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Free Agent Rumors: Dempster, Ichiro, Jackson, Tejada

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Approximately half of the free agents on MLBTR’s top 50 list remain unsigned, which means there will be lots of action in the next few weeks. Here are the latest free agent updates from around MLB…

  • The Brewers, Red Sox and Royals are the "three main teams" looking at Ryan Dempster, reports Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).  This would seem to eliminate the Cubs, who we recently heard weren't negotiating with Dempster.
  • The Yankees are still talking to Ichiro Suzuki as they continue waiting to hear from Kevin Youkilis, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Youkilis is weighing multiple offers and the Indians are also bidding for his services.
  • The Royals and other teams seem “very cool” to Edwin Jackson, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter). In other words they aren't overly eager to spend aggressively on him.
  • Braves GM Frank Wren said he has interest in certain outfielders as one-year stopgaps, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). The Braves need another outfielder, even after signing B.J. Upton.
  • The Diamondbacks are very interested in Miguel Tejada, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com reports (on Twitter, in Spanish). The team offered Tejada a minor league deal, but he’d like a guaranteed contract.
  • The Marlins are only interested in Carl Pavano if he’ll accept a low base salary of $3MM or so plus incentives, Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500 reports (on Twitter). Pavano’s agent met with the Twins yesterday,  Mackey adds.

Phillies Notes: Willingham, Ross, Suzuki, Ellsbury

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Here's the latest on Philadelphia's offseason dealings, courtesy of CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury…

  • Before the Phillies acquired Ben Revere from the Twins, they attempted to also get Josh Willingham in either the same trade package or in a separate deal.
  • The club is still in the market for a corner outfielder.  The Phillies "have seriously considered" signing Ichiro Suzuki and "have long liked" Cody Ross.
  • Any further upgrades may have to come via the free agency market since the Phillies don't have much prospect depth aside from possibly at catcher.  Salisbury notes that Tommy Joseph, the most well-regarded of the team's young catchers, "probably isn't going anywhere."
  • The Red Sox approached the Phillies about a trade of Jacoby Ellsbury for Cliff Lee, but the Phillies said that Lee wasn't available.  I can't blame the Phils for turning that offer down; even if they did want to move Lee, he would fetch far more on the trade market than just one year of Ellsbury, who hits free agency next winter.

Dodgers, Twins Interested In Skip Schumaker

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The Dodgers and Twins are among the teams that have some level of interest in Cardinals bench player Skip Schumaker, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. GM John Mozeliak acknowledged that Schumaker’s name has been out there as a potential trade candidate.

“We’ve tried to optimize the type of return we might get for him,” Mozeliak said. “We’ve left it fairly open. If we can get Major League help, we would definitely consider that. If we can’t find it we will look for someone who can fit into our minor league system.”

Schumaker, 32, will earn $1.5MM in 2013, the last year on his contract. As Goold notes, this seems reasonable given the escalating cost of infield help in free agency. Other than the Dodgers and Twins, the Reds could also be interested in Schumaker, a versatile player capable of playing second base and the outfield. The left-handed hitter has a .345 career on-base percentage, but he struggles to hit lefties.

Quick Hits: Greinke, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers

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Post-meetings links from around baseball..

Twins To Extend Jared Burton

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The Twins locked up one of their best relievers today, signing Jared Burton to a two-year, $5.5MM extension with a $3.6MM club option for 2015.  Burton would have been entering a walk year in 2013, so the contract buys out one free agent year with an option for another.  He's represented by Dave Pepe of Pro Agents, Inc.

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Burton, 31, inked a minor league deal with the Twins last November and made the big league roster after a strong showing in Spring Training.  The right-hander had a breakout season with the Twins in 2012,  posting a 2.18 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.73 HR/9, and 48.5% groundball rate in 62 innings of work.  MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected a $2.1MM salary for Burton's last trip through arbitration in 2013, so his actual $2.05MM salary isn't much of a discount.  But the Twins now have Burton potentially through 2015, as well as reliever Glen Perkins possibly through 2016 from an extension signed in March.   

As MLBTR's arbitration tracker shows, the Twins' class is down to just Drew Butera and Brian Duensing.

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN first reported the extension was close. Tim Dierkes contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Phillies Acquire Ben Revere

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The Phillies acquired outfielder Ben Revere from the Twins, reports MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.  Starting pitcher Vance Worley is going to the Twins in the deal, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, as well as pitching prospect Trevor May, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.  Both teams have since confirmed the trade.

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Revere, 24, hit .294/.333/.342 in 553 plate appearances for the Twins this year, stealing 40 bags in 49 tries.  With just one year and 149 days of Major League service, Revere will not be arbitration eligible until 2014 at the earliest, and is under team control through 2017.  He was a first-round pick of the Twins in 2007.  He'd been penciled in to take over center field from Denard Span, who the Twins dealt to the Nationals less than a week ago.

"Ben is an outstanding, young, controllable center fielder who fits nicely with our club," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement.  He's also affordable, allowing for payroll flexibility for the team.  Meanwhile, there's one less suitor for free agent Michael Bourn.

Worley, 25, posted a 4.20 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.81 HR/9, and 46% groundball rate in 133 innings this year for the Phillies.  He battled a bone chip in his elbow for much of the season, which was removed in September surgery.  Worley has one year and 152 days of Major League service, matching up nicely with Revere in terms of club control.

May, 23, was ranked as the Phillies' second-best prospect by MLB.com.  He posted a 4.87 ERA, 9.1 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, and 1.32 HR/9 in 149 2/3 Double-A innings this year.  Prior to the season, Baseball America wrote, "If his command continues to improve, he could become a No. 2 starter, and he should be at least a solid mid-rotation workhorse."  The Twins added Alex Meyer in the Span trade, ranked the 50th-best prospect in baseball by MLB.com.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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:

Latest On Ben Revere

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Twins outfielder Ben Revere appears to be in play, despite the team trading Denard Span to the Nationals six days ago.  Revere, 24, hit .294/.333/.342 in 553 plate appearances for the Twins this year, stealing 40 bags in 49 tries.  With just one year and 149 days of Major League service, Revere will not be arbitration eligible until 2014 at the earliest, and is under team control through 2017.  The latest:

Overnight Links: Burnett, Phillies, Giants, Rays

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It's the middle of the night, but news rarely stops coming in over the course of baseball's Winter Meetings. Here are some links from around the baseball world for those who are still awake…

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