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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.

Rangers, Pierzynski Close To Deal

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The Rangers and free agent A.J. Pierzynski are closing in on a one-year deal, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The deal is still pending a physical and is not yet done.

The Octagon client met with Rangers brass on Tuesday in Arlington and the club reportedly has done extensive homework on him.  Pierzynski would fill a major gap behind the plate for the Rangers, who lost Mike Napoli. The catcher posted a .278/.326/.501 batting line in 520 plate appearances with 27 home runs in 2012.  Pierzynski also appeared in 135 games, reaching the 100 games threshold for the 12th consecutive season.

Texas lost out on a big name free agent earlier today when Edwin Jackson agreed to a four-year, $52MM deal.  If Pierzynski signs with the Rangers, he'll have Geovany Soto as his primary backup with Eli Whiteside as an additional option.  The 35-year-old ranked 30th in MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents this winter.

Rangers Met With Cody Ross

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Free agent outfielder Cody Ross visited the Rangers yesterday, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Ross had dinner with team officials, including manager Ron Washington and GM Jon Daniels. Yesterday was a busy recruiting day for the Rangers, who also met with free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski. 

The Phillies, Braves, Mariners, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets and Orioles have all been linked to Ross so far this offseason. However, the Red Sox don’t appear to have room in their outfield for Ross at this point. Earlier in the offseason it was reported that the SFX client has an asking price of $25MM over three years.

Ross, who turns 32 on Sunday, posted a .267/.326/.481 batting line in 528 plate appearances for the Red Sox this past season. He contributed 22 home runs and 34 doubles while earning $3MM. Ross has considerable experience playing all three outfield positions, though he appeared in just seven games as a center fielder in 2012. He ranked 22nd on MLBTR’s list of top 50 free agents.

Quick Hits: Mickelson, Jackson, Hamilton, Tigers

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As the newly-signed Hiroyuki Nakajima becomes a comic hit during his introductory press conference with the A's, here's the latest from around baseball…

  • Phil Mickelson will not be part of the Padres' ownership group, reports Tod Leonard of the San Diego Union-Tribune.  The golf star said he isn't "able to make that kind of long-term commitment to the city and to the team."
  • It doesn't seem logical for the Rangers to give Edwin Jackson (what would have to be) a four-year, $50MM contract, opines MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  We heard earlier tonight that the Rangers and Cubs were the final two contenders for Jackson's services.
  • Major League Baseball has ruled that the $2MM the Angels will donate to Josh Hamilton's charitable foundation will count towards the team's luxury tax payments and be counted as "noncash compensation," reports The Associated Press.  FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal noted the charitable portion of Hamilton's contract earlier today.
  • It can be difficult for players to mentally adjust to the "baseball limbo" that is the offseason rumor mill, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick writes.
  • Money has been no object for Tigers owner Mike Ilitch as he pursues a World Series title, but ESPN's Buster Olney wonders if the Tigers' next owner will be able to keep the club's payroll in the $150MM range given the limitations of Detroit's market.  (An ESPN Insider subscription is required to read Olney's column.)
  • Nick Swisher will not be visiting the Giants during his tour of potential destinations, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  With the Giants not having enough payroll space left to pursue Swisher, I think we can finally put this rumor to bed.
  • The Twins and Carl Pavano don't appear to be a fit, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger writes.  The two sides met during the Winter Meetings and though Pavano has pitched well in Minnesota, he turns 37 in January and missed most of last season with an injured shoulder.  I agree with Bollinger that the Twins would probably want a more reliable option than Pavano given that several other projected members of the Twins rotation are also coming back from injuries.
  • Baseball people suggest Trevor Bauer has a better chance of becoming an impact player than Didi Gregorius, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. The Diamondbacks sent Bauer to the Indians last week in the three-team deal that brought Gregorius to Arizona.  As Piecoro explains in detail, however, there were some questions about Bauer's personality and his ability to be a team player.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post

At Least Five Teams Interested In J.P. Howell

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The Nationals, Phillies, Cubs, Mariners and Rangers are all interested in free agent reliever J.P. Howell, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  Howell said last month that "a handful" of teams were pursuing him, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times speculated that the Angels could be one of those suitors.  The Brewers were also known to be looking for left-handed relief help, though Howell was not one of the names recently mentioned as targets by Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin.

Howell posted strong numbers out of the Rays' bullpen in 2008-09 before missing the entire 2010 season due to shoulder surgery and struggling to a 6.16 ERA in 30 2/3 innings in 2011.  The southpaw returned to form in 2012, however, posting a 3.04 ERA, 1.91 K/BB ratio, 7.5 K/9 rate and 48.9% groundball rate, though some advanced metrics (4.78 FIP and a .250 BABIP) indicate that Howell benefited from some good fortune. 

The Legacy Sports Group client has held left-handed batters to a .675 OPS in his career, topping that mark in 2012 when lefty hitters managed only a .200/.306/.306 slash line.

Rangers To Meet With Pierzynski

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The Rangers will meet with free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski and his agent in Arlington today, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports. Pierzynski, an Octagon client, would provide the Rangers with an established left-handed hitter capable of replacing Mike Napoli as the club’s primary catcher.

The Rangers have done background work on Pierzynski, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported today. The 35-year-old ranked 30th on MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents following a strong offensive season in which he hit 27 home runs and posted a .278/.326/.501 batting line in 520 plate appearances. Pierzynski also appeared in 135 games, reaching the 100 games threshold for the 12th consecutive season.

Geovany Soto projects as Texas' starting catcher for now. Recently claimed backstop Eli Whiteside provides depth as a potential bench player.

Rosenthal On Rangers, Nakajima, Upton

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The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…

  • Rangers officials aren’t overwhelmed by the remaining free agent position players available, Rosenthal reports. Texas has done background work on A.J. Pierzynski, and could work to sign him. However, Adam LaRoche, Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn seem like less likely targets. The Rangers are particularly concerned about makeup, according to Rosenthal. Manager Ron Washington knows Swisher from their days in Oakland and likes the outfielder, Rosenthal reports.
  • The Rangers still want to add to their bullpen, and Rosenthal suggests they could make a play for Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan. The team is also exploring other bullpen options via trades and free agency. Hanrahan’s projected salary of $6.9MM limits interest from the Dodgers and Tigers, Rosenthal writes.
  • Hiroyuki Nakajima has range that is average “at best,” one executive told Rosenthal. However, the A’s agreed to sign the 30-year-old free agent to a two-year deal in part because they like his offensive potential.
  • Now that many free agent third basemen have signed, the Marlins could pursue a top third base prospect who’s close to contributing at the MLB level. However, it would be difficult to put together a package for a player such as Mike Olt.
  • Some executives believe the Diamondbacks will trade Justin Upton even after GM Kevin Towers said a deal seems unlikely. There’s a perception that the Diamondbacks are down on Upton, Rosenthal notes.
  • When Mets executive Paul DePodesta watched outfield prospect Wuilmer Becerra in 2011, he liked the prospect’s athleticism and effort. The Mets acquired the 18-year-old Becerra in the R.A. Dickey trade.
  • The Red Sox are always looking to upgrade their bullpen, Rosenthal adds.

Olney On Blue Jays, Dickey, Drew, Rangers

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Baseball people who have had the Blue Jays decline past trade proposals involving Travis d'Arnaud are “completely shocked” that GM Alex Anthopoulos has agreed to send the catching prospect to the Mets for R.A. Dickey, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. "He's out of his mind," an AL official said of the Blue Jays GM. Here are some more notes from around MLB, starting with Dickey…

  • One longtime agent not involved in the extension talks between the Blue Jays and the knuckleballer said a three-year extension in the $40-45MM range would be fair for both sides, Olney reports. It’d be a surprise of Dickey gets that kind of money, however. The Mets offered him an additional $20MM over two years and he sought an additional $26MM for that two-year period.
  • Rival evaluators believe this could be an extraordinary return for the Mets.
  • The A’s had interest in Stephen Drew, but didn’t want to overpay to keep him. Drew, who recently agreed to sign with the Red Sox, has declining range in the view of some rival scouts.
  • Olney wonders if the Rangers might pursue Jason Kubel if they can’t agree with Arizona on a trade involving Justin Upton. Some MLB executives wonder if the Rangers overvalue their own prospects, according to Olney.
  • Some evaluators say the Angels have an awesome offense but that their pitching staff lacks depth.

Cafardo On Bourn, Yankees, Tigers, Soriano

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While the Dodgers and Angels scooped up the two impact free agents of this year's class, the Rangers have had a much more dull offseason, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Texas lost Hamilton to the rival Angels and failed to sign Zack Greinke and Torii Hunter.  Beyond that, they also lost Mike Napoli, Ryan Dempster, and Koji Uehara to the Red Sox.  Landing Justin Upton would help bring energy back to the Rangers' lineup, but so far they haven't been able to get a deal done as they look to hold on to Elvis Andrus.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Some believe the Yankees are quietly interested in free agent outfielder Michael Bourn and will pounce if the price comes down.  Bourn would give the Bombers the leadoff hitter they have wanted for some time.  Meanwhile, the Rangers remain a possibility.
  • While the Tigers are keeping their distance from right-hander Rafael Soriano, it's not impossible for him to wind up in Detroit.  The Red Sox may also be interested and the Rangers could be a fit given all of the talent that they've lost.
  • If the Red Sox can’t finalize their deal with Mike Napoli, they could give Adam LaRoche the three-year, $39MM contract. Otherwise, LaRoche may stay with the Nationals or look to the Orioles, where Dan Duquette has coveted him.
  • Edwin Jackson may be the next pitcher to strike a deal.  The Padres have serious interest in Jackson, especially after losing Andrew Cashner for a while after his hunting accident.
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