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Quick Hits: Bourn, Swisher, Red Sox, Alvarez, Diaz

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It's been another major day of hot stove news, headlined by Josh Hamilton's deal with the Angels and Anibal Sanchez's forthcoming choice between the Cubs and Tigers.  Here are some final items as we hit Friday…

Indians In “Aggressive Pursuit” Of Nick Swisher

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The Indians are in "aggressive pursuit" of Nick Swisher in the wake of the Shin-Soo Choo trade, reports ESPN's Jim Bowden (Twitter links). Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News says the Red Sox, Phillies, Mariners, Rangers, and Orioles have interest in the free agent switch-hitter as well.

Swisher, 32, hit .272/.364/.473 with 24 homers for the Yankees this season. It was his seventh consecutive season of 145+ games played and 22+ homers, one of only three big leaguers who can make that claim. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Swisher as the sixth best free agent available this offseason, predicting he would sign with Baltimore.

R.A. Dickey Rumors: Wednesday

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The extension and trade talks continue for the Mets and R.A. Dickey. The Mets recently increased their offer to the two-year, $20MM range on top of Dickey's 2013 salary of $5MM. Previously the team had been offering a total of approximately $16MM for the 2014-15 seasons, but Dickey still seeks $26MM for that two-year period. Meanwhile, at least a couple of teams have offered an elite prospect for the 38-year-old. Here’s the latest…

  • The Red Sox aren't pursuing Dickey for now, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). They won't pursue Dickey until they know if they can sign Ryan Dempster, a serious target for Boston. 

Earlier updates:

  • The Mets aren't expecting anything to happen with the Dodgers and Dickey, Martino reports (on Twitter). There doesn't appear to be a fit, as the Mets didn't like Zach Lee and Dee Gordon as a potential return.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson won't allow drama or emotion to determine the outcome of the Dickey situation, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes (Twitter links). The Mets say there's been more trade interest in Dickey since Zack Greinke signed and James Shields was traded.
  • Dickey spoke up about his extension talks at a Mets holiday function and the organization was "not happy" about it, Joel Sherman and Mike Puma of the New York Post report. There's an "underlying tension between team and player," the Post writers explain. Dickey, the 2012 NL Cy Young winner, continues to draw trade interest. The Rangers have inquired, and so has every AL East team. The Mets want a high-end prospect and at least one other very good prospect, but they'd consider providing the acquiring team with a window for negotiating an extension. 
  • Though the Mets are low-balling Dickey, they should use the leverage they have, Sherman writes. They know Dickey wants security and they know other teams seek top-of-the-rotation starters, so they're not about to compromise. The Mets have some concerns about the knuckleballer both on and off of the field.

2012 Rule 5 Draft Results

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Each year, Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings conclude with the Rule 5 Draft. For those who are unfamiliar with the event, MLBTR offers an in-depth description, but here's a quick overview.

Players are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if they aren't on the 40-man roster four or five years after signing, depending on the age at which they signed. Teams draft in the reverse order of the previous season's standings but aren't required to make a selection. If they do choose a player, they pay his former team $50K and must keep that player on the Major League roster all season or offer him back to his original team for $25K.

The results from the Major League phase:

  1. Astros take righty Josh Fields from Red Sox
  2. Cubs take righty Hector Rondon from Indians
  3. Rockies take lefty Danny Rosenbaum from Nationals
  4. Twins take righty Ryan Pressly from Red Sox
  5. Indians take first baseman Chris McGuiness from Rangers
  6. Marlins take outfielder Alfredo Silverio from Dodgers
  7. Red Sox take second baseman Jeff Kobernus from Nationals; traded to Tigers for infielder/outfielder Justin Henry
  8. Royals
  9. Blue Jays
  10. Mets take lefty Kyle Lobstein from Rays; traded to Tigers for cash considerations
  11. Mariners
  12. Padres
  13. Pirates
  14. Diamondbacks take righty Starling Peralta from Cubs
  15. Phillies take outfielder Ender Inciarte from Diamondbacks
  16. Brewers
  17. White Sox take infielder Angel Sanchez from Angels
  18. Dodgers
  19. Cardinals
  20. Tigers
  21. Angels
  22. Rays
  23. Orioles take lefty T.J. McFarland from Indians
  24. Rangers take righty Coty Woods from Rockies
  25. Athletics
  26. Giants
  27. Braves
  28. Yankees
  29. Reds
  30. Nationals

Second round of Major League phase:

Orioles Notes: Conor Jackson, Swisher, Novak

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The latest on the Orioles:

  • The Orioles signed Conor Jackson to a minor league deal, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com and other reporters.  Jackson, 30, spent 2012 with the Triple-A affiliate of the White Sox, hitting .277/.363/.434 in 366 plate appearances while playing the outfield corners and third base.
  • Though executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette would like to add a power bat, he dismissed Nick Swisher as a possibility.
  • The Orioles announced they've signed 18-year-old lefty Jan Novak from the Czech Republic.  I'm told Novak is tall and athletic southpaw who sits in the high 80s with the makings of a change-up and slider.  He's understandably a bit raw.

Nationals Remain Confident On LaRoche

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7:10pm: Multiple Nats officials are telling Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link) that the team has an informal Christmas deadline to resolve LaRoche's situation. The Nats remain optimistic he'll sign, though Jim Bowden tweets that the team has resolved not to go past two years.

6:49pm: The Nationals have been telling people they hope to get LaRoche signed by week's end, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark, but they still don't want to guarantee more than two years.

4:36pm: The Nationals remain confident they'll re-sign first baseman Adam LaRoche, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  He says that might lead to the Nationals sending Mike Morse to the Mariners, who have "big interest" in getting him back.

We heard yesterday that the Nationals are holding firm at a two-year offer with no option for LaRoche.  LaRoche remains on Baltimore's radar, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, who also have interest in Morse.

Latest On Nate Schierholtz

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5:52pm: The Braves have interest in Schierholtz, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

1:00pm: The Orioles made an offer to Schierholtz that was turned down this morning, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  The O's eventually inked Nate McLouth.

9:27am: Having generated plenty of interest since hitting the free agent market last week, Nate Schierholtz is making "good progress" toward a new deal, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Olney adds that the Yankees are the early favorites to land the 28-year-old (Twitter links).

Schierholtz was traded by the Giants to the Phillies in the deadline deal that sent Hunter Pence to San Francisco. For the season, the outfielder hit .257/.321/.407 in 269 plate appearances. Despite a potential arbitration cost of around $1.6MM, according to MLBTR's projections, the Phillies elected not to tender Schierholtz a contract for 2013.

Nick Swisher Rumors: Wednesday

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3:41pm: Morosi tweets that the Orioles aren't likely to make a real push for Swisher with McLouth back in the fold. Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and SiriusXM identifies Swisher's strongest suitors as the Phillies, Indians, and Mariners (Twitter link).

2:44pm: Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports still list the Red Sox and Giants among the potential suitors for Swisher. However, the Sox would have to move Jacoby Ellsbury, while the Giants figure to employ a low-cost platoon in left field instead.

The Orioles, Mariners, and Indians are also still involved, according to the FOX duo.

1:02pm: Indians manager Terry Francona called Swisher to pitch the Tribe to him, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

11:38am: After missing out on Shane Victorino to the Red Sox, the Indians have shifted their focus to other outfielders. One of their targets, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter), is Nick Swisher.

The Red Sox and Giants both had interest in Swisher, but with Victorino in Boston and San Francisco likely not having the money for a big free agent outfielder, those teams both appear to be out of the running.

The Orioles and Mariners are among the other clubs that could be in on Swisher, though MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli writes that Baltimore may just be doing due diligence on the former Yankee. The O's still hope to sign Nate McLouth, and Swisher may be out of their price range, says Ghiroli.

Orioles Sign Adam Russell

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The Orioles have signed Adam Russell to a minor league deal with a spring training invite, according to Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com (Twitter links). Russell announced the deal himself this afternoon on his Twitter account.

Russell, 29, has recorded a 3.95 career ERA in 86 2/3 big league innings with the White Sox, Padres, and Rays. He spent time in the Braves' system in 2012 before he was released.

Orioles To Sign Nate McLouth

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The Orioles have found their left fielder, retaining Nate McLouth on a one-year, $2MM deal with $500K in incentives.  McLouth is represented by The Sparta Group.

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McLouth, 31, joined the Orioles in June after being released by the Pirates.  He had a nice run for the O's, hitting .268/.342/.435 in 236 plate appearances.  McLouth made the All-Star team in 2008 and signed a $15.75MM extension with the Pirates the following February.  The Bucs traded him to the Braves a few months later, where he had a disappointing three-year stint.  With the new Orioles contract, it was said McLouth sought only a straight one-year deal, as he looks to further re-establish his value.

So far this offseason, the Orioles also picked up the option for reliever Luis Ayala and acquired Alexi Casilla, Trayvon Robinson, Danny Valencia, and Yamaico Navarro.     

Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com first reported the agreement, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun first reported it was close, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports added the amount.  Photo courtesy of U.S. Presswire.

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