Quick Hits: Lowrie, Santana, Moncada

Face-to-face communication is downright passé at the winter meetings with most deals being discussed via text or email rather than in person.  Meanwhile, executives and agents are keeping up with every rumor and rumbling right here on MLBTradeRumors.  “I definitely wasn’t picturing being a resource for any kind of executive or agent when I started it in 2005,” MLBTradeRumors.com founder Tim Dierkes said to Joe Lemire of Medium.com. “The whole idea that we’ve affected how deals are made — that’s almost scary to me.”  More from around baseball..

• Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (via Twitter) hears that Jed Lowrie wants a three-year deal.  The Mets have an eye on Lowrie and the Marlins and Giants are said to be considering him as well.
• Free agent left-hander Johan Santana is preparing to pitch in January for the Navegantes del Magallanes, his agent Edward Greenberg tells Ken Davidoff of Newsday (via Twitter).
• Yasmany Tomas is no longer available, but Cuban prospects remain a popular topic of discussion at the winter meetings, writes Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.  Switch-hitting middle infielder Yoan Moncada, 19, and right-handed pitcher Yoan Lopez, 21, are among the players generating the most buzz in international circles this week.  Both are expected to sign with a team sometime next year.