The second of three pitchers the Rockies were supposedly after to shore up the bottom of their rotation, Kip Wells, has agreed to terms with another club, the defending World Series Champion Cardinals. Being shut out of the FA market means a couple of things: first, it's looking more likely that the team will be offering Josh Fogg arbitration, and also it's less likely that we will deal Jason Jennings without getting a starting pitcher in return who can possibly come into our rotation immediately.
The Cards move is just one of a flurry that seems to be happening around the league right now as teams try to get a head start before the Winter meetings. The winner of the Kei Igawa derby should be announced this evening, the Cubs have offered Jason Schmidt $45 million dollars over three years, and the Orioles are overpaying more relievers. I'm expecting the trades to start rolling in earnest next Monday, the rest of this week should see more FA signings as teams jockey for position.