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The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we're running here at MLBDD and rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us at @mlbdailydish on Twitter or @MLBDailyDish on Instagram.
Good morning and TGIF, baseball fans! Let’s get down to business, shall we?
Here’s a roundup of what’s going on around the National League East.
Oakland could be a dark horse and make a run for Edwin Encarnacion.
“The Athletics are considering a run at top remaining free agent Edwin Encarnacion, according to a report from Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The club appears to be in the early stages of a pursuit.
Oakland is likely looking for a bargain-type deal with Encarnacion, who was expected to sign before last week’s Winter Meetings before seeing his market shrink due to a variety of circumstances.”
The Cardinals are shopping around for Matt Adams.
“The Cardinals are listening to trade offers for first baseman Matt Adams, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
The 28-year old is coming off of a rocky season with St. Louis, slashing .249/.309/.471 with 16 home runs and 81 strikeouts in 118 games. Those numbers sound like the baseline stats for a trade chip, but there’s a fair amount of risk in taking Adams.”
The Marlins signed Junichi Tazawa, so get ready to add a new jersey to your collection.
“The Marlins have signed reliever Junichi Tazawa to a 2-year, $12 million contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. The deal will pay Tazawa $5 million in 2017 and $7 million in 2018, according to a major-league source.
Miami has been aggressively looking for bullpen help all winter, having made aggressive offers to top closers Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman before each signed elsewhere. “
The Phillies have signed Odubel Herrera to a 5-year extension because they’re clearly not afraid of commitment.
“The Phillies have signed outfielder Odubel Herrera to a 5-year, $30.5 million contract extension through 2021, according to a team announcement. The deal includes club options for 2022 and 2023 that could push its total value to $52 million over seven seasons.
Herrera was due to become a free agent after the 2020 season, so today’s deal extends the Phillies’ control over him for three seasons while providing cost certainty for the club.”
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Today in baseball: On December 16th, 1954, Willie Mays becomes the first player to win the Most Valuable Player Award in his first full year in the majors.
Question of the Day: Do you think Encarnacion could end up on the Athletics?