Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that 4-5 teams are in the mix to acquire Brian Dozier from the Twins.
 
The Dodgers are the one team that's known to be the most aggressive in pursuit of the hard-hitting second baseman, but it appears there are other clubs trying to pry Dozier away from the Twins as well. Twins' general manager Thad Levine is on record saying they won't deal Dozier unless they are "really inspired" by an offer, and a potential bidding war from multiple teams could lead to just that type of proposal.

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Cardinals are a strong possibility for free agent outfielder Dexter Fowler.
 
The Cardinals would presumably love to steal the leadoff hitter away from their division-rival Cubs while filling their void in center field. Fowler, who is seeking around $18 million per year in a multi-year deal, has also drawn interest from the Blue Jays.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Nationals are trying to acquire both Andrew McCutchen and Chris Sale and believed that they have the necessary prospects to do so.
Many had speculated that it would be a one or the other scenario, as it's hard to imagine the Nationals can land both superstars without parting with Trea Turner. It looks increasingly likely that McCutchen will be traded this winter, and there's a good chance that it happens at the winter meetings. The Rangers are also known to be in the hunt for the star center fielder.

Some additional points to the deal (which covers the 2017-21 seasons), according to ESPN sources and The Associated Press:
 
The league that wins the All-Star Game no longer will get home-field advantage in the World Series, which instead will go to the pennant winner with the better regular-season record.
 
Smokeless tobacco will be banned for all new big leaguers.
 
Although owners pushed for months to include international players in the amateur draft, they dropped that demand this week, sources said. In its place, teams would work under a revised system of bonus pools that would place a hard cap, set initially at approximately $5 million, on the total annual dollars that each club can spend to sign foreign-born amateur players.
 
The regular season will lengthen from 183 days to 187 starting in 2018, creating four more scheduled off days during the regular season. The sides also have discussed scheduling more day games when teams face long flights following those games.
 
The minimum salary rises from $507,500 to $535,000 next year, then to $545,000 in 2018 and $555,000 in 2019, with cost-of-living increases the following two years; the minor league minimum for a player appearing on the 40-man roster for at least the second time goes up from $82,700 to $86,500 next year, then to $88,000 in 2018 and $89,500 in 2019, followed by cost-of-living raises.
 
There will be changes to the revenue-sharing formula, which would affect both payers and recipients. Details of those changes remain unknown.
 
The sides have discussed numerous changes to the June amateur draft. Those changes could include a revamped slotting system and trading picks. Details have yet to emerge.
 
As part of the drug agreement, there will be increased testing, players will not be credited with major league service time during suspensions, and biomarker testing for HGH will begin next year.
 
Changes also are likely to the domestic violence policy. Details have yet to emerge.
 
Oakland's revenue-sharing funds will be cut to 75 percent next year, 50 percent in 2018, 25 percent in 2019 and then phased out.
 
The sides have discussed the possibility of playing games outside of North America during the regular season in future seasons. It isn't known where those games would be scheduled, but commissioner Rob Manfred has said publicly that he would like to see regular-season games played in London.

Dodgers re-signed LHP Rich Hill to a three-year, $48 million contract.
 
The deal was agreed to in principle over the weekend and then finalized Monday morning after the veteran left-hander passed his physical. Hill excelled when healthy in 2016, producing a 2.12 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings between the Athletics and Dodgers. He'll carry big-time fantasy potential (but some of the same durability concerns) into 2017 -- what will be his age-37 campaign.

Mark Melancon has agreed to a contract with the Giants, per Buster Olney of ESPN.
 
Joel Sherman of the New York Post says it's a four-year, $62 million deal. Late-inning bullpen issues were a big problem for the Giants in 2016, especially in the second half and postseason, and Melancon brings a terrific amount of stability to that department. He doesn't have the strikeout rates of some other top-tier closers (like free agents Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen) but the 31-year-old right-hander boasts a 1.80 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over his last 290 innings dating back to the beginning of the 2013 season. An official announcement should be coming soon, after Melancon passes his pre-signing physical.

The Red Sox will add Sale to a rotation that includes $217 million lefty David Price, AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and 23-year-old lefty Eduardo Rodriguez

Red Sox acquired RHP Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers for INFs Travis Shaw and Maurico Dubon, RHP Josh Pennington, and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Rangers have re-signed outfielder Carlos Gomez.
 
He'll get a one-year, $11.5 million contract, per FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. It's a bit surprising Gomez couldn't find a multi-year deal in this weak free agent market, but his dreadful tenure with Houston likely scared teams away. Gomez batted .284/.362/.543 with eight homers and five steals in 33 games down the stretch this past season with Texas, after getting released by the Astros in early August. He will probably open the 2017 campaign as the Rangers' starting center fielder.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, one team has offered $92 million to Aroldis Chapman.
And there's a decent chance his price tag climbs even higher given all the interest. Among those in pursuit: the Yankees, Nationals, and Marlins.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Cubs are close to acquiring Wade Davis from the Cubs for outfielder Jorge Soler.
 
There was a late push from the Nationals, but they apparently weren't able to beat the Cubs' offer of Soler. Davis is coming off a year filled with forearm troubles, but he still managed a 1.87 ERA in 43 1/3 innings and the 31-year-old right-hander holds a brilliant 1.18 ERA over the last three seasons. He is probably going to open the 2017 campaign as the Cubs' closer. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports says the trade is "seriously down the road" but probably won't be fully completed until sometime Wednesday. Chicago is probably poring over Davis' medical records.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post confirms the Rays have signed free agent catcher Wilson Ramos to a two-year contract.
 
It's worth $12.5 million guaranteed and incentives could push the total to $18.25 million, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Ramos was probably looking at a five- or six-year deal in free agency before he suffered ACL and meniscus tears in his right knee on September 26 at Nationals Park. He'll be in rehab mode when the 2017 season begins and will then try to rebuild his value in Tampa Bay over the next year-and-a-half. Ramos figures to split time between catcher and DH with the Rays. He is an excellent hitter when healthy.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that Ian Desmond is headed to the Rockies.
 
Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports says the deal is worth $70 million while Joel Sherman reports that it's a five-year contract. Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports there's an option for a sixth year which could bring the total outlay to $83 million. Alrighty then, Rockies. It's an unexpected fit, for a number of reasons. The Rockies already have a surplus of outfielders, so this potentially opens the door for Charlie Blackmon to be traded. Rosenthal also notes that Desmond will likely split time between first base and the outfield. It should be stated that the Rockies will have to give up the No. 11 overall pick (the highest unprotected pick) in 2017 to sign Desmond since he rejected a qualifying offer from the Rangers. That's not ideal.

Baltimore Orioles general manager Dan Duquette says the fans have spoken, and they don't want free agent Jose Bautista.
 
"We told [Bautista's] agent that we are not interested because our fans don't like him," Duquette said on Sportsnet Radio 590 The Fan on Wednesday morning. "Our fans don't like Jose Bautista, with good reason."

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Yankees have agreed to terms with Aroldis Chapman on a five-year, $86 million contract.
 
Mark Melancon set a new record for a reliever contract earlier this week with his $62 million deal, but Chapman's contract obviously blows it out of the water. Rosenthal says the deal includes an opt-out after the first three years, a full no-trade clause for the first three years and a limited no-trade for the final two years. ESPN's Marly Rivera said the limited no-trade portion stipulates that Chapman can't be dealt to a team in California. Chapman will return to being the Yankees' closer, with Dellin Betances moving back to a setup role.

According to ESPN's Jim Bowden, free agent Kenley Jansen has agreed to a five-year, $80 million contract with the Dodgers.
 
The contract comes with an opt-out after 2019. Jansen flirted with the Marlins and Nationals, but it might have been to simply drive up the price. He has made it very well known that he feels comfortable in Los Angeles, and that's where he'll head back to for the 2017 season and beyond. Jansen, 29, registered a brilliant 1.83 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and 104/11 K/BB ratio in 68 2/3 innings this past year for the Dodgers. It should be noted that Aroldis Chapman will come out of this offseason with the richest contract ever for a reliever at five years, $86 million. Jansen had a chance to break it but reportedly turned down bigger offers. Mark Melancon held it for a day or two at four years, $62 million.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Indians have landed Edwin Encarnacion on a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year.
 
The deal is worth $60 million guaranteed, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The club option for 2020 is worth $25 million and carries a $5 million buyout, so the deal could max out at $80 million. While it might not be the deal that many expected for Encarnacion at the start of the winter, it's a tremendous move for the Indians. This franchise doesn't typically go this route with free agents, but they are positioned to win right now. Encarnacion, who turns 34 next month, will essentially fill the spot that free agent Mike Napoli had in 2016. Encarnacion turned down a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays, so the Indians will surrender their first-round pick (No. 25 overall) in 2017