B.J. Upton: Here's the thing about Upton: He's not a free agent, at least not yet. He's still got one more year of arbitration eligibility with the Rays. That said, there has been serious speculation that Tampa Bay might elect not to tender him a contract next month, which would put him on the open market. The question is whether Rizzo is willing to wait it out, perhaps losing one of the other guys in the process. If not, he could always try to trade for Upton, though his disappointing numbers the last three seasons (not to mention the fact his current team is thinking about dropping him altogether) suggest he may not be worth giving up much of consequence. http://www.csnwashington.com/blog/nationals-talk/post/Whom-might-Nats-pursue-in-free-agency?blockID=587468&feedID=6358
I’ll admit it; I am biased when it comes to Grady Sizemore. I still think of him as the player who just a couple of seasons ago was playing as well, if not better, than anyone else in the game. His combination of speed and power along with his defense made him one of the most complete players in the game. Injuries have sidetracked what looked to be a Hall of Fame career. From age 22 through age 25, Sizemore hit .281/.372/.496 with an average of 41 doubles, 8 triples, 27 homeruns, 81 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. He was the game’s brightest young star and a reason to believe that the Cleveland Indians had a special player to lead them for the next decade or so. http://thebaseballscribe.com/2011/11/05/quick-hits-early-hot-stove
With Fielder surely gone, putting together an offer to keep him is not at the top of the list. The priority is improving defensively, particularly on the left side of the infield where third baseman Casey McGehee and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt were among the worst defensive tandems in the game. However, the shortstop market isn’t too deep outside of the stars – Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins – and those guys are likely out of Milwaukee’s price range. So declining Betancourt’s $6 million option and re-signing him to a cheaper deal is probable. And McGehee will have to fight off Jerry Hairston Jr. to keep his starting job. http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/feed/2011-10/hot-stove-league/story/hot-stove-report-milwaukee-brewers#ixzz1cxqkkbNE
So the Phillies may have to bite the bullet and re-sign Jimmy Rollins, who hasn't been a star since 2008, to a deal that has a dangerous back end. They'll want to lay in some help on the corners to insure against Howard's return and Polanco's continued decline -- Wilson Betemit and Kelly Johnson might be interesting in this role. John Mayberry Jr. may be important to next year's team as a fourth outfielder who gets nearly-regular playing time platooning with Brown and spelling Shane Victorino at center and Howard at first. The Phillies' payroll is high enough, and the market thin enough once you get past the positions where the Phillies are strongest, that this may not be a year of big moves. The Phillies have committed to their current roster, so it's about putting players around the core who can do a better job of scoring than the '11 team did. Without Howard, this team is vulnerable. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/joe_sheehan/11/02/nl.east.hot.stove.preview/index.html#ixzz1cxrpYUPf
The Marlins have identified their center fielder of the future. Now all they have to do is sign him when he’s declared a free agent. Yoenis Cespedes, a 26-year-old Cuban who defected last summer, should get the go-ahead to begin negotiating with major league teams later this month. According to an American League source who attended his showcase Friday in the Dominican Republic, the buzz is the Marlins have the inside track. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus both profiled Cespedes, who could command a deal in excess of $30 million, along the lines of what Cuban fireballer Aroldis Chapman secured from the Reds. The Marlins made an unsuccessful run at Chapman when he was declared a free agent. http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_baseball_marlins/2011/11/source-miami-marlins-considered-favorites-to-land-cuban-cf-yeonis-cespedes.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+marlinsblog+%28Florida+Marlins+%7C+Sun-Sentinel+Blogs%29
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