Author Archives: Luke Adams

After a pair of notable trades were agreed upon on Day 2 of this year's Winter Meetings, Day 3 featured a couple more trades and also saw a few free agents come off the board. Here's a recap of Wednesday's major headlines:

Transactions:

• The Mariners added a couple bats to their lineup, agreeing to sign Corey Hart and acquiring Logan Morrison from the Marlins. Seattle sent Carter Capps to Miami in exchange for Morrison, and committed a base salary of $6MM to Hart, who could earn up to $13MM with incentives.
• Bartolo Colon landed the two-year contract he was seeking, agreeing to a $20MM deal with the Mets.
• The Pirates agreed to sign Edinson Volquez to a one-year, $5MM contract, and extended a pitcher already under team control, inking Charlie Morton to a three-year, $21MM deal that could be worth up to $30MM.
• Jerry Hairston Jr. has retired from baseball and accepted a position with the Dodgers' broadcast team.
• Jerry Blevins is headed from the Athletics to the Nationals for outfield prospect Billy Burns.
• Jordan Walden and the Braves avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1.49MM.
• The Astros acquired Anthony Bass from the Padres as part of a deal that will see the clubs swap spots in Thursday's Rule 5 draft.
• The Yankees acquired Kyle Haynes from the Pirates to complete last week's Chris Stewart trade.
• Players signed to minor league contracts on Wednesday included Tomo Ohka (Blue Jays), Angel Castro (Cardinals), Yunesky Maya (Braves), and Tommy Hottovy (Cubs).
• The Tigers designated Luis Marte for assignment.
• Thad Weber was granted his release by the Blue Jays and signed with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization.
• J.D. Martin has also signed in Korea, with the Samsung Lions.

Rumors:

• The Yankees turned down an offer from the Reds that would have seen the teams swap Brandon Phillips for Brett Gardner. Had the talks become more serious, Phillips would have had to waive his no-trade clause, and may have asked for more money to do so.
• There's a belief that Shin-Soo Choo has a seven-year offer in hand, though it's not clear whether it's from the Rangers or another team. Scott Boras confirmed that his client has received multiple offers, both from rebuilding teams and clubs planning to contend in 2014.
• The Dodgers told Matt Kemp's agent that the team doesn't intend to trade the outfielder.
• Matt Garza, Mike Pelfrey, and Bronson Arroyo are among the Twins' starting pitching targets, and there's a sense that Arroyo could sign soon, perhaps for something in the three-year, $36MM range.
• Although a report on Wednesday morning suggested Garza could sign within 48 hours, his agent appears to have left Orlando without an agreement in place. Besides the Twins, the Angels and Diamondbacks are among the teams involved.
• Justin Masterson continues to be involved in trade rumors, including one that named the Yankees as a potential suitor. However, Terry Francona says he called Masterson this week to tell him he's not going anywhere.
• As the Diamondbacks continue to pursue pitching help, Masahiro Tanaka has emerged as the club's top priority.
• The Orioles have reportedly made offers to both Grant Balfour and John Axford. The offer to Balfour is said to be for two years, while the Indians are also believed to have extended a proposal to Axford.
• One report suggested Max Scherzer was unlikely to be extended or traded this winter. However, a second report indicated that a trade isn't out of the question, and Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski said he hasn't ruled out an extension either.
• The Pirates, Brewers, and Rays are still in the mix for James Loney.
• A couple free agents are very much on the Astros' radar, as the team is said to be in serious discussions with Michael Morse and pushing to sign Jose Veras.
• The Royals and Yankees remain in the hunt for Omar Infante, who is reportedly seeking a four-year deal.
• Jeff Samardzija and the Cubs met to discuss their options today, and Theo Epstein called it a "great meeting." Nonetheless, an extension doesn't appear likely at this point.
• Eight teams have expressed interest in Johan Santana.
• Fernando Rodney is said to be looking for $10MM annually on a multiyear contract.
• The Phillies continue to aggressively shop Jonathan Papelbon.
• After adding Hart and Morrison earlier in the day, the Mariners allegedly let teams know that Jesus Montero and Justin Smoak are available in trade talks.
• At one point on Wednesday, Raul Ibanez appeared headed for the Angels, but he's still weighing offers from multiple contenders.
• The Rays are casting a wide net as they search for a first baseman, and have some interest in Mark Reynolds and Kevin Youkilis.
• The Red Sox and Mets still look to be the likeliest destinations for Stephen Drew.
• Adam Kennedy is making a comeback bid.
• Jamey Carroll is drawing interest from the Rays, Rangers, and Indians.