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AL East Rumors: Rays, Jays, Keppinger, Ellsbury, O’s

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As the third day of the 2012 Winter Meetings gets underway, let's round up a few items out of the AL East…

  • Keppinger was the Yankees' first choice as the right-handed part of a third base platoon, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  With Keppinger signing with Chicago, the Yankees are forced to move on to Plan B.

Earlier updates:

Free Agent Rumors: Rolen, Bourn, McCarthy, Drew

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A number of free agents have found deals in Nashville this week, but there are still a ton available, including 29 of our top 50. Here's the latest on a few of the remaining options:

  • Scott Rolen remains undecided on whether he'll retire or continue his playing career, his agent tells John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. If Rolen decides he wants to play, Fay believes the Reds could be interested in bringing him back in some role.
  • Former Rockie Ryan Spilborghs is drawing serious interest in Japan, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • The Mariners like Michael Bourn "very much," though the Phillies and Rangers remain in on the speedy outfielder, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
  • A couple reasons the Angels' interest in Brandon McCarthy has picked up in Nashville are his age (29) and the fact that he likely won't command more than a two-year deal, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Stephen Drew figures to land at least a two-year deal, which would probably take the Tigers out of the running, says MLB.com's Jason Beck. The Red Sox continue to be in on Drew, however, according to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
  • In their hunt for left-handed relief help, the Cardinals have inquired on Manny Parra and explored what it would take to sign Sean Burnett, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards are expected to find their man fairly soon, says Goold.
  • Dan Johnson, who was non-tendered by the White Sox last week, is interested in returning to the Rays, but may end up in Japan, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

West Notes: Giants Payroll, Escobar, Fowler

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Tuesday was a busy day for Western Division teams, with the Rockies landing Wilton Lopez, the Giants signing Marco Scutaro, and the Dodgers and Rangers both fervently pursuing Zack Greinke. Here's the latest from the two divisions…

  • Now that they've retained Scutaro, Jeremy Affeldt and Angel Pagan the Giants would like to add one more arm to their bullpen, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
  • John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, however, notes that even after shedding the contracts of Freddy Sanchez, Aubrey Huff, Brian Wilson and Aaron Rowand, the Giants' payroll is too high to look at any more costly free agents (Twitter links). Perhaps they can find a bargain reliever later in the offseason.
  • Knobler adds that the Athletics thought long and hard about Yunel Escobar but elected to pass on him for the second time this year. As a result they're still unsure of who their 2013 shortstop will be (Twitter links).
  • Troy Renck of the Denver post tweets that the Rockies are still trying to land a starting pitcher, but they'd need to be overwhelmed to move Dexter Fowler. They do like Phillies hurler Vance Worley, he notes in a separate tweet, though I imagine it'd take more than Worley to "overwhelm" them. Worley is reportedly available in trades.

NL East Links: Pagnozzi, Haren, Howell, Phils

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The NL East has been involved in multiple headlines today, with the Nationals signing Dan Haren to a one-year deal and the Marlins trading Yunel Escobar to the Rays. Here's some more news from around the division…

  • The Braves have signed catcher Matt Pagnozzi to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman (on Twitter). Pagnozzi, who hit .224/.329/.359 for the Indians' Triple-A affiliate last season, will likely serve as the team's big league backup while Brian McCann is out.
  • Haren is the Nationals' 2013 version of Edwin Jackson, writes ESPN's Keith Law (Insider req'd). Haren can provide bulk innings behind the Nats' trio of aces, and carries the same "all-or-nothing" upside that Ben Sheets did when he signed with the Athletics for $10MM in 2010.
  • J.P. Howell has interest in playing for the Nationals, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson. I can't imagine there are many players who wouldn't want to play for the Nats, given their projected lineup and rotation. The team does have interest in adding another lefty reliever, so Howell could be in luck.
  • The Phillies have made plenty of offers so far, but have nothing to show for it at the Winter Meetings thus far, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly. The team is still pursuing outfield and third base help via free agency and trade. Vance Worley and Trevor May are both on the table in trade talks. Worley is "100 percent" following September elbow surgery, according to GM Ruben Amaro Jr.
  • We learned earlier that the Marlins are looking to add a third baseman after trading Escobar, who told them he wasn't comfortable playing the hot corner.

Latest On Scott Hairston

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7:22pm: The Phillies, Mets, and Yankees remain in the mix for Hairston, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

6:16am: The Mets and Scott Hairston are both optimistic that they can work out a new contract, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports. Hairston told ESPN New York yesterday that he considered a return to the Mets "probable."

Hairston seeks a bigger role than many potential suitors could offer, but uncertainties in the Mets' outfield should present the opportunity for greater playing time. In 377 plate appearances for the Mets in 2012, the 32-year-old hit .263/.299/.504 with 20 homers. He saw time at all three outfield positions.

Hairston has been a popular name thus far at the Winter Meetings, having been linked to the Giants, Yankees, Tigers, Indians, Cardinals and Mets. Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski refuted reports that he had made a two-year offer to Hairston yesterday.

Diamondbacks, Phillies Not Discussing Upton, Lee

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4:08pm: Putting the nail in the coffin on this one…Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. labeled the Upton-Lee rumor false, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.

3:56pm: Sources tell both Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports and Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the D-Backs and Phillies aren't actively discussing an Upton/Lee deal (Twitter links). The report is "off base," a D-Backs source tells Piecoro.

3:49pm: The Diamondbacks and Philles are discussing a trade that would send Justin Upton to Philadelphia and Cliff Lee to Arizona, according to Pedro Gomez of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The proposed deal would also include cash heading to the D-Backs, says Gomez.

Due $25MM in each of the next three seasons, along with a $12.5MM buyout on a $27.5MM vesting option for 2016, Lee is on the books for significantly more money than Upton, so there would need to be more parts involved to make it worthwhile for Arizona. According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), the D-Backs all exploring all sorts of three- or four-way trades in an effort to get a shortstop, meaning a deal built around Upton and Lee could be "just the start."

Trade Rumors: Harang, Capuano, Phillies

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Let's round up a few rumblings from Nashville on players who might be on the trade block…

Earlier updates:

  • There have been "no conversations" about trading Andre Ethier, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
  • One rival executive thinks the Royals will eventually make a deal for Rays starter James Shields, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Within his piece, Knobler explains why the Royals are more inclined to trade Wil Myers than Billy Butler.
  • The return the Twins received for Denard Span has somewhat hampered the Indians' efforts to trade Shin-Soo Choo, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains in a pair of Twitterlinks.
  • Ramon Santiago's name has surfaced at the Winter Meetings as a potential trade candidate, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter). While Beck isn't sure if the Tigers would move him, he says the utility infielder could draw interest.
  • The Dodgers are "aggressively shopping" Juan Uribe in Nashville, but predictably aren't receiving much interest, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets that when he asked an MLB official if the Yankees could have interest in Uribe with Alex Rodriguez out, he was met with a chuckle.

Red Sox Closing In On Shane Victorino

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4:01pm: Things are "moving fast" on the Victorino front, with the Sox in a good position to finalize a deal, says ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com adds (on Twitter) that nothing is done yet, but that it's getting close.  Victorino has at least one four-year offer from a different team, notes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

3:25pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports clarifies (via Twitter) that the exact terms of the Red Sox offer are three years at $37.5MM. There's optimism that the two sides will get a deal done at that price, says Cafardo (via Twitter).

3:09pm: The Red Sox are the frontrunners on Victorino, having offered a three-year deal worth $38MM, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

3:02pm: There are two teams "fully engaged" in talks with Victorino, including the Indians, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. It's not clear whether the other club involved is the Red Sox or the aforementioned "mystery team."

2:27pm: Victorino appears to have narrowed his options to three teams, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Indians and Red Sox remain in the mix, along with a third club. That third suitor isn't a true "mystery team," says Heyman — it's just unknown to him.

12:02pm: Momentum is building in talks for free agent outfielder Shane Victorino, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, who tweets that a deal could be finalized during the Winter Meetings. Crasnick reports (via Twitter) that the Indians have emerged as a "prime suitor" for Victorino, with manager Terry Francona reaching out personally to the Flyin' Hawaiian earlier in the offseason.

Besides the Indians, other teams checking in on Victorino include the Red Sox, Cubs, and Yankees, says Crasnick (Twitter link). The Braves and Reds don't appear to be engaged in discussions, and the Phillies' interest is "tepid," according to the ESPN.com scribe.

Crasnick adds in a final tweet that Angel Pagan's and B.J. Upton's deals appear to be helping Victorino, who should be in line for a three- or four-year contract. Upton earned a five-year, $75MM deal from the Braves, while Pagan agreed to a four-year, $40MM contract with the Giants yesterday.

NL Rumors: Stanton, Swisher, Mets, Dodgers, Cubs

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Between the Mets' R.A. Dickey trade talks and the Nationals' signing of Dan Haren, much of today's major news has come out of the National League. Here are a few more updates from across the Senior Circuit….

  • Although the Marlins have no intention of trading Giancarlo Stanton, that certainly hasn't stopped teams from calling to ask about him, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. "It would be easier to list who hasn't called," a source close to the Marlins told Knobler.
  • With Angel Pagan locked up, the Giants have turned their attention to corner outfielders, and have spoken to Nick Swisher's reps, says Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (on Twitter). However, the team will likely target a more affordable option — perhaps Ryan Ludwick or Scott Hairston.
  • The Mets, in their search for veteran left-handers for the bullpen, have inquired on Manny Parra, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter).
  • The Dodgers are shopping for a shortstop or third baseman to pair with Hanley Ramirez on the left side of the infield, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, adding that the team's approach at this point appears to involve pursuing an All-Star at every position.
  • In addition to a center fielder, the Phillies also need a right fielder and a third baseman, though they likely won't be able to afford both, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. tells Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • Yuniesky Betancourt is among the third base options being considered by the Cubs, writes Carrie Muskat at MLB.com.

Mariners Interested In Michael Bourn

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A new suitor has emerged for one of the top hitters remaining on the market, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, who says the Mariners are considering Michael Bourn. The Phillies continue to be in on Bourn as well, says Heyman.

The Mariners have been viewed as a player for power bats and corner outfielders, with reports connecting them to Josh Hamilton and Justin Upton, among others. However, according to Heyman, the team could decide to add a center fielder like Bourn and move Franklin Gutierrez to a corner spot. Gutierrez has been an above-average defender in center throughout his career, and I'm not sure his bat would play at a corner, but it appears the M's are exploring all their options.

Bourn is expected to sign for a little more than the five years and $75.25MM that B.J. Upton received from the Braves.

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