Touching 'em All

If Jonathan Papelbon hadn't volunteered to go back to the bullpen, the Red Sox ' best trade option, Nationals closer Chad Cordero , would have come at a high price. According to a league source, Washington was seeking pitchers Clay Buchholz , 22; Craig Hansen , 23; and Jon Lester , 23. Boston likes Cordero's moxie but saw that request as "ridiculous." ... With the Tigers losing Kenny Rogers (blood clot) for three months, it's hard to name a team with five proven starters. The Phillies come the closest, though Freddy Garcia 's radar readings this spring (low to mid-80s) are a concern.... One reason why Orioles owner Peter Angelos vetoed a winter deal that would have sent second baseman Brian Roberts and righthander Hayden Penn to the Braves for first baseman Adam LaRoche and second baseman Marcus Giles is that he's a huge fan of Roberts . Another reason: According to a league source, Angelos also wants to leave first base clear for the Rangers ' Mark Teixeira (above), who's a free agent in 2008. Teixeira , a Maryland native, recently said it would be a "dream come true" to play in Baltimore .... For those who claim there were no free-agent bargains, I point to Mets outfielder Moises Alou ($8.5 million, one year), Dodgers starter Randy Wolf ($8 million, one year), Tigers first baseman Sean Casey ($4 million, one year) and Orioles reliever Chad Bradford ($10.5 million, three years).