MLB Rumors: J.D. Martinez, Jay Bruce Seeking Big Deals

Here are the latest on MLB rumors, possible trade talks and free agency transactions.

It's that time of year again where major league baseball's free agency will spark a lot of rumors and a lot of deals in teams hopes that a player will bring them one step closer to a championship.

Nine players have received $17.4 million qualifying offers from their teams, and a total of 166 players have filed for free agency.

The majority of deals are expected to take place during the Baseball Winter Meetings on Dec. 10-14 in Orlando, Florida.

The Reiter 50: MLB's Best Free Agents | MLB Free Agent Compensation Rules

Here is the latest news and rumors from around the league.

Rumors and News

• The A's are interested in Miami Marlins outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich, but prefers a right-handed hitter over a left-handed bat. (San Francisco Chronicle)

• The early asking price for Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez is believed to be around $200 million. (ESPN.com)

• The San Francisco Giants have interest in Chicago Cubs Gold Glove outfielder Jason Heyward, and could offer pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Mark Melancon in any deal. (MLB.com)

• MLBPA to meet with Shohei Ohtani's agency, bringing Japan's top player a step closer to joining a major league club. (MLB.com)

• Free-agent outfielder Jay Bruce is reportedly seeing a five-year deal worth $80–90 million. (ESPN.com)

• Strengthening the bullpen is hight on the New York Mets priority list this offseason and could be targeting Bryan Shaw and Brandon Morrow among others. (New York Post)

• Longtime Yankees coach Rob Thomson interviewed for the managerial vacancy on Thursday. The interview lasted more than five hours. (New York Daily News)

• The Marlins would prefer to trade Giancarlo Stanton to the Cardinals. Stanton could block a deal with his no-trade clause, though. (Fan Rag Sports)

• Stanton, a SoCal native, wants to go to the Angels or Dodgers but neither team is interested. (USA Today)

• The Marlins are in preliminary talks with the Red Sox, Cardinals, Giants and Phillies regarding Stanton. (MLB Network)

• Logan Morrison expressed interest in playing for his hometown Royals. (MLB Network Radio)

• Yu Darvish might return to the Dodgers but it’s not likely. (Fan Rag Sports)