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MLB Winter Meetings 2015: Live Coverage of Rule 5 Draft, Latest Rumors and Deals

It was a sleepy final day at the 2015 MLB winter meetings.

While stars like Jason Heyward, Johnny Cueto, Yoenis Cespedes and Chris Davis all remain unaccounted for on the free-agent front, the headliners in Nashville included Tony Sipp and Yunel Escobar.

Per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Houston Astros brought back the lefty on a three-year, $18 million deal. Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals shipped Escobar to the Los Angeles Angels, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

You can find an overview of all the signings, trades and waiver claims from the day below and the results from the major league Rule 5 draft right here.

 

 Signings, trades and waiver claims from today:

  • 1B Mark Reynolds signs a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Rockies, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
  • The Padres acquire OF Jabari Blash from the Oakland Athletics as the PTBNL in the Yonder Alonso trade, per the team’s Twitter account.
  • The Padres acquire RHP Luis Perdomo from the Rockies, per the team’s Twitter account.
  • LHP Tony Sipp signs a three-year, $18 million deal with the Astros, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
  • RHP Shawn Kelly signs a three-year deal for $15 million to $16 million with the Nationals, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.
  • The Brewers acquire C Manny Pina from the Tigers as the PTBNL in the Francisco Rodriguez trade, per the team’s Twitter account
  • The Angels acquire INF Yunel Escobar from the Nationals for RHP Trevor Gott and RHP Michael Brady, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports and Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times
  • RHP Jonathan Broxton signs a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Cardinals, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today
  • The Orioles claim LHP Edgar Olmos off waivers from the Cubs and designate OF Junior Lake for assignment, per the team’s Twitter account

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


MLB Winter Meetings 2015 Day 1: Analyzing Impact of All the Latest Deals, Rumors

A flood of trades, signings and speculation headlined Day 1 of the 2015 MLB winter meetings, but for now, Aroldis Chapman remains a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

According to Tim Brown and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, a proposed trade between the Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers was “held up” following a report that Chapman was allegedly involved in a domestic incident in October.

While the baseball world waits for the latest on the Chapman front, here’s a review of all the biggest deals and most significant rumors from Day 1 in Nashville, Tennessee. Among the discussion points: One of the game’s most electric young starting pitchers was again the subject of trade chatter, and the finish line in the race for Ben Zobrist is finally within sight.

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10 Remaining 2015-16 MLB Free Agents Who Suddenly Look Like Huge Values

“Value” isn’t exactly the word that comes to mind when thinking about the 2015-2016 MLB free-agent class.

While aces like David Price and Zack Greinke have made fortunes in recent days, there are still plenty of free agents who can be bought at bargain prices.

The players who populate the following list fall into two general groups. The first are players who play a position where there are all sorts of options at that given spot. Asa result of that glut of talent, some of the lower-profile targets could end up signing at team-friendly prices.

The second group of players consists of big leaguers who were late entrants to the free-agent frenzy after getting non-tendered by their old clubs. That list of players includes a couple of potent power bats and one starter who has front-line potential.

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Updating the Hottest Questions of the 2015-16 MLB Offseason, Week 4

With David Price off the board, Zack Greinke can officially claim his place at the center of the baseball universe as Week 4 of the 2015-16 MLB offseason draws to a close.

While everyone patiently awaits Greinke‘s decision on where he’ll be pitching in 2016, Aroldis Chapman is patiently waiting to find out just where he’ll be traded.

There’s no question about it—buzz surrounding prominent pitchers like Greinke and Chapman dominated the baseball week that was. And as if the market for arms wasn’t loaded enough already, another high-upside starter has been added to the free-agent front following the non-tender deadline.

Hurlers headline the list that follows, but there’s still room for talk about one position player who’s proving to be the most popular free agent of all this winter.

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Stock Up, Stock Down on Top Available MLB Stars Entering December

Zack Greinke remains unsigned and Aroldis Chapman remains with the Cincinnati Reds, but the top available MLB stars are starting to vanish off the shelf.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Jordan Zimmermann has inked a new deal with the Detroit Tigers, which means that the loaded class of free-agent aces just shrank by one.

Last week, we took a look at potential surprise destinations for the top names on the winter market. This week, it’s time to check in on that group and determine whose stock is up and whose stock is down based on all of the most recent buzz.

The list that follows includes the top five players from Bleacher Report’s free-agent big board and the two most prominent targets on the trade block. In the process of fitting those two trade targets into the rankings, 2015 performance was the most important consideration, but their respective contract situation was also factored into the equation.

Now that Jose Fernandez has been deemed “not currently available,” a new trade piece replaces him in the rankings. Unfortunately for that outfielder, his stock is definitely not on the rise.

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Updating the Hottest Questions of the 2015-2016 MLB Offseason, Week 3

Even though Thanksgiving dominated Week 3 of the 2015-2016 MLB offseason, there was still plenty of buzz surrounding stars like David Price and Jose Fernandez.

When it comes to the chase for Price, a heavyweight has emerged from the American League East. Meanwhile, some clarity has been provided on the future of Fernandez in South Beach.

As you enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers, here’s a look at all the biggest questions and answers from the week that was.

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10 Impact Offseason Moves Teams Should Have Already Made

Historically, the real fun of the MLB offseason doesn’t begin until the winter meetings.

Unfortunately, that gathering of baseball’s top minds and decision-makers doesn’t convene until Dec. 6 in Nashville, Tennessee. As we sit around waiting, there’s no harm in taking a look at 10 impact moves that make so much sense that they should have already been made.

From a megadeal for Zack Greinke to trades involving a few of the game’s top closers, pitchers dominate the list that follows. However, there’s also room for a couple of dynamic outfielders who should be on the move sooner rather than later.

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Predicting Surprise Destinations for Top MLB Offseason Targets

From Zack Greinke to Aroldis Chapman, both the MLB free-agent market and the trade block are stocked with impact arms.

For now, no one knows just where exactly those stars will end up. However, after considering team needs for 2016 and taking into account all the latest buzz, here are some surprise destinations that make sense as potential landing spots.

The list that follows includes the top five free agents from Bleacher Report’s big board and the two most-prominent names on the trade front. Pitchers dominate the list, but there’s also room for a few big hitters who should make a big difference for their new employers in 2016.

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Biggest Snubs, Surprises of the 1st Annual 2015 Esurance MLB Awards

This just hasn’t been an awards season to remember for Zack Greinke.

After losing out for the National League Cy Young, the right-handed ace was snubbed for the Best Starting Pitcher honor in the inaugural edition of the 2015 Esurance MLB Awards.

Before taking a look at the biggest snubs and surprises of the Esurance Awards, let’s break down how the voting process worked. Media, front-office personnel, retired MLB players, the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and fans determined the winners for each of the categories. Each of those five groups had an equal voice in the process, as each group accounted for 20 percent of the vote.

Now that all the votes have been tallied, it turns out that Greinke wasn’t the only ace from the Los Angeles Dodgers who ended up getting snubbed.

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Every MLB Team’s Most Pressing Need It Must Fill This Offseason

From Zack Greinke to David Price, the MLB free-agent market is flooded with impact starters.

That’s great news for big league general managers because revamping the rotation is the most pressing need for an array of teams across the league.

There’s also an assortment of squads whose top offseason objective is to land that late-inning ace. As it so happens, there’s plenty of prominent relievers up for grabs on the trade block.

While many of the clubs on this list will be focused on adding to their rosters, there’s also room for more than a few rebuilding teams like the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies who need to make big subtractions in the hopes of brightening their future.

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