Winter Meetings Tuesday Night: Rangers on Greinke, Mystery Team on Ozuna, Cole, Machado, More

My head was already spinning from the usual onslaught of news and rumors that this week brings, and then the Shohei Ohtani elbow injury news? I gotta sit down.

I am already sitting down. I gotta lay down. After I do some more typing …

If you missed the Cubs-specific news from the evening, the Brandon Morrow signing is official, the Cubs also signed Drew Smyly, and Mike Montgomery reportedly wants to start.

Bruce Levine writes about the Cubs’ bullpen pursuits, pointing to Addison Reed, Brandon Kintzler, and Anthony Swarzak. We’ve heard about Reed and Kintzler for a while, but Swarzak is newly-tied to the Cubs. The 32-year-old righty was absurdly good in 2017 (2.2 WAR) after a mostly middling career, which will make for an interesting contract situation.

This would certainly shake things up:

Rangers are talking to the D-backs about starting pitching and Zack Greinke could be in play. Any potential deal is not close but the two teams have been talking

— TR Sullivan (@Sullivan_Ranger) December 13, 2017

A lot must happen for the Rangers to get Greinke but the discussions with the D-backs are real and on-going

— TR Sullivan (@Sullivan_Ranger) December 13, 2017

Confirming @Sullivan_Ranger report on #Rangers' interest in Zack Greinke. The Rangers would need the deal with Arizona to include Shin-Soo Choo and the $63 million he's owed the next three seasons to offset the $138.5 million owed to Greinke the next four.

— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilson_FWST) December 13, 2017

Greinke rebounded in a big way in 2017 after an ugly first year with the Diamondbacks (including a drop in velocity), but he’s owed a whopping $138.5 million over the next four seasons when he’ll be 34, 35, 36, and 37. So … as Wilson indicates, that might be a tough deal to work out unless the Diamondbacks are just looking to dump salary and the Rangers are content to pay a huge annual rate for a shorter term deal.

The Phillies signed up another reliever tonight, after already landing Pat Neshek:

Tommy Hunter’s two-year deal with #Phillies expected to be in $18M range, sources tell The Athletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2017

Meanwhile, the Rockies signed Bryan Shaw, but that’s not ending their bullpen pursuits:

Multiple #MLB sources tell #Denver7, #Rockies still in mix for Wade Davis and Greg Holland. The signing of Shaw for 3 year, $27 million would not preclude them from adding closer. Again plan has to been to add 2-3 pen arms this winter.

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) December 13, 2017

The Red Sox have made no secret that they want a big bat to plug into their lineup, so it only makes sense that they’d be on the biggest free agent bat, who came to the Winter Meetings to talk to them:

As #RedSox prepare to sit down with J.D. Martinez, it’s becoming clearer that he’s at top of their list. Story, via @ESPN: https://t.co/TdiwYtJmmp

— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) December 13, 2017

Source says Red Sox 90-10 in their pursuit of J.D. Martinez vs. other(s). Makes sense: he’s the best free agent bat available in terms of production, no qualifying offer.

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) December 12, 2017

Come on, now. The Mystery Team is never dreaded. They’re my second favorite team:

While cards are in on Marcell Ozuna they have company. The dreaded mystery team has entered the picture.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 13, 2017

To be fair, there are probably several teams in on Ozuna, unless the earlier rumors of “momentum” toward a deal for the Cardinals really were about Ozuna. In that case, yes, the sudden and late appearance of a Mystery Team would be of particular note.

Of course the Nationals are in on Wade Davis – they still remember him closing them out of the NLDS:

#Nationals not close on any reliever, but among teams interested in free-agent closer Wade Davis, sources tell The Athletic. Connection with new manager Dave Martinez from days with #Cubs. #Rockies, #STLCards also on Davis. Rox, as reported earlier, seeking multiple relievers.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2017

As for another AL East team snatching an outgoing Cubs pitcher, Matt Gelb writes about the Phillies’ interest in going long on Jake Arrieta, and a source tells him that it isn’t happening.

Meanwhile, the Orioles worked the meetings today on superstar third baseman Manny Machado (a free agent after 2018), and that could include a little strange bedfellows situation:

The Yankees are one of the teams that has expressed interest in Manny Machado. There would be major questions about whether the two division rivals would actually conclude a deal, but Orioles are listening, Yankees have a loaded farm system. White Sox also interested.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 12, 2017

Old school mentality on possible Yankees-O's Machado trade: You never deal an All-Star within your division. New school: Of course you consider it, if the Yankees — with a loaded farm system — could give you the most talent and set you up the best, moving forward.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 12, 2017

The Pirates may be willing to move Gerrit Cole, which would be huge news not only as a signal for the Pirates’ 2018 competitiveness, but also for where they might move him:

Industry evaluators convinced the Pirates are prepared to move Gerrit Cole, if they can find the right match. Arguably best available starting pitcher in the market.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 12, 2017

#Brewers talked to Pirates today. Pittsburgh is listening on Gerrit Cole but not sure they want to deal him. Doing it inside division might be tough to do. But #Brewers do like to think big. Interesting.

— Tom (@Haudricourt) December 12, 2017

That’s the second time we’ve heard the Brewers looking at controllable starting pitchers in trade today (Chris Archer, earlier).