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Phillies Discussed Alfonso Soriano Deal With Cubs

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5:25pm: The deal appears to be a longshot to happen, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  The Phillies were uninterested in Soriano when first presented with the possibility but warmed up to it enough to consider it.

4:31pm: The Phillies have discussed a deal with the Cubs that would net them Alfonso Soriano in exchange for Domonic Brown, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  However, the Phillies might be more inclined to sign a free agent, such as Cody Ross or someone else.

The Cubs are believed to be willing to pay $26MM of the $36MM remaining on Soriano's deal if they can get quality prospects in return.  The Phillies like Soriano offensively but have reservations about his defensive play, despite his improvement last season.  Soriano, who will turn 37 next month, hit .262/.322/.499 with 32 home runs in 615 plate appearances.

Ross would be a better fit for the Phillies' budget than fellow free agent outfielders Nick Swisher and Josh Hamilton.  Earlier today we learned that the Mets have kicked the tires on Ross, but would be unwilling to make a commitment to him beyond two years.  The Phillies, Braves, Mariners, Red Sox, Yankees, and Orioles have all been linked to Ross so far this offseason.

Cubs To Sign Kyuji Fujikawa

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The Cubs announced that they have reached an agreement with Japanese closer Kyuji Fujikawa.  The two-year, $9.5MM contract includes a club/vesting option for 2015.

Fujikawa will receive a $1MM signing bonus, $4MM in salary for 2013 and '14, plus a vesting option at $5.5MM or $6MM based on games finished.  If the option does not vest, it turns to a $5.5MM club option with a $500K buyout.  In total, Fujikawa has a guaranteed $9.5MM when including the buyout.

It was reported last week that Fujikawa was nearing a decision with the Halos in the lead.  At least ten teams offered the hurler along the way, including the Dodgers, Orioles, and Diamondbacks.  Over the past six seasons with the Hanshin Tigers, the 32-year-old record 202 saves while posting a 1.36 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 12.4 K/9, and 2.3 BB/9 in 369 2/3 innings.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement and the details of the deal.  Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported the total value of the deal.

AL West Notes: Rangers, Ross, DeJesus

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Could Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton end up re-signing in the AL West? The answer to that question will have ramifications within the division and throughout the sport. Here are today’s AL West links…

  • Texas GM Jon Daniels said the Rangers are looking at various options in free agency and on the trade market, Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com reports. While Daniels isn't going to rush a move, the Rangers could strike soon.
  • The Mariners are among the teams interested in free agent outfielder Cody Ross, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Seattle has been linked to just about every free agent bat as they attempt to add offense. So far the Mariners have agreed to a one-year, $1MM deal with Jason Bay.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests signing Hamilton wouldn’t solve all of the Mariners’ problems. If they aren’t prepared to increase spending up and down the roster, adding a player like Hamilton would not be the answer. Morosi suggests the Mariners might want to pursue a trade for David DeJesus of the Cubs.

Quick Hits: Greinke, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers

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Post-meetings links from around baseball..

Cubs To Sign Ian Stewart

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4:24pm: The deal is non-guaranteed, a source tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  The Cubs will be off the hook for the $2MM deal if he is released in spring training.

3:32pm: The Cubs are set to re-sign third baseman Ian Stewart, sources tell Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  It's a one-year, $2MM deal for the Reynolds Sports Management client, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  The deal also includes $500K of incentives.

The 27-year-old is said to be back to full health after playing with a broken bone in his wrist for the last two years.  During that stretch, Stewart has had a .183/.272/.289 slash line with five home runs in 338  total plate appearances.  Before the injury, Stewart owned a career .245/.332/.451 slash line in four seasons with the Rockies.

The Cubs non-tendered Stewart earlier this month as he was set to earn $2.3MM in arbitration.  Stewart picked up varying degrees of interest from other clubs in the last week including the Marlins.

Latest On Jack Hannahan

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MLBTR projected a $1.5MM salary for third baseman Jack Hannahan if he'd gone through the arbitration process in 2013.  The Indians elected to cut the defensive-minded 32-year-old loose instead.  Suddenly, with Eric Chavez and Jeff Keppinger signing at the Winter Meetings, Hannahan has become a relatively hot commodity in a weak third base free agent market.  The latest:

Jason Grilli Close To Deal

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10:24am: It will be a two-year deal and the Giants are out, tweets Rosenthal.  Pirates GM Neal Huntington said today that they made a "very fair offer" to Grilli.

THURSDAY, 8:28am: Grilli will decide between the Cubs, Blue Jays, Giants, and Pirates at 10am today, or earlier if one of the teams goes to three years on the 36-year-old, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Grilli will stay in Pittsburgh if no one adds the third year.

WEDNESDAY, 4:38pm: Grilli is still wading through all the offers presented to him, Sheffield told MLB.com's Tom Singer.  The Brewers haven't talked with Sheffield this week, GM Doug Melvin told reporters.

12:42pm: If Grilli is close to a deal, it's not with the Brewers, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

10:50am: Jason Grilli's agent, former MLB slugger Gary Sheffield, tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) that he's nearing a deal for his client. However, Sheffield didn't reveal which team was closing in on Grilli.

As Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes, Grilli is expected to choose from nearly a dozen suitors today, with the Pirates still in the mix. The right-hander figures to land a multiyear contract.

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:

NL Central Notes: Brewers, Cubs, Cardinals

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Today in NL Central news, the Cardinals reached a three-year agreement with lefty reliever Randy Choate, the Pirates traded for wild power lefty Andy Oliver, and the Cubs signed right fielder Nate Schierholtz to a one-year deal.  The latest from the division:

Cubs, Brewers, Royals, Red Sox In On Dempster

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8:48pm: Levine's report "grossly misrepresents" the nature of the Cubs-Dempster talks, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  He says negotiations are not happening and a reunion is implausible.

7:56pm: Dempster's agent has talked to the Cubs about a possible return to Chicago, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.  Though the Cubs have not made an offer, money and length of contract was discussed.  Dempster has two and three-year offers on the table, writes Levine, with the Royals and Brewers showing the most interest.  Levine sees a no-trade as a potential obstacle to Dempster returning to the Cubs.

2:13pm: The Royals made Dempster a two-year, $26MM offer, which he declined, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Kansas City balked at Dempster's request for three years and it seems neither side has changed its stance, says Dutton (Twitter links).

1:59pm: The Royals and Red Sox are still interested in Dempster, according to Rosenthal, who says the Brewers remain in the mix as well. The Angels' current level of interest is unclear, says Rosenthal (Twitter link).

12:21pm: Dempster believes he will earn a three-year deal if other free agent pitchers like Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse, and Edwin Jackson land four- or five-year deals, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

10:37am: With the Brewers still unwilling to commit a third year to an offer for Ryan Dempster, the two sides have reached an impasse in their negotiations, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. If another team steps up and offers Dempster a three-year deal, the Brewers will likely be out of the running, says Haudricourt.

We heard on Monday that Dempster is seeking a three-year contract, something Milwaukee preferred to avoid, having been burned on long-term deals for veteran starters before. Perhaps the two sides can reach a compromise on some sort of two-year deal with a third-year option, but for now it seems nothing is close.

GM Doug Melvin visited with Dempster's agent, Craig Landis, yesterday.

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