Now that the Phillies have Cliff Lee coming to town, Joe Blanton is probably heading out of town. But where might he wind up?

There was some talk in the immediate aftermath of the Lee deal that Blanton was headed to Boston, but that's been shot down as an overstatement. The Brewers would be interested, a source told FanHouse, if the Phillies would pick up some of the remaining $17 million on his deal.

The Phillies ease in moving him will be directly related to how much money they are willing to eat. Blanton isn't worth $17 million, but he's got value.

Blanton is no Cliff Lee, but he can definitely be a useful pitcher to a team that needs a mid- to back-end starter who can soak up innings. Blanton, 30, has started at least 28 games each of the past six years. He's got a 72-60 record and a 4.30 ERA, so he's just about as average as you can get for a big-league starter.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- All 30 teams came to the Winter Meetings this week at Walt Disney World with some form of business to do as they lay foundations for the 2011 season and beyond. Big names like Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford, and Adam Dunn have changed uniforms with some huge players still on the board. In a fitting location known as "The Happiest Place on Earth", FanHouse TV's Dan Graziano and Steve Phillips discuss this week's big winners.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Rays are motivated to deal right-hander Matt Garza, a source told FanHouse Tuesday.

The Texas Rangers are one team that is interested in Garza, particularly if free-agent left-hander Cliff Lee opts to sign with the Yankees or elsewhere and if Royals ace Zack Greinke is beyond their means in a trade.

The Brewers have also shown interest in Garza, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee finalized a trade with the Blue Jays for Shaun Marcum on Monday to bolster a rotation that struggled mightily in 2010.

There has long been speculation that the cash-strapped Rays might try to capitalize on their pitching depth by moving one of their more experienced (and therefore more expensive) starters this winter, with Garza and James Shields the candidates.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Even after acquiring Shaun Marcum from the Blue Jays for their top prospect, the Brewers are still looking for starting pitching, and their top trade chip appears to be outfielder Lorenzo Cain.

A major league source said Milwaukee is interested in moving the 24-year-old Cain to help its rotation, which last season had a 4.65 ERA, second-worst in the National League.

Cain, a center fielder, hit .306 in 43 games this year after batting .324 in Double-A. An executive from another team said Milwaukee is willing to part with Cain for a starter.

To get Marcum, the Brewers parted with Brett Lawrie -- a former first-round pick who hit .285 in Double-A. Two scouts from other teams said Lawrie is a solid hitter but that Milwaukee had concerns about Lawrie's temper and makeup. And of his defense at second base, one scout said that Lawrie has a "football body (6-foot, 218 pounds) but tackles groundballs."

Milwaukee's rotation is currently led by Yovani Gallardo, Marcum, and Randy Wolf but question marks beyond that.

The Padres and Blue Jays have undeniable depth issues in their farm systems, but both brought pure impact players into their systems on the eve of the Winter Meetings.

For the Padres, the package was more significant, as they received Casey Kelly (pictured above), Anthony Rizzo and Reymond Fuentes in exchange for Adrian Gonzalez. In a smaller deal, Toronto may have stolen prospect Brett Lawrie from the Brewers in exchange for Shaun Marcum.

In both cases, despite giving up big parts of their big-league rosters, the sellers have to be extremely pleased with their respective prospect hauls.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Brewers got a jump on the Winter Meetings action Sunday night by acquiring starter Shaun Marcum from the Blue Jays, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report.

Marcum had impressive numbers for Toronto this season, going 13-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 31 starts after missing all of 2009 following elbow surgery. The Brewers reportedly are sending top prospect Brett Lawrie -- a British Columbia native -- to the Jays.

The Toronto Star reported another Canadian, right-hander Nick Bucci, might also be coming to the Jays in the deal, but the Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt said late Sunday the trade is Marcum for Lawrie, straight up.

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Brewers general manager Doug Melvin wouldn't confirm the trade when contacted by the Journal Sentinel, but didn't do much in the way of evasive maneuvering either.

The offseason is supposed to be a perennial winter of discontent for baseball fans. It was, after all, Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby who quipped just so when asked what he did once the season ended.

"I'll tell you what I do," Hornsby replied. "I stare out the window and wait for spring."

And yet, it's hard not to feel optimistic even now. Baseball reminds us -- day in and day out, year after year -- that anything is possible next year, and with so many stars available in free agency and trade, a team's fortunes next year can change rapidly in the intervening months.

It's with those good vibes in mind, that we partake in a baseball-slanted Thanksgiving tradition. Below we offer a collection of things for fans of every team to be thankful for -- yes, even the Pirates. So enjoy. Gorge on turkey and all the trimmings. And remember Opening Day is only about four months away.

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- Two surgeries on his heart in the past eight months did not remove Bob Uecker's sense of humor.

Uecker, the self-deprecating Brewers radio broadcaster also known for his work in ads, late-night talk shows, movies and a sitcom, is the featured guest Friday on MLB Network's "Studio 42 with Bob Costas."

Costas taped the interview with Uekcer, his former broadcast partner with the Baseball Network and NBC, in late September. In it, Uecker -- the self-proclaimed "Mr. Baseball" -- discussed his appearances on the "Tonight" show with Johnny Carson, in Miller Lite ads, in "Major League" and on "Mr. Belvedere."

But, especially with Costas as willing straight man, every subject allows Uecker, 75, to mock himself. In six seasons with the Braves, Phillies and Cardinals, Uecker batted .200 and started just 217 games.

Get your weekend off on the right foot with an eclectic look around the major leagues from Pat Lackey and Andrew Johnson in The Starting Rotation.

The Ace: Scioscia's Legacy

We hear a lot about coaching trees in football and basketball. That's partly because they are so easy to trace, but mostly because a head coach's influence on the hardwood or the gridiron can be so vital to a team's success or failure.

Things don't often work the same way in baseball. Coaches stick with an organization for long stretches rather than follow a lone mentor/coaching wizard/prophet. More significantly, it's a lot harder to take what is essentially a proprietary system you've learned under said mentor, install it somewhere else and have a bunch of success.

There's no West Coast Offense for the national pastime.

Or perhaps we just haven't noticed the latest one just yet.