Hot Stove: - Yu Darvish, Grady Sizemore, George Sherrill, Jim Thome, Jonathan Sanchez

 Yu Darvish – Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters - No, I’m not sure what a “ham fighter” is exactly, but he’s been a Fighter his entire career in Japan. While he could have sign straight out of college in an MLB, (the Mets were interested back in 2004) he decided to stay in Japan to pitch. He wowed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and his numbers in the NPB have been equally impressive. In 2007, at age 20, he went 15-5 with a 1.82 ERA in 207.2 IP, 12 complete games, 210 strike outs and 49 walks. And he’s been equally as good, if not better in the three seasons after that. 2010 might have been his best season, going 12-8 with a 1.78 ERA, 202 IP, 10 complete games, 222 strike outs and 47 walks. He just turned 25 in August, and he will reportedly ask the Fighters to post him to the MLB. Now I know people are scared to go after the Japanese pitchers after Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kei Igawa, but this guy looks really legit and there has been talk about him being posted to the MLB almost every off-season. http://mets360.com/?p=8342&mid=51

Grady Sizemore: In many ways, Sizemore fits exactly what the Nationals need. He's a Gold Glove-winning center fielder who sports a career .357 on-base percentage and has hit leadoff for 703 of his 869 career starts. He's only 29 years old, and his return to the organization that first drafted him in 2000 would make up for the Expos' terrible decision to include him in the ill-fated trade that also sent Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips to the Indians for Bartolo Colon. There's just one hang-up: Sizemore is a huge injury risk. He's played in only 104 total games over the last two seasons because of a smorgasbord of ailments, and he recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. It's entirely possible -- maybe even probable -- that he'll never come close to regaining his old form. But if he did ... wow, he would be a perfect addition for the Nationals. http://www.csnwashington.com/blog/nationals-talk/post/Whom-might-Nats-pursue-in-free-agency?blockID=587468&feedID=6358

George Sherrill (35) – After a disastrous 2010, Sherrill bounced back nicely in 36 innings with the Braves. He faced 81 left handed hitters in 2011 and struck out 32 of them, a 39.5 percent strikeout rate. His season ended early due to inflammation in his pitching elbow, but if he can prove to be healthy heading into 2012, there is sure to be a few teams looking to give Sherrill a shot as their go-to LOOGY. http://www.bloguin.com/theoutsidecorner/2011-articles/november/2012-free-agent-primer-top-10-left-handed-relievers.html

Jim Thome signified a rebirth of baseball in Philadelphia with his arrival in 2003.  He's coming back for possibly his final shot at a World Series championship. Sources said Friday evening that the Phillies and Thome have agreed on a one-year contract, pending Thome passing a physical. Terms of the deal were unknown, although it seems likely to be a low-risk signing.  http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111104&content_id=25915372&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=aw-4965051331268096288-996

In an effort to free up money so they can pursue offensive upgrades, the Giants are willing to trade starter Jonathan Sanchez, according to major-league sources. The Giants have one of the best (and most expensive) starting rotations in baseball. One rival executive projected that, including salary arbitration awards, the team’s six returning starters – Sanchez, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong, Madison Bumgarner, and Barry Zito – could combine to earn as much as $60 million in 2012. That is roughly half of the team’s payroll. http://mlbbuzz.yardbarker.com/blog/mlbbuzz/sources_giants_willing_to_deal_jonathan_sanchez/7885915