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Fallout And Impact Of The Josh Hamilton Signing

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Here's the latest on how Josh Hamilton's agreement with the Angels will affect several other players and teams all around the league, including how close some other teams came to signing the free agent slugger themselves…

  • The Rangers have told Geovany Soto he'll be their everyday catcher in 2013, but ESPN's Buster Olney wonders if the Rangers could now pursue free agent backstop A.J. Pierzynski.  Also from Olney, rival evaluators are speculating that the Rangers might now be the best fit for Nick Swisher (both links are to Olney's Twitter account).
  • The Mariners "badly wanted" Hamilton, which means the Angels disappointed two of their AL West rivals today, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).  MLB.com's Greg Johns hears that the M's were heavily courting Hamilton and "had strong hopes" he would sign with them.
  • The Red Sox had interest in Hamilton but weren't willing to offer a contract longer than three years, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
  • The Phillies were similarly not interested in Hamilton at such a high price, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Hamilton's signing could increase interest in other free agent outfielders like Swisher and Cody Ross, thus possibly pricing the Phillies out of the market and forcing them to turn their attention to acquiring pitching instead.
  • The Marlins could reverse their stance on trading Giancarlo Stanton, opines MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, if the Rangers are desperate to add another big bat and were willing to offer Jurickson Profar or Mike Olt in a deal.  Frisaro also thinks Miami could be a trade match with the Angels as Peter Bourjos "has been on the Marlins' radar for a while."
  • Fangraphs' Dave Cameron breaks down the value of Mark Trumbo, Kendrys Morales and Bourjos both to the Angels and on the trade market.
  • Bourjos, for his part, tells MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez that he wants to remain in Anaheim and enjoys being an Angel, though he also wants to be an everyday player.
  • ESPN's Keith Law doesn't see Hamilton providing much value in the last two years of his contract, though his signing "makes more sense" if the Angels trade some roster depth to fill the holes in their rotation.  Law also notes that Michael Bourn appears to be running out of suitors, and speculates that Bourn could look for a one-year deal now and then look for a big multiyear contract next winter.
  • Early today, we looked at rumors concerning the possibility of the Angels and Mets working out a trade involving R.A. Dickey.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post

Red Sox To Sign Mike Napoli

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DECEMBER 13: Without mentioning Napoli by name, GM Ben Cherington provided an update on the deal, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. “We’re working through some things in regards to another player,” Cherington said.

DECEMBER 12: It'd be inaccurate to say the deal is in jeopardy, but there are some issues to work through, Rosenthal reports (on Twitter). Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe confirms that the Red Sox are still working through some issues related to Napoli's deal (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 11: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if the deal may have hit a snag.  Major league sources say that Napoli was set to be introduced in a press conference today but did not go forward with the event.  It is not known what the holdup is, but the deal is still not official despite being agreed to early last week.  Meanwhile, none of the involved parties have responded to inquiries over the last two hours from Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston (via Twitter).

DECEMBER 3: The Red Sox have become the first team to make a major splash at the 2012 Winter Meetings, reaching an agreement on a three-year contract with Mike Napoli. The deal is for three years and $39MM, with the Red Sox choosing to pay the Brian Grieper client a higher annual salary rather than tacking on a fourth year.  Napoli's money is spread evenly at $13MM per year, notes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.

Uspw_6633920Napoli had a down year by his standards for the Rangers in 2012, hitting .227/.343/.469. However, he has a career .863 OPS, and is one season removed from a .320/.414/.631 line. While Boston likely doesn't expect him to produce at that level again, the team will make him its primary first base option, according to Bradford. Cafardo tweets that the 31-year-old will also catch occasionally for the Sox.

The Rangers will not receive a compensation pick for Napoli since the team decided not to make him a qualifying offer at season's end. That decision, which raised eyebrows at the time, looks even more curious now that Napoli has agreed to a deal for three times the term and salary of a one-year qualifying offer.

In MLBTR's list of the winter's top 50 free agents, Napoli ranked 14th overall. As our Free Agent contest leaderboard shows, five MLBTR writers correctly predicted that the ex-Ranger would sign with the Red Sox.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) reported the agreement, while WEEI.com's Rob Bradford was the first to report that the two sides were closing in on a deal. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter) reported the financial terms.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Presswire.

Red Sox Sign Shane Victorino

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The Red Sox remodeling project continued today, as they announced they have signed Shane Victorino to a three-year contract.  The 32-year-old, a client of John Boggs & Associates, slipped this year to a .255/.321/.383 line for the Phillies and Dodgers, but still did well in free agency, obtaining a $39MM guarantee.

Uspw_6630672 Victorino will play right field for the Red Sox, who previously signed Mike Napoli to play mostly first base, Jonny Gomes to play left field, and David Ross to help behind the plate.  With Jacoby Ellsbury returning to play center field, Boston's outfield appears set, so the door is likely closed on free agents Cody Ross, Nick Swisher, and Josh Hamilton.  As Speier explains, Victorino "fits the profile that the team seeks of an above-average defensive outfielder capable of playing both right and center at Fenway Park."

As MLBTR's free agent tracker shows, the Red Sox have already committed $120.2MM to four free agents.

The Indians, Cubs, and Yankees reportedly had some degree of interest in Victorino, MLBTR's #12 free agent.  The Tribe offered four years and $44MM, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

WEEI's Alex Speier first reported the agreement; Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe previously labeled the Red Sox the frontrunner; Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports pegged the dollar amount.  Photo courtesy of U.S. Presswire.

Josh Hamilton Rumors: Thursday

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Yesterday Texas GM Jon Daniels said the Rangers remain interested in Josh Hamilton. "We want Josh back and always have," Daniels said. They're not the only team eyeing the free agent outfielder. Here's the latest, the the most recent items up top…

  • The Mariners are among the other teams showing interest in Hamilton, and they appear to be willing to offer a deal of four years or more, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. However, they’re still viewed as an outsider by rival executives. It’s not clear if the Mariners have made Hamilton an official offer.
  • Rival officials suggest to Heyman that the chances of Hamilton re-signing with the Rangers appear to have increased in recent days. Meanwhile, there’s little evidence that the Brewers and Red Sox have seriously pursued Hamilton recently.

Quick Hits: Wright, Red Sox, Dodgers, DeRosa

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On today’s edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast, Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts and I discussed the Indians–Reds–Diamondbacks trade, the Yankees’ recent signings and the latest rumors. Click here to listen in and continue reading for some notes from around MLB…

  • The Mets will pay David Wright $3.1MM annually from 2021-2025 as part of the deferred payments from his new contract extension, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The money is deferred without interest.
  • The Red Sox will pay the Dodgers a total of $11.7MM over the next three years as the cash component of their August blockbuster trade according to the AP (via ESPN). Boston will make identical payments of $3.9MM in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
  • Utility man Mark DeRosa told ESPN's Jim Bowden that his first choice is to re-sign with the Nationals (Twitter link). The 37-year-old free agent has hit .220/.309/.269 in 302 plate appearances while battling injuries over the last three seasons.

Earlier Updates:

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports argues that the Yankees' strategy of slightly overpaying for free agents on one-year deals hasn't resulted in an improved team this offseason. Morosi wonders why GM Brian Cashman hasn't obtained a power bat for the outfield such as Justin Upton, Jason Kubel or Michael Morse.
  • We're seeing more teams prey on the desperation of others in trades now that Wild Card berths seem so attainable, Yahoo's Jeff Passan writes.
  • A rival executive expects the Rangers could obtain Upton from Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers if they are willing to part with Elvis Andrus, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). “I don't think KT will do it for less," the person said. Towers has said it’s “highly unlikely" that he moves Upton.
  • Shaun Marcum said on MLB Network Radio that he's open to re-signing with the Brewers, Jim Bowden reports (on Twitter). The Twins, Royals, Padres and Cubs have been linked to the right-hander in the past month or so.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

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.

Red Sox, Dempster Nearing Deal

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The Red Sox are close to a deal with Ryan Dempster, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Rosenthal reported yesterday that the Red Sox were in serious talks with Dempster. LSW Baseball represents the free agent right-hander.

Dempster, 35, posted a 3.38 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 43.5% ground ball rate in 173 innings for the Cubs and Rangers in 2012. The 15-year veteran saw his average fastball velocity dip below 90 mph, but he continued generating swings and misses. His 10.4% swinging strike rate was right around his career mark of 10.8%. He's not linked to draft pick compensation, which means the Red Sox won't have to surrender a pick to complete a deal.

Earlier in the offseason Dempster turned down a two-year, $25MM offer from the Boston. The Brewers and Royals have also been linked to Dempster, who ranked 16th on MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents this year.

The Red Sox could use rotation depth for the 2013 season. Their current rotation options include Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront, John Lackey and Franklin Morales.

This post was first published on December 13th, 2012.

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.

Cubs Claim Sandy Rosario Off Waivers From Red Sox

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The Cubs have claimed right-hander Sandy Rosario off waivers from the Red Sox, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). As our Transaction Tracker shows, it's the third time the right-hander has been claimed off waivers this winter.

Rosario, 27, pitched in four games for this year's Marlins team, but spent most of the season in the minor leagues. He posted a 1.99 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 31 2/3 total innings for three of the Marlins' minor league affiliates.

Red Sox In Serious Talks With Ryan Dempster

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The Red Sox are in serious discussions with Ryan Dempster, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). He cautions that there is no deal yet and the LSW Baseball client could still sign elsewhere.

Dempster, 35, pitched to a 3.38 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 173 innings for the Cubs and Rangers last season. His performance did suffer after making the midseason move to the American League (5.09 ERA in 69 innings with Texas). Dempster has thrown at least 170 innings with a 7.7+ K/9 in each of the last five seasons however, one of only four pitchers who can make that claim.

Last week we learned that the veteran right-hander turned down a two-year, $25MM offer from the Red Sox. The Brewers and Royals also have interest. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked Dempster as the 16th best free agent this offseason, predicting he would sign with Milwaukee.

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