As I initially suspected, the price is way too high for Florida Marlins third baseman/outfielder/future first baseman Miguel Cabrera...The Marlins have reportedly asked for both Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz (and that's obviously a starting point with other pieces in play as well), which is something the Sox won't and shouldn't pull the trigger on.

That's the biggest plus, according to my methods of addition, with possibly going for A-Rod if the Mike Lowell talks don't end up fruitful. You don't have to give up anyone in order to bring in the best positional player in Major League Baseball, rather than trading the arm for a 24-year-old gamble that could pay off handsomely or blow up in your face.

I continue to believe that if a Lowell deal doesn't get done today that it's not going to happen at all -- and I say that as someone that strongly believes that Lowell should be back. He's a Gold Glove defender, he's one of those guys that is able to easily cross through and unite possible cliques in a clubhouse and he's proven that he can mash at Fenway.

Here's part of a report last night from Sports Illustrated baseball writer and noted Scott Boras mouthpiece Jon Heyman


NEW YORK -- The Florida Marlins are trying to hit a grand slam in trade talks involving All-Star third baseman Miguel Cabrera, executives involved in the discussions say.

The price is so prohibitive and includes multiple top-tier prospects -- the kind of young players that are hardly ever traded anymore -- that executives believe the Marlins will have to drop their price significantly to deal Cabrera. Because the requests have been jaw-dropping, teams say they don't see anything happening until the winter meetings next month.

For Cabrera, 24, the Marlins are requesting a package of four top young players, according to industry sources, and prime names that interest them are believed to include pitchers Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes from the New York Yankees, outfielder Jacoby Ellbsury and pitcher Clay Buchholz from the Boston Red Sox, pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and second baseman Howie Kendrick and pitching prospect Nick Adenhart from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

IN OTHER BASEBALL NEWS:

--Apparently, Aubrey Huff has some 'splaining to do it in Baltimore after calling the city a "horse's ass town."

--Dustin Pedroia held his Rookie of the Year press conference at Arizona State University, which had to make his college coach Pat Murphy a happy man.

--The New York Yankees fans aren't exactly tearing up in their beer over A-Rod leaving town...a notion that has many in Boston concerned about possibly taking the aspiring $350 million man on.