5 hours agoThe San Francisco Giants re-signed left-hander
Thomas Szapucki to a minor-league deal after non-tendering him on Nov. 17. Szapucki had thoracic outlet surgery in May and hasn't pitched in a competitive setting since 2022 due to his shoulder injury. The 27-year-old southpaw appeared in 12 major-league games (one start) in 2021 and 2022 with the New York Mets and Giants, allowing 18 earned runs on 26 hits (eight home runs) while walking 10 and striking out 22 in just 13 2/3 innings. Shoulder injuries like his are pretty unpredictable, so Szapucki may not be ready health-wise to open the 2024 minor-league season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
5 hours agoThe San Francisco Giants have re-signed right-hander
Jose Cruz to a minor-league deal after non-tendering him on Nov. 17. The 23-year-old Dominican pitcher spent time with High-A Eugene and Double-A Richmond in the Giants' farm system in 2023, combining to go 0-2 with a 4.47 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, five saves, 38 walks and 67 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings over 36 appearances out of the bullpen. Cruz will continue to toil in the minors to open the 2024 season with the Giants. In five minor-league seasons, he's recorded a 3.90 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 114 walks and 271 strikeouts in 198 1/3 innings covering 127 appearances (only three starts).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
5 hours agoCincinnati Reds infielder
Matt McLain (oblique) said his right-oblique injury is fully healed. "Things are going good. I started to swing, no problems. Lifting, no problems," McLain said. The 24-year-old was having an excellent rookie season in 2023 for the upstart Reds before his season came to an end prematurely at the tail end of the year when he was put on the injured list in late August. McLain resumed baseball activities at the tail end of the regular season in September and should have a pretty normal offseason as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks. He'll be a popular middle-infield target in 2024 fantasy drafts after he hit . 290/.357/.507 with an .864 OPS, 16 home runs, 50 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 65 runs scored for the Reds in 365 at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
5 hours agoMLB teams have shown interest in Miami Marlins right-hander
Edward Cabrera and left-hander
Trevor Rogers this offseason, according to sources briefed on the Marlins' conversations. Cabrera missed a month with a right-shoulder impingement in 2023 and spent more than a month at Triple-A. In the big leagues, he posted a 4.24 ERA in 99 2/3 frames. The 26-year-old Rogers didn't pitch after April 19 due to a left-biceps strain and then a partial tear in his right lat. Left-handers
Jesus Luzardo and
Braxton Garrett are likely off limits for the Fish. Texas Rangers infielder
Ezequiel Duran is the kind of player Miami would want in return for Cabrera, but the Rangers may not be willing to part with Duran, who was valuable as an injury replacement at shortstop and third base for the World Series-champion Rangers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
5 hours agoChicago White Sox new general manager Chris Getz is telling teams he will likely wait to move right-hander
Dylan Cease until after the top free-agent starting pitchers sign this offseason, according to major-league sources briefed on the discussions. The urgency of certain teams will only increase if they miss out on top free-agent pitching names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto,
Blake Snell and others. The Los Angeles Dodgers need multiple starters, and the St. Louis Cardinals remain interested in Cease, even after already signing
Sonny Gray,
Kyle Gibson and
Lance Lynn. The Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles could be sleepers to trade for Cease, who is 28 years old and still under club control for two more years.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
5 hours agoFree-agent right-hander
Kyle Tyler signed a minor-league deal with the Miami Marlins on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, according to a source. Tyler has previously pitched for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres and has a 2.20 ERA in 16 1/3 career big-league innings. He lasted pitched in the majors in 2022 with the Padres and threw four shutout innings in two relief appearances while walking one and striking out two. Tyler spent all of the 2023 campaign at Double-A Arkansas in the Seattle Mariners organization. The 26-year-old had a 5.60 ERA there with a 1.59 WHIP, 58 walks and a career-high 138 strikeouts in 135 innings over 27 outings (26 starts). Tyler will represent minor-league pitching depth for the Fish heading into next season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FanSided - Robert Murray
6 hours agoFree-agent right-hander
Austin Adams signed a one-year, major-league deal with the New York Mets on Thursday, according to a source. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Adams' 2023 season was cut short due to a fractured right ankle that he suffered in early August. The 32-year-old reliever wasn't all that good for the Arizona Diamondbacks before the injury, though, with a 5.71 ERA (3.72 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with eight walks and 22 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings pitched over 24 appearances out of the bullpen. Adams is a seven-year big-league veteran with stops in Washington, Seattle and San Diego before pitching for the Snakes in 2023. He has a career 4.17 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 75 walks and 170 strikeouts in 114 1/3 innings since 2017. Adams will be battling for a relief role with the Mets in spring training in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
6 hours agoFor the third straight season, two-way superstar
Shohei Ohtani was named the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter award. In addition to the DH award, Ohtani was the American League Most Valuable Player in 2023 for the second time in the last three years. The three-time All-Star was more impressive this past season at the plate than on the mound, slashing .304/.412/.654 with a 1.066 OPS, 44 home runs, 26 doubles, eight triples, 95 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 102 runs scored in 135 games for the Los Angeles Angels. The Japanese star led the league in homers, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and total bases. Even though the 29-year-old won't pitch at all in 2024 after having surgery on his right elbow, he is the most attractive player on the free-agent market and is expected to receive a deal worth around $500 million.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB
12 hours agoThe St. Louis Cardinals are showing interest in trading for White Sox right-hander
Dylan Cease. Rumors surrounding a Cease trade have intensified over the last 24 hours and it is believed a trade could get done sooner than later. The Cardinals' interest is intriguing as they have already made significant rotation splashes this winter with the additions of free agent right-handers
Sonny Gray,
Lance Lynn, and
Kyle Gibson as they completely re-make their starting rotation. Cease was the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2022 when he tossed a 2.20 ERA across 32 starts but he took a step back in 2023, working to a 4.58 ERA across 33 outings. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old takes the ball every fifth day, boasts big-time strikeout numbers, and is under club control through the 2025 campaign.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Ken Rosenthal -- The Athletic
12 hours agoThe Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays have held trade talks in regards to Rays right-hander
Tyler Glasnow. With a $25 million salary for the 2024 season incoming for the big right-hander, the low-budget Rays are almost certain to trade him this offseason with several teams, not surprisingly, interested in his services. Of course, health issues are the biggest red flag when it comes to Glasnow. His 21 starts in 2023 represented a career-high but he has still started just 60 games since becoming a full-time Ray in the 2019 season. He's been money when healthy, however, as is coming off a 3.53 ERA and big-time 25.8% K-BB last season and sports a career 21.2% K-BB%. He has posted a SIERA of 3.18 or better every season since the 2019 campaign.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Bruce Levine
12 hours agoThe Chicago White Sox and minor-league outfielder
Wynton Bernard have agreed to a minor-league pact for the 2024 season. The well-traveled Bernard has appeared in 1,010 minor-league games in a professional career that began in the 2012 season but he finally got the call to the big leagues when he played in 12 games with the Rockies in the 2022 season. He hit a respectable .286 in 42 plate appearances with the Rockies that season but most recently hit .329 with eight homers, 26 stolen bases, and an .872 OPS across 66 games with Triple-A Albuquerque last season. The 33-year-old is a career .291 hitter in the minors with 65 home runs, although 32 in the last two seasons, and 265 stolen bases in 3.472 at-bats.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
12 hours agoThe Atlanta Braves and right-hander
Jackson Stephens have agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed split contract for the 2024 season. The club outrighted Stephens off of their 40-man roster earlier in the month but have brought him back on a non-guaranteed deal after he worked five appearances out of their bullpen in September. The 29-year-old worked to a solid 3.00 ERA in those 12 innings before elbow inflammation claimed the remainder of his season. While it's unclear if he will be ready to go for spring training, Stephens owns a respectable 4.19 ERA across 80 big-league appearances between the Reds and Braves, so a flyer low-risk flyer makes sense in this situation.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB Transaction Tracker
13 hours agoThe Atlanta Braves and right-hander
Penn Murfee have agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed split contract for the 2024 season. The Braves scooped Murfee off waivers from the New York Mets two weeks ago, the second time he was claimed on waivers this offseason after the Mets originally claimed him from the Seattle Mariners. The 29-year-old spent the 2023 season with the Mariners, tossing a 1.29 ERA, albeit alongside a 4.64 SIERA, across 16 appearances before elbow issues ended his season in June. Certainly, Murfee is worth a flyer considering he has worked to a 2.70 ERA across 80 MLB appearances but a UCL procedure in June could cost him significant time in the 2024 campaign.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB Transaction Tracker
16 hours agoFree-agent right-hander
Nick Martinez and the Cincinnati Reds are in agreement on a two-year, $26 million deal on Thursday that includes an opt-out clause after the first year, according to sources. The 33-year-old opted out of the last two years and $16 million of his deal with the San Diego Padres this offseason to reach the open market. Martinez went 10-8 over the last two years with the Friars while posting a 3.45 ERA (4.17 FIP), 1.27 WHIP, nine saves, 81 walks and 201 strikeouts over 110 outings (19 starts) and 216 2/3 innings. He wasn't all that effective as a closer in San Diego, but he did have 23 holds and should work as a useful swing man in Cincinnati with the back end of the bullpen already locked down with
Alexis Diaz and recent signing
Emilio Pagan.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
16 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers top center field prospect
Jackson Chourio is expected to complete a deal on Thursday that will be the richest contract ever for a player who has yet to reach the big leagues. The deal is expected to be for eight guaranteed years and close to $80 million and include two team options. The deal will top Chicago White Sox outfielder
Luis Robert Jr.'s six-year, $50 million deal. The 19-year-old Chourio is the second-ranked prospect this offseason in all of baseball, behind only shortstop
Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles. This contract likely means that Chourio will be in Milwaukee's Opening Day lineup in 2024 after he slashed a strong .283/.338/.467 with an .805 OPS, 22 home runs 26 doubles, three triples, 91 RBI, 44 stolen bases and 88 runs in 128 games with Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville in 2023.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
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