Lobby talk: Angels sign a right-handed starting pitcher

• Another potential blockbuster trade involving anywhere from three to five teams is brewing early
• The teams could include the Diamondbacks, Rangers, Rays and Indians
• The Yankees are interested in Jeff Keppinger

Your one-stop spot for the latest rumors and rumblings from USA TODAY Sports and elsewhere:

• The Los Angeles Angels signed a free agent right-handed pitcher -- but his name is not Zack Greinke. Joe Blanton agreed to a two-year, $15 million deal that includes a club option, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. Blanton was 10-13 with a 4.71 ERA between the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012. He will most likely be the Angels' fourth starter in the rotation -- behind Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson and Tommy Hanson. Greinke is still in the mix.
• National League Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey appears to be off the trading block, for now. New York general manager Sandy Alderson says the Mets are more likely to keep Dickey without an extension, than trade him. But that's not Alserson's preference, according to USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale. Dickey, a knuckleballer, is under contract with the Mets next season for $5 million. He is seeking an extension, but the sticking point is his high asking price. The Mets met with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, among several other teams.
• Blockbuster trade part II? Another potential blockbuster trade involving four teams has reopened at the winter meetings in Nashville. The teams include the Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians, according to USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale. The proposed deal includes Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton; Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera; Rays pitcher James Shields and Rangers prospects (first baseman Mike Olt among them). The deal, however, is not imminent. The Rangers have made it known they are interested in Upton. The Diamondbacks want Cabrera. This trade would come on the heels of the 12-player blockbuster trade between the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays two weeks ago.
• The Zack Greinke sweepstakes heat up, with the Dodgers and Rangers the front-runners. Greinke's deal could exceed CC Sabathia's record $161 million extension he signed in 2011. "I'm not sure it'll all fit in a Brinks truck. It might be a semi trailer," an executive told ESPN's Jayson Stark.
• The New York Yankees and Indians are interested in free agent third baseman Kevin Youkilis. Youkilis is weighing multiple offers and would consider a one-year deal with a contending team. Last year he struggled and hit a career-low .235.
• The Chicago according to USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale. Dickey, a knuckleballer, is under contract with the Mets next season for $5 million. He is seeking an extension, but the sticking point is his high asking price. The Mets met with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, among several other teams.
• Blockbuster trade part II? Another potential blockbuster trade involving four teams has reopened at the winter meetings in Nashville. The teams include the Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians, according to USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale. The proposed deal includes Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton; Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera; Rays pitcher James Shields and Rangers prospects (first baseman Mike Olt among them). The deal, however, is not imminent. The Rangers have made it known they are interested in Upton. The Diamondbacks want Cabrera. This trade would come on the heels of the 12-player blockbuster trade between the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays two weeks ago.
• The Zack Greinke sweepstakes heat up, with the Dodgers and Rangers the front-runners. Greinke's deal could exceed CC Sabathia's record $161 million extension he signed in 2011. "I'm not sure it'll all fit in a Brinks truck. It might be a semi trailer," an executive told ESPN's Jayson Stark.
• The New York Yankees and Indians are interested in free agent third baseman Kevin Youkilis. Youkilis is weighing multiple offers and would consider a one-year deal with a contending team. Last year he struggled and hit a career-low .235.
• The Yankees are in search a third baseman to fill in for Alex Rodriguez. Jeff Keppinger, who played for the Rays in 2012, could be the answer, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

" title="https://presto.gannettdigital.com/View/Content/tabid/91/ctl/Edit/mid/477/contentid/1747941/mode/Edit/%3Cp%3EYour%20one-stop%20spot%20for%20the%20latest%20rumors%20and%20rumblings%20from%20USA%20TODAY%20Sports%20and%20elsewhere:%3C/p%3E%3Cul%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cli%3ENational%20League%20Cy%20Young%20winner%20%3Cb%3ER.A.%20Dickey%3C/b%3E%20appears%20to%20be%20off%20the%20trading%20block,%20for%20now.%20New%20York%20general%20manager%20Sandy%20Alderson%20says%20the%20Mets%20are%20more%20likely%20to%20keep%20Dickey%20without%20an%20extension,%20than%20trade%20him.%20But%20that's%20not%20Alserson's%20preference,%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/276384856932503552%22%20title=%22http://https//twitter.com/BNightengale/status/276384856932503552%22%3Eaccording%20to%20USA%20TODAY%20Sports'%20Bob%20Nightengale%3C/a%3E.%20Dickey,%20a%20knuckleballer,%20is%20under%20contract%20with%20the%20Mets%20next%20season%20for%20$5%20million.%20He%20is%20seeking%20an%20extension,%20but%20the%20sticking%20point%20is%20his%20high%20asking%20price.%20The%20Mets%20met%20with%20the%20Arizona%20Diamondbacks%20and%20Los%20Angeles%20Dodgers,%20among%20several%20other%20teams.%3C/li%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cli%3EBlockbuster%20trade%20part%20II?%20Another%20potential%20blockbuster%20trade%20involving%20four%20teams%20has%20reopened%20at%20the%20winter%20meetings%20in%20Nashville.%20The%20teams%20include%20the%20Diamondbacks,%20Texas%20Rangers,%20Tampa%20Bay%20Rays%20and%20Cleveland%20Indians,%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/276365036602130435%22%20title=%22http://https//twitter.com/BNightengale/status/276365036602130435%22%3Eaccording%20to%20USA%20TODAY%20Sports'%20Bob%20Nightengale%3C/a%3E.%20The%20proposed%20deal%20includes%20Diamondbacks%20outfielder%20%3Cb%3EJustin%20Upton%3C/b%3E;%20Indians%20shortstop%20%3Cb%3EAsdrubal%20Cabrera%3C/b%3E;%20Rays%20pitcher%20%3Cb%3EJames%20Shields%3C/b%3E%20and%20Rangers%20prospects%20(first%20baseman%20%3Cb%3EMike%20Olt%3C/b%3E%20among%20them).%20The%20deal,%20however,%20is%20not%20imminent.%20The%20Rangers%20have%20made%20it%20known%20they%20are%20interested%20in%20Upton.%20The%20Diamondbacks%20want%20Cabrera.%20This%20trade%20would%20come%20on%20the%20heels%20of%20the%2012-player%20blockbuster%20trade%20between%20the%20Miami%20Marlins%20and%20Toronto%20Blue%20Jays%20two%20weeks%20ago.%3C/li%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cli%3EThe%20%3Cb%3EZack%20Greinke%3C/b%3E%20sweepstakes%20heat%20up,%20with%20the%20Dodgers%20and%20Rangers%20the%20front-runners.%20Greinke's%20deal%20could%20exceed%20CC%20Sabathia's%20record%20$161%20million%20extension%20he%20signed%20in%202011.%20%22I'm%20not%20sure%20it'll%20all%20fit%20in%20a%20Brinks%20truck.%20It%20might%20be%20a%20semi%20trailer,%22%20an%20executive%20told%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove12/story/_/id/8712502/baseball-pitching-market-pause-greinke%22%20title=%22http://espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove12/story/_/id/8712502/baseball-pitching-market-pause-greinke%22%3EESPN's%20Jayson%20Stark%3C/a%3E.%3C/li%3E%3Cli%3EThe%20New%20York%20Yankees%20and%20Indians%20are%20interested%20in%20free%20agent%20third%20baseman%20%3Cb%3EKevin%20Youkilis%3C/b%3E.%20Youkilis%20is%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2012/12/05/hot-stove-kevin-youkilis-has-multiple-contract-offers/%22%20title=%22http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2012/12/05/hot-stove-kevin-youkilis-has-multiple-contract-offers/%22%3Eweighing%20multiple%20offers%3C/a%3E%20and%20would%20consider%20a%20one-year%20deal%20with%20a%20contending%20team.%20Last%20year%20he%20struggled%20and%20hit%20a%20career-low%20.235.%3C/li%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cli%3EThe%20Yankees%20are%20in%20search%20a%20third%20baseman%20to%20fill%20in%20for%20Alex%20Rodriguez.%20%3Cb%3EJeff%20Keppinger%3C/b%3E,%20who%20played%20for%20the%20Rays%20in%202012,%20could%20be%20the%20answer,%20according%20to%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/voir_Kfrc0zULvws2dYVab0CFsI/1%22%20title=%22http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/voir_Kfrc0zULvws2dYVab0CFsI/1%22%3EJoel%20Sherman%20of%20the%20New%20York%20Post%3C/a%3E.%3C/li%3E%3C/ul%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2012/12/02/12-02-12-mets-dickey_small.jpg%22%20width=%22245px%22%20title=%2212-02-12-mets-dickey%20[%20ID=1741945]%22%20alt=%22%20ID=1741945%22%20assetid=%221741945%22%20assettype=%22image%22%20/%3E">White Sox signed third baseman Jeff Keppinger to a three-year deal worth $12 million. Keppinger hit .325 with nine home runs and 40 RBI for the Rays in 2012. The New York Yankees had showed interest in Keppinger to fill the void at third while Alex Rodriguez recovered from hip surgery.

The Baltimore Orioles re-signed outfielder Nate McLouth to a one-year, $2 million.

Eric Chavez leaves the Yankees to return home and play third base for the Arizona Diamondbacks, USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reported. Chavez will get a one-year, $3 million deal. The Yankees options at third base are dwindling by the minute.

The embattled Jason Bayreached a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners. Bay, who was released by the Mets last month with $21 million left on his contract, lives in Seattle. He struggled last season hitting .234.

Super agent Scott Boras held court today. One of his clients is outfielder Michael Bourn. "He is by far the best defensive center fielder in the game." Boras said. He also said he has met with the Mariners as a possible destination.