensive season. The Sox expect to be aggressive in exploring trade/free agent options - Ramon Hernandez, Bengie Molina, Gregg Zaun, Pudge Rodriguez - but if Varitek feels that wearing the "C" is important to him and acknowledges that his value has diminished with age, the Sox would take him back. "I can't imagine there would be a big market for him," said a National League GM. "It would have to be a team that had a young pitching staff, a strong hitting lineup that could use him the same way the Red Sox did. Otherwise, I just don't see a lot of teams trying to sign him for big money or more than a couple of years."

Another season for Moose?
We'll see whether Mike Mussina retires as a 20-game winner. His belief all along has been that if he decided to come back, he'd almost have to commit for three years to assure himself a shot at 300 wins. Mussina has to be tempted. "It would take a real sit-down with him by Brian Cashman to convince him that the Yankees need to have him and that he's wanted," said a source close to the pitcher. "It would also take a lot of money, so we'll see, but Mike's the kind of guy who sticks to his guns."

The great unknown
Commissioner Bud Selig doesn't believe Major League Baseball will have to cut jobs as David Stern did in the NBA because of the economic downturn. "We're budgeting very cautiously," said Selig. "We're very mindful of the situation. Whether it's sports or business, this is something that affects every one of us and we have to be very mindful of what's going on out there. When I ask economists about where we are in this downturn, the troubling answer I get is they don't know. So if they don't know, we have to be very concerned."

Scouts' honor
Former Red Sox CEO John Harrington will be honored at the sixth In the Spirit of the Game dinner, which supports the Professional Baseball Scouting Foundation, Jan. 17 in Los Angeles. The foundation, started by White Sox special assistant to the chairman Dennis Gilbert, provides financial assistance to scouts who have fallen on hard times. Harrington will receive the Allan H. "Bud" Selig Executive Leadership Award for his loyalty to the scouting profession during his tenure in baseball.

A friend indeed
Former Pawtucket outfielder Reggie Whittemore (1983-84) is one of five finalists for GQ Magazine's Man of the Year. Whittemore has devoted his adult life to helping inner-city kids, steering a whopping 1,300 boys and girls into the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program in Nashville. Whittemore has been a mentor to underprivileged youth in Nashville and has taken his straight-A students to Walt Disney World the last 12 years as a reward for their academic excellence.

Managerial decision
New Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik expects to be swift in naming a new manager, and Ken Macha, a finalist for the Brewers job, might also be considered in Seattle. Zduriencik was in Milwaukee for a long time, so Brewer ties are big with him. He's even considering deposed Brewers manager Ned Yost, and don't be surprised if Phil Garner's name surfaces. Phillies bench coach Jimy Williams, one of the best teachers among former managers, may also get consideration.

Short hops
From the Bill Chuck files: "Of the players who qualified for the batting title this season, amongst all the AL first basemen, Oakland's Daric Barton had the lowest batting average; of the second basemen, Oakland's Mark Ellis had the lowest average; at short, Oakland's Bobby Crosby had the lowest; and at third, Oakland's Jack Hannahan had the lowest." Also, "Of all the batters this season with 400+ at-bats, the Reds' Jeff Keppinger had the fewest strikeouts with 24. Keppinger hit three homers. In 1952, Yogi Berra in 534 ABs struck out 24 times and hit 30 homers." . . . Catch Walpole Joe Morgan at the Baseball Tavern on Boylston Street Nov. 1 at 11:30 a.m. Morgan will be speaking at the Society of American Baseball Research event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will also feature Spanish broadcaster Uri Berenguer . . . Happy 58th birthday, Dave Coleman, and 43d birthday greetings to Zach Crouch.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com