In the past five days, teams have made nearly $600 million worth of commitments in contract extensions, including shortstop Elvis Andrus’ pending deal with the Rangers.

Don’t expect the trend to end.

The Dodgers remain in discussions with left-hander Clayton Kershaw, according to major-league sources. The Indians continue to talk to second baseman Jason Kipnis and outfielder Michael Brantley, though a Kipnis deal is considered unlikely, sources say.

The flurry of recent extensions is partly attributable to the calendar - players and teams often use Opening Day as a deadline for contract negotiations. But a number of clubs are seeking to lock up additional players, reflecting the game’s rising revenues, sources say.

Starting in 2014, the amount of money that teams receive from baseball’s national television contracts will increase from about $25 million per season to about $52 million. Some teams also are drawing significantly increased revenue from their local television deals.

The large number of extensions reduces the quality of upcoming free-agent classes, and increases the demand for top players who do hit the open market.

One situation that bears watching: The Yankees’ negotiations with second baseman Robinson Cano, who is eligible for free agency at the end of the season.

Cano is represented by Scott Boras, who generally prefers his clients to establish their values not through extensions, but on the open market. Andrus, however, is also represented by Boras, and just two years away from free agency.

The Yankees, like Boras, rarely negotiate extensions before players complete contracts. It also seems doubtful that Cano would agree to a new deal when he could engage the Yankees, Dodgers and other clubs in a bidding war in just seven months.

Then again, the Yankees face the losses of a number of a number of potential free agents at the end of the season. Cano, 30, is the team’s biggest offensive star, and one of the Yanks’ few top performers in his prime.

Let’s just say the current environment is ripe for extensions, as evidenced by the agreements that have been reached just since Thursday:

Justin Verlander, Tigers, $180 million.

Buster Posey, Giants, $167 million.

Andrus, $120 million.

Adam Wainwright, Cardinals, $97.5 million.

Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks, $32.5 million.

Oh, and don’t forget another deal from early February: Felix Hernandez’s $175 million agreement with the Mariners.

-Ken Rosenthal 

The Yankees correctly view their acquisition of outfielder Vernon Wells as one with little financial downside. But the move still raises the question of why the team wasn’t more aggressive on other players during the offseason, notably free-agent catcher Russell Martin.

Insurance from the World Baseball Classic on first baseman Mark Teixeira — money that wasn’t available to the Yankees in November — will help defray most or perhaps even all of the cost of Wells in 2013.

Martin, though, told the Yankees he was willing to accept a one-year contract in the $9 million to $10 million range, according to two major-league sources. When the Yankees balked, he agreed to a two-year, $17 million deal with the Pirates.

A one-year deal for Martin would not have affected the Yankees’ desire to get under the $189 luxury-tax threshold in ’14. Instead, the Yankees will enter the season with two less proven catchers, Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart.

Perhaps, one source suggested, the Yankees did not expect the market for Martin to develop as quickly as it did. At the time Martin signed, the Yankees had just committed $37 million over a 10-day period to one-year deals for pitchers Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, in that order.

Club officials were proceeding at a deliberate pace, checking off one need at a time. Martin might have been ahead of the Yankees’ timetable. His deal became official on Nov. 30, the same day as Rivera.

In any case, the addition of Wells is a reaction to the Yankees’ near-desperate state in the wake of injuries to Teixeira, outfielder Curtis Granderson, shortstop Derek Jeter and third baseman Alex Rodriguez, all of whom are expected to start the season on the disabled list.

Under the terms of the trade, the Yankees will be obligated to pay $13.9 million of Wells’ remaining $42 million obligation over the next two seasons, with the Angels covering the rest, according to reports.

Of that $13.9 million, the Yankees will pay Wells $11.5 million in ’13 and $2.4 million in ‘14, an accounting maneuver enabling them to face a zero tax charge in ’14, sources say.

Here's how the whole thing unfolds:

Wells’ salary in 2014 will be $21 million, just as it this season. But his luxury-tax charge, calculated from the average annual value of his long-term contract, is about $16.4 million. Most media outlets reported the Jays’ original extension with Wells as seven years, $126 million. But the team, according to a source, actually reported the deal to baseball as eight years, $131.6 million, lowering Wells’ luxury-tax number.

So for 2013, the actual cost of Wells to the Yankees will be about $10.35 million – the $6.9 million that is the difference between Wells’ luxury-tax number ($16.4 million) and the amount the Angels are sending to the Yankees ($9.5 million), plus another $3.45 million in luxury tax; the Yankees will again be over the threshold, taxed at a rate of 50 percent.

The WBC’s insurance on Teixeira will help reduce or potentially erase that burden. If Teixeira misses at least two months with a torn tendon sheath in his right wrist, as now appears likely, the Yankees will get back about $7.5 million in insurance. For each additional month – and a longer absence by Texeira is possible – the team would receive about $3.75 million.

As for that additional $2.4 million that the Yankees will owe Wells in ’14, it indeed will not count against their luxury-tax payroll. The Angels will cover $18.6 million of Wells’ salary, which is more than his luxury-tax charge. The Yankees cannot receive a “credit” for Wells, according to the labor agreement. His tax number will effectively be $0.

Wells, then, will not impact the Yankees’ ’14 payroll for luxury-tax purposes. How much he impacts their team over the next two seasons remains to be seen.

— Ken Rosenthal

The Dodger Beast seemingly lurks at every turn.

The latest concern for rival clubs stems from the stunning spring-training performance of outfielder Yasiel Puig — and not simply because the Dodgers’ $42 million investment soon might like a bargain.

No, rival executives are concerned that Puig’s ascent eventually will help the Dodgers secure other top prospects.

How?

By pushing the Dodgers to trade one of their expensive corner outfielders, Carl Crawford or Andre Ethier, and secure additional young talent by paying most of that player’s contract as part of the deal.

In other words, the Dodgers not only can outbid teams for stars, but also can buy their way out of mistakes and come out ahead. And, at a time when teams face new restrictions on spending for both domestic and international amateurs, the Dodgers’ financial might could give them a huge advantage in amassing top prospects.

Such moves would be perfectly acceptable under the collective bargaining agreement, provided that commissioner Bud Selig determined that they benefited both clubs from a baseball perspective.

And why wouldn’t he?

Selig didn’t stop the Marlins’ controversial salary dump last offseason, allowing the team to send shortstop Jose Reyes, right-hander Josh Johnson and left-hander Mark Buerhle to the Blue Jays.

And he didn’t stop the Dodgers from taking on more than $260 million in salaries last August, permitting them to acquire Crawford, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and right-hander Josh Beckett from the Red Sox.

Let’s say Puig tears up the minors and the Dodgers decide to promote him at mid-season. They then would face the choice of moving Crawford, who is owed $102.5 million over the next five seasons, or Ethier, who is owed $85 million over the same period.

Neither player is attractive at those figures. But if Ethier was playing well and the Dodgers paid enough to turn him into a player with an average salary of say, $7 million instead of $17 million, another team almost certainly would part with good prospects in return.

“It’s smart, actually — the only way to really build a farm system under the new rules,” one rival executive says. “And you can only do it if you’ve got big dollars.”

Rival executives worry that the Dodgers could return to the formula again and again, effectively circumventing the draft.

Tired of Gonzalez? Pay down his deal and get younger players. Zack Greinke doesn’t work out? Do the same. And keep the machine running by signing top free agents year after year.

The Dodgers’ budget surely is not unlimited, but they have yet to pull back on any front in any meaningful way.

Puig could be a gift that keeps on giving. And not the last such gift, either.

— Ken Rosenthal

There is a measure of consolation for teams that lose players to injuries related to the World Baseball Classic — insurance from the WBC may cover those players’ salaries if they miss time during the regular season.

In general, a player must miss at least 30 days for the coverage to apply, according to a major league source. Once he misses at least 30 days, his salary for the lost time will be covered in full, no matter how long he is out.

Thus, the salaries of Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez will be covered while they are on the disabled list for their respective clubs.

Teixeira suffered a torn tendon sheath in his right wrist before the tournament began while swinging a bat in a drill as a member of Team USA. Ramirez tore a ligament in his right thumb while playing in the championship game for the Dominican Republic.

Ramirez required surgery and is expected to be out at least two months. Teixeira is expected to miss about the same out of time, but could be out longer if he needs surgery. Teixeira will earn $22.5 million this season, Ramirez $15.5 million.

Insurance also applies to players who suffer an injury during the tournament, return to their teams and then suffer a re-occurrence of the same injury within a set time period, the source said.

Mets third baseman David Wright suffered a strained left ribcage muscle during the tournament but is expected to return at or near the start of the regular season. If he re-injures the same area after the season begins and misses at least 30 days, the Mets could be covered for the appropriate portion of his $11 million salary.

The WBC policies in 2006 and ’09 did not account for re-injuries, but the coverage was adjusted to provide additional protection for the clubs, the source said.

ESPN’s Buster Olney first reported the news of the WBC insurance.

—Ken Rosenthal

Scott Kazmir’s comeback with the Indians has been one of the feel-good stories of the spring. But whether the veteran left-hander’s Cactus League success will translate to major-league performance remains to be seen.

One scout who saw two of Kazmir’s recent starts expressed skepticism, saying that the pitcher is not throwing his breaking ball for strikes and that his fastball, while lively, is up in the zone.

Kazmir, competing with right-hander Carlos Carrasco for the fifth spot in the Indians’ rotation, next pitches Saturday against the Mariners in Peoria, Ariz., according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

The Indians, even if they name Kazmir their fifth starter, know that he will be far from a sure thing. While Kazmir has thrown eight scoreless innings in his major-league outings this spring, striking out eight and walking none, he has pitched in only one actual regular-season game since 2010.

One club official, however, says that Kazmir has maintained good velocity on his fastball with good location throughout the spring. His slider and changeup have been less consistent, that official acknowledges, but major-league quality more often than not.

Kazmir, 29, is in camp on a minor-league contract. He began his comeback last season with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters, who play in his hometown of Houston, then played winter ball in Puerto Rico.

The Angels released him on June 15, 2011 with $14.5 million remaining on his contract.

-Ken Rosenthal

It would be an upset if the Colorado Rockies signed Kyle Lohse. But that hasn’t stopped the Rockies from doing their due diligence on the free-agent right-hander, inquiring about him with different people in the game, major-league sources say.

The Rockies only would sign Lohse “if by a very, very remote chance he just flat-out doesn’t have anything,” according to one source. Even then, the Rockies would need to boost their payroll to get a deal done.

The biggest problem for the Rockies, though, is that Lohse likely would prefer to pitch for a team that plays in a less hitter-friendly environment than Coors Field.

The Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers are maintaining contact with Lohse, sources say. Lohse’s agent, Scott Boras, told MLB Network’s Peter Gammons on Thursday that the pitcher will not wait to sign until after the June draft, when draft-pick compensation no longer would apply.

“We have too many teams in play,” Boras said.

Lohse, sources say, wants to at least match Ryan Dempster’s two-year, $26.5 million with the Boston Red Sox; the pitcher rejected a one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer from the St. Louis Cardinals.

— Ken Rosenthal

FT. MYERS, Fla. — The teams interested in acquiring right-hander Rick Porcello continue to wonder if the Tigers actually will trade him.

The Rangers and Padres are the teams most active on Porcello, according to major-league sources. The Orioles also have scouted Porcello, but the Red Sox – another team with potential interest – are not currently pursuing him, sources say.

The Tigers, rather than move Porcello, might prefer to keep him and retain depth in their rotation. They then could make lefty Drew Smyly a long reliever or starter at Triple A.

One thing is clear: The Tigers will not trade Porcello unless they receive a strong return.

The Padres made an “aggressive” offer for Porcello last week, only to be rejected, according to a source.

Talks with the Rangers do not appear to be at an advanced stage, but the names of two Texas prospects - shortstop Leury Garcia and right-hander Nicholas Tepesch – apparently are on the Tigers’ wish list. The Tigers also would want a third player added to that package, but the Rangers would be reluctant to move even Tepesch in a Porcello deal, sources say.

The Red Sox, seeking to add rotation depth, could satisfy the Tigers’ desire for late-inning relief help by offering right-hander Andrew Bailey. The salaries of the two pitchers nearly line up – Porcello will earn $5.1 million this season, Bailey $4.1 million. The Sox, however, are reluctant to compromise the depth of their bullpen, which is one of the team’s strengths.

The Tigers, who also seek to add a right-handed hitting outfielder, have discussed re-acquiring Casper Wells from the Mariners, according to a source. The Orioles could offer Nolan Reimold in addition to a reliever, but are not inclined to move on Porcello, preferring to go with their younger starting pitchers instead, a source said.

Financial motives could drive a Porcello trade even more than the Tigers’ lack of a proven closer, given the recent progress of rookie right-hander Bruce Rondon in Grapefruit League games.

Porcello is under club control for three more seasons, and likely will earn in the range of $22 million during that period, depending upon how he performs.

Critics of Porcello point to his low strikeout rate and his ERA-plus, which has been below-average the past two seasons. But many of his numbers – strikeout rate, walk rate, home-run rate, fielding-independent pitching (FIP) – are trending in the right direction. And because Porcello is a groundball pitcher, his performance likely would improve if he pitched in front of a better infield defense than the Tigers’.

— Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

The Cleveland Indians continue to discuss contract extensions with left fielder Michael Brantley and second baseman Jason Kipnis. But for Brantley, at least, the landscape has changed.

Brantley, who turns 26 on May 15, moved from center field to left after the Indians signed free agent Michael Bourn to a four-year, $48 million contract.

The Indians began talking to Brantley began before they signed Bourn. Brantley’s long-term value almost certainly is lower in left than it is in center, potentially complicating negotiations.

Brantley becomes eligible for arbitration next season, Kipnis the year after. In each case, the Indians would want to buy out the player’s three arbitration years, then multiple years of free agency. That probably would mean a deal of at least five years for Brantley and at least six for Kipnis.

If Brantley declined to sign an extension, he would become a free agent entering his age 30 season.

— Ken Rosenthal

Nolan Arenado is that rarest of rookies — one who might make an Opening Day roster without regard to service-time considerations.

The Colorado Rockies likely will wait another 7-10 days before deciding whether Arenado will be their starting third baseman. But the team is giving the idea serious consideration, according to major-league sources

“It’s a tough call,” one club official said.

Chris Nelson, the team’s incumbent third baseman, batted .344 with an .881 OPS in 180 at-bats after the All-Star Game. But Nelson, 27, lacks an established track record, and the Rockies might simply decide it is Arenado’s time.

For Arenado and surging rookies such as Boston outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and Minnesota outfielder Aaron Hicks, the final weeks of spring training will be critical as they face pitchers sharpening their repertoires in advance of Opening Day.

Teams generally hold off on promoting rookies immediately in order to delay their eligibility for salary arbitration and free agency. But the Rockies are willing to make an exception for Arenado, who is batting .276 with a 1.069 OPS in 29 at-bats this spring.

Arenado is a gifted defender, and should fit well in an offense that the Rockies expect to be quite productive. Nelson probably isn’t strong enough defensively at second and short to be an effective utility man, and he is out of options, which could lead to a trade.

The Rockies want to add one more veteran starting pitcher, and Nelson isn’t their only potentially expendable part. The team wants to move catcher Ramon Hernandez, and will assume part of his $3.2 million salary to make a deal, sources say.

Hernandez, who turns 37 on May 20, is expendable because the Rockies are likely to name Yorvit Torrealba the backup to Wilin Rosario, with infielder/catcher Jordan Pacheco giving the team another option.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Apparently, carrying baseball’s highest payroll doesn’t guarantee a worry-free camp.

For a team that’s supposed to win the World Series, the Dodgers have an uncommonly high number of questions at this stage of spring training.

Two urgent topics: Will Carl Crawford be ready for Opening Day? And how about Zack Greinke?

“We have to see,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Thursday. “Carl’s feeling better. We’ve still got some time. If Carl was a guy that we just said, ‘Turn it loose. You can play every day, all you want, hit all you want,’ the chances would be really good, because he’d be ready.

“But in the situation that we’re only going to allow him so much per day takes it back a little bit. Carl’s still optimistic. Until somebody says he cannot do it, then we’re going to be optimistic also. We’re just pleased he’s moving forward.”

Crawford, who was shut down recently because of nerve irritation in his surgically repaired left elbow, took at-bats in a minor-league game Thursday.

Greinke hasn’t pitched in a Cactus League game since March 1 due to inflammation in his right (throwing) elbow. Greinke isn’t scheduled to resume bullpen sessions until next week at the earliest.

With Opening Day barely more than two weeks away, Greinke must return to game action very soon in order to be on track for a regular-season start by the beginning of April. The Dodgers also could slot Greinke as the “fifth starter,” so to speak, and not schedule him to pitch until April 11 against San Diego.    

Of Greinke’s status, Mattingly said, “We’ll see where it goes, see how he feels. We’re not going to force anything. We’ve got different scenarios we’ve looked at, that we don’t need to guess at right now — at least publicly.”

The Dodgers’ entire rotation remains in a state of flux. They began the spring with eight starting pitchers: ace Clayton Kershaw, Greinke, Chad Billingsley, Josh Beckett, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Ted Lilly, Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano. It’s possible that one or two could be traded, with Harang and Capuano the most obvious candidates. But because Billingsley and Lilly battled injuries last year — along with Greinke’s new elbow concern — the Dodgers could be forced to delay any trades.

Asked how many starters are certain at this point, Mattingly said, “I don’t think we know. It’s hard to say any of them are really set. I think we have some ideas about what’s going on, different plans. But right now, we’re just trying to figure out how to use them all.”

The Dodgers’ uncertainty is hardly limited to the pitching staff. All-Star center fielder Matt Kemp is hitting only .105 this spring, coming off left shoulder surgery. (Mattingly said his at-bats have been “OK.”) Hanley Ramirez is expected to be the Dodgers’ everyday shortstop but has been playing third base for the Dominican Republic during the World Baseball Classic.

Outfielder Yasiel Puig has been one of the Dodgers’ most impressive position players this spring, with a .988 OPS, but Mattingly said it’s probably not “realistic” for the 22-year-old Cuban defector to make the Opening Day roster.

“Not really, in my mind, if we’re going to be realistic,” Mattingly said when asked about Puig’s chances to make the team. “It’s probably not the best thing for him. He may not agree with that, but I don’t realistically think that’s the best thing for the organization, with a guy who’s had the (low number of minor-league) at-bats he has. But he’s played well. He’s done a lot of good things. We see a lot of things that tell us he’s still young.

“Like we’ve said with a lot of guys, they tell you when they’re ready. If he’s ready, wherever he ends up (in the minor leagues), he’s going to tear it up. If he doesn’t, that tells you he’s maybe not quite ready.”

Puig looms as an intriguing call-up possibility during the season, particularly if Kemp or Crawford is sidelined again due to injury.

— Jon Paul Morosi