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NL East Links: Pagnozzi, Haren, Howell, Phils

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The NL East has been involved in multiple headlines today, with the Nationals signing Dan Haren to a one-year deal and the Marlins trading Yunel Escobar to the Rays. Here's some more news from around the division…

  • The Braves have signed catcher Matt Pagnozzi to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman (on Twitter). Pagnozzi, who hit .224/.329/.359 for the Indians' Triple-A affiliate last season, will likely serve as the team's big league backup while Brian McCann is out.
  • Haren is the Nationals' 2013 version of Edwin Jackson, writes ESPN's Keith Law (Insider req'd). Haren can provide bulk innings behind the Nats' trio of aces, and carries the same "all-or-nothing" upside that Ben Sheets did when he signed with the Athletics for $10MM in 2010.
  • J.P. Howell has interest in playing for the Nationals, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson. I can't imagine there are many players who wouldn't want to play for the Nats, given their projected lineup and rotation. The team does have interest in adding another lefty reliever, so Howell could be in luck.
  • The Phillies have made plenty of offers so far, but have nothing to show for it at the Winter Meetings thus far, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly. The team is still pursuing outfield and third base help via free agency and trade. Vance Worley and Trevor May are both on the table in trade talks. Worley is "100 percent" following September elbow surgery, according to GM Ruben Amaro Jr.
  • We learned earlier that the Marlins are looking to add a third baseman after trading Escobar, who told them he wasn't comfortable playing the hot corner.

R.A. Dickey Rumors: Tuesday

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The Mets reportedly met with eight teams on Monday in Nashville to discuss potential R.A. Dickey deals, as we heard in yesterday's round-up of Dickey rumors. New York still hasn't made a final decision on whether to trade the Cy Young winner or extend him, but one report yesterday suggested the team was getting "serious" about finding a deal, so the focus appears to be on a trade for now. Here are Tuesday's updates on the knuckleballer, with the latest notes added to the top of the page throughout the day:

Earlier updates:

  • The Mets remain undecided on trading Dickey, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  But if he is dealt, Martino's source says to keep a close eye on the Rangers, the team that drafted Dickey in '96 and had him for the first decade of his career.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin, who made that draft pick for Texas back in the day, told reporterstoday he spoke to the Mets about Dickey but "it doesn't appear to be a match."  Names were not exchanged.
  • Dollars, not years, are the stumbling block in extension talks between Dickey and the Mets, Dickey's agent tells Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  Said agent Bo McKinnis, "There is something longer term that would appeal to us and something shorter term.
  • Dickey's agent Bo McKinnis says little progress has been made with the Mets in extension talks, according to Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal (via Twitter). "We're just talking in different neighborhoods in terms of dollars," McKinnis said.
  • McKinnis wouldn't be surprised if Dickey is traded, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com
  • The Mets are telling teams that they won't go the "Carlos Beltran route" with Dickey and just trade him for one prospect, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Because suitors would have Dickey for a full year rather than a half-season and would have a better chance of extending Dickey, the Mets are seeking multiple prospects (Twitterlinks).
  • Extension negotiations between Dickey and the Mets are currently at a standstill, which is increasing expectations that the right-hander will be dealt, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and SiriusXM (via Twitter).
  • The Mets continue to aim high in their talks with the Royals, pushing for top prospect Wil Myers, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Rubin doesn't specify who would be going to the Royals in this hypothetical deal, but I assume it'd be either Dickey or fellow trade candidate Jonathon Niese.
  • Andy Martino hears from a very good source that he thinks Dickey will remain with the Mets (Twitter link). However, the Daily News scribe cautions that there are a lot of balls in the air and things could change quickly.
  • Although Alderson and the Mets would like to resolve the Dickey situation as soon as possible, they may still spend the week weighing trade offers and make a decision after returning to New York, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
  • Following up on yesterday's report that the Mets have spoken to at least eight teams about Dickey, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com lists the Royals, Orioles, Rangers, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Nationals as clubs in the mix. According to Heyman, the Nats are the least likely of those suitors to land Dickey, since the Mets would prefer not to trade within the division.
  • One Mets insider predicted to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that the team will hang on to Dickey this winter, with a deal only likely if another club decides to "seriously overpay." Rubin also hears that, in extension talks, Dickey is seeking three years after 2013, rather than two
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson is targeting a "difference maker" in Dickey negotiations, as Mike Puma of the New York Post writes. "It doesn’t have to be a catcher, it doesn’t have to be an outfielder, it doesn’t have to be anything," Alderson said. "But it has to be a difference maker, because R.A. is a difference maker.
  • Addressing the notion that the asking price for Dickey is sky-high, one Mets source tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), "It should be. He won the Cy Young."

NL East Notes: LaRoche, Nats, Mets, Niese

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The Mets are shopping R.A. Dickey, the Nats agreed to sign Dan Haren, the Phillies are in on Michael Bourn, the Marlins are telling teams they won't trade Ricky Nolasco, and the Braves are exploring their left field options. Here are even more NL East notes:

  • The Nationals are at two years for Adam LaRoche, and a third-year vesting option figures to be enough to get a deal done, says Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  According to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo talked to LaRoche's agent last night.  Rizzo is optimistic, but the team is staying at two years and not including an option.
  • In speaking to reporters today, Nats manager Davey Johnson conveyed his desire to have LaRoche back in the middle of Washington's lineup: "Adam LaRoche is going to come back. If I have to go to Kansas and take all his cattle to Florida, I will" (Twitter link via Dan Kolko of MASNSports.com).
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson spoke to Scott Hairston's agent today, and believes the Mets may leave Nashville with an outfielder. Whether that player is Hairston or someone else, Alderson will be "careful" about giving out a multiyear deal (Twitter links via ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin).
  • There has been virtually no trade discussion about Jon Niese in Nashville, with the Dickey talks at the forefront for the Mets, says Alderson (Twitter link via Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger).

Bowden On Hamilton, Morse, Soriano, Chapman

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In advance of his show this afternoon on SiriusXM, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and SiriusXM has been tweeting out a number of interesting tidbits from Nashville's Winter Meetings. Here are a few of the highlights from the former MLB GM (all links go to Twitter):

  • Bowden views the Rangers and Red Sox as the frontrunners for Josh Hamilton, with the Yankees as a dark horse. He doesn't believe Hamilton would sign with the Mariners even if Seattle made the best offer.
  • The Orioles, Mariners, and Rays could all approach the Nationals about trading bullpen help for Mike Morse if the Nats end up re-signing Adam LaRoche.
  • Don't eliminate the Dodgers as a possible landing spot for Rafael Soriano, despite their multiyear commitment to Brandon League.
  • After speaking with Reds manager Dusty Baker, Bowden believes Aroldis Chapman may be closing again in 2013 if it's Baker's call, which would affect Cincinnati's offseason plans. Of course, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes (on Twitter) that the decision isn't expected to be up to Baker.

AL East Notes: O’s, Morse, Red Sox, Yankees

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With Day Two of the Winter Meetings underway, let's round up a few notable links related to AL East clubs….

  • As they continue to search for a big bat, one name on the Orioles' shopping list is Mike Morse, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, who tweets that the O's have interest in the Nationals slugger. We heard yesterday that Baltimore's interest in Morse was "lukewarm" and that GM Mike Rizzo hadn't been in contact with the Orioles yet in Nashville, though that could change.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com examines the possibility of the Red Sox trading a catcher in the wake of the Mike Napoli signing, noting that the Mariners, Mets, Yankees, White Sox, and Dodgers are among the teams looking to add a backstop.
  • While Joel Sherman of the New York Post acknowledges that the Yankees would listen to offers on Curtis Granderson and Phil Hughes, he notes that team executives say the goal is still to win in 2013, and that replacing Granderson's and Hughes' production in the short-term would be tricky (Twitter links).

Rays Increasingly Likely To Trade Starter

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According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the buzz at the Winter Meetings suggests that Zack Greinke could be in line for a bigger payday than initially expected — one competing agent thinks the right-hander could land a seven-year, $185MM deal. Given the high price tags on free agent starting pitchers, it's becoming increasingly likely that the Rays take advantage by dealing one of their starters, says Heyman.

James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson have been the names mentioned most in trade discussions and speculation, but the Rays will listen on anyone, including Cy Young winner David Price, says Heyman. Rays people view their chances of locking up Price beyond his current deal as "nil," according to Heyman, so if he isn't moved this winter, Price figures to be at the center of plenty more trade rumors down the road.

The Rays' arms are viewed as possible options for teams that miss out on the Greinke sweepstakes. The Dodgers, Nationals, and Rangers are among the clubs that been in contact with the Rays so far.

Overnight Links: A’s, Cole, Parnell, Headley, Espinosa

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As Day Two of the Winter Meetings rapidly approaches, here are some miscellaneous links to get all of you insomniacs out there through the night…

  • The Athletics had a fair amount of talks with the Marlins about Yunel Escobar yesterday but will be meeting on Stephen Drew today, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington didn't sound very open to the idea of Gerrit Cole breaking camp with a spot in the Major League rotation when he talked to reporters (including MLB.com's Tom Singer) yesterday. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft reached Triple-A for one start last year.
  • The Mets consider Bobby Parnell to be "virtually untouchable" right now, according to ESPN's Adam Rubin. The Tigers tried to acquire Parnell last season but were rejected, according to Rubin. That could explain the report shortly after last year's Winter Meetings that the Mets had considered dealing the flamethrower to an unknown team.
  • The Padres had "very rough" extension talks with Chase Headley earlier this year and would like to keep him long-term, writes Scott Miller of CBS Sports. There's no great urgency since he's controlled for two more seasons, GM Josh Byrnes said Monday, but they'll continue talking over the winter and could work something out in the spring.
  • Danny Espinosa isn't bothered by trade talks speculating that the Nationals could deal him to the Rays, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Such a trade would reunite Espinosa with his college teammate, Evan Longoria.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos will be focused on smaller moves to add depth at the Winter Meetings as the team's payroll is "in the dust, the rear-view mirror" of where he thought it was going to be for 2013 (Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reporting). Toronto opened 2012 with an $83.7MM payroll but projects to be in the $120MM range for 2013 as things stand right now.

NL East Notes: Sean Burnett, Reed Johnson, Nolasco

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The Mets are talking R.A. Dickey trades, the Marlins' highest-paid player wants out and the team is shopping its second-highest, and the Phillies have moved on to other outfielders with Angel Pagan off the board.  More from around the NL East…

Latest On Mike Morse

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Nationals outfielder/first baseman Mike Morse may be available via trade, especially if the team re-signs Adam LaRoche.  Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says he's received a lot of calls on Morse, though the general manager has not made calls on the player.  The latest:

Orioles Have Minimal Interest In Adam LaRoche

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With Mike Napoli headed to Boston, one suitor was removed for the equation for Adam LaRoche. While that should improve the Nationals' leverage a little, there are still a handful of teams in the mix for the slugging first baseman. Here's the latest on LaRoche, with new updates added to the top throughout the day:

  • The Rangers are not involved on LaRoche, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
  • Despite an earlier report that the Orioles are in "hard" on LaRoche, MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli hears the team's interest is minimal at best, as they're instead focused on trades.

Earlier updates:

  • The Nationals believe the Rangers are the biggest threat to sign LaRoche, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
  • The Orioles are in "hard" on LaRoche, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears from an executive from one interested team (Twitter link).
  • Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com had written earlier today that the Orioles, like the Nationals, didn't seem willing to go up to three years for LaRoche at this point.
  • After Napoli didn't get a fourth year from the Red Sox, Jim Bowden of ESPN and SiriusXM expects LaRoche to have to settle for a two-year deal (Twitter link).
  • Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post tweeted this morning that the Rangers and Mariners seemed to be the Nats' top competitors for LaRoche.
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