Big free agents have not signed yet. No one is moving much of anything until Hamilton and Grienke sign. Slowest winter meetings in years.

Yes, I do expect movement.

Hated to lose Hector Rondon considering the progress and numbers he's putting up in Venezuela. There's a better than 50-50 chance that he sticks with the Cubs.

Both Rondon and McFarland will be offered back to the Tribe. My guess is they will pass and keep the money.

I think Rondon will make the Cubs. He has AAA experience and the Cubs are rebuilding and can afford to keep a Rule 5 arm in the bullpen. I am sure the Indians would accept him back if offered.

50/50 that Orioles will keep McFarland. They are planning to compete so won't keep someone that doesn't prove he's ready to help now. He will probably get a tryout as a lefty-one-out reliever. The article that follows says the Birds kept a Rule 5 pick all season in 2012 even while they contended for the playoffs, so they could be prepared to do so again.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Orioles selected left-hander T.J. McFarland from the Indians' Triple-A Columbus affiliate in Thursday morning's Rule 5 Draft.

"We know he has a knack for winning games, and hopefully that knack will translate to the Major Leagues," executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said. "We had targeted a couple left-handed pitchers in the Draft. We wanted to get another left-handed pitcher into our system, and this was a cost-effective way to accomplish that."

McFarland was selected 23rd in the Rule 5 Draft and was the Tribe's fourth-round pick out of Amos Alonso Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Ill., in the fourth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, McFarland went 8-6 with a 4.82 ERA in 17 starts at Columbus, allowing 55 earned runs on 112 hits and 33 walks in 102 2/3 innings pitched.

The southpaw started the season with Double-A Akron, going 8-2 with a 2.69 ERA in 10 starts, including a complete-game effort, before being promoted. McFarland, 23, was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the period ending May 21.

"He pitched very well the last month of the season and he pitched a fine game against the Norfolk team where he beat our [Triple-A] ballclub down there," Duquette said. "He's got a good sinker, he keeps the ball down, he's got a good changeup and he throws strikes in the bottom of the strike zone. And we like him as a qualified Major Leaguer."

McFarland's selection marks the second time in as many years the Orioles have taken a player in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft under Duquette. The O's selected infielder Ryan Flaherty from the Cubs last winter and were able to keep him on their roster the entire season, ensuring the Maine native is now a part of Baltimore's organization.

During the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, an eligible player left unprotected from his club's 40-man roster may be selected for $50,000. He must then remain on his drafting team's active Major League roster during the following season or be offered back to his original club for $25,000.

The move leaves the Orioles' 40-man roster with one open spot, although that will be taken once outfielder Nate McLouth passes a physical and is officially added.

Both are middle relievers at best. At one time when I watched him in Kinston Rondon had a lot of value.

Highly doubt that either stay with their current teams unless the Indians are no longer interested with them. That is a strong possibility since they were both exposed.

Bigger issue is the non tendering of Hanahan who is going to get a contract for more then one year and is drawing interest from multiple teams.

Upton deal would drive next key deals
FOX Sports
KEN ROSENTHAL and JON PAUL MOROSI
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UPDATED DEC 6, 2012 3:20 PM ET

NASHVILLE, TENN.
As the baseball winter meetings concluded, two potential blockbusters involving Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton were in play, according to a major league source.


The Rangers’ fervent push for Upton was fueling both potential deals and might be an indication of the team’s confidence in landing free-agent right-hander Zack Greinke, who also is being pursued by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, no deal was close on Thursday afternoon, with an official from one of the clubs saying, “It’s not dead. It never has been. But it doesn’t have more legs than it did two weeks ago.”

The arrival of Upton, 25, likely would lead to the departure of free-agent outfielder Josh Hamilton, who likely will be too expensive for the Rangers to keep if they sign Greinke.

The Rangers want to add one top hitter and one top starting pitcher, preferably one through free agency, the other through a trade, sources say.

And the Seattle Mariners, who met with Hamilton, his wife and agents at the winter meetings on Sunday, are poised to sign Hamilton if the Rangers do not, according to the Seattle Times.

All of the talks are fluid and subject to change. The blockbuster, sources said, is taking on several new forms a day.


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The Cleveland Indians, one of the early constants in the discussions, no longer are part of the Upton talks, and could be looking elsewhere to trade shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

The Diamondbacks, desperately trying to acquire a shortstop, had targeted Cabrera and the Rangers’ Elvis Andrus. Their inability to acquire either player — at least thus far — could lead to a different type of return for Upton.

The D-Backs also want a top-of-the-rotation starter, and Tampa Bay has been fielding offers for virtually all of its pitchers, including right-handers James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson.

Tampa Bay could send one of the starters to Arizona and Texas could part with a top prospect such as infielder Mike Olt in the three-way deal.

But The Rangers’ apparent goal — to land both Upton and Greinke — is threatened on numerous fronts.

The Dodgers could wreck the Rangers’ plans by outbidding them for Greinke, possibly forcing Texas back to Hamilton and into the trade market for a starting pitcher, with Shields among the possibilities.

The blockbuster, meanwhile, remains a long shot, according to multiple officials involved in the discussions.

In one former permutation of the deal that involved Cleveland, the Mariners would have acquired Texas left-hander Derek Holland, whom the Rangers intend to trade only if they land an elite starter such as Greinke. The Mariners’ ulterior motive in such discussions could be to ensure that Upton goes to Texas, clearing the way for Seattle to sign Hamilton.

The package of young players that would have gone to Cleveland in such a deal varied, but Arizona right-hander Trevor Bauer, left-hander Patrick Corbin and Texas' Olt were among the names in play, according to one source. The Diamondbacks, if they were giving up Upton and young pitching, likely would get more than Cabrera in return.


The Mariners also would give up prospects, something they probably would not want to do unless they could land Hamilton, improving their chances of contending in the AL West immediately.

One thread, then, is tied to another — and a rival official involved in the Seattle four-way described the Mariners as the holdup, with club officials apparently unsure of the team’s direction.

The M’s, who have had one of the worst offenses in the majors the past three seasons, closed in on a deal with free-agent outfielder Jason Bay on Thursday, and also are among the teams talking to free-agent first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher.

Gee, nobody scooped up that can't miss prospect, LaPorta?

Was LaPorta eligible?

He wasn't on the 40 and is still Indians property so he was available for the Rule 5.

Thought LaPorta had surgery and wouldn't be available until after the season starts in 2013 ?!?!

Castroturf

LaPorta has surgery on left hip, big toe

Matt LaPorta limped his way through the final weeks of the 2009 season because of a lingering left hip issue. But while the Indians had said rest would be good for what was ailing LaPorta, it turns out surgery was necessary.

LaPorta will be behind schedule in Spring Training camp as a result of left arthroscopic hip surgery performed by Dr. Marc Philippon in Vail, Colo., on Tuesday. LaPorta also had a surgical procedure performed by Dr. Thomas Clanton to address his left big toe, which he injured while running into the wall at Fenway Park on the last day of the season.

Head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff is expected to address LaPorta’s situation with reporters Wednesday afternoon.

According to a release from the Tribe, LaPorta will need four to six months to recover from the hip procedure, in which Philippon performed a debridement of a bony impingement in the hip joint. That would obviously affect LaPorta’s preseason conditioning in Spring Training. His situation might be comparable to that of Travis Hafner this year. Recovering from shoulder surgery, Hafner was a couple weeks behind his teammates in camp and wasn’t ready to play on an everyday basis at the start of the season. The Indians are obviously hopeful LaPorta’s recovery will be quicker.

LaPorta will remain in Vail for a week before spending most of his offseason rehabbing in Goodyear, Ariz.

LaPorta is the third member of the Tribe to have surgery at season’s end. Last week, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera had arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, while reliever Chris Perez had surgery to remove a loose bone and a cyst in his left ankle. Center fielder Grady Sizemore had season-ending surgeries on his left elbow and left lower abdominal wall in September.

You do realize the above article is at least 2, maybe even 3 years old, Joe?

You only need to look at the surgeries that Sizemore had in that article (he recently had micro fracture surgery on his other knee) and the fact he is no longer officially an Indian, to know that it is not current.

Oh and Laporta "limping through the final weeks of 2009" should have been a give away as well

October 19, 2012,
10:23 AM ET
Associated Press

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Indians infielder Matt LaPorta has had surgery on his left hip.

LaPorta had the procedure on Thursday in Nashville, Tenn. The Indians said LaPorta, who spent most of last season at Triple-A Columbus, had a "debridement" of his left hip joint. LaPorta will need three to four months to recover and is expected to be unrestricted for the beginning of exhibition play.

LaPorta was called up late last season and batted .241 with one homer and five RBIs in 22 games. He has been a major disappointment since the Indians acquired in 2008 in the trade for pitcher CC Sabathia. LaPorta batted .247 in 2011 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs.


Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

That's better J.R.

I wasn't questioning the surgery, just seemed odd to be reading old news associated with the article.

I have no idea how the Indians will get by without LaPorta