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Rays Sign Mike Fontenot

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The Rays have signed infielder Mike Fontenot to a minor league contract, reports Baseball America's Matt Eddy (on Twitter). The team also re-signed outfielder Rich Thompson to a minor league deal.

Fontenot, 32, hit .289/.343/.340 in 105 plate appearances for the Phillies this year. He also hit .308/.368/.481 in 58 plate appearances with their Triple-A squad. Thompson, 33, had two hits in 22 plate appearances for Tampa last year, doing most of his work as a pinch-runner. It was his first appearance in the big leagues since 2004.

NL East Links: Pavano, Span, Hamilton, Wright

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Here's the latest from the NL East…

  • Carl Pavano told Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post that he'd love to return to the Marlins in 2013. His agent, Dave Pepe, has spoken to the team recently, but it's unclear if that will lead to a contract.
  • The Braves agreed to sign B.J. Upton earlier today, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears the team discussed the idea of both signing Upton and trading for Denard Span (Twitter link). Talks with the Twins failed to progress, however.
  • "Watch out for the Phillies to surprise everyone and sign [Josh] Hamilton,'' said an agent to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). Crasnick notes that GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is fond of big splashes.
  • The Mets should trade David Wright, argues MLB.com's Matthew Leach. He says the third baseman's value will never be higher, and the team needs an infusion of young talent.

Blue Jays Notes: Johnson, Rasmus, Untouchables

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Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos spoke to reporters today, and MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm recapped the scrum. Here's the important hot stove stuff…

  • "We still can add depth in our rotation, still get better in the bullpen," said the GM when asked if he was actively looking for help. The blockbuster with the Marlins did change the dynamic of their free agent pursuits.
  • Anthopoulos said he "never (feels) a rush to extend a player" when asked about a potential extension for Josh Johnson, who is open to a new deal.
  • Rotation depth is likely to come on minor league contracts, though a guaranteed deal is not out of the question under the right circumstances.
  • The Blue Jays are not in the market for free agent position players at the moment.
  • "You know what, I never talk about who we’re going to extend who we’re not going to extend," replied Anthopoulos when asked about a potential contract extension for Colby Rasmus.
  • Anthopoulos admitted to softening his stance on "untouchable" players. "I’ve always had players I’m highly reluctant to trade, but at the same time, over time, I’ve realized if we have a chance to make the team better I’m going to be open to it," he said.

Twins Notes: Morneau, Liriano, Span, Pavano

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Here's the latest on the Twins, courtesy of ESPN 1500's Darren Wolfson…

  • "No. Obviously I love playing here. I love the city. I love the people. Hopefully it doesn't become a distraction," said Justin Morneau when asked if the team has approached his agent about an extension. The slugger can become a free agent next offseason, and he said he hopes to remain with the Twins through 2013.
  • The Twins have touched base with approximately 20 free agent pitchers so far, though a source downplayed their interest in a reunion with Francisco Liriano.
  • "Look for an active (Winter Meetings)," said one of Wolfson's sources. There's a belief Denard Span could be traded.
  • Carl Pavano's representatives will meet with the Twins during the Winter Meetings in Nashville next week. The right-hander's shoulder was cleared by doctors recently.
  • The Twins are looking for a third baseman. They could shift Trevor Plouffe to the outfield or find a left-handed hitting platoon partner.

SoCal Links: Walden, Angels, Fujikawa, Field, Kuroda

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The Angels finalized their contract with Ryan Madson today, but here's some more out of Southern California…

Royals “Calling Everyone” To Trade Hochevar & Chen

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The Royals are "calling everyone" in an attempt to trade both Luke Hochevar and Bruce Chen, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). The team is accelerating its timetable to acquire rotation help and wants to free up money.

Hochevar, 29, pitched to a 5.73 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 185 1/3 innings this season. The first overall pick in the 2006 draft owns a 5.39 ERA in 771 career innings. Hochevar is arbitration-eligible for the third time this winter and is projected to earn $4.4MM by Matt Swartz. He's a candidate to be non-tendered by Friday's deadline.

Chen, 35, posted a 5.07 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 191 2/3 innings this year. He's revived his career in Kansas City, pitching to a 4.55 ERA in 549 1/3 innings since 2009. Chen will earn $4.5MM next season as part of the two-year, $9MM contract he signed last winter. The soft-tossing southpaw will become a free agent next offseason.

Earlier today team owner David Glass told Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star that the team needs to maintain a $70MM payroll to break even, but they will "react based on what (their) opportunities are." The Royals have already acquired Ervin Santana and re-signed Jeremy Guthrie this offseason, but they continue to look for ways to upgrade a starting staff that posted to a 5.01 ERA this year.

Aledmys Diaz & Dariel Alvarez Close To Free Agency

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Cuban prospects Aledmys Diaz and Dariel Alvarez are expected to be declared free agents soon, reports MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Both players have submitted their paperwork to the commissioner's office and could enter the market as soon as early next week.

Diaz, 22, is a right-handed hitting shortstop who defected last summer and has since established residency in Mexico. He stands 6-foot-1 and 185 lbs. and will take part in a series of showcase events starting next week. Sanchez says Diaz can hit for average and power while providing speed as well. Several teams have already expressed interest in signing him.

Alvarez, 24, is a right-handed hitting outfielder. He also defected last summer and established residency in Mexico, where he has been playing winter ball. Alvarez stands 6-foot-2 and 190 lbs. and is said to be able to play all three outfield spots while providing an above-average arm. Sanchez says it's unclear if Diaz or Alvarez will command contracts on par with Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig.

Orioles Have Interest In Koji Uehara & Kameron Loe

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The bullpen was a major strength for the Orioles this season, but that doesn't mean they won't look for upgrades this winter. Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun hears the team has some interest in Koji Uehara and Kameron Loe.

“He’s on our list, we like him. He’s been here before," said GM Dan Duquette of Uehara, who pitched in Baltimore from 2009 until being traded away at the 2011 deadline. 

The Orioles have inquired about several other relievers including Japanese free agent Kyuji Fujikawa, notes Connolly. Uehara, 37, pitched to a 1.75 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 0.8 BB/9 in 36 innings for the Rangers last year. Loe, 31, posted a 4.61 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 68 1/3 innings for the Brewers. He started his career under Orioles manager Buck Showalter while with Texas.

Dodgers Have Interest In Kyle Lohse

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The Dodgers have interest in free agent right-hander Kyle Lohse, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles (on Twitter). The team has made no secret of their desire to add pitching or willingness to spend this offseason.

Lohse, 34, pitched to a 2.86 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 33 starts and a career-high 211 innings with the Cardinals this season. He's thrown at least 180 innings in each of the last two years and in three of the last five years. St. Louis did make Lohse a qualifying offer after the season, so signing him will require draft pick compensation.

New York Notes: Dickey, Wright, Martin, Ichiro

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It's been a busy baseball day in New York, as the Mets made David Wright a nine-figure contract offer while the Yankees moved closer to re-signing Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. Here's the latest out of the Big Apple…

  • "Negotiations are progressing, that's all I can really say about it," said R.A. Dickey when asked about contract talks with the Mets during an appearance on ESPN's Mike & Mike (audio link). The knuckleballer admitted to being loyal to the club since they gave him a chance when others passed.
  • David Lennon of Newsday says (on Twitter) it appears the Mets want to sign Wright to a new contract before wrapping things up with Dickey.
  • Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York hears Russell Martin is seeking a four-year contract worth $9-10MM annually (Twitter link). He doesn't believe the Yankees will go that far.
  • Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports (on Twitter) the Yankees are not having serious talks with Ichiro Suzuki at this time.

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