Here's the Day 3 Winter Meeting running post...
7:25pm: The Rangers have an offer out to Shin-Soo Choo, but they're not optimistic about signing him.
6:51pm: Astros in "serious discussions" with Mike Morse
6:42pm: Astros still in on Veras, Crain, and J.P. Howell
6:17pm: The Orioles have made an offer to John Axford
5:16pm: Astros "have a lot of offers out"
5:14pm: The Astros were in on Logan Morrison before Seattle continued their effort to have All The Players
Check Not Hank Aaron's post on the Anthony Bass trade here
3:33pm: Bo Porter didn't slam the door shut on the possibility of Mark Appel breaking camp with the Astros.
3:32pm: Buster Olney reports that the Astros' signing of Feldman has messed up a lot of negotiations because agents are "obligated" to start negotiations there. Hahahahahahaha.
3:30pm: Bo Porter says the top of the 2014 lineup will be Fowler-Altuve-Castro
3:23pm: Someone apparently offered Detroit reliever Joaquin Benoit 2yrs/$14m.
3:14pm: Chris Cotillo says an unidentified AL West team made Matt Thornton an offer today.
2:45pm: Scott Boras has received offers from teams that are both "rebuilding and some that are expecting to win."
2:43pm: Bo Porter tells MLB Network Radio that the Astros are going to add more bullpen pieces
2:39pm: The Mariners have signed Corey Hart to a Mike Napoli-like deal ($5m guaranteed, incentives up to $13m)
2:34pm: The Astros have had discussions with Scott Boras, and the discussions were not about Carlos Rodon. Reminder: Boras represents Shin-Soo Choo (among others, of course).
2:00pm: The Phillies are aggressively marketing Jonathan Papelbon, and would be willing to eat some of his contract - which still has $26m guaranteed for 2014-15, and a $13m vesting option for 2016. The Phillies are looking for a back-end of the rotation starter.
1:55pm: The Marlins have traded Logan Morrison to the Mariners for Carter Capps
1:28pm: Report from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram that the Rangers are interested in Shin-Soo Choo, but not at $22m/year
12:51pm: The Astros might have to fight the Tigers for Joba Chamberlain.
12:38pm: Corey Hart is apparently torn between offers from the Brewers and another team - maybe the Mariners
12:15pm: Chris Cotillo says there is increased interest in free agent reliever Matt Thornton over the last 24 hours - especially from AL West teams. Thornton has spent his entire career in the AL, and in 2013 posted a 3.74 ERA/1.43 WHIP for the White Sox and Red Sox.
11:56am: L.J.Hoes switches agents from CSE to Dan Lozano's MVP Sports Group (who also represents Brett Wallace and Paul Clemens)
11:50am: Baseball America has a breakdown of 24 Rule 5-eligible players.
11:45am: The Brewers expect to have a decision from Corey Hart today.
11:09am: Max Scherzer is available in trade talks
10:50am: ESPN summarizes what the Astros are looking for this offseason (O_O)
10:42am: Evan Drellich says the ideal 1B situation is a stop-gap signing, but that won't eliminate the Astros' interest in Hart or Loney.
9:54am: Market for Choo is apparently around 7yrs/$140m
9:44am: The market for relievers is shaping up slowly while everyone waits for the first guy to make a deal.
9:36am: "Multiple teams" are in on Corey Hart.
9:34am: The Indians have a surplus at OF, and are listening on "virtually all" players.
9:25am: Baseball America's JJ Cooper says to keep an eye on Cubs RHP Marcus Mateo. In 31IP between Double-A and Triple-A, he allowed 24H/6ER, 13K:1BB in 2013. And in 19.1IP in the Dominican Winter League, he has allowed 12H/2ER, 22K:7BB.
9:05am: Rakuten doesn't know if $20m for Tanaka is fair, but Tanaka wants to pitch in MLB next season
6:28am: Peter Gammons says the Astros are excited about Jon Singleton's winter stats and calls him "a man to watch."
Via Evan Drellich, Bo Porter is awfully excited about what has happened over the last week.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
