Free Agency

Over the past week, talks between the Minnesota Twins and left-handed starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn have begun to heat up.

Scott Miller of CBSSports.com  reported on Tuesday that the Twins made an offer to the lefty but the figures of the deal had not yet been disclosed. 

The San Francisco Giants announced Tuesday that infielder Juan Uribe will return for a second season by the bay, a one year deal worth 3.25 million dollars, much more then he made last season.

What does this mean you ask? It means that Uribe will see much more time on the field then he did last season, which makes the typical Giants fan like you and me jump up for joy.

Because of this, GM Brian Sabean deserves some applause. However, only Sabean knows how to screw up a good thing.

On New Year's Eve, almost exactly a year after Chicago last signed a free agent outfielder away from the Texas Rangers, the Cubs try again with Marlon Byrd.

The Cubs announced Thursday that they have agreed to a three-year, $15 million deal with Byrd.

Byrd's a nice complimentary player. As Danny Sisto will tell you, he'll play at least above average defense and will hit the ball fairly well. Last year in Texas, he hit 20 home runs and drove in 89 runs.

Mark DeRosa has officially signed with the San Francisco Giants, and Troy Glaus and Joe Thurston both have signed with the Atlanta Braves. 

Needless to say, the St. Louis Cardinals are now left with a hole to fill at third base.

As Matt Holliday's status remains uncertain, GM John Mozeliak has other targets that he has been rumored to be pursuing.

The hottest name linked to the Cardinals appears to be switch-hitting infielder Felipe Lopez.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that the New York Mets have reached an agreement on a four-year, $66 million deal with outfielder Jason Bay, pending a physical.

The New York Mets had been having a quiet offseason—until today. Monday, WFAN's Mike Francesa said that he has some major Mets news that he will announce Tuesday.

As promised, on Francesa's show he let out the news that the Mets have reached and agreement with Boston outfielder Jason Bay.

Tim Dierkes of MLBTraderumors.com is reporting that the Giants are close to a deal with utility man Mark DeRosa.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweeted around 12:45 Monday afternoon that DeRosa and the Giants were nearing a two-year agreement worth $12 million. 

Even though the end of the holiday season is approaching, that does not mean that teams cannot continue searching for some gifts! Here is a look at some key free agents left on the market, and where they may end up.

Matt Holliday, OF

Teams interested: St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Baltimore Orioles.

It's still only December, but the news on Major League Baseball has certainly taken center stage for much of this week, most of the attention coming as a result of the mega-deal between Toronto, Seattle, Philadelphia and (obscurely) Oakland. It was literally a one-of-a-kind deal, with two Cy Young Award winners on the move.

The deal means that Cliff Lee lands in Seattle, where he will certainly boost the Mariners' playoff chances as they creep ever closer to the Angels' divisional mini-dynasty.