Melky Cabrera and Nick Swisher will both hit the free agent market this coming winter. Both outfielders are switch-hitters, but Swisher has more power than Cabrera. However, Cabrera is faster, has a superior arm and is more than three years younger. Cabrera is also on the upswing. He is hitting .376 for the Giants and has 278 hits since the start of the 2011 season.

Mets executive Jeff Wilpon reiterated general manager Sandy Alderson's call for patience on Wednesday, saying that extension talks with David Wright are not necessarily imminent. "He's under contract for this year," Wilpon said of the third baseman. "We have an option for next year. There's no gun to anybody's head. So let it just play out, and at the right time Sandy and I will discuss it, and it will move on." Alderson said that he planned to speak to Wright's agent at some point this season. The Mets hold a $16 million option on Wright's contract for the 2013 season, meaning there is no rush for the team to negotiate with its star third baseman.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson would like to keep David Wright over the long-term, but that doesn't mean the team will make a contract offer during the season. Alderson addressed the option because a report that surfaced indicating the general manager expects to offer Wright a new contract before this season concludes. "I don't want to infer that we will make an offer [or] we won't make an offer," Alderson said. "We expect to talk to his agent this season." The Mets hold an option on Wright for 2013. He can become a free agent thereafter.

The Rangers have agreed to terms on a Minor League deal with Roy Oswalt. The deal is pending a physical, which Oswalt will have on Thursday. He is expected to join Triple-A Round Rock this weekend and general manager Jon Daniels said Oswalt will make his first start on Saturday. "He's been throwing for quite a while now; he feels good about where he is," Rangers president Nolan Ryan said. "I think he's been away long enough that he's excited about coming to the Rangers and getting back to pitching on a regular basis."

Bobby Abreu has been filling the role of veteran leader for the Dodgers this spring. Abreu has hit .327 with seven RBIs, six extra-base hits and 11 runs in 21 games since joining the Dodgers on May 4. The outfielder was released by the Angels on April 30 after hitting .208 to start the season. "His name came up when we saw he got released," manager Don Mattingly said. "It couldn't have been better timing for us. He kind of stepped in and all of a sudden we lose a few guys and Bobby has been playing a lot more than we really anticipated."

Ryan Dempster knows he could be traded in July as the Cubs look to the future. However, president Theo Epstein was noncommittal when asked about Dempster, saying there has been an "open dialogue" between the two about his future. Asked if Dempster might yet be signed to a new contract, Epstein said, "Long term, sure. We'll have to take a realistic look at where we are." Dempster, 35, is in his ninth season with the Cubs and in the last year of a four-year contract.

Hideki Matsui will join the Rays before Tuesday night's game against the White Sox. To make room on the roster, Tampa Bay optioned outfielder-designated hitter Stephen Vogt to Durham and transferred outfielder Brandon Guyer from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Matsui was hitting .178 with no home runs and four RBIs in 12 games with Durham.

The Dodgers are showing interest in Roy Oswalt, but team officials still believe the Rangers are leading the hunt for the right-hander. Oswalt has worked out for other teams, but Texas has long been believed to be his preferred destination. "I would be shocked if he doesn't go to Texas," a baseball official said. "A team is going to have to greatly outbid Texas to keep him from going there."

The Dodgers watched Roy Oswalt throw last week in Starkville, Miss., according to a source. Oswalt, who had previously auditioned for the Phillies, Red Sox and the Rangers, has given teams indications that Texas is his destination of choice. The right-hander, 34, has a career record of 159-93 in 11 seasons with Houston and Philadelphia.

It is believed that Roy Halladay's shoulder situation has led the Phillies to consider signing Roy Oswalt, but they will have competition. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reported Monday night that the Dodgers have made an offer to the right-hander. The Rangers, Red Sox and Orioles have also been linked to Oswalt.