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Andre Ethier

West Notes: Ethier, Marcum, Ruggiano, Ankiel

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Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has been the subject of trade rumors all winter, but the veteran isn't buying into the notion that he'll be playing elsewhere come Opening Day, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. “I haven’t looked too much into it,” Ethier said. “It’s something I see as rumors. I think Ned was pretty quick to say there was nothing to it. That was enough to ease my mind, even though obviously there was a lot following that."

Here's the latest news and headlines from both the AL and NL West…

  • The Mariners and Rangers both had discussions with Shaun Marcum before the veteran elected to sign with the Mets, writes Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter). As a result, each team remains in the hunt for starting pitching.
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow has some regrets for trading Justin Ruggiano to the Marlins last spring, but likes the player he received in Jobduan Morales, says Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (on Twitter). 
  • Houston manager Bo Porter believes Rick Ankiel will make the big league roster out of Spring Training if he can play up to his potential, writes Dave Zangaro of CSNHouston.com. “He will add leadership. He will add a veteran presence in the lineup. You look at his ability to play defense, I watched him make some throws and make some catches that make you shake your head. This guy’s phenomenal.”

Diamondbacks “Open” To Discussing Upton

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6:52pm: The Braves and Mariners have inquired on Upton along with the Rangers, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  One source said that Atlanta “made strong overtures” for Upton earlier in the offseason but came away thinking that the Diamondbacks were not motivated to trade him.

The Mariners are particularly eager to add a hitter and some have gone so far as to say that they're desperate to do so.  They have checked in on the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier and the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, according to sources.  Upton might be the Mariners' most realistic pursuit, according to one source with knowledge of the team’s thinking.  The M's have had “on-and-off” discussions with Arizona throughout the offseason, but Upton is not inclined to remove them from his four-team no-trade list.

3:44pm: Facing a surplus of outfielders following their deal with Cody Ross, the Diamondbacks are once again “very much open” to talking about trading Justin Upton, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (all Twitter links). Their specific demands have changed, Olney notes.

Diamondbacks executives have viewed the Mariners as a possible trade partner for Upton, according to Olney. However, the Mariners are on Upton’s no-trade list, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier in the offseason (Twitter link). The Blue Jays are also on the list, which is partially in place to provide Upton with leverage in talks.

Some officials are now convinced the Diamondbacks will trade Upton rather than Jason Kubel, Olney reports. MLBTR readers disagree. Approximately 34% of nearly 10,000 voters said today that they expect the Diamondbacks to address their outfield depth by trading Upton, but approximately 45% expect Kubel to be moved.

The Rangers, Diamondbacks, Rays and Indians discussed multi-team trade scenarios involving Upton at the 2012 Winter Meetings. Texas, Seattle and the Mets now seem like potential fits in my view.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Qualifying Offers, Swisher, Kennedy

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All but seven of MLBTR's top 50 free agents have agreed to terms, but there are still dozens of unsigned players at this stage in the winter, as MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker shows. Here are some links from around MLB as the 2013 portion of the 2012-13 offseason gets underway…

  • Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains the tension between the MLB teams that aim to keep their top draft picks and free agents such as Kyle Lohse, Rafael Soriano, Michael Bourn and Adam LaRoche, who are linked to draft pick compensation after declining qualifying offers. Agent Scott Boras, who represents Lohse, Soriano and Bourn, faces the challenge of finding contracts for these players at a time that some teams are hesitant to engage them.
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if the next collective bargaining agreement will adjust or even overhaul the current system of qualifying offers to find a balance for all parties involved.
  • Nick Swisher will be introduced to the Cleveland media tomorrow if he passes his physical, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). The Indians agreed to sign the outfielder for $56MM over four years.
  • Though former Angels infielder Adam Kennedy hasn’t officially retired, he’s opening a baseball development facility in Anaheim next week, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (on Twitter). The 36-year-old TWC Sports client played in 86 games for the 2012 Dodgers, posting a .262/.345/.357 batting line in 201 plate appearances.
  • The Dodgers and Mariners haven’t talked about a potential deal involving Andre Ethier in weeks, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Earlier today ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported that the Mariners have called the Dodgers repeatedly to ask about the outfielder.

Olney On Astros, Price, Ethier

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney explains that the Angels, Rangers, A's and Mariners could benefit from Houston's presence in the AL West. The Astros, losers of 100-plus games in 2011 and 2012, project as a sub-.500 team again in 2013. Conversely, NL Central teams such as the Reds and Cardinals might miss their former rival. Here’s more from Olney’s ESPN.com column…

  • Olney ranks the game's top infields, starting with the Rangers, Tigers and Reds.
  • There's an assumption within the industry that the Rays will trade David Price sometime in the next calendar year, Olney writes. The left-hander recently avoided arbitration with Tampa Bay, agreeing to a one-year, $10.1MM contract.
  • The Mariners have called the Dodgers repeatedly to ask about potential trades involving Andre Ethier, Olney reports. The Dodgers intend to hold onto Ethier, but would listen to offers on him. The Mariners haven't presented Los Angeles with a formal proposal, according to Olney.

Quick Hits: Indians, Matsui, Ethier, Sanchez

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The Indians are the latest team to get a financial boost from a new TV contract, as the club announced that it has sold SportsTime Ohio (and the broadcasting rights to Indians games) to FOX Sports Media Group.  The Tribe's contract with FOX will run for at least 10 years and the team will receive at least $400MM over the course of the deal, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.  The Indians will get $40MM from FOX in 2013, up from the $33MM the team received from STO in 2012.  While it isn't the multi-billion dollar deal that other teams have received in recent TV rights deals, the extra funds have already played a role in the Indians' operations, namely the $56MM contract given to Nick Swisher.

Here are some items from around baseball as we head into the final weekend of 2012…

  • Hideki Matsui told reporters (including Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News) that he received offers from several Japanese teams but decided to retire since he felt he wasn't able to play up his standards.  Amongst Major League clubs, only the Astros were known to have shown any interest in Matsui this winter.
  • The Mariners could be in on Andre Ethier, tweets CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, though there is "no real evidence" that the Dodgers have any interest in dealing the right fielder.
  • Matt Sosnick, agent for infielder Freddy Sanchez, tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his client is healthy and has received some interest from teams, though no offers.  Sanchez, 35, has been plagued by injuries over the last two seasons and was limited to just 10 minor league plate appearances in 2012.
  • The Brewers signed righty Alfredo Figaro to a minor league deal last week but they were unaware that Figaro's rights were still controlled by the NPL's Orix Buffaloes, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  Milwaukee assistant GM Gord Ash said that the Brewers have told Orix that they will retract their offer if the Buffaloes choose to retain Figaro.
  • ESPN's Jim Bowden lists five possible transactions that he thinks make sense for contending teams, such as the Cardinals trading for Carlos Gonzalez or the Orioles signing Kyle Lohse.
  • Twins assistant GM Rob Antony tells La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the team could still make further additions to its pitching depth.  "I wouldn't say we're done," Antony said. "I wouldn't say were pushing hard. We have our feelers out there. If the situation is right, we could do something else. If not, we're OK too.''  Minnesota has already added Kevin Correia, Rich Harden, Mike Pelfrey and Vance Worley this winter but Neal doesn't think the team is willing to give a two-year, $14-$15MM contract to the likes of Joe Saunders, Shaun Marcum or Brett Myers.

Quick Hits: Blue Jays, Marlins, Ethier

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Now that we’re midway through the 2012-13 offseason, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com checks in with executives, statistical analysts and oddsmakers to take a look at the teams that have improved themselves the most this winter. Not surprisingly, the Blue Jays are a popular choice for most improved team. Here are some more links from around MLB…

Nick Swisher Rumors: Wednesday

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Nick Swisher visited the Indians yesterday, as the team attempted to convince the free agent outfielder to sign in Cleveland. Swisher left to visit another interested team without accepting the Indians' offer. Here’s the latest on Swisher, MLBTR's number six free agent…

  • Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News reports (on Twitter) that Swisher has two offers on the table with three or four other clubs interested as well. Teams do not appear to be hesitant to surrender the draft pick, he says.
  • Swisher would like to play for the Dodgers, but he is nowhere near the Dodgers' radar, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The sides had one conversation weeks ago, according to Heyman. The Indians are believed to be willing to offer the switch-hitter a four-year deal worth $13MM or so per season, Heyman adds.
  • The Dodgers aren’t expected to trade Andre Ethier to make room for Swisher in their outfield, Heyman writes. One person connected to the Dodgers said it's almost 100% certain that Ethier will open the season as L.A.'s right fielder, barring an injury.
  • The Rangers are in on Swisher, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Heyman & Knobler On Hanrahan, Rangers, Bourn

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The latest from Jon Heyman and Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com…

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

AL East Links: Orioles, Ellsbury, Ross, Iglesias

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We've already had one batch of AL East Notes on MLBTR today, but here are some more items on a busy day around the division…

  • The Orioles have had a quiet offseason while their division rivals have been spending, writes Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.  While the O's didn't make any major signings en route to a playoff appearance last year and face a payroll increase due to several arbitration-eligible players, Schmuck thinks spending on a big free agent like Adam LaRoche would help the team contend again.
  • A Dodgers official flatly denied that the Dodgers and Red Sox could make an Andre Ethier/Jacoby Ellsbury swap, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Ethier's name has come up in recent rumors but L.A. isn't shopping the outfielder and doesn't appear eager to move him.
  • Also from Cafardo, he hears from an AL general manager that the Red Sox may be trying to deal Ellsbury so they can shift Shane Victorino to center field and then sign Cody Ross.  Several teams are interested in Ross but none have yet met his desired price of a three-year, $21-$31MM contract.

Earlier updates:

  • Jose Iglesias has "always been available, but nobody has knocked down [Boston's] door," writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe about the Red Sox prospect's trade value.  Given that Stephen Drew was signed to just a one-year contract, it's too early to say that the Sox have given up on Iglesias as a long-term solution at shortstop. 
  • Also from Cafardo's piece, he thinks that Rafael Soriano and Matt Garza could both still be targets for the Red Sox.
  • Right-hander Daniel McCutchen has received multiple offers to play in Japan, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has learned.  McCutchen’s minor league deal with the Orioles permits him to accept an offer from a Japanese team. The 30-year-old appeared in one game for the Pirates this past season, but he spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 2.98 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 63 1/3 innings.
  • The Blue Jays were picked as the 2013 AL East champions by 13 of 20 scouts and executives polled by FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi.  In that same poll, the Orioles were picked to finish last by 10 voters, while the Red Sox received six last-place votes and were the only team that didn't get at least one pick as division winners.  Morosi himself picks Toronto for first place and Boston for last.
  • From earlier today, the Rays signed Roberto Hernandez, the Red Sox finalized the signing of Koji Uehara and I compiled some Yankees-related notes.

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

Dodgers Will Listen On Andre Ethier

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10:04am: A source close to the Dodgers told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the team's one conversation with Swisher came weeks ago (Twitter links). The Dodgers aren't shopping Ethier and haven't received offers for him so far, Heyman adds.

9:30am: Two American League teams asked about Ethier, but the Dodgers have "zero intention" of trading him, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Dodgers will listen to offers.

8:34am: Six months after extending Andre Ethier, the Dodgers are considering trading him. The Dodgers are shopping Ethier, and could be a suitor for Nick Swisher if they complete a trade, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports (on Twitter).

Ethier will earn $85MM from 2013-17 after signing a five-year deal with the Dodgers this past June. Ethier’s deal took place soon after Guggenheim Baseball Management gained control of the team, and foreshadowed the aggressive spending that would take place in the months that followed. The Dodgers acquired Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett from the Red Sox in a midseason trade, taking on approximately $260MM in the process. Then, once the offseason began, they spent aggressively on international free agents and landed the top pitcher available, signing Zack Greinke for $147MM.

While recent history suggests the team can afford to spend big on Swisher, GM Ned Colletti would need to create roster space for him. Swisher, a client of MVP Sports Group, is two years older than the 30-year-old Ethier. A switch-hitter, Swisher doesn't have the same pronounced platoon splits Ethier does. While Ethier thrives against right-handers and struggles against left-handers, Swisher has a career OPS of .820 against right-handers and a career OPS of .842 against left-handers.

The Indians met with Swisher last night and the Red Sox, Phillies, Mariners, Rangers, and Orioles have also been linked to him. Some of these teams could have interest in trading for Ethier, particularly if the Dodgers are willing to cover some salary to facilitate a deal.

Swisher ranked sixth on MLBTR's top 50 free agent list. He obtained a qualifying offer from the Yankees, which means he's linked to draft pick compensation.

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