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Home , Bryce Harper, Chris Carter (infielder), Chris Davis (baseball), Dan Duquette, Fernando Rodney, Justin Morneau

Why did Indians sign Mike Napoli instead of Pedro Alvarez? Hey, Hoynsie Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, – Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him at @hoynsie. Hey, Hoynsie: Why did the Indians sign Mike Napoli, 34, for one year to play first base when Pedro Alvarez, 27, was available? Did management know Alvarez 27 home runs last season? -- Jimmy Garst, Roanoke, Va. Hey, Jimmy: The Indians did show interest in Alvarez, who was non-tendered by the Pirates and became a free agent. I think a couple of things probably came into play: No. 1, Alvarez was more expensive than the $7 million deal the Indians agreed to with Napoli. No. 2, the Indians felt Napoli helped them two ways – he gave their offense needed pop from the right side of the plate and he improved their defense. Napoli – whose deal should soon be made official – allows the Indians to move Carlos Santana to DH while he will get most of the time at first base. There is no doubt about Alvarez's power, but he made 23 errors at first base last season. I think the Indians preferred Napoli, considering the cost, at first and Santana at DH instead of Santana at first and Alvarez at DH. Hey, Hoynsie: The Reds seem interested in moving . Is the Tribe done with its or would it be interested in a guy who is as streaky hitter as there is, but definitely has pop? – Carl Neifer, . Hey, Carl: The Reds and Indians talked plenty about so I would imagine they've discussed Bruce. Frazier had two years left on his deal when the Reds traded him to the White Sox. Bruce is signed through 2016 for $12.5 million and is eligible for free agency after that. That would have to come into play on how much the Indians would give up for him. Realistically, I don't see it happening. I think Bruce is too expensive and the last thing the Indians need is a another streaky left-handed who strikes out a lot. Didn't we see that enough last year with ? Hey, Hoynsie: How many teams have consistently ranked in the bottom five of major league payroll over the last five years? My point is that some teams, like Kansas City, Houston and , have been near the bottom for a few years, but then start spending when they start winning (like once promised). My guess is that the Indians have been there for at least three of the last five years and maybe longer. If I seem to be going after Dolan a lot, it's because businesses begin with the leadership and culture created at the top -- and I find it depressing to think the Indians will always be a long shot to get to much less win the -- Jim, Boston. Hey, Jim: Over the last five years, according to USA Today, the Indians have one bottom five finish among MLB's 30 teams with the five smallest payrolls. The year was 2011 when they ranked 26th. Oakland, Houston and San Diego lead the way with four bottom five finishes over that span. World Series champion Kansas City had bottom five finishes in 2011 and 2012. , with bottom five finishes in 2011 and 2012, has been to the postseason the last three years. The Padres, by the way, have had one winning season in the last eight years. Houston has had one winning season in the last seven. Hey, Hoynsie: In view of Michael Brantley's surgery and the concern about Giovanny Urshela's health and ability to hit, do you think it would be smart to get Martin Prado from ? He plays third and left field well, is a proven hitter and has one year left on his contract for $8 million. He might only cost a couple of mid-level prospects. – Joe Eversole, Pelham, Ala. Hey, Joe: That's a good thought. It's been speculated that the Yankees would love to re-acquire Prado after trading him to the Marlins after the 2014 season. They're currently paying part of his salary. The only downside is that Prado is 32. Still, I think the Indians need another proven bat whether it's Prado or someone else. The Indians discount reports that Michael Brantley's rehab is behind schedule and he might not be ready to play until June. Hey, Hoynsie: With the Indians so close to being a World Series-type team, don't you think they failed in getting a right-handed power stick? Mike Napoli is injury prone and ineffective against right-handers. I think a better option would be to roll the dice on . – Frank Glyda, Maumee. Hey, Frank: I think the Tribe's game plan this winter was to acquire a producer through trade. When that didn't happen, they turned to Plan B, coming to terms with Napoli and Rajai Davis from the second and third tiers of free agency. Plan B also allowed them to keep their starting rotation intact. The Indians talked about Carter, but I don't think they ever warmed to the idea of signing him. The Indians, by agreeing to one-year contracts with Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis, have decided to keep their starting rotation intact rather than trade an arm or two. Beat writer Paul Hoynes also discusses what the Reds wanted from the Tribe for Todd Frazier. Hey, Hoynsie: The Indians still need another power bat in the lineup, power at the corners and defense up the middle. How hard is that to figure out and will they get it this year? – Jeff Kosakowski, Olmsted Falls. Hey, Jeff: I don't know how to break this to you, but this roster is almost set. You're calling for a major overhaul. It's not going to happen. Hey, Hoynsie: How do you feel about this plan to improve the Tribe, a plan that involves not trading any starting pitching and not signing top end free agents. The Indians should give two-year contracts to 1B Chris Carter (averaged 30 HRs over past 3 years, 29 years old), CF Austin Jackson ( digit HR & SB in years of 500 ABs, 28), LHP Antonio Bastardo and RHP Burke Badenhop. This just might be enough to put the Tribe back into the playoff picture without breaking the bank. – Bill Drummer, Wauseon. Hey, Bill: I know you wrote this a while ago and probably know by now that it's not going to work, but I appreciate your effort. Mike Napoli takes the place of Carter. I still like the idea of signing Jackson to play center field, but unless he's still unsigned sometime in February, I don't see that happening. He'd cost the Tribe too many years and too much money with so many young in the pipeline. As for Bastardo, the Indians have invited lefties Tom Gorzelanny, Joe Thatcher and to camp. Regarding Badenhop, the Indians made deals for right-handers and Dan Otero, while inviting Joba Chamberlain, Joe Colon, Jarrett Grube and Felipe Paulino to camp.

Cleveland Indians have Terry Talkin' about free agent decisions, Mike Napoli, impact of ballpark Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Unless something dramatic happens, the Indians will not have any more major moves coming. Their key free agent signings are Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis. It's possible they can make a significant trade, but nothing is close at the moment. The odds are the team with the additions of Napoli and Davis is what will open the season. For the Indians, there are two pieces of good news: They lost no key players to free agency. They have outstanding pitching. As I wrote last weekend in my long interview with , the Tribe did not want to part with any of their top to boost the offense. I was talking to some other people after the interview and learned Francona is pushing for more pitchers, especially in the . The Indians will continue to shop for relievers. They already added these veterans to try and win spots in the bullpen: Joba Chamberlain, Dan Ortero, Ross Detwiler, Tom Gorzelanny, Joe Thatcher and Jarrett Grube. Out of that group, they hope to find another Jeff Manship, a 30-year-old who signed a minor league contract and had an 0.92 ERA as a reliever with the Tribe in 2015. In 2014, it was Scott Atchison who came out of nowhere to help in relief. When I talked with Francona, he was very blunt about how the Indians don't spend any time discussing the money they lack to spend on expensive free agents. Not only is he on the same page as the front office when it comes to the value of pitching for the Tribe, he's in the same sentence. In fact, he started the sentence. The Indians were 81-80 last season. They did that with an offense ranked No. 11 in runs scored, but also with a pitching staff that was No. 2 in the with a 3.67 ERA. Their goal is to shape a team with young players who are coming into their best seasons. At the end of 2015, the Tribe's roster was the youngest in the American League (26.5 years). Only Tampa Bay (26.1) was younger. I'm not saying I agree with all the statements above, but this is how the Tribe views the situation. Francona knows the lineup "has holes." He knows scoring runs will be challenge. But he has far more confidence in the team right now than he did in the middle of last season. That was when was hitting .223 in his first 103 big league at bats. That was when the Tribe had no idea what to do with and Nick Swisher, two expensive veterans who had major injury issues. The Tribe traded Swisher and Bourn to Atlanta for Chris Johnson on August 7. Their record was 49-58. After that deal, they finished 32-22. Lindor became one the best players in the American League after the All-Star break (.345, 10 HR, 42 RBI). The trade opened spots in the outfield for Abraham Almonte and Lonnie Chisenhall, which was a major upgrade for the defense. Fangraphs rated the Tribe's defense as No. 2 in the American League. Baseball Prospectus rated them at No. 6. Fielding ratings tend to be subjective. Kansas City was No. 1 in both rankings. The Indians improved dramatically after the All-Star break. That was when Gio Urshela took over at third, Lindor at short with Almonte and Chisenhall joining Michael Brantley in the outfield. "I know that how you finish doesn't mean you pick up right there the next season," said Francona. "But I do feel good about the team." THE IMPACT OF THE BALLPARK The Tribe's major power acquisition last winter was Brandon Moss. He was absolutely freaked out by , which can be a very tough place for hitters early in the season. Moss hit only 2 HR in 163 at bats in Cleveland, hitting .190 at home. He was convinced the cold wind was knocking down possible home runs. When the Indians were on the road, he batted .241 with 13 HR and 32 RBI. He was traded in late July to St. Louis. With the Cardinals, he batted .250 but had only 4 HR in 132 at bats. The ballpark impact on Moss was surprising. Moss came from Oakland, a very hard place for power hitters. He told others players Cleveland was worse. And get this: Progressive Field generally is friendlier to lefty hitters such as Moss than right-handed power hitters. In 2015, here were the three hardest American League parks to hit a : Kansas City, 1.60 per game. Oakland, 1.72 per game. Cleveland, 1.86 per game. New York was the most home run friendly park, 2.70 per game. Last season, the Indians actually scored more runs (367) and hit better (.274) at home than on the road (302 runs, .239). But they hit 80 road home runs, compared to 61 at home. Michael Brantley (9) led the Tribe in homers in Cleveland, followed by Francisco Lindor (8). Next were Jason Kipnis (6) and Carlos Santana (6). This season, it's Mike Napoli who is the new Moss. He signed a one-year, $7 million deal to deliver some power and play a good first base. In the last three years, Napoli is 15-of-46 (.326, .824 OPS) with 11 RBI when playing in Cleveland as a member of the Red Sox and Rangers. He did not hit a homer in Progressive Field. Napoli got off to a horrible start in 2015, only .193 (.648 OPS) at the All-Star break. After that, it was .283 (.903 OPS). He also was traded from Boston to . Napoli batted .224 (.734 OPS) with 18 HR and 50 RBI overall. It will be interesting to see how he hits in Cleveland, especially early in the season. Francona wanted Davis very much. He likes the veteran's speed (11 triples in 2015) and the ability of Davis to play all three outfield spots. Francona wanted his team to add right-handed hitters with good track records against lefties. Napoli and Davis have those histories. vs. MIKE NAPOLI The other veteran free agent considered by the Indians besides Napoli was Justin Morneau. Morneau is a and a left-handed hitter. The Tribe preferred a right-handed hitter with power. The 34-year-old Morneau had some terrific years with the Twins. In 2010, he missed most of the second half of the season with concussion syndrome. In 2011, he missed a few months because of neck surgery. He played well in 2013 (.259, 17 HR and 77 RBI, .734 OPS) and 2014 (.319, 17 HR, 82 RBI, .860 OPS). Some of those numbers were helped by playing in the hitters' paradise of Colorado. Last season, Morneau suffered another concussion. He batted .310, but played only 49 games for the Rockies. Morneau was paid $6.7 million in 2015 by the Rockies. They had a $9 million option on Morneau, and they declined to pick it up. Colorado then signed former Indian for $2.6 million to play first base. Reynolds batted .230 (.715 OPS) with 13 HR, 48 RBI and 121 in 432 plate appearances for St. Louis in 2015. The Indians did not want to bring back Reynolds. As you can see, even extremely prone hitters with some power keep finding jobs. The Indians have yet to formally announce the signing of Napoli for $7 million, but it's done. They are working through some roster and final contract details. Morneau is still a free agent. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 01.03.2016

Chernoff family finds sun, fun during holidays By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | December 23rd, 2015 already received a big present this offseason: being named the Indians' new . Chernoff took a break from shopping for an impact bat to help Cleveland's lineup in order to discuss the holiday season in a recent interview with MLB.com. MLB.com What are your plans for the holidays this year? Chernoff: We are going to go away and get some warmer weather and try to relax. We'll get away, get some sun and spend time with our family. It'll be my immediate family, and my wife's dad and her sister and her sister's family. So, cousins, aunts and uncles and grandpa will all be there. We have fun. MLB.com So, your version of a "White Christmas" is having white sand? Chernoff: [laughing] That's exactly right. MLB.com With two young sons, do you guys have any holiday traditions? Chernoff: We're Jewish, so we celebrate Hanukkah and we have some fun things we do as a family for that. We decorate our house. That was a big part of my wife's upbringing to do that. So, we decorate the house for Hanukkah, and the big one that my wife's mom used to do is make potato latkes. We did it on a recent weekend. My wife and the boys made potato latkes. Our house still smells like onions from that. But that's one of the big traditions. That's a big thing. MLB.com: What kind of decorations do you put out? Chernoff: The kids put up stickers on the windows. They put the dreidels out and they have some menorahs that they put out, things like that. They made all kinds of pictures that we put out, too. MLB.com One of your personal traditions is to somehow find a way to play catch with your dad once a month. With him living out of state, does the holiday season make it easier to check off December and January? Chernoff: It makes it easier. He's coming out soon to spend some time with our family. We'll have our catch. It's often in like three feet of snow when we do it in Cleveland in mid-December. If it was this week, it'd be fine. Hopefully, it won't be snowing. Holiday time usually makes it easier. We get to have our Thanksgiving catch. Sometime in December, our Christmas catch, and we can usually find a time in January to get together as well. MLB.com Do you have a favorite memory from the holidays when you were a kid? Chernoff: My favorite thing about Hanukkah, my parents were not big on presents, but every year I would get a new baseball glove. That was the big thing. We had fun. When I was a kid, we used to always get Chinese food and go to a movie on Christmas. That's like the north New Jersey thing to do if you're Jewish. Now, we have fun with it, too. We celebrate like our own little silly Christmas on a beach. MLB.com Do you have a favorite holiday movie? Chernoff: I'd say, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." MLB.com: How good would you say you are at wrapping presents? Chernoff: Horrible. I get tangled up in the wrapping paper any time I try. I leave all that to my wife. MLB.com: How would your family rate your gift-giving skills? Chernoff: Thankfully, my wife takes care of that as well. Put it this way, I procrastinate and then I usually do OK, but it's very last-minute. MLB.com Is there anything on your gift list this year? Chernoff: A young star player? No, I'm not a big present guy. All I care about is spending time with my family.

Nick Cafardo / SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES / Baseball’s big hitters aren’t connecting on free agent market By Nick Cafardo GLOBE STAFF JANUARY 02, 2016 It’s January, and the top hitters in free agency and the trade market are still available. What gives? Has it become that much of a pitching-oriented game that setting aside dollars for an impact hitter is no longer important? After all, it is about runs — both preventing them and scoring them — isn’t it? So the league is paying top pitchers who work every five days north of $30 million per season while hitters who take only five games off a season are still looking for work? Think about it. Baseball’s top home run hitter of 2015, (47), has yet to be signed. Yes, he turned down $150 million over six years, but there has been no sign that teams are knocking down the door for a 40-plus-homer, 110-plus-RBI player. He’s a very important hitter in the big scheme of things, whether or not you think he strikes out too much. The bottom line is that he produces a bottom line that would seem to be attractive to any team seeking a middle-of-the-order hitter. Davis’s agent, , likens it to a young person’s first dance and all that goes into that first step. “Why did it take so long to finally dance with someone?” said Boras. “You have to know when the dance is over. Only then does the decision- making process advance.” The humble, likable outfielder could have had a statue in Boston but instead will go down as a wonderful footnote. Boras is always very patient with the market developing. He remembers not signing until March after winning 16 games for the Braves in 2003. will be playing at age 28 this season. He’s a good defensive outfielder and has a 26/84/.271/.825 OPS slash line for his 162-game average, according to Baseball-Reference. That’s a righthanded-hitting corner outfielder you’d want in your lineup, isn’t it? Granted, scouts have often commented that there’s something missing with Upton, mainly that passion for the game that baseball people like to see. But the results are the results, and he produces. Yoenis Cespedes was credited with sparking the Mets’ offensive revival, producing a .942 OPS in 230 at-bats. Overall, he was a 35-homer/105- RBI guy for the Tigers and Mets and won a Gold Glove in the American League. Now the $140 million-$150 million price tag on him has turned off a few teams, but here again, baseball executives witnessed firsthand what Cespedes did for the Mets lineup, so why isn’t that as valuable as what or gives you — again, pitching every fifth day? Then we have . Baseball execs love the left fielder, who this past week denied that he has ruled out returning to the Royals. They love what he brings in terms of leadership, and his defense is off the charts, but he’s not the offensive producer that the aforementioned players are. Gordon’s 2014 season pretty much typifies what he is offensively: 19 homers, 74 RBIs, .266 average, .783 OPS. But again, he’s a great run preventer in the mold, even though he’ll be 32 years old Feb. 10. On the trade front, who wouldn’t want Carlos Gonzalez? The Rockies’ 40-homer outfielder definitely has benefited from , where he has a career .332 average and 1.016 OPS as opposed to .255/.752 on the road. The Rockies are seeking a big package of three top minor leaguers and/or young major league-ready players. The good news for all of these players is that there are still teams with incomplete rosters. The Orioles, for instance, will not start the 2016 season without picking off one of them. And they’d love to see Davis accept their offer to stay where he really wants to stay — where he feels comfortable and can hit a lot of home runs. Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette has stayed quiet on the ongoing Davis saga, feeling his organization has made a solid offer. When asked what’s behind the slow market for hitters, he said, “Not sure, other than the prices of these hitters and that clubs are looking at the history of recent mega-deals.” He’s probably referring to , , , , , , , , , and pitchers CC Sabathia and . Teixeira, A-Rod, Votto, and Tulowitzki have been productive within their contracts but they’ve been a ball and chain for their teams in terms of limiting what else they’re able to do. Of course, Duquette’s mega-deals have worked out. For all of ’s foibles, he performed well in all eight years of his $160 million contract. Pedro Martinez (six years/$75 million), whom he traded for and then signed long-term, made it to the Hall of Fame. lived up to his four-year, $31 million deal. And in , (six years/$85.5 million) has worked out as well. The Giants are another team that needs offense. They have picked off two prime-time starters in and for $220 million and likely have a big payday left for an impact hitter. Right now, they would go into the 2016 season with an outfield of Hunter Pence, Gregor Blanco, and Angel Pagan. They need to be better than that. Will the Tigers really start the year with Anthony Gose as their left fielder? Will the Angels be content with a left-field platoon of and Craig Gentry? Will the White Sox, who seem to be really going for it, try to upgrade in right field from Avisail Garcia and go after one of the free agent hitters? In the end, the hitters will likely get their mega-deals from teams desperate for offense. CRYSTAL BALL Peering ahead to next season What are the stories to follow in 2016? One of the big ones will be the collective bargaining talks, which should begin this month. There will be a lot of important issues discussed. Large-market teams have long believed the luxury tax is unfair for payrolls that surpass the limit, which for the past couple of years has been $189 million. Look for the tax threshold to increase under the new agreement, but we wonder whether the Yankees/Red Sox/Dodgers/Tigers/Giants etc. may have specific ideas on how to reduce the burden of the tax. The big-market teams also believe it is unfair to subsidize smaller-market teams. They’d like to see some tweak to that as well. Also look for changes in compensation for losing free agents as well as changes in the draft allocations. This will be the first labor negotiation for Rob Manfred as commissioner and Tony Clark as union president, though both (especially Manfred) have been central figures in CBA talks in the past. While the talks have gone smoothly in recent times, with both sides making so much money, these ones may be a little more difficult with so many important issues on the table. We’ll also see how analytics continue to affect the game. Opponents feel the numbers have made the game stiff with silly defensive shifts that take away the effectiveness of some of the biggest sluggers in the game. No batter in baseball had shifts employed against him more times than , with 626. Chris Davis was next with 517. Last season, Ortiz had only 21 singles that were pulled, down from 33 in 2013 and 29 in 2014. There will be discussions about limiting the movement of . As one opponent of the shifting pointed out, “The analytics are going to be a wash after a while because it’s getting to the point where all teams have the same information.” The use of replay, new rules for sliding into bases, advanced technology, the strike zone, and limiting media access even more will all be part of the CBA discussion. The long-awaited international draft could pick up steam. For the players, the issue of an increasingly difficult travel schedule will likely be addressed. Other things: expansion, the reduction of the 162- game schedule, expanded playoffs. On the field, we’ll follow Marlins outfielder ’s quest for 3,000 hits, which will stamp his place in the Hall of Fame. The final season for Ortiz will trigger a debate on whether a DH can be a Hall of Famer. We’ll see an emphasis on super and likely see the for starting pitchers decrease. All eyes will be on the top money-makers — Zack Greinke with the Diamondbacks and David Price with the Red Sox — and whether the outlay of more than $30 million a season is worth the investment. We’ll watch for the further advancement of “faces of the game” players such as , , , , , , , , and . The Cubs will continue to be America’s Team as we follow the next steps in their quest to end a 109-year drought. It’s an even year, and that usually means success for the Giants. Can the Mets’ Fab Five dominate again? Did the Blue Jays mess up their karma in losing Price and general manager ? Can the Red Sox get out of last place and contend for a World Series again? Will Hanley Ramirez adapt to first base? The Red Sox, White Sox, Tigers, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Mariners won the offseason. Can they win the regular season? Will Alex Rodriguez continue to hit? Will the annually disappointing Nationals finally live up to expectations? The domestic abuse cases of Yasiel Puig, , and Jose Reyes should provide fascinating news. Apropos of nothing 1. Where do we begin to tell the story of how wonderful a player the late was? Red Sox consultant Ken Nigro was a beat writer for the Baltimore Sun during ’s prime, and he always felt for Malzone because “he was an excellent third baseman, but a combination of the Orioles’ success in winning over 90 games every year and Brooks’s extraordinary defense resulted in Malzone never getting proper credit.” Nigro is right. Malzone won the Gold Glove in 1957 when there was only one winner for both leagues. He won it again in 1958 and 1959, but once Robinson became established, he took the honor from 1960-75. As we wrote last week, Malzone’s No. 11 is certainly worthy of consideration for the Red Sox to retire. slid into third, just under a tag from Frank Malzone, in the 1960 All-Star Game. ERNIE SISTO/NEW YORK TIMES/FILE Willie Mays slid into third, just under a tag from Frank Malzone, in the 1960 All-Star Game. 2. In the first five years of his seven-year contract (two with Boston and three with the Dodgers), Carl Crawford has played in 451 of a potential 810 games, and has had 436 hits in 1,582 at-bats (.276 ) with 32 homers, 168 RBIs, and 71 stolen bases. The next two years of his contract will pay him $43.464 million. 3. Mariners ran a successful first Winter Wiffleball Classic at the Antonucci Field House in Falmouth last Sunday. The Falmouth native raised more than $6,000 for the Falmouth High Baseball Boosters and Falmouth Youth Baseball. The 22-team tournament was won by Advanced Performance Training, which outlasted Huge Ichiro Fans. Hall of Fame writer Peter Gammons was a special guest of the tournament, which Cishek hopes will be an annual event. Cishek recently signed a two-year, $10 million deal with Seattle. 4. Rusney Castillo might very well come into his own in 2016, but I still believe the Red Sox would be best suited with another righthanded power bat in right field. would help, but a 30-homer thumper would be better. Red Sox president of baseball operations said in a text, “We are always open minded, but our club is primarily set at this time since most of our major needs have been filled.” 5. Justin Morneau is a player you haven’t heard much about in free agency. He’s had his concussion issues, but it appears that Morneau, 34, still wants to play after being limited to 49 games last season. The Rockies could re-sign him, and a team such as the Orioles, Pirates, or Brewers could take him on. Morneau hit .382 over his last 18 games last season. Good teammate and leader. Updates on nine 1. , LHP, Yankees — It’s more likely that the Yankees will keep their uber-bullpen intact rather than trade Miller, according to a major league source. Teams like Houston and Toronto have inquired about Miller, but the Yankees want back a young top-of-the-rotation starter, and that doesn’t appear to be available to them. Lance McCullers was the target in Houston, but he is off-limits. The Blue Jays would have to give up someone such as , and that’s just not happening. 2. , RHP, Pirates — He has been available all winter in the right deal, but as time passes, it seems more and more likely that Melancon, who led the majors with 51 saves last season, will remain a Pirate. Melancon stands to make a big salary in arbitration, likely north of $10 million. Because the Pirates will again be playoff contenders, he may not be available at the trade deadline. 3. , RF, Dodgers — There are still no takers on Ethier, who remains an expensive backup. The Dodgers would have to pick up a hefty amount of the $18.5 million this year, $17 million next, and then deal with a vesting option for 2018. Some believe Ethier could be a full- time player again, and while he may never be effective vs. lefties, the fact that he has had only 45 lefty-on-lefty at-bats the past two seasons isn’t helping him get better. Ethier hit .306 with a .900 OPS vs. righties last season. If a team picks up half the contract, Ethier could fit nicely with someone such as the Angels, who are looking for a lefthanded bat. 4. , LHP, Mariners — Besides his durability, the innings, and the fast pace with which he works, another aspect of Miley’s game that GM liked when he traded for him is Miley’s ability to hold runners. Over the least five seasons, the overall success rate in the majors was 72 percent, but the rate against Miley was just 42 percent. The rate against was 74 percent, including a whopping 80 percent last season. 5. Alexei Ramirez, SS, free agent — The former White Sox remains a possibility to return to Chicago, but San Diego could also be a destination. 6. , OF, free agent — While defensive metrics show a decline in Parra’s Gold Glove defense over the years, scouts don’t seem to buy that it’s a permanent hindrance to his overall play. “He’s still one of the best defensive outfielders in the game,” said an American League scout. “He takes very good routes to balls, and as a or manager, you feel comfortable with him out there.” Colorado seems interested; Parra’s offense could also come around there. The Royals also seem like a good fit. 7. Yovani Gallardo, RHP, free agent — Is the Scott Kazmir deal with the Dodgers (three years, $48 million) a good comparable for Gallardo’s future earnings? He and Wei-Yin Chen are the best starting pitchers still available. Gallardo has suitors in the Orioles, Royals, and possibly Cardinals. 8. Ivan Nova, RHP, Yankees — Nova has drawn some interest as a back-end starter, and the Yankees could decide on something with him over the next month. Including Nova, the Yankees have seven starting pitchers (Masahiro Tanaka, Nathan Eovaldi, , Bryan Mitchell, CC Sabathia, and Michael Pineda) so they could part with one if it brings back a good prospect or a major league-ready outfielder. Miami has had interest. 9. Fernando Rodney, RHP, free agent — He had a terrible season for the Mariners last year (5-5, 5.68 ERA), but once he got to the Cubs, he made 14 very good appearances, going 2-0 with an 0.75 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. The 38-year-old veteran has been a tough sell, but the Cubs have talked about bringing him back and the Padres have shown interest. The Blue Jays have also kicked the tires. Extra innings From the Bill Chuck files — “ hit just three homers in 2015, yet drew 11 intentional walks; Chris Davis hit 47 homers and had only six intentional walks.” Also, “In 2014, hit .306 with seven triples and two homers. In 2015, Revere hit .306 with seven triples and two homers.” And, “In 2014, Brian McCann hit .232 with 15 doubles and one . In 2015, McCann hit .232 with 15 doubles and one triple.” . . . Happy birthday, Luis Rivera (52) and John Leister (55). Challenging work Baseball expanded replay in 2015 to allow managers to challenge calls made on the field. It’s an option that yielded various results. Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash went to it a league-leading 54 times, but only won 17. The Yankees’ had only 30 challenges, tied for fifth-fewest, but won 22 of them for a success rate of 73 percent, best in the game. Boston Globe LOADED: 01.03.2016