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Quick Hits: Mariners, Red Sox, Cabrera, Greinke

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The Mariners are looking for offense and are "in on everybody", a rival GM tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  That includes big fish like Josh Hamilton and Justin Upton and they're also considering Mike Napoli and Nick Swisher.  Cody Ross, Ryan Ludwick, and Mark Reynolds may also be fits in Seattle.  More from around baseball..

  • Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino confirmed to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Twitter) that the club hopes to sign Mike Napoli, though it has to be on a three-year deal, not a four-year deal.  Lucchino added that the club is in on Hamilton (Twitter link) but they won't go to six, seven, or eight years to make it happen.  It has been well documented that the Red Sox are leery of long-term deals as they look to spend responsibly going forward.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera has a six-team no-trade clause allowing him to block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Nationals, Giants, Mets, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The Indians have reportedly set the bar high in their demands for Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo.
  • Zack Greinke's agent Casey Close told Heyman (via Twitter) that he'll know in the next 24-48 hours if a deal can get done in Nashville.  Close added that nothing is close for his client just yet.  Meanwhile, Braves GM Frank Wren says that it's "probably unlikely" that he will sign Greinke (Twitter link).
  • The market for Ryan Dempster may develop more this week with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Twins in the mix, Morosi tweets.  Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) classifies Dempster as the Brewers' top free agent target.
  • One source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com that he wouldn't rule out the Nationals trading for a pitcher like James Shields of the Rays.  The Nats could potentially use Mike Morse in a deal for Shields as the Rays are in need of offense.

Olney: Winter Meetings Preview

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The Winter Meetings begin shortly at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville. ESPN's Buster Olney, in an Insider-only post, writes past Winter Meetings have been dominated by free agent signings, but some GMs say there is more groundwork laid for possible trades this year than they can remember in the recent past. Here are some of the storylines that could play out this week, according to Olney:

  • If Olney was Rangers' GM Jon Daniels, he would go all out to sign Zack Greinke and then trade some surplus pitching for offense.
  • Some rival officials remain convinced the Diamondbacks will eventually trade Justin Upton, whose contract ($38.5MM due over the next three years) has become more attractive in the wake of his brother's deal with the Braves.
  • The Indians have set the bar high in their demands for Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo. "Time will tell on whether they've lowered (the asking prices)," said a rival GM.
  • The most likely of the Rays' established starting pitchers to be dealt is Jeremy Hellickson. On paper, the best matchup appears to be the Padres.
  • The Reds are looking to acquire a leadoff hitter and could target Dexter Fowler.
  • The Phillies continue to push on Angel Pagan. If Pagan signs with Philadelphia, the Giants could look to Shane Victorino, who is looking for $9-10MM annually.
  • The Pirates have let other teams know that closer Joel Hanrahan is available and they are looking for starting pitching.
  • In a separate tweet, Olney says the perception among rival executives is the signing of David Wright makes it much easier for the Mets to trade R.A. Dickey without fear of a PR backlash.
  • Nate Schierholtz received calls from nine teams within the first 12 hours of being non-tendered with the Yankees in the mix and the Rays also a good fit (Twitter links).

Quick Hits: Simmons, Upton, Braves, Reds, Astros

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The third episode of Rosters and Rumblings, the new podcast featuring MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts, was recorded today. Check out the podcast for discussion of the non-tender deadline, the David Wright extension and the Russell Martin signing. Here's the latest from around the league…

National League Non-Tenders

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Here are today’s National League non-tenders. All decisions must be in by 11pm CT tonight. Be sure to track all tender decisions using MLBTR's Non-Tender Tracker. Related resources include our list of non-tender candidates, our projected arbitration salaries and our arbitration eligibles series.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Diamondbacks Have Interest In McCarthy, Huff

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7:49pm: The Diamondbacks have also "made contact" with Aubrey Huff, reports Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter). The 35-year-old Huff hit .192/.326/.282 in 95 plate appearances for the Giants while missing lots of time with knee with knee problems.

7:27pm: The Diamondbacks have expressed interest in Brandon McCarthy, reports Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). Piecoro notes the D'Backs pursued the right-hander two years ago.

McCarthy, 29, pitched to a 3.24 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 111 innings for the Athletics this year. He missed time with shoulder surgery as well as a head injury after getting hit by a line drive. The D'Backs are said to be seeking a veteran starter to add to Ian Kennedy, Wade Miley, and Trevor Cahill. Patrick Corbin, Tyler Skaggs, Josh Collmenter, and Trevor Bauer could also be in the rotation mix as Daniel Hudson rehabs from Tommy John surgery.

Diamondbacks Release Brad Bergesen

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The Diamondbacks released right-hander Brad Bergesen, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. Bergesen, a client of Paragon Sports International, is now a free agent.

The 27-year-old pitched 29 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks this past season, posting a 3.64 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. He would have been arbitration eligible for the second time, but had been a non-tender candidate with a projected salary of $1MM.

As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, the Diamondbacks now have seven remaining arbitration eligible players.

Quick Hits: Greinke, Brewers, Hanrahan, Hochevar

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The second episode of Rosters and Rumblings, the new podcast featuring MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts, was recorded today. Check out the podcast for analysis of B.J. Upton’s deal with the Braves and the recent contracts for pitchers such as Scott Feldman, Ryan Madson and Andy Pettitte. Here's the latest around the league as Wednesday turns into Thursday…

  • ESPN's Jayson Stark gets the sense that the Zack Greinke bidding won't get serious until the Winter Meetings start in Nashville next week (Twitter link).
  • “We’re making contacts right now … There are a lot of relievers still out there. They sit there and wait until the big guys sign," said Brewers GM Doug Melvin to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy when asked about the team's pursuit of bullpen help.
  • Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan could be on the trade block at the Winter Meetings next week according to Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune Review (on Sulia).
  • After speaking to people within the organization, Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star doesn't expect the Royals to non-tender Luke Hochevar (Twitter link). They are shopping him in trades though.
  • Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times hears that Japanese free agent reliever Kyuji Fujikawa prefers to pitch for the Angels or Cubs, though the Diamondbacks are still a possibility as well (Twitter link).
  • Minor league free agents can pay big dividends, writes MLB.com's Andrew Simon. He notes the performances of Gregor Blanco and Quintin Berry, who helped the Giants and Tigers to the World Series this year after signing minor league deals, respectively.

Quick Hits: Keppinger, Soriano, Dodgers, Orioles

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The latest links from around MLB…

  • The Cubs, Diamondbacks and Rays are bidding for free agent infielder Jeff Keppinger even though he broke his leg, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (Twitter links). The 32-year-old recently broke his right fibula, but hopes to be ready for action by mid-January. Clubs don’t consider the injury serious enough to stop pursuing Keppinger.
  • MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons said on MLB Network’s Hot Stove show that Tigers owner Mike Ilitch spoke with agent Scott Boras about free agent closer Rafael Soriano yesterday (hat tip: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter).
  • The Dodgers confirmed the promotions of several front office members, including Logan White and De Jon Watson, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. White and Watson had been assistant GMs and are now vice presidents. They are both considered GM candidates within the industry.
  • The Orioles aren’t expected to offer Mark Reynolds arbitration, but they’re trying to work out a new deal by Friday’s deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration eligible players, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently examined Reynolds as a non-tender candidate.
  • Jair Jurrjens is expected to be non-tendered and Peter Moylan’s status as a non-tender candidate remains unclear, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter).

West Notes: Teahen, Napoli, Padres

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Some Monday night links pertaining to baseball's two western divisions…

  • The Diamondbacks have signed Mark Teahen to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training according to the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro (on Twitter). Teahen looked to have a bright future in the middle of the Royals' lineup back in 2006, but has seen his production steadily decline. He spent 2012 with the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate, batting .260/.328/.360 in 124 games.
  • The Rangers will meet with Mike Napoli on Tuesday to see where the two sides stand in regard to each other, writes Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Rangers elected not to extend a qualifying offer to Napoli due to his dip in production and because of the fact that he's viewed as more of a part-time catcher than someone who can catch 130+ games.
  • The Padres have had more discussions about trades than they have free agency, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter).
  • In a piece for MLB.com, Brock writes that the Padres would like to add two starting pitchers to their rotation this season, but quotes GM Josh Byrnes as saying they're not in a position to take fliers on injury risks. Brock speculates that Joe Blanton could be a fit for the Pads, which I agree makes sense for them.

Passan’s Latest: Myers, Fowler, Asdrubal, McCarthy

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The Royals have been shopping top prospect Wil Myers but only in exchange for starting pitching, reports Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.  Earlier this week, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reported that Kansas City was known to be at least listening to offers for Myers and top position players like Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer.  The only untouchable Royals appear to be Alcides Escobar and Salvador Perez due to their team-friendly contracts — "executives consider [Perez's deal] the best in the game," Passan writes.

The Royals have discussed trades with the Rays, Mariners, Diamondbacks and Athletics, Passan reports.  While Myers would be of interest to any team, he is of particular value to low-payroll teams like the Rays and A's given that Gordon and Butler have large contracts and Moustakas/Hosmer are Scott Boras clients.

Here are some more items from Passan…

  • The Rockies' asking price for Dexter Fowler is "absurd," one rival executive tells Passan.  It appears to be a buyers' market for center fielders right now, though another executive warns that "it will shake out" as the offseason progresses.
  • The Indians are shopping Asdrubal Cabrera, though "not at Black Friday prices," an executive says.  Cabrera is one of a few shortstops on the trade market, along with the Astros' Jed Lowrie and the Marlins' Yunel Escobar.
  • Teams are more worried about Brandon McCarthy's history of arm injuries than with his season-ending brain surgery.  If McCarthy's medicals are clear, however, a team executive thinks the right-hander will get a multiyear contract.
  • Anibal Sanchez's demands for a six-year, $90MM contract are "crazy, and he's probably going to get it," an executive tells Passan.
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