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Diamondbacks “Open” To Discussing Upton

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6:52pm: The Braves and Mariners have inquired on Upton along with the Rangers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  One source said that Atlanta “made strong overtures” for Upton earlier in the offseason but came away thinking that the Diamondbacks were not motivated to trade him.

The Mariners are particularly eager to add a hitter and some have gone so far as to say that they're desperate to do so.  They have checked in on the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier and the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, according to sources.  Upton might be the Mariners' most realistic pursuit, according to one source with knowledge of the team’s thinking.  The M's have had “on-and-off” discussions with Arizona throughout the offseason, but Upton is not inclined to remove them from his four-team no-trade list.

3:44pm: Facing a surplus of outfielders following their deal with Cody Ross, the Diamondbacks are once again “very much open” to talking about trading Justin Upton, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (all Twitter links). Their specific demands have changed, Olney notes.

Diamondbacks executives have viewed the Mariners as a possible trade partner for Upton, according to Olney. However, the Mariners are on Upton’s no-trade list, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier in the offseason (Twitter link). The Blue Jays are also on the list, which is partially in place to provide Upton with leverage in talks.

Some officials are now convinced the Diamondbacks will trade Upton rather than Jason Kubel, Olney reports. MLBTR readers disagree. Approximately 34% of nearly 10,000 voters said today that they expect the Diamondbacks to address their outfield depth by trading Upton, but approximately 45% expect Kubel to be moved.

The Rangers, Diamondbacks, Rays and Indians discussed multi-team trade scenarios involving Upton at the 2012 Winter Meetings. Texas, Seattle and the Mets now seem like potential fits in my view.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Jocketty: Reds Talking Extensions

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The Reds have had preliminary extension talks with some of their arbitration eligible players, Cincinnati general manager Walt Jocketty acknowledged. "Nothing has gotten really serious yet,” the GM said, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. However, the Reds are interested in locking up Mat Latos and Homer Bailey to multiyear contracts.

"We've discussed that," Jocketty said. "We're taking a look to see if it works. If not, we'll go year to year. We'd prefer something long term eventually."

Mike Leake, Logan Ondrusek, Alfredo Simon, Shin-Soo Choo and Chris Heisey of the Reds are also arbitration eligible this offseason, as MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker shows. John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported last month that the Reds had had some extension talks with Bailey and intended to discuss a deal with Latos.

Bailey, a Hendricks Sports client, projects to earn $5.1MM in 2013 as a second time eligible player, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Meanwhile, Latos projects to earn $4.6MM as a first time eligible player. Bledsoe Brothers represents Latos.

Rays Notes: Price, Offense, Bullpen

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Earlier this week the Rays avoided arbitration with David Price, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $10.1125MM for 2013. The left-hander remains under team control through 2015, but as his salary continues to rise, the chances of a long-term deal with the Rays appear to diminish. Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman addressed the possibility of an extension for the left-hander, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times has the details…

  • Friedman said there are many variables to consider when assessing a possible extension for Price, but didn’t rule the possibility out. “We could certainly add another larger contract, but … it puts a lot more pressure on our remaining funds, which would be much smaller to fill out 23 guys around [Evan] Longoria and whoever that contract is [for], to be able to win.”
  • The Rays continue seeking at least one bat and some bullpen help, according to Topkin. However, Friedman suggested nothing is imminent. "I wouldn't say anything is close," he said.
  • As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, the Rays have four remaining arbitration eligible players: Sam Fuld, Matthew Joyce, Jeff Niemann and Ryan Roberts. Friedman said he hopes to resolve the cases relatively soon if possible.

Mariners Sign Mike Jacobs

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The Mariners signed first baseman Mike Jacobs to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. John Boggs & Associates represents Jacobs, who has seven seasons of experience at the MLB level.

Jacobs, 32, appeared in 13 games for the Diamondbacks in 2012 after spending the entire 2011 season at the minor league level. The left-handed hitter spent much of the 2012 season at Triple-A, posting a .279/.362/.486 batting line with 18 home runs and 15 doubles in 378 plate appearances.

Jacobs emerged as a power bat in 2006 after the Marlins acquired him in the trade that sent Carlos Delgado to New York. Jacobs hit 20 homers in 2006 then hit a career-high 32 homers in 2008. He last picked up significant MLB playing time as a member of the 2009 Royals.

Rangers Sign Jason Frasor

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12:07pm: Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter) the deal is worth $1.5MM.

11:30am: The Rangers have signed free agent right-hander Jason Frasor to a one-year contract, Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest reports (on Twitter). The team designated catcher Eli Whiteside to create roster space for Frasor, Andro reports. Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News first reported that the Rangers were nearing a deal with Frasor, a Dave Meier client.

Frasor, 35, pitched for the Blue Jays in 2012, posting a 4.12 ERA with 10.9 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 38.4% ground ball rate in 43 2/3 innings. He didn't pitch at all in August, as forearm tightness led to an extended stint on the disabled list. Frasor, the Blue Jays' all-time leader in appearances, averaged 93 mph with his fastball in 2012. In nine seasons at the MLB level, the Chicago native has a 3.77 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 43.0% ground ball rate. He earned $3.75MM this past season.

At the end of the 2012 regular season Frasor told me that he didn't intend to be overly picky about his next destination. The Brewers and Blue Jays also appeared to have some level of interest this offseason. He'll join a Rangers bullpen that includes Joe Nathan and, eventually, Joakim Soria.

Whiteside appeared in 12 games with the Giants this past season and played another 60 games with San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate. In parts of five seasons at the MLB level, the 33-year-old has a .215/.273/.335 batting line. Whiteside is set to earn $625K in 2013 and $200K of that sum is guaranteed. He has already been claimed on waivers three times this offseason, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Nationals Interested In Javier Vazquez

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Free agent starter Javier Vazquez might return to MLB in 2013, and if he does he’d like to join a contender. The 36-year-old ACES client will throw for multiple teams, including the Red Sox, in his native Puerto Rico tomorrow. Here are the latest Vazquez-related rumors…

  • The Nationals sent a top scout to watch Vazquez in a recent Puerto Rican winter league game, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. The Nationals were impressed with the right-hander and have interest in signing him to a minor league deal. Washington executives would be willing to grant Vazquez an out clause that would enable him to ask for his release if he’s not on the MLB roster by an agreed upon date. Kilgore suggests the Nationals would not be prepared to offer Vazquez a Major League deal.
  • A scout told Yahoo’s Tim Brown that Vazquez looks great physically (Twitter link). The ball is coming out of his hand well, the person said.

Poll: The Diamondbacks’ Outfield Depth

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The Diamondbacks have already traded an outfielder once this offseason, sending Chris Young to Oakland. Now that they've signed Cody Ross, they're positioned to deal another outfielder. Ross joins perpetual trade candidate Justin Upton and Jason Kubel in the team's starting outfield. Gerardo Parra projects as a bench player and prospects Adam Eaton and A.J. Pollock provide additional depth for general manager Kevin Towers.

Based on the most recent rumors surrounding the team, Upton and Kubel are potential trade candidates. However, there doesn’t appear to be a consensus on which player Towers will trade. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this morning that the industry seems divided on the topic of which player the Diamondbacks would prefer to move (Twitter link). Teams seeking a high-ceiling player who's years away from free agency will prefer Upton, while teams seeking an affordable short-term fix could pursue Kubel. Which player will the Diamondbacks trade?

MLBTR Seeks Part-Time Writing Help

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We’re looking to add to the MLB Trade Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis. The criteria:

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 30 MLB teams, no discernible bias. Knowledge of hot stove concepts such as arbitration and free agent compensation.
  • Availability to regularly work evenings and weekends, sometimes on short notice. Holiday availability is a big plus.
  • Writing experience is necessary and online writing experience is preferred. 
  • Journalistic experience writing and reporting is also a plus.
  • Attention to detail and ability to follow the MLBTR style and tone.  
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news concisely. 
  • Ability to accept and learn from constructive criticism. In general, a team player.
  • Ability to use Twitter and an RSS feed reader such as Google Reader. You must be able to multi-task.
  • If you're interested, email mlbtrhelp@gmail.com and explain how you stand out in a couple of short paragraphs. Hundreds will apply, so we will not be able to respond to most applications.

Orioles Could Add Relief Help

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Though most of the Orioles’ top relievers are under team control for 2013, executive vice president Dan Duquette said he’s open to adding bullpen help between now and Spring Training, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports. Duquette said he had some discussions regarding trade and free agent possibilities during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. That said, he sounds confident in the options already on his roster.

“These guys are at the age where some of them should improve and a couple of them should be able to maintain and perform at the level they did this past year, but that wouldn’t preclude us from adding some additional depth to our pitching staff,” Duquette said.

There’s not much room in the Baltimore bullpen. As Encina explains, Jim Johnson, Pedro Strop, Darren O’Day, Luis Ayala and Troy Patton will likely occupy five of the seven bullpen spots this coming season. Right-hander Tommy Hunter, left-hander Brian Matusz, and Rule 5 selection T.J. McFarland are among the Orioles’ internal options for the final two bullpen vacancies.

As the Sun’s Dan Connolly recently reported, the Orioles have shown interest in free agent right-hander Matt Lindstrom. There are still lots of alternatives available, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. For example, Chad Durbin, Jason Frasor and Brandon Lyon are among the free agent right-handers who could be targets on relatively modest deals.

Giants Sign Scott Proctor

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The Giants have signed free agent reliever Scott Proctor, Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea reports (on Twitter). The Treasure Coast Palm first reported that the Giants had a deal with the Jensen Beach resident. Frontline represents Proctor, who pitched in Korea in 2012.

Proctor, who celebrated his 36th birthday today, pitched to a 7.14 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 in 39 games for the Braves and Yankees in 2011.  For his career, the right-hander has a 4.78 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in seven big league seasons.

The Giants also signed Ryan Sadowski, according to Baggarly. The 30-year-old right-hander started six games for the 2009 Giants. Like Proctor, he pitched in Korea last year.

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