Phillies Hot Stove league

Now that Reubem Amaro Jr. is officially in charge of the Phillies, its' time to take a look at the Hot Stove rumors after the GM meetings.

According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Phillies and Cardinals are the top suitors for Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday.

The Phillies discussed Holliday and Brian Fuentes with the Rockies during the season and the Rox have their eyes on Carlos Carrasco, J.A. Happ, and Shane Victorino. Todd Zolecki also believes Jayson Werth is in the mix. The Cardinals are offering All-Star Ryan Ludwick and wasn't to sign Holliday to an extension (his contract ends after the 2009 season).

Holliday is a Scott Boras guy so understand the Phillies would only be renting him for a year.

Meanwhile, MLB.com's Ken Mandel is reporting that the Phillies have Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli, Cincinnati's Jerry Hairston Jr., and Delaware native Kevin Mench on the radar in they don't re-sign Pat Burrell. (They won't)

The Rays want to retain Baldelli while Reds GM Walt Jocketty recently met with Hairston's agent and the Hanshin Tigers are trying to lure Mench to Japan according to Mandel.

Also MLB Trade rumors says Amaro had had an informal five-minute talk with agent Casey Close, who represents Ryan Howard and Joe Blanton.

Also, talks have not yet begun with free agents Burrell, Jamie Moyer, and Scott Eyre.

Get this, Scott Boras compared Ryan Madson to Mariano Rivera circa 1996 (maybe the dumbest comment of all-time), so Madson is history after 2009.