Rich Harden
Rumors

Peter Gammons and Gordon Edes of espn.com give plenty of speculation about how the Red Sox off season will play out.

• Jason Bay is likely to return to the Red Sox for many reasons, but most of all, it's unclear who else will compete with the Red Sox to sign him.  Gammons feels the contract will be in the four years, $64M deal.  Bay recently rejected a four year, $60M-ish deal.  
• Alex Gonzalez seems likely to return to the Red sox, even though they declined his 2010 option.  Marco Scutaro is another option.
• Unless Adrian Gonzalez or Felix Hernandez are available to the Red Sox, a blockbuster trade is unlikely.  Nevertheless, the Red Sox are sure to explore the option of acquiring Roy Halladay again.
• The Red Sox were interested in Cody Ross back in July and may continue to try to acquire the outfielder from the Marlins.  Manny Delcarmen was the rumored compensation for Cody back in July.
• Rich Harden and Ben Sheets are likely free agent targets for the Red Sox.
• While Boston may be a good fit for Aroldis Chapman, neither writer thinks that the Red Sox will make a serious push for him. 

Aroldis Chapman may work well in Boston, but are they interested?

Below is a list of starting pitchers that are eligible for free agency for the 2010 season, their age, current team, current contract and whether the player falls into a Type A or Type B free agent compensation status.

Free agent catchers
Free agent first basemen
Free agent second basemen
Free agent third basemen
Free agent shortstops
Free agent left fielders
Free agent center fielders
Free agent right fielders
Free agent middle relievers
Free agent closers

Brandon Backe, 32, Astros - 09:$1.55M
Miguel Batista, 39, Mariners - 07:$5.5M, 08:$9M, 09:$9M
Erik Bedard, 31, Mariners - 09:$7.75M (Type B)
Kris Benson, 34, Rangers - 09:$750K
Daniel Cabrera, 29, Diamondbacks - 09:$2.6M
Chris Capuano, 31, Brewers - 09:minor league contract
Aroldis Chapman, 22, No Team - No professional contracts
Bartolo Colon, 37, White Sox - 09:$1M
Jose Contreras, 38, Rockies - 07:$9M, 08:$10M, 09:$10M
Doug Davis, 34, Diamondbacks - 07:$5.5M, 08:$7.75M, 09:$8.75M (Type B)
Justin Duchscherer, 32, Athletics - (Type B)
Adam Eaton, 32, Rockies - 07:$6.875M, 08:$7.635M, 09:$8.5M, 10:$9M mutual option ($0.5M buyout)
Josh Fogg, 33, Rockies - 09:minor league contract
Jon Garland, 30, Dodgers - 09:$6.25M, 10:$10M mutual option ($2.5M buyout if club declines, $1M buyout if player declines) (Type B)
Tom Glavine, 44, Braves - 09:$1M
Mike Hampton, 37, Astros - 09:$2M
Rich Harden, 28, Cubs - 05:$0.5M, 06:$1M, 07:$2M 08:$4.5M, 09:$7M (Type B)
Mark Hendrickson, 36, Orioles - 09:$1.5M
Livan Hernandez, 35, Nationals - 09:minor league contract
Shawn Hill, 29, Nationals - 09:$775K
Jason Jennings, 31, Rangers - 09:$800K
Randy Johnson, 46, Giants - 09:$8M (Type B)
John Lackey, 31, Angels - 06:$3.01M, 07:$5.5M, 08:$7M, 09:$9M (Type A)
Cliff Lee, 31, Phillies - 06:$0.75M, 07:$2.75M, 08:$3.75M, 09:$5.75M, 10:$8M club option ($1M buyout) (Type A)
Braden Looper, 35, Brewers - 09:$4.75M, 10:$6.5M option ($1M buyout) (Type B)
Rodrigo Lopez, 34, Phillies - 09:minor league contract
Jason Marquis, 31, Rockies - 07:$4.75M, 08:$6.375M, 09:$9.875M (Type B)
Brett Myers, 29, Phillies - 07:$5M, 08:$8.5M, 09:$12M
Vicente Padilla, 32, Dodgers - 07:$9M, 08:$11M, 09:$12M (Type B)
Carl Pavano, 34, Twins - 09:$1.5M (Type B)
Brad Penny, 32, Giants - 09:$5M
Odalis Perez, 33, Nationals - 09:$850K
Andy Pettitte, 38, Yankees - 09:$5.5M (Type B)
Joel Pineiro, 31, Cardinals - 08:$5M, 09:$7.5M (Type B)
Sidney Ponson, 33, Royals - 09:$600K
Mark Prior, 28, Padres - 09:minor league contract
Horacio Ramirez, 30, Nationals - 09:$1.8M
Jason Schmidt, 37, Dodgers - 07:$12.5M, 08:$12M, 09:$12M
Ben Sheets, 31, No Team - 05:$4.5M, 06:$8.5M, 07:$10M, 08:$11M
John Smoltz, 43, Cardinals - 09:$400K
Brett Tomko, 37, Athletics - 09:minor league contract
Tim Wakefield, 43, Red Sox - 09:$4M, 10:$4M club option (Type B)
Jarrod Washburn, 35, Tigers - 06:$7.45M, 07:$9.85M, 08:$9.85M, 09:$10.35M
Todd Wellemeyer, 31, Cardinals - 09:$4.05M
Kip Wells, 33, Reds - 09:$500K
Randy Wolf, 33, Dodgers - 09:$5M (Type A)

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the Cubs have exercised their $7M 2009 option on pitcher Rich Harden. There were reports earlier today that the Cubs were awaiting the results of an examination of Harden's right shoulder to determine if it required surgery or not and the report is that Harden will not need surgery.

News and notes about the Cubs upcoming off season:

• According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs have until midnight tonight to accept or decline their $7M option for Rich Harden for 2009.  In the meantime, the Cubs await, anxiously, for the results of Harden's visit with a shoulder specialist.
• Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks that the Cubs should sign Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood before either reach free agency. 
• The Cubs have a $3M 2009 option for Henry Blanco and Bruce Miles wonders whether the team will buy him out for $300K and attempt to resign him for less than $2.7M or simply exercise the option. 

Buster Olney has a lot of his own thoughts and rumors in his blog today:

• Ryan Howard figures to get another large raise in his arbitration case this off season and Olney figured that would lead to his name being dangled in trade talks.  A well-placed source told Olney that there is no way that would happen.
• The Cubs will have a challenging time trying to resign general manager Jim Hendry while also trying to sell the team at the same time.  Hendry has an option for the 2009 season which he must exercise in December and the Cubs hope to avoid that process by signing him to a long term deal. 
• Olney doesn't believe that the Cubs latest post-season loss is a reason for panic in terms of the teams' makeup.  Rather than overhaul the NLs best team in 2008, small little changes here and there should do the trick.  Re-sign Ryan Dempster.  Look for a consistent left-handed bat such as Bobby Abreu (free agent) or David DeJesus (trade).  Milton Bradley would also be available if a multi-year deal were offered to him.  Picking up Rich Harden's 2009 option is a good idea.
• General manager Neal Huntington told Olney that Jason Michaels' "role, playing time and dollars" will determine if the Pirates pick-up his $2.6M option for 2009.

John Perotto from Baseball Perspectus gives us his daily Sunday round-up from major league baseball.

• Ryan Dempster has been phenomenal so far in 2008, but it may be challenging for the Cubs to resign the pitcher for 2009 and beyond.  They recently signed Carlos Zambrano and still have $86.5M remaining on his contract through 2013.  They also owe Ted Lilly $24M over the next two years, Jason Marquis a little more than $9.8M in 2009, and a club option fo $7M for Rich Harden.  For those scoring at home, that's $46.625M for their pitching staff already for 2009, or almost 40% for their 2008 payroll. 
  
• The play of Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie will make Julio Lugo expendable this off-season.  However, I don't think there will be much of a market for the $18M due to the struggling shortstop over 2009 and 2010.  The situation sounds a lot like what Buster Olney described in his most recent blog entry. 
  
• There has been talk that Twins pitcher Carlos Silva's best seasons were while pitching with good friend Johan Santana.  The Mets are rumored to be interested in the righty hoping that reuniting the friends will bring back Silva's old numbers.
• There are rumors that the Cincinnati Reds ownership will give general manager Walt Jockety the money he'd need to make a splash in the 2009 free agent market and try to contend.  Considering that the Brewers are not expected to retain CC Sabathia or Ben Sheets and will likely not be as good in 2009, there's certainly an opening for the Reds (or any team) to step in.
• Perotto believes that the Pirates will trade Jack Wilson before the start of the 2009 season.