No sooner did Tadahito Iguchi hit the free-agent market than several teams were already expressing interest in the veteran second baseman.

Philadelphia officially released Iguchi, who batted .301 while filling in for the injured Chase Utley last season, on Thursday. But a contractual stipulation that required the Phillies to release Iguchi without offering salary arbitration -- meaning the Phillies won't get draft pick compensation as they would have -- meant Iguchi would go on the market as a free agent.

Iguchi's agent, Rocky Hall, confirmed to MLB.com that five teams -- the Angels, Astros, Brewers, Padres and Rockies -- have expressed an interest in talking with his client, though Iguchi cannot begin negotiations with new teams until Monday at 9 a.m. ET.

"His contract contains a clause that gives him the right to reject a waiver claim, so even though he has to clear waivers, teams understand he can't be claimed," said Hall, who is seeking a three-year deal for his client. "He's technically on waivers, but he can reject those as he is a free agent."

The Phillies approached Iguchi about playing third base, but the player told the Phillies he'd prefer to stay at second.

"He thinks he can get an everyday job playing second, and he and his agent are probably correct in that assumption," Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said. "His first priority is to seek out a job at second. If not, he'll think about third."

Iguchi, who signed a two-year, $4.95 million contract before the 2005 season that also included a $3.25 million option for 2007, will certainly draw interest on a market that is thin at the position. He turns 34 next month and is coming off a season during which he hit .304 with 12 RBIs and 13 extra-base hits in 45 games with the Phillies. He also batted .320 as a pinch-hitter with Philadelphia.

The Astros, who have offers pending to free-agent second basemen Kaz Matsui and Luis Castillo, contacted Hall on Friday. The Dodgers, if Jeff Kent moves on, could also take a hard look at Iguchi.

Those three, and Mark Loretta, top what is a thin free-agent crop at the position.

Two free-agent second basemen, Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley, already re-signed with the Mets. Craig Biggio retired. Not counting Minor League free agents, that leaves just four others: Geoff Blum, Miguel Cairo, Marcus Giles and Jose Valentin.

Elsewhere on the Hot Stove front Friday:

Astros: In addition to contacting Iguchi's agent, the Astros also made a trade, sending center fielder Josh Anderson to Atlanta for right-handed reliever Oscar Villarreal, and signed outfielder Yordany Ramirez and put him on the Major League roster.

GM Ed Wade said Villarreal's arrival does not mean setup man Chad Qualls would move to closer.

"This was done to add another quality arm to our bullpen," Wade said. "[The closer role] is something we have plenty of time to address."

Anderson became expendable when the Astros traded for outfielder Michael Bourn. Now he goes to Atlanta with a chance to succeed Andruw Jones as the Braves' starting center fielder.

"That would be an unbelievable honor," Anderson said. "He's been a great player for them for a long time. My goal going into the season is to start for somebody, and that hasn't changed. Obviously I have to do what I can do, I can't try to be Andruw Jones. But I'm very excited about the opportunity and looking forward to it."

Athletics: Billy Beane reiterated to MLB.com that he's expecting free-agent outfielder Shannon Stewart, whom the A's would like to bring back at the right price, to "explore his options" on the open market before a decision is made on presenting Stewart with an offer. Beane also said he doesn't expect his club to make any significant moves before the Winter Meetings.

Brewers: The Brewers are pursuing free-agent catcher Jason Kendall, according to a source familiar with negotiations.

Kendall, 33, finished the 2007 season with the Chicago Cubs, where he batted .270 with a .362 on-base percentage after a midseason trade from Oakland. He hit a combined .242 with three homers in 41 RBIs in 137 games for the A's and Cubs. A career .297 hitter in 12 seasons, and considered a superior game-caller behind the plate, Kendall is seeking an opportunity to start, according to the source.

The Brewers are exploring options behind the plate, but they would have to decide whether Kendall is an upgrade over 2007 starter Johnny Estrada, who has one more year of arbitration eligibility before he becomes a free agent. The Brewers acquired Estrada last November and hoped he would settle into the No. 5 hole behind slugging first baseman Prince Fielder, but Estrada batted .278 with 10 home runs and 54 RBIs in 120 games while playing through right elbow and left hamstring injuries. The Brewers eventually turned to outfielder Corey Hart as the five-hole hitter.

Torn cartilage in his left knee sidelined Estrada for the final seven games of the season, and he underwent arthroscopic knee and elbow surgery in October. He turns 32 next June. Estrada threw out only six of 79 baserunners for a 7.6 percent success rate that was surely affected by the elbow injury. STATS, Inc. includes pickoffs in catchers' fielding statistics, and credited Estrada for 11 of 79 runners attempting to steal (a 13.1 percent success rate that ranked last in the Majors) but Kendall did not fare much better, ranking next-to-last throwing out 20 of 111 (15.3 percent).

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin did not return a message seeking comment, but has said in recent weeks that he will look at available catchers this offseason. Catching is considered a relative weakness in Milwaukee's Minor League system, and Melvin said the team is also pursuing younger players via trade.

Cubs: According to foxsports.com, Kosuke Fukudome may decide not to leave Japan. The 30-year-old outfielder, whom the Cubs have scouted, met Tuesday with representatives from the Tokyo Giants, and received a contract offer. A left-handed-hitting corner outfielder, he has played the last eight seasons for the Chunichi Dragons, and has a career .397 on-base percentage. His decision was expected after Thanksgiving, according to foxsports.com's source.

Dodgers: The Dodgers are eyeing free-agent center fielder Aaron Rowand and Blum.

Mariners: Catcher Jeff Clement had his stint in the Arizona Fall League cut short by a couple days because of soreness in his left (non-throwing) elbow. Clement said it was a "real minor thing," but he might need surgery to remove what he believes are bone chips. That prospect probably removes him from the trade market, although the Mariners are reluctant to trade him anyway.

Marlins: With Yorvit Torrealba reportedly on his way to join the Mets, the Marlins lost yet another catching option for next season. They'll now train their eyes on Paul Lo Duca, though they'll have competition from nearly every other team searching for a catcher in a dry market. The New York Post reported on Friday that Lo Duca's agent has already spoken to the Rockies about a deal, while the Palm Beach Post listed Michael Barrett, Rod Barajas and Damian Miller all as other options in Miami.

The Marlins also lost a potential suitor for Miguel Cabrera on Thursday, when Alex Rodriguez agreed to a contract framework with the Yankees. That only increased the odds that Cabrera will land in southern California, though the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Friday reported the Giants as being "very interested," with starting pitchers Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain the bait. The paper also listed the White Sox, Indians, Rangers, Nationals and Red Sox as possibilities, to varying degrees.

Phillies: The Phillies won't be pursuing Mike Lowell. Gillick quickly dismissed an ESPN.com report that said the Phillies plan to make a significant offer to the free-agent third baseman.

"We're concentrating on pitching right now," he said. "We're not looking at position players."

That said, the team is still monitoring Rowand's situation and keeps in contact with the center fielder.

"We talk to Rowand every couple of days," Gillick said. "He's out there looking at the market, so we'll have to wait and see. We have an idea, and hopefully, it will work out, but somebody might go a little further than we want to go."

Red Sox: Lowell continues to mull his options, with the Boston Herald speculating Friday that the World Series MVP might decide by the end of the weekend whether to accept a three-year deal to remain with the Red Sox. Lowell has reportedly been offered a four-year deal to play first base for the Yankees. It is unclear if any other teams have made offers for Lowell.

Tigers: The Tigers have expressed interest in free-agent starter Livan Hernandez, his agent told the Detroit Free Press. He could be an alternative for the club if it is unable to re-sign Kenny Rogers. Hernandez broke into the big leagues a decade ago pitching for manager Jim Leyland and president/GM Dave Dombrowski on their world championship team in Florida, and he has built a track record since as one of baseball's more durable starters. The only other prominent free-agent starter known to have drawn interest from the Tigers thus far is Carlos Silva.

White Sox: The Daily Herald, citing a Major League executive with knowledge of the situation, reported third baseman Joe Crede will likely be dealt before Opening Day as the White Sox have been unable to reach a multi-year extension for the free-agent-to-be in 2008. According to the paper, the White Sox are eyeing the Dodgers' young talent, including Tony Abreu, Matt Kemp, Delwyn Young, Jonathon Broxton and Clayton Kershaw, and could package any return for Crede as part of a deal for Florida's Cabrera, ostensibly to play left field for the White Sox.

But with Crede coming off of back surgery, limiting him to 167 at-bats in 2007, the market for his services still is a bit unknown. With Rodriguez close to signing a new 10-year-deal, teams such as the Dodgers and Angels are expected to use their own talent pool in pursuit of Cabrera to play third base, and any White Sox pitch for Cabrera is expected to include Fields as part of the potential package.

Yankees: Rodriguez and the Yankees are moving closer to a 10-year, $275 million contract to keep the soon-to-be three-time American League MVP in pinstripes. The only apparent final kink remaining is to settle the contractual language concerning just how much Rodriguez could earn by setting the career home run record as a Yankee, but an official announcement of the deal should soon follow.

Overshadowed in the midst of all the Yankees' and A-Rod news has been closer Mariano Rivera, who still has not responded to the club's standing offer of three years and $45 million. According to multiple reports, Rivera is holding out for a fourth year, but Hank Steinbrenner told The New York Times that the Yankees have no plans to increase the offer. The New York Post reports that, eventually, Rivera will accept the three-year deal. He will turn 38 on Nov. 29.