Determined to alter the course of a stagnant franchise, bankrolled by what is expected to be a precedent-setting television contract and encouraged by new ownership to build bigger and better, the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday reached an agreement in principle to sign free-agent right-hander Zack Greinke for $147 million over six years, pending the results of his physical.

Zack Greinke split last season between the Brewers and Angels. (AP) Already having acquired nearly $300 million in contracts mid-summer in Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez and Josh Beckett, extended Andre Ethier’s contract by $85 million and just over a year ago re-upped Matt Kemp for $160 million, the Dodgers have become the economic Goliaths of baseball.

Bound for years by the mismanagement and personal gluttony of Frank McCourt, who ultimately declared bankruptcy, the Dodgers under an ownership of Mark Walter and Magic Johnson are expected to have the highest payroll in baseball by a wide margin. The New York Yankees had held that distinction for some 15 years

After 13 seasons and more than 1,800 games – the entirety of his big-league career – in a single organization, Michael Young agreed Saturday to waive his no-trade rights and leave the Texas Rangers for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Michael Young played 13 seasons for the Rangers, who traded him to the Philles.With his permission, Young has been traded to the Phillies for reliever Josh Lindblom and minor-league right-hander Lisalverto Bonilla, and become their primary third baseman. The Rangers are expected to pay as much as $10 million of Young’s $16 million salary for 2013.

Young will receive an extra $1.2 million to cover the difference in state income tax.

Young, 36, likely would have lost playing time in Texas, where he was expected to be marginalized by the emergence of young infielders Jurickson Profar and Mike Olt. Already in recent seasons, Young had been pushed off shortstop by Elvis Andrus, then from third base by Adrian Beltre.

[Also: Hot stove season stuck on simmer]

The latter development so disappointed Young – the heart of the franchise for

The Arizona Diamondbacks neared a quite reasonable – and potentially very clever – transaction Friday. They agreed to contract terms with Brandon McCarthy, the 29-year-old right-hander who has been unable to stay on the field, but has been effective when there.

Brandon McCarthy went 8-6 with a 3.24 ERA for the A's last season.McCarthy will make $15.5 million over the next two seasons. Assuming McCarthy passes his physical, the Diamondbacks have invested that much in a pitcher who has endured some shoulder issues and will be coming back from a frightful season-ending injury.

(In early September he was struck in the head by a line drive that fractured his skull and caused hemorrhaging. He was in surgery for two hours.)

In 43 starts over two seasons with the Oakland A’s, McCarthy was 17-15 with a 3.29 ERA. His road ERA was about a run higher than it was in pitcher-friendly Oakland, which is about right.

[Also: Shane Victorino the surprise winner of MLB winter meetings]

He goes to Arizona and the Diamondbacks' emerging rotation, which, for all

As the winter meetings wound down Thursday morning, the Philadelphia Phillies made a significant move to upgrade their outfield and were close to solving their third-base problem.

Ben Revere (Getty Images)They acquired center fielder Ben Revere from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for two pitchers – 25-year-old right-hander Vance Worley and 23-year-old right-hander Trevor May. Worley is 18-13 with a 3.50 ERA in parts of three seasons for the Phillies. May, among the Phillies’ top prospects, pitched in Double-A last season.

Also, they were in negotiations to acquire veteran third baseman Michael Young from the Texas Rangers. Young has no-trade protection and was believed to be considering waiving that right in order to join the Phillies.

[Related: Zack Grienke, Josh Hamilton deals stall]

Revere, 24, was going to be the Twins' center fielder after Denard Span was traded to the Washington Nationals for prospect Alex Meyer last month. The Twins are endeavoring to restock their organization with pitchers,

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – If the Los Angeles Dodgers were planning on taking over baseball, along with the entire galaxy, it appears they'll have to leave Nashville undisturbed.

They arrived with their new financial might and a hole or two in their starting rotation, only to rediscover that the meetings find their own pace, and Zack Greinke his, and the Texas Rangers theirs. As a result, the Dodgers' sole extravagance was a team dinner at Morton's. Zack Greinke (EFE)

The Rangers and Dodgers are the only known serious players for Greinke. Two presumed suitors – the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels – appear to have checked out. The Nationals opted for Dan Haren earlier this week, and on Wednesday night the Angels agreed to terms with Joe Blanton, five days after trading for Tommy Hanson.

While that would seem to set up a simple auction between the Rangers and Dodgers, agent Casey Close has yet to open the bidding. The Dodgers haven't made an offer, because they haven't been asked for one.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – David Wright re-became a New York Met here on Wednesday morning. He wrestled into a disobedient blue jersey, a new look for the franchise. He patiently curled the orange brim of a new cap and, two-handed, pulled it snug on his head.

His new contract is for $138 million over eight years. Their past, their present, is their future. Every penny of it, every day of it.For better or worse, David Wright is the face of the Mets' franchise for the next few years. (AP)

Wright was, as always, the picture of hope. He's young and eager, at 29. He brought his mom to the news conference. He introduced his girlfriend, Molly, with a gentle nod. He stood with one arm around the general manager and the other around the owner's son, brightly smiling through the last click and flash.

He spoke with clarity of the promise ahead, his hands gripping the lectern, his voice running thin at the appropriately emotional parts.

You want to put a man at the end of failure, on the front end of another shot at relevance, he might as well be David Wright, even if he had a hand in the

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Josh Hamilton hasn't yet found a home and one of his potential destinations likely was taken out of play.

Shane Victorino was traded to the Dodgers from the Phillies midway through last season. (AP)The market beneath Hamilton continued to be among the busiest of the winter meetings when on Tuesday veteran outfielder Shane Victorino agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. The deal followed Atlanta's signing of B.J. Upton, San Francisco's signing of Angel Pagan and Washington's trade for Denard Span. Earlier in the offseason, Torii Hunter signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Tigers.

Meantime, the baseball world waits on Hamilton, whose market remained mysterious beyond the incumbent Texas Rangers. The Rangers have maintained contact with their former outfielder and Hamilton was spotted in the hotel lobby earlier in the meetings.

[Also: Dan Haren signs one-year deal with Nats]

The Red Sox opted for Victorino, who is slotted in right field. In a rebuild-type offseason, the Red Sox have signed Jonny Gomes for left,

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – While the Washington Nationals seemingly declared themselves out of the Zack Greinke market on Tuesday, they could be into the imminent peril market.

They did fill out their rotation with free agent Dan Haren, the 32-year-old right-hander who once was a regular All-Star and as recently as 2011 won 16 games. They did limit their long-term risk, as the contract was for $13 million over just one year, according to Fox Sports. And they did steer clear of an emerging bidding war for Greinke, whose free agency has generated speculation he could become the best-paid pitcher of all time.The Angels declined to pick up a $15.5 million option on Dan Haren. (Getty Images)

Assuming he passes the Nats' physical, Haren would slot into the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation, after Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann and in the neighborhood of Ross Detwiler. He effectively replaces Edwin Jackson, who was 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA last season, numbers a healthy Haren easily could match.

[Related: MLB free-agent tracker]

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