2012 MLB Free Agency: Every Team's Latest Offseason Rumor

As the baseball world spends the week in Dallas, Texas at the Winter Meetings, the hot stove is hotter than ever. This is a prime opportunity for teams to get their rosters in winning shape as the offseason hits is peak.

The Marlins already made the first big splash, inking Jose Reyes on Sunday. There are still plenty of big-time free agents left and lots of trades to be made.

That said, here are some of the latest rumors from around the baseball world.

Arizona Diamondbacks

SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeted on Sunday that the Diamondbacks could be a dark-horse player for free agent LHP Mark Buehrle.

The longtime White Sox starter would fit well as a veteran on Arizona's staff, but he is unlikely to sign with the team due to his prohibitive salary.

Atlanta Braves

A popular name in the trade rumor mill has been Atlanta utility man Martin Prado.

Although Braves GM Frank Wren has dispelled rumors that Prado could be moved, Jon Heyman also tweeted that Prado could be moved to Colorado for Seth Smith and prospects.

The Rockies, apparently, are not thrilled about the prospect part.

Baltimore Orioles

Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles have offered a contract to crafty Korean reliever Tae-Hyong Chong.

The righty has been excellent in relief in the Korean league and could be a good bullpen piece for the O's.

Boston Red Sox

WEEI radio's Rob Bradford reported that the Red Sox are one of the many teams in the running for Dodgers RHP Hiroki Kuroda.

He would be a great fit in Boston's rotation, but much of this deal would be contingent on the Red Sox being able to gain some financial flexibility to take on Kuroda's salary.

Chicago White Sox

Jon Heyman (who, we can all agree by now, is a busy man) tweeted that many teams have inquired to the White Sox about LHP John Danks, but the price for him would be steep.

The Yankees, one of the teams that called about him, would have had to give up Jesus Montero and Manny Banuelos in any deal involving Danks.

Chicago Cubs

I'm sure Cardinals fans are tired of reading about Albert Pujols signing anywhere other than St. Louis, but according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, the Cubs could be an intriguing team. They could offer Pujols a shorter contract with a larger per-year salary.

That would rival the reported eight-year, $200 million contract the Cardinals would offer.

Cincinnati Reds

According to Cincinnati Enquirer beat writer John Fay, Reds GM Walt Jocketty has selected six potential targets for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher.

Though Jocketty himself didn't name any names, the Reds have been tied to Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens, in addition to Tampa Bay's James Shields.

It will be interesting to see if the Reds pull the trigger and acquire a big-time pitcher.

Cleveland Indians

Although he has already been with the organization before, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Indians have expressed interest in signing utility man Casey Blake.

Blake, who has spent the last few seasons playing for the Dodgers, is 38 years old and could likely be signed relatively cheap.

Colorado Rockies

Troy Renck of the Denver Post reported that the Rockies were out of the running for RHP Roy Oswalt.

That should come as no surprise.

But what might be surprising is that the Rockies would be interested in bringing back LHP Jeff Francis, as well as RHP Kevin Milwood.

The Rockies would like another proven starter in their rotation.

Detroit Tigers

Cuban outfielder Yoennis Cespedes is sure to be a hot commodity this offseason, and the Tigers may be one of the leading candidates to sign him.

John Paul Morosi of Fox Sports tweeted that the Tigers were one of the main contenders to land him, along with Yankees and Marlins.

Houston Astros

With the team in a major transition mode as it searches for a new GM, Jon Heyman reported that the Astros will be actively looking to trade Carlos Lee, Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers once a new GM is hired.

The 'Stros are in a total rebuild mode, so anyone with any significant price tag or MLB experience is considered fair game to be traded.

Kansas City Royals

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Royals are in the market for a veteran utility man with the ability to hit lefty.

Good fits include Craig Counsell, Willie Harris or Andres Blanco.

The Royals have recently shied away from the free agent pitching market after re-signing Bruce Chen.

Los Angeles Angels

Late Sunday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reported that the usually deep-pocketed Angels do have a budget this offseason.

GM Jerry Dipoto has between $15 and $20 million dollars to spend to stay within a reasonable payroll, most of which will probably be spent on one of three big players—C.J. Wilson, Aramis Ramirez or Ryan Madson, who was recently thrown into the mix as a veteran presence to help Jordan Walden.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Days after signing lefty Chris Capuano, the Dodgers were back to work trying to bolster their rotation—for the next few years, that is.

Buster Olney tweeted early Monday that the Dodgers had started preliminary extension talks with Cy Young winner and ace Clayton Kershaw.

If the Dodgers are able to ink Kershaw to an extension, it would likely be one of the biggest contracts ever given to a 24-year-old pitcher.

Miami Marlins

Hours after finalizing the details of the Jose Reyes contract, various sources stated that the Marlins had shifted attention to aggressively pursuing first baseman Albert Pujols.

It is a novel idea, but one that is unlikely to actually develop into anything serious.

Scott Miller of CBS Sports made the valid point that it would be much wiser for the Marlins to pursue starting pitching.

Milwaukee Brewers

Though no serious talks have taken place, the Brewers have become interested in signing Jimmy Rollins.

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweeted that the Brewers have some interest in learning the price of Jimmy Rollins.

Haudricourt said the Brewers had no desire to pay for Jose Reyes, but Rollins may be within the price range.

Minnesota Twins

It seems as if Edwin Jackson has been with every team in the majors already. If the Twins do want to sign him, as Jon Paul Morosi indicates, Jackson's trip around the country may continue.

The talented righty is a free agent and is being pursued by several teams, the Twins being one.

The team is also reportedly after lefty Jeff Francis.

New York Mets

Are you ready for some K-Rod?

Mets fans have gotten used to seeing Francisco Rodriguez in their colors until this season, when the reliever was traded to Milwaukee.

Now, according to Jon Heyman, the Mets have reached out to Rodriguez in an attempt to bring him back to close for them. Rodriguez is seeking a closer role, so this could actually be a decent fit.

New York Yankees

Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees are very interested in retaining outfielder Andruw Jones.

His pop from the right side and his veteran presence were beneficial to the Yankees this year, so the club would very much like to see him back in pinstripes.

It was also reported that the Yankees are one of the clubs interested in Yoennis Cespedes, the Cuban outfielder.

Oakland Athletics

According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Athletics are essentially open for business on any of their pitchers.

Though Andrew Bailey and Gio Gonzalez have been the two most popular names, it has been suggested that Trevor Cahill or Brandon McCarthy could move as well.

Assistant GM David Forst said that the A's are able to do this due to their pitching depth.

Philadelphia Phillies

When talking to a fellow job-seeker and Phillies fan at the Winter Meetings, I was told that Jimmy Rollins must remain a Philly for life.

According to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer, that is the team's top priority as well.

The Phillies aren't expected to make any major moves, at least not in the near future, so re-signing Rollins is of utmost importance.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Continuing with the trend of players returning to their former teams, the Pirates have interest in bringing outfielder Nate McLouth back to Pittsburgh after a stint in Atlanta.

Jon Paul Morosi reported that the Pirates are interested in adding another outfielder, and that McLouth's name has come up.

It would certainly be a nice fit.

San Diego Padres

After losing Heath Bell and Mike Adams in the past year, the Padres have interest in getting another big-time bullpen arm to fill those voids.

Buster Olney reported that the Padres could be one of the teams trying to trade for Athletics closer Andrew Bailey.

Though San Diego has a decent amount of good relievers left, it might look to build back a deeper bullpen through the trade market.

San Francisco Giants

Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News is reporting that the Giants are very unlikely to be big spenders at this week's Winter Meetings, but they are in the market for a middle infielder.

Two names that have come up are Alex Gonzalez and Jerry Hairston, Jr., who could add some good defensive depth to the middle of San Francisco's infield.

Seattle Mariners

There have long been reports that the Mariners have the desire and means to sign first baseman Prince Fielder, but recently, there have been some conflicting reports.

According to Jon Heyman, there are some Mariners executives who have Fielder at the top of their Christmas list, but others believe that the team can't afford him.

It is also believed that Fielder prefers immediate contenders and teams east of the Mississippi.

St. Louis Cardinals

Heyman is also reporting that the Cardinals are very close to bringing back righty reliever Octavio Dotel.

The aging Dotel could be brought back for relatively little money, which is a great deal for an effective righty who proved himself as one of the few people who could consistently get division rival and Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun out.

Tampa Bay Rays

It seems like, every year, the composition of Tampa Bay's bullpen changes.

This year doesn't look to be any different.

Jim Bowden of ESPN radio tweeted that the Rays are one of the teams making a play for righty reliever Luis Ayala, who had a very good year last year for the Yankees.

Depending on the price, this might be a perfect match for the Rays.

Texas Rangers

According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, there are three teams aggressively pursuing LHP Mark Buehrle.

The Rangers are one of them, along with the Marlins and Nationals.

This move, of course, would be contingent upon Texas being unable to resign C.J. Wilson, who is the top lefty target in the free agent market.

If Wilson goes elsewhere, the Rangers could be the team to beat in the race for Buehrle.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays, looking to make a major push toward contention, are expected to be big spenders at the Winter Meetings and beyond.

Jon Heyman reports that the team has a lot of spending money and could make offers for Prince Fielder and C.J. Wilson. The Blue Jays are viewed as more probable to land Wilson, however.

Any news on Yu Darvish, the Japanese phenom who has been linked to the Blue Jays, will likely come after his posting.

Washington Nationals

It has long been rumored that the Nationals are after a center fielder, and they have been very public in their pursuit of Rays outfielder B.J. Upton.

However, Ken Rosenthal reported that there are other targets if the Nats cannot land Upton.

Most intriguing is Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos, who would be a great defensive and speed asset.