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D-backs, Red Sox closing in on Miley trade Pitchers De La Rosa, Webster reportedly among potential haul for Arizona By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/103780648/arizona-diamondbacks-red-sox-closing-in-on-wade-miley-trade Fall League names 22 to Top Prospects Team Most Valuable Player Greg Bird leads young stars following AFL season By Teddy Cahill / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/103653218/arizona-fall-league-names-22-to-top-prospects-team Reports: Diamondbacks, Red Sox discussing Wade Miley deal By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/12/10/diamondbacks-red-sox-discussing-wade-miley-deal/20229603/ Nick Piecoro on reported trade of Wade Miley By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/videos/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/12/11/20240465/ Diamondbacks notes: Catcher needed, but team won't trade bullpen pieces for one By Zach Buchanan / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/12/10/diamondbacks-notes-catcher-needed-but-wont-trade-bullpen-pieces-for-one/20228261/ Arizona Diamondbacks' Wade Miley drawing trade interest By Nick Piecoro / The Arizoan Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/12/10/arizona-diamondbacks-wade-miley-drawing-trade-interest/20200417/ Source: D-backs working out Miley deal with Red Sox By Jack Magruder / FOX Sports Arizona http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/source-d-backs-close-to-dealing-miley-121014 Report: Diamondbacks have agreement to trade Wade Miley to Red Sox By ArizonaSports.com http://arizonasports.com/42/1790294/Report-Diamondbacks-have-agreement-to-trade-Wade-Miley-to-Red-Sox

Report: Arizona Diamondbacks 'listening' to offers regarding Wade Miley By ArizonaSports.com http://arizonasports.com/42/1790186/Report-Arizona-Diamondbacks-listening-to-offers-regarding-Wade-Miley Miley reported dealt to Red Sox: Diamondbacks continue to seek pitching: By Mark Brown / Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/article/diamondbacks-continue-to-seek-pitching-miley-attractive-to-many Diamondbacks trade Wade Miley to Boston By Brad Cesmat / Sports360AZ.com http://www.sports360az.com/2014/12/diamondbacks-trade-wade-miley-boston/

AFL announces 2014 Top Prospects Team Fall League names its best of best, as chosen by managers, coaches By Arizona Fall League http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20141210&content_id=103717862&fext=.jsp&vkey=pr_milb&sid=milb With top pick, D-backs could uncover gem in Rule 5 Draft Rule 5 of thumb: Gems can be found in Draft Astros' DeShields, Marlins' Garcia, Braves' Graham among prospects being mentioned By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/103184576/rule-5-of-thumb-gems-can-be-found-in-draft 2014 AFL All-Star Team By Vince Lara-Cinisomo / Baseball America http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2014-afl-star-team/ Rule 5 Draft: Who Could Go And Why By J.J. Cooper / Baseball America http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/rule-5-draft-go/ Red Sox Add Miley To Bolster Rotation By ESPN.com http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12013876&ex_cid=espnapi_public Red Sox Acquire Miley From D-backs By ESPN.com http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12013397&ex_cid=espnapi_public

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Red Sox acquire lefty Wade Miley By Gordon Edes / ESPNBoston.com http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/12013111/boston-red-sox-acquire-lhp-wade-miley-arizona-diamonbacks?ex_cid=espnapi_public Montero is First D-backs Financial Casualty of Winter By Jeff Wiser / ESPN.com - Inside the 'Zona http://insidethezona.com/2014/12/montero-cubs-trade-diamondbacks-payroll/ Miley may be better than his 2014 numbers By ESPN Stats & Information http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/99905/miley-may-be-better-than-his-2014-numbers Sources: BoSox acquire lefty Miley from 'Zona for 2 starters, prospect By FOX Sports http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/red-sox-d-backs-trade-miley-for-webster-de-la-rosa-minor-leaguer-121014 Red Sox acquire starter Wade Miley from Diamondbacks By Drew Silva / NBCSports.com http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/10/red-sox-acquire-starter-wade-miley-from-diamondbacks/ Boston's trade for Miley is reason to party in the USA, not Red Sox Nation By Jesse Spector / Sporting News http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2014-12-10/red-sox-trade-rumors-wade-miley-diamondbacks-rubby-de-la-rosa-allen-webster Dave Stewart declares interest in players under contract to other teams By Tom Gatto / Sporting News http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2014-12-10/arizona-diamondbacks-trade-rumors-dave-stewart-alex-avila-dioner-navarro-mlb-winter-meetings Report: Boston Red Sox Agree To Acquire Wade Miley From Diamondbacks By Hayden Kane / SI.com http://fansided.com/2014/12/10/report-boston-red-sox-agree-acquire-wade-miley-diamondbacks/ Report: Red Sox to acquire D-backs LHP Wade Miley for RHP Rubby De La Rosa, RHP Allen Webster By Jason Mastrodonato / MassLive.com http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2014/12/report_red_sox_to_acquire_d-ba.html East Longmeadow native Nick Ahmed to host defensive camp following first call up to MLB By Mark C. Volain / MassLive.com http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/12/east_longmeadow_native_nick_ah_1.html

Reports: Red Sox Trade Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster For Wade Miley By Ricky Doyle / NESN http://nesn.com/2014/12/reports-red-sox-trade-rubby-de-la-rosa-allen-webster-for-wade-miley/ Report: Red Sox trade for starter Wade Miley By Michael Silverman / Boston Herald http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox_mlb/clubhouse_insider/2014/12/report_red_sox_trade_for_starter_wade_miley Wade Miley to Red Sox waiting on final confirmation By Sean McAdam / Comcast Sports Net - New England http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/wade-miley-red-sox-waiting-final-confirmation

MLB NEWS December 11, 2014 • MLB.com http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news_index.jsp ASSOCIATED PRESS December 11, 2014 • Sports.yahoo.com http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews MLB TRANSACTIONS December 11, 2014 • MLB.com http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions

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D-backs, Red Sox closing in on Miley trade Pitchers De La Rosa, Webster reportedly among potential haul for Arizona By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/103780648/arizona-diamondbacks-red-sox-closing-in-on-wade-miley-trade SAN DIEGO -- Wade Miley could be headed to the Red Sox in a deal for right-handers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster, but a baseball source said there were still some things to be worked out. Whether there is still debate about which players will be involved or concerns over 40-man roster space is not known, but it does appear a deal will get done. Miley, 28, is currently the ace of the D-backs' staff. The left-hander went 8-12 with a 4.34 ERA in 33 starts last season. FOXSports.com first reported Wednesday that the D-backs and Red Sox were closing in on a deal and that De La Rosa and Webster would be part of the trade. "I think he has great value if I'm going to move him," D-backs general manager Dave Stewart said of Miley. "You want to get exactly back what you want for him, otherwise there's no point." De La Rosa and Webster are very familiar to D-backs senior vice president of baseball operations, De Jon Watson, who was the farm director in Los Angeles when both were in the Dodgers' system. De La Rosa, 25, went 4-8 with a 4.43 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) for the Red Sox last season but put together a 3.25 ERA over eight seasons in the Minors. Webster, who turns 25 in February, has compiled a 6-5 record and 6.25 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) for the Red Sox the past two seasons. The move would fit with what Stewart has said he wanted to do -- continue adding depth to the organization's starting pitching. Already this offseason the D-backs have acquired Jeremy Hellickson and Robbie Ray for the Major League staff, as well as getting a pair of Class A arms from the Cubs in the deal for Miguel Montero. "What I sold to the organization before I got the job was we needed to improve organizationally, top to bottom," Stewart said. "We needed to get starting pitching back into our system. When you do that, ultimately if we decide down the road we want to do something else or we put ourselves in a position where we want to get another player, we can do that if we've got strong enough pitching and if we're not building pitching in our system. That's what we're doing." The D-backs are still searching for catching help after dealing Montero. Stewart mentioned being interested in Detroit's Alex Avila and Toronto's Dioner Navarro as well as free agent David Ross.

By virtue of having the worst record in baseball last season, the D-backs will pick first in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. There was some speculation that they would take Astros catcher Roberto Pena with the pick. Pena is said to be a strong defensive catcher with a questionable bat. "You're looking at these guys as possible pieces for your ballclub in an area where you're short," Watson said about the Rule 5 Draft in general. Stewart was asked once again by reporters about the possibility of dealing outfielder Mark Trumbo and reiterated that he has no plans on dealing him. Speaking of not dealing players, Stewart said he does not plan on trading from his team's deep bullpen. "That could become thin very quickly," he said. "So I think that's an area that we're going to hold on to."

Fall League names 22 to Top Prospects Team Most Valuable Player Greg Bird leads young stars following AFL season By Teddy Cahill / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/103653218/arizona-fall-league-names-22-to-top-prospects-team The Arizona Fall League on Wednesday announced its 2014 Top Prospects Team, highlighted by league Most Valuable Player Greg Bird and baseball's top prospect Byron Buxton. The 22-man Top Prospects Team includes at least one player from 16 Major League organizations. The Fall League managers and coaches voted on the team, taking into consideration the players' performances during the fall and their projected future in the Major Leagues. Bird, the Yankees' No. 11 prospect, led the AFL in runs (21) and tied for the league lead with six home runs. He hit .313/.391/.556 in 26 games for Scottsdale, and his .947 OPS ranked second in the league. After an injury-plagued season, Buxton, the Twins' top prospect, quickly got back up to speed in the AFL. But he played just 13 games for Salt River before he dislocated his left middle finger diving for a ball in the outfield, bringing an early end to his season. Despite the injury, the 20-year old made the Top Prospects Team for the second straight year. Buxton wasn't the only Twins outfield prospect to make the team. Eddie Rosario, the club's No. 10 prospect, earned a spot after hitting .330/.345/.410 with 10 stolen bases in 24 games. He led the batting race much of the fall before dropping into second behind Jesse Winker on the final day of the regular season. Winker, the Reds' No. 2 prospect, hit .338/.440/.559 with three home runs in 19 games and was also named to the Prospect Team. While the Twins, A's, D-backs and Yankees were all well represented with two players apiece on the Top Prospect Team, the Dodgers led all organizations with three players on the squad. Shortstop Corey Seager, outfielder Scott Schebler and

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second baseman Darnell Sweeney, the club's Nos. 1, 9 and 13 prospects, respectively, were all honored. The Prospect Team also included right-hander Mark Appel, the top overall pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft. The Astros' No. 2 prospect posted a 2.61 ERA and struck out 24 batters in a league-leading 31 innings. He began the fall with a streak of 14 scoreless innings. 2014 AFL Top Prospects Team Mark Appel, RHP, Astros Chris Bassitt, RHP, White Sox (since traded to A's) Greg Bird, 1B, Yankees, Byron Buxton, OF, Twins Hunter Dozier, 3B, Royals Brandon Drury, 3B, D-backs Aaron Judge, DH, Yankees Steven Moya, OF, Tigers Peter O'Brien, C, D-backs Justin O'Connor, C, Rays Steven Okert, LHP, Giants Matt Olson, 1B, A's Roman Quinn, OF, Phillies Tony Renda, 2B, Nationals Hunter Renfroe, OF, Padres Daniel Robertson, SS, A's Joely Rodriguez, LHP, Pirates Eddie Rosario, OF, Twins Scott Schebler, DH, Dodgers Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers Darnell Sweeney, 2B, Dodgers Jesse Winker, OF, Reds

Reports: Diamondbacks, Red Sox discussing Wade Miley deal By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/12/10/diamondbacks-red-sox-discussing-wade-miley-deal/20229603/ SAN DIEGO – The Diamondbacks' busy and sometimes confusing week at the Manchester Grand Hyatt got busier and more confusing on Wednesday night, with General Manager Dave Stewart telling reporters all was quiet on the Wade Miley trade front only to have reports surface less than two hours later saying a deal was in place that would send the left-hander to the Boston Red Sox. Adding to the confusion, a Diamondbacks source said the two teams hadn't spoken about Miley at all on Wednesday, although there still seemed to be an expectation that a deal eventually could be completed that would send young right-handers Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa plus another minor leaguer to the Diamondbacks. The source also said other teams remain in play for the left-hander; Stewart said earlier in the evening he had discussed Miley with the Texas Rangers and Miami Marlins in addition to the Red Sox. If the deal happens with the Red Sox, it likely will include Webster and De La Rosa, a pair of young, power arms who originally came up through the Los Angeles Dodgers

organization before being shipped to Boston in the August 2012 mega-deal that included Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett. De Jon Watson, the Diamondbacks' senior vice president of baseball operations, is familiar with Webster and De La Rosa from his time working as the Dodgers farm director. Miley's name had popped up intermittently in trade rumors throughout the off-season, most often in connection with the Marlins. A durable left-hander, he's thrown close to 200 innings for three consecutive seasons, although he had an inconsistent year in 2014, posting a 4.34 ERA. He is arbitration eligible for the first time this off-season and has three years of club control remaining before he can test free agency. With Webster and De La Rosa, the Diamondbacks are receiving a combined 10 years of team control in two starting pitchers. In limited time in the majors, neither pitcher has had much success. Webster has a 6.25 ERA in 89 1/3 innings the past two seasons, De La Rosa a 4.34 ERA in 174 1/3innings from 2011-2014. De La Rosa missed of the 2012 season following Tommy John surgery. Both pitchers are said to possess good stuff and have solid track records in the minor leagues. Strangely, the deal somehow came together — or at least became public when first reported by FOX Sports — in the early evening, not long after Stewart met with his club's beat reporters. There were reports throughout the day connecting the Diamondbacks and Red Sox, and though Stewart confirmed having discussed Miley with the Red Sox, Rangers and Marlins, he downplayed any movement. "We've not been close on a deal," he said in the late afternoon. "And right now, I'm not talking to any other clubs." It played out in similar fashion to the way the trade of Miguel Montero surfaced. On Monday afternoon, Stewart intimated nothing was happening on the Montero front. A short time later, reports surfaced of an impending agreement with the Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile, Stewart continued to insist to reporters that slugger Mark Trumbo wasn't going anywhere. At the same time, sources with other teams say the Diamondbacks have been more than willing to discuss him. "We are not going to move Trumbo," Stewart said. "I'm telling you, we are not going to move Trumbo. There's two people here that have the ability to move Trumbo. That's Tony La Russa and me. And we're not moving him." A source with an AL team said the Diamondbacks have been discussing deals involving Trumbo this week.

Nick Piecoro on reported trade of Wade Miley By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/videos/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/12/11/20240465/ (Video embedded on webpage)

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Diamondbacks notes: Catcher needed, but team won't trade bullpen pieces for one By Zach Buchanan / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/12/10/diamondbacks-notes-catcher-needed-but-wont-trade-bullpen-pieces-for-one/20228261/ SAN DIEGO – At the top of the Diamondbacks' list of priorities for the rest of the offseason will be acquiring a catcher to pair with Tuffy Gosewisch after the trade of Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs. Arizona could look to either free agency or trade to fill that need. If it's the latter, the Diamondbacks won't trade from their one remaining position of major-league depth: the bullpen. "That's an area that we're going to hold on to," General Manager Dave Stewart said. "It can become thin very quickly." Arizona has several bullpen pieces that could be intriguing to reliever-needy teams, including closer Addison Reed, left-hander Oliver Perez and set-up man Brad Ziegler, although the latter is coming off of knee surgery. The team also has several young relievers like Evan Marshall and Matt Stites who could be ready for bigger roles. As for catchers who could make sense for the Diamondbacks, Stewart confirmed that Detroit's Alex Avila and Toronto's Dioner Navarro are possible trade targets. The 30-year-old Navarro is in the final year of a deal that will pay him $5 million and has had better offensive success than Montero in recent seasons. Avila is 27 and will become a free agent after earning $5.4 million this season. He's dealt with concussion issues in recent seasons but is a strong defensive catcher. Stewart said either could be candidates to keep the seat warm for prospect Peter O'Brien. "They're one-year guys, which would allow us, if we need to, to give O'Brien a little more time to mature and learn his job," Stewart said. "Those guys are good fits, without a doubt." On the free-agent side, the only name linked to Arizona has been veteran catcher David Ross, whom Stewart confirmed interest in on Tuesday. Stewart said he had no interest in former Texas Rangers catcher Geovany Soto, and that Ross' experience handling a pitching staff would fit well with Arizona's young rotation. Extension candidates Stewart said the team is not actively considering talking extension with any players, and that he prefers to see what they can do on the field before broaching that subject. "The best time to look at that is probably during the course of the year," Stewart said. "I'll have to check with (team President and CEO) Derrick (Hall) and get an idea of what team policy is and what we've done in the past and if we even talk about extending players during the course of the year." Still, Stewart sees several players whom might be good candidates for an extension. He mentioned the following by

name: infielder Chris Owings, center fielder A.J. Pollock, right fielder Mark Trumbo, starting pitcher Chase Anderson and relievers Perez and Reed. Of those mentioned, Pollock, Trumbo and Reed would make the most sense. Owings and Anderson are too far from free agency and not high-profile enough prospects to merit extensions so soon, and at 33 years old Perez would be unlikely to be of much use to a team not expected to contend for a few years. The Diamondbacks may be better suited flipping Perez at the trade deadline for a prospect. Pollock showed flashes of being an All-Star last season and will hit arbitration after this year, and Trumbo and Reed are arbitration-eligible this offseason. Reed in particular could get more expensive as each year passes given his closer status and 101 career saves. "Next year his arbitration number is going to be huge," Stewart said. "You may be able to do something that makes sense for the team and makes sense for the player." Rule 5 draft The Diamondbacks have the first pick in the Rule 5 draft, set to take place Thursday morning. The team has an open spot on the 40-man roster – any selection must be on the active roster for the entire season or returned to his previous club – and intends to make a pick instead of trading it. "We've been asked to trade it, but we're not going to trade it," Stewart said. "I know our guys are networking right now to come up with a selection for us. We have it, so we're probably going to use it." Some reports have linked the Diamondbacks to Astros catcher Roberto Pena, a 22-year-old who has not played about High-A in five minor-league seasons. He would fill a positional need for Arizona, but the Diamondbacks did not commit to taking him. "We'll see," said De Jon Watson, the team's senior vice president of baseball operations.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Wade Miley drawing trade interest By Nick Piecoro / The Arizoan Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/12/10/arizona-diamondbacks-wade-miley-drawing-trade-interest/20200417/ SAN DIEGO – Multiple reports indicate the Diamondbacks continue to discuss potential trades involving left-hander Wade Miley, with the club apparently focusing on young starting pitching in return. The motivations to deal Miley are unclear. Miley had an inconsistent 2014 season, posting a 4.34 ERA, but still managed to throw 201 1/3 innings, the third consecutive season he's been around 200 innings. He's relatively affordable – mlbtraderumors.com projects him to earn $4.3 million in his first year of arbitration – and has three years of club control to go before hitting free agency. There's

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also an expectation within the industry that Miley would be open to discussing a contract extension. Miley would seemingly provide the Diamondbacks with some predictability in their rotation. They have very little of that beyond him. Right-hander Josh Collmenter has never spent an entire season in a major league rotation. Newly acquired right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is coming off two subpar, injury-plagued seasons. Left-hander Robbie Ray, another recent acquisition, struggled in his brief big league stint last season. The club has other young pitching options, but none are proven commodities. Among the clubs known to have interest in Miley are the Miami Marlins, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers.

Source: D-backs working out Miley deal with Red Sox By Jack Magruder / FOX Sports Arizona http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/source-d-backs-close-to-dealing-miley-121014 PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks have found plenty of suitors for left-hander Wade Miley at the winter meetings, but they will not budge on a trade until the right offer presents itself, according to a source with knowledge of Arizona's position. The D-backs have engaged in talks with Boston, Texas and Miami regarding Miley, and reports Wednesday evening said the D-backs and Red Sox had agreed in principle to a four-player deal that would send Miley to the Red Sox for right-handers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster and a minor leaguer. While the deal has been discussed for some time, the D-backs will not sign off until the right minor leaguer is included, the source said. The D-backs did not speak to Boston on Wednesday, general manager Dave Stewart said, and the sides remained at an impasse late Wednesday night. Boston scouts paid particular attention to Miley in the last weeks of the 2014 season, according to a source, and after losing out on free agent Jon Lester could seek to add another left-hander to the rotation, although the comparison stops there. The Marlins and Rangers have also made inquiries on Miley, according to various sources. It is not hard to see why Miley is on other teams' radar. He has been the D-backs' most consistent starter the last three years, going 34-33 with a 3.74 ERA while averaging 199 2/3 innings. He has not missed a start since he was elevated to the rotation in late April 2012, and at 16-11 he finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting that season. Miley, who turned 28 three weeks ago, has three years of arbitration eligibility remaining and could expect to earn between $3.75 million and $4.25 million this season, a reasonable salary for a starter. At the same time, D-backs chief baseball officer Tony La Russa on Wednesday afternoon told MLB Network the D-backs need to "get deeper and younger," and a Miley trade to Boston would accomplish that. Webster is 24 and De La Rosa is 25, and both

project as at least middle of the rotation starters. Neither is eligible for arbitration until after the 2015 season. D-backs director of baseball operations De Jon Watson has a history with both De La Rosa and Webster. Watson was the Dodgers' assistant general manager when the two joined the organization in 2008. De La Rosa was a free agent and Webster an 18th-round draft pick out of high school in North Carolina. De La Rosa had a 4-8 record with a 4.43 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) last season for Boston, while Webster was 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA in 11 starts> If Miley leaves, the D-backs' rotation could include Josh Collmenter, Jeremy Hellickson, De La Rosa, Webster and a fifth from among a group of Chase Anderson, Vidal Nuno and Daniel Hudson. Stewart said before the meetings that using Hudson as a starter might be the best way to control his innings as he returns from a second Tommy John surgery in a mid-2013. Miami manager Mike Redmond seemed to confirm the Marlins' interest when he spoke to reporters in San Diego on Wednesday, although there was no indication as to what the D-backs could receive in return. "Well, I've seen Miley just a little bit," Redmond said. "But this guy has logged a lot of innings, and he's won games. So I think when you start talking about pitching staffs and ... it's one thing to have arms and quality arms, but at the end of the day you have to have guys that can win. Those are always things that we look at as a staff collectively going forward, is which guys give us the best opportunity to win. "I think we're always looking to improve. Whether that's Miley or whoever it ends up being, that is the goal is to try to target guys that win games." Texas turned to the D-backs when talks with San Diego and the New York Mets stalled, according to the Dallas Morning News. The paper suggested the D-backs could ask for Alex Gonzalez or top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, who is considered the Rangers' catcher of the future and is unlikely to be moved. The D-backs are in the market for a catcher to pair with Tuffy Gosewisch after they traded Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, although Boston would not part with either young catchers Blake Swihart or Christian Vazquez. The D-backs appear to have an interest in Cubs former starter Welington Castillo, who lost his job to Montero. Catching prospect Peter O'Brien is unlikely to be ready for the majors in 2015. The D-backs will have the first pick of the Rule 5 draft Thursday morning and could take a catcher there, although if the Boston trade goes through by then, they will have no room on their 40-man roster.

Report: Diamondbacks have agreement to trade Wade Miley to Red Sox By ArizonaSports.com http://arizonasports.com/42/1790294/Report-Diamondbacks-have-agreement-to-trade-Wade-Miley-to-Red-Sox

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With a day left in Major League Baseball's annual Winter Meetings, the Arizona Diamondbacks have made their second trade in as many days, agreeing to send starting pitcher Wade Miley to the Boston Red Sox, according to MLB on FOX reporter Ken Rosenthal. ----

Ken Rosenthal -- ✔ @Ken_Rosenthal #RedSox have agreement in principle for #DBacks’ Miley, sources tell me and @jonmorosi. AZ will get Webster, De La Rosa and a minor leaguer. ---- That report was later refuted by The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro: ---- Nick Piecoro -- @nickpiecoro Dbacks source says they’ve discussed Webster & De La Rosa with Red Sox in deal for Miley but no agreement has been reached. ---- The 28-year-old Miley is coming off a season in which he posted an 8-12 record with a 4.34 ERA. He struck out 183 and walked 75 in 201.1 innings pitched. In 106 games for the D-backs (102 starts), Miley posted a 38-35 record with a 3.79 ERA. He was an All-Star in 2012. Miley is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility and MLBTradeRumors.com projects he'll command a salary of $4.3 million in 2015. Since he won't be a free agent until after the 2017 season, it seems unlikely that a trade of Miley was done purely for financial reasons. Rubby De La Rosa, 25, is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound right-hander from the Dominican Republic. De La Rosa went 4-8 with a 4.43 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 19 appearances (18 starts) with Boston last season. Allen Webster, 24, is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-hander from Greensboro, NC. He started 11 games for Boston last season, going 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 36 strikeouts. ----

Jon Morosi -- ✔ @jonmorosi

On #RedSox - #DBacks trade agreement, remember that #DBacks senior VP De Jon Watson had De La Rosa and Webster as #Dodgers prospects. ----

Report: Arizona Diamondbacks 'listening' to offers regarding Wade Miley By ArizonaSports.com http://arizonasports.com/42/1790186/Report-Arizona-Diamondbacks-listening-to-offers-regarding-Wade-Miley The Arizona Diamondbacks may not be done making deals.

They already traded catcher Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs for a pair of prospects, and now their attention looks to be on shaking up the starting rotation. ----

Bob Nightengale -- ✔ @BNightengale The Arizona #Dbacks are now trying to reduce payroll to $90 million; listening to offers for Wade Miley. ---- The 28-year-old Miley is coming off a season in which he posted an 8-12 record with a 4.34 ERA. He struck out 183 and walked 75 in 201.1 innings pitched. Since becoming a fixture in the D-backs' rotation in 2012, Miley has logged far more innings than any pitcher in Sedona red and he currently ranks seventh in innings pitched on the franchise's all-time list. Miley is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility and MLBTradeRumors.com projects he'll command a salary of $4.3 million in 2015. Since he won't be a free agent until after the 2017 season, it seems unlikely that a trade of Miley would be incited by financial obligations to the pitcher. One potential reason for a move of Miley, on the contrary, would be to acquire catching depth in the wake of the D-backs' parting with Montero. Following the acquisition of 24-year-old Robbie Ray last week, the D-backs also seem to have a surplus of left-handed starting pitchers on their roster. Along with Miley and Ray, the D-backs got serviceable work from Vidal Nuno last season and they await Patrick Corbin's return from Tommy John surgery. Another southpaw, 24-year-old Andrew Chafin, made his big league debut for Arizona last season. Multiple reports link the Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox as potential trade partners for the D-backs should they look to deal Miley. As things progressed on Wednesday, both the Marlins and Red Sox were reportedly involved in conversations with the D-backs regarding Miley. The Marlins and Rangers were ruled out by FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. ----

Ken Rosenthal -- ✔ @Ken_Rosenthal Sources: #Marlins, #Rangers out on Miley. Process of elimination points to #RedSox unless another team is involved. ---- Marlins beat writer Clark Spencer also reported that Miami and Arizona were close to a deal, but it fell through. ---- clarkspencer -- @clarkspencer

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#Marlins thought they were close to deal for Miley but #dbacks pulled out. ---- And, as Rosenthal suggested, the Red Sox and D-backs may have then had discussions, as FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi tweeted, but there were conflicting reports on that front. USA Today's Bob Nightengale says there was no such engagement. ----

Jon Morosi -- ✔ @jonmorosi #RedSox and #DBacks are close to a deal that will send Wade Miley to Boston, source says. ---- ----

Bob Nightengale -- ✔ @BNightengale Two officials from the #Redsox and #Dbacks say there are no active trade discussions involving a potential Wade Miley trade. ----

Miley reported dealt to Red Sox: Diamondbacks continue to seek pitching: By Mark Brown / Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/article/diamondbacks-continue-to-seek-pitching-miley-attractive-to-many SAN DIEGO – The revolving doors could be spinning once again. After acquiring right-hander Jeremy Hellickson from the Rays and lefty Robbie Ray from the Tigers, the Diamondbacks, are the rumor mill churns, may be shopping left-hander Wade Miley. After Miley’s disappointing 8-12, 4.34 ERA season in 2014, the Diamondbacks could be in a position to ship the Hammond, La. native for perhaps for a catcher, the greatest need at the moment. While manager Chip Hale said Tuffy Gosewisch is now first on the depth chart, there’s no question this a significant gap to fill. Still, dangling Miley in front of salivating general managers could mean the Arizona front office is pretty serious about ending mediocrity on the Chase Field baseball diamond. Late Wednesday night, ESPN.com reported that Miley was dealt to the Boston Red Sox for pitchers Rubby De LA Rosa and Allen Webster. In 2014, De La Rosa went 4-8 with a 4.43 ERA in 18 starts while Webster was 5-3, 5.03 ERA but walked 46 hitters in 89.1 inning. He also allowed 10 home runs. By late Wednesday night, ESPN.com reported the Diamondbacks denied the deal was completed. It’s no secret Miley’s production has fallen over the past two seasons. While runner-up in the balloting for the National League rookie-of-the-year in 2012 (16-10, 3.33 ERA), the 28-year-old dropped to 10-10 in 2013 with a 3.55 ERA. Last season, Miley ballooned to that under .500 season and an ERA well above four runs a game.

“(Miley’s) won games in the past and logged around 200 innings,” said Mike Redmond, the Marlins manager. “So, he’s attractive to us. Look, if you ask every manager here, they will all tell you the same thing. We all look for pitching but at the end of the day, you have to have guys who will win.” If Miley goes, the Diamondbacks apparently will not be that upset. If general manager Dave Stewart’s assertion is correct, the Diamondbacks are prepared to get through a transition season and allow the core of their future, Archie Bradley, Aaron Blair and Braden Shipley, to develop. Plus, dealing the lefty Miley will not deplete left-handed arms. The Diamondbacks have Andrew Chafin, Vidal Nuno, Ray and Patrick Corbin could return to the rotation by the All-Star game. Still out wandering about the free-agent landscape is James Shields, who helped lead the Royals into the World Series. While Shields would obviously be a welcomed addition to the rotation, Stewart admitted the Diamondbacks have not made contact. Despite trimming around $70 million from players owed over the coming years, don’t expect the Diamondbacks to rob a bank and pay for Shields. Overall, Stewart said he’s “okay” with the way the pitching staff is assembled. In declaring “we have our closer,” Stewart’s reference is to Addison Reed, who recorded 32 saves but registered an unimpressive 4.26 ERA in 62 appearances. According to Stewart, the bullpen is adequate and, at this point, will reply upon returnees Evan Marshall, Oliver Perez, Brad Zielger, Matt Stites and Reed. Others who may have a chance to turn heads in spring training include Jake Barrett, Jimmie Sherfy and Enrique Burgos, who could push Reed, going forward, as the closer. “It’s always tough to acquire pitchers,” Stewart said. “We’ll always looking to improve and get better.” RULE 5 DRAFT The last “official” order of business in the Winter Meetings occurs Thursday morning. That’s when the Rule 5 draft takes place and a team must have a roster spot open on the 40-man roster to add a Rule 5 player. By virtue of the worst record in baseball last season, the Diamondbacks select first and currently have 39 players on the 40-man roster. That number of 39 was created Tuesday when Arizona traded Miguel Montero and Stewart left the spot open for a possible Rule 5 acquisition. At the Winter Meetings last season, the Diamondbacks lost right-handed pitcher Kevin Munson to the Phillies and Rule 5 draft but Munson did not make the Philadelphia roster. He was returned to the Diamondbacks and had a strong year in the minor leagues.

Diamondbacks trade Wade Miley to Boston By Brad Cesmat / Sports360AZ.com

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http://www.sports360az.com/2014/12/diamondbacks-trade-wade-miley-boston/ The Diamondbacks busy shopping season at the Baseball Winter Meetings continued Wednesday night in San Diego. Starting pitcher Wade Miley became the latest to be traded out of Sedona Red. Arizona moved the left-hander to the Boston Red Sox for two minor league pitchers. This trade comes as no surprise. General Manager Dave Stewart told me on this mornings show that the team was getting plenty of offers for Miley. Boston was taking heat from the Red Sox faithful for missing out on signing Jon Lester, who went to the Cubs Tuesday night. The Diamondbacks get back right-handed pitchers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster. De La Rosa appeared in 30 games for the Sox, 18 of them as a starter. He had a 4.54 ERA in 113 innings. Webster was ranked as a top-100 prospect by Baseball America in 2014. There was some controversy around this deal. While Boston media was reporting that the deal was done, Diamondbacks General Manager Dave Stewart initially denied that there was a deal. Eventually the two sides were able to work through the controversy and get the deal done. The Miley trade comes a day after Miguel Montero was dealt to the Chicago Cubs for prospects. The Winter Meetings wrap up Thursday with the Rule 5 draft.

AFL announces 2014 Top Prospects Team Fall League names its best of best, as chosen by managers, coaches By Arizona Fall League http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20141210&content_id=103717862&fext=.jsp&vkey=pr_milb&sid=milb The Arizona Fall League announces its 2014 Top Prospects Team. Selected by Fall League managers and coaches, the Top Prospects Team recognizes players who distinguished themselves throughout the league's six-week 2014 schedule against other top prospects from every organization in Major League Baseball. Voters were asked to consider Fall League performance and Major League projectability. Outfielders Jesse Winker, Surprise Saguaros (Cincinnati Reds): Winner of EyePromise Vizual EDGE PRO Award as the league batting champion (.338) … also ranked first in the league in OPS (.999) and second in on-base percentage (.440) and slugging percentage (.559) … MVP nominee … four doubles, one triple, three home runs and 18 RBIs in 19 games … Week One Player of the Week. Eddie Rosario, Salt River Rafters (Minnesota Twins): Key offensive catalyst for 2014 AFL champion Salt River Rafters …

MVP nominee … league's No. 2 hitter (.330) … led league with 33 hits … also ranked second with 10 stolen bases … .345 on-base percentage, .410 slugging percentage and .755 OPS … started in left field and batted second for the East Division in the Nov. 1 Fall Stars Game. Roman Quinn, Scottsdale Scorpions (Philadelphia Phillies): Led league with 14 stolen bases … second in the league with 19 runs scored … hit .250 in 24 games with two triples and two home runs … also recorded a .361 on-base percentage, .359 slugging percentage and .720 OPS … named to East Division squad and stole two bases with two RBIs in Nov. 1 Fall Stars game … stole three bases October 11 at Surprise … another big game vs. Surprise on Oct. 15 with four hits and two stolen bases. Hunter Renfroe, Surprise Saguaros (San Diego Padres): Led league with .569 slugging percentage, 16 extra-base hits and 58 total bases … tied for league lead with six home runs … tied for second in league with 26 games played … third in league with 20 RBIs and .914 OPS … hit .284 with .345 on-base percentage … named to West Division squad and homered in November 1 Fall Stars game … National League winner of 2014 Bowman Hitting Challenge … two home runs and five RBI November 3 at Glendale … grand slam and another five RBIs Nov. 8 vs. Mesa … Week Five Player of the Week. Byron Buxton, Salt River Rafters (Minnesota Twins): Member of 2014 AFL champion Salt River Rafters in second Fall League season abbreviated to 13 games by a finger injury … hit .263 with two doubles, six RBIs and 5 stolen bases … .311 on-base percentage, .298 slugging percentage and .610 OPS. Steven Moya, Glendale Desert Dogs (Detroit Tigers): Started in right field and batted clean-up for the West Division in the Nov. 1 Fall Stars Game … third in league with 49 total bases … tied for third in league with five home runs and 12 extra-base hits … fourth in league with .544 slugging percentage … tied for fourth with 19 RBI and 17 runs scored … hit .289 in 23 games with six doubles, one triple and five stolen bases … .327 on-base percentage and .871 OPS … four RBI Oct. 14 at Peoria … another big game at Surprise on Oct. 27 with two home runs. Third basemen Brandon Drury, Salt River Rafters (Arizona Diamondbacks): Member of 2014 AFL champion Salt River Rafters … named to East Division squad for Nov. 1 Fall Stars game … hit .219 in 23 games with four doubles, one triple, three home runs and 11 RBIs … .312 on-base percentage, .375 slugging percentage and .687 OPS. Hunter Dozier, Peoria Javelinas (Kansas City Royals): Started at third base for the West Division in the Nov. 1 Fall Stars Game … led the league with 18 walks … hit .256 in 24 games with six doubles, one home run and 11 RBIs … .390 on-base percentage, .360 slugging percentage and .751 OPS … American League winner of 2014 Bowman Hitting Challenge. Shortstops Daniel Robertson, Mesa Solar Sox (Oakland Athletics): MVP nominee … named to East Division squad for Nov. 1 Fall Stars game … hit .301 in 20 games with one double, one home run

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and 12 RBIs … .398 on-base percentage, .356 slugging percentage and .754 OPS … Week Three Player of the Week … five hits and four RBIs on Oct. 25 at Surprise. Corey Seager, Glendale Desert Dogs (Los Angeles Dodgers): Started at shortstop and batted third for the West Division in the Nov. 1 Fall Stars Game … led league with 10 doubles … hit .281 in 23 games with two triples, one home run and 14 RBIs … .354 on-base percentage, .472 slugging percentage and .825 OPS … finished season with 14-game hitting streak. Second basemen Darnell Sweeney, Glendale Desert Dogs (Los Angeles Dodgers): The league's No. 5 hitter (.316) … home run, four hits and four RBIs on Oct. 22 vs. Peoria … another big game vs. Scottsdale on Nov. 11 with a home run and five RBIs. Tony Renda, Mesa Solar Sox (Washington Nationals): Started at second base for the East Division in the Nov. 1 Fall Stars Game … hit .200 in 22 games with three doubles, one triple and seven RBIs … .233 on-base percentage, .259 slugging percentage and .492 OPS. First basemen Greg Bird, Scottsdale Scorpions (New York Yankees): Winner of Joe Black MVP Award … led league with 21 runs scored … tied for league lead with six home runs … second in league with 21 RBI, 55 total bases and .947 OPS … tied for second in league with 26 games … third in league with .556 slugging percentage … the league's No. 6 hitter (.313) … Nov. 1 Fall Stars Game MVP when he started at first base, batted clean-up and hit a mammoth home run to center field for the East Division … Week Two Player of the Week … four RBIs on Oct. 7 at Salt River … two home runs on Oct. 16 at Surprise. Matt Olson, Mesa Solar Sox (Oakland Athletics): Hit .257 in 11 games with one double, one triple, four home runs and eight RBIs … .435 on-base percentage, .686 slugging percentage and 1.120 OPS … two home runs on Oct. 11 vs. Peoria. Catchers Justin O'Conner, Peoria Javelinas (Tampa Bay Rays): Hit .303 in 17 games with six doubles, one home run and 10 RBIs … .361 on-base percentage, .439 slugging percentage and .801 OPS … named to West Division squad for Nov. 1 Fall Stars game. Peter O'Brien, Salt River Rafters (Arizona Diamondbacks): Member of 2014 AFL champion Salt River Rafters … second in the league with 17 walks … tied for third in the league with five home runs … fourth in league in OPS (.904) … started at catcher for the East Division in the Nov. 1 Fall Stars Game … hit .256 in 25 games with 7 doubles and 12 RBI … .393 on-base percentage and .512 slugging percentage … two home runs on Nov. 7 at Peoria. Designated hitters Aaron Judge, Scottsdale Scorpions (New York Yankees): Hit .278 in 24 games with five doubles, four home runs and 15 RBIs … .377 on-base percentage, .467 slugging percentage and .844

OPS … named to East Division squad for Nov.1 Fall Stars game … Week Four Player of the Week … four RBIs on Oct. 15 vs. Surprise … another big performance with two home runs and four RBIs at Mesa on Oct.30. Scott Schebler, Glendale Desert Dogs (Los Angeles Dodgers): MVP nominee … league's No. 7 hitter (.310) … tied for third in the league with five home runs … tied for fourth in the league with 17 runs scored … fifth in the league with .524 slugging percentage and .875 OPS … .352 on-base percentage in 23 games with three doubles and 13 RBIs. Starting pitchers Mark Appel, Salt River Rafters (Houston Astros): Member of 2014 AFL champion Salt River Rafters … 1-0 with 2.61 ERA in seven starts over league-leading 31.0 innings … tied for second in the league with 24 strikeouts … .167 batting average against (sixth in league) … 0.84 WHIP (eighth in league). Joely Rodriguez, Scottsdale Scorpions (Pittsburgh Pirates): Tied for league lead with three wins … 2.38 ERA in seven starts over 22.2 innings … 22 strikeouts … .310 batting average against … 1.46 WHIP … Week Three Pitcher of the Week. Relief pitchers Steven Okert, Scottsdale Scorpions (San Francisco Giants): Named to East Division squad for November 1 Fall Stars game … 0-0 with 0.75 ERA in 10 appearances with one save … 17 strikeouts in 12.0 innings pitched … first among relievers with 4.50 baserunners allowed per nine innings … second among relievers with .119 batting average against. Chris Bassitt, Glendale Desert Dogs (Chicago White Sox, traded to Oakland Athletics): Named to West Division squad for November 1 Fall Stars game … 1-1 with 0.69 ERA in six appearances … 22 strikeouts in 13.0 innings pitched … led league relievers with 15.23 strikeouts per nine innings … .184 batting average against … 0.92 WHIP.

With top pick, D-backs could uncover gem in Rule 5 Draft Rule 5 of thumb: Gems can be found in Draft Astros' DeShields, Marlins' Garcia, Braves' Graham among prospects being mentioned By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/103184576/rule-5-of-thumb-gems-can-be-found-in-draft SAN DIEGO -- Most of the noise at this year's Winter Meetings has come in the form of trade news and rumors (Jeff Samardzija, Miguel Montero, Dee Gordon, etc.) and free-agent signings (Jon Lester). Underneath that roar, the Rule 5 buzz that typically comes was starting to hum. While not the household names in the deals referenced above, the Astros' Delino DeShields Jr., Marlins left-hander Jarlin Garcia and Braves right-handed pitcher J.R. Graham were among the names getting the most Rule 5 attention. The draft, attended by all 30 Major League organizations, takes place on Thursday (live audio coverage begins on MLB.com at noon ET). The player pool is made up entirely of players not

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protected on a team's 40-man roster. As a result, the Rule 5 Draft has often been equated to finding diamonds in the rough. Teams' scouting departments will scour the list of eligible players, looking for potential where others perhaps didn't see any. "It's a lot of players to go through," Astros pro scouting director Kevin Goldstein said. "All of our scouts are invited to be a part of the process and identify possible candidates, and the debate goes from there. We've certainly whittled the 66 pages of names down to a small group of final candidates, but we're still in the process of really locking in our pref list." The Astros pick No. 4 this year after having the top spot the previous two years. The Rule 5 Draft order is constructed the same way as the First-Year Player Draft -- reverse order of the previous season's overall standings, though extra picks aren't given as compensation like in the June Draft. The D-backs have the No. 1 pick in San Diego on Thursday, followed by the Rockies and Rangers, before Goldstein and the Astros can consider making a selection. DeShields, Garcia and Graham weren't the only names being bandied about in the lobby. As is often the case, pitchers are the popular attraction, with 95 of the 130 players taken in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft since 2006 having been hurlers. Carlos Melo of the Indians, Cody Martin, also of the Braves, the Tigers' Edgar De La Rosa and the Mets' Logan Verrett are some of the other arms being discussed. Roberto Pena, a defensive-minded catcher in the Astros organization, has been mentioned as a possible pick. Other than DeShields and Pena, Brewers first baseman Nick Ramirez, Red Sox outfielder Henry Ramos and Marlins first baseman Mark Canha are other bats who could hear their names called on Thursday. "I know there's a lot of talk out there about some mystery person that everybody wants, so hopefully we'll know who that one is since we get the first pick," D-backs general manager Dave Stewart said. "We've been asked to trade it, but we're not going to trade it." To make a selection in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, a team must have room on its 40-man roster for the new player. Clubs pay $50,000 to select a player in the Major League phase. If that player doesn't stay on the selecting team's 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000. Last year, nine players were selected in the Major League phase. Three -- Tommy Kahnle with the Rockies, Adrian Nieto with the White Sox and Wei-Chung Wang with the Brewers -- stuck all season. There are also Minor League phases. It costs $12,000 to take a player in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 and $4,000 in the Double-A portion. In these phases, there are no rules about what level the selected prospect must play to remain with his new organization. Last year's buzz came from the Triple-A phase, in which the Rangers took Seattle Seahawks quarterback and former Minor Leaguer Russell Wilson. Justin Bour also ended up making news by being taken in the Triple-A phase by the Marlins and reaching the big leagues this past season. Changes to the Rule 5 Draft in 2006, giving teams an additional season to evaluate players before having to make roster

decisions, have made it a little more difficult to find talent. Now, players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons. In other words, an international player or high school draftee signed in 2010, assuming he was 18 or younger as of June 5 of that year, must be protected. A college player taken in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft is in the same boat. A player is usually left unprotected because a team either believes he's so far away from being a big league contributor that he won't stick, or it is willing to part ways with that player. Whatever the reason, there are some intriguing names on that massive list of eligibles. Will any of these players turn into Josh Hamilton, Joakim Soria, Dan Uggla or Johan Santana? It might seem unlikely, but only time will answer that question. And more players taken in the Rule 5 Draft, even since the rules changed in 2006, have stuck in the big leagues than one might expect. Including the nine players taken in 2013, there have been 130 players selected in the Major League phases of the past eight Rule 5 Drafts. A total of 41 players stuck in the big leagues the next season, though not always with the team that took them. That's a success rate of 31.5 percent. Considering the needle-in-the-haystack feel of the Draft, that's a higher rate of success than many would predict. "I'm surprised," Goldstein said. "It's still a needle in the haystack, but maybe it's a knitting needle. It's a tough exercise. You're balancing the players who can stick and players who could use the time to develop more [in the Minors]." The Rule 5 Draft order and the status of each team's 40-man roster as of Wednesday night. Teams can only select a player if it has space on its 40-man roster. 1. Arizona Diamondbacks, 39 2. Colorado Rockies, 39 3. Texas Rangers, 38 4. Houston Astros, 38 5. Minnesota Twins, 39 6. Boston Red Sox, 39 7. Chicago White Sox, 38 8. Chicago Cubs, 38 9. Philadelphia Phillies, 38 10. Cincinnati Reds, 38 11. Miami Marlins, 39 12. San Diego Padres, 39 13. Tampa Bay Rays, 40 14. New York Mets, 39 15. Atlanta Braves, 38 16. Milwaukee Brewers, 39 17. Toronto Blue Jays, 37 18. New York Yankees, 37 19. Cleveland Indians, 40 20. Seattle Mariners, 39 21. San Francisco Giants, 40 22. Pittsburgh Pirates, 39 23. Oakland Athletics, 40

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24. Kansas City Royals, 39 25. Detroit Tigers, 40 26. St. Louis Cardinals, 37 27. Los Angeles Dodgers, 40 28. Baltimore Orioles, 37 29. Washington Nationals, 40 30. Los Angeles Angels, 39

2014 AFL All-Star Team By Vince Lara-Cinisomo / Baseball America http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2014-afl-star-team/ The Arizona Fall League on Wednesday announced its 2014 top prospects team, selected by AFL managers and coaches. Voters were asked to consider AFL performance as well as major league projectability. Here are capsules on the players who placed on the team, infused with BA scouting reports. Outfielders Jesse Winker, Surprise Saguaros (Reds). Winker was the AFL’s top batter at .338 and also was first in OPS (.999) and second in OBP (.440) and slugging (.559). The lefthanded hitter raised his stock in the estimation of some scouts, especially showing better pop than projected, even after missing time in the regular season with a wrist injury. He’s got an easy swing, generating power with his quick hands and strong wrists, and very good plate discipline. He profiles best in left field, being a bit slow-footed and with no more than an average arm. Eddie Rosario, Salt River Rafters (Twins). Rosario hit .330/.345/.410 and ranked second in the AFL with 10 steals. As a hitter, Rosario ranks among the best in the Twins system—one that includes Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton,—and has enough bat speed to dream on double-digit homers and a bunch of doubles. His defense is a work in progress at second base, but he takes good routes in the outfield. Roman Quinn, Scottsdale Scorpions (Phillies). Quinn led the AFL with 14 steals and recorded a .361 OBP. Speed is a major part of Quinn’s game, with some scouts grading him as an 80 runner, and he’s stolen 94 bases in 221 pro games. Hunter Renfroe, Surprise Saguaros (Padres). Renfroe led the AFL with a .569 slugging percentage and tied for the lead with six homers. The Mississippi State product has plus bat speed but leads with his front shoulder, making him susceptible to good spin. He owns the kind of power that’s lacking in the San Diego lineup, so he should move through the rest of the system pretty quickly. Byron Buxton, Salt River Rafters (Twins). Buxton played in just 13 games and posted a .610 OPS, but is on this team because of projection. He showed significant rust, but scouts observed that his plus-plus bat speed was still present. He still has all of the premier tools that have made him the No. 1 prospect in the game two years running, with speed, fielding and arm all at the top of the scale. Steven Moya, Glendale Desert Dogs (Tigers). Moya tied for third in the AFL with five homers and fourth in slugging (.544) and RBIs (19). He has good bat speed, generates tremendous

leverage and developed a better feel for his swing. Strike-zone discipline is his biggest obstacle. Third Basemen Brandon Drury, Salt River Rafters (Diamondbacks). Drury slashed .219/.312/.375, but showed he was a much better hitter than that during the minor league season. He led the minors with 51 doubles in 2013 and hit 42 in 2014, while hitting .299/.362./872 between high Class A Visalia and Double-A Mobile. He has played some second base as the D-backs look for a place to fit his bat. Hunter Dozier, Peoria Javelinas (Royals). He Led the AFL with 18 walks while compiling a .390 on-base percentage. Dozier always has demonstrated a good idea of the strike zone and an ability to draw walks, and employs a simple swing, making use of a slight toe tap as a timing mechanism before taking a balanced, short stroke best geared for line drives up the middle. Shortstops Daniel Robertson, Mesa Solar Sox (Athletics). Oakland’s top prospect hit .301/.398/.356 in the AFL with 12 RBIs. He’s a mature, professional hitter who consistently grinds out quality at-bats. At short, he doesn’t have flashy range, but has steady hands and appears to be in the right place to make plays. Corey Seager, Glendale Desert Dogs (Dodgers). He led the AFL with 10 doubles and slugged .472. He’s a pure hitter with plus bat speed through the zone. Defensively, like Robertson, he enhances his range at shortstop through good positioning. Second Basemen Darnell Sweeney, Glendale Desert Dogs (Dodgers). Sweeney was the league’s No. 5 hitter at .316. He can have success at the plate when he stays within his strike zone and works gap to gap, but he’s prone to swinging and missing. Tony Renda, Mesa Solar Sox (Nationals). Renda posted a .200/.233/.259 slash line. Despite that, he makes consistently hard, line-drive contact with a slight uppercut stroke. He controls the strike zone well. First Basemen Greg Bird, Scottsdale Scorpions (Yankees). Bird was named league MVP after he tied for the AFL lead with six homers and led with 21 runs scored. The lefty hitter famously mashed a ball into the center field bleachers in the Fall Stars Game, winning MVP honors. He combines a good power stroke with plate discipline and looms as a possible successor to Mark Teixeira when his contract expires after 2016. Matt Olson, Mesa Solar Sox (Athletics). Olson slugged .686 in the AFL, not surprising given his 37 homers during the regular season. He fits the mold of a slugger, and he has legitimate plus power. Most of that pop goes to his pull side. Catchers

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Justin O’Conner, Peoria Javelinas (Rays). O’Conner posted a .301/.361/.439 slash line in the AFL, but the catcher is known for his strong, accurate arm and quick release, helping him gun down runners at a staggering pace. Pete O’Brien, Salt River Rafters (Diamondbacks). The former Yankees prospect, sent to Arizona for Martin Prado, ranked fourth in the AFL with a .904 OPS. The righthanded slugger shows prodigious power, hitting five homers in the AFL after slugging 34 in the minor league season. Whether he remains a catcher is the big question. Designated Hitters Aaron Judge, Scottsdale Scorpions (Yankees). Judge posted a .278/.377/.467 slash line with five double and four homers. The 6-foot-7, former Fresno State star hits for prodigious power while also showing a discerning eye at the plate. Scott Schebler, Glendale Desert Dogs (Dodgers). Schebler hit five homers in the AFL after cracking 28 in Double-A. He draws comparisons with Travis Snider or Matt Stairs for his squat, muscular build, but he also has a power lefty bat like the aforementioned. He led the Southern League with 28 home runs, 65 extra-base hits, 14 triples, 272 total bases and a .556 slugging percentage. Starting Pitchers Mark Appel, Salt River Rafters (Astros). The righthander tied for second in the AFL with 24 whiffs in 31 innings. After a rough start to 2014, Appel rebounded with a stint at Double-A and then the AFL. He sat 93-95 mph and displaying terrific command of the changeup later in the season, scouts said. Joely Rodriguez, Scottsdale Scorpions (Pirates). Rodriguez struck out 22 in 22 2/3 innings and recorded three wins. Extremely raw when signed, he is capable of throwing his fastball at 95 mph, but is still polishing his secondary offerings. Relief Pitchers Steven Okert, Scottsdale Scorpions (Giants). The lefthander struck out 17 in 12 innings and had an 0.75 ERA. At his best, Okert shows a low-90s fastball and hard slider. Chris Bassitt, Glendale Desert Dogs (Athletics). Traded to Oakland this week in the deal for Jeff Samardzija, Bassitt flashed excellent velocity in his AFL stint, striking out 22 in 13 innings. He has a fastball that sits 92-93 mph and reached 96 regularly, even as a starter. Bassitt works more off his sinker and hard slider, which has more of a cutter shape.

Rule 5 Draft: Who Could Go And Why By J.J. Cooper / Baseball America http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/rule-5-draft-go/ UPDATED 9:16 p.m.: Added note that the Diamondbacks are expected to take Rays’ catcher Oscar Hernandez with the first pick. The Rule 5 draft is usually like a tiny dog. It makes a lot of noise, but in the end, it’s usually not a big deal.

There have been a number of Rule 5 players who have stuck with teams in recent years, but very few who have gone on to make significant big league impacts. But when teams survey this year’s Rule 5 draft list, they think there might be a better class of talent than usual. In talks with the Rule 5 decision-makers for multiple teams, they see this year as one of the best classes since the rules on Rule 5 eligibility were tweaked before the 2006 draft to add an extra year of protection for clubs. A lot of teams really start bearing down on the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. Lining up big league trades, free agent signings and other tweaks takes precedence. But there are some names who keep popping up. Here’s a look at names that are popping up the most frequently along with a case for why they could get picked and why they might go unpicked. The Rule 5 draft is always about the eye of the beholder—a player doesn’t need a consensus of teams to like him, he just needs one. Multiple sources outside of the Diamondbacks organization believe that Arizona will take Rays catcher Oscar Hernandez with the first pick. The Twins are expected to take Braves righthander J.R. Graham with the fifth pick if Graham makes it that far. For a more in-depth look at Thursday’s Rule 5 draft, check out our expansive and ever-expanding preview, which has writeups on more than 75 players. Andrew McKirahan, lhp, Cubs Why He Could Be Picked He has a plus fastball (92-96 mph) and was pitching extremely well at the end of the season. He has Double-A time so the jump to the big leagues won’t be as steep as some other, less-experienced power arms. His control has been excellent (less than 2 walks per nine innings in 2014). He’s a pitcher with further upside because he’s missed so much time with Tommy John surgery—he has only 120 pro innings in four seasons. Why He Wouldn’t Be Picked McKirahan’s breaking balls is inconsistent, which explains why he’s had more trouble with lefthanded hitters than righthanded bats. His injury history is somewhat of a concern. J.R. Graham, rhp, Braves Why He Could Be Picked Graham was the Braves’ No. 2 prospect after the 2012 season and No. 3 after the 2013 season. At his best, Graham showed a 93-97 mph fastball and an average slider. A team willing to take a chance that he can regain his best stuff could snag a premium talent at a very inexpensive price. Graham’s recent shoulder problems could also make it easier for him to stick on the roster. A player needs to spend 90 days on the active big league roster to meet Rule 5 eligibilty rules. So if he needed to, Graham could

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spend nearly half of the season on the disabled list as long as he’s on the active roster for two months between April and August. Keeping him active in September with the expanded rosters would be easy. Why He Wouldn’t Be Picked Graham’s stuff was not nearly as good in 2014 as its been in the past and he especially trailed off in the second half, which explains why he was left unprotected. Graham could regain much of his previous plus stuff, but its at least as likely that his shoulder problems mean that 95-plus mph fastball is a distant memory. Gregory Infante, rhp, Blue Jays Why He Could Be Picked If you saw him at the right time, Infante was extremely impressive. He has always had a plus to plus-plus fastball (96-97 mph on his best nights) and he’s improved his slider to the point where it is average. Control has always been Infante’s problem, but it was somewhat improved this year. He’s been impressive recently in the Venezuelan winter league so scouts have gotten a good look at him right before the draft. Infante has previous big league experience and is coming off of a season where he went 2-2, 1.94 with 44 strikeouts in 46 innings between Double-A and Triple-A so he’s about as big league ready as anyone available. Why He Wouldn’t Be Picked Infante’s control has kept him from putting together a significant big league career and there is no sign that the 27-year-old has truly turned a corner. He has below-average control, which is the kind of issue that can quickly frustrate a big league manager and make it harder for him to stick on the roster. Roberto Pena, c, Astros Why He Could Be Picked Pena is an excellent defender who has an extremely accurate arm. If a team is looking for an inexpensive backup catcher, Pena has the defensive polish to make the jump all the way from high Class A to the big leagues. Why He Wouldn’t Be Picked To stick as a Rule 5 catcher, a player has to prove he can be a quality No. 2 catcher who can start at least 20-30 games. Pena’s bat would be overtaxed for those 100-150 at-bats right now. Jandel Gustave, rhp, Astros Why He Could Be Picked Power arms are always in demand, so when a team can land a pitcher who will touch 100 mph on a pretty regular basis, understandably a lot of scouts will be interested. Why He Wouldn’t Be Picked

Gustave posted a 5.01 ERA in low Class A last year so he’s a long ways away from being big league ready. Besides his 100 mph fastball, he doesn’t really have the assortment or control to help a big league club out now. He’d be a stash pick, much like the Brewers did with Wei-Chung Wang last year, in hopes that down the road he could help out in a much more significant way. Delino DeShields, of, Astros Why He Could Be Picked DeShields is the best combination of speed and power you will find in this year’s Rule 5 class. He stole 101 bases back in 2012 and has stolen 50+ bases each of the past two seasons while also reach double digits in home runs twice in the past three years. He’s still raw in center field but his speed allows him to make up for some poor reads. He also played second base in the past so he could also fill in there. DeShields has always shown on-base skills that could allow him to become a leadoff hitter. Why He Wouldn’t Be Picked Multiple scouts are turned off by DeShields’ lack of effort at times. He’s made it to Double-A, but he’s coming off of a poor season statistically. His defensive issues make it harder to to keep him on an active roster as a backup outfielder. Oscar Hernandez, c, Rays Why He Could Be Picked Hernandez is an extremely toosly catcher with a big arm and equally big power. He put together one of the greatest Venezuelan Summer League seasons one will ever see in 2011, hitting .402/.503/.732 with 21 home runs. He led the league in batting average by 38 points, home runs by 13, slugging percentage by .238 points, total bases by 37 and on-base percentage by 39 points. If he develops, Hernandez could be a catcher who limits running games while hitting 15-20 home runs. Athletic for a catcher, he’s an average runner. Why He Wouldn’t Be Picked Hernandez isn’t a fully polished catcher defensively yet. He’s actually not even the most presently accomplished defensive catcher on his own team–Armando Araiza was more advanced, although Hernandez does have quick feet behind the plate. Even more importantly, he’s struggled to hit for average throughout his career with the exception of that one year in 2011. He projects as a below-average hitter, albeit with above-average power potential.

Red Sox Add Miley To Bolster Rotation By ESPN.com http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12013876&ex_cid=espnapi_public Aaron Boone, Curt Schilling, Tim Kurkjian, Jim Bowden and Karl Ravech discuss the Red Sox's trade for left-hander Wade Miley and the possibility of Boston using their loaded farm system to go after another big starting pitcher.

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(Video embedded on webpage)

Red Sox Acquire Miley From D-backs By ESPN.com http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12013397&ex_cid=espnapi_public Jerry Crasnick, Jim Bowden, Tim Kurkjian and Karl Ravech discuss Boston's acquisition of pitcher Wade Miley from the Diamondbacks for pitchers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster and a minor-leaguer yet to be identified. (Video embedded on webpage)

Red Sox acquire lefty Wade Miley By Gordon Edes / ESPNBoston.com http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/12013111/boston-red-sox-acquire-lhp-wade-miley-arizona-diamonbacks?ex_cid=espnapi_public SAN DIEGO -- With the promise of bigger moves to come, the Boston Red Sox took the first step toward improving their 2015 rotation by acquiring left-hander Wade Miley from the Arizona Diamondbacks for pitchers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster and a minor-leaguer yet to be identified, according to a major-league source. Miley probably slots as a No. 3 starter between right-handers Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly. The 28-year-old native of Hammond, Louisiana, has pitched no fewer than 194 2/3 innings since being installed in Arizona's rotation in 2012, eclipsing 200 innings in each of the last two seasons. Earlier in the day, Red Sox manager John Farrell said the team was placing a premium on acquiring durable starters capable of throwing 200 innings in the season. Miley is not a hard thrower -- his fastball sits at 91 miles per hour -- and threw his slider last season much more (25.8 percent) than he did in his first two seasons in the rotation. His effectiveness is a product of his control -- although his numbers have risen from 1.71 walks per nine innings in 2012 to 3.35 walks last season -- and an ability to induce ground balls (1.81 ground-ball to fly-ball ratio). His earned run average also has climbed in each of his first three seasons, to 4.34 last season, when he went 8-12, although his fielding independent percentage remained the same (3.98) in each of the last two seasons. His strikeout rate also climbed to a career-best 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings. An Arizona source insisted Wednesday night that the deal had not yet been completed The acquisition of Miley comes the day after the Red Sox lost ace Jon Lester to the Chicago Cubs, which may lend itself to unfavorable comparisons. But Miley, while giving the Red Sox a lefty it was lacking in their rotation, should not be viewed in any way as a "replacement" for Lester. But with Buchholz the only pitcher currently on the roster who threw more than 100 innings last season, the Red Sox have prioritized durability. News of the deal was first reported by Fox Sports.

Miley is arbitration eligible in 2015 and is projected to receive $4.3 million in arbitration this winter. He is under team control for the next three seasons, eligible for free agency after the 2017 season. De La Rosa and Webster are the pitchers who came to the Red Sox in the 2012 megadeal with the Dodgers in which they sent Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto to Los Angeles in an enormous salary dump. De La Rosa made 18 starts for the Red Sox last season, going 4-8 with a 4.43 ERA, but opinion remained divided within the organization whether he profiled better as a starter or reliever. Webster made 11 starts for the Red Sox last season, going 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA, and walked an alarming 46 batters in just 89 1/3 innings while giving up 10 home runs.

Montero is First D-backs Financial Casualty of Winter By Jeff Wiser / ESPN.com - Inside the 'Zona http://insidethezona.com/2014/12/montero-cubs-trade-diamondbacks-payroll/ In the 2015 Inside the ‘Zona Offseason Plan, Ryan and I took considerable care trying to figure out how the Diamondbacks could become more flexible. The key, in our mind, was shedding salary, and on Tuesday, the D-backs did just that by dumping Miguel Montero’s financial burden on the Chicago Cubs in exchange for a couple of non-noteworthy prospects. It’s never easy to replace a franchise stalwart, and Montero was a big piece of this franchise. But the move had to be made and the D-backs did well to push it through without having to eat any cash, even if the return was nothing worth getting excited about. Miguel Montero: past, present and future Montero is aging, and perhaps not all that gracefully. He’s caught the most games in all of baseball over the last four years (with 533 starts – Jonathan Lucroy is one game behind him with 532). Some of those games have been played through considerable pain (back, mostly) although Montero is damn near as tough as they come. At 32, he’ll be a Cub though his age-34 season and is already be in his decline phase, so the D-backs are surely shipping away his non-peak seasons and the money that goes with them, $40 million spread out over the next three years. His overall value has declined in the last two seasons, although his pitch-framing is thought to be quite good. He’s still excellent defensively and although his bat hasn’t been what it once was, he has undeniable power from the left side as an everyday catcher. That’s not easy to find it makes sense why the Cubs, with their deeper pockets and more immediate aspirations, would target Montero. Steamer likes him to be a league average hitter next season, and if the Cubs decide to platoon him a little bit, sheltering him from lefties, he could really do some damage. There’s still a 3-win player in there somewhere according to the projections and that’s worth his salary. Can the Cubs extract that production when the D-backs seemingly couldn’t? I’m not sure, but they’re clearly betting they can. Options behind the plate An intriguing aspect of this deal is determining who replaces Montero behind the plate. In the very short-term, I guess that

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person is Tuffy Gosewisch. That’s not the most exciting of answers and it should be expected that the D-backs do something to add to their catching situation. It’s unlikely to be a major add, but there are options that can at least help fill hole, even if most of them are uninspiring. On the free agent front, there are some choices in the form of defensive wiz Jeff Mathis, a guy who can hit a little in Geovany Soto, and some veteran backstops in David Ross and Gerald Laird. None of these guys are expected to require a big investment, but none of them are projected to be anything more than a stop-gap. Steamer likes none of them at all, for what it’s worth, and to sign any of the names above would be nothing more than a short term fix that is hardly any upgrade over just playing Tuffy, although it would provide security through additional depth. Perhaps more enticing names could be had through trade. J.R. Murphy is still blocked in New York and the Yankees have been a willing trade partner in the past. The White Sox could use another back-end arm and the D-backs have plenty of them, perhaps netting Tyler Flowers. The Giants have announced that they plan to leave Buster Posey behind the plate for the foreseeable future, meaning that Andrew Susac might be available (for Aaron Hill and cash?), or they might prefer to deal Hector Sanchez instead. Martin Maldonado of the Brewers and Tim Federowicz of the Dodgers could be other options. A young guy who may hit but might not catch well is Josmil Pinto of the Twins, and now that they’ve committed to Kurt Suzuki, he could presumably be dealt. In 2014, nearly the entire group above was merely ‘okay,’ and in some cases, downright bad. This is a nice way of saying that there aren’t a lot of good options, which made Montero desirable in the first place, and leaves the Diamondbacks without many good alternatives. You can find the group’s 2014 performance, both offensively and defensively, below. Lack of lefty power leaves a void Losing Montero creates another problem insofar as he represented the only left-handed Diamondback with power. Didi Gregorius was also a lefty and with the pair now out of town, David Peralta, Ender Inciarte and Jake Lamb are the remaining lefties who appear to be destined for considerable major league playing time at the moment (Lamb could quickly lose his job to Yasmany Tomas, however). This is where the pursuit of Andre Ethier comes from, as ill-suited as it might be. While a Montero-Ethier swap was rumored before Miggy was flipped, the team’s pursuit of the Dodger outfielder may not be over as Stewart is rumored to like him and there is very little lefty power available. I think a deal for Ethier remains unlikely, but the team is still in need of some balance in the lineup with Goldschmidt, Pollock, Owings, Hill, Tomas and Trumbo all batting right-handed. Can they fill that void? Perhaps, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a major priority sooner than later. The return from the Cubs Chicago didn’t give the Diamondbacks much in return for Montero, and that was to be expected. The fact of the matter is that Arizona’s motivation was to shed the money, not necessarily bring back big time talent. So the return of Jefferson Mejia and

Zach Godley shouldn’t be shocking. They’re both arms, but from there, things diverge. Mejia is clearly the better of the two prospects, and at 19-years old, spent 2014 in the Arizona Rookie League after signing for $850,000 out of the Dominican in 2013. He’s a tall kid at 6’7″ with a live arm, major heat and developing secondary stuff. His command is fringy at best and doesn’t project to ever be a major selling point. That all screams “future reliever” to me, but there’s no sense in making a declaration this early in his career. He should see full season ball in 2015 and would rate somewhere in the middle portion of the D-backs’ Top-30 Prospect List. Godley, on the other hand, was a 24-year old reliever who reached full season ball in 2014. That does make him a bit old for the level, but he’s served as a closer in the minors and has some pretty impressive strikeout numbers to support his status. A thick-bodied 6’3″ right-hander, he’s a reliever all the way and just adds another righty relief arm to the deep collection the Diamondbacks have built. He’ll be 25 next season and needs to really start climbing quickly if he’s to be considered a real prospect. For now, he’s just minor league relief depth. When it’s all said and done The Diamondbacks made a tough call on Tuesday, but it was one that had to be made. They did a good job to offload the money that Montero was owed and the return is the least important aspect of this trade. It was a salary dump all the way and just pulling it off was impressive. As we indicated in the Offseason Plan, this may not be the only salary dump the D-backs attempt to pull off this winter with Trevor Cahill, Cody Ross and, to a lesser extent, Aaron Hill being the next potential financial casualty. Even if this move opens up the door to whole other round of unanswered questions, it had to be made and kudos to the D-backs for doing it. In parting, I think I speak for most when I say that I’ll miss Miggy. He was a good Diamondback, but a better human being. He brought a smile to the team, a toughness to the field and was a great ambassador of what is a great Diamondbacks community. I wish him nothing but the best in Chicago and will forever be a fan. Good luck, Miguel, you’ll always be a Diamondback to me.

Miley may be better than his 2014 numbers By ESPN Stats & Information http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/99905/miley-may-be-better-than-his-2014-numbers The Boston Red Sox didn’t sign Jon Lester, but they’ve reportedly added a left-handed pitcher with a skill set that is to their liking by trading for Diamondbacks southpaw Wade Miley. Miley’s numbers jumped a bit in 2014. He had a 4.34 ERA, a big jump from the 3.44 ERA he posted in 2013 and 2012 combined. But a look beyond that shows some things that the Red Sox management found to be of value. What does Miley bring to his new team? Innings-Eater

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Miley is one of 15 pitchers to throw at least 190 innings in each of the last three seasons. The only pitchers younger than him on that list are Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner. Strikeouts and Ground Balls Miley was one of 14 pitchers to qualify for the ERA title and have a strikeout rate of at least 20 percent and a ground-ball rate of at least 50 percent in 2014. He gets ground balls because of his ability to keep the ball down. He threw 59 percent of his pitches in the lower third of the strike zone or below in 2014, the highest percentage for anyone who threw at least 100 innings. Miley was hurt a little bit more by ground balls than he had been previously. Opponents had a “reached-base percentage” (via hit or error) of .277 on ground balls and bunts against him. Their reached-base percentage was .254 from 2012 to 2013. Controlling the running game Miley excels in controlling the running game. Baserunners are 15-of-34 in steal attempts against him for his career. He’s never allowed more than five stolen bases in a season. Miley’s 10 pickoffs since the start of 2013 are tied for sixth in the majors. Getting out of Arizona Miley has been much more effective on the road than at home over the last two seasons, which is tied directly to the long ball. He’s allowed 29 home runs in Arizona the last two seasons, giving him a 4.90 ERA there. He’s yielded only 15 on the road, where his ERA is 3.13.

Sources: BoSox acquire lefty Miley from 'Zona for 2 starters, prospect By FOX Sports http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/red-sox-d-backs-trade-miley-for-webster-de-la-rosa-minor-leaguer-121014 After losing the Jon Lester sweepstakes to the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox haven't given up on improving their rotation. The Red Sox agreed in principle with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday to acquire left-hander Wade Miley for right-handed starters Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa and a minor leaguer to be named, sources have confirmed to FOX Sports MLB Insiders Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi. In his third full season, the 28-year-old Miley went 8-12 with a 4.34 ERA in 33 starts for Arizona this past year. He was 10-10 with a 3.55 ERA in 2013 and was 16-11 with a 3.33 ERA in 2012. Webster, who turns 25 in February, went 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA in 11 starts last year for Boston. He was 1-2 with an 8.60 ERA in eight games (seven starts) during his debut season in 2013.

The four-year veteran De La Rosa, who turns 26 in March, posted a 4-8 record with a 4.43 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) last season.

Red Sox acquire starter Wade Miley from Diamondbacks By Drew Silva / NBCSports.com http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/10/red-sox-acquire-starter-wade-miley-from-diamondbacks/ FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that the Red Sox and Diamondbacks have agreed to a trade that will send left-handed starter Wade Miley to Boston for pitchers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster. The Red Sox will also get another minor leaguer. Miley had a better groundball rate in 2014 (51.1%) than guys like Jeff Samardzija, Garrett Richards, Hisashi Iwakuma, Doug Fister, Zack Greinke, and AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber. And Miley is just now reaching salary arbitration, meaning he carries three more years of contractual control. De La Rosa, 25, has been good in stretches and Webster, 24, had very good numbers in the minor leagues. But Miley is an established starter with the upside to become even better. The Red Sox struck fast after losing out on Jon Lester. Now look for them to keep dealing.

Boston's trade for Miley is reason to party in the USA, not Red Sox Nation By Jesse Spector / Sporting News http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2014-12-10/red-sox-trade-rumors-wade-miley-diamondbacks-rubby-de-la-rosa-allen-webster SAN DIEGO — The good news for the Red Sox is that they still have a lot of outfield depth available to make trades. Wednesday night’s reported acquisition of Wade Miley from the Diamondbacks for Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and a minor leaguer makes sense insofar as the left-hander has the ability to chew up a lot of innings. He also has the ability to get chewed up and spit out at Fenway Park. Miley has a good ground ball-to-fly ball ratio, 1.64 for his career, but that does not mean he is invulnerable to home runs. In 2014, he served up 23 dingers, sixth-most in the National League. He also gets in trouble with a high walk rate, having issued 75 this year to rank fifth in the Senior Circuit. The 22 wild pitches that Miley has thrown over the past two seasons are indicative of control issues that have been a problem since the southpaw was an All-Star as a rookie in 2012. It is possible that the Red Sox believe they know how to get Miley’s control on track, and to help him keep the ball in the park. He’s also someone who comes to Fenway having allowed a .746 OPS to right-handed batters in his career, including a .752 mark this year. To compare Miley to Jon Lester on a wide level is unfair, because the Red Sox were chasing their former ace to become their ace again, while Miley should be a mid-rotation starter once

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all is said and done. Part of the reason that Lester was successful at Fenway, though, is that he handles hitters from each side of the plate about the same — he has a .698/.680 righty/lefty OPS split for his career. Miley’s is .746/.667. The prospect of Miley squaring off against, say, the Blue Jays, with Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion should be terrifying to the Red Sox, yet here they are welcoming the 28-year-old to the fold. The Red Sox wind up with Miley, Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly as sure bets for their rotation, with the competition for the No. 5 starter likely to be between Anthony Ranaudo and Brandon Workman, assuming that Boston brings in one more arm. In a world without this trade, and in which the Red Sox added two top-flight pitchers — probably one by free agency and one by a trade from the club’s outfield surplus — the rotation would have shaped up as the imports, Buchholz, Kelly and a four-way competition for the No. 5 spot, with the losers being viable candidates for bullpen spots. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, but sometimes the bird in your hand leaves you a little present. This trade has the look of the Red Sox getting itchy to do something after losing out on Lester. That is not good business.

Dave Stewart declares interest in players under contract to other teams By Tom Gatto / Sporting News http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2014-12-10/arizona-diamondbacks-trade-rumors-dave-stewart-alex-avila-dioner-navarro-mlb-winter-meetings Pro tip to Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart: You’re not supposed to talk about other teams’ players. ---- Nick Piecoro @nickpiecoro GM Dave Stewart said Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila, catchers who could be available via trade, could be fits for Dbacks. ---- It’s doubtful any tampering charges will result, but still, that’s a no-no. Maybe Stewart figures he’s OK on Navarro because Navarro wants out of Toronto after the Blue Jays signed Russell Martin to catch. The Jays are saying they can still give Navarro at-bats as DH, mostly to maintain some bit of trade value. (Side note: Navarro was a Diamondback for about 10 seconds back in 2005. The Yankees traded him to Arizona as part of the Randy Johnson deal, and the D-backs flipped him and three minor leaguers to the Dodgers for Shawn Green.) Avila, on the other hand, is dicier. He’s the Tigers’ clear No. 1 catcher but has been affected by concussions and other injuries in recent years. Still, Detroit has no suitable successor is in place unless it believes one of its backups, Bryan Holaday and James McCann, can do the job.

Stewart needs a catcher after trading Miguel Montero to the Cubs this week. He isn't doing himself favors by broadcasting his interest, whether legitimate or not, in possible successors.

Report: Boston Red Sox Agree To Acquire Wade Miley From Diamondbacks By Hayden Kane / SI.com http://fansided.com/2014/12/10/report-boston-red-sox-agree-acquire-wade-miley-diamondbacks/ The Boston Red Sox acquired some help for their rotation on Wednesday night, acquiring starting pitcher Wade Miley from the Arizona Diamondbacks as the MLB Winter Meetings wind down. He might not be Jon Lester, but Wade Miley is a proven left-handed starting pitcher in the big leagues. On Wednesday night, the Red Sox reportedly agreed to a trade for Miley to help their starting rotation after failing to talk Lester into a reunion. A number of teams had expressed interest in Miley once it was clear that Dave Stewart and the new Diamondbacks’ front office were open to trading him. Talks appeared to come and go with a variety of teams, with the Red Sox finally winning out with their final offer to trade for the lefty. Per Ken Rosenthal: ----

Ken Rosenthal -- ✔ @Ken_Rosenthal #RedSox have agreement in principle for #DBacks’ Miley, sources tell me and @jonmorosi. AZ will get Webster, De La Rosa and a minor leaguer. ---- But just then, as people started to react to the deal, Bob Nightengale hears that it is not agreed to yet. -----

Bob Nightengale -- ✔ @BNightengale #Dbacks GM Dave Stewart denies they have a deal with #RedSox, getting Webster and DelaRosa for Wade Miley_unable to yet agree on prospects. ---- Presumably the hold up is the exact terms of the deal, whether it is the prospects who will change hands or something else. Still, given the fact that a Ken Rosenthal report is usually nails, it sounds like a deal centering around Miley and De La Rosa and others is likely to go through eventually. Wade Miley went 8-12 with a 4.34 ERA in 33 starts last season. His struggles on that bad Arizona team are not necessarily representative of his body of work, however, as he has a career 3.79 ERA. Stay tuned until the deal is official, but it sounds like the Red Sox have made a deal to add to their rotation.

Report: Red Sox to acquire D-backs LHP Wade Miley for RHP Rubby De La Rosa, RHP Allen Webster By Jason Mastrodonato / MassLive.com

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http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2014/12/report_red_sox_to_acquire_d-ba.html SAN DIEGO -- Less than 24 hours after the Boston Red Sox found out they weren't signing Jon Lester, they've made plans to acquire another left-handed starter. Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Wade Miley, a former first-round pick who has averaged 200 innings with a 3.74 ERA over the last three seasons, is heading to Boston in exchange for a few up-and-comers, according to Fox Sports. The D-backs are expected to receive right-hander Rubby De La Rosa, right-hander Allen Webster and another minor leaguer in return. The Red Sox have not confirmed the deal. The Red Sox would be giving up on a pair of starting pitchers who could be great, but they're already loaded with players who fit that description. Eventually they were going to have to turn some of these up-and-comers into players who could be counted on in 2015, and Miley is exactly that. One of just 15 major league pitchers to throw at least 190 innings in each of the last three seasons -- remember, this is the era of the elbow injury -- Miley has been a consistent workhorse in the Diamondbacks' rotation. According to a former teammate, there's a reason for that: he's reliably hard-woking and a great clubhouse presence. Without Lester, the Red Sox have only two pitchers in the rotation in Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly, and they've averaged just 139 innings and 100 innings over the last two seasons, respectively. Miley is exactly what the Red Sox need in that regard. "We always go through an exercise in budgeting, or coming up with a budget number of innings that need to be accounted for," Red Sox manager John Farrell said, speaking generally on Wednesday. "You take into account what individual pitchers have done in previous years and what you project them to be able to provide upcoming. We knew going in that there were going to be a couple of spots needed for innings eating and very quality innings pitched. Ideally, if you can get a couple of 200-inning pitchers, they don’t go on trees, but that’s the goal.” With the ability to throw 100 mph on one day and 89 mph on the next, De La Rosa was always an enigma. His talent was through the roof, but the roof crumbled on days he chose not to bring it to the mound. In his first start of the season with the Red Sox on May 31, he threw seven shutout innings, allowing no walks and four hits while striking out eight. The only other Red Sox pitchers to meet that criteria since 2000 were Pedro Martinez and Hideo Nomo. On some days he just didn't seem to have it. De La Rosa had six starts of at least six innings while allowing one earned run or less, but on the bad side, had nine starts of less than six innings while allowing three runs or more.

Webster was in a different category, the type of pitcher who could have a great career if he could harness his control and command. He rarely had either. With a sinker that helped him strike out Mike Trout, Albert Pujos and Jose Bautista, among others last season, Webster showed his upside. With 28 walks in 59 innings, he showed his downside. Miley won't be the only starter the Red Sox acquire this offseason, so it would be unfair to think of him as the team's replacement for Lester. But he'd be a welcome addition to a starting staff that needs one.

East Longmeadow native Nick Ahmed to host defensive camp following first call up to MLB By Mark C. Volain / MassLive.com http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/12/east_longmeadow_native_nick_ah_1.html East Longmeadow native Nick Ahmed made his major league debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks this past season and now has 25 MLB games under his belt. Known for his defensive prowess, the University of Connecticut product is back in Western Mass. for the offseason. Later this month, Ahmed and his brother, Mike – a Los Angelese Dodgers farmhand – will team up with Peter Fatse of Advanced Performance Player Development to run his first camp, the Ahmed Gold Glove Defensive Camp. Ahmed spoke with MassLive’s Mark Volain Tuesday evening. You got your first call up at the end of June. How’d you find out? It was kind of weird. (Reno Aces manager Phil Nevin) called me into office while we were in Albuquerque. Told me ‘hey, you’re not going to play tomorrow.’ Then he asked me what I was doing tonight, and I said I didn’t know. He said ‘Alright, keep your phone on.’ He’s never done anything like (that). Later, me and the guys were hanging out in lobby of hotel and he came up to me at 11:30 p.m. It was not the conventional ‘hey you’re going up.’ He said ‘Hey you are going to play tomorrow, but it’s earlier. 1 p.m. in San Diego.' I don’t even know if I had an hour of sleep that night because of the adrenaline Were you expecting to be called up this year? I wouldn’t say expecting. It was definitely something I was hoping for. I started off the season in Triple-A slow, but picked it up in May and June. I knew if something happened up at the top, I could get the call. I’m blessed that I got the opportunity to fulfill my dream. There’s a few guys in pro baseball from Western Mass., like Scott Barnes and 2014 draftee Isan Diaz. Have you had any conversations with them? I’ve never met or spoke with Isan, but I’ve worked out with Scott in the offseason. My brother Mike is in the Dodgers organization, and we get the chance to workout together everyday, which is awesome.

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You were involved in a controversial game-winning play where the ball hit off your arm. Was this a big deal, or just a one game thing? I got a few questions from the media and the Pirates obviously didn’t like it. I knew I had to go in hard. You’re taught to go in hard and with your hands up, so I was just doing what I’m taught. I obviously had no intention to get hit in hand (with the ball). Luckily, it hit my forearm and we ended up winning. Has the Major League experience changed your offseason routine? My offseason remains the same. I’m still going to make the necessary adjustments. I’ve got an awesome trainer in Steve Conca in West Springfield. He runs Conca Sport and Fitness. I also hit with (former college teammate) Peter (Fatse). I go to him for all my offseason stuff. He’s my offseason hitting coach. Fellow shortstop Didi Gregorious was just traded to the New York Yankees. Have the Diamondbacks said anything to you about what that move could mean for you? I haven’t spoken with them. They’re at the Winter Meetings, so I’m sure they’re busy. It kind of opens things up for me. Hopefully it means more playing time. I’m ready to do what they need me to do to help the team win. There have been a lot of ball players who work with Peter Fatse and AP who have committed to play Division I baseball. What is it about the program? Pete just does a fantastic job. He doesn’t take it as trying to make money, he really cares about the kids and their families, and does a good job mentoring them. It’s not just baseball. There’s an academic consultant in John Martin. West Springfield shortstop Connor Moriarty is following in your footsteps and committed to UConn. What do you know of him? I know Connor pretty well, he’s been training with Pete for a few years now. I’ve had opportunity to work with him. He’s got a great work ethic, a great attitude. He’s going to have a great rest of his high school career, college career, and hopefully beyond that. Tell me about The Ahmed Gold Glove Defensive Camp. Mike and I are partnering with Pete and his business. It’s a joint effort, the three of us running it December 29-30. I’m hoping the area youths and high school students learn some skills and learn about the game. Hopefully a lot of youth come out. It’s going to be a great event. It’ll be a lot of great information taught and relayed. They’ll learn about baseball defensively and how to compete at the highest level.

Reports: Red Sox Trade Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster For Wade Miley

By Ricky Doyle / NESN http://nesn.com/2014/12/reports-red-sox-trade-rubby-de-la-rosa-allen-webster-for-wade-miley/ The Boston Red Sox’s starting rotation rebuild officially is underway. The Red Sox have agreed in principle to a trade that will send Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and a minor leaguer to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for left-hander Wade Miley, sources told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi. CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman has since confirmed the trade. Miley, a first-round pick in 2008, is coming off a season in which he went 8-12 with a 4.34 ERA in 33 starts spanning 201 1/3 innings. The lefty struck out a career-high 183 hitters and walked 75. Miley, who has tossed at least 194 innings each of the last three seasons, owns a 38-35 record, a 3.79 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in 106 career games (102 starts). The 28-year-old was named an All-Star in 2012, and his career numbers might be even better if not for pitching in an environment notoriously tough on pitchers. De La Rosa, who turns 26 in March, went 4-8 with a 4.43 ERA in 19 major league appearances (18 starts) this season. The right-hander showed excellent promise but also was inconsistent. There’s some question as to whether his long-term future resides in the rotation or the bullpen. Webster, who turns 25 in February, went 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA in 11 major league starts in 2014. He went 4-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 21 appearances (20 starts) with Triple-A Pawtucket. Webster has impressive stuff, but the right-hander needs to develop more in terms of mound presence to reach his full potential. Miley is arbitration eligible this offseason. He’s under team control through 2017.

Report: Red Sox trade for starter Wade Miley By Michael Silverman / Boston Herald http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox_mlb/clubhouse_insider/2014/12/report_red_sox_trade_for_starter_wade_miley SAN DIEGO -- Just a few hours after Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said he did not see the ballclub making any trades before these meetings break up on Thursday, the Red Sox appeared to have made a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for starter Wade Miley. The Red Sox will send right-handers Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa plus another minor-leaguer to Arizona for the 28-year-old left-hander, according to FoxSports.com. Miley went 38-35 with a 3.79 ERA in his three-and-a-half seasons with the Diamondbacks, who drafted him in the first round of the 2008 draft. Miley struck out 183 batters, a career-high, in 201-1/3 innings this past season, when he also posted a 4.34 ERA. He appears durable: he has pitched 200 or more innings in each of his last two seasons.

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The trade came just 20 hours after the Red Sox lost out in their chase of free agent left-hander Jon Lester. Miley is eligible for arbitration this coming season. He made $523,500 last season. Webster and De La Rosa were the two best prospects the Red Sox received in their August 2012 payroll-shedding blockbuster with the Dodgers. They each performed with spotty results for the Red Sox, with De La Rosa in particular showing potential as a bullpen weapon.

Wade Miley to Red Sox waiting on final confirmation By Sean McAdam / Comcast Sports Net - New England http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/wade-miley-red-sox-waiting-final-confirmation SAN DIEGO -- On the last full day of the winter meetings, the Red Sox were waiting for final confirmation on a deal in place that would land them lefthanded starter Wade Miley from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The trade will see the Red Sox send Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa to the Diamondbacks, a major league source confirmed. The deal was being held up Wednesday night as the Diamondbacks were to choose one more prospect -- believed to be a lower-level player -- from among a list of options. Miley, 28, has averaged nearly 200 innings over the last three seasons, giving the Red Sox a durable middle-of-the-rotation piece. The ability to handle a heavy workload was critical for the Sox. Said manager John Farrell hours before the Miley deal fell into place: "(Innings are) very important. We always go through an exercise of budgeting the number of innings that need to be accounted for. And you taken into account what individual pitchers have done in previous years and what you project them to be able to provide upcoming. "We know going in that there was going to be a couple of spots needed for innings-eating and very quality innings pitched. Ideally, if you can get a couple of 200 inning pitchers..they don't grow on trees. But that's the goal.'' He also gives them a lefty in the rotation a day after the Red Sox failed to re-acquire Jon Lester. The team also dealt off Felix Doubront, another lefty, last July, leaving them exclusively righthanded in the rotation. Miley, who will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, will be contractually controlled for the next three seasons. He'll be eligible for free agency after 2017. Webster and De La Rosa were parts of the blockbuster August 2012 with the Los Angeles Dodgers that saw the Red Sox purge salary in sending Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett to Los Angeles.

De Jon Watson, Arizona's new senior vice president of baseball operations, was part of the Dodgers front office, in charge of player development. Both Webster and De La Rosa had difficulty in the big leagues last year. Webster, who had a 3.10 ERA in 21 appearances at Triple A, too often lost command of the strike zone in the big leagues, posting a 5.03 ERA in 11 starts for Boston. He averaged 4.3 walks per nine innings while with the Sox, though he pitched better in the final few weeks of the season. De La Rosa has good velocity and, like Webster, a strong changeup. But his focus seemed to wander at times. He had a bloated 1.485 WHIP and the Sox had given some internal consideration to again trying him in the bullpen in spring training, where his stuff could play up in shorter outings.

December 11, 2014 • sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews December 11, 2014

Reports: Dodgers trade Matt Kemp to Padres 11:09 am EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)

AP source: Red Sox agree to Cespedes-Porcello swap 11:07 am EST (The Associated Press)

AP Source: Padres acquire Kemp in five-player deal 11:02 am EST (The Associated Press)

Marlins working on a deal for Reds starter Mat Latos 11:01 am EST (NBC Sports)

Barry Zito will throw for teams in January 10:50 am EST (NBC Sports)

Done Deal: Yoenis Cespedes and two players traded to Detroit for Rick Porcello and a minor leaguer 10:18 am EST (NBC Sports)

Neil Walker and the Pirates have talked contract extension 10:18 am EST (NBC Sports)

Why a camo hat was key to the Cubs landing Jon Lester 10:13 am EST (Yahoo Sports)

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The Tigers may not be done: they are close to getting starting pitching from Cincinnati 10:12 am EST (NBC Sports)

Red Sox send Cespedes to Tigers for Porcello 9:54 am EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)

Nyjer Morgan is going to Korea 9:24 am EST (NBC Sports)

Andrew Heaney thanks the Dodgers for their time together 9:16 am EST (NBC Sports)

Duquette's Oriole Way is one fans should embrace 8:44 am EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Marlins “in hot pursuit” of Justin Morneau 8:33 am EST (NBC Sports)

Lester takes high road against haters on Twitter 7:08 am EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)

MLB Winter Meetings Things to Know 4:20 am EST (The Associated Press)

Report: Dodgers, Padres agree to blockbuster trade involving Matt Kemp 3:54 am EST (NBC Sports)

Dodgers get Kendrick, work to add Rollins 3:47 am EST (The Associated Press)

Scioscia thinks Trout could hit 3rd for Angels 3:05 am EST (The Associated Press)

Market for second basemen is thinning 3:03 am EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Scherzer could be seeking more than Kershaw 2:49 am EST (The Associated Press)

Winter Meetings: Day Three 2:36 am EST (Rotoworld)

Borges: Will Sox be happy they didn’t get Lester? 1:37 am EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)

The Angels acquire Josh Rutledge from the Rockies for Jairo Diaz 1:29 am EST (NBC Sports)

Cuban outfielder Despaigne re-signs with Chiba Lotte 1:28 am EST (The Associated Press)

Yanks say A-Rod not at spring training weight 1:21 am EST (The Associated Press)

Theo Epstein says Cubs aren't selling out to win in 2015 1:04 am EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)

The Dodgers are going to flip Andrew Heaney to the Angels for Howie Kendrick 12:26 am EST (NBC Sports)

Dan Haren issues statement, unsure whether he’ll retire following trade out of Los Angeles 12:17 am EST (NBC Sports)

Speier: Miley provides ‘additional anchor’ in rotation 12:15 am EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)

More moves coming, but which road do A's take? 12:02 am EST (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

December 10, 2014

A look at Jimmy Rollins' most memorable hits 11:59 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)

Report: Nats, Mariners talking trade involving Ian Desmond 11:54 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Dodgers wasting little time forging a new identity 11:47 pm EST (Yahoo Sports)

Done Deal: the Dodgers sign Brandon McCarthy to a four-year, $48 million deal 11:34 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Marlins get Dee Gordon, former Nats pitcher Dan Haren 11:31 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Nationals have discussed Ian Desmond with Mariners 11:18 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Boras loves seeing Cubs back in free-agent pool with Lester 11:10 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)

Merloni on Lester: 'It's all on the ownership' 11:02 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)

News and notes from Day 3 of the Winter Meetings 10:34 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Dodgers send Dee Gordon, Dan Haren, Miguel Rojas to Miami for Andrew Heaney and three others 10:32 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Jimmy Rollins set to begin new chapter in baseball 10:19 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)

Active offseason helped White Sox pitch for Robertson 10:14 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)

Wade Miley to Red Sox waiting on final confirmation 10:14 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)

'Open competition' for White Sox at second base 10:10 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)

Farrell: ‘We feel good about where we are' 9:57 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)

Red Sox acquire starter Wade Miley from Diamondbacks 9:56 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Rockies, Mets discussing Dillon Gee trade 9:47 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Robertson and White Sox finalize $46 million deal 9:26 pm EST (The Associated Press)

Report: Dodgers engaged in talks with RHP Peavy 9:18 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

Source: Utley not involved in Rollins deal 9:17 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)

Twins make offer to free agent starter Ervin Santana 9:02 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Pirates acquire left-hander Bastardo from Phillies 8:58 pm EST (The Associated Press)

Hahn: White Sox have work left, including one 'larger need' 8:37 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)

If you thought Scott Boras could shovel bullcrap before, get a load of this 8:30 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Duquette: Orioles aren't going to trade Chen 8:19 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Rizzo: Werth and Harper will swap positions 8:12 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Major League Baseball roundup 8:05 pm EST (Reuters)

The Dodgers and Phillies talked about Chase Utley 8:00 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Red Sox looking for durable pitchers to fill rotation 7:59 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)

Duquette: Orioles don't sign high-profile free agents 7:58 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Enberg wins Frick Award for baseball broadcasting 7:50 pm EST (The Associated Press)

Matt Kemp trade to Padres “has legs” 7:41 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Boras says he thinks Rays should move to Montreal 7:38 pm EST (The Associated Press)

Twitter reaction to Jimmy Rollins trade 7:30 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)

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Jon Lester is taking the ultimate high road against haters on Twitter 7:20 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)

Boras talking with Nats on Harper grievance 7:18 pm EST (The Associated Press)

Dodgers talking to free agent starter Jake Peavy 7:03 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Braves release new renderings of proposed stadium 6:52 pm EST (The Associated Press)

Boras says no extension talks for Chen, Davis, Wieters 6:27 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

This old Jimmy Rollins video will make you misty 6:22 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)

Report: Rangers met recently with James Shields 6:20 pm EST (NBC Sports)

HBT Extra: Who will be better in 2015? The Cubs or the White Sox? 6:10 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Phillies send Antonio Bastardo to Pirates 6:03 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)

Sources: Dodgers close to acquiring shortstop Jimmy Rollins 5:52 pm EST (Yahoo Sports)

Pirates acquire lefty Antonio Bastardo from Phillies 5:51 pm EST (NBC Sports)

Emotional Enberg thrilled with Hall of Fame selection 5:44 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Cherington wishes he had more talk with Lester 5:38 pm EST (The Associated Press)

White Sox officially sign David Robertson to four-year deal 5:33 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)

Report: Dodgers acquire Jimmy Rollins from Phillies 5:13 pm EST (NBC Sports)

December 11, 2014 • MLB.com http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions

Last updated: Thu, December 11, 2014, 10:31 EST

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Team Player Transaction

Cleveland Indians

Nyjer Morgan

Signed to Play in Korea, (Hanwha Eagles)

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Team Player Transaction

Chicago Cubs

Jon Lester

Signed as Free Agent, ( 2015-2020; Opt 2021)(six-year contract)

Chicago White Sox

David Robertson

Signed as Free Agent, ( 2015-2018)(four-year contract)

Colorado Rockies

Jairo Diaz

Traded From from Angels, Los Angeles (for INF Josh Rutledge)

Los Angeles Angels

Josh Rutledge

Traded From from Rockies, Colorado (for RHP Jairo Diaz)

Los Angeles Angels

Scott Snodgress

Signed to a Minor League Contract

Los Angeles Angels

Andrew Heaney

Traded From from Dodgers, Los Angeles (for 2B Howie Kendrick)

Los Angeles Dodgers

Ryan Lavarnway

Designated for Assignment

Los Angeles Dodgers

Howie Kendrick

Traded From from Angels, Los Angeles (for LHP Andrew Heaney)

Los Angeles Dodgers

Andrew Heaney

Traded From from Marlins, Miami

Miami Marlins

Dan Haren

Traded From from Dodgers, Los Angeles (for LHP Andrew Heaney, seven-player deal)

Pittsburgh Pirates

Francisco Liriano

Signed as Free Agent, ( 2015-2017)(three-year contract)

Pittsburgh Pirates

Antonio Bastardo

Traded From from Phillies, Philadelphia (for LHP Joely Rodriguez)

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Team Player Transaction

Los Angeles Angels

Drew Butera

Traded From from Dodgers, Los Angeles (for future considerations)

Oakland Athletics

Jorge De Leon

Designated for Assignment