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Jeff Francoeur is heading back to the South, as the free-agent outfielder signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves on Monday, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

Francoeur was chosen by the Braves in the first round of the 2002 MLB draft and batted .266 in four-and-a-half years with Atlanta. He’s played for six teams in seven years since 2009 and appeared in 119 games with the Philadelphia Phillies last season.

Bowman also noted Francoeur will get an invite to spring training with a chance to make the Braves’ Opening Day roster.

When Francoeur made his big league debut with Atlanta in 2005, he was one of the more durable players in the league. He played all 162 games in 2006 and 2007 and also won his lone Gold Glove in 2007 while batting .293 and driving in 105 runs.

The Braves traded Francoeur to the New York Mets in 2009, and he was an instant upgrade to the Mets offense, batting .311 in 75 games in Queens.

After batting .285 in 2011 with the Kansas City Royals, Francoeur’s offensive production dropped the next three years. The strong-armed outfielder batted .206 while playing for the Royals, San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.

Francoeur signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in 2014 and had a slight offensive resurgence for the 63-win Philadelphia club. The 6’4″, 220-pound outfielder batted .258 with 13 home runs.

While that may not seem like a large number of homers, Fox 5 in Atlanta puts Francoeur’s numbers in perspective:

Francoeur could have a realistic chance of making the Braves roster. Nick Markakis is listed as the starting right fielder—Francoeur’s main position—and 25-year-old Ender Inciarte is at center.

Left field may be up for grabs, as Atlanta lists Hector Olivera as the starting left fielder on its website. The 30-year-old Olivera, who debuted last year from Cuba, committed four errors in 21 games with the Braves. If the team isn’t satisfied with the production it’s getting from Olivera, Francoeur could be a viable replacement in left field.

The 32-year-old still has a strong arm, and if his time in Philadelphia is any indication, he could be in line for a solid offensive year if called to the majors.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. Braves depth chart courtesy of AtlantaBraves.com.

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The Washington Nationals are built on the strength of their pitching rotation, but contract talks between the team and star pitcher Stephen Strasburg are dead in the water.

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Nationals, Strasburg Not Talking Extension

Monday, Feb. 15

Strasburg’s agent, Scott Boras, said Strasburg has not discussed a contract extension with the Nationals, per ESPN.com.

Strasburg, Washington’s first overall pick in 2009 out of San Diego State, is set to become a free agent after the upcoming season. He and the Nationals settled on a one-year, $10.4 million deal Jan. 15 to avoid arbitration, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Per ESPN.com, Boras noted the sides will not discuss a new contract until after the season.

Strasburg has had an up-and-down career. After a 5-3 start to his rookie campaign in 2010, he underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery.

He made only five starts in 2011 but became an All-Star for the first time in 2012, when he finished 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 159.1 innings. Since then, he has gone 33-27 with a 3.17 ERA in 87 starts.

If the same Strasburg who finished 2015 strong shows up this season, the right-hander could be in for a huge payday, per D.J. Short of Rotoworld:

Over the last three seasons, Strasburg has never had an ERA above 3.46, and his strikeout numbers have been great. He struck out a career-high 242 batters in 2014, when he tied for the National League lead.

The 27-year-old has already bounced back from Tommy John surgery and shown flashes of being one of the best pitchers in baseball. If the Nationals can’t get him to agree to an extension, another team will come along and invest the future of its franchise in Strasburg.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. Follow Danny on Twitter, @DannyWebster21.

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The Detroit Tigers agreed to terms on a new two-year, $18.5 million deal with All-Star outfielder J.D. Martinez on Monday to avoid arbitration, according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.

Martinez was an All-Star for the first time in 2015, his second year with the Tigers after spending the first three seasons of his big league career with the Houston Astros. He played in a career-high 158 games and hit a career-high 38 home runs while batting .282.

After hitting 24 homers combined in three seasons with the Astros, Martinez has developed into one of the game’s best hitters with the Tigers, hitting 61 home runs and driving in 178 runs.

Jennifer Hammond of Fox 2 noted that Martinez was seeking a deal in the ballpark of $8 million per year last month, but he will be getting $9.25 million per season instead.

Detroit needed every bit of Martinez’s production at the plate in a lackluster year for the team. One year after finishing second in the league in runs scored, Detroit finished 15th while falling to last place in the American League Central.

Two-time MVP Miguel Cabrera hit only 18 home runs last year, his lowest output since his rookie year. Yoenis Cespedes also hit 18 home runs for Detroit before the team traded him to the New York Mets at the trade deadline.

“I want to be a Tiger for life,” Martinez said Jan. 31, per McCosky. “This team gave me my opportunity, so I would love to stay here as long as I can and finish my career next to Miggy (Cabrera) and Victor (Martinez). That would be awesome.”

Martinez’s deal means the Tigers have their outfield set for 2016. Detroit signed Justin Upton to a six-year, $132.5 million contract in January and also acquired Cameron Maybin in a trade with the Atlanta Braves on Nov. 20.

The Tigers will be looking for redemption in 2016, and locking up their best offensive player for the next two years is a step in the right direction.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and ESPN.com.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has been linked to trade rumors that could potentially send him to the American League.

Continue for updates.

White Sox Looking to Deal for Ethier

Thursday, Feb. 4

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the White Sox “still would like” an offensive upgrade and added the Dodgers would “love to move [Ethier],” but he also added there are “no signs of potential match.”

On Feb. 1, Phil Rogers of MLB.com reported the White Sox were exploring the possibility of acquiring the two-time All-Star from Los Angeles.

The White Sox have been the most active team this winter in terms of making trades, acquiring third baseman Todd Frazier from the Cincinnati Reds as well as third baseman Brett Lawrie from the Oakland Athletics in December.

If the Dodgers trade Ethier, who hit .294 last year, it’ll be because of the depth they have in the outfield with Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson. The White Sox could use another solid bat, especially in the outfield, as the team’s oldest outfielder, Melky Cabrera (31), batted .273 in 2015.

The 33-year-old Ethier won’t be a free agent until 2019, so any team looking to trade for him would be taking on a hefty price tag, though the veteran outfielder could help solidify its lineup.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired right-handed pitcher Tyler Wagner in a five-player trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, the team announced.

Along with Wagner, the Diamondbacks received 2013 All-Star infielder Jean Segura, while the Brewers acquired infielder Aaron Hill, pitcher Chase Anderson and shortstop Isan Diaz.

MLB.com ranked Wagner as the No. 15 prospect in the Brewers farm system. Milwaukee drafted the 25-year-old Las Vegas native in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. Wagner had a stellar 2015 campaign with Double-A Biloxi, going 11-5 with a 2.25 ERA and striking out 120 batters.

He also had a small stint with the Brewers in 2015 but struggled heavily in his three starts. Wagner pitched 13.2 innings and gave up 11 earned runs, finishing with an ERA of 7.24.

MLB.com highlighted Wagner’s fastball as his strongest pitch, while he continues to improve his changeup:

Using that closer mentality from his days at Utah, he goes right after hitters, inducing weak contact early in counts. His slider is a solid average hard breaking ball with bite that misses bats. While his changeup isn’t quite as good, it is effective at neutralizing left-handed hitters. His walk rate has gone down each year since his summer debut and he continues to get a good amount of groundball outs.

His brief big league debut was just a taste, with Wagner very close to being ready to fulfill a ceiling as a mid-to-back of the rotation type of starter at the highest level.

He may need another year or two before making it to the main roster, but Wagner will be a good addition for Arizona. The Diamondbacks have already bolstered the top of their rotation by signing star pitcher Zack Greinke and trading for 25-year-old Shelby Miller in the offseason. Wagner proved in his Double-A stint last year that he has a high upside with plenty of room to grow.

In two years, the Diamondbacks may have one of the best pitching rotations in the major leagues, and Wagner could be a part of it.

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Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt underwent surgery on his right elbow on Friday.

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Vogt Expected to Be Ready by Opening Day

Friday, Jan. 29

The team announced (via CSNBayArea.com) that the All-Star catcher, who hit 18 home runs last year, is expected to need four to six weeks to recover. The surgery was to remove a bone chip in Vogt’s throwing elbow as well as dead tissue from the area.

Vogt was named to his first All-Star team in 2015, his fourth year in the major leagues and third in Oakland. He had a career-high 71 RBI and .443 slugging percentage in 136 games with the Athletics.

The 31-year-old catcher was one of the lone bright spots for the struggling A’s, who finished 68-94 and in last place in the AL West. Vogt finished second on the roster in home runs, only trailing outfielder Josh Reddick (20).

With Vogt likely missing all of spring training, catching duties will go to 27-year-old Josh Phegley. The soon-to-be fourth-year catcher played in 73 games in 2015 with the Athletics, his first year on the team, batting .249 while hitting nine home runs.

Had he played the same number of games as Vogt, he could have matched his production in terms of batting average and home runs.

Oakland won’t miss a beat in terms of production at the plate and behind it. Spring training could be an opportunity for Phegley to show he can be an everyday starter while Vogt continues to recover.

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Former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum wants to prove that he can still pitch at the major league level and is drawing interest from numerous teams.

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Multiple Teams Interested in Lincecum

Monday, Jan. 25

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins are “among many teams” taking an interest in Lincecum.

Lincecum to Have Throwing Showcase

Saturday, Jan. 23

The former San Francisco Giants star pitcher is looking to host a throwing showcase in early February in hopes of landing a deal with a major league team, according to Heyman.

Lincecum’s Injury Clouds Market for Former Ace

Lincecum underwent hip surgery Sept. 3 and is one of the more interesting players available on the open market. A four-time All-Star, Lincecum has not recorded an ERA under 3.00 since 2011. Though he went 7-4, he recorded a 4.13 ERA in 2015.

“He’s throwing every day and says he’s doing great,” Lincecum’s agent Rick Thurman said, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s got no instability in his hip, and he’s enthusiastic about his progress.”

Lincecum will turn 32 years old in June, and one major concern could be his velocity, especially since he is coming off hip surgery. His best pitches have been of the off-speed variety, but his fastball and command are question marks going forward.

He’s a veteran arm who showed in 2015 that he can still win games, and he’ll have a chance to show other clubs that he can still perform at a high level in February.

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Free-agent center fielder Austin Jackson is garnering interest from at least three major league clubs.

Continue for updates.

Jackson Getting Interest in Free Agency

Thursday, Jan. 21

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels are interested in the athletic Jackson, who batted .267 in 2015.

Crasnick also speculated that the Chicago Cubs may consider signing Jackson “for the right price.”

The two-time American League leader in triples has played for three teams in his six-year career, spending four-and-a-half of those seasons with the Detroit Tigers.

Jackson has moved around during the last two trade deadlines. Detroit moved him to the Seattle Mariners in 2014, who sent him to the Cubs in 2015.

Known more for his glove than his bat, Jackson has seen his batting average drop since the Tigers traded him. He batted a career-best .300 in 2012 and hit .277 over the course of his tenure in Detroit, but his average dropped to .257 with the Mariners and .236 in 29 games with the Cubs.

Jackson had eight plate appearances during the Cubs’ playoff run but did not record a hit.

He’ll turn 29 years old Feb. 1 and is entering the prime of his career, so he could provide plenty of help in the outfield. He has a fielding percentage of .990 and has committed only 22 errors in his career.

The Rangers were in the mix for Justin Upton, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, before he signed a six-year deal with the Tigers, but their outfield has no need for a replacement with Josh Hamilton, Delino DeShields and Shin-Soo Choo in place. The Angels also seem to be set with Daniel Nava, Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout in their outfield.

Nava is 32, so Los Angeles could go younger and more athletic with Jackson in left field.

That leaves the two National League Central teams, and the Brewers may be the favorite. The Cubs just invested $184 million to lure Jason Heyward away from St. Louis, so their need for another outfielder isn’t as pressing. The Brewers have Khris Davis and Domingo Santana, along with Ryan Braun, patrolling the outfield, but they may need help in center field.

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The Tampa Bay Rays could be making their way out of Tropicana Field.

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St. Petersburg Council Approves Stadium Proposal

Thursday, Jan. 14

By a vote of 5-3, the St. Petersburg City Council agreed to allow the Rays to look for a new stadium outside of the city, according to the Tampa Tribune.       

Third time was the charm for Mayor Rick Kriseman to get approval from the council for a move outside of St. Petersburg.

The Rays have finished at the bottom of MLB in attendance in four of the last five seasons. In 2015, Tampa Bay reeled in an average of 15,403 fans, which is 2,000 fewer than the next team, the Cleveland Indians. As Rays owner Stuart Sternberg noted, “remaining at Tropicana Field until its contract with the city expires in 2027 is financially unsustainable,” per the Tampa Tribune.

The Tribune provided more details on the latest proposal:

It maintains a $24 million buyout, but also includes incentives that would pay the team half of potential development revenue on the 85-acre Tropicana site if it stays up to or beyond 2027. The Rays gets nothing if it leaves before the end of the lease.

The Rays also must show the city how they will evaluate stadium locations and give the city six months to make a case for the Tropicana Field location. And the proposal requires the team to pay half the cost to develop a master plan for the Tropicana site, up to $100,000, with or without a new stadium.

This is good news for the Rays, who have not been able to provide much fanfare despite being successful in the 2010s. Even when Tampa Bay made its lone World Series appearance in 2008, the Rays were 26th in attendance. One way to fix the problem is relocation, and this is one step in the right direction for Tampa Bay ownership.

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Ken Griffey Jr. will go into the Hall of Fame as a Seattle Mariners legend, and no Mariners player will ever wear No. 24 again.

On Friday, the Mariners announced they will retire the number Griffey wore during his entire tenure in Seattle at some point in the upcoming season.

Seattle tweeted the news:

Griffey, along with legendary New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza, was one of two players elected to the 2016 Hall of Fame class. The 13-time All-Star played for three teams in his 22-year career, but Griffey spent 13 of those years as a superstar in Seattle.

That’s the reason why Griffey wants to be remembered for his time with the Mariners, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com):

I think I did most of my damage as a Mariner. Want to be the first in a lot of things, and to be able to wear a Mariners hat and to go into the Hall of Fame as a Mariner, that’s also one of the decisions I needed to make. I felt being 19, they gave me an opportunity to play the game that I love. I spent most of my time in Seattle.

This is a fitting tribute for one of the greatest players in baseball history. Seattle hasn’t been a consistent winning organization since trading Griffey to the Cincinnati Reds in 2000, and the run of success the Mariners experienced in the 1990s was largely due to Griffey’s contributions.

He was a once-in-a-generation player who could do everything from hitting home runs to making jaw-dropping catches in the outfield. Griffey redefined the game for outfielders and paved the way for Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, two of the best young players in baseball.

Griffey hit 417 home runs and batted .292 during his career with the Mariners.

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