5 takeaways from Day 2 of the winter meetings

For a second straight day, baseball's top executives swapped trade ideas and glad-handed free agents Tuesday at the Swan and Dolphin Resort, and for a second straight day, nothing all that exciting happened (no offense to Chase Headley, Bryan Shaw, Tommy Hunter, or Drew Smyly). Now is the winter of our discontent, apparently. Still, just because there aren't any major transactions to dissect doesn't mean the day was a complete dud; here are five rumors/reports/tidbits that came out of Lake Buena Vista on Day 2 of the winter meetings:

Orioles shopping Machado

With their wild-card chances effectively set ablaze by the New York Yankees' addition of Giancarlo Stanton and the Los Angeles Angels' acquisition of Shohei Ohtani, the Orioles - who finished last in the AL East in 2017 - finally seem willing to accept they won't be contending for a playoff spot next year. As such, they're now fielding offers for star third baseman Manny Machado, who reportedly wants to play shortstop in 2018 in his final season before free agency. Not surprisingly, the Orioles are getting a ton of interest in the three-time All-Star, and though owner Peter Angelos is reportedly loath to trade him to the Bronx, the Yankees are among the teams with their eye on Machado.

Darvish mulling reunion with Rangers?

Yu Darvish, the four-time All-Star shipped to Los Angeles in July by the Rangers, hasn't ruled out re-signing with Texas as a free agent this winter, according to his agent, Joel Wolfe.

"They (the Darvish family) love Dallas," Wolfe said, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. "They moved back there after the season."

In parts of five seasons with the Rangers, Darvish crafted a 3.42 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 131 starts, finishing ninth in American League Cy Young voting as a rookie in 2012 before coming in second the following season. This past year, in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery, the 31-year-old authored a 3.86 ERA and 27.3 percent strikeout rate over 31 starts before stumbling through a rough postseason with the Dodgers.

"The relationship is very good," Rangers GM Jon Daniels said. "A number of us (in the Rangers organization) still maintain contact with him. The relationship with him has been good for years. There are no other factors other than the traditional free-agent decisions."

Arrieta on Nationals' radar

Having now failed to make it past the division series four times in the last six seasons, the Nationals don't seem to want to leave anything to chance in Bryce Harper's final season before free agency. So, despite taking a step backward last season, veteran right-hander - and 2015 National League Cy Young award winner - Jake Arrieta is now said to be on the Nationals' radar. Of course, between Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Gio Gonzalez, the Nationals already have one of the game's top rotations, so adding Arrieta - who turned down a qualifying offer from the Chicago Cubs in November - would give them the best group of starters in the majors. His price tag will be hefty, though - the 31-year-old is repped by Scott Boras, who recently sent a 75-page binder outlining his client's strengths to all 30 MLB owners and is said to be seeking a $200-million contract.

Cardinals discussed Donaldson with Blue Jays

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins insinuated again Monday that he won't trade Josh Donaldson this winter, but the St. Louis Cardinals continue to ask about the three-time All-Star nonetheless. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Cardinals have spoken with the Blue Jays about Donaldson - a free agent after 2018 - over the past couple days, though there's no indication a deal is close.

"If we’re thinking about making this organization better every day, it’s really hard to imagine making it better without Josh," Atkins said Monday. "The team, as it stands, would be extremely difficult to make better - he’s one of the best players in the game."

Red Sox focused on Martinez

Needing to inject some power into the lineup, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has set his sights on J.D. Martinez, a source told Evan Drellich of CSN New England, who added that the reigning division champions will focus more intently on signing him than any other free agent this offseason. The Red Sox are expected to meet in the next couple days with Martinez, who smacked 45 homers with a 1.066 OPS last season between the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks. Though the 30-year-old slugger will likely command the biggest deal among free-agent positions players, Martinez, an All-Star in 2015, isn't attached to draft-pick compensation.

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