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Latest On Carlos Beltran

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Carlos Beltran is one of the top free agents remaining (#4 among unsigned free agents on MLBTR's top 50 list). He hit .300/.385/.525 with 22 homers for the Mets and Giants this past season and won't cost a draft pick, so teams looking for a capable outfield bat have taken note. The 34-year-old switch-hitter won't come cheap, however. Here's the latest on Beltran:

  • The Cardinals, who maintain strong interest, could play Beltran in right field while using him in center on occasion and asking him to DH during interleague play, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). 
  • The Blue Jays, another interested club, could use Beltran as more of a DH, Rosenthal notes. They could also ask him to play left field. 
  • It appears that Beltran will sign for $12-12.5MM per season on a two or three-year deal, Rosenthal notes.
  • Agent Dan Lozano seeks a three-year deal for Beltran, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan.

Nationals Agree To Sign Mike Cameron

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The Nationals have agreed to sign outfielder Mike Cameron to a minor league deal, the team announced (on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement (on Twitter).

Cameron, 39 in January, also drew interest from the Indians recently. His production took a big dip in 2011, when he hit just .203/.285/.359 in 269 overall plate appearances with the Red Sox and Marlins. The advanced metrics continue to rate his outfield defense very well, however. Washington figures to keep looking for a long-term solution in center field, but Cameron represents a solid stopgap player or bench piece.

Royals Eyeing Young Starters

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Some young starting pitchers appeal to the Royals as possible trade candidates, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Royals had interest in Mat Latos before the Padres sent him to Cincinnati and they still like Gio Gonzalez, the highly-coveted A’s left-hander.

However, the Royals don't want to part with outfield prospect Wil Myers or left-hander Mike Montgomery in any deal, Rosenthal reports. The Royals like the potential that young starters like Montgomery provide and believe Myers has the potential to hit in the middle of the order in the Major Leagues.

Royals GM Dayton Moore traded for Jonathan Sanchez and re-signed Bruce Chen earlier this offseason. The two southpaws join right-handers Luke Hochevar and Felipe Paulino in the team's projected 2012 rotation. Danny Duffy, Aaron Crow and Everett Teaford are also candidates to start for manager Ned Yost.

Phillies Re-Sign Jimmy Rollins

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The Phillies signed Jimmy Rollins to a deal that will keep the shortstop in Philadelphia, though not for as the length he was said to be seeking.  The deal will pay Rollins $33MM over the next three years with an $11MM fourth year vesting option based on plate appearances. If the option doesn't vest, it can become a team option at $8MM or a player option at $5MM.

13295333Rollins, a lifelong Phillie, has seen his production tail off since his 30-30 MVP season in 2007, but he rebounded to bat .268/.338/.399 last season with 16 homers and 30 stolen bases. His defense has remained a positive even through his age-32 season, according to UZR.

Rollins, ranked seventh on MLBTR's Top 50 Free Agent list, entered the offseason in search of a five-year contract.  The Brewers were among the leading suitors for the 33-year-old's services but officially pulled themselves out of the sweepstakes when they gave a three-year, $36MM deal to third baseman Aramis Ramirez.  Even without Ramirez, Milwaukee's signing of Alex Gonzalez was widely interpreted as a signal that they would not pursue J-Roll any further.

The Cardinals were also candidates to land Rollins after Albert Pujols signed with the Angels, but they had little interest in giving Rollins the five-year pact that he was asking for.  Instead, St. Louis decided to ink Rafael Furcal to a two-year deal worth roughly $14MM.  Ultimately, the market pushed the shortstop and the Phillies back together.  At the start of this winter, seven of our eight writers predicted a Phillies for the Icon Sports Group client.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter) first reported that the Phillies and Rollins agreed to a three-year deal with a vesting fourth year option.  Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter) added that the dela would be worth $33MM over three years while Yahoo's Tim Brown (Twitter link) reported that the fourth year option would be worth $11MM.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that the fourth year option would be easily attainable.

Photo courtesy of Chris Williams/Icon SMI.

Gio Gonzalez Rumors: Monday

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The Athletics have already traded one of their young starting pitchers this offseason, but it wasn't Gio Gonzalez even though his name is popular on the trade rumor circuit. Here's the latest on the 26-year-old left-hander…

  • The Mets are unlikely to pursue Gonzalez according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, with one team official saying talks never moved passed the preliminary phase. “Nothing serious,” said the official, with another source saying they are "unlikely" to continue pursuing the southpaw.
  • Martino says the Athletics asked the Yankees for Jesus Montero and top pitching prospects in exchange for Gonzalez when they discussed his availability earlier this winter.

Bobby Abreu Would Welcome Trade

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The Angels added Albert Pujols to their stable of first base/corner outfield/designated hitter-type bats during the Winter Meetings, leading to speculation about players they might move in a trade. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that Bobby Abreu would welcome a trade out of Anaheim, though he is not the type to demand one.

“Right now, [Abreu] is a valuable asset,” said GM Jerry DiPoto to Rosenthal. “I have a world of respect for Bobby. I want to make sure he’s in a position to be productive. Right now, we have that ability.”

Abreu, 38 in March, will earn $9MM in 2012 before becoming a free agent after the season. His power numbers have slipped in recent years (just eight homers in 2011), but he still manages to rank among the league leaders in walks and hasn't stolen fewer than 20 bases in a season since 1998. Abreu is also a defensive liability, but the Angels could use him to balance out their right-handed heavy lineup. The only problem is that he's become increasingly susceptible to southpaws in recent years (.238/.319/.279 vs. LHP in 2011).

Rosenthal says a trade is unlikely to happen anytime soon, just because the team wants to see as much of Kendrys Morales as they can before determining if they have offense to spare. He also lists the Mariners, Rays, Orioles, and Blue Jays as clubs that need help at DH, though none have been connected to Abreu yet.

Sitting Out Free Agency

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Four teams have yet to sign a free agent to a Major League deal, according to our free agent tracker: the Braves, Astros, Athletics, and Blue Jays.  A closer look:

  • Braves: So far, the Braves' offseason has consisted of exercising a $1.5MM option on Eric Hinske, ridding themselves of $5MM of Derek Lowe's contract, taking Robert Fish in the Rule 5 draft, and signing players to minor league deals.  The Braves have the starting pitching depth for another trade, perhaps involving Jair Jurrjens.  Martin Prado has also been mentioned in many rumors.  The Braves are looking to add a traditional backup shortstop on a one-year deal, and Ronny Cedeno is a candidate.  The Braves don't seem to have any huge needs, so perhaps their inactivity is justified.
  • Astros:  As you might expect, the rebuilding Astros focused on finding a new GM rather than signing Major League free agents.  Prior to the hiring of Jeff Luhnow, the team added Brian Bixler and Craig Tatum on waiver claims, took Rhiner Cruz in the Rule 5 draft, and signed a slew of minor league free agents.  Luhnow made a splash right out of the gate, acquiring Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland in a trade with the Red Sox for Mark Melancon.  I imagine he'll continue to shop Wandy Rodriguez. 
  • Athletics:  This offseason the A's picked up some cash for reliever Trystan Magnuson, but more notably traded Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow to the Diamondbacks for prospects.  The A's are tearing down the team as they hope for approval to move to San Jose, and Andrew Bailey and Gio Gonzalez could be next to go.
  • Blue Jays:  The Jays have been active in routes other than free agency.  They picked up Edwin Encarnacion's $3.5MM option, made several waiver claims and traded for Magnuson, Sergio Santos, Luis Valbuena, Jeff Mathis, and Ben Francisco.  They were a finalist for Mat Latos, and we'll know soon whether they'll spend the next 30 days negotiating with Yu Darvish.  Additionally, second baseman Kelly Johnson accepted arbitration and is under team control for next year.

Diamondbacks Notes: Kubel, Parra

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The Diamondbacks weren't known to be seeking a left fielder, but they reached an agreement with Jason Kubel on a two-year, $15MM deal today.  The latest on the team:

  • Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic spoke to D'Backs GM Kevin Towers, who said outfielder Gerardo Parra "is still very much a part of this club and was a big part last year."  Parra, a 2011 Gold Glove winner, will likely be pushed to a fourth outfielder role.
  • Kubel will earn $7.5MM in each of the 2012 and '13 seasons, tweets Piecoro, and has a mutual option for '14 at the same amount with a buyout under $1MM.
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs calls Kubel a "weird signing," saying that replacing Parra with Kubel is likely to be a net negative for the team.  He doesn't think employing Parra as the fourth outfielder is a good use of resources.
  • The D'Backs had once hoped to invest in Joe Saunders or Hiroki Kuroda, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, but ended up allocating that money toward Kubel.  The Kubel signing means the team is likely to round out their rotation with an internal candidate, writes Piecoro, although a cheap fifth starter signing is also possible.

MLBTR Text Message Alerts

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Want to be the first to know which team won the rights to negotiate with Yu Darvish?  MLBTR is already coming at you from many angles, and today we're going to start dabbling with text message alerts for your mobile phone.  We'll likely try this for the remainder of the offseason and determine the interest level at that point.

If you'd like to receive a text message on your cell phone for each significant MLB transaction, just text IMS2 MLBTR to 368674.  It's not case-sensitive but please note the space between "IMS2" and "MLBTR."  Each news text message will likely include a sponsored message at the end.  To comply with FCC text message regulations you are required to double opt-in by replying with a 1, then a yes to subscribe.  Once you successfully opt in, you'll receive a message that says "Thank you for subscribing!"

The service is free, though standard message and data rates may apply.  Your information will never shared or sold to third parties.  The MLBTR service will not work if your carrier is MetroPCS.

Dodgers Sign John Grabow

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The Dodgers signed lefty reliever John Grabow to a minor league deal, tweeted John Scanlan on Saturday.  This morning, MLBTR confirmed the transaction.  The deal includes an invitation to Major League camp, notes Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.

Grabow, 33, was acquired by the Cubs from the Pirates in July of '09.  He signed a two-year, $7.5MM extension four months later.  Over those two seasons Grabow posted a 5.52 ERA, 5.9 K/9, 4.2 BB/9, and 1.4 HR/9 in 88 innings, missing time with knee and shoulder injuries.

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