Yahoo's Tim Brown reports that Valverde has offers from the Cardinals, Tigers, and "one other."
UPDATE: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals are "not actively involved" in talks with Valverde. You know how often being passively involved results in big bucks...
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However, the Detroit Free-Press says the Tigers have the biggest offer for Valverde's services.
Obviously it would be nice to get Valverde out of the National League, let alone the Central. And the Tigers hold the 19th overall pick, while the Cardinals hold the 24th overall pick. The Tigers have had an offer on the table for a few days, at least, and you get the idea that if it was a good deal, Valverde's agent would have taken it. Or perhaps Valverde's agent still figures that he has some bed-crapping yet to finish. But the fact that Valverde hasn't taken that deal yet means there's still some life for the Cardinals, and every hour that passes looks worse for the Tigers.
With the Holliday signing, the NL Central is the Cardinals' to lose in 2010, so them adding Valverde would only strengthen their likely grip on the division. But the Astros aren't going to do a whole lot, so regardless, we're getting an extra 1st round pick out of this. If I could pick, I would want Valverde in Detroit, but staying in the NL Central means that Valverde doesn't have to learn a new league.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
