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New Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen continues to explore ways to improve the team, including exploring trade options for starting pitcher Shelby Miller.  

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D-backs Open to Trading Miller

Wednesday, Dec. 7

According to Nick Piecoro of AZCentral Sports, the Diamondbacks have been discussing trading starting pitchers during the winter meetings, with Miller and Patrick Corbin being the most talked-about trade chips from Arizona’s side. 

Piecoro did note the Diamondbacks still have a high asking price for their pitchers, so any potential deal would have to be considered a long shot. 

The Diamondbacks acquired Miller last year in a five-player deal that sent Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair to the Atlanta Braves.

The move was part of Arizona’s hopes for contention in 2016 after signing Zack Greinke. Things never came together for the team, with Miller completely falling apart. He had a 6.15 ERA with 127 hits allowed and 70 strikeouts in 101 innings over 20 starts.

Things got so bad for Miller that the team demoted him to Triple-A in July, hoping to fix his mechanics. It did seem to work, at least a little bit, with a 3.98 ERA in a small sample size of 31.2 innings, though he still allowed 40 hits during that span.

Hazen has been aggressive trying to patch things up, acquiring Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte from the Seattle Mariners last month. The Diamondbacks do have a wealth of intriguing starters to deal, including Miller, Walker, Greinke, Corbin, Robbie Ray and Archie Bradley. 

Even though things were disastrous for Miller and Arizona last year, this team is capable of turning things around quickly because of the depth in its rotation. It also hopes to get a full season from A.J. Pollock and continued development from Jake Lamb and Brandon Drury. 

Miller’s value is at its absolute lowest right now, so trying to deal him only makes sense if the Diamondbacks think he’s a lost cause. Since he’s just 26 years old and one year removed from being an All-Star, there’s reason to be optimistic that 2016 was an outlier in his career. 

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Free-agent outfielder Ian Desmond is joining the Colorado Rockies.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported Desmond was signing with the Rockies. Joel Sherman of the New York Post confirmed the agreement, adding it’s a five-year deal.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported the value of Desmond’s deal with the Rockies is $70 million.

Rosenthal also noted the team plans to use him at first base and in the outfield. It does come at a steep price, though; the Rockies have to forfeit the No. 11 pick in the draft.

This is Desmond’s third-different team in as many years. After spending seven years with the Washington Nationals, he signed with the Texas Rangers on a one-year deal in 2016.

The 31-year-old is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career in his lone season with the Rangers, batting .285 with 22 home runs and 86 RBI while garnering his second-ever All-Star appearance.

It was an impressive season for a player who was signed so late in the offseason. After turning down a $15.8 million qualifying offer from the Nationals, Desmond tested free agency and wasn’t signed until the last day of February when he accepted a one-year, $8 million deal from Texas, per Spotrac.

It was risky bet for him to try out free agency after he turned down a seven-year, $107 million deal from the Nationals before the 2015 season. He followed it up with his worst offensive year since 2011, batting .233 with 19 homers, 62 RBI and a meager .290 on-base percentage.

But upon his arrival in Texas, Desmond was forced to make the move from shortstop to center field due to Elvis Andrus patrolling the position. He posted a .966 fielding percentage in his first year in the outfield, committing 12 errors on 350 chances.

On Nov. 7, the Rangers made a $17.2 million qualifying offer in hopes of retaining him, but he rejected it one week later.

Now the Rockies will look to capitalize on Desmond’s successful 2016 campaign.

Left field is a potential spot for the Rockies to use Desmond’s offensive capabilities. Colorado got virtually no production from that spot in 2016 with a .256/.291/.403 slash line, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Desmond does hold the promise of providing a noticeable boost offensively given his prior experience at his new home park. According to Matt Musico of numberFire.com, Desmond has hit .379/.406/.611 with three home runs, 11 doubles and 18 RBI in 95 at-bats at Coors Field.

The Rockies don’t often have issues finding offense because their park is catered to hitting in the thin air, but the front office identified multiple positions it wanted to address, and Desmond’s versatility will allow him to handle both of them.

Desmond took a chance on himself after the contract debacle with the Nationals left him searching for a home. He put together a strong 2016 and will now reap the financial rewards while also playing an integral role for a Rockies franchise that is trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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After a relatively quiet first day at the winter meetings, Tuesday afternoon was anything but, as we saw one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent memory.

The Chicago White Sox finally found an offer to their liking for ace Chris Sale, shipping him to Boston in exchange for a package of four prospects headlined by infielder Yoan Moncada and right-hander Michael Kopech.

That wasn’t all the Red Sox accomplished, though, as they also swung a trade to acquire setup man Tyler Thornburg from the Milwaukee Brewers and signed first baseman Mitch Moreland to a one-year deal, per Roster Resource.

There were a handful of other notable signings as well, with Wilson Ramos, Carlos Gomez and Fernando Rodney all finding new homes. As the free-agent market continues to dwindle, perhaps it will further fan the flames on the trade market.

What does Day 3 of the meetings have in store?

Keep it right here for all the latest rumors, news and transactions in one convenient tracker.

Done Deals

Wednesday: Miami Marlins sign LHP Jeff Locke to a one-year, ~$3 million deal, per Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

Wednesday: Colorado Rockies sign OF Ian Desmond to a five-year, $70 million deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Wednesday: Chicago Cubs acquire RP Wade Davis from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for OF Jorge Soler, according to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com.

Wednesday: Miami Marlins re-sign RHP Dustin McGowan to a one-year deal, per Heyman.

Wednesday: Miami Marlins sign C A.J. Ellis to a one-year, $2.5 million deal, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.

Wednesday: Washington Nationals acquire CF Adam Eaton from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Reynaldo Lopez and RHP Dane Dunning, per Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago.

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Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana could become the next marquee player to leave the organization as the front office continues to shop assets following the trade of ace Chris Sale.

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Nats, Astros Show Interest in Quintana

Wednesday, Dec. 7

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Wednesday the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros are both talking with the South Siders about a potential deal for the veteran left-hander.

Quintana has served as one of the most reliable starters in baseball over the past five years. He’s posted a 3.41 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 154 appearances (151 starts) over that span. He’s also made at least 32 starts in four straight seasons and never finished with an ERA above 3.76 in any campaign.

The 27-year-old Colombia native is coming off perhaps his most complete season. He compiled a career-low 3.20 ERA, which ranked seventh in the American League, and a 1.16 WHIP while striking out 181 batters in 208 innings.

His success allowed him to earn his first All-Star Game selection in July. He talked about how much the honor meant to him before pitching a scoreless frame in the Midsummer Classic, per Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago.

“That is so great and important to know everyone knows me now,” Quintana said. “I feel more responsible to my city and teammates and organization. I am so happy and hope to enjoy this moment and experience with my family.”

Typically, players with his track record who are under team control for an additional four years aren’t the focus of much trade talk. But Sale’s departure signaled the start of a White Sox rebuild, and Quintana’s value may never be higher given the lackluster group of starters available in free agency.

Daryl Van Schouwen of Chicago Sun-Times passed along comments from general manager Rick Hahn on Monday about the need for a clear direction. He referenced the successful retooling of the crosstown rival and reigning champion Chicago Cubs in the process.

“If you have a plan and you articulate it clearly [to fans]…Certainly in our city it’s easy for them to see the fruits of those hardships on the other side of town. I think people would understand that,” he said.

Quintana should command another impressive group of prospects, though it likely won’t reach the return the White Sox received for Sale. But, if they decide to move him, the combined haul between the two trades would be enough to transform the farm system.

The Nationals and Astros are two teams that have been heavily linked to numerous big names since the offseason got underway. Both clubs are on the cusp on contention heading toward 2017 and adding the underrated lefty would provide a major boost to their playoff chances.

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Let’s talk closers.

Coming into this offseason, it was always clear that this particular free-agent market was going to be headlined by a strong closing class, and players like Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen have been at the center of much of the buzz thus far.

Once Mark Melancon signed with the San Francisco Giants on a four-year, $62 million deal, per Chris Haft of MLB.com, it was off to the races for the closers market.

Chapman and Jansen will certainly be the next big names to drop, but Kansas City Royals closer Wade Davis is also generating a ton of buzz on the trade market. So, which teams are in the mix for the trio?

Well, the New York Yankees are at the epicenter of the Chapman-Jansen universe. General manager Brian Cashman confirmed as much to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News:

Offers have been put out there. (Chapman agent) Barry Praver and (Jansen agent) Adam Katz are the people you’d have to ask about whether it’s progress or not. We’re still having the dialogue, but whether it leads us to a positive resolution from our perspective or not remains to be seen. They’re still active with a whole bunch of people.

Cashman seemed to indicate that Chapman would be the team’s preference as well since it wouldn’t have to give up a draft pick to sign him, unlike Jansen:

The preference, yes, would be to retain our draft pick if possible. We know that Chapman pitched in New York. I don’t believe that Jansen would have any issues pitching in New York either, but it’s nice to have that box checked, too. They’re both exceptionally talented individuals and they’re both going to be well-rewarded for that talent regardless of where they decide to play. It would be nice if somebody picks us at some point. If not, we’ll adjust.

One interesting wrinkle? Chapman told ESPN’s Marly Rivera that he wants a six-year deal, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com, though Marchand doubts the Yankees would offer that length of contract.

Certainly, the money will be on the table, as Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported:

But for the moment, it appears that the Yankees and Chapman are likely to be reunited.

That leaves a whole slew of teams in the running for Jansen. According to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com, the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers are interested in the free agent.

A return to the Dodgers is always a possibility, as the team remains heavily involved in the closer talks, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times:

But don’t count out the Marlins, per Heyman:

And don’t count out Davis either.

He’s one of many players who almost assuredly will find themselves traded once Chapman and Jansen are signed, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports:

Heyman added:

The closers market is one move away from exploding. It’s rare that the pitchers who generally appear for only an inning garner more interest and intrigue than starting pitchers or sluggers, but the game is changing. Bullpens are valued more highly than ever, and the rest of free agency simply doesn’t have the same star power that the closers have presented.

The closers are getting paid this winter. And given how important players like Chapman and Jansen were to the Cubs and Dodgers last year, they’ve earned it.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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From Roberto Clemente (1954) to Johan Santana (1999), some special players have found their way to the big leagues through MLB‘s Rule 5 draft. As usual, this year’s iteration represents the last major event of the annual winter meetings, and it is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. ET Thursday.

How does it all work? Who is eligible? Here’s everything you need to know, courtesy of MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo:

• “Players who first signed at age 18 had to be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process.“

• “Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons.”

• “Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. If that player doesn’t stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $50,000.”

A pair of relievers, St. Louis’ Matt Bowman (3.46 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) and Toronto’s Joe Biagini (3.06 ERA, 1.30 WHIP), were the standouts from last year’s draft, which saw 10 of the 16 players selected log time in the big leagues for their new clubs.

Will this year’s draft deliver more impact picks? Here’s a look at a handful of prospects who could contribute in the big leagues next season as Rule 5 selections.

Begin Slideshow

As part of the winter meetings, representatives from all 30 MLB teams will convene in National Harbor, Maryland, for the 2016 Rule 5 draft.

This year’s draft will begin Thursday at 9 a.m. ET, and MLB.com will provide a live stream.

In the past, a few teams have struck gold in the Rule 5 draft. The Cincinnati Reds selected Josh Hamilton in 2006 and traded him to the Texas Rangers for Edinson Volquez in December 2007. The Minnesota Twins walked out of the 1999 Rule 5 draft with Johan Santana.

For the most part, though, the event is a mere formality of the offseason. Baseball America‘s J.J. Cooper wrote that some team representatives bring their luggage with them to the draft, so they can make a quicker exit once it’s over.

MLB’s rules regarding who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft significantly depletes the available talent pool. MLB.com outlined the criteria for eligibility:

Players who were signed when they were 19 or older and have played in professional baseball for four years are eligible, as are players who were signed at 18 and have played for five years.

All players on a Major League Baseball team’s 40-man roster, regardless of other eligibility factors, are ‘protected’ and ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft.

There’s no guarantee a player will stay with the team that selected him, either. After paying $50,000 to his previous team, the receiving team has to keep the player on the 25-man squad for the entire regular season, otherwise his former team can pay $25,000 to get him back.

For instance, right-handed pitcher Josh Martin returned to the Cleveland Indians in April after the San Diego Padres decided he wouldn’t be a part of their major league roster in 2016.

Here’s the order for this year’s Rule 5 draft, courtesy of MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo:

The four players below aren’t guaranteed to change teams Thursday, but they’re among the best talents available.

Top Prospects

Yimmi Brasoban, RHP, San Diego Padres

Yimmi Brasoban‘s health issues may preclude him from hearing his name called in the Rule 5 draft. After suffering from elbow and forearm problems, the 22-year-old had a plasma injection in November in order to try to prevent surgery.

Exposing Brasoban to the Rule 5 draft is a calculated gamble by the San Diego Padres. It opened up a spot on their 40-man roster, but they opened the door for another team to select him.

In February, MLB.com’s Mike Rosenbaum wrote Brasoban boasted the best slider in the Padres’ minor league system, giving it a 60 on the 20-80 grading scale.

The right-hander spent the bulk of the 2016 season with San Diego’s Double-A affiliate, making 29 appearances and posting a 3.03 earned run average. According to BrooksBaseball.net, his fastball averaged 95.09 mph, and his slider clocked in at 88.09 mph on the 15 pitches tracked by the site.

Given his impressive stuff, Brasoban could be a relief option for an MLB team in 2017 assuming he doesn‘t experience any setbacks after his plasma procedure.

Daniel Gibson, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks

Daniel Gibson’s 2016 was a mixed bag. He earned a promotion to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate following a successful stint in Double-A. Upon reaching Triple-A, his numbers fell off a cliff. Here’s a look at the splits:

Some regression is to be expected when making the transition up the minor leagues. Gibson took that to the extreme. He averaged nearly twice as many walks per nine innings (6.0) in Triple-A than he did in Double-A (3.2), per Baseball-Reference.com.

Still, his fastball averaged 92.14 mph in 2015 and 93.66 mph in 2016 when tracked by BrooksBaseball.net, and he’s a year removed from striking out 10 batters per nine innings. The fact that he has risen high through Arizona’s ranks will make him an enticing Rule 5 pick as well.

Eric Wood, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates

Eric Wood’s improved work at the plate may be enough for a team to take a flier on him in the Rule 5 draft.

Wood had two home runs and 28 runs batted in and slugged .305 in 373 plate appearances for the Double-A Altoona Curve in 2015. In 2016, his slugging percentage climbed to .443, and he hit 16 home runs with 50 RBI in 464 plate appearances.

That production carried over to the Arizona Fall League, where Wood had a .330/.388/.489 slash line with three homers and 20 RBI in 23 games, per MLB.com. Those numbers helped him earn top honors, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Stephen J. Nesbitt:

His power slipped during his brief stint in the Dominican Winter League: one home run, six RBI and a .353 slugging percentage.

Finding a third baseman with power isn’t easy, so Wood will be an alluring target in the draft, even if there are questions about whether his offensive success will be repeated in 2017.

Jordan Guerrero, LHP, Chicago White Sox

Jordan Guerrero experienced control problems during his first season in Double-A, averaging 4.8 walks per nine innings, according to Baseball-Reference.com. As a result, his stock slipped quite a bit.

FanGraphs‘ Dan Farnsworth ranked him as the Chicago White Sox’s fifth-best prospect in January. On Monday, Farnsworth’s colleague, Eric Longenhagen, listed Guerrero at No. 19.

In June, Baseball Prospectus’ Collin Whitchurch saw a potentially bleak future for Guerrero: “Guerrero never profiled as much more than a possible back-end starter, but if he doesn‘t adjust to the struggles he’s seen in Double-A, he may fall back into obscurity.”

The trouble with selecting Guerrero is that he’s almost certainly more than a year away from reaching the majors given his poor year, so putting him on the 25-man roster would be risky.

With that said, he pitched 285 combined innings the last two seasons, and he has struck out 256 batters during that stretch. An MLB team might think he’s worth reaching for in the draft.

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Like a cotton candy maker, baseball’s winter meetings tend to spit out anything that sticks.

Sure, deals are made like the one that saw Chris Sale traded to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. But speculation, more than anything, is the product of the meetings.

It’s tough to determine which of the hottest thoughts, rumors and conjecture might end up being true, but we’ll give it a try and play or fiction with what has emerged thus far from baseball’s annual conclave.

Begin Slideshow

Chicago Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler has had trouble getting on the field over his first three MLB seasons, but he will now reportedly get a new opportunity with the Kansas City Royals.

According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, the Royals and Cubs have struck a deal that will send Soler to the Royals for closer Wade Davis, pending physicals. Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball confirmed the report.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal noted the deal would be a one-for-one swap with no other players involved. 

The 24-year-old Soler has been lost in the shuffle with the Cubs. Once the No. 12-rated prospect in all of the minors by Baseball America before the 2015 season (via Baseball-Reference.com), Soler has appeared in just 211 MLB games in three years. 

Though he has a large frame and a lot of potential, the Cuban defector didn’t make his road to the majors any easier with some of his antics. According to Fox Sports’ Mauricio Rubio, “He was benched for not hustling, and in a separate incident he ran toward an opposing dugout with a bat.”

After a limited debut in 2014 that included 97 plate appearances, he yielded underwhelming numbers in 2015 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI in 101 games.

Still, he had an opportunity to gain regular starting time in 2016 when Kyle Schwarber went down with a torn ACL and LCL and did just that from April to June as the Cubs’ go-to left fielder. 

But in 50 games, he batted just .223 with five home runs and 13 RBI before a hamstring injury sidelined him for almost two months. 

To make the timing worse, Soler was batting .318 in the 17 games prior to the injury, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick.

With a rotation of contributors to pick up the slack in left while fellow youngsters Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Javier Baez became household names during the Cubs’ first World Series title since 1908, Soler remained stagnant upon his return. He finished the season with a .238 batting average with 12 home runs and 31 RBI. 

However, he still made some solid contributions to the Cubs’ run toward the postseason:

Though he still has the potential to become a star in the big leagues, the Cubs decided to take the opportunity to sell high on Soler in order to land a top-tier closer. 

Davis has been an All-Star the past two seasons and could be a nice replacement for Aroldis Chapman if he does in fact walk in free agency this winter. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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After resurrecting his career with the Texas Rangers last season, outfielder Carlos Gomez agreed to terms to stay with the club on Monday.

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball first reported the news, while Joel Sherman of the New York Post added it was a one-year deal worth $11.5 million. 

After the Houston Astros acquired Gomez in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the 2015 trade deadline, the Dominican Republic native spent the first half of 2016 with the ‘Stros.

Gomez struggled to the tune of a .210 batting average with five home runs, 29 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 295 at-bats, however, which prompted Houston to designate him for assignment.

The two-time All-Star then signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, and he was called up shortly thereafter to aid Texas’ short-handed outfield.

Gomez was excellent in 33 regular-season games with the Rangers, as he hit .284 with eight homers, 24 RBI and five steals. He also started for the team during the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting .154 with one RBI and one stolen base in three contests.

Following the Rangers’ elimination, Gomez spoke glowingly about his time with the team and expressed a desire to re-sign in free agency, according to Josh Clark of CBS DFW:

This month and a half changed my career completely. I can’t wait to get home and continue to make this approach to next year. Of course I want to come back. If I had (this much) fun, that I enjoyed it so much for like a month and a half … I can’t imagine it for 180 something days. I put this in God’s hands … and they know that I love it here. I’m very loyal, it’s not always about money. I have money. It’s about enjoying the job that I love.

In 2015 and most of 2016, Gomez looked nothing like the player who emerged as one of the best all-around outfielders in baseball with the Brewers in 2013 and 2014.

Gomez put up big numbers in both of those campaigns, particularly in 2013 when he hit .284 with 24 home runs, 73 RBI and 40 stolen bases, all of which were career highs. He also won the Gold Glove and finished a solid ninth in National League MVP voting.

In stints with the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Brewers, Astros and Rangers, Gomez has shown flashes of brilliance and five-tool potential.

He has struggled to parlay that into consistent production for much of his career, but he appeared to regain his stride late last season.

The 31-year-old can be a game-changer when he is locked in, and that was apparent down the stretch in 2016.

Gomez and the Rangers appeared to be a match made in heaven last season, and there was mutual interest from both sides to see how much the partnership can potentially accomplish together over the course of an entire year in 2017.

The 2016 campaign was a tale of two seasons for Gomez, but if he is able to channel what made him successful late in the year, he could prove to be one of the best value signings of the offseason.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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