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Stark On Hamilton, Greinke, Swisher, Shields

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Jayson Stark of ESPN.com surveyed 17 prominent executives, agents and scouts about the biggest storylines that figure to dominate in Nashville, Tennessee.  On average, those surveyed see Zack Greinke and Nick Swisher signing mid-month, Josh Hamilton and Michael Bourn signing in the last week of December, and Rafael Soriano taking until mid-January to find a landing spot.  Here's more from Stark..

  • Most of the people surveyed see Hamilton winding back up with the Rangers when all is said and done.  Outside of Texas, there were predictions for the Orioles, Red Sox, Brewers, and Phillies.
  • Fifteen of the 17 surveyed weighed in on where they think Greinke will land and 14 predict that he will sign with the Dodgers.  The one dissenter, an agent, sees the Angels avoiding a bidding war with the Dodgers only to top their offer in the end.
  • Almost everyone sees Swisher signing in the next couple of weeks but there is no consensus when it comes to destination.  The Red Sox, Orioles, and Mariners all got multiple votes.
  • While there have been rumors about a James Shields trade for two years, one AL exec says that this will finally be the time for the Rays to pull the trigger.  "Just look at the contract. He's got this year and next year left. So he's got more value now than he'll have a year from now. They're very analytical about everything they do. It just makes sense that now's the time," said the exec.
  • No surprise here but the Dodgers were picked as the most likely team to outspend everyone and dominate the headlines.

American League Non-Tenders

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Here are today’s American League non-tenders. All decisions must be in by 11pm CT tonight. Be sure to track all tender decisions using MLBTR's Non-Tender Tracker. Related resources include our list of non-tender candidates, our projected arbitration salaries and our arbitration eligibles series.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Haren, Swisher, Ortiz, Astros

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Teams must decide by tonight whether to tender contracts to their arbitration eligible players. MLBTR will have you covered throughout the evening, so be sure to follow along and use MLBTR's Non-Tender Tracker. In the meantime, here are today’s links…

  • The Angels recently checked in on Dan Haren, who’s getting interest from lots of East Coast teams, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports (on Twitter).
  • Nick Swisher told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he’s trying to enjoy the process of being a free agent. "It's supposed to be an exciting time, not a stressful time,” Swisher said. “I'm over the stressful part now. I'm going to just have fun with this. I just want to scroll to the bottom line, sign my names in a few places, and get ready to play." The Red Sox, Orioles, Mariners and Rangers have talked to Swisher’s representatives at MVP Sports Group, Nightengale reports. Swisher has also been linked to a number of National League teams, including the Nationals, Phillies, Braves and Giants. The 32-year-old said he will play first base or right field in any city.
  • David Ortiz said on WEEI said the Red Sox "need some thunder in that lineup,” Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. The veteran designated hitter explained that he'd like to see the Red Sox re-sign free agent Cody Ross.
  • The Astros almost completed one trade this week, but GM Jeff Luhnow doesn't expect to complete any deals before the Winter Meetings, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Zack Greinke Rumors: Friday

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Dodgers executives met with Zack Greinke in Los Angeles yesterday, Yahoo's Tim Brown reported last night. Here’s  the latest on Greinke, who is also drawing interest from the Angels, Nationals and Rangers, according to the most recent rumors…

  • The Nationals could pose a major threat to the Dodgers in the sweepstakes for Greinke, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes. One GM wonders if both the Dodgers and the Nationals could bid “at all costs.” One friend of Greinke’s said the right-hander will consider winning, comfort and money.
  • The Angels remain in on Greinke after acquiringTommy Hanson, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Rangers can only sign one of Greinke and Josh Hamilton, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • Greinke will also meet with the Angels, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Dodgers view Greinke as critical to their pitching staff, Brown reports. Greinke is believed to have enjoyed pitching for the Angels during the second half of the 2012 season, which could increase his interest in staying in the Los Angeles area. It’s not known if Greinke has met with the Angels, Nationals or Rangers, Brown writes.

NL East Notes: Wright, Upton, Raburn, Lannan

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Zack Greinke turned down a potential trade to the Nationals two years ago when he was a member of the Royals, but now that the Nats are the defending NL East champs and have added Denard Span as their latest upgrade, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal thinks that Greinke (or any free agent) would see Washington as a prime destination.  The Nationals have been mentioned as one of Greinke's top suitors this winter, along with the Dodgers, Angels and Rangers, so there's a possibility the right-hander could yet end up in D.C. two years later.

Here are some items from around the division…

  • David Wright may wait under after the Winter Meetings to decide on the Mets' seven-year, $124MM extension offer, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post.  A Mets source speculates that Wright and his representatives may wait due to their unhappiness that negotiations were made public.  Wright and agent Seth Levinson told MLBTR earlier this week that rumors about the contract talks were inaccurate.
  • The Phillies' best offer to B.J. Upton was a five-year, $55MM contract, tweets MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  Upton agreed to a five-year, $75.25MM pact with the Braves yesterday.
  • The Braves and Marlins are two of a half-dozen teams interested in free agent utilityman Ryan Raburn, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark (Twitter link).  The Rays and Rangers are two of the other known teams.
  • The Nationals still have a minor league option remaining on left-hander John Lannan, reports Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider.  Washington could keep Lannan at Triple-A as rotation insurance again, though MLBTR's Tim Dierkes thinks Lannan will be non-tendered rather than earn a projected $5MM in his third year of arbitration eligibility.
  • Shane Victorino "might actually represent the best value on the market," writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, though Murphy doesn't think the Phillies will look for a reunion with their former outfielder.  The Phils haven't been linked to Victorino this offseason, though at least seven teams are known to be interested in the Hawaiian.

Rangers Links: Hamilton, Greinke, Outfielders, Martin

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Happy birthday to Rangers outfielder Craig Gentry, who celebrates his 29th birthday today.  Gentry is a threat against left-handed pitching (an .859 OPS against southpaws in 2012) and has emerged as one of baseball's best defensive outfielders, posting a 27.5 UZR/150 over his four-year career.  Here's the latest from Arlington…

  • Not much has changed between the Rangers and Josh Hamilton, GM Jon Daniels told reporters (including MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan) during a conference call.  Daniels says that he has stayed in touch with Michael Moye, Hamilton's agent, and they will talk again once Moye and Hamilton have fully tested the free agent market.
  • If Hamilton left, finding a new outfielder is "not necessarily our first priority," Daniels said, noting that he is happy with Texas' internal outfield options.
  • Daniels didn't comment on Zack Greinke, but noted that while he's happy with his rotation, "you're always looking out for starting pitching…always looking to upgrade  Do we have to? Not necessarily. It's something we're looking at."  We've heard that the Rangers, Angels, Dodgers and Nationals seem to be Greinke's most fervent suitors.
  • Two rival executives tell CBS Sports' Scott Miller that they think Hamilton will re-sign with Texas.  “As long as Hamilton is willing to take a shorter contract, and I think he’s going to be forced into that," said one NL executive.  Miller also looks back at the original trade that brought Hamilton to the Rangers from the Reds, discussing the deal with then-Cincinnati GM Wayne Krivsky.
  • The Rangers made Russell Martin a two-year contract offer, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  Martin agreed to a two-year, $17MM deal with the Pirates earlier today.

Angels Continue To Pursue Pitching

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The Angels could shift their focus away from top free agent starting pitching and pursue relief depth if Zack Greinke’s asking price increases beyond their limit, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports. Adding Japanese right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa to the bullpen might provide the Angels with enough depth to avoid spending on Greinke and other free agents whose asking prices could increase when Greinke signs.

Instead, DiGiovanna writes, the Angels might pursue less costly starters such as Ryan Dempster and Joe Saunders. They appear to have interest in Dempster, who seeks a three-year contract.

The Angels are one of the top suitors for Greinke, along with the Dodgers, Nationals and Rangers, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (all Twitter links). However, the Angels haven’t made a play on Anibal Sanchez or Kyle Lohse, according to Bowden. The Angels, Rangers, Red Sox and White Sox are among the teams in play for free agent reliever Mike Adams, Bowden reports.

Minor Moves: Volstad, Pena, Balester, Solarte, Buck

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Here are Wednesday's minor moves…

  • Right-hander Chris Volstad and catcher Brayan Pena have rejected their outright assignments and elected free agency, the Royals announced (on Twitter). Both players were designated for assignment last week.
  • The Rangers have signed Collin Balester to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 26-year-old right-hander allowed 14 runs in 18 innings for the Tigers this year while pitching to a 3.64 ERA in 47 Triple-A innings.
  • The Rangers have also signed Yangervis Solarte to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training according to Morosi. The 25-year-old infielder hit .288/.340/.405 with 11 homers in 568 plate appearances for Texas' Triple-A affiliate this season.
  • The Padres have signed Travis Buck to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, report Baseball America's Matt Eddy (on Twitter). Buck, 29, hit .216/.284/.311 in 81 plate appearances for the Astros this year.
  • The Padres also re-signed catcher Eddy Rodriguez and right-hander Daniel Stange to minor league deals with invites to camp, according to Eddy. The 26-year-old Rodriguez went 1-for-5 with a homer for San Diego this year, his big league debut.

Mike Napoli Rumors: Tuesday

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It's a good time to be a free agent catcher with power. Interest in Russell Martin remains strong, and the market for Mike Napoli seems similarly active. Here’s the latest on Napoli on a day that he had been scheduled to meet with the Rangers…

  • The Rangers remain focused on Napoli, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Their interest in Martin will increase only if Texas believes Napoli’s asking price is too high.
  • The Red Sox are in contact with Napoli, Nick Swisher and Cody Ross and all three free agents remain in play for Boston, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Napoli, Swisher and Ross appear to be the top targets for the Red Sox, who seek help at first base and in the outfield. One executive said he views the Red Sox as the favorite to sign Napoli. Like Swisher, Napoli has the versatility to play multiple positions, a bonus for the Red Sox.

Rangers Acquire Cory Burns

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The Rangers have acquired right-handed reliever Cory Burns from the Padres for a player to be named later, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). The Padres had designated Burns for assignment eight days ago.

Burns made his MLB debut in 2012, appearing in 17 games out of the San Diego bullpen. The 25-year-old posted a 5.50 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 18 innings at the MLB level. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he pitched to a 3.14 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 66 innings of relief.

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