Week In Review

There was plenty of action this week as teams looked to get deals done before the holiday..

• This week, the Nationals further bolstered their rotation by trading for Athletics pitcher Gio Gonzalez.  The Nats acquired the 26-year-old and Robert Gilliam for four highly-regarded young players, including three of the Nationals' top ten prospects: right-handers A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock, left-hander Tom Milone and catcher Derek Norris.  Gonzalez is under team control through 2015.
• The Cubs shipped Sean Marshall to the Reds this week for for Travis Wood, Dave Sappelt, and Ronald Torreyes.  The Reds have been in the market a closer, but it's not clear how they'll use Marshall and how his presence will affect Cincinnati's interest in relievers such as Francisco Cordero.  The trade is the Cubs' first step towards a complete rebuilding.
• The Rangers won the rights to Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish with a $51.7MM bid this week.  The bid provides the Rangers with a 30-day negotiating window. If the sides don't agree to a deal within the next 30 days, Darvish will stay in Japan and the Nippon Ham Fighters won't obtain any cash from the Rangers.  The Blue Jays apparently weren't close to beating out Texas.
• Speaking of the Rangers, they're still eyeing Andrew Bailey.
• The Cardinals agreed to terms with free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran on a two-year, $26MM deal that includes a full no-trade clause.  Beltran, who turns 35 in April, hit .300/.385/.525 in 598 plate appearances for the Mets and Giants in 2011.
• John Danks agreed to terms with the White Sox on a five-year, $65MM extension.  Danks would have been eligible for free agency following the 2012 season, his final year as an arbitration eligible player.  The White Sox are paying roughly $14-15MM for each of the four free agent seasons the deal buys out (Danks' age 28-31 seasons).
• The Diamondbacks signed outfielder Jason Kubel to a two-year, $15MM deal with a mutual option for 2014.  The 29-year-old is expected to play in left field for Arizona.  Kubel spent his entire career with the Twins after being drafted in the 12th round in 2000.
• Rockies outfielder Seth Smith is drawing interest from the Athletics, Rays, Mariners, Braves, and Mets. 
• Both the Yankees and Red Sox are pursuing Hiroki Kuroda now that he's willing to leave California.
• The Orioles are interested in Prince Fielder but not at his current asking price.  There's also a broad assumption from baseball execs that the slugger's best offer will come from the Nationals.  The Mariners and Cubs remain interested in Fielder but the Rangers are out on him.
• The Marlins are considering free agent southpaw Joe Saunders.  Saunders was non-tendered by Arizona a few weeks back.
• The Nationals agreed to sign utility player Mark DeRosa. The CSE client drew interest from at least four teams this offseason.
• There is reportedly divide in both the Yankees' and Marlins' front offices on whether to pursue Yoenis Cespedes.  While there have been conflicting reports on the Bombers interest in the outfielder, Miami is regarded by some teams as the favorite for him.
• The Twins agreed to sign right-handed starter Jason Marquis to a one-year, $3MM contract.  The Mets also had interest in the New York native this offseason.
• Roy Oswalt is believed to have drawn some interest from the Red Sox, Nationals, Marlins, Blue Jays, Yankees, Rangers and Twins.  It doesn't appear that a deal is close just yet, however.
• Bobby Abreu would welcome a trade out of Anaheim, though he reportedly not the type to demand one.  Abreu, 38 in March, will earn $9MM in 2012 before becoming a free agent after the season.
• The Rockies continue to seek pitching help but they're unlikely to land either Joe Saunders or Hiroki Kuroda unless their asking prices come way down.
• The Cubs signed right-hander Manny Corpas to a one-year deal.
• The Angels are still exploring bullpen options and have been in touch with Darren Oliver's representatives and had scouts watch Joel Zumaya's recent showcase.
• The Rockies signed Casey Blake to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract worth $2MM plus $1MM in performance bonuses.
• The Royals signed Yuniesky Betancourt to a one-year, Major League contract.  Betancourt's base salary is $2MM and he can earn an additional $500K in incentives.
• The Angels signed outfielder Ryan Langerhans, right-hander Eric Hurley, and catcher Robinzon Diaz.
• The Rangers acquired catcher Luis Martinez from the Padres in exchange for right-hander Ryan Kelly.
• The Rays avoided arbitration with right-handed reliever Joel Peralta and agreed to terms on a one-year, Major League contract for 2012 worth $2.175MM.
• The Pirates signed right-handed reliever Ryota Igarashi to a minor league deal. Igarashi, who spent the past two seasons with the Mets, is a Wasserman Media Group client.
• Some baseball people believe the Mariners are willing to trade closer Brandon League.
• Milwaukee signed Cesar Izturis to a minor league deal.
• The Nationals agreed to sign veteran outfielder Mike Cameron to a minor league deal.  Cameron, 39 in January, also drew interest from the Indians this offseason.
• The Indians inked Andy LaRoche to a minor league contract.
• The Cubs and Reed Johnson have agreed to terms on a one-year contract.
• The Rockies signed right-hander Carlos Torres to a minor league contract, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes learned.
• The A's designated Jai Miller for assignment along with Landon Powell to get their 40 man roster back to the limit after the Gonzalez trade.
• The Padres reached agreement with outfielder Jeremy Hermida on a minor league deal after non-tendering him last week.
• The Giants signed arbitration eligible infielder Emmanuel Burriss to a one-year Major League contract and also signed left-hander Brian Burres this week.
• The Reds claimed Josh Judy off waivers from the Indians.

Plenty of news to recap from this past week..

• The Reds weren't afraid to part with a great deal of talent in order to get their man in Mat Latos.  The Reds acquired Latos from the Padres on Saturday for Yonder Alonso, Edinson Volquez, Yasmani Grandal, and Brad Boxberger.  Latos won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2012 season and will team up with Johnny Cueto atop the Reds' rotation.
• The Phillies agreed to terms with Jimmy Rollins on a three-year, $33MM deal with a fourth year vesting option for an additional $11MM.  The shorstop was initially seeking a five-year deal this winter but saw his market dwindle down as the offseason progressed.
• The Brewers agreed to a three-year deal with third baseman Aramis Ramirez.  The $36MM contract includes a mutual option for 2015.  With first baseman Prince Fielder expected to leave via free agency and MVP Ryan Braun facing a potential 50-game suspension for a banned substance, the Brewers were motivated to add a middle-of-the-order hitter.
• The deadline for teams to submit bids to the Nippon Ham Fighters for the exclusive rights to negotiate with Yu Darvish passed at 4pm central time Wednesday and the club has until December 20th to accept or reject the high bid.  The Rangers and Blue Jays reportedly made sizable bids for the right-hander and Toronto's bid is said to be more than $40MM and possibly close to $50MM.
• The Twins agreed to sign Josh Willingham to a three-year, $21MM deal with a chance to earn $1MM through incentives.  Willingham, is a modified Type-A free agent under the new collective bargaining agreement. The Twins will not have to surrender a draft pick to sign him, but the A's will still get two picks as compensation for the loss.
• Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd continued a busy offseason by signing Michael Cuddyer to a three-year, $31.5MM deal.  After 11 seasons in Minnesota, the Excel Sports Management client has a career line of .272/.343/.451.
• The Yakult Swallows announced that the Brewers won the negotiating rights to Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki with a $2.5MM bid.  Aoki, 30 in January, is a three-time Central League batting champion and posted a career line of .336/.411/.472 in his first seven seasons in Japan.  However, his numbers dipped to 292/.358/.360 in 2011.
• The Indians acquired outfielder Aaron Cunningham from the Padres for minor leaguer Cory Burns.
• At least one MLB general manager believes Prince Fielder and agent Scott Boras are looking for a ten-year deal that approaches the value of Albert Pujols' $254MM contract.
• The Cardinals did extensive background work on Carlos Beltran this week and they continue to maintain strong interest in the outfielder.
• The Rangers are discussing a five-year extension with left-handed starter Derek Holland and it may include a club option for a sixth year.
• There's good news and bad news regarding Yoenis Cespedes.  The bad news is, we'll have to wait until January to see the outfielder become eligible for MLB free agency.  The good news is that we have a new training video to enjoy.
• The Tigers are interested in free agent left-hander Joe Saunders.  The Reds and Red Sox also have some interest in Saunders, who was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks earlier in the week.
• The Red Sox acquired reliever Mark Melancon from the Astros for shortstop Jed Lowrie and starter Kyle Weiland.  It didn't take long for Red Sox GM Ben Cherington to replace Lowrie, as he turned around hours later and inked Nick Punto to a two-year deal.
• MLB teams non-tendered 29 players in total this week.  We have a detailed explanation of what it means to non-tender a player and here's a link to our non-tender tracker.
• The Rockies have had discussions with Brad Lidge's representatives.  Lidge's agent says that his client would be comfortable pitching in Colorado.
• MLB Player's Association executive director Michael Weiner says that if it were up to the owners, there would be an international draft in place.  Weiner says that the players are open to it as well.
• The Orioles signed Japanese starter Tsuyoshi Wada to a two-year deal that includes a club option for 2014. The contract guarantees the free agent left-hander $8.15MM and the option is worth $5MM.
• The Mariners agreed to sign George Sherrill to a one-year pact worth $1.1MM plus incentives.
• The Red Sox had discussions with the Royals about the possibility of dealing for closer Joakim Soria.
• The Red Sox agreed to sign Kelly Shoppach to a one-year, $1.35MM deal with incentives that could raise the deal to $1.75MM.
• The Diamondbacks agreed to sign right-handed reliever Takashi Saito to a one-year, $1.75MM deal.
• The Cubs are in talks with 29-year-old left-hander Paul Maholm.
• Gio Gonzalez is about to get expensive through arbitration, yet the Athletics are drawing strong interest in the left-hander.
• The Rays acquired right-hander Burke Badenhop from the Marlins for minor league catcher Jake Jefferies,
• The Cardinals signed J.C. Romero to a one-year, $750K deal plus incentives.
• The Phillies signed left-hander Dontrelle Willis to pitch out of the bullpen.
• The Cubs and Dodgers have been in discussions with Coco Crisp to play left field, MLBTR learned.
• The Orioles and approximately ten other teams have expressed some level of interest in signing Luke Scott.
• The Blue Jays acquired outfielder Ben Francisco from the Phillies for minor league lefty Frank Gailey.
• The Cardinals agreed to a two-year, $3MM deal with utility infielder Skip Schumaker.
• The Giants agreed to re-sign Guillermo Mota to a deal worth $1MM.
• The Indians reached an agreement on a minor league contract with Felix Pie.  He could earn up to $1MM with performance bonuses, and has the option to opt out of the deal before Opening Day.
• The Dodgers signed outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. to a two-year deal.
• The Marlins signed Aaron Rowand to a minor league deal.

This was an incredibly exciting week here at MLBTR as we brought you 24/7 live Winter Meetings coverage.  On Thursday, Luke Adams gave us a comprehensive look back at all the major happenings during the meetings in Dallas.  For a day-by-day look, check out our posts summing up Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 by Steve Adams.  Here are the biggest stories that took place after the Meetings..

• The Diamondbacks acquired pitchers Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow from the Athletics for minor leaguers Jarrod Parker, Collin Cowgill and Ryan Cook.  The right-handed Cahill is the centerpiece of the deal for Arizona and has logged 175 innings in each of his three seasons as a Major Leaguer.  In Parker, Cowgill and Cook, the A's get three prospects who all have far less than a full season of service time.
• The Cardinals and Rafael Furcal reached agreement on two-year deal worth roughly $14MM.  The 34-year-old hit .255/.316/.418 with seven homers in 217 plate appearances after being traded to St. Louis at the deadline last year. 
• The Padres found their Heath Bell replacement, acquiring closer Huston Street from the Rockies for minor league left-hander Nick Schmidt.  The Rockies are eating $1MM on Street's $8MM salary. Street, 28, posted a 3.86 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 1.4 BB/9, 1.54 HR/9, and 34.9% groundball rate in 58 1/3 innings for the Rockies this year, saving 29 games in 33 attempts.
• The Rays locked up 22-year-old phenom Matt Moore for at least five years.  Moore has just 17 days of big league service time (plus ten innings in the postseason), but the Rays committed $14MM for Moore’s next five seasons.  The contract is similar to the Rays’ commitment to Evan Longoria, but is the first of its kind for a pitcher.
• Reigning NL MVP Ryan Braun tested positive for a performance-enchancing drug.  He is now facing a 50-game suspension and is disputing the positive test through arbitration.
• The Yankees surprised everyone when they submitted the winning bid on Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima.  The club now has less than a month to work out a deal with him.
• MLB officially reinstated Manny Ramirez from the voluntary retirement list. Ramirez intends to attempt a comeback next year, but will first need to serve a 50-game suspension for his failed PED test this past season.  With several DH candidates on the free agent market that come with less baggage, Ramirez will likely have to settle for a non-roster invite to Spring Training.
• The Nationals traded right-hander Collin Balester to the Tigers in exchange for right-hander Ryan Perry.
• The Tigers reached agreement with reliever Octavio Dotel on a one-year contract, plus a club option for 2013.  Dotel will earn $3MM in 2012 and the club option is worth $3.5MM (with a $500K buyout).
• The Diamondbacks agreed to terms with first baseman Lyle Overbay on a one-year deal worth $1MM, the team has announced.
• The Diamondbacks' acquisition of Trevor Cahill may lead them to trade lefty Joe Saunders.
• The Padres' rotation will have a different look next year, but the club isn't planning to move Mat Latos.  Still, other teams don't think the right-hander is cemented in the team's long-term plans.
• The Dodgers are interested in Daniel Murphy of the Mets.
• The Rangers intend to look into contract extensions for their core players, and that process has started with Ian Kinsler.
• Yesterday, Angels GM Jerry Dipoto confirmed that Kendrys Morales will be tendered a contract before Monday's deadline.
• The Phillies signed Dave Bush, Steven Lerud and David Purcey to minor league contracts.

It's time to take a look back at the week that was with MLBTR's Week In Review..

• This week Major League Baseball announced that its owners and players have come to terms on a brand new collective bargaining agreement.  The new deal includes radical changes to draft pick compensation, limits amateur spending, and adds one wild card entrant to each league.  It was also announced that Type A free agents Matt Capps, Francisco Cordero, Octavio Dotel, Ramon Hernandez and Darren Oliver will now be treated as Type B free agents.  For a list of ten highlights from the CBA, take a look at our easy-to-read post.
• More than half of ranked free agents received offers of arbitration from their teams this week.  We took a look at some of the more interesting arbitration decisions and listed the decisions in the the National and American Leagues. 
• The Red Sox managerial search is down to two finalists: Bobby Valentine and Tigers' third base coach Gene Lamont.  Blue Jays' first base coach Torey Lovullo is out of the running.  The team is expected to name either Lamont or Valentine as their manager in the coming week.
• Justin Verlander won the American League MVP award to go with his Cy Young.  Meanwhile, Ryan Braun won the 2011 NL MVP over Matt Kemp, teammate Prince Fielder, and Justin Upton.
• The Rangers agreed with Joe Nathan on a two-year deal that includes a team option for 2014.  Nathan will earn $7MM in 2012 and 2013 and the club holds a $9MM option for 2014 ($750K buyout).  He can also can earn up to $1MM in incentives based on games finished and the 2014 option can vest based on games finished in '13.
• Grady Sizemore re-signed in Cleveland for a base salary of $5MM with up to $4MM in incentives.
• The Reds are offering Yonder Alonso as trade bait in their search for a closer or a No. 2 starter.  Reds GM Walt Jocketty has spoken to several teams about Alonso, though we heard earlier this week that the Reds thought Alonso was too much to give up for Oakland closer Andrew Bailey.
• The Twins agreed to sign Ryan Doumit to a one-year deal.  The deal is worth $3MM and includes performance bonuses.  The 30-year-old posted a .303/.353/.477 line in 236 plate appearances for the Pirates in 2011.
• The Yankees agreed to terms with Freddy Garcia on a one-year deal.  Garcia, 35, signed a minor league deal in February and delivered a surprisingly strong 3.62 ERA in 146 2/3 innings.
• The Angels are believed to be interested in Yoenis Cespedes as well as free agent relievers Scott Linebrink and Ryan Madson,
• The Royals agreed to sign Bruce Chen to a two-year deal worth $9MM.  The deal also includes a $1MM roster bonus and up to $1MM in incentives.
• The Pirates found their new shortstop, as they officially signed Clint Barmes to a two-year deal on Monday.  The contract is worth $10.5MM and with a $5MM salary in 2012, Barmes will be the Pirates' highest-paid player. 
• The Marlins traded catcher John Baker to the Padres for left-hander Wade LeBlanc.  Our projections have Baker earning $800K as a first time arbitration-eligible player in 2012.
• Gio Gonzalez has emerged as a possible trade target for the Marlins.
• After a season with the Blue Jays, Frank Francisco is now a free agent, and the Rangers have expressed interest in bringing him back.  Francisco, 32, posted a 3.55 ERA, 9.4 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 1.2 HR/9, and 38.6% groundball rate in 50 2/3 innings this year.
• Nationals officials including GM Mike Rizzo visited free agent lefty Mark Buehrle and his agents at his home in St. Louis this week.
• The Phillies acquired utility man Ty Wigginton from the Rockies in exchange for a player to be named or cash.  The teams will split Wigginton's $4MM 2012 salary and the Rox can recoup another player or $100K in cash if the Phils exercise Wigginton's $4MM 2013 option.
• The Phillies are among the clubs interested in 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler.  In addition to the Phillies, the Yankees, Nationals, Cubs, Marlins and Rangers have also shown interest in Soler. 
• The Yankees signed Jayson Nix to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
• The Dodgers, Giants, and Brewers all have interest in Jerry Hairston Jr. and Milwaukee has already offered him a one-year deal.
• The Angels reportedly have their eye on Ryan Hanigan of the Reds.
• Meanwhile, the Reds' top priority is finding a starting pitcher.
• The Indians traded Luis Valbuena to the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations.  The infielder was designated for assignment on November 18th.
• The Orioles are close to a deal with Korean right-hander Chong Tae-Hyon.
• More than 10 teams have inquired on Jonathan Broxton and requested his medical records.
• The Rockies have expressed interest in free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes​.
• The Yokohama Bay Stars have agreed to post right-handed reliever Hiroki Sanada this offseason.
• The Angels announced Matt Klentak was hired as an assistant GM.  Klentak served as director of baseball operations for the Orioles since 2008.  Klentak was named one of our top 20 GM candidates in August, and you can read Ben Nicholson-Smith's interview with him here.
• The Pirates announced six minor league free agent signings: Jake Fox, Brandon Boggs, Kyle Cofield, Jose Diaz, Shairon Martis, and Stefan Welch.  Fox, Boggs, and Martis received non-roster invites to spring training.
• The Orioles signed Matt Antonelli to a Major League contract.

With the hot stove heating up, it's time to take a look back at the week that was..

• After a rumored four-year, $44MM deal with Ryan Madson fell through, the Phillies turned around and signed Jonathan Papelbon to a precedent-setting four-year, $50MM deal.  The contract establishes the record for guaranteed money for a reliever.  The contract, which is pending a physical, will include a reachable fifth year vesting option for 2016.  In addition to signing a record-setting deal, Papelbon also earned the distinction of being the first of MLBTR's top 50 free agents to sign.
• Meanwhile, the market for Madson is starting to take shape.  The Blue Jays have been "making inquiries" about the closer while the Marlins are "also in on" him.  The Rangers, Red Sox and Nationals are also reportedly interested in the free agent.
• The Royals acquired lefty Jonathan Sanchez and minor league starter Ryan Verdugo from the Giants for outfielder Melky Cabrera.  Sanchez, 28, may have been a non-tender candidate for the Giants after a disappointing 2011 season that saw him miss significant time with biceps tendinitis and a sprained ankle.  Cabrera had the opposite experience in 2011, as he had a resurgence after being non-tendered and signing a $1.25MM free agent deal.
• The Marlins made "substantial offers" to both Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes and have also offered a contract to Mark Buehrle.  The team met with Pujols on Friday, Reyes on Wednesday and Buehrle on Tuesday.  They're also showing interest in Carlos Beltran.
• After nearly ten years away from the game, Dan Duquette is back in baseball as the Orioles' General Manager on a three-year deal.  Duquette, 53, served as the general manager of the Expos from 1991-1994 and then GM of the Red Sox from 1994-2002.  Prior to being hired by the Orioles, Duquette had interviewed for the GM opening with the Angels that was later filled by Jerry Dipoto.
• The Twins announced that Terry Ryan is returning to the role of GM.  Ryan, who has an interim tag on his title this time, replaces Bill Smith.  Ryan has been in the Twins organization for 28 years, serving as GM from 1994-2007 before assuming the role of senior advisor.
• The Diamondbacks reached a two-year agreement worth $3.8MM with utility man Willie Bloomquist but are still reportedly interested in free agent second baseman Aaron Hill.
• Free agent Albert Pujols is being wooed by the Marlins, but the Cardinals do not plan to greatly increase the nine-year, $210MM contract offer that they made to Pujols before the season.  The Cards don't have much reason to sweeten the pot yet as the Marlins offer "probably isn’t close to being enough" and are the only team to extend an offer to Pujols so far.  The Angels, Dodgers, Yankees, and Rangers are unlikely to pursue the slugger.
• Nats catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped near his home in Venezuela by four armed gunmen on Wednesday but thankfully was rescued on Friday.
• The Twins signed Jamey Carroll to a two-year, $7MM deal to be their everyday shortstop.  The 37-year-old drew interest from multiple teams this offseason before signing with the Twins.  The contract also contains a $2MM option for 2014.  The option vests if Carroll makes 401 plate appearances in 2013, but Carroll can choose to turn down the option.
• Mark Buehrle told the White Sox he's not going to give them a hometown discount.  Approximately ten teams, including the Marlins, Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers are interested in the left-hander.
• Even though they're in desperate need of offense, there's no evidence that the Giants would trade either Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain this offseason.  One GM went so far as to say there's "no point even asking."
• If the Red Sox are able to retain David Ortiz, they're unlikely to chase a big bat for the outfield.
• The Rangers have expressed preliminary interest in free agent starters such as Mark Buehrle, Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt.
• Catcher Ryan Doumit, who was already weighing multiple contract offers, received offers from two more teams on Saturday.  Doumit's agent Paul Cobbe says that his client could sign within the next few days.
• It could take two months for MLB to declare Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes a free agent.  The Red Sox, Phillies, Indians, Blue Jays, Pirates, Rangers, Tigers, Nationals, Athletics, Marlins, and Yankees are among the teams with interest in Cespedes.
• There's been plenty of hype surrounding Cespedes, but 19-year-old outfielder Jorge Soler and 23-year-old right-hander Armando Rivero also figure to attract attention this offseason.
• Matt Kemp and the Dodgers are discussing a long-term deal and talks have had “more substance lately.”  Kemp, who is on track to hit free agency after the 2012 season, will not negotiate after Opening Day, according to his agent.
• The Rangers are looking at available left-handed starting pitchers to replace the possibly-departing C.J. Wilson.
• Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano is in no hurry to part ways with the club, and by the pitcher's account the feeling is mutual.
• The Pirates signed catcher Rod Barajas to a one-year deal that includes a team option for 2013.  Barajas will earn a $4MM salary in 2012 and the option would pay him another $3.5MM in 2013.
• The Pirates are interested in free agent Ramon Santiago as a possible everyday shortstop.
• Korean right-hander Suk-min Yoon has hired agent Scott Boras and may be posted in time to spend the 2012 season with a Major League team. Yoon is the reigning MVP of the Korean Baseball Organization and played in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
• The Blue Jays and 4-6 other teams have shown interest in Jonathan Broxton and asked for his medical records.  The Mets are not one of the teams to have inquired on the 27-year-old free agent.
• Angels GM Jerry Dipoto says that the Angels may be interested in Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols.  They also might show interest  C.J. Wilson but aren't interested in Aramis Ramirez.
• The Royals have interest in Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano, GM Dayton Moore disclosed.  The GM later said that he shouldn't have publicly discussed a player under contract with another team.
• The Blue Jays are aggressively seeking an experienced closer through free agency or trade and have discussed free agents Heath Bell and Joe Nathan, as well as trade target Andrew Bailey of the Athletics.
• The Indians are interested in Japanese right-hander Shinobu Fukuhara.
• The Padres will be reluctant to move Chase Headley this offseason.
• The Rockies have expressed interest in free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore but the club will not aggressively pursue him until they exhaust all trade options with the Braves for Martin Prado.
• The Nationals have expressed interest in Japanese left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada.
• Rangers president & CEO Nolan Ryan expressed confidence in first baseman Mitch Moreland and cast doubt on the notion that the Rangers will pursue Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols.
• There is "a bit of concern" among executives that Yu Darvish won't decide to be posted this winter.
• The owners and the players' union continue to work towards an agreement in advance of the current CBA expiring on December 11th and they're working on fixing the Type A/Type B system.
• The Tokyo Yakult Swallows are posting three-time Central League batting champion Norichika Aoki.
• The Diamondbacks signed right-hander Chris Jakubauskas to a minor league deal, MLBTR  learned.

Tonight is the deadline to enter your picks in MLBTR's Free Agent contest, so be sure to get them in for your chance to win your share of the prizes. Let's take a look back at the past seven days:

• Frank McCourt agreed to sell the Dodgers, and will seek approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for an auction of the team. Earlier in the week we heard that Mark Cuban has interest in buying the team and could make a bid.
• The Yankees retained C.C. Sabathia before he even hit the open market by adding on an extra year at $25MM and a vesting option with a $5MM buyout. Here's some reactions to the signing.
• The Indians acquired Derek Lowe from the Braves in exchange for minor leaguer Chris Jones. The Braves are on the hook for $10MM of Lowe's salary, but managed to successfully save $5MM by shipping the veteran righty to Cleveland.
• Jim Thome is returning to the Phillies on a one-year deal worth $1.25MM.
• On Monday morning, Tony La Russa announced his retirement after 33 seasons as a manager.  La Russa captured three World Championships in his career and won Manager of the Year four times.
• The Nationals announced on Monday that they've exercised manager Davey Johnson's option for 2012.
• The Giants and Javier Lopez have agreed to a two-year, $8.5MM contract and shortly thereafter exercised Jeremy Affeldt's $5MM club option for 2012.
• The Dodgers retained Juan Rivera by locking him up to a one-year deal worth $4.5MM.
• The Cubs exercised their $16MM option on Aramis Ramirez, but the slugging third baseman exercised a contractual right to void the option and forfeit his $2MM buyout.  Ramirez, a projected Type B free agent, will explore the free agent market following a season in which he belted 26 homers and posted a .306/.361/.510 triple slash line.
• The Nationals also retained a player when they guaranteed Chien-Ming Wang $4MM on an incentive-laden one-year deal for the 2012 season.
• The Diamondbacks signed John McDonald to a two-year, $3MM deal and also inked Henry Blanco to a one-year deal worth $1.2MM. In addition to the on-field decisions, the club also extended both GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson.
• The Brewers declined the $17.5MM option on Francisco Rodriguez and the $6MM option on Yuniesky Betancourt.  The pair will receive buyouts of $3.5MM and $2MM, respectively.
• The Mets are prepared to offer Jose Reyes a four-year deal worth $60-$70MM, but their hope of retaining their superstar shortstop is dwindling.
• The Braves are open to moving both Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado, but a potential deal in which Atlanta tried to acquire Wil Myers and Lorenzo Cain from the Royals fell through.
• The Giants are open to trading Jonathan Sanchez, who should draw some interest given his high strikeout totals and the relative weakness of the free agent market.
• The Cardinals declined their options for Octavio Dotel and Rafael Furcal.
• The Red Sox exercised their $6MM option on Marco Scutaro for the 2012 season.
• C.J. Wilson said there is a "great" chance that he stays with the Rangers. The Yankees will also be in contact with Wilson.
• Roy Oswalt is in search of a multiyear deal, and the Nationals will be players for his services.
• The Marlins will make the starting rotation their top priority this offseason.
• The Phillies are said to be in "serious pursuit" of Michael Cuddyer, which could be bad news for the Twins and his many other suitors.
• The Diamondbacks exercised their sides of the mutual options for Henry Blanco and Willie Bloomquist, while declining their team options for Zach Duke and Aaron Hill.  However, Bloomquist has declined his side of the mutual option and would like to work out a longer deal.
• The Blue Jays announced that they exercised their 2012 option for Edwin Encarnacion and declined their option for Jon Rauch.
• The Royals announced that they exercised their 2012 option for closer Joakim Soria. Soria will earn a $6MM salary, rather than a $750K buyout. 
• The Reds exercised Brandon Phillips' 2012 option and declined their option for Francisco Cordero. The Reds will pay Cordero a $1MM buyout instead of a $12MM salary and they'll pay Phillips a $12MM salary instead of a $1MM buyout.
• The Padres announced they've declined their options on Aaron Harang, Brad Hawpe, and Chad Qualls.  Only Harang was slightly in question as he had a $5MM mutual option with a $500K buyout.
• The Rays exercised Kyle Farnsworth's 2012 option while declining Kelly Shoppach's.  Meanwhile, they exercised James Shields' $7.5MM option.  Shields would not have been eligible for free agency if the Rays had declined the option. Instead, Tampa Bay would have gone to arbitration with Shields and he would have obtained a salary in excess of $7.5MM.
• Mariners reliever David Aardsma cleared waivers and elected free agency.
• The White Sox exercised their $3.75MM club option on reliever Jason Frasor.
• The Indians exercised their club option on Fausto Carmona and declined their option on Grady Sizemore.  Carmona would have earned more than the $7MM option price as an arbitration eligible player, and the Indians made the expected choice to retain him.
• The Pirates announced they've declined club options on Paul Maholm, Chris Snyder, Ryan Doumit, and Ronny Cedeno.  Cedeno was the one unknown of the bunch.
• The Rockies declined their 2012 option on righty Aaron Cook.
• The Rangers exercised their 2012 option for Yoshinori Tateyama and the right-hander will earn a $1MM salary in 2012.
• The Athletics will listen to offers on anyone except for Jemile Weeks. The speedy second baseman hit .303/.340/.421 and stole 22 bases in his solid but under-the-radar rookie season.
• The Yankees declined their 2012 option on righty Andrew Brackman.
• MLBTR obtained the official Elias Rankings for this upcoming offseason.

With the 2011 season in the rear view mirror, it's time to turn our attention to what should be a very interesting offseason.  Here's a look back at the week that was..

• After an exhaustive search, the Angels decided to name Jerry Dipoto of the Diamondbacks as their next GM.  Dipoto's deal is for three guaranteed years followed by two option years.  The former Major League reliever was Arizona's senior VP of scouting and player development before landing the Halos job.  Dipoto, 43, was the top name on MLBTR's list of GM candidates.
• Even though the two parties reached agreement last week, the Cubs and Red Sox didn't get to announce their new GMs until Tuesday.  Theo Epstein will take over as the President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs while the Red Sox will promote Ben Cherington to the position of GM.  Epstein will also bring Padres GM Jed Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod aboard.
• The Yankees exercised their 2012 club options on second baseman Robinson Cano and outfielder Nick Swisher. Cano's option is for $14MM and Swisher's is for $10.25MM.
• New Red Sox GM Ben Cherington announced that righty John Lackey will undergo Tommy John surgery.  The surgery causes a sixth-year option to vest for Lackey at the league minimum and  reduces the average annual value of the contract from $16.5MM to $13.8MM, creating luxury tax savings.
• The Indians are expected to decline their $9MM 2012 option on center fielder Grady Sizemore while exercising their $7MM 2012 option on right-hander Fausto Carmona.  Sizemore will earn a $500K buyout.
• The Mets intend to allow other clubs to set the market for Jose Reyes this offseason.  Team officials have suggested that the Nats, Marlins, and Angels could bid heavily on the free agent shortstop this offseason.
• Players with two years and 146 days of Major League service time will qualify for Super Two status, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes learned.  Top pitchers such as David Price, Rick Porcello, Daniel Bard, and Gio Gonzalez are among those in this year's crop of Super Twos.
• A hard slotting system for the amateur draft is no longer the main issue holding up a new collective bargaining agreement.  Still being discussed, however, are caps on both overall draft spending and for international signings.
• While there has been plenty of movement when it comes to top execs in the AL East, that won't be the case in the Bronx.  The Yankees have agreed to a three-year extension with GM Brian Cashman.
• The Cardinals officially exercised Adam Wainwright's options for 2012 and 2013 during this year's playoff run.  Wainwright, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, will earn $21MM over the course of the next two seasons.
• The Blue Jays will discuss the possibility of signing David Ortiz this winter.  The slugger knows manager John Farrell from his four seasons as the Red Sox's pitching coaching, and Ortiz is friends with Jose Bautista.
• This week, Jim Thome announced that he intends to keep playing.  Next season would mark his 22nd in the Major Leagues.
• It was reported that Yankees GM Cashman would meet with CC Sabathia's agent this weekend in an attempt to complete a new contract extension before the ace left-hander can opt-out of his contract and become a free agent.
• Meanwhile, the Yankees are likely to pick up Nick Swisher's $10.25MM option for 2012 and stay out of the bidding for free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran.
• Based on comments from agent Dave Stewart, if the Dodgers attempt to lock Matt Kemp up to an extension this offseason, they shouldn't expect much of a hometown discount.
• Red Sox GM Ben Cherington publicly suggested the Red Sox are likely to exercise the Marco Scutaro's option.  If the Red Sox don't pick up Scutaro's option, he can remain in Boston for $3MM instead of taking a $1.5MM buyout.
• The Phillies officially declined the 2012 options for right-handers Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt. Lidge obtains a $1.5MM buyout instead of a $12.5MM salary and Oswalt obtains a $2MM buyout instead of a $16MM salary. The team hasn't ruled out a new deal with either player.
• The Twins declined their club option on reliever Joe Nathan.  The option was worth $12.5MM, but the team will pay a $2MM buyout.  Nathan's agent Dave Pepe says his client is excited about free agency and seeks a closer job in 2012.
• The Tigers announced that they have exercised their 2012 club option for Jose Valverde.  The 33-year-old will earn $9MM next year instead of becoming a free agent.
• Ryan Dempster exercised his $14MM player option for 2012. Dempster hinted at wanting to remain in Chicago beyond next season a few weeks ago.
• The A's released Michael Wuertz to create 40-man roster space for right-hander Evan Scribner and outfielder Cedric Hunter, who were claimed off of waivers from the Padres.
• GM Ed Wade says that Houston is unlikely to be a major player in free agency this offseason.
• As expected, the Rockies and first baseman Jason Giambi each exercised their sides of a $1MM mutual option for 2012.  However, the team will decline their end of Aaron Cook's $11MM mutual option.
• Reds players Fred Lewis and Chad Reineke elected free agency.
• The Astros signed right-handers Alberto Arias and Jose Valdez and left-hander Xavier Cedeno to minor league deals after they outrighted the players off of their 40-man roster earlier in October.
• MLBTR learned that the Astros claimed catcher Craig Tatum off of waivers from the Orioles. The 28-year-old has three partial seasons of catching experience at the Major League level and isn't yet eligible for arbitration.

With Game Four of the World Series in progress, let's take a look back at the week that was..

• On Friday night, the Red Sox and Cubs finally announced that Theo Epstein will take over as the Cubs' President of Baseball Operations.  Both organizations will forego further comment until Tuesday, which is the next scheduled non-game day in the World Series.  Compensation has not yet been agreed upon but the issue will be "resolved in the near term" according the the joint press release.  The two sides have struggled to reach agreement this past week, with the Red Sox asking for pitcher Matt Garza at one point.
• Meanwhile, the Cubs will also pluck Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod from the Padres, but San Diego won't seek compensation.  The Friars are set to promote Josh Byrnes to the GM job.
• It's widely assumed that Yu Darvish will be playing in the Major Leagues next year, but the 25-year-old right-hander wrote on his personal blog on the matter and explained that "nothing is decided."  Earlier in the week, it was suggested that the Rangers, Blue Jays, Nationals, Royals, and Mariners are among the early favorites to land the hurler.
• After his team was knocked out of the playoffs, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told his fans that the club will be in the mix to try and retain free agent first baseman Prince Fielder.  Tim Dierkes writes that he would be very surprised to see the Brewers re-sign Fielder within the exclusive negotation period.
• The Orioles continued their GM search this week and interviewed Jerry Dipoto of the Diamondbacks, Tony LaCava of the Blue Jays, and most recently Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson.  They asked to talk with Marlins assistant GM Dan Jennings but were denied permission.
• Speaking of the O's, reliever Jeremy Accardo is a free agent after refusing last week's outright assignment.
• The Angels top choice for GM is Rays' executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, but he's unlikely to leave his post in Tampa Bay for the job.  The Halos will now move on to other candidates including their own Tory Hernandez, Kim Ng of MLB, Rick Hahn of the White Sox, Damon Oppenheimer and Billy Eppler of the Yankees and Jerry Dipoto of the Diamondbacks.
• The Nationals and righty Chien-Ming Wang continue to discuss an extension, but the two sides aren't yet close to a deal.
• Veteran reliever Arthur Rhodes wants to pitch in 2012 and then retire.  Rhodes' preference is to pitch for the Cardinals in 2012, which would be Rhodes' 21st Major League season.
• Frank and Jamie McCourt confirmed that they have come to a financial agreement.  Jamie will obtain $130MM and relinquish any claim to a share of the Dodgers.  She will also no longer stand in the way of Frank's plan to sell the team's media rights.
• A number of high-profile White Sox players had poor showings in 2011, but GM Kenny Williams said in a radio interview that he will not be shopping players this offseason.  Williams said that the club will look to build around its young core of talent including Dayan Viciedo, Tyler Flowers, Alejandro de Aza, Brent Morel, and Gordon Beckham.
• After saying earlier this month that there was "too much drama" around the club, David Ortiz said that he wants to return for his 10th season with the Red Sox in 2012.
• Potential Astros owner Jim Crane reportedly wants $50MM off his $680MM purchase price as compensation for moving the club to the American League.
• In a radio interview this week, Selig said that the collective bargaining agreement talks were "constructive," though it would be "pretty optimistic" to hope that a new deal could be announced before the end of the World Series.
• General manager Neal Huntington said that the Pirates intend to decline club options for Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder after the conclusion of the World Series.
• The Yankees announced that they're declining their 2012 option for Damaso Marte. The left-hander missed the entire 2011 season after undergoing shoulder surgery last October and will get a $250K buyout instead of a $4MM salary for 2012.
• The Mets released reliever Ryota Igarashi.  The Japanese right-hander signed a two-year, $3MM deal with the Mets in December 2009 but struggled to adjust to pitching in North America.
• The Nationals returned Rule 5 selection Elvin Ramirez to the Mets.  The right-hander spent the season on the 60-day DL after undergoing an operation on his throwing shoulder.
• The Diamondbacks outrighted Sean Burroughs, Alberto Castillo and Robby Hammock to Triple-A.
• Blue Jays left-hander Rommie Lewis, infielder Chris Woodward and outfielder Dewayne Wise all elected free agency this week.  The Blue Jays also claimed right-hander Jesse Chavez from the Royals.
• The Mets removed infielder Val Pascucci and right-handers Dale Thayer and Manny Alvarez from their 40-man roster.
• The Twins outrighted utility player Brian Dinkelman and left-hander Phil Dumatrait to Triple-A.
• Padres right-hander Jeff Fulchino elected free agency.

The Rangers officially advanced to the World Series this week, but much of the news on MLBTR centered around front office exchanges, highlighted by Theo Epstein jumping ship from the Red Sox and signing a five-year deal with the Cubs. Here are the rest of the week's stories:

• The Cubs and Red Sox are discussing compensation for Epstein. Meanwhile, Boston has already promoted Ben Cherington from assistant general manager to general manager. Here are some media reactions to the Epstein news.
• The sale of the Astros to Jim Crane is expected to be completed by mid-November, and the team would indeed likely move to the American League West, as has been speculated.
• C.C. Sabathia's agent told Buster Olney that he and Sabathia will "exhaust" all their efforts to work out a new deal to stay with the Yankees. We learned this week though that the Rangers are also gearing up to bid on the big lefty.
• There have been some rumblings that the Reds will listen to offers on Joey Votto, but GM Walt Jocketty said definitively this week that the club has not discussed trading the 2010 NL MVP.
• The Yankees are expected to hammer out an extension for GM Brian Cashman without much difficulty, and they'll have a meeting to discuss the situation in the coming week.
• At least one report has C.J. Wilson seeking $100MM this offseason, and a Rangers source was quoted saying that he wouldn't get it from Texas.
• A new name was thrown into the pool of possible first round draft picks for 2012 when we learned that Fernando Perez, a third baseman/outfielder out of California, will follow the same path that Bryce Harper did by skipping the spring semester of high school and playing for a community college to become draft eligible a year sooner.
• Aramis Ramirez said that he will leave Chicago if the Cubs don't offer him a contract that spans "several years."
• Jimmy Rollins discussed free agency and said that he can't imagine playing for a team other than the Phillies, but noted that it's also about the years and money.
• Another top free agent, Jonathan Papelbon, said that it's not all about the money and he wants to be in an environment where he can succeed and where his family will be safe and happy.
• The Phillies will pursue a free agent closer this offseason if they can't retain Ryan Madson, and manager Charlie Manuel is also in favor of an upgrade at third base.
• The Pirates don't plan on paying Paul Maholm $9.75MM in 2012, but they are still undecided on his option as they look for a trade partner.
• The Padres will decline the options on Chad Qualls and Brad Hawpe, but are still mulling things over on Aaron Harang's 2012 option.
• Magglio Ordonez nearly retired midseason, but now he's hoping to play again in 2012.
• The Twins, White Sox, and Astros all outrighted players to Triple-A this week, clearing up space on their respective 40-man rosters. As shown by MLBTR's 40-man roster count, there are currently 10 teams with one or more 40-man spaces open.

It's time to take a look back at the week that was..

• On Thursday the White Sox announced that they have hired Robin Ventura to be their new manager.  The sides have agreed to terms on a multiyear deal that makes Ventura the franchise's 38th manager. GM Kenny Williams says Ventura topped his managerial wish list despite his inexperience as a Major League skipper.
• In a radio interview, Red Sox owner John Henry and CEO Larry Lucchino declined to discuss the Cubs’ request to talk to GM Theo Epstein.  However, Henry said that a “certain protocol in this game” generally dictates that teams allow employees to consider promotions.
• Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail announced that he will leave his position because of family obligations.  MacPhail's contract will expire on October 31, when he will officially part ways with the team.  Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava and Marlins assistant GM Dan Jennings are among the rumored candidates for the job.
• It apears that manager Buck Showalter won't move from the dugout to the GM's office as he loves managing and plans to continue in his current role.  There was lots of speculation that Showalter, who has developed a strong relationship with owner Peter Angelos, could become Baltimore's GM.
• Robinson Tejeda elected to become a free agent.  The right-hander was designated for assignment by the Royals in May and spent the rest of the season pitching for Triple-A Omaha.
• The Dodgers announced that they've declined club options on starter Jon Garland and third baseman Casey Blake, and also outrighted Eugenio Velez to Triple-A.  Typically option decisions are announced after the World Series, but Garland and Blake were obvious choices.  For Garland, the Dodgers chose a $500K buyout over an $8MM club option.  Meanwhile, they chose a $1.25MM buyout over a $6MM club option on Blake.
• Veteran third baseman Eric Chavez is considering retirement.  The 33-year-old is "leaning heavily towards" hanging up his cleats after 14 Major League seasons.  If this is the end for Chavez, he will retire with a career line of .267/.342/.474 and 232 home runs.
• Jeremy Guthrie has been a steady presence in the Orioles’ rotation for the past five seasons, but they haven’t approached the right-hander about a multiyear deal.  The pitcher says he hasn't discussed the possibility with the team since he and his agent brought it up last offseason.
• Jose Reyes says that the Mets haven’t started discussing a new contract with him, but the shortstop hinted that he expects dialogue to begin before long.  The Mets have exclusive negotiating rights with the prospective free agent until five days after the World Series ends.
• Ozzie Guillen and Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano reportedly spoke on the phone and discussed the possibility of the hurler joining the Marlins.  A source says that nothing is official but a deal could be reached where the Cubs cut the 30-year-old loose and give him the $18MM that he is owed in deferred payments.
• Rockies third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff elected free agency after clearing waivers, MLBTR learned.  Word is that multiple teams are interested in signing him to a big league deal.