Michael Young’s trade request and Josh Hamilton’s contract extension have dominated recent off-the-field headlines involving the Texas Rangers.

But the front office hasn’t forgotten another important item of business: C.J. Wilson’s future with the team.

Wilson, 30, is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. But Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told FOXSports.com on Friday that he expects to discuss the possibility of a contract extension with Wilson’s agent over the next several weeks.

Wilson could be the Rangers’ Opening Day starter this year, after going 15-8 with a 3.35 ERA in 204 innings last season. He followed that with an impressive postseason during which he went 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA in four starts. Wilson will earn a base salary of $7 million this year.

Daniels said the team has already held internal discussions about the possibility of extending Wilson and other “core players.” While Daniels declined to name who those players might be, shortstop Elvis Andrus and hard-throwing righty Neftali Feliz have roughly the same amount of experience that second baseman Ian Kinsler did before signing his long-term deal with the Rangers.

— Jon Paul Morosi

Hard-throwing righty Andrew Cashner made 53 relief appearances for the Chicago Cubs last season.

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But Mark Riggins, the team’s first-year pitching coach, believes strongly that Cashner’s future is in the Chicago rotation.

And that could happen as early as this year.

“I saw him start in the minor leagues,” Riggins said Wednesday. “I think he could really be a great pitcher. I’ve been around and worked with a lot of minor-league pitchers. A kid with that ability doesn’t come around very often. His ability is top 10 for me that I’ve ever seen, in all my years of work.

“He has ability. It’s a matter of harnessing that ability. You want to give him time to get the most out of himself. Hopefully, it’s this year. That’s what we’re hoping for. Obviously, what he did last year is still huge. We know he can do that. We want to try the other avenue and see what becomes of this.”

Cashner, 24, debuted in the majors on May 31 of last year. He struck out nearly one batter per inning and finished the season with a 4.80 ERA. Riggins indicated that Cashner is a virtual lock to make the Opening Day roster, in one role or the other.

“From what he did last year,” Riggins said, “he’s a guy.”

This spring, Cashner will be among the 10 pitchers who are “stretched out” by the Cubs in order to build up enough stamina to start. Matt Garza, Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster are assured of spots in the rotation.

In addition to Cashner, the other candidates include Randy Wells, Carlos Silva, Braden Looper, Todd Wellemeyer, James Russell, and Casey Coleman.

“We don’t want to miss anybody that might be a guy,” Riggins said. “Spring training is the time to find that stuff out.”

— Jon Paul Morosi

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Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash said on Tuesday that progress is being made on a talks for a multi-year deal with 2B Rickie Weeks.

"We're making progress. We're not done yet," said Ash. "We're inching our way."

The deal would be between three and five years, buying out at least two free-agent years, according to a source.

The sides are trying to avoid an arbitration hearing on Thursday.

— Ken Rosenthal

Add the Diamondbacks to the list of teams interested in trading for Michael Young. The question, though, remains: Will the Rangers find a suitable deal for their disgruntled infielder?

The Diamondbacks view Young as a possible upgrade over Melvin Mora at third base, but their talks with the Rangers have yet to escalate – and might not, according to major-league sources.

The D-Backs are in a similar position to the Marlins, another team that is pursuing Young but has only limited payroll flexibility.

Like the Marlins, the D-Backs would need the Rangers to pick up a large portion of the $48 million remaining on the final three years of Young’s contract.

Like the Marlins, the D-Backs would need Young’s permission to complete a deal; they are not one of the eight teams that can acquire him without his approval.

The Rockies and Dodgers, two other clubs interested in Young, are not under such restrictions. Young has asked to be traded, but the Rangers are telling teams that they will not move him unless they can improve their club, sources say.

The Rangers also are telling teams that they do not want to include much cash in the deal, a stance that could limit the quality of the players they receive in return.

— Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia was not the only pitcher discussing his future as spring training opened. Two of the Phillies’ top starters, right-hander Roy Oswalt and lefty Cole Hamels, also addressed their potential next steps.

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Oswalt, who turns 34 on Aug. 29, repeated what he told FOXSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi a year ago: That he might retire at the end of the 2011 season. The Phillies hold a $16 million club option on Oswalt for ‘12. The pitcher also can opt out and take a reduced buyout.

“I’ll play this year and see how it goes,” Oswalt said at a news conference Monday. “I’ll see where my body’s at and pretty much go from there.”

Hamels, 27, is an entirely different position. He will earn $9.5 million this season in the final year of his current deal. After that, he will be eligible for arbitration in ’12, his final season before free agency.

The Phillies, regardless of what Oswalt decides, could attempt to negotiate an extension with Hamels after this season.

“I want to be here as long as I possibly can,” Hamels told FOXSports.com Sunday. “It’s why Cliff (Lee) came back. It’s the reason Roy (Halladay) wanted to be here. It’s a great place to play.

“I want to be here for the majority of my time of being a baseball player. I’ve never looked at anything else. I just know that if I stay healthy and I’m able to go out and help the team, that is all going to speak for itself.”

As for Sabathia, he created a stir at Yankees camp Monday by declining to rule out that he would exercise his opt-out clause and become a free agent at the end of this season.

“It’s still in my contract,” Sabathia told reporters. “Anything can happen.”

Sabathia, who turns 31 on July 21, previously had said he would not opt out, and he has four years and $92 million remaining on his deal. Still, he might do even better that as a free agent – or, at the very least, leverage the Yankees into a better deal.

The Yankees generally do not discuss contracts with their players, managers, coaches and executives until the end of a season. They do not figure to make an exception for Sabathia, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for the second time in late October.

— Ken Rosenthal

Matt Dominguez, a player who has yet to reach Triple A, is the leading candidate to play third base for the Florida Marlins.

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The Texas Rangers’ Michael Young likely would be a better solution.

The Marlins are interested in Young, who recently asked to be traded, major league sources say. One source with knowledge of the talks, however, describes the possibility as “a real reach.”

For a deal to occur, the Rangers would need to assume the vast majority of the remaining $48 million on the final three years of Young’s contract. Young also would need to waive his partial no-trade clause for the Marlins, who are not one of the eight teams that can obtain him without his approval.

The acquisition of Young would allow the Marlins to develop Dominguez at Triple A, leaving the club with an infield of Young, shortstop Hanley Ramirez, second baseman Omar Infante and first baseman Gaby Sanchez.

Young, a native of Covina, Calif., likely would prefer a trade to the Dodgers or even the Rockies, two teams that are interested in him and free to acquire him without his permission.

The Marlins, though, routinely aim high in trade discussions, and soon will grow more attractive for players seeking new homes. They are scheduled to move into a new ballpark in downtown Miami in 2012.

— Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Let the hype begin.

Philadelphia Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee, who normally is not given to rash pronouncements, said Sunday that “it’s very possible” all five Phillies starting pitchers could throw 200 innings this season.

Not since 1980, the first year of Billyball in Oakland, has a team produced five 200-inning starters, according to STATS LLC. Only two other clubs, the ’77 Dodgers and ’57 Tigers, have done it since 1930.

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OK, so maybe Dubee got carried away. But the Phillies’ rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton should be good enough to create a ripple effect on other parts of the club.

The Phillies’ bullpen figures to directly benefit from the rotation’s ability to pitch deep into games. In fact, if the starters perform as expected, Dubee and manager Charlie Manuel will be challenged to find the relievers enough work.

Which leads to another potential advantage – the potential to keep an extra position player on the bench.

Logic dictates that if the relievers are used sparingly, the Phillies will not need as many of them. Dubee acknowledged that the Phils might carry only 11 pitchers instead of the usual 12.

That could be good news for a number of major league veteran position players who are in camp on minor-league contracts – among them infielder Robb Quinlan and outfielders Delwyn Young and Brandon Moss.

The additional room on the 25-man roster also could enable the Phillies to retain infielder/outfielder Michael Martinez, their Rule 5 draft pick and leading candidate to back up center fielder Shane Victorino.

Manuel, a former hitting coach, surely would prefer the extra bat. But the Phillies’ front office might prefer that he keep the extra pitcher as a gentle reminder for him to avoid working his starters too hard.

In any case, the strength of the Phillies’ rotation could produce an additional intangible benefit – a more alert defense. Dubee noted that all five starters work quickly and pound the strike zone, saying they’re “fun to play behind.”

True enough: Lee ranked first in the majors last season in fewest pitches per inning, averaging only 14. Halladay ranked third in that department, Oswalt 10^th, Blanton 24^th and Hamels 51^st.

— Ken Rosenthal

The Seattle Mariners, after signing right-hander Manny Delcarmen to a minor-league contract earlier this week, may not be done adding to their bullpen.

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The M’s are interested in righty Chad Durbin, the best remaining free-agent reliever, major league sources say.

Durbin, 33, has received offers from several projected non-contenders. The Mariners, coming off 101 losses, fit that description. But while Durbin would prefer to pitch for a competitive team after making three straight playoff appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies, he might not have a choice.

The Minnesota Twins, a contender that could use relief help, are not looking at Durbin, sources say. The Tampa Bay Rays, while possibly interested in Durbin, need a true back-end anchor more.

The competition for relief spots in Mariners’ camp figures to be lively. Closer David Aardsma is coming off surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, though he is expected to be ready by Opening Day. Righty Shawn Kelley could be out until June after undergoing elbow surgery.

Righty Brandon League is a leading returning setup man. Righty Chris Ray, like Delcarmen, will be in camp on a minor-league deal. Righties Dan Cortes and Josh Lueke will be among the young pitchers competing for bullpen roles.

— Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

Multiple sources said Thursday that the Los Angeles Dodgers had engaged in serious trade discussions with the Texas Rangers about Michael Young. But no deal was close, and one source said flatly of the Young-to-Dodgers scenario: “It ain’t happening.”

Another source concurred that the Rangers were not close to moving Young to any club, raising the possibility that the disgruntled infielder may still be a Ranger when the team conduct its first full spring training workout on Feb. 20.

Young, 34, wants to be traded, and the Dodgers are one of eight teams that can acquire him without his permission. The Dodgers’ lack of financial flexibility, however, is an issue; Young is guaranteed $16 million in each of the next three seasons.

The Rangers would need to pay the majority of Young’s salary for a deal to occur, and one source said the Dodgers asked the Rangers to assume as much as 75 percent of his contract — or $36 million of $48 million.

The Dodgers have made similar deals in the past, parting with premium young players in exchange for significant cash. The team also could clear payroll by trading third baseman Casey Blake or including him in its package for Young.

The Rangers, after losing left-hander Cliff Lee to free agency, also could target one of the Dodgers' starters, perhaps right-hander Chad Billingsley — or, more realistically, reliever Jonathan Broxton.

Blake, 37, is due a total of $6.5 million — $5.25 million this season plus a $1.25 million buyout. The Blue Jays are among the clubs looking for a third baseman, but some in baseball view Blake as more of a part-time player at this stage of his career. Blake’s .663 OPS against right-handed pitching last season was the fifth-worst in the National League.

If the Dodgers acquired Young, they could play him at second base and use Juan Uribe at third, his stronger defensive position. Young almost certainly would welcome the move — he was born in Covina, Calif., and attended UC Santa Barbara.

The Rockies remain interested in Young, but their talks with the Rangers are at a standstill, sources say. Angels general manager Tony Reagins all but ruled out Young Thursday in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

— Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

The hearing in Jose Bautista’s salary arbitration case with the Toronto Blue Jays has been set for Monday in Arizona, a major league source told FOXSports.com.

Barring a multiyear contract extension in the coming days, the sides will enter the hearing room with $2.9 million at stake. A panel of arbitrators will decide whether Bautista deserves the $10.5 million, one-year salary that he has requested, or the $7.6 million offered by the team.

Bautista, 30, is entering his final season before becoming eligible for free agency. He batted .260 last year with a major league-leading 54 home runs and 124 RBI. Because of the jump in his performance from 2009 to 2010, his arbitration case is one of the most intriguing this year among industry observers.

In adhering to team policy, the Blue Jays committed to the hearing with Bautista as soon as salary figures were exchanged in January. At this point, the only way to avoid Monday’s hearing would be for the sides to agree on a long-term extension. It’s not clear if the sides have made any recent progress in that area.

— Jon Paul Morosi