With Zack Greinke off the free agent market and James Shields gone from the trading block, teams searching for top-tier starting pitching have one obvious place left to look: New York, where R.A. Dickey remains available.

He won’t come cheaply. Apparently general manager Sandy Alderson was not bluffing when he said last week that he is looking for a “difference-maker” in exchange for Dickey; various local and national reports indicate that Rangers top power prospect Mike Olt, for example, would not be enough in a deal. FOX Sports speculated that the Blue Jays could entice the Mets with a package of catcher J.P. Arencibia and center fielder Anthony Gose, but not with Arencibia alone.

If the Mets do not find a package they like, they can still simply keep Dickey and try to extend him for a reasonable price — the knuckleballer is reportedly seeking no more than two years and $30 million. But the Mets have made it clear they are willing to deal him, and offers may increase now that other top options are off the market.

–Anthony DiComo

The Cleveland Indians have agreed to a one-year contract with infielder Mark Reynolds for 2013, as the two sides reached a deal on Sunday evening, according to a source.

Reynolds, who was non-tendered by the Orioles last month, will get a base salary of $6 million with another $1.5 million in incentives and is expected to play first base for the Tribe .The 29-year-old made 7.5 million with Baltimore last season and amid a thin free-agent class of first basemen, Reynolds — who would have made around $9 million in arbitration — was willing to return to the O’s, but not at a significantly reduced salary.

The Orioles never offered Reynolds any type of deal, preferring to “let the market play out” for his services instead and several teams expressed interest in Reynolds at last week’s Winter Meetings. One of them was Cleveland, which has its Spring Training facility in Arizona and will allow Reynolds to live home during big league camp. While Baltimore is still looking to add a middle-of-the-order bat, the club’s top internal choice at first base for 2013 is now Chris Davis.

After starting the 2012 season at third base, Reynolds — who committed six errors in 40 chances — was moved across the diamond and worked hard to turn himself into an above-average first baseman. Frequently taking some good-natured ribbing for his tendency to never stay on his feet, he became adept at picking balls in the dirt and making excellent scoops, resulting in a .995 fielding percentage in 108 games at the position.

Offensively, Reynolds recovered from a poor first half to post a .221 batting average with a .335 on-base percentage and a .429 slugging percentage, collecting 23 homers and 69 RBIs in 135 games. Sixteen of his homers came in the final two months of the season after he got past the most prolonged slump of his career. Through Reynolds’ first 85 games, he hit .211 with eight homers and 33 RBIs and struck out 104 times. He did draw walks throughout the season, leading the team in free passes for a second straight year, with 73, and he helped the Orioles reach their first postseason in 15 years by hitting 15 homers and posting a .517 slugging percentage in his final 50 games.

A well-liked player in the clubhouse, Reynolds played through numerous injuries during the season. He was hit by a pitch six times during the regular season and twice in six postseason games. Health was a question to everyone but Reynolds, who deflected any notion that he might need to miss time. The Orioles acquired from the D-backs on Dec. 6, 2010, in exchange for right-handers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio. The signing is still pending a physical, with CBSports.com first reporting the two sides were closing in on a deal.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said he spoke with the agent for top free-agent target Zack Greinke on Wednesday, but gave no indication a deal was close. Meanwhile, the clock kept ticking in talks for Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, who must be signed by Sunday or he returns to Korea. The Dodgers’ off-season priority is to add two top-line pitchers to their rotation, so if Greinke is not signed by Sunday, signing Ryu becomes more pressing. The only other starting pitchers the Dodgers are known to have interest in are free agent Anibal Sanchez and Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, who would require a trade from the Mets. — Ken Gurnick

A pair potential Brewers targets fell off the open market on Day 3 of the Winter Meetings on Wednesday when left-handed relievers Sean Burnett and Randy Choate chose new homes and further shrunk the Brewers’ options for that area of need.

Burnett, who signed for two years with the Angels, and Choate, who got three years from the Cardinals, were among a number of lefty relievers under consideration by the Brewers, who created a need by nontendering Manny Parra last week.

Among the free agent lefties still available are Mike Gonzalez, Tom Gorzelanny, J.P. Howell, Will Ohman and Hideki Okajima.

But general manager Doug Melvin said that as of Wednesday afternoon, he had yet to make any offers.

– Adam McCalvy

Jim Thome has been doing some traveling in recent days. He attended former teammate Joe Mauer’s wedding in Minneapolis over the weekend, and he was in Cleveland this week to get measured for the statue the Indians are creating in his honor at Progressive Field.

But Thome, a free agent, hasn’t been visiting any Major League clubs on formal business. The 42-year-old member of the 600-homer club is still undecided on whether to come back for a 23rd season, and it is not known what kind of market would develop for his services were he to decide to come back.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he spoke with Thome on the phone earlier this week and that Thome had not yet made up his mind on coming back.

“I think if somebody shows interest in him, he might [return],” Manuel said. “You know, I think he’s one of those guys who is having a hard time trying to leave.”

Manuel’s Phillies coaxed Thome out of a potential retirement a year ago with a one-year, $1.25 million contract. But when Thome’s bid to play first base with regularity for the first time since 2005 did not go as planned, he was shipped back to the American League when the Orioles acquired him for Minor Leaguers Gabriel Lino and Kyle Simon in June. A herniated disk in his neck limited Thome to just 28 games with the O’s. For the season, he hit .252 with eight homers, seven doubles and 25 RBIs in 58 games.

Orioles general manager Dan Duquette told reporters earlier this week that he has not had contact with Thome but that Thome “added a real veteran presence” to the club.

–Anthony Castrovince

The Cardinals’ search for left-handed relief help has brought them to Randy Choate, who, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, reached terms on an agreement with St. Louis on Wednesday. The club has not yet announced the signing, but when they do, it will mark the first dip for the organization into the free-agent pool this offseason.

It has been no secret that St. Louis has been looking to add a second southpaw to join Marc Rzepczynski in the bullpen. The market was thin in that area, forcing the Cardinals to carefully consider how much of a financial commitment the club wanted to make to a lefty reliever. Sean Burnett, considered the top remaining free-agent lefty reliever, was going to command a strong multi-year commitment.

The length and terms of Choate’s agreement with the Cardinals was not immediately known.

Choate, 37, made 80 appearances in 2012, which he split between the Marlins and Dodgers. Choate posted a 3.03 ERA in 38 2/3 innings and was used primarily as a lefty specialist. He held left-handed batters to a .158 batting average. Right-handed hitters batted .325 against him. The Cardinals will use Choate in that same specialist role.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Orioles have agreed to terms on a one-year deal for outfielder Nate McLouth, according to an industry source.

Baltimore had steady dialogue with McLouth’s agent, Mike Nicotera, and manager Buck Showalter spoke on the phone with the 31-year-old outfielder on Tuesday as he was the organization’s top choice in adding a corner outfielder.

McLouth had a .268/.342/.435 line in 55 games for Baltimore last season, emerging as the club’s starting left fielder and providing a spark from the leadoff spot with Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis on the disabled list. Signed to a Minor League contract after being released by the Pirates, McLouth had said all along that he would like to return to Baltimore. It was a mutual feeling.

“I think Nate liked Baltimore, he played very well there, and we liked him in Baltimore,” executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said Tuesday night. “He did a good job for us when he came up … there’s a natural interest in re-signing him to the team.”

McLouth, a former Gold Glove Award winner, joins Nolan Reimold as an option for the O’s in left field. The team is still seeking a middle-of-the-order bat which, with McLouth’s signing, will now come from either first base or designated hitter.

The Baltimore Sun first reported the two sides were close to a deal.

–Brittany Ghiroli