<
>

MLB rumors roundup: When will Cespedes sign?

The market for free agent Yoenis Cespedes is intensifying, and he could sign a deal soon. Chris Humphreys/USA TODAY Sports

Now that Chris Davis is no longer a free agent, the market for Yoenis Cespedes appears to be picking up quickly.

On Sunday, a day after it was reported that Davis had agreed to terms with the Baltimore Orioles on a seven-year, $161 million deal, ESPN.com's Jim Bowden tweeted that the process regarding Cespedes is "intensifying," and "something could get done in the next few days." Bowden hears that as many as 10 teams remain in contact with Cespedes' representatives.

Given the active market for Cespedes, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets that there's "no chance" the slugger will have to settle for a short-term contract. Last week, reports surfaced that the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves were looking to land the 30-year-old on a one- or two-year deal, if possible. That said, both NL East teams may no longer be serious suitors given the way things look now.

The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox are among the teams considering Cespedes, Heyman notes. In a separate tweet, Heyman calls the Tigers an "interesting" candidate and reveals that they seriously considered Davis before he re-signed with Baltimore. Meanwhile, the Houston Astros could also be in the mix for Cespedes, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com reports.

Although the Astros already have three solid outfielders in Colby Rasmus, Carlos Gomez and George Springer, the team appears to be willing to add another. It was reported last week by ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that Houston inquired about Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte.

Here are a few other rumors making their way around the majors from the weekend:

  • Marcell Ozuna: Before signing Wei-Yin Chen last week, the Miami Marlins made trade proposals to two teams that covet Ozuna -- the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds -- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Jackson added that the Marlins "decided internally that they would trade him only if those teams met their exact asking price, including starting pitching." That didn't happen, and now Ozuna looks as if he's likely to remain in Miami. The Rangers have been connected to Ozuna for a while now, and it was rumored that the Marlins wanted talented right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez in a potential deal. As for the Reds, news of their interest in the 25-year-old outfielder is a new one for us, but it does make sense given their need to rebuild in that area.

  • Cleveland Indians: The Indians haven't received any calls on their starting pitching since Christmas, Gammons writes. Cleveland's quartet of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer drew plenty of interest earlier in the offseason, but it appears now that no team is willing to meet the Indians' high asking price. At no point did the Tribe appear particularly motivated to move any of their starters, so a deal before the season starts would be a big surprise.

  • Tampa Bay Rays: As the season gets closer and prices for free agents begin to drop, the Rays could emerge as a dark horse in the market, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Topkin lists Justin Upton and Ian Desmond as possibilities but notes that names like Pedro Alvarez and Steve Pearce appear more realistic. Tampa Bay has the pitching to contend in the AL East, but its weak offense is holding it back. That said, the opportunity to sign a bat for less than expected before the season starts might motivate the Rays to become a buyer. Of course, owner Stuart Sternberg would need to approve any potential deal, Topkin notes.

  • A.J. Pollock: Extension talks between Pollock and the Arizona Diamondbacks have stalled, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. At the start of the offseason, both Pollock and the D-backs expressed interest in reaching a multiyear deal, which isn't surprising given the monster season the 28-year-old had at the plate in 2015. Now both sides have "for the time being put that away," Arizona GM Dave Stewart told Piecoro via text message. Pollock remains unsigned for 2016, as the D-backs were unable to work out a deal with him before Friday's deadline to swap arbitration figures. Pollock filed at $3.9 million, according to a report by Heyman, with Arizona countering at $3.65 million.

  • Yadier Molina: The St. Louis Cardinals hope Molina will be available for Opening Day, but they are looking to add depth at the catcher position just in case, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com writes. Molina underwent a second surgery on his left thumb in December and is projected to return late in spring training. If that isn't the case, however, the Cards want to be prepared. The team has a reliable backup in Brayan Pena, but only one other catcher on its 40-man roster in Mike Ohlman, who has never played above Triple-A.