Here are some quick notes on some of the big headlines from around baseball on Thursday and Friday:
- The Chicago Cubs have emerged as the favorites to sign top free agent catcher Russell Martin, according to Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun Times.
- The Detroit Tigers have signed two-time All-Star reliever Joel Hanrahan to a minor-league contract, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Read more: Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News
- Veteran Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dan Haren may decide to retire if he’s traded to any team other than the Angels, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
- The Texas Rangers signed GM Jon Daniels and assistant Thad Levine to three-year contract extensions, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Read more: theScore
- The Detroit Tigers officially signed designated hitter Victor Martinez to a 4-year contract worth a reported $86M. Read more: USA Today, ESPN
- The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Friday that they have signed veteran pitcher A.J. Burnett to a one-year deal. Read more: CBS Pittsburgh
- The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor-league prospects Justin Williams and Andrew Velazquez. Read more: Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports Florida
- Finally, in the biggest baseball news from Friday, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports that the Miami Marlins and Giancarlo Stanton are closing in on a 13-year, $325-million contract, which would keep the outfielder in Miami through 2027 and be the largest contract in American professional sports history.
Chris Brown, St. Louis Baseball Today
