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Latest On Aroldis Chapman

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1:11pm: The Red Sox are indeed doing background work on Chapman, tweets Rosenthal, although that’s more a sign of genuine interest than proximity to a trade’s completion.

12:17pm: The Red Sox are being aggressive on many fronts, one of which is believed to be Chapman, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

11:13am: Aroldis Chapman has seen his name circulate in trade rumors for the past year and is widely known to be on the block once again, and Peter Gammons of MLB Network and GammonsDaily.com now reports that four people have insisted to him this morning that Chapman will be traded by the end of the coming weekend (Twitter link).

Chapman most prominently drew interest from the Astros, Yankees and Diamondbacks prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and he’s been speculatively connected to the Yankees, Red Sox and others this past week over the course of the GM Meetings. The Nationals and Tigers are also known to be seeking high-end bullpen help, and the Blue Jays have shown interest in the past as well. Gammons doesn’t specify which clubs are in the mix for Chapman at this time, but Cincinnati president of baseball ops Walt Jocketty more or less confirmed this week that he’s more or less open for business and will listen to talks on virtually any player on his club.

Chapman, with one year of club control remaining, is a natural trade chip for the rebuilding Reds. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected the left-hander to earn a steep $12.9MM in his final year of arbitration eligibility, and while that’s top-of-the-market value for a relief arm, Chapman has undoubtedly proven himself worthy of that much, if not more. The 27-year-old struck out more than 15 hitters per nine innings for the fourth consecutive season in 2015 while averaging 99.5 mph on his fastball. Over the course of the four seasons in question, Chapman has a 1.90 ERA and has saved 33 or more games per season.

Heyman’s Latest: Offseason Spending, CarGo, Pirates, Kennedy, Gallardo

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In his latest notes column, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports begins by classifying the Angels, Giants, Tigers, Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals and Dodgers as the expected “big spenders” of the offseason, breaking down some targets that each club could pursue. Heyman goes on to call the Orioles, Blue Jays, Yankees, D-Backs, Mets, Royals and Padres as “medium spenders,” noting that each has needs and could make one significant addition or a series of mid-range moves in order to address multiple areas around the roster. As he did with the big-spending clubs, Heyman examines a few plausible scenarios for each, noting that the Royals are still in the three- or four-year range on Alex Gordon, thereby casting some doubt on a potential reunion.

A few highlights from his column…

  • While Andrelton Simmons’ name has been a hot topic over the past 15 hours or so, there’s a “good chance” that the Braves will make Julio Teheran available at some point this winter. Teheran’s value isn’t as high as that of Simmons at the moment, I wouldn’t think, due to a down year for Teheran in 2015. Moving him would be selling low, which makes it more difficult to envision a deal, from my vantage point.
  • The White Sox were one of “many teams” to which agent Brodie Van Wagenen made a presentation regarding Yoenis Cespedes, though the greater needs for the ChiSox come at catcher, third base, second base and shortstop.
  • The Rockies have again made Carlos Gonzalez available in trades, as many expected would be the case following the summer trade of Troy Tulowitzki. CarGo dominated the National League from June through season’s end after struggling with injuries in 2014 and early 2015 and undoubtedly restored an exceptional amount of trade value. Heyman speculatively listed the Orioles as a potential match when discussing Baltimore in his intro section.
  • Pittsburgh has fielded offers on all seven of its players that are a year removed from free agency. That includes Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Mark Melancon, Mike Morse, Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli. However, the Pirates are also said to be considering an attempt at locking Cervelli up on a multi-year deal.
  • Ian Kennedy is planning to decline the Padres’ qualifying offer, per Heyman. Both Tim Dierkes and I have noted that there’s little sense in Kennedy accepting the offer. The right-hander is fourth in innings pitched in the NL over the past five seasons and has averaged 8.5 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in that time while posting a 3.89 ERA, 3.87 FIP and 3.78 xFIP. Homer struggles in 2015 aside, Kennedy finished strong and should get paid somewhere. It’s hard to envision a Scott Boras client being the first to accept a qualifying offer, and if all else fails, Kennedy can go the Ervin Santana route and sign a one-year deal near the value of the QO late in the offseason.
  • Similarly, Yovani Gallardo plans to turn down the Rangers’ QO. Heyman hears he’s expected to sign elsewhere despite being a Fort Worth area native. The Rangers will again attempt to re-sign Colby Lewis, he adds.

Mariners, Royals, Cubs Have Interest In Jackie Bradley

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11:30am: The Mariners, too, have interest in acquiring Bradley, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Bradley would certainly align GM Jerry Dipoto’s preference to add athleticism and defense to his outfield as well as his preference for trades over free agency.

8:30am: There’s a “growing sentiment” that Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski could break up his starting outfield trio of Jackie Bradley, Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo, writes WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. The likeliest piece of that group to be moved is seemingly Bradley, according to Bradford, who has already generated trade interest from both the Cubs and Royals.

While Bradley enjoyed a nice overall season with the Red Sox this past year, one general manager opined that the Sox would be selling high if they were to move him at this time. The 25-year-old Bradley (26 next April) posted a nice .249/.335/.489 bating line in 2015 and justified the considerable defensive hype that comes with his name, saving eight to 10 runs (based on his respective Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating marks) while logging a combined 608 innings across all three outfield spots.

Despite the strong cumulative numbers at the plate, however, Bradley didn’t hit much outside of a torrid month of August. A .451 BABIP that month helped propel Bradley to a .354/.429/.734 batting line — the power he showed does indicate that there was more to the surge than pure luck on balls put into play — but he didn’t post an OPS mark greater than .739 (just barely higher than his August slugging, alone) in any other month of the season.

Bradley is unequivocally a dynamic defender, which makes it understandable that the Royals, who value glovework perhaps more than any other team in baseball, would have some interest in him. The Cubs’ interest isn’t a surprise, either, considering that president Theo Epstein was with the Red Sox when Bradley was drafted 40th overall in 2011. The question for Kansas City and Chicago — or any interested club — is whether Bradley’s 2015 batting line can be reproduced in a more consistent manner over the life of a full season. If so, that could make him one of the game’s most valuable all-around outfielders. If the end result of a full season of Bradley is closer to his lifetime .213/.290/.349 batting line, however, he looks more the part of an elite defensive fourth outfielder. That’s still a valuable piece to a Major League roster but, of course, would come with considerably less value than a premium defender whose bat was 15 to 20 percent above the league average (when adjusting for park).

The Red Sox would figure to have a lofty asking price on Bradley, whom they control through the 2020 season. Bradley’s service time (one year, 150 days) means he’ll be a Super Two player and qualify for arbitration four times instead of the standard three, assuming he is not demoted to the minor leagues again, but if he’s able to turn in comparable results to his 2015 production, a club certainly wouldn’t be bothered by that fact.

It’s worth noting in all of this that while a rival GM might’ve opined to Bradford that moving Bradley would be selling high, there’s no indication that the Red Sox are thinking in that manner at this time. Dombrowski recently labeled Bradley “one of the best defensive outfielders [he’s] ever seen.”

AL East Notes: Chen, Bundy, Saltalamacchia, Sox, Rays, Jays

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The Yankees “could make a serious run” at left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, reports Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. A source tells Feinsand that the Yankees will be one of the many teams involved in talks for the Scott Boras client, and in an ideal world, the Yanks would love to add a left-handed starter. David Price, of course, is the top lefty name on the market, but Chen will have a much more reasonable asking price, Feinsand hears, as he’s seeking a five-year deal. GM Brian Cashman said at the GM Meetings that while talent trumps handedness, in an ideal setting he’d be able to balance out his rotation a bit while also providing an upgrade. The Yankees are more than familiar with Chen, having watched him pitch for the division-rival Orioles for the past four seasons.

A few more notes from the AL East…

  • Orioles righty Dylan Bundy has been shut down from Arizona Fall League action after experiencing forearm tightness, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. It’s certainly possible that the move is primarily precautionary, as Baltimore will no doubt handle Bundy with extreme care, but it’s obviously not encouraging given his lengthy struggle with arm injuries.
  • The Orioles have reached out to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s camp, a source tells Rich Dubroff of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Baltimore has interest in Saltalamacchia in the event that Matt Wieters rejects their qualifying offer, as he’s widely expected to do. According to Dubroff, if and when Wieters declines, the O’s will have interest in adding a veteran backstop. Dubroff doesn’t explicitly state it, but based on his reporting, it seems that the Orioles view the QO as the only means by which they’ll be able to retain their longtime catcher.
  • While the Red Sox have a clear need in the rotation, they also lacked hard-throwing relievers in 2015 and, with a closer on the wrong side of 40, would be wise to explore the trade market for dominant bullpen arms, opines Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Lauber lists Drew Storen, Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon as potential targets, noting that the GM of each respective club at least hinted at the possibility of each pitcher’s availability this week. Chapman is well-known to be available, and that’s the wide belief on Storen, also. Lauber notes that both the Reds and Nats have needs in the outfield and in other areas of depth for the Red Sox, making alignment on a trade possible in theory.
  • Lauber’s colleague, Michael Silverman, writes in a separate column that trading for an ace might not happen for the Red Sox this winter. Silverman quotes execs from the Mets, Athletics and White Sox on the availability (or lack thereof) of the Mets’ young rotation, Sonny Gray and Chris Sale. The strong reluctance from teams with controllable pitching suggests that Sox fans shouldn’t get their hearts set on prying a front-line arm away from a club that possesses a young ace (or, in the Mets’ case, young aces) — as such pitchers are of the rarest breed.
  • Rays president of baseball operations Matt Silverman (not to be confused with the similarly named Boston columnist referenced in the previous bullet) spoke with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times about his penchant for trades since moving to the top of the team’s baseball operations pyramid. As Topkin notes, Silverman has made 13 trades in 13 months, though the young exec says he didn’t necessarily plan to be so active. Silverman explained, though, that the team’s financial inability to compete for top-tier free agents and top international players (at least the ones who could make an immediate impact) forces him into the trade market. Topkin reports that the Rays aren’t even soliciting interest in Evan Longoria, nor are they planning to do so, but they’d like to move James Loney and the remaining $8MM on his contract to increase payroll flexibility and open at-bats for other players.
  • Topkin also reports (via Twitter) that the Rays are one of many clubs showing interest in free agent lefty Rich Hill. The journeyman southpaw dominated in four starts for the Red Sox late last season, creating a good deal of intrigue around him. Unlike most free agents, Hill’s lack of track record and status as an upside play shouldn’t price him out of the Rays’ range.
  • The Blue Jays would like to add at least two starting pitchers and ideally three, interim GM Tony LaCava told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (Twitter link). In a full column, Nicholson-Smith writes that while adding that type of pitching is the goal there’s no plan to move pieces such as Jose Bautista or Edwin Encarnacion to make it happen. The Jays aren’t interested in detracting from a strength to enhance a weakness.
  • Additionally of note from Nicholson-Smith’s column is that the Blue Jays remain uncertain as to the role of Roberto Osuna in 2016. While Osuna was a brilliant closer for the team in 2015 despite his status as the league’s youngest player (20), he was being developed as a starter and could have more long-term value in that role. The team’s ability to add rotation arms this winter will likely impact what role Osuna and Aaron Sanchez occupy in 2016.

Darren O’Day Has Multiple Offers In Hand

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TODAY, 2:48pm: Even the reliever-rich Royals have expressed interest, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.

11:05am: The Dodgers are “showing significant interest” in O’Day, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com previously connected O’Day to the Dodgers. With a number of teams pursuing the veteran, some executives tell Crasnick that a deal well in excess of last year’s Luke Gregerson contract (three years, $18.5MM) could be in order.

MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has predicted that O’Day will take down $22.5MM over three years. His age (33) is perhaps the only major limiting factor in his market, and a serious run-up in demand could conceivably get him a fourth year guaranteed.

YESTERDAY: The market for free-agent right-hander Darren O’Day is moving quickly, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney (links to Twitter). The Beverly Hills Sports Council client already has offers in hand, according to Olney, and he’s planning to meet with the managers of some of those teams in the coming week. Olney lists the Tigers, Red Sox and Giants as three clubs to have shown interest in O’Day, though it’s not known if any of those three are among the teams to have extended a formal offer.

Typically, it behooves free agents — especially relievers — to sign contracts early in the offseason. A look back to November relief signings over the past few years shows the likes of Zach Duke (three years, $15MM), Joe Smith (three years, $15.75MM), Javier Lopez (three years, $13MM), Jonathan Broxton (three years, $21MM), Jeremy Affeldt (three years, $18MM) and Joaquin Benoit (three years, $16.5MM back in 2010) all landed sizable contracts despite not being considered the top names on the free agent market. Of course, O’Day also has the advantage of being the consensus top name on this year’s relief market, so perhaps it’s not as crucial for him to sign early. Still, striking early while each club has its entire offseason budget at its disposal isn’t a bad route for O’Day’s camp.

Over the past four seasons, the 32-year-old O’Day has worked to a 1.92 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. He saved his best season for his contract year, establishing new career-bests in ERA (1.52) and K/9 (11.3); opponents batted just .198/.257/.283 against O’Day. He yielded just a .210/.293/.333 batting line to left-handed hitters and dominated right-handed bats, who mustered only a .192/.236/.256 line against him.

Interest in O’Day was said to be “steep” from day one at the GM Meetings, with the Cubs, Royals, Nationals and Dodgers all being connected to the former Oriole yesterday as well.

Relief Market Notes: Giles, Soria, D’Backs, Tigers, Braves

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Ken Giles is drawing quite a bit of trade interest in the early stages of the offseason, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Salisbury asked Phillies GM Matt Klentak if he’d be open to moving Giles, despite the fact that he can be controlled through the 2020 season, to which Klentak somewhat diplomatically replied that while it’s “not a goal” to move Giles, he avoids operating in absolutes and can’t definitively rule anything out. Klentak didn’t sound like a GM that is anxious to trade such a talented, controllable arm, though. “I think it’s a little different when you’re talking about a guy with one year of service time,” he explained. “If you were talking about a pending free agent then, yeah, that might be a slightly different situation. But Ken Giles, if he’s here, can very easily be a part of our future, so I think we have to account for that in our thinking.” Klentak added that it’s important, from a morale standpoint, to “win the games we are in a position to win,” emphasizing that a strong bullpen is key to that thinking. I’ve personally written in the past that I think it makes sense for Philadelphia to shop Giles, as he’ll be getting expensive in arbitration by the time the team is again ready to contend, and a relief pitcher isn’t the safest bet to serve as a building block due to their somewhat volatile nature. That said, Giles is unequivocally excellent and should only be moved for a rather notable return.

A few more notes on the relief market…

  • The Red Sox, Tigers and Rangers have all expressed interest in Joakim Soria, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (links to Twitter). All three clubs have some previous ties to the right-hander, Morosi notes, as Soria recently closed games for both Texas and Detroit, while Boston president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski traded for Soria when he was GM of the Tigers. Soria’s market figures to be robust, as he’s already been linked to the Twins as well as the three teams listed here by Morosi.
  • There are conflicting reports on the Diamondbacks’ intentions in the late innings. Arizona “seem[s] intent on acquiring a closer,” Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports, while Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says that the team “now seem[s] content” to add arms in front of Brad Ziegler.
  • The Tigers are one team with interest in Craig Kimbrel of the Padres, says Heyman, who adds that Detroit seems more inclined to utilize free agency for its relief acquisitions.
  • “I think we’re going to try to add at least one left-hander and as many quality relievers as we can,” Braves GM John Coppolella told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. While the Braves are on the hunt for bullpen upgrades, they’re looking for lower-key arms that could yield big results without a huge price tag. Bowman notes that the Braves won’t be pursuing the likes of Darren O’Day and Tyler Clippard due to their presumed asking prices. The team will look for players who could turn into for the Braves what Ryan Madson turned into for the Royals. The Braves enjoyed success from a similar strategy last year, enjoying positive results from low-cost pickups Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson. Grilli, though, suffered an Achilles injury that cost him half the season, while Johnson was eventually traded to the Dodgers. A few speculative fits that are somewhat cut from that cloth: Jonathan Broxton (whom Bowman also mentions), Bobby Parnell and Sean Marshall.
  • At least in terms of free agents, the first major domino may be O’Day, who is reportedly receiving wide and intense interest.

Free Agent Notes: Breslow, Park, D’Backs, Freese, Utley, Hill, Astros, Marlins

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Former Red Sox southpaw Craig Breslow is planning to ask prospective future employers for a chance to start, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports. The 35-year-old had functioned exclusively as a reliever in his ten-year MLB career until late last season. In two September starts for Boston, Breslow allowed just two earned runs in a combined 9 1/3 innings of work. Breslow ended the season with a 4.15 ERA over 65 total innings, with 6.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. It’s not implausible to imagine that a club might give the veteran a chance to work as a starter in the spring, perhaps expecting that he could become a swingman option, though securing a rotation job will certainly be a tall order. In Breslow’s favor, he’s posted very minimal platoon splits over his career, allowing a .240/.308/.378 career batting line to lefties and a .238/.326/.376 slash to opposing right-handers.

Here are some more free agent notes from the ongoing GM Meetings:

  • At least two other teams bid north of $11MM in the posting of Korean first baseman Byung-ho Park, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Park, who saw his negotiation rights go to the Twins for $12.85MM, drew praise from a pair of clubs that pursued him when asked by Rosenthal, because his batted-ball exit velocity rivaled that of the top Major Leaguers. However, some clubs are concerned with his long swing and penchant for strikeouts. (While not strictly a free agent, Park was available to all clubs during the offseason period, so he is a part of MLBTR’s top fifty free agent list.)
  • The Diamondbacks are looking to add two starters this winter, per Rosenthal. The club prefers not to commit more than $15MM to $18MM annually on a free agent addition, which obviously might not be enough to land one of the four best arms available. But that is probably sufficient to make Arizona competitive on any other starters, depending on what length of the commit the team can offer. And the D’Backs also seem prepared to explore the trade market for arms, with Rosenthal noting that other teams have keen interest in Arizona’s surplus of controllable outfilders.
  • Rosenthal added a few other notes of interest on several pending free agents, in both the above-linked piece and his notes column from this morning. The Angels have interest in re-signing David Freese at a lower annual rate than that of the $15.8MM qualifying offer they declined to make, writes Rosenthal. Likewise, the Dodgers are considering bringing back Chase Utley to provide a southpaw-swinging option at second and third base, per Rosenthal, after previously declining his option.
  • Lefty Rich Hill is in surprisingly high demand and looks to be in line for a Major League deal this winter, says Rosenthal. He has apparently provided a model that the aforementioned Breslow hopes to follow in his own free agency, as Bradford writes.
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow declined to rule out the possibility that his club could pursue a top-end free agent arm, as Rosenthal further reports. “I think so,” Luhnow said when asked whether that was plausible. “It would have to be the right type of deal for us, but yeah, we’re not ruling anything out at this point.” As of right now, Houston is not pursuing free agent infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist, Evan Drellich of The Houston Chronicle writes. (That crosses at least one team off of a lengthy list.)
  • The Marlins have at least some degree of interest in free agent starters Scott Kazmir, Colby Lewis, and Tim Lincecum, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. All three enter the winter in rather different situations and carrying quite different market expectations, of course, but Miami seems to be taking a flexible approach to building out its rotation.

Latest On Mariners’ Search For Center Fielder

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Several reports emerged early this morning suggesting that new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto is hard at work canvassing the market for center field options. Here’s the latest:

  • Seattle has engaged with the Yankees in preliminary talks regarding Brett Gardner, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The 32-year-old faded down the stretch, but nevertheless ended the season with a typically productive overall effort. He’s owed $38MM over three years (including a buyout of a 2019 option), which isn’t exactly cheap but is probably below Gardner’s open-market value. Sherman indicates that New York is in search of controllable starters, and says that the M’s have indicated they are willing to discuss lefty James Paxton in trades. It’s not apparent from the report, though, whether he would play any role in talks on Gardner.
  • The trade route to a center fielder seemingly holds appeal for Dipoto and his staff, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. (Of course, the club could also just be exploring its options on that market before turning to free agency.) Rosenthal suggests a variety of possible trade targets: Jon Jay and Peter Bourjos of the Cardinals, Leonys Martin of the Rangers, and Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Red Sox. It’s not clear whether the M’s have specific interest in any of these players, let alone whether actual trade chatter has taken place. It’s worth noting, also, that an acquiring team would likely feel the need to supplement any of these players with a capable reserve option (if not an outright platoon mate, in some cases). It’s not yet clear whether Seattle is inclined more towards that kind of scenario as opposed to a single solution.
  • Free agent Gerardo Parra represents another possibility, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Dipoto heaped praise on the 28-year-old, noting that he was coming up through the Diamondbacks system when Dipoto was in Arizona. “Love him,” Dipoto said of Parra. “Gerardo’s a great kid. Love his attitude. He plays hard. He’s coming off a very good year. The version of what Gerardo did this year in Milwaukee is what we could have dreamed he was going to be when we had him at 18, 19 years old in the Diamondbacks system. He can really play defense. He can really throw. And he can rake right-handed pitching.” Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean Seattle will pursue Parra. It’s worth bearing in mind that the left-handed hitter not only carries rather pronounced platoon splits, but has spent most of his time in the corner outfield — especially in recent seasons. Morosi doesn’t make a suggestion for how the M’s could theoretically deploy Parra, but he might make more sense as a heavily-used fourth outfielder than a regular in center.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/10/15

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There’s plenty of trade speculation in the air at the GM Meetings, though we probably won’t see a significant uptick in major moves just yet. There are still some notable transactions happening around the league, however. Here’s today’s rundown of minor moves…

  • The Astros announced (on Twitter) that they’ve outrighted Sam Deduno off the 40-man roster. The right-hander can opt for free agency based on his service time, which seems to be the likeliest outcome. The 32-year-old Deduno struggled to a 6.86 ERA in 21 innings this year in a season that was cut short by a back strain. Deduno logged a more respectable 4.26 ERA in 279 innings across parts of three seasons with the Twins from 2012-14, though control has never been his strong suit.
  • Infielder Ryan Jackson was outrighted by the Angels yesterday and elected free agency as well, as MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweeted. The 27-year-old has limited experience in the Majors, with just two hits in 39 plate appearances between the Cardinals and Halos. However, Jackson has had better success at the Triple-A level and can play shortstop, second base and third base, so he’ll probably latch on with a club in need of infield depth.
  • Yesterday, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy published another round-up of minor league signings from around the league, with some of the notable moves including former first-round pick Chris Marrero re-signing with the Red Sox on a minor league deal, a trio of Reds electing free agency (Sam LeCure, Brennan Boesch, Collin Balester) and a series of Brewers moves (re-signing Hiram Burgos, Jaye Chapman and Ben Guez, plus lefty Cesar Jimenez electing free agency).

AL Notes: Chris Young, Royals, Forsythe, Profar, Red Sox

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The Red Sox are among the team’s expressing early interest in free agent outfielder Chris Young, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. It remains to be seen what kind of fit he’d have in Boston, which features two right-handed bats in Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo in the outfield. Presumably, Young would be pursued as a possible complimentary piece to the left-handed-hitting Jackie Bradley Jr. Of course, it’s still early, and Nightengale also mentions that several other clubs have already been in contact with Young, who had a nice 2015 season for the Yankees (.252/.320/.453 with 14 home runs in 356 plate appearances).

  • That’s not the only player by that name, of course, and the other Chris Young has also crafted an interesting free agent case for himself with a strong platform campaign. The Royals do have interest in bringing Young back, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star tweets, but only if his asking price drops. After drawing only marginal interest on the market the last two winters, Young is seeking “pay commensurate to his performance,” per McCullough. (The 36-year-old has contributed 288 1/3 innings of 3.40 ERA pitching over the past two seasons, which was obviously quite valuable.)
  • The Royals are giving indications that they see a reunion with Ben Zobrist as more likely than the re-signing of Alex Gordon or Johnny Cueto, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links). Zobrist not only makes for a nice fit, given his ability to play second or the corner outfield, but will presumably end up with a contract of a shorter duration than the other two players.
  • Another player coming off of a big season is Rays infielder Logan Forsythe, who broke out with a .281/.359/.444 slash line. Tampa Bay and the 28-year-old have mutual interest in discussing an extension of some kind, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. Forsythe has two years of control remaining, and MLBTR projects him to earn $3.3MM for the coming season. Given that the five-year veteran has never come close to his 2015 production in prior seasons, and bearing in mind the organization’s scant payroll, the likeliest scenario may be a deal that guarantees only two or three seasons while leaving the team with an option or two at the back end.
  • The Yankees are among the team’s that would have interest in Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar if he’s made available, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. But teams looking for a buy-low opportunity are likely barking up the wrong tree, per the report. “We are not looking to trade him,” said Rangers GM Jon Daniels. “We held onto him this long. We are pretty optimistic his shoulder is fit. The mindset is to wait and see where he is. We believe he will get back to his value, which was one of the best young players out there.”
  • Turning back to the Red Sox, the club not only has some acquisition work to do this winter, but will surely at least consider the idea of extensions, with Betts and Xander Bogaerts seemingly representing the two most likely targets. Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com discusses that possibility, noting that new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has reached significant extensions in the past. While he declined to discuss those two players’ situations, he did talk about his general approach. “I don’t really have any specific rule on it other than that you want to make sure you feel comfortable that when you give it to the player that you feel their abilities merit it, that you’re going to get the performance,” said Dombrowski. “It’s an exchange of they’re getting a long-term contract and you’re getting some end of it back yourself. Maybe you’re getting some free agency type years. But I don’t really have any set formula when to do that and I think every player is different.”
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