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C.J. Wilson Rumors: Wednesday

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The latest on free agent lefty C.J. Wilson…

  • Wilson has arrived at the Winter Meetings and will meet with the Marlins tonight, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Miami's offer appeals to Wilson because of the long-term commitment and because he'd have a chance to hit, tweets T.R. Sullivan. I can't imagine the opportunity to get at-bats being a deciding factor, but it could at least be a notch in the 'pros' column.
  • Angels sources have suggested they won't increase their offer to six years, which could give the Marlins the edge, tweets Jon Heyman.
  • The Marlins are the "best bet" for Wilson, with the Angels a close runner-up, Rosenthal hears.
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels told reporters, including T.R. Sullivan, that he's resigned to the possibility that Wilson will sign elsewhere.
  • The Marlins' offer to Wilson is still on the table, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
  • If the Angels sign Wilson, it would likely be for five years, rather than six, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram hears that the Rangers haven't offered Wilson five years (Twitter link).
  • Now that the Marlins have reached an agreement with Buehrle, they're likely out on Wilson, according to a number of reporters, including T.R. Sullivan. This could mean Wilson's decision will come down to the Angels vs. the Rangers. However, Jon Heyman of MLB Network hears the Marlins may still be trying for Wilson (Twitter link).
  • Wilson tells MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan he's undecided and "torn in different directions."
  • The Marlins have big offers out to Wilson and Buehrle, tweets Buster Olney, and they'll sign whoever says yes first.
  • If the Angels don't match the Marlins' six-year offer, Wilson will likely sign with Miami, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.  The Nationals are out on Wilson, notes Morosi.
  • Wilson has a six-year offer from the Marlins, reports Tom Verducci of MLB Network.  However, Danny Knobler says the Angels are currently the clear favorite and Wilson's decision is not expected before late tonight.
  • The Marlins are well down the road with negotiations for Wilson and Mark Buehrle, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark.  They're saying that if they sign one of the starters, that will end their Albert Pujols pursuit.
  • The Rangers are not optimistic about re-signing Wilson, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  Team officials expect him to sign with the Angels or Marlins.
  • The Angels are ramping up efforts to sign Wilson with hopes of getting a deal done today, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

David Ortiz Accepts Arbitration

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8:08pm: Ortiz has officially accepted arbitration, tweets Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. Neither side has ruled out a multiyear deal at some point this offseason, tweets MLB.com's Ian Browne. The Sox reportedly increased their two-year offer to Ortiz today.

3:30pm: The Red Sox have not heard any official word from Ortiz, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford.

2:20pm: Free agent DH David Ortiz will accept Boston's arbitration offer, tweets MLB Network's Jon Heyman.  Ortiz's plan was first reported yesterday by ESPN's Enrique Rojas.  That means Ortiz is under the team's control for 2012 at a salary to potentially be determined by the arbitration process.  He'll get a raise on this year's $12.5MM salary.

Ortiz, 36, was MLBTR's 13th-ranked free agent, but his market was cold given his inability to play the field and the attached draft pick cost.

Brewers Expect Rollins To Sign With Phillies

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The latest on free agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins…

  • Phillies sources tell Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link) that there was no meeting with Rollins tonight.
  • The Phillies are currently meeting with Lozano and could "get to the finish line" tonight, tweets Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • While no deal between the Phillies and Rollins has been agreed upon, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio hears from sources on both sides that it will get done (Twitter link).
  • The Brewers expect Rollins to re-sign with the Phillies because their second meeting with agent Dan Lozano was canceled, tweets Haudricourt. According to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. had this to say on the Brewers' expectations: "That's good news, I guess. I don't know why they have that thought process, but I hope it's true."
  • The Phillies are not close to re-signing Rollins, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
  • The Brewers are hearing that Rollins is staying with the Phillies, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  ESPN's Chris Singleton received an encouraging report from a Phillies person that a deal with Rollins will get done soon.

Mets Listening On Niese, Others In Trade Talks

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The Mets are being aggressive at the Winter Meetings, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post, talking about everyone except David Wright. Among young players, the Mets are talking the most about Jonathon Niese rather than Davis, tweets Sherman. Niese, 25, is under team control through 2015 and could be an alternative for teams that find Oakland's asking price too high for Gio Gonzalez. Here are today's rumors on Niese and other Mets trade candidates, with the newest updates on top:

  • Teams have been inquiring about Mike Pelfrey as well, but the Mets were underwhelmed by the offers, tweets Martino.
  • The Mets would like a placeholder starter for their big league club in addition to a prospect for Niese, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post and Sherman (Twitter links). Sherman points to Jason Hammel as a possible match, though Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter) hears the Rockies haven't had discussions with the Mets.
  • The Red Sox aren't a match for Niese, says Alex Speier of WEEI.
  • The Padres aren't interested in Niese, a source tells Martino (Twitter link).
  • Andy Martino hears the Mets would have to get a lot if they were to trade Niese, and aren't close to anything. Two team officials that spoke to Martino don't expect a trade today (Twitter links). Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger adds, via Twitter, that the asking price for Daniel Murphy is also high.
  • The Blue Jays are also talking to the Mets about Niese, tweets Sherman. The Yankees have also called, but Sherman isn't sure how serious they are (Twitter link).
  • The Mets are hoping to get multiple pieces in return for Niese, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network. They're interested in adding a catcher, an infielder, and prospects.
  • The Red Sox have talked to the Mets and have interest in Niese, says Sherman.
  • The Padres and Rockies are among the teams interested in Niese, tweets Sherman.  The Padres could get in on Niese but have not engaged yet, adds Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Marlins To Sign Mark Buehrle

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The Marlins' heavy offseason spending continued today, as they agreed to sign lefty Mark Buehrle to a four-year, $58MM deal, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The durable lefty will head to the National League for the first time in his career to bolster Miami's rotation.  Buehrle, who spent his entire career with the White Sox after being drafted in the 38th round in 1998, follows former Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to Miami.  This offseason, the Marlins have shocked baseball by committing $191MM to Buehrle, Jose Reyes, and Heath Bell in preparation of the opening of their new stadium next year.

Buehrle

The contract represents a slight bump from Buehrle's previous deal.  He's represented by Jeff Berry of CAA Sports.  Buehrle, 32, has been remarkably consistent, pitching at least 201 innings in every season since 2001.  Buehrle has a pitch-to-contact style, as his 5.1 career strikeout rate attests, and his career ERA is 3.83.  He joins Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, and Ricky Nolasco in what could be an excellent Marlins rotation.

The Nationals were the other finalist for Buehrle, reportedly offering three years and $42-45MM.  The Rangers also topped out at three years.  In addition to Buehrle, the Marlins had been bidding on C.J. Wilson.  Buehrle was quickly priced out of the White Sox' range, and they'll get a supplemental draft pick for losing the fan favorite.

MLBTR writers Steve Adams and Zach Links correctly predicted in November that Buehrle would sign with the Marlins.  Check out our free agent prediction contest leaderboard here.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.    

Marlins Not Looking To Trade Hanley Ramirez

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3:25pm: Ramirez did not ask to have his contract restructured and is not getting traded, Marlins president David Samson told Ken Rosenthal.

3:10pm: The Marlins didn't seem interested in trading new third baseman Hanley Ramirez at today's Jose Reyes press conference, but ESPN's Buster Olney says they're now looking to move Hanley after his agent asked for a restructured contract.  Olney says that if the Marlins can move the $46.5MM owed to Ramirez over the next three years, they hope to use that money on Prince Fielder.

Ramirez, 27, had the worst season of his career in 2011, slumping to .243/.333/.379 in 385 plate appearances.  His shortstop defense is considered below-average.  Still, it was just a year ago that Hanley was a four-to-seven wins above replacement player.

Indians Looking At Right-Handed Bats

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WEDNESDAY: The Indians are a fit for Houston's Carlos Lee but are wary of the cost, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.  Of course, the Astros would assume a portion of Lee's $18.5MM salary.  

TUESDAY: The Indians are looking at right-handed hitters such as Derrek Lee, Andruw Jones, and Mike Cameron, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Yesterday we heard the Indians have mild interest in Josh Willingham, and on Friday they were linked to Mark DeRosa.

Also, Morosi says the Indians are willing to trade from their bullpen depth to acquire the right bat.

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