12:40 a.m.: The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported that the Boston Red Sox backed out of a potential trade for Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman in November after learning of the domestic violence issue that reportedly is holding up his trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Additionally, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that Chapman could be hurt.
Reds president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty told the Cincinnati Enquirer that while the trade isn’t dead, it certainly could take some time.
In other news, Jason Heyward could be signing with a team sooner rather than later.
And a former All-Star closer is looking for a job.
9:17 p.m.: Don’t close the book on a potential Jose Fernandez trade just yet.
7:47 p.m.: Wait, this is 2015, right? Cliff Lee didn’t pitch at all last season, yet half the league reportedly is interested in the 37-year-old left-hander.
7:45 p.m.: Talk about a buzzkill.
7:44 p.m.: We haven’t heard much about Jason Heyward to this point despite him being the best player available in free agency. That might change soon.
7:40 p.m.: The Angels have talked with the A’s about third baseman Brett Lawrie, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.
6:33 p.m.: The Yankees, Dodgers and Diamondbacks have attempted to gather information on Marlins ace Jose Fernandez, sources told ESPN’s Jayson Stark.
While it seems unlikely the Marlins will trade Fernandez, the behind-the-scenes digging, according to Stark, suggests the conversations about the 23-year-old are far from dead.
An executive from one major league club told Stark that the Marlins are looking for up to five players in exchange for Fernandez, which seems to support a previous report from CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman.
One source confirmed to Stark that the Marlins asked the Dodgers for a package headlined by Corey Seager, Scott Van Slyke and Julio Urias.
6:26 p.m.: The Shelby Miller trade chatter isn’t dying down.
6:23 p.m.: So much for that Yoenis Cespedes-Tigers reunion.
6:22 p.m.: The Tribe reportedly like The Flyin’ Hawaiian.
6:20 p.m.: In case you were wondering just how much it might take to pry Jose Fernandez away from the Marlins…
6:18 p.m.: Jonathan Lucroy is coming off a disappointing season with the Milwaukee Brewers, but he’s definitely among the game’s best catchers when healthy. It’s somewhat surprising the Brewers reportedly are fielding offers for the 29-year-old backstop.
6:14 p.m.: C.J. Wilson is owed $20 million in 2016. The Angels apparently wouldn’t mind unloading some of that contract.
4:11 p.m.: Well, this is awkward.
Multiple reports earlier said the Dodgers had agreed to a trade with the Reds involving All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman. Now, some people are singing a different tune.
It would be a disappointing blow to the Dodgers if they somehow lost out on Chapman. Los Angeles already lost starter Zack Greinke in free agency because it was outbid by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
3:05 p.m.: The New York Post’s Joel Sherman has the full deal.
Miley, who is a lock for close to 200 innings, went 11-11 with a 4.46 ERA in 32 starts last season. The 29-year-old is set to make $6 million in 2016 and $8.75 million in 2017. His contract also comes with a $12 million club option for 2018.
Miley will add some stability to the Mariners’ rotation, but the Red Sox bolstered their bullpen by acquiring Carson Smith, who posted a 2.31 ERA and 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 70 relief appearances last season. Smith, who turned 26 in October, also saved 13 games for Seattle.
Roenis Elias, meanwhile, has the potential to provide Miley-like production. The 27-year-old went 5-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 22 appearances (20 starts) last season. He also went 10-12 with a 3.85 ERA over 29 starts in his rookie campaign in 2014.
2:59 p.m.: The Red Sox have traded Wade Miley to the Mariners, according to multiple reports. The New York Post’s Ken Davidoff was the first to report the news.
2:47 p.m.: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick has an update on Mike Leake’s market.
2:40 p.m.: WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford has an interesting nugget that relates to next offseason.
Multiple major league sources told Bradford that Edwin Encarnacion will commit to becoming a free agent next winter if he’s unable to reach a contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays by the end of spring training.
Bradford adds that this is notable for the Red Sox because sources have suggested there would be significant mutual interest between Encarnacion and Boston.
Encarnacion played under Red Sox manager John Farrell in Toronto, and Boston could look to add power next offseason when designated hitter David Ortiz retires.
2:36 p.m.: One major league source familiar with the situation told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford that it seems unlikely the Red Sox are motivated to trade starter Joe Kelly.
2:17 p.m.: Ken Rosenthal reported earlier that the Mariners were in discussions with the Red Sox about a starter. It initially wasn’t clear whether the sides were talking about Clay Buchholz or Wade Miley.
Well, it appears we have an answer.
Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto is familiar with both Buchholz and Miley, having worked in the Red Sox organization toward the tail end of last season. He’s especially familiar with Miley, though, as Dipoto was Arizona’s director of scouting when the Diamondbacks drafted the left-hander in 2008.
1:41 p.m.: Mark Lowe signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners last offseason. This offseason already is going way better for the 32-year-old.
Lowe posted an even 1.00 ERA in 36 innings over 34 appearances with the Mariners in 2015 before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander fell back down to earth a bit with the Jays, but he still finished the season with a 1.96 ERA in 57 appearances spanning 55 innings.
1:12 p.m.: The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo offers yet another indication that the Red Sox are a popular team this week in Nashville.
1:03 p.m.: Trevor Cahill has agreed to a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.
Cahill, an All-Star with the Oakland Athletics in 2010, had a 5.40 ERA in 26 appearances (three starts) last season split between the Cubs and Atlanta Braves.
12:35 p.m.: Joe Kelly reportedly isn’t the only Red Sox starter drawing interest.
12:31 p.m.: With so many big names flying off the board, Mike Leake is one of the top starters available in free agency. The Arizona Diamondbacks already landed Zack Greinke, but could they continue their shopping spree and also sign Leake?
11:58 a.m.: A.J. Preller’s phone should ring frequently this week, as the San Diego Padres are in a position where they could trade away starting pitching.
11:56 a.m.: The Yankees have been quiet to this point. Perhaps they’re laying in the weeds?
11:44 a.m.: There continues to be a lot of buzz surrounding Ben Zobrist.
11:01 a.m.: This is interesting.
Hanley Ramirez figures to be Boston’s starting first baseman in 2016, but there’s been some speculation that the Red Sox could consider trading the three-time All-Star after his disappointing 2015 season. If the Red Sox moved Ramirez, they’d likely have to eat a good chunk of his salary.
Napoli was a great fit in Boston before the Red Sox traded him to the Texas Rangers in August. He struggled with the Sox in 2015, though, hitting just .207 with 13 homers, 40 RBIs, a .693 OPS and 99 strikeouts in 378 plate appearances over 98 games.
10:55 a.m.: It’s crazy to think the Marlins would even consider trading Jose Fernandez, but another tweet from Ken Rosenthal suggests it’s at least a possibility.
10:47 a.m.: Here’s some good news for the Dodgers.
Now, here’s some bad news.
10:34 a.m.: The Dodgers’ bullpen just got a whole lot better.
Multiple reports linked Los Angeles to Chapman before the winter meetings. The hard-throwing left-hander now will form a dynamic 1-2 punch with Kenley Jansen at the back end of the Dodgers’ bullpen, as FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that the plan right now is to keep both pitchers.
Chapman has recorded at least 33 saves each of the last four seasons. The 27-year-old posted a 1.63 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in 2015 while striking out 15.7 batters per nine innings.
Chapman is set to become a free agent following the 2016 season, which certainly played into the Red Sox’s decision to trade for Craig Kimbrel rather than Cincinnati’s All-Star closer.
10:26 a.m.: The Detroit Tigers have been aggressive this offseason, signing Jordan Zimmermann and trading for Francisco Rodriguez. It now sounds like they might shift their focus to the outfield.
Cespedes, of course, played for the Tigers last offseason before being traded to the New York Mets. He performed well, so it’s understandable that Detroit might be interested in a reunion.
10:10 a.m.: You can never have too much pitching, but the Red Sox might have too much pitching. Boston, after signing David Price last week, now has up to eight starters on its would-be major league roster. The winter meetings could present an opportunity to move an arm, and it looks like the Texas Rangers could have some interest in Red Sox righty Joe Kelly.
10 a.m.: It’s been a big few weeks for baseball players named Chris Young. The Red Sox signed the outfielder last week, and the Royals reportedly have re-signed the 36-year-old right-hander to a two-year deal, according to multiple reports.
8:50 a.m.: FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has a couple additional nuggets in regards to Marlins ace Jose Fernandez. Rosenthal spoke with an executive from a club trying to acquire pitching who said the Marlins will only move the young right-hander for an “absurd haul.” Additionally, a big reason the Marlins would even entertain moving Fernandez is owner Jeffrey Loria’s “disdain” for Scott Boras, who represents Fernandez.
That last bit is kind of an issue on multiple fronts given Boras is a really good agent who represents really good players. Also might help explain why the Marlins aren’t very good.
8:45 a.m.: The Houston Astros held a 6-2 lead in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, needing just six outs to dispatch the Kansas City Royals. Instead, they gave up seven runs over two innings, lost the game and lost the deciding Game 5. The Astros went home and the Royals went on to win the World Series.
That’s a long way of saying the Astros might wanna look at bolstering their bullpen, and according to Jon Heyman, they’re certainly trying to do just that.
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman also has heard of the Astros’ reported interested in Andrew Miller, but the Yankees certainly aren’t going to give away their closer.
8:36 a.m.: The Ben Zobrist market has reportedly expanded. Per CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, there are now four teams reportedly interested in the utility player.
8:25 a.m.: The Dodgers apparently have been very busy so far. In addition to looking for a starter, the Dodgers also appear eager to improve the bullpen. Multiple reports linked the Dodgers to the Reds and closer Aroldis Chapman.
Talks between the two teams centered around the flame-throwing closer appeared to be progressing Sunday afternoon, and ESPN’s Buster Olney reports “there is growing confidence in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization that the team will be able to finish a trade” for Chapman.
8:20 a.m.: Could these winter meetings revolve around Jose Fernandez?
The Miami Marlins have had reported problems with the phenom right-hander, and ESPN’s Jayson Stark is reporting the Marlins have talked with the Dodgers and two other teams about trades involving Fernandez.
The asking price, though, reportedly is sky-high, to the point that teams who have talked to Miami think a deal is unlikely, according to Stark. The Marlins could be looking for as many as five players in return and want to be better in 2016 via any return for Fernandez.
8:10 a.m.: The Los Angeles Dodgers had been striking out on the pitching market so far this offseason. The Dodgers missed out on Jordan Zimmermann and David Price while also seeing Zack Greinke walk to a division rival and sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers did bolster their rotation Sunday night, reportedly coming to terms with free-agent pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, per multiple reports. It’s a reported three-year deal for the 34-year-old, who in 20 starts last season went 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA.
8:00 a.m.: The defending world champions knew they were going to need to address the bullpen, and they did just that late Sunday night and into early morning. Multiple reports indicate the Kansas City Royals and reliever Joakim Soria agreed to a three-year, $25 million contract.
7:30 a.m.: Holiday shopping is about to be in full swing in the Music City.
Major League Baseball’s movers and shakers have descended upon Nashville for the annual winter meetings, which begin in earnest Monday.
While the winter meetings do have actual meetings and events that occur, the three-day pow-wow shapes the baseball world more by what happens at behind-the-scenes, informal meetings between teams, players and agents.
As was the case last season, there’s already been plenty of movement leading into the winter meetings. Big-name free agents like David Price and Zack Greinke already have signed, setting up the free-agent pitcher market. However, marquee position players like Jason Heyward and Chris Davis remain on the market, and their dominoes falling should set the market on that side of the ball.
So, too, should the trade market. The Cincinnati Reds figure to be one of the busy teams at Opryland, as they’re reportedly “open for business,” with closer Aroldis Chapman all but certain to be on the move.
We’ll have the latest updates on that situation and all the rest as the day goes on, so be sure to check back often.
Thumbnail photo via Robert Mayer/USA TODAY Sports Images
