• Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said the blockbuster with the Marlins came together in about 5-6 days. Talks between the two sides started with Josh Johnson, but obviously expanded. Anthopoulos also discussed the competitive advantage of keeping talks under wraps.
• Red Sox manager John Farrell said David Ross was a priority signing because of his leadership skills as well as his throwing ability. He's thrown out 37.5% of attempted base stealers over the last eight years, second only to Yadier Molina.
• Red Sox third base coach Brian Butterfield told Bradford he was a candidate for the Blue Jays' managerial job until the "11th-hour." Butterfield added there "were certain things (Anthopoulos) wanted in his next manager … he really had to have a guy who had previous major league managing experience."

• The Red Sox remain in talks with Cody Ross but are also talking to other corner outfield options as well.
• Boston signed David Ross because Cherington and his colleagues "wanted to have someone as part of the catching group who has been through the wars and has a good feel for the game." Abraham notes that Ross will receive more playing time than a standard backup catcher.
• Cherington expects David Ross, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway all to contribute to the club in 2013, implying that he's not planning on dealing any of his catchers. The plan right now, not surprisingly, is for Saltalamacchia to start with Ross backing up and Lavarnway likely opening the year at Triple-A Pawtucket.
• Cherington doesn't feel that the team is moving at a slow pace thus far this offseason. He tells Abraham that the team is well ahead of where it was at this juncture in 2011: "We’ve spent a lot more time on player issues at this time as compared to last year. That doesn’t always turn into announcements."
• The Red Sox will have a "significant" payroll and will be adding free-agent talent to the team, according to Cherington. He also wouldn't rule out trading prospects for established talent, though he stressed that he'd need to acquire another long-term piece in return if he were to do so.

7:49am: The Red Sox have agreed to sign catcher David Ross to a two-year contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The deal is still pending a physical. Ross is a Sports One Athlete Management client.

Over the last four seasons, the 35-year-old Ross has established himself as the best hitting backup catcher in baseball. He hit .269/.353/.463 with the Braves during that time, including .256/.321/.449 with nine homers in 196 plate appearances this year. Thanks in part to the presence of Brian McCann, Ross has not come to the plate even 200 times in a single season since 2007. He played with the Red Sox very briefly in 2008.

Rosenthal hears that Ross will be "more than a backup but not a starter" with Boston (Twitter link). The Red Sox already have Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway behind the plate, but the former hit just .170/.211/.283 against left-handers this year while the latter hit .157/.211/.248 overall in 166 late season plate appearances. Ross gives them a platoon partner for Salty while Lavarnway could continue to refine his game in Triple-A. As a right-handed hitter, Ross should benefit from playing in Fenway Park.

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes did not rank Ross on his Top 50 Free Agents list. The backstop earned $1.625MM in each of the last two seasons, and he did not receive a qualifying offer from Atlanta. The Red Sox won't have to forfeit a draft pick to sign him. McCann may miss the start of next year following his offseason shoulder surgery, so the Braves will have to find a capable replacement for Ross.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

• The addition of two former members from the Rays organization has nothing to do with a potential pursuit of center fielder B.J. Upton, says Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.
• While some teams may prefer Upton over Michael Bourn thanks to his age (nearly two years younger) and the ability to hit for power, Rosenthal points out that Bourn's value comes from being a well-rounded player. 
• Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche's decision regarding his free agency may greatly impact Washington's course of action this offseason, especially with left fielder Michael Morse. 
• The notion that the Dodgers may consider moving Andre Ethier just months after signing him to a five-year, $85MM contract simply wouldn't be the best move for Los Angeles heading into 2013, opines Rosenthal.
• Look for the Yankees to re-sign Russell Martin, but the Bombers have had their eye on free agent David Ross, who has served as Brian McCann's backup with the Braves since 2009.
• The Cardinals and second baseman Skip Schumaker may be parting ways this offseason as the veteran no longer has a defined role with the club thanks to the emergence of young talent. 

• The Yankees should consider pursuing players such as Carlos Beltran and Jeff Keppinger in the coming offseason, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.
• Meanwhile, the Mets should check in on A.J. Pierzynski, Marco Scutaro and Randy Choate in the view of the Post’s Ken Davidoff.
• Brian Cashman of the Yankees and Chris Antonetti of the Indians have some of the toughest offseason assignments in baseball, former GM Jim Bowden writes at ESPN.com.
• It's not a foregone conclusion that David Ross will return to the Braves, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes (on Twitter). The Braves would like to re-sign the catcher, but he'll draw interest following a strong season. He's a possible fit for the Tigers in my view.

With Brian McCann now a possibility to miss the beginning of the 2013 season, re-signing Ross likely becomes more of a priority for general manager Frank Wren. Ross, who will turn 36 during Spring Training next season, hit .256/.321/.449 with nine homers in 196 plate appearances for the Braves in 2012.

Ross initially signed a two-year, $3MM contract with the Braves prior to the 2009 season. He elected to sign a two-year extension worth $3.25MM prior to the 2011 season rather than testing free agency. The veteran will likely require a larger annual commitment given his strong play over his tenure in Atlanta. He'll represent one of the more desireable options on the free agent market for catchers.

The Braves have until three days after the World Series to decide about exercising McCann's $12MM team option for 2013, or they could buy the catcher out for $500K.  The option was thought to be a foregone conclusion despite McCann's career-worst .230/.300/.399 slash line in 487 plate appearances given McCann's track record, the Braves' lack of other catching options and the belief that the surgery would correct the issues that hampered McCann's performance. 

I'd argue that Atlanta is still likely to pick up the option for these reasons, though McCann's chances of receiving a multiyear extension beyond 2013 are very questionable.  The added uncertainty about McCann's health may also cause the team to look for a stable backup option this winter.  There is mutual interest between the Braves and long-time backup David Ross, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but the team doesn't see Ross as a viable everyday solution should McCann be forced to miss an extended period of time.  Ross, a free agent, has a .816 OPS in 663 plate appearances for the Braves over the last four seasons.

• Wren suggested that he's not a fan of the Wild Card format and that he'd like to see the system amended to give the Wild Card teams a three-game series, beginning with a day-night double-header.
• He also said that it's worth revisiting the trade deadline, which Wren feels is "pretty early for the current system." August 15 would be a more logical date for teams to determine whether or not they want to push for the Wild Card, in Wren's estimation.
• Wren says he's looking forward to a "focused" offseason. The front office recognizes that they have to replace Jones at third base, and they hope to retain Michael Bourn, whose contract expired at season's end. The team would like to address center field and the leadoff position in the same move — a role which Bourn can obviously fill. The Braves contacted Bourn's representatives about an extension in Spring Training but were told to wait until after the season to engage in negotiations.
• Atlanta would love to have David Ross back in the fold in 2013. Wren spoke very highly of his backup catcher to O'Brien.
• The Braves chose not to have Brian McCann undergo an MRI with a dye injection during the season because the recovery is too long. McCann will undergo that test in the near future, which could reveal a need for surgery, but for the time being the Braves believe their catcher needs only rest to recover.
• Jason Heyward could handle center field "for a few days," but Wren and his associates don't view him as a long-term answer in center. Wren said he considers Heyward among the best defensive right fielders in the game and wouldn't want to diminish his defensive value by moving him.
• The Braves have options on McCann ($12MM), Tim Hudson ($8MM) and Paul Maholm ($6.5MM), and they'll address those decisions in the coming weeks.
• It would take a "very, very big piece" to trade Randall Delgado or Julio Teheran this winter. The trade market does figure to be in play for the Braves though, as Wren said he won't be "going outrageous salary-wise" on free agents. The team will be "looking for premium players," but Wren cautions they're not looking to add a player to the team as much as they are looking to add value. If they feel that adding two players can give them more than one premium name, they'll pursue that route instead.
• Jair Jurrjens' situation is different from Tommy Hanson's, in Wren's mind. Wren spoke more definitely of Hanson's future with the team than that of Jurrjens. The Braves "will have a determination" on Jurrjens' future this winter. Jurrjens earned $5.5MM in 2012 and is a non-tender candidate for 2013 in the mind of MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith.
• Wren confirmed that the entire coaching staff will be offered the opportunity to return to the team.

Here are a few interesting links from around the blogosphere…

• Phoul Balls interviewed Low-A Greenville manager and former big leaguer Billy McMillon.
• SPANdemonium chatted with Greg Schaum about the Royals' farm system, arguably the best in baseball (well, it's not really all that arguable, it is the best).
• U.S.S. Mariner chimes in on the Carmen Fusco firing in the wake of the Josh Lueke fallout.
• Prospect Insider looks back at the trades Jack Zduriencik made during his first year as Mariners GM. 
• Pine Tar And Pocket Protectors examines if Jim Thome was the best signing of the offseason.
• The Few, The Proud, The Braves compares Brian McCann to David Ross.
• SDSports.net wonders if Luis Durango has a future with the Padres.
• Cubs Pack projects Chicago's 2011 payroll.
• Yankeeist asks what kind of contract Derek Jeter will get next season.
• The Nats Blog looks at Adam Dunn's place among the best home run hitters in history.
• The Hardball Times matches up each of the 30 teams with a character from The Simpsons. 

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

12:05pm: The Braves agreed to a two-year extension with catcher David Ross worth more than $3MM, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Ross would've been eligible for free agency after this season, as he's finishing up a two-year, $3MM deal signed in December of '08.

Ross has done a fine job as Brian McCann's backup in Atlanta, hitting .272/.378/.447 over 244 plate appearances.  The 33-year-old has also gunned down almost half of attempted base-stealers.

We heard yesterday that the the Braves may be looking to swap Ross in a deal for "a younger backup-catcher type."

Wren says (O'Brien Twitter link) that the depth of the Braves' bench is an aspect of the team they like most. Trading Ross would compromise the quality of their bench. The 33-year-old hit .273/.380/.508 with seven homers in 151 plate appearances for Atlanta last year, serving as Brian McCann's backup.

• Stark lists 16 players currently on the trade block. Among the names we haven't seen mentioned recently: Willie Harris, Andy Marte, Tim Stauffer, Omir Santos, and Brad Thomas.
• The Mets are looking to move one of their extra catchers, either Santos or Chris Coste, and are looking to add "major league-ready triple-A pitching depth." Aren't we all…
• The Phillies are looking to add all sorts of pitching depth, and have interest in the recently released Chad Gaudin.
• Scott Sizemore's rocky spring has the Tigers looking for a second base upgrade.
• Kansas City is shopping Brayan Pena in their perpetual search for starting pitching.
• The Braves have told other clubs that David Ross is available, "possibly in a catcher-for-catcher swap for a younger backup-catcher type."

WEDNESDAY, 8:00pm: MLB.com’s Mark Bowman says Ross’ two-year deal will be worth about $3.5MM.  Ross says it could be finalized tomorrow.

5:01pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Braves are close to a two-year deal with free agent catcher Dave Ross.  He’d serve as Brian McCann’s backup.  Ross, 32 in March, posted a strong .381 OBP with the Reds this year.  The Astros were also known to be interested, but I imagine Ross jumped when the Braves offered two years.

McTaggart also mentions in the article that pitcher Brandon Backe is a non-tender candidate (that deadline is December 12th; we’ll see a many additional players enter the free agent pool).

• The Angels may be willing to match the Yankees $140MM offer to CC Sabathia. They won’t offer 10 years to Mark Teixeira. If they can’t land Teixeira, they will consider Pat Burrell for first base.
• A.J. Burnett is looking at the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, Orioles, and Phillies.
• The Twins want a left-side infielder for Delmon Young, so they can open a spot for Denard Span in the starting lineup.
• The Tigers are pursuing Jack Wilson from the Pirates and Matt Treanor from the Marlins. They are also putting high priority on signing Joe Beimel who’s getting interest from a number of teams.
• The Dodgers will not re-sign Rafael Furcal for health reasons so the Giants, Athletics, and Reds are his most likely destinations.
• The Cubs will need to offer more than Jason Marquis to the Royals for David DeJesus. If they can’t get it done, they’d sign Raul Ibanez over Bobby Abreu.
• The Braves are interested in Javier Vazquez and Jermaine Dye…
• The Reds need to offer more than Homer Bailey to get Dye.
• The Mets are considering Jon Garland, Vazquez, Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnanstine. The Rays want more than Aaron Heilman for either of their starters.
• The Mets could soon become suitors for Manny Ramirez.
• The Brewers could soon become suitors for Francisco Rodriguez.
• The Astros are targeting Paul Bako and David Ross as backup catchers.
• The Rockies are trying to find lefthanders, eyeing Alan Embree, Will Ohman, Brian Shouse, and Glendon Rusch.