*Early Free Agent Rumors*

[Wo1verine]

-Royals willing to operate at a loss this year and expect to have $20-23MM to spend in free agency. Primary targets; Anibal Sanchez and Kyle Lohse.

-Secondary targets; Ryan Dempster, Hiroki Kuroda, Shaun Marcum, Carlos Villanueva, and Carlos Zambrano.

-Kuroda almost a lock to re-sign with Yankees.

-Cubs looking at Marcum, Villanueva and Sanchez.

-Scott Kazmir expected to have at least 10 teams interested in bringing him to Spring Training. Houston, Kansas City, Chicago Cubs, both New York teams and Toronto are figured to be among those who will inquire.

-Toronto expected to be interested in; Marcum, Sanchez, Lohse, Dempster and half a dozen minor league/ Spring Training invite types such as Kazmir.

-The Dodgers expected to aggressively go after Dempster, Peavy (if available) and Greinke, with hopes of landing two of them.

***Feel free to add! Hopefully a rumors thread will help pick up this board a little bit!

[Wally West]

Is there a link to all these free agent rumors?

[Wo1verine]

Is there a link to all these free agent rumors?

Just google and mlbtraderumors.

[Ado05]

I hope The Jays can land Sanchez. But it looks like everyone wants him.

Something like this would be nice.

Romero
Morrow
Sanchez
Alvarez
Happ

[Ado05]

http://mlbbuzz.yardbarker.com/blog/mlbb ... 3/11766799

The Toronto Blue Jays fell out of the American League East race long ago, but their talent evaluators are out in full force as the team prepares for 2013.

The Blue Jays had two scouts at the final two games of this week’s Tigers-Athletics series in Detroit. Each game included a starting pitcher who could switch teams this offseason: Oakland’s Brett Anderson Wednesday (trade candidate) and Detroit’s Anibal Sanchez Thursday (free agent).

Anderson could be expendable this offseason because of the A’s pitching depth. He left Wednesday’s start in the third inning with a strained right oblique but is 4-2 with a 2.57 ERA in six starts this season since returning from elbow surgery.

This is around sept 20, but I think it still shows that they are interested in both of these guys.

[UN-Owen]

I hope The Jays can land Sanchez. But it looks like everyone wants him.

Something like this would be nice.

Romero
Morrow
Sanchez
Alvarez
Happ

I've never understood why teams commit to mediocrity by signing #3 and #4 pitchers

That seems like a case of quantity over quality

If I'm GM of the Royals and I have 20 million to spend on free-agents, then I'm throwing that cash at Greinke

If he's not interested in returning to KC then I would simply keep the payroll flexibility and target next year's top FA pitcher

There should be no sense of urgency for a young, small market team like the Royals to spend foolishly on slightly above average talent

See Gil Meche

[hyper316]

seriously, what's so good about sanchez.

go big or go home. we need top of the rotation arms. no more happ-like trades plz.

im still upset that Rogers were too cheap to get Darvish. he just cost money, no prospects needed. and he's a goldmine..

[Wo1verine]

you can count Baltimore out of the free agent market:

http://brittghiroli.mlblogs.com/2012/10 ... gency-etc/

[Wo1verine]

seriously, what's so good about sanchez.

go big or go home. we need top of the rotation arms. no more happ-like trades plz.

im still upset that Rogers were too cheap to get Darvish. he just cost money, no prospects needed. and he's a goldmine..

Agreed.
While i like Sanchez, i think we need to do better than him! It's going to be tough to get that ace though.

It's too bad we missed out on the Gonzalez and Latos last winter those type of SP's don't figure to be available this off season.

[flatjacket1]

It's too bad we missed out on the Gonzalez and Latos last winter those type of SP's don't figure to be available this off season.

The deal was massive. I'm happy we didn't agree to it.

[Secueritae]

-
-Toronto expected to be interested in; Marcum, Sanchez, Lohse, Dempster and half a dozen minor league/ Spring Training invite types such as Kazmir.

!

What a joke, knowing AA none of this will happen and we will sign no-name or washed up players.

[Griff83]

It's too bad we missed out on the Gonzalez and Latos last winter those type of SP's don't figure to be available this off season.

The deal was massive. I'm happy we didn't agree to it.

Latos is 24, just put up a real quality season in a bandbox. He still has lots of room to get better and noone in the Padres side of the deal projects into a above average player besides Grandal and the Reds already had a arguably better catching prospect in Mesoraco. If I'm the Reds I do that deal everyday and have no regrets.

[LBJSeizedMyID]

The deal was considered by many an overpayment at the time. Yonder Alonso was still relatively a highly regarded prospect who was ripping it up with his brief stint with Cincinnati at the time, and a top tiered prospect in Grandal. These two guys were also blocked at the time, so it was a little easier for them to make this trade.

Cincinnati gambled on Latos - while his numbers were good in 2011, he was showing signs that 2010 might've been the abberation.

Easy to say you'd do this deal everyday today with no regrets but when you have a superstar blocking you at first base and a future all-star behind home plate it is a little easier to let some of these guys go.

[Raps in 4]

Once again we'll be rumoured to be interested in everybody, but end up with nobody.

[Wo1verine]

The Red Sox need to make changes this winter and it appears as though Joe Mauer and/or Justin Morneau may be possibilities.

Minnesota may not be in a rush to deal Mauer, but he would satisfy Boston's need for a "pure hitter." They would use him as a catcher/first baseman. He has six years and $138 million left on his contract.

Justin Morneau might also be an option. He has one year and $13 million left on his deal.



Via Nick Cafardo/Boston Globe
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/ ... story.html

[UN-Owen]

The Red Sox need to make changes this winter and it appears as though Joe Mauer and/or Justin Morneau may be possibilities.

Minnesota may not be in a rush to deal Mauer, but he would satisfy Boston's need for a "pure hitter." They would use him as a catcher/first baseman. He has six years and $138 million left on his contract.

Justin Morneau might also be an option. He has one year and $13 million left on his deal.



Via Nick Cafardo/Boston Globe
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/ ... story.html

Minnesota should be in a rush to move that contract

[dballislife]

look at wash and cinn, they dished out for top starter quality guys and both were in playoffs

[Wo1verine]

look at wash and cinn, they dished out for top starter quality guys and both were in playoffs

At some point AA is going to have to make a bold move. We'll see what happens.. My guess is he signs a FA SP (Lohse ) and trades for another using Escobar

[hyper316]

would love justin morneau, not b/c he's a canadian, but he's a lefty bat 1B that the jays need. 1 year left on contract is great too

however, the main focus is to improve the rotation

[Ado05]

seriously, what's so good about sanchez.

go big or go home. we need top of the rotation arms. no more happ-like trades plz.

im still upset that Rogers were too cheap to get Darvish. he just cost money, no prospects needed. and he's a goldmine..

The way I look at it as, Sanchez would be better than nothing and he's only 28 years old.