2012 MLB Free Agent Rumors: 9 Huge Stories Ahead of the GM Meetings

With the MLB Hot Stove burning red-hot, free agent rumors are now flying fast and furiously, as the annual GM meetings are set to take place this week.

GMs from all 30 Major League clubs will convene in Milwaukee to wheel and deal, with clubs trying to improve themselves ahead of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons.

The usual big spenders in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles are joined by a few newcomers, including the newly-renamed Miami Marlins, who have cash to spend ahead of the opening of their new stadium.

Apparently interested in every free agent under the sun, the Marlins have already begun reaching out to numerous players they hope could stoke interest in their ballclub to coincide with the unveiling of their new home in the Little Havana district of Miami.

As with all rumors, things change daily, even hourly, so let's take a look at some of the higher-profile rumors currently circulating around baseball just before the dawning of the general manager meetings.

Yu Darvish: Will He or Won't He?

The expectation has been lingering that Yu Darvish, the highly-coveted Iranian-Japanese pitching phenom, will leave Japan in order to take his considerable talents to the US.

Over the last few seasons, MLB teams have been salivating over the now-25-year-old right-hander, waiting for the moment that the Nippon-Ham Fighters would post him, setting off an intense bidding war that could potentially dwarf the auction for Daisuke Matsuzaka's services prior to the 2007 season.

Clubs were on high alert when Kyodo News (Via NBC Sports' Harball Talk) in Japan reported that he had formally asked his team to put him up for bidding, but the story has since been refuted and links removed.

Apparently, that report was slightly overzealous, and Darvish took to his own blog (via Npbtracker.com) to clarify the matter. He is currently undecided on the move, and has yet to ask his club to post him.

Though his Nippon-Ham Fighters were recently ousted from the playoffs by the Seibu Lions, Darvish compiled an amazing regular season, which will surely stoke great interest if he does indeed decide upon a move to the US.

In 28 games, he was 18-6, pitched 232 innings and posted a stellar 1.44 ERA. Darvish hurled 10 complete games, six of them shutouts, and had an amazing 276-to-36 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

Numerous teams will likely show interest in bidding for Darvish, but the process will likely become expensive, as

Late in October, Joel Sherman of the New York Post speculated that the favorites to land Darvish would be the Rangers, Blue Jays, Nationals, Royals or Mariners.

Of course, the Yankees and Red Sox are always potentially interested in high-profile free agents, but New York has an underwhelming history with Japanese pitchers, and Boston has the disappointing and expensive deal for Dice-K fresh in their minds.

Again, Joel Sherman stated that the ill-fated Kei Igawa fiasco could dissuade the Yankees from becoming too involved in the process. 

Jose Reyes to the Marlins

Always one the league's most dynamic players, Jose Reyes greatly improved his own value with a stellar contract year in which he won his first career batting title.

Of course, he was also beset by leg injuries once again, which limited him to 126 games in 2011. From 2009-11, Reyes has averaged only 98 games a season, due mainly to balky hamstrings that should concern any club willing to commit a long-term contract to the speedster.

His dynamic game will surely draw wide attention on the free agent market, but Miami radio host Jorge Sedano of 790 AM "The Ticket," is reporting that Reyes to the newly-renamed Miami Marlins is "almost a done deal."

With Miami opening a new stadium for 2012, they are expected to seek star power to draw fans to the new venue, thus increasing their payroll drastically.

Of course, Jose Reyes moving to the Marlins would inevitably force current shortstop Hanley Ramirez to move positions, likely to third base. When asked about a potential move for Reyes, Ramirez didn't sound particularly convinced regarding a positional switch, but lauded the talents of his counterpart.

Reyes would undoubtedly add a dynamic presence in Miami, helping to add legitimacy to their offense ahead of the unveiling of their new stadium. 

It will be interesting to see if Marlins management can convince their star shortstop that moving to third in deference to Reyes would be in the best interest of the club.

Matt Kemp and Dodgers Talking Contract Extension

Although Matt Kemp isn't a free agent yet, he would be following the 2012 season if he and the Dodgers are unable to work out a contract extension before then.

Kemp, following a career-year in which he hit .324 with 39 home runs, 126 RBI, 40 stolen bases and an OPS+ of 170, is reportedly already nearing an extension with the Dodgers that could potentially pay him $160 million over eight years, according to CBS Sports Eye of Baseball.

He would undoubtedly be one of the gems of the next free agent class if the deal doesn't get completed.

It would be a major positive development for a franchise desperately needing something of the sort. With the ownership issues lingering all last season and the impending sale of the Dodgers on the horizon, LA fans need a reason to be excited heading into 2012.

A move to lock up their franchise star would be a great start, which could then allow them to focus on the long-term future of left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw.

Red Sox Have Irons in Many Fires Trying to Erase Memories of Awful 2011 Finish

With the horrendous conclusion to the 2011 season still fresh in their minds, the Red Sox are taking a proactive approach to repair what went wrong.

They've been rumored to be interested in several players in recent days, with holes in their rotation, right field, designated hitter and now, the closer role. John Lackey's Tommy John Surgery and Dice K's contract ending create questions in the rotation, J.D. Drew is unlikely to return, Big Papi very well could, but nothing is guaranteed, and Papelbon's departure leave them in search of a closer if they're not ready to commit Daniel Bard. 

MLBtraderumors.com has them in on free agents Grady Sizemore, Michael Cuddyer, Heath Bell and Ryan Madson.

According to CBSsports' Danny Knobler, the Sox are interested in Bell or Madson to replace Papelbon.

WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports that the Red Sox have already had preliminary discussions with the representatives of Michael Cuddyer, and they've also spoken with the reps for Grady Sizemore, hoping to potentially catch lightning in a bottle and benefit from Sizemore's upside if he can avoid the dreaded injury curse that has plagued him in recent years.

Jonathan Broxton Drawing Significant Interest from Multiple Teams

Former Dodger closer Jonathan Broxton is drawing significant interest from several teams, headlined by the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.  

The 27-year-old Broxton had arthroscopic elbow surgery in September, but is set to begin a throwing program in the coming weeks, and is looking to be ready by early 2012.

Interested parties have requested his medical records and will proceed from there if his progress is deemed positive.

Broxton threw only 12.2 innings last season and has struggled in the last two years, following four consecutive dominant seasons from 2006-09.

During that stretch, he posted an ERA+ of 154, a WHIP of 1.13 and struck out 398 batters in 303.1 innings.

Since 2010, however, his ERA+ slipped to 90, his WHIP is an unsightly 1.547 and his walks per nine innings have increased to 4.4.

At only 27, and if fully healthy, he could still be a formidable option at the back end of a club's bullpen, but we'll have to await the medical reports and see how the throwing program progresses before knowing anything for sure.

The Incredible Journey of Yoenis Cespedes

Following his dramatic viral video introduction to the world of American baseball, Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes is drawing attention from teams across the league. 

He held a workout session on Friday so that MLB clubs could marvel at his athleticism and physical prowess. Ken Rosenthal reported that the center field prospect's workout was attended by scouting contingents from the Marlins, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers and Nationals.

Yahoo's Tim Brown also reported that reps from the Phillies, Blue Jays, Giants, Indians, A's and Pirates were present to evaluate the 26-year-old outfield prospect.

After playing his baseball career under a veil of secrecy in Cuba, aside from the occasional international tournament, Cespedes is suddenly the talk of the offseason, with his video propaganda campaign and workout showcases fueling his mythological status.

What is clear from the video is that the young man is an impressive physical specimen, reported to be a true five-tool prospect who is Major League-ready.

If it's still available, watch the video for yourself to see what all the fuss is about. In addition to the baseball talents on display, the video production is rather entertaining in its own right.

Cespedes must still wait to officially become a free agent, with the process and paperwork taking up to two months according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Miami Marlins Make Contract Offer to Albert Pujols

As well as extending contract offers to Reyes and Mark Buerhle, the suddenly hyperactive Miami Marlins have reportedly made a significant offer to the biggest fish in the free agent pond, Albert Pujols.

The Marlins are interested in creating a team worthy of drawing fans to their new stadium in Miami, and a headliner such as Pujols would certainly help them toward that goal.

Though Pujols is coming off his own personal "worst" season, in which some have begun to wonder about the slugger's decline, even his worst is better than almost everyone else's best.

He missed 100 RBI for the first time in his career, driving in only 99 runs during 2011. Pujols was a significant factor in propelling the Cardinals to their second World Series title in six seasons. The slugger also missed hitting .300 by one point, also the first time he has failed to reach that plateau in his career. 

Although still impressive by anyone else's standards, his OPS of .906 and his adjusted OPS+ of 150 were both career lows.

Pujols will turn 32 prior to Opening Day, so many have speculated that his subpar season may be the beginning of his inevitable decline phase.

That, however, did not dissuade the Marlins from trying to woo him to join their exciting project in Miami.

Ken Rosenthal reported on Friday that the Marlins had made offers to both Pujols and Reyes, and team owner Jeffrey Loria confirmed those offers later in the day, as reported by the SunSentinal.com. Later, team president David Samson tried to backtrack slightly, offering a firm, "no comment" in regards to Loria's early confirmation.

Texas Rangers Looking at Left-Handed Starting Pitching If C.J. Wilson Leaves

Amid reports of various teams pursuing left-hander C.J. Wilson, the Texas Rangers are reportedly looking into potential southpaw replacements.

Last week, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi, both of FOX Sports, reported that the Rangers had shown interest in free agent lefty Mark Buerhle. 

More recently, the team is said to have shown interest in a reunion with their former minor league hurler, John Danks, a lefty whom the White Sox are reportedly considering as a trade chip. Jon Morosi is also responsible for that latest nugget of possible news.

It may seem that with Derek Holland and Matt Harrison now entrenched in the Texas rotation, that the Rangers have enough left-handed starting pitching, but Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels are acutely aware of the value of southpaws in a park with a wind-driven power alley in right center field. 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Reportedly Interested in C.J. Wilson

Reportedly, the Angels have reached out to left-handed free agent C.J. Wilson, hoping to strike a blow against their divisional rivals in Texas.

According to Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles, new Halos' GM Jerry Dipoto is interested in possibly bringing Wilson to Anaheim, which would create an incredible rotation alongside incumbents Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana.

Wilson, who went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA in 2011, is one of the premier starting pitchers available, despite a poor showing in the postseason. He hails from nearby Fountain Valley, only about 20 minutes from Angel Stadium.

The Angels aren't alone in the pursuit of Wilson, however, as FOX's Jon Morosi is reporting "heavy interest" in the lefty, with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Marlins, Nationals and Rangers apparently strongly interested as well. 

In the same piece, Dipoto also refused to rule out a potential pursuit of either Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder, but at the same time, recognized that neither would be a "plan A" for the Angels.

With Rookie of the Year candidate Mark Trumbo already at first, and the team planning on the return of Kendrys Morales after two years of injury, it wouldn't appear that the Angels have room for either slugging first baseman.