Sources: Javelina Shifting Gears

Highly placed sources within the Javelina organization have indicated that GM Jamie Hoyle may be reconsidering his stance on adding contracts, instead favoring the approach of selling off a contract or two. The belief is the team likes the idea of loading up on available contracts heading into an historically deep draft, which could allow them to assign as many as eight new contracts entering the season.

The sources suggest Hoyle is confident this draft will yield at least eight contract-worthy players; and that he's equally enamored with the prospects of having a league-record four contract extensions to work with later in the year. Obviously, having four contract extensions up his sleeve would grant Hoyle some major bargaining chips with which to work should he need to add talent at the trade deadline, or should his draft yield some promising sleepers.

"I wouldn't expect him to move Zimmerman by any means," said one source. "But certainly Ike Davis and Ryan Dempster could be had. In fact, I'm hearing Dempster is already generating some interest."

It should be interesting to see what type of interest Hoyle can garner in Davis and Dempster. Davis is considered a burgeoning young star at 1B, and was on his way to a break-out season in 2011 prior to injuring his ankle on the pitching mound in Colorado in early May. Dempster is durable and largely dependable, but is coming off a down season. Still, both could have value to the right team in the right situation.