Read More: Howie Kendrick (2B – ANA), Kendrys Morales (1B – ANA), Erick Aybar (SS – ANA), Alberto Callaspo (3B – ANA), Albert Pujols (1B – ANA), Mark Trumbo (1B – ANA), Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels on Monday announced they would tender contracts to all four of their remaining arbitration eligible players, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. That includes first baseman Kendrys Morales, who has missed the last year and a half after breaking his left ankle.

Morales made $2.975 million in 2011 and missed the entire campaign while recovering from a second surgery on his left ankle, suffered while jumping on home plate to celebrate a walk-off grand slam on May 29, 2010. Morales was a candidate to be non-tendered given the signing of Albert Pujols and the emergence of first baseman Mark Trumbo, who finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year award balloting after hitting .254/.291/.477 while leading the Angels with 29 home runs and 87 RBI in 2011.

Infielders Howie Kendrick (he made $3.3 million in 2011), Erick Aybar ($3 million), and Alberto Callaspo ($2 million) are the other three Angels eligible for salary arbitration in 2011.

For more on the Angels, head over to Halos Heaven.

Enlarge Image

Los Angeles Angels catcher Jeff Mathis throws to first on July 26, 2011, in Cleveland. The Toronto Blue Jays have traded left-handed reliever Brad Mills to the Los Angeles Angels for catcher Jeff Mathis. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Mark Duncan

TORONTO – Jeff Mathis can wait to get to work with the Toronto Blue Jays pitching staff.

The Blue Jays acquired Mathis, a defensive specialist who excels at strategizing with his battery mate, from the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday for left-handed reliever Brad Mills.

“That’s a big part of my game, getting to know the pitchers and what they like to do and how they like to throw the ball,” Mathis said on a conference call. “I’m just excited to be able to work with a bunch of those guys and get to know them and see if we can get on the same page and have a good year.”

The 28-year-old batted just .174 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 93 games with Los Angeles last season. He has a .194 with 26 homers since starting his major league career with the Angels in 2007.

Mathis will likely back up J.P. Arencibia at catcher for the Jays. In 2011, Arencibia hit .219 with 23 home runs and 78 RBIs in his first full season with Toronto.

The Jays lost their 2010 backup catcher to free agency on Nov. 28 when Jose Molina signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.

For his part, Mathis is just eager to work with Toronto’s young pitchers.

“I like to tell them things that I can see and I also like them to ask me questions,” Mathis said. “I try to be as honest with them as I can, but you got to get to know them and know how to handle guys.

“That’s the biggest part of the catcher-pitcher relationship: knowing how to go out there and approach different pitchers.”

This is the second consecutive off-season the Blue Jays have acquired a catcher from the Angels. Toronto traded for Mike Napoli on Jan. 21. Just four days later, Napoli was traded to the Texas Rangers for right-handed reliever Frank Francisco and cash considerations.

Mathis doesn’t think he’ll suffer the same fate after speaking with several members of the Blue Jays front office, including manager John Farrell and general manager Alex Anthopoulos.

“I’ve talked to a bunch of the guys from the organization and it sounds like I’m here to stay,” Mathis said. “I’m excited about it.”

Mills made four starts for the Blue Jays last season, going 1-2 with a 9.82 earned-run average. He spent most of the season at triple-A Las Vegas, going 11-9 in 24 starts.

The Detroit Tigers are looking to make some deals this offseason and have Atlanta Braves third baseman Martin Prado(notes) at the top of their list, according to FOX Sports.

Right behind Prado, though, is Los Angeles Angels infielder Maicer Izturis(notes), sources tell FOX, to help fill the crucial holes for Detroit: second base, third base, and the leadoff spot.

The 31-year-old, switch-hitting Izturis “has filled all of those roles over an eight-year career,” FOX notes, but this season marked the first time in his career he played more than 120 games in a major-league season. FOX notes, though, that the Tigers have Ryan Raburn(notes), Brandon Inge(notes), and Don Kelly(notes) to share time with Izturis if he can’t play every game.

Next year is the final year of Izturis’ deal and he’s scheduled to make $3.8 million, the site notes. Last year, he hit .276 with 35 doubles and five homers in 122 games.

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: FOX Sports

Related: Martin Prado, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels

Read More: Ryan Madson (P – PHI), Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels

The Philadelphia Phillies were once reportedly close to re-signing pitcher Ryan Madson to a $44-million deal. That deal still has not happened. Madson may have a new suitor in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (via L.A. Times). There is no indication in that Scott Boras, Madson’s agent, has been formally contacted by the Angels.

Madson is a Type A free agent. The salary arbitration deadline for such free agents is midnight on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Via Philly.com, if the Phillies offer Madson arbitration “the Phillies will still receive a first-round draft pick and a compensatory pick for Madson provided they offer him salary arbitration.” If Madson went to the Angels, the Phillies would pick right before the Angels, the 18th spot overall.

Madson has pitched for the Phillies since his MLB career began in 2003. He was a crucial was part of the World Series winning Phillies team in 2008, appearing in 11 games. In 2011, Madson recorded 32 saves in 62 appearances. Madson’s ERA was 2.37. He threw 61 strikeouts in 60.2 innings.

Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia and general manager Jerry Dipoto were scheduled to take free agent C.J. Wilson(notes) to dinner Monday night to see if he might be interested in joining the club, the Los Angeles Times reports.

It wasn’t clear if Angels owner Arte Moreno would be at the dinner, but the Times reports that Moreno “has already established a relationship with the Texas Rangers star from bargaining sessions for baseball’s new labor agreement.”

Dipoto met with the lefty’s agent, Bob Garber, for another dinner last week during the GM meetings.

The word from the Times is that Wilson will meet with another team’s GM in L.A. as well and then travel to the East Coast to speak with a few different teams next week. The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers are among the mass of teams — “as many as 13,” the Times reports — that are interested in Wilson, who went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA for the American League champs last season.

Find out before your friends. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Related: C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers

Read More: Anthony Ortega (P – ANA), Francisco Rodriguez (P – ANA), Loek Van Mil (P – ANA), Jean Segura (2B – ANA), Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels on Friday set their 40-man roster before the deadline to finalize rosters in anticipation of the Rule 5 draft on December 8 at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. Shortstop Jean Segura is the headliner as one of the Angels’ top prospects, to be added to the 40-man roster, along with pitchers Johnny Hellweg, Fabio Martinez, and Ariel Pena.

Segura was rated as the Angels’ third best prospect by Baseball America last season. The 21-year old infielder missed three months with a hamstring injury and was limited to just 52 games in 2011, but did hit .293/.341/.447 with 18 stolen bases.

To make room on the roster, the Angels outrighted pitchers Loek Van Mil and Francisco Rodriguez to Triple A Salt Lake. The club released pitcher Anthony Ortega earlier in the week. The Angels have 37 players on their 40-man roster.

For a detailed look at the prospects added to the Angels’ 40-man roster, be sure to read Halos Heaven.