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2012 Rule 5 Draft Results

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Each year, Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings conclude with the Rule 5 Draft. For those who are unfamiliar with the event, MLBTR offers an in-depth description, but here's a quick overview.

Players are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if they aren't on the 40-man roster four or five years after signing, depending on the age at which they signed. Teams draft in the reverse order of the previous season's standings but aren't required to make a selection. If they do choose a player, they pay his former team $50K and must keep that player on the Major League roster all season or offer him back to his original team for $25K.

The results from the Major League phase:

  1. Astros take righty Josh Fields from Red Sox
  2. Cubs take righty Hector Rondon from Indians
  3. Rockies take lefty Danny Rosenbaum from Nationals
  4. Twins take righty Ryan Pressly from Red Sox
  5. Indians take first baseman Chris McGuiness from Rangers
  6. Marlins take outfielder Alfredo Silverio from Dodgers
  7. Red Sox take second baseman Jeff Kobernus from Nationals; traded to Tigers for infielder/outfielder Justin Henry
  8. Royals
  9. Blue Jays
  10. Mets take lefty Kyle Lobstein from Rays; traded to Tigers for cash considerations
  11. Mariners
  12. Padres
  13. Pirates
  14. Diamondbacks take righty Starling Peralta from Cubs
  15. Phillies take outfielder Ender Inciarte from Diamondbacks
  16. Brewers
  17. White Sox take infielder Angel Sanchez from Angels
  18. Dodgers
  19. Cardinals
  20. Tigers
  21. Angels
  22. Rays
  23. Orioles take lefty T.J. McFarland from Indians
  24. Rangers take righty Coty Woods from Rockies
  25. Athletics
  26. Giants
  27. Braves
  28. Yankees
  29. Reds
  30. Nationals

Second round of Major League phase:

Nick Swisher Rumors: Thursday

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The latest on Swisher from Wednesday was that the Phillies, Indians and Mariners seemed to be the most logical fits following Baltimore's re-signing of Nate McLouth. Here's what the rumor mill has in store for Swisher today, with the newest updates at the top…

  • The Phillies aren't in on Swisher despite a need for outfielders, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports.
  • With the Giants out due to financial reasons, the Orioles out because of McLouth and the Red Sox out because of Shane Victorino (barring a trade), Jon Heyman of CBS Sports lists the Indians and Mariners as Swisher's primary suitors (Twitter link).
  • Most teams are looking at Swisher as a fallback option, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio. The Indians, Mariners, Rangers and Phillies are all being impacted by the decision-making process of Josh Hamilton and Michael Bourn for the time being.

Mariners, Phillies, Rangers Interested In Ibanez

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The Yankees missed out on a couple of their free agent targets today when Jeff Keppinger and Eric Chavez agreed to deals with the White Sox and Diamondbacks respectively. Now, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Yanks could lose out on another free agent, as postseason hero Raul Ibanez is drawing interest from the Mariners, Phillies, and Rangers.

We heard back in November that there was mutual interest in a reunion between the Yankees and Ibanez. However, a report earlier today suggested that the Mariners were pushing hard for the veteran, with New York not moving as aggressively. Ibanez has history in Seattle and Philadelphia, as well as New York.

The Yanks have talked to Ibanez's agent in Nashville, GM Brian Cashman confirmed last night.

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.

Justin Upton Rumors: Wednesday

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11:29am: Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers tells Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (Twitter link) that he prefers to deal directly with one club, since three- or four-team talks "kind of muddies the waters." He's still exploring all possibilities though. Heyman, following up on his Rangers/Upton report, says the current scenarios involve three or four teams (Twitter link). The Royals may also be in on talks with the D-Backs and Indians, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).

11:11am: The Rangers are "working hard" trying to acquire Upton, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

10:44am: The Rays, Rangers, Indians, and Diamondbacks have re-opened the four-team trade talks mentioned below, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link).

9:17am: One executive involved in the Bauer/Cabrera discussions tells Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) that it has some legs, but is probably a long shot.

7:46am: The D-Backs and Indians have discussed the framework of a deal centering around Cabrera and Trevor Bauer, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports. The sides have been talking about the deal for two weeks, but talks have picked up at the Winter Meetings. There's no indication that a deal is close to completion at this time, however.

7:25am: It wouldn't be the Winter Meetings without talk of potential blockbuster trades, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Rays, Rangers, Indians and Diamondbacks have discussed several combinations of three-, four- and even five-team trades.

It all boils down to the fact that the Rangers would like to add Justin Upton and/or James Shields, the Diamondbacks want Asdrubal Cabrera, and the Rays would like to trade a pitcher to improve an offense that ranked 11th in the AL in runs scored and 12th in OPS (and that's before losing B.J. Upton). The Rangers, in all of this, would likely be dishing out prospects to other teams.

Rosenthal is quick to note that while many possibilities have been discussed, it's not necessarily likely that a blockbuster gets completed. The Rangers are splitting their attention between trade talk and the pursuit of Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton.

Rosenthal writes that so many combinations have been discussed, several team officials he's spoken to aren't even sure which possibilities are still alive and which are dead. If no blockbuster happens, various combinations of these teams are still in negotiations regarding standard two-team exchanges.

The Winter Meetings are often the site for blockbuster trades. Recent examples including 2009's Ian Kennedy–Curtis Granderson–Max Scherzer–Austin Jackson three-team deal and the eight-player trade that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers in 2007.

Teams Contacting Rangers About Holland

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With the Rangers believed to be very much involved in the Zack Greinke sweepstakes, Texas is a candidate to add a big-name starter this week, in which case the team may look to trade one of its in-house options. As such, rival teams are calling to inquire about the availability of left-hander Derek Holland, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

The Brewers, Twins, and Royals are among the clubs that have been in touch with the Rangers about Holland, says Morosi.

Dodgers, Rangers Battling For Greinke

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Although Dan Haren found a deal this morning, much of the free agent pitching market remains on hold while Zack Greinke seeks a contract, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports. As we wait for the dominos to begin to fall, we'll track today's Greinke updates right here, with the newest additions at the top of the page:

  • In an update on his previous report, Heyman writes that a third team could be involved, but that people most familiar with the situation expect the Dodgers or Rangers to sign Greinke for $160MM+. Some have speculated that number could reach as high as $175MM. The Rangers' talks with Josh Hamilton appear to be on hold while they pursue Greinke.

Earlier updates:

  • The Greinke derby appears to be between the Rangers and Dodgers, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, and the deal is likely to be for $160MM+.  The largest-ever contract signed by a pitcher is $161MM, from the Yankees for C.C. Sabathia four years ago.
  • The Dodgers would be surprised to see a resolution on the Greinke situation before they leave the Winter Meetings, tweets Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.
  • Dodgers manager Don Mattingly met with Greinke last week in Los Angeles, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.'
  • Greinke is still "going through the process" with teams, so his situation hasn't gained clarity yet, tweets ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
  • The Dodgers and Rangers appear to be the favorites for Greinke, with the Angels as the dark horse, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and SiriusXM also considers those three teams to be the strongest suitors for Greinke, though he views the Angels as a more likely candidate than the Rangers (Twitter link). With the Nats out and the Braves unlikely, Bowden wonders if a mystery team, such as the Blue Jays, Red Sox, or White Sox, could get involved.

Josh Hamilton Rumors: Tuesday

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The latest on free agent slugger Josh Hamilton…

  • The Red Sox are not focusing on Hamilton, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. That's none too surprising given Boston's recent outfield acquistions.

Earlier updates:

  • Reports of a Hamilton deal are overblown, Rangers GM Jon Daniels told reporters including Jeff Wilson.  Daniels has not met with the Hamilton camp at the Meetings, though he could tonight.
  • The Mariners still seem to believe they have a chance to sign Hamilton, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
  • Hamilton has told the Rangers he'll come back to them for a final offer before he accepts a deal from another team, Ron Washington tells Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link).
  • The Rangers and free agent slugger Josh Hamilton are making progress on what would likely be a four-year deal, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, it is still possible another team beats the Rangers' offer.

Rangers Rumors: Hamilton, Greinke

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The Rangers have been connected to all the biggest names so far at the Winter Meetings: Josh Hamilton, Zack Greinke, R.A. Dickey, and Justin Upton.  The latest on the team:

Justin Upton Rumors: Tuesday

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In yesterday's round of Justin Upton rumors, we heard that the Rangers were still in touch with the Diamondbacks, who also met with the Mariners in the evening. As we wait to see if Tuesday brings further developments on the Upton front, we'll track the latest updates right here:

  • The Braves, Mariners, and Indians were all collecting background information and character assessments on Upton to ensure he'd be a good fit, one source told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic today.    

Earlier updates:

  • Upton has drawn "active interest" from the Mariners, Rangers, and Indians today, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • The D'Backs are looking at three-or-more team deals, tweets MLB.com's Steve Gilbert, as the Rangers are not willing to trade Jurickson Profar or Elvis Andrus and the Mariners are not a match.
  • The Braves and Diamondbacks have concluded there's not going to be a fit for an Upton trade, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.  The Braves do not intend to trade shortstop Andrelton Simmons
  • Although the D-Backs have been aggressive in shopping Upton in Nashville, no team has stepped up to offer a frontline shortstop, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today
  • MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince notes that Upton trade rumors are becoming an annual tradition, and wonders if this could be the year he's finally moved. "It sounds like they kind of want to," said a rival NL scout. "But it's hard to pull the trigger."
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