Kuzul

With Michael Bourn signing with Cleveland, starting pitcher Kyle Lohse is now the biggest name on the free-agent market.

St. Louis almost certainly won’t re-sign Lohse, who turned down the club’s $13.3 million qualifying offer this offseason. Lohse is seeking to cash in on a mega deal that the Cardinals couldn’t afford to give.

Lohse has been linked to the Washington Nationals, a perfect fit for the 34-year-old right-hander. 

The Nationals already invested a one-year, $13 million contract with veteran hurler Dan Haren and could pursue Lohse’s services, especially with the news of Gio Gonzalez possibly serving a hefty suspension for his reported involvement to the Biogenesis Clinic in Miami. 

With Gonzalez waiting it out, the probability of Washington reaching out to Lohse is high, and the move makes perfect sense.

The Nationals are in need of another reliable arm in their rotation that already features Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Ross Detwiler and Haren.

Lohse is coming off a season that saw him rack up a record of 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 33 starts for the Cardinals. He also had the sixth-best WHIP in baseball, at 1.09.

According to The Washington Post, another key to this potential pairing is Lohse’s agent, Scott Boras, with whom the Nationals have a solid relationship.

What’s forced teams to turn away from Lohse is the compensation the Cardinals would receive.

Due to the rules in the new draft-pick compensation agreement, the Cardinals would receive a compensatory draft pick if another team were to sign him.

Lohse symbolizes the skill set of a sturdy pitcher, relying on his sinking fastball for ultimate command and precise placement of his pitches. Lohse averaged 14.82 pitches per inning last season with the Cardinals, eighth-best in all of baseball. Additionally, over 40 percent of Lohse’s pitches in 2012 were ground balls, compared to 35.6 percent of his pitches being hit in the air.

Sure, Lohse would be a costly addition for Washington, especially with Bourn off the market, but the Nationals need effective starting pitching.

Lohse could certainly fill a potential void left by Gonzalez if he has to serve a suspension and could rack up a decent amount of wins in the process. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Although spring training is just under way, there are still a number of quality free agents available who could have a big impact with a team.

The latest news yesterday was the huge contract that Michael Bourn signed with the Cleveland Indians. Bourn is one of the most dangerous leadoff hitters in baseball, and in spite of a relatively down year for him, he still hit .274 with 42 stolen bases. Bourn was perhaps the top free agent still available, and his signature arguably turns the Indians into serious contenders for their division.

Even with the signing of Bourn, there are many talented players still unsigned, primarily with pitching.

Here are the latest talks on a few of the top players: 

Kyle Lohse

Lohse had an incredible 2012 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, going 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA, 109 WHIP and 211.0 innings pitched.

Lohse turned down the Cardinals’ qualifying offer of $13.3 million to become a free agent.

However, as recently as early January, Lohse had not received a single offer from a team. But he is still far and away the best free agent available, and one of the top pitchers in this league.

The lack of an offer is, in large part, because a team that signs him would lose a valuable first-round draft pick to the Cardinals.  Lohse is in amazing form, but at 34 he cannot be expected to pitch this well for much longer. He is also a Scott Boras client and he will want Lohse to command top-dollar.

There were recent soft rumors of the Boston Red Sox making a move,  but according to a major league source, that is highly unlikely.

One team that remains an option is the division rival Milwaukee Brewers.  GM Doug Melvin stated recently that there is a chance the Brewers could pursue Lohse, and the loss of their first-round pick (No. 17) is not as big a deal for them as it is for other teams. 

The most intriguing destination is the Washington Nationals.

One of the names included in the highly publicized Biogenesis PED records was ace pitcher, Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez Tweeted in response to his inclusion, strongly denying any association whatsoever.

But if found guilty, he could face a 50-game suspension, and the Nationals would need to quickly replace their ace and the player who finished third in the Cy Young voting.

Enter Lohse.

The Nationals were linked to Lohse soon after the recent allegations. Even more, the team already forfeited its first-round pick to sign Rafael Soriano. They are already serious contenders, and the addition of Lohse would only add to that recognition.

But nothing will happen with the Nationals until the allegations with Gonzalez get resolved.

As it stands, the first-round compensation is the biggest obstacle for Lohse, much like it was with Bourn.

The Nationals and Brewers seem the most likely landing spots, but a team could certainly swoop in unexpectedly and sign him, just as the Indians did with Bourn. 

Jose Valverde

The normally dependable Valverde, who will turn 35 this season, finished 2012 with 35 saves and a 3.78 ERA for the Detroit Tigers.

Valverde had a solid year on paper but completely imploded during the playoffs and was eventually replaced as the closer by Phil Coke. He is seen as a player on the decline.

The market has been quiet for Valverde, until ESPNDeportes.com falsely reported that Valverde agreed to a one-year deal with the Miami Marlins. 

However, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the report was shot down by the Marlins. The Marlins would be wise not to sign Valverde, as they are rebuilding and also have a good closer in Steve Cishek, who had 15 saves, a 2.69 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 63.2 innings.

The false rumor, according to Spencer, was actually agent Scott Boras garnering attention for Valverde and trying to create a market that isn’t there. Boras rarely has done business with the Marlins.

The most likely option for him is the New York Mets.

If signed, Valverde would likely replace Frank Francisco as the closer, who struggled all last season with injuries and inconsistency. 

Valverde is also on their radar, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. He reports that a deal with the Mets would likely be similar to the one they gave Shaun Marcum this offseason, which was a one-year deal worth $4 million plus incentives. According to Spencer’s Miami Herald article, Boras is demanding about $4 million to $7 million for Valverde.

Valverde has not played himself into an enviable role, as he pitched terribly down the stretch last season. Although the Marlins rumors seem to be very false, Valverde does appear to have a good shot at being signed by the Mets.

They could very much use the bullpen help, but it is worth noting that the Mets rumor was published before the recent signing of Brandon Lyon.

Francisco Rodriguez 

Rodriguez, who turned 31 in January, had a somewhat down year.

He finished 2012 with a 4.38 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 72.0 innings with the Milwaukee Brewers. But Rodriguez also recorded 31 walks and only three saves in 10 save opportunities.

His final record was 2-7. 

The market for Rodriguez has also been quiet due to a domestic abuse charge filed by his girlfriend in early November.

It is his second domestic violence arrest, but in this case no one appeared to testify against him, the charges were eventually dropped, and the girlfriend admitted Rodriguez did not cause the injuries.

Despite the dropped charges, Rodriguez has not been too hotly pursued.

Almost a month ago, a rumor went around that the Toronto Blue Jays were seeking a late-inning reliever and Rodriguez’s name was included. Jon Heyman of CBSSports Tweeted of the Blue Jays’ interest. The New York Mets are rumored to be interested in a potential reunion. Rodriguez had a successful two-plus seasons with the Mets before being traded, but Valverde seems the more serious candidate for the Mets.

K-Rod is also another Scott Boras client, and Boras will try to command as much money as possible.

The Mets have signed a flurry of cheap, low-risk relievers recently. Right now the market is quiet for K-Rod, but the Mets seem the most viable option of any teams.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Pitchers and catchers are just about ready to report for spring training, but there are still some important free agents on the market.

Even though they might not be frantic, I am sure that the remaining players are looking for a favorable contract in an ideal location.

Time is running out though, so some of these men will need to perhaps take one-year contracts, hope for a big year and try to cash in on a bigger deal next year.

However, the point remains that these short-term contract offers have to come from somewhere. Let’s try to predict where each of the top 10 remaining free agents will finally land.

Begin Slideshow

The San Francisco Giants‘ offseason tour down memory lane continued on Tuesday when the team reportedly re-acquired free agent reliever Ramon Ramirez on a minor league contract (h/t Andrew Baggarly).

Ramirez was a key contributor on the 2010 Giants team that brought the organization its first championship since moving west to San Francisco in 1958. General manager Brian Sabean swung a deal for Ramirez at the deadline that year, and he delivered with a 0.67 ERA over the final two months of the season.

In 2011, he remained an outstanding contributor as part of manager Bruce Bochy’s setup corpse. He put a 2.62 ERA with 66 strikeouts over 68.2 innings that year. Sabean then dealt Ramirez and Andres Torres to the Mets for Angel Pagan last winter in a deal that helped propel the Giants to a second World Series title in three years.

This offseason Sabean has brought back all three of the pieces in that trade by re-signing Pagan, Torres and now Ramirez. Given Pagan’s success last season and the struggles of Ramirez and Torres with the Mets, it’s safe to declare that trade a total victory for Sabean—especially now that he has all three components of the deal back under his employ.

Ramirez had a tough go of it in his lone season with the Mets last year—putting up a 4.24 ERA while also going on the disabled list due to a hamstring injury suffered during the celebration of Johan Santana’s no-hitter.

Sabean has spent the offseason bringing back free agents who contributed to past championship teams. In addition to bringing back Pagan, Torres and Ramirez, he re-signed Marco Scutaro and Jeremy Affeldt—who was with the Giants for both title runs.

Unlike Pagan, Torres, Scutaro and Affeldt—who all have guaranteed big league deals—Ramirez is going to have to battle to make the team out of spring training. He’ll likely compete with waiver claim Sandy Rosario and minor league free agents Chad Gaudin and Scott Proctor for the final spot in the bullpen.

The Giants could conceivably decide to re-sign another blast from the past in free agent reliever Brian Wilson. However, he likely won’t be ready for opening day given that he’s recovering from a second Tommy John surgery. Thus, even if Wilson does come back, Ramirez will have a solid chance to reclaim his former spot with the Giants. Also, the latest reports on Wilson indicated that he likely wouldn’t be returning to San Francisco.

Ramirez has a solid 3.32 career ERA and a 3.67 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching). He throws a fastball in the low 90s, a sharp slider and a change-up.

The biggest difference between his success with the Giants in 2010-2011 and his struggles with the Mets last year was his results against left-handed hitters. He held lefties to a .161/.231/.250 batting line with the Giants in 2010 and they hit just .250/.346/.265 off of him in 2011.  Last year lefties blasted him, slashing .273/.380/.409 over 111 at-bats.

The Giants’ nostalgic offseason of re-signing players who contributed to past glories continued with the signing of Ramirez, who should have an excellent chance of making the team this spring if he can get back to his old ways against lefties.

Time will tell if the Giants cap off the winter by bringing back their former bearded closer.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With just a few weeks separating teams all across the major leagues from spring training, we’re beginning to get a clear picture of what the rosters may look like come Opening Day.

A number of high-profile signings highlighted the offseason, though many other moves that haven’t received nearly as much attention could still yield just as much upside.

We’re all excited to see what the season will bring—but in the meantime, here’s a rundown of some major ($25 million-plus) MLB signings that went down over the winter.

Begin Slideshow

Pitchers and catchers are slated to report to their spring training camps starting on February 11, yet top free agent Michael Bourn has yet to find a home.

Agent Scott Boras has said all offseason that he is looking for a contract in the neighborhood of five years and $75 million for the All-Star center fielder. Teams that may have been interested in Bourn, such as the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies, have already filled their open positions through other free-agent signings or the trade market.

The market for Michael Bourn has appeared to dwindle, and the likelihood that he will obtain the contract that Scott Boras is said to be looking for is becoming less and less with each passing day.

The Tampa Bay Rays look to be going into the 2013 season with some combination of Desmond Jennings, Matt Joyce, Ben Zobrist, Sam Fuld and Brandon Guyer manning the outfield. With the inevitable call-up of uber-prospect Wil Myers to take a corner outfield spot, Tampa Bay does not seem like an ideal landing spot for the speedy 30-year-old outfielder.

However, if you look at the economics in play, a one-year deal for Michael Bourn might be a smart move for both sides,

Currently the Rays hold the 23rd and 30th picks in the 2013 draft. By signing Bourn, the Rays would have to give up their 23rd pick as compensation, which really should not scare the club off.

It is already a forgone conclusion that Wil Myers will not be called up to The Show until early May, as the Rays love to control the free agency clock on all of their young players.

To sign Bourn, the Rays would have to theoretically give the center fielder a contract between $12 and $13 million for a one-year deal. As it stands right now, the Rays have a payroll just over $51 million, about $12 million less than what they started last season with. Therefore, the addition of Bourn would let Tampa stand pat with where they were last season.

Not only that, but the Rays would also not have to worry about committing long term to a player on the wrong side of 30 that relies on his speed as his biggest asset.

By signing Bourn, the Rays could start the season with an outfield of Desmond Jennings in left, Michael Bourn in center and Ben Zobrist in right field. This will allow Kelly Johnson to be the full-time second baseman, and Matt Joyce will be able to slide into the DH spot at the start of the year.

Once Myers is called up in early May, the Rays would be able to shift Zobrist to second base and move Myers into right field, then Kelly Johnson and Matt Joyce can platoon at the DH spot. By doing this, the Rays would be able to not only give themselves a strong defensive lineup, but they would also be able to utilize matchups in true Joe Maddon fashion.

While this seems all fine and dandy on the Rays’ end, what incentive would Bourn have to play in St. Pete?

The most obvious answer would be that Bourn would have a job. If we end up in spring training with the center fielder still out of work, his leverage will be reduced to almost zero.

Secondly, Bourn will be able to play in a style of offense that tailors to his strengths. It is no secret that Joe Maddon loves to play small ball and let his players race around the base paths. By having players such as Desmond Jennings, Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist hitting behind him, he’ll have a good chance of racking up some stolen bases and scoring a large amount of runs.

Since there does not appear to be a multi-year market out there for Bourn at the moment, a one-year deal with Tampa would give him a chance to build on his value with a speed-oriented offense for the 2014 off-season in hopes of securing the type of contract that he could not obtain this year.

Depending on how the season unfolds for Tampa Bay, the Rays could go in a couple of different directions should they sign Bourn.

One option for Tampa would be to flip the center fielder to a contending team to help stockpile their strong farm system should they find themselves outside of the playoff hunt at the deadline.

If Tampa finds themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt, then they could hold on to Michael Bourn and extend him a qualifying offer at the end of the season with the near guarantee that he will not accept. Chances are good that Bourn would qualify for draft pick compensation and the Rays would be able to recoup the draft pick that they would give up in 2013 to sign him.

With the start of the season just over the horizon, this is a solution that both parties should strongly consider.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Despite the fact that spring training grows ever closer, there are still a number of viable free-agent options on the market and they will find homes one way or another in the weeks ahead.

Kyle Lohse and Michael Bourn continue to dominate the headlines, as they are by far the top two available players, but that is not to say that there an not some solid veterans and potential key contributors still unsigned.

Here is a look at the top-10 remaining free agents, and where I think they’ll wind up signing when all is said and done.

Begin Slideshow

Signing an oft-injured pitcher to a slightly over-priced, incentive-laden deal?

The Orioles have made it a side-business over the past few years, inking such pitchers as Justin Duchscherer, Dana Eveland, Randy Wolf, Josh Rupe and Jeremy Accardo.

Some of the deals have worked in the Orioles favor, such as the veteran Wolf, who tossed some valuable innings down the stretch of last year’s wild card run. Most, however, are like Duchscherer, who never even made it to the mound in a regular season game.

So, why is there excitement (albeit tempered) among O’s fans tonight as the team dives in with yet another wounded Bird, this time in the form of Jair Jurrjens?

Well, for starters, Jurrjens offers something none of those other names above did.

Youth.

At 26, it’s reasonable to think that Jurrjens‘ best years are still ahead of him, and let’s be honest, he’s already had some pretty darn good ones. Fourteen wins, a 2.60 ERA and more than 200 innings in 2009. Thirteen victories and a 2.96 ERA in just 23 starts in 2011.

No current O’s starter can lay claim to a season as impressive as either of those campaigns.

Still, there has to be a reason the O’s were able to get the right-hander for so cheap, right? One and a half million for one year’s work, with the potential for $4 million with incentives. That’s a contract in line with a talented reliever, not a potential ace.

So, what to make of the Jurrjens‘ signing?

Let’s take a look at what the best and worst case scenarios could be for both the O’s and Jurrjens, as a member of a Baltimore franchise looking to make back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades.

Begin Slideshow

This MLB offseason has been like no other—that might be a stretch, but it’s still been extremely interesting to say the least.

A handful of general managers and front offices have picked apart their rosters and put their teams back at least five years.

Others, however, have taken a completely different approach. Smart teams have tried to improve their teams for the short-and-long-term via adding players through free agency and making trades. At times, even, teams improved by letting a player walk during free agency or trading away a veteran for a promising young star.

Nearly each MLB team will have a somewhat different look to it in 2013 compared to last season and in most cases, for the better. Those who will be worse will be scrutinized by the media and fans later in the season.

For the time being, though, let’s take a look at the winners and losers of the offseason thus far.

Begin Slideshow

What an offseason it’s been for the Seattle Mariners and their fans.

From being in hot pursuit of superstar free agent Josh Hamilton to contemplating a potential signing of leadoff man Michael Bourn, the Mariners have looked to make moves all offseason.

Eventually GM Jack Zduriencik was able to bring in a few bats via trade in Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse.

With the Mariners signing Kendrys Morales and Michael Morse for just the 2013 season, Seattle could lose one or both of its new acquisitions this offseason.

Seattle hopes at least one of them will be willing to re-sign at some point during the season. Of course, Seattle will have to fork over the necessary contract, and one or both players will have to produce.

Either way, here are a few free agents the Seattle Mariners may look to sign next offseason.

Michael Morse, OF

The most likely option for the Seattle Mariners is the newly acquired Michael Morse.

If Morse is able to continue his trend of hitting for an average of more than .285 and can knock out 20 or more home runs, Seattle would be wise to lock him up for the next four or five seasons.

The team will also have the first crack at signing Morse as it can work on a new deal with the 30-year-old throughout the 2013 season.

Curtis Granderson, CF

With the M’s current center fielder Franklin Gutierrez set to hit the open market (assuming the Mariners choose to forgo his option for 2014), Seattle will be searching for someone to man center field.

One such option is Curtis Granderson, who will be looking for a big payday next offseason and could elect to leave the New York Yankees if they decide to bring their payroll below $189 million.

While Granderson’s batting average wasn’t anything spectacular in 2012 (he registered an abysmal .232 mark), his OPS has been over .800 in each of the last two seasons. In 2011 and 2012, the 31-year-old slugger hit at least 40 home runs and 100 RBI.

If Granderson can elevate his average in 2013 and steal a few more bases (as he has shown he can do in the past), Seattle should be willing to dole out the cash to lure him to the Pacific Northwest.

Jason Vargas, SP

The other option for the Mariners next offseason is Jason Vargas.

The man who was just dealt by the Mariners to the Los Angeles Angels for Kendrys Morales could choose to return to Seattle as early as next offseason.

While other teams will be focusing on names like Matt Garza, Dan Haren and Tim Lincecum (if he proves he can rebound and return to being a dominant top-of-the-rotation starter), Seattle could turn its attention to bringing the southpaw back to Safeco Field.

Considering that prospects like Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton could be ready for major league action in 2014, Seattle doesn’t need a big name like Garza or Haren. It would also be wise to use the cash it would take to sign them to work on re-inking Seattle ace Felix Hernandez.

Bringing back Vargas would give the M’s a middle-of-the-rotation kind of arm with experience to go with the infusion of young talent that may crack the rotation next season.

Follow @LeafsWriterBR

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com