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Mike's MLB Winter Meetings recap and 2025 fantasy baseball outlooks for Garret Crochet, Max Fried, Jake Burger, Andres Gimenez, Michael Conforto, Jordan Romano and more.
Every team goes into the annual Winter Meetings with an order of business. Some teams look to make a big splash and sign the sexy free agent. Some teams are tinkering and looking to add a pitcher for the back of their rotation or an arm to a beleaguered bullpen. Others will be in the market to sell off pieces and help stock their farm systems for a rebuild. There is no one-size-fits-all model for shopping at the Winter Meetings.
The meetings were interesting in that two big-ticket players were off the market before they officially began on Monday morning. Juan Soto went to the New York Mets for a whopping 15 years and $765 million, and Shortstop Willy Adames left Milwaukee for the San Francisco Giants.
Soto injects a huge bat into the middle of the New York Mets lineup and will be a mainstay for years to come. He will likely hit second behind Francisco Lindor and in front of Mark Vientos. Expect the usual greatness with Soto: a high batting average of .280 or above and 40 home runs. He will chip in with some steals; last year, he had seven. He's a firm first-round pick in upcoming drafts. Adames solidifies a weak spot in the San Francisco lineup, where he may hit second while playing shortstop. Look for Adames to not help much with batting average but hit 20+ home runs and steal 20+ bases. It's a seven-year, $182 million pact for the veteran.
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Winter Meetings Day 1
Dodgers Get a New (Old) Reliever
Blake Treinen returns to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a two-year, $22 million package. Last we saw Treinen, he was heroically pitching in the World Series.
How they use him remains to be seen; while many will point to Michael Kopech and anoint him the closer, it's important to recall that the Dodgers had 14 pitchers last year earn saves. Treinen will get his fair share of chances even if he is not the closer in name, provided he stays healthy.
The Dodgers Sign an Outfielder
Michael Conforto signs a one-year pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers for $17 million. While that seems like a lot of money for the veteran, Conforto may serve as part of a platoon with the Dodgers in 2025, but he doesn't have bad splits against either-handed pitching. He had a quiet, under-the-radar season in 2024, hitting .237 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 438 at-bats for the San Francisco Giants.
It's a crowded outfield in Los Angeles, with Tommy Edman, Andy Pages, Chris Taylor, and James Outman all still on the roster and in need of at-bats. Check out his platoon splits below.
Jordan Romano Signs with the Phillies
The veteran righthander and former Blue Jay signed a one-year agreement with Philadelphia, ostensibly to be their closer. Romano suffered his worst season in 2024 due to injury.
This is a bullpen that will have options, with Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering being capable holdovers. Of note, manager Rob Thomsen has shown a willingness to deploy any of his bullpen weapons at any time in the game. Will that continue in 2025? If healthy, look for Romano to get the bulk of the chances, at least at the outset.
Minor moves
The Chicago White Sox signed outfielder Mike Tauchman, and the Detroit Tigers signed veteran starter Alex Cobb. Tauchman figures to be a platoon outfield bat for the rebuilding White Sox, while Cobb looks to step into the back end of the Tigers' rotation and provide stable innings if healthy.
Winter Meetings Day 2
The Yankees add a star pitcher
Max Fried signed with the New York Yankees for eight years and $218 million. Many pundits immediately uttered the word "overpay," yet Fried, when healthy, is one of the best frontline pitchers in the game today. Adding the veteran to their rotation, which already includes Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, as well as exciting Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, the Yankees look ready to battle in the always rugged AL East.
There is some concern about Fried's fastball velocity as well as the shape of his fastball, but at 30 years of age, he showed last year that he could rely less on the four-seamer while leaning more on his sinker, sweeper, and cutter. See the chart below to see how he has varied his pitches over the last few seasons.
The Rangers nab Nathan Eovaldi
Texas Rangers resign Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi returns to Texas, where he went 12-8 with a 3,80 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and 166 strikeouts in a solid 170 innings.
The most impressive thing for Eovaldi is that he has been healthy; 29 starts in 2024, and 25 starts in 2023. He may not have the "big name" vibes of Garrett Crochet or Fried, but he is an effective starter who could combine with Jacob deGrom to form a nice 1-2 punch atop the Rangers' rotation.
Rangers acquire slugging Jake Burger
Jake Burger is traded to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers will likely insert the powerful Burger into the middle of their lineup, and the burly slugger can also play both corner infield positions and DH.
With Josh Jung and Nathaniel Lowe seemingly entrenched at the corner infield spots, look for most of Burger's at-bats from the designated hitter spot. Burger hits the ball hard; see the bloodred Statcast numbers below here.
Blue Jays Acquire Andres Gimenez
The Toronto Blue Jays acquire second baseman Andres Gimenez for the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell. This was an unexpected move for both teams.
Adding Gimenez improves the Blue Jays' defense up the middle while adding a 30-stolen-base threat to the middle of their lineup. Is this a cash dump for the Guardians? Gimenez had signed a seven-year, $106 million contract prior to the start of the 2023 season.
Winter Meetings Day 3
Garrett Crochet changes his Sox
The Boston Red Sox acquired lefthanded pitcher Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox for a four-prospect package highlighted by catcher Kyle Teel. The Red Sox finally acquired the ace they have been looking for who can slot in at the top of their rotation. Expect Crochet to have the restrictions removed now and look for 175 innings of spectacular ratios and high strikeout volume.
The White Sox look for another reboot from the Red Sox farm system, reminiscent of 2017 when they acquired Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech in exchange for another power lefty, Chris Sale. I hope this deal works for both teams.
Below, you can see Crochet's bloodred Statcast page and notice a few things: the 35.1K%, the minuscule 5.5BB%. Some folks will argue that he is a flyball pitcher now plying his trade in Fenway Park half the year, but this is one of MLB's top five starting pitchers. Watch the bidding escalate for him this spring in fantasy baseball.
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