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The big news this week on the Justin Upton front is that the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a three-year, $26 million deal with Cody Ross (details at ESPN). The addition of Ross could spur the Diamondbacks into moving the 25-year-old outfielder.

One of the teams to be mentioned as a potential suitor is the Texas Rangers. Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com said that the Diamondbacks may be ready to deal Upton to the Rangers if they are able to put together a prospect package to their liking. Durrett believes that the Rangers have a few prospects, most notably Mike Olt, who could be attractive to the Diamondbacks.

Olt is a power-hitting corner infielder who hit 28 home runs for Double-A Frisco in 2012. He was promoted to the Rangers late in the 2012 season, and he batted .152 in limited action.

There is almost no chance that the Rangers would part with highly touted shortstop prospect Jurickson Profar, as they have already cleared a spot for him with the departure of Michael Young this offseason.

Also, the Diamondbacks don’t seem to be in need of a young shortstop, as they acquired Didi Gregorius a few weeks back in the three-team megadeal involving the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds.

Another team to keep an eye on in the Upton derby is the New York Mets. Kevin Kernan of the New York Post believes that the Mets could be looking toward Upton in efforts to strengthen their outfield.

The Mets could obviously use Upton. He would be a huge upgrade over their current stable of outfielders that include Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter and Collin Cowgill. The real question is whether or not Mets GM Sandy Alderson has the prospects to initiate and complete a trade for Upton.

It’s highly unlikely Alderson will be willing to part with the likes of Zack Wheeler or the newly acquired Travis d’Arnaud. It would most likely take one or both of these prospects to have any realistic shot of offering up a trade for Upton.

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MLB fans of every team witnessed big moves during this past year in the form of signings, firings, contract extensions and trades. Expect more of the same in 2013.

This list identifies inevitable player and management decisions. Some could be completed on New Year’s Day, while others involving the upcoming free-agent crop won’t occur until after the World Series.

Whatever your allegiance, there’s something to look forward to.

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According to MLBTradeRumors.com, there are seven remaining free agents on the open market from their top 50 free agents with predictions list.

Most of the bunch are pitchers, with the exception of center fielder Michael Bourn and first baseman Adam LaRoche—but all have value and could contribute next season for the right suitor.

With the top two free agents already signed—Zack Greinke with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Josh Hamilton with the Los Angeles Angels—where do you think Michael Bourn (No. 3 on the list) will land?

Will Jose Valverde (No. 44 on the list) call it a career and retire or find a new home elsewhere since the Detroit Tigers have already announced that they will not bring him back next season? 

There’s certainly a lot to speculate upon, but let’s take a look and see where the remaining seven players will most likely end up.  

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The big dogs are finally off the market.

That means the rest of the hot stove dominoes will begin to fall. That could be as remaining free-agent signings or via trade for many teams.

While we have already witnessed some large trades take place this winter, there is nothing that says the trade market is anywhere near cooling off.

Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle are all acclimating to life north of the boarder, having been part of a drastic trade that took place between the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays earlier this offseason.

Longtime Texas Ranger Michael Young, a seven-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, has found a new home this winter via trade, as has National League Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey.

Here is a peak at some other names that may find themselves in new laundry come the 2013 season.

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Six months after signing a five-year, $85 million contract extension (h/t Sporting News) to stay in Los Angeles through the 2017 season, the Dodgers are shopping right fielder Andre Ethier, as reported by Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter):

Source: Dodgers shopping Andre Ethier. If they deal him, they could be in the mix for Nick Swisher.

— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) December 18, 2012

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman says not so fast (via Twitter):

dodgers are not shopping ethier (tho they listen on anyone). to date, source said they have received no offers on AE

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 18, 2012

The truth probably lies somewhere in between, but we can be sure of two things in this convoluted mess of conflicting reports: Where there’s smoke there’s usually fire, and Andre Ethier would be a sought-after commodity.

Which teams might be seeking to add the 30-year-old slugger to the mix?

Let’s take a look.

Keep in mind that this is ALL speculation. There have been no rumors from credible sources to indicate that a deal is in the works between the Dodgers and any of these clubs—or that these clubs have interest in Ethier.

Boston Red Sox

Boston has two of its three outfield spots spoken for, with Jacoby Ellsbury in center and Shane Victorino in right.

Jonny Gomes, Ryan Sweeney, Ryan Kalish and Daniel Nava all figure to compete for playing time in left, but Ethier would be a major upgrade over any of the four.

Actually, adding Ethier would allow the Red Sox to slide Victorino to left, giving them an excellent complement of solid veteran outfielders while having plenty of depth should one of them fall to injury.

With the Mike Napoli signing seeming to have hit a snag (h/t Boston Herald), Ethier‘s bat would more than replace the production that Boston expects from Napoli in 2013 and beyond—though he would not be able to fill the gap at first base.

Prospects like Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. would be off-limits if I were Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, but there is definitely a deal to be made without those two involved.

Cleveland Indians

Should Cleveland’s pursuit of free-agent outfielder Nick Swisher fail to result in a deal between the two, Ethier would not be a bad Plan B.

As I wrote shortly after Ethier signed his extension with the Dodgers, the two players offer virtually the same production. From 2009 through 2011, you would be hard-pressed to differentiate the two:

Player A: 503 G, .267/.368/.486, 81 HR, 256 RBI

Player B: 434 G, .284/.364/.477, 65 HR, 250 RBI

Ethier is Player B.

Ideally, the power-hitting corner outfielder that the Tribe lands would be either a switch-hitter or a right-handed bat to add to its predominantly left-handed lineup, but at this point, beggars can’t be choosers.

Ethier makes a lot of sense for the Tribe, who could look to use one of its starters, either Ubaldo Jimenez or Justin Masterson, to facilitate a deal.

New York Mets

As presently constituted, the New York Mets’ outfield is comprised of Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Mike Baxter.

To say that the team could use a consistent, veteran bat with power in one of its corner outfield spots would be a gross understatement.

Ethier would certainly provide far more protection in the Mets’ lineup for David Wright than Ike Davis does, and his ability to drive the ball out of the yard would take some of the pressure to be the big run producer off of Davis’ shoulders.

Perhaps a package involving recently acquired pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard could get talks between the two teams going.

Seattle Mariners

Seattle struck out in the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes and finds itself sitting a week before Christmas with Jason Bay as the only power bat that the team has added to the mix.

Ethier would immediately become Seattle’s best player, adding power and run production to a lineup that badly needs both.

Seattle scored only 619 runs in 2012, 27th in all of baseball and dead last in the American League, 48 runs behind the Cleveland Indians.

The Mariners have a boatload of pitching prospects working their way through its system, so parting with one of them to add an impact bat like Ethier‘s wouldn’t be as painful in Seattle as it would be elsewhere.

Texas Rangers

Texas needs to figure out a way to replace the production it lost when Josh Hamilton took his talents to Anaheim, and while no one player alone can fill those shoes, Ethier would be a great place to start.

While the Rangers already have Nelson Cruz to play right field, Ethier‘s left-handed bat would be a welcome addition to a lineup that is devoid of power from the left side of the plate.

Third base prospect Mike Olt would certainly be attractive to the Dodgers, though he alone would not be enough to facilitate a deal.

Make sure to check B/R’s MLB page (and sign up for our newsletters) to get the latest on the Andre Ethier situation.

Rick Weiner is a Featured Columnist covering all of MLB and a member of B/R’s Breaking News Team.

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Here’s the situation.

The Angels have too many outfielders after they landed Josh Hamilton in free agency and could look to trade someone.

The Yankees could use a right-handed bat and potential fourth outfielder.

Apparently, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the two teams have discussed a potential trade to send Vernon Wells to the Bombers:

The #Angels‘ preference with their outfielders – and how it could involve #Yankees. Story: msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/los-…

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 15, 2012

The two teams talked about Wells during the baseball winter meetings last week in Nashville, but no deal has surfaced yet.

But now with Hamilton in the fold for the Angels, the potential trade talk could be resumed, as Los Angeles needs to shed a few players.

Wells is owed $42 million dollars over the next two seasons ($21 million in 2013, $21 million in 2014), so if any trade is going to happen, the Halos would almost certainly have to eat most of the remaining deal for the 34-year-old.

In 77 games for the Angels, Wells hit just .230 with 11 home runs and 29 RBI in 2012. However, Wells does hit left-handed pitching, hitting .266 against lefties over the last two years.

If the Angels are going to give away Wells for two seasons and it won’t cost the Yankees a lot, if anything, in a return deal, I don’t see why Brian Cashman explores a trade.

Wells could take the spot of the departed Andruw Jones, who recently signed with a Japanese team for 2013.

Wells is a former three-time Gold Glove center fielder who can play all three outfield positions if needed in case of injury and has the potential to hit 20-30 home runs if he is given the at-bats.

The trade for the Yankees makes sense, especially if the Angels pay most of Wells’ remaining deal.

Stay tuned to see if the Yankees acquire the veteran outfielder within the next few weeks.

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.

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Could the Toronto Blue Jays pull off another blockbuster in a matter of a month? It appears that way, as rumors are surfacing that a deal between the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays involving 2012 NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey appears to be likely, and only Dickey’s unwillingness to sign an extension could be holding back a deal.

Dickey has long been a coveted pitcher for the Blue Jays. After a stellar 2012 campaign in which he pitched 233 innings and struck out a career-high 230 batters, Dickey wants his pay day, and it may come from Toronto.

Although grabbing a recent Cy Young winner would be a huge step forward for the Jays, one thing of concern is how he has pitched in the American League, and his past with the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners may leave me a little hesitant of picking him up.

However, pitchers always develop later than positional players, and Dickey certainly didn’t hit his stride until his mid-30s.

Before landing in New York, Dickey never pitched more than 116 innings, and only pitched 100-plus innings three times before 2010.

His arm is still fresh, and for a knuckleballer at 38, he still has about three to five good years left in him.

Many baseball insiders are spreading their rumors, and here are a few for your viewing:

Talked to at least half-dozen execs today, all think #Mets will trade Dickey. All cautioned no inside info, but many said watch #Bluejays

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 14, 2012

Orioles and rangers don’t seem in middle of dickey talks at moment. As said, blue jays are frontrunners

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 14, 2012

The Mets are making progress toward a trade of Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey. TOR has been seenas a strong possible fit all along.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 14, 2012

2 important bits of new info, per sources 1. Texas believes it is out on Dickey. 2. Any reports Dickeywon’t do extension w TOR are false

— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) December 14, 2012

I caution all Blue Jays fans, though, general manager Alex Anthopolous loves to work under a cloud of secrecy, and having all these rumors surface so quickly might mean there is either more to this deal or this isn’t even a deal at all.

The Mets are interested in catching and outfield help and really could use guys like Anthony Gose and J.P. Arencibia from the deal, as that may be the best package the Mets can get for Dickey.

With Melky Cabrera recently signed, Rajai Davis, Jose Bautista, Colby Rasmus and Moises Sierra all with MLB experience in the outfield, and with D.J. Davis also in the minors, Anthony Gose appears to be as expendable as ever right now for the Jays.

Arencibia, on the other hand, will be in a battle for playing time with John Buck and super-prospect Travis D’Arnaud, whom the Jays likely will not move in a deal with the Mets.

If Dickey is indeed acquired by the Jays, he’ll instantly become the ace of the staff, with Josh Johnson, Brandon Morrow, Mark Buehrle and Ricky Romero taking spots two through five behind him and instantly making Toronto’s rotation one of the most complete rotations in all of baseball.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as more becomes known on the situation.

UPDATE, 9:42 p.m.: A few tweets of ongoing discussions.

travis d’arnaud was heavily discussed w/ toronto as well as arencibia. hearing December 15, 2012

Two people involved told me not to expect any resolution with Dickey tonight. He will be a Met for atleast one more night. #Mets

— Anthony DiComo(@AnthonyDiComo) December 14, 2012

UPDATE, 11:31 p.m.: Ken Rosenthal finally gets some thoughts in on the situation.

Sources: D’Arnaud very much in play in Dickey talks between #BlueJays and #Mets. Deal would be bigger, multiple pieces going both ways.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 15, 2012

UPDATE, 3:20 p.m.: Mike Puma, beat writer for the NY Post tweets

So to recap, Dickey, Thole and another player to Jays for d’Arnaud, Buck, Syndergaard and anotherplayer was on table this morning.

— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) December 15, 2012

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According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Reds have officially acquired Shin-Soo Choo. The deal looks to have involved the Reds, Diamondbacks and Indians:

choo goes to #reds. done deal.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 11, 2012

It seems as though the Diamondbacks really liked Reds prospect Didi Gregorius, as opposed to the Indians’ Asdrubal Cabrera:

#dbacks like didi gregorius, who’d be under their control for 6 yrs (as opposed to 2 for asdrubal). #3way

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 11, 2012

The trade seems to make complete sense for the Reds, who have been in search of a leadoff hitter since the last pitch of their season was thrown. Leadoff was an obvious issue for the Reds during their 2012 NL Central title run.

Despite a team .254 on-base percentage, the Reds were able to produce enough runs to win 97 games. They can thank their team ERA of 3.34 for that. Choo brings a career .289 batting average and .381 on-base percentage to the top of the Reds order. This is undoubtedly an improvement over the team numbers from 2012.

In the process, the Reds lose a major asset on defense. Drew Stubbs may not have produced much at the plate, but Reds pitchers were often grateful that he was manning center field.

Keep a look out for more details as they come in:

#reds also get jason donald in choo deal. working on rest. theres a lot more.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 11, 2012

There seems to be much more to follow.

Update: The official deal is as follows, according to Zack Meisel of MLB.com:

“…the Tribe traded the right fielder to the Reds in a three-team, nine-player exchange that sent outfielder Drew Stubbs and pitcher Trevor Bauer to Cleveland and shortstop Didi Gregorius to Arizona.

“The Indians also receive relievers Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw from the D-backs. Cleveland sent Choo, infielder Jason Donald and cash to the Reds and southpaw reliever Tony Sipp and first baseman Lars Anderson to Arizona.”

Be sure to chime in with your thoughts on the deal. Does this solve the Reds’ problems at the top of the batting order? 

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The Philadelphia Phillies still need a corner outfielder and Alfonso Soriano is not the answer.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports reported the Phillies have potentially discussed a deal with the Chicago Cubs sending Soriano to Philly in return for youngster Domonic Brown.

While the Phillies do need some right-handed pop in their lineup, this would be a step in the wrong direction.

The club recently traded for another aging veteran, Michael Young, who will serve as the Phillies’ everyday third baseman. In that case, shipping out youth for experience made sense. Young struggled last season, but he is an instant upgrade for the Phillies. The free agent market was limited at third and high-profile trades were nearly impossible to execute. Essentially, Young will serve as a stop-gap for prospect Cody Asche.

But the Phillies need to get younger and trading for Soriano is not the way to do that.

Now Soriano was productive last season and still might have some gas left in his tank, but trading away potential years of service out of Domonic Brown is not a wise investment. Even if the Cubs eat most of his salary, the Phils need to run from this deal.

Yes, Brown is unproven and fans are tired of waiting for him to live up to his potential, but trading him for another right-handed power hitter with league-leading strike out potential would be a mistake. The Phillies should give Brown a shot, or keep him and sign Cody Ross, Nick Swisher or Josh Hamilton.  Then let Brown and Darin Ruf battle for the remaining starting spot.

Soriano is also injury-prone and if the Phillies lose him during the season—the club will have no legitimate reserve player for the position. Jon Mayberry Jr. will have to fill the void, and not many want this scenario.

The Phillies have made some exciting moves this offseason, bringing in both youth and experience, but the club’s next moves must be smart and accurate. The team does not have to settle for its current needs, but concentrate on promising players for years to come with low risk.

Soriano’s enjoyed a very nice Major League career but it should not continue in Philadelphia.

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If the rumors hold any truth to them, the Cincinnati Reds seem to be on the verge of acquiring Shin-Soo Choo from the Cleveland Indians. Such an acquisition would finally fill the major void that has been the leadoff spot in Cincinnati’s lineup.

Danny Knobler of CBS Sports sent out this tweet earlier today referencing an article that he wrote regarding the trade details:

Reds deep in talks on deal to acquire Shin-soo Choo from Indians for Stubbs and Gregorius. cbsprt.co/UfMpzf

— DKnobler (@DKnobler) December 11, 2012

The proposition includes Cincinnati sending outfielder Drew Stubbs and shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius to Cleveland in exchange for Choo and a to-be-determined player. Gregorius seems to be a key player in the trade as Knobler references possible trade talks between Cleveland and Arizona that would include the Indians sending a shortstop to the Diamondbacks in exchange for pitching.

The Twitter universe has been blowing up around the Reds community with regards to the article. Cincinnati Enquirer and Reds beat writer, John Fay, had this to say about Choo‘s production compared to Reds leadoff hitters:

Lead man scored 83 times (43 percent). Choo reaches 297 and scores 42 percent of the time, that’s 128 runs from leadoff vs. 83. #reds

— John Fay (@johnfayman) December 11, 2012

Talk about an offensive cure. Choo has the ability to bring a dynamic spark to the leadoff role. That’s a plus-45 in the run production category. 

Cincinnati Reds and 700 WLW radio personality, Lance McAlister, couldn’t wait to get his Sports Talk show rolling following the news of a possible deal:

yes, I’m warming up in the bullpen and will take your calls on Stubbs/Choo with Sports Talk 7:05. #Reds

— Lance McAlister (@LanceMcAlister) December 11, 2012

 

With all of the excitement of a possible trade, let’s take a look at what Choo would bring to the Reds. His .283 BA and .373 OBP in 2012 would replace the .213 BA and .277 OBP that Stubbs was able to produce. Choo also cracked 43 doubles and 16 home runs. He is no slouch on the base paths either, swiping 21 bases in 28 attempts.

The stats seem to speak for themselves. The Reds would be achieving what Walt Jocketty and crew had set out to achieve as soon as the offseason began—find a way to get runners on base in front of Joey Votto.

Be sure to chime in with your thoughts and opinions below.

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