The Weekly Rundown: 11/26/23 - 12/2/23
More pitchers off the market, Ohtani and Yamamoto updates, and more.
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The free-agent market hasn’t exploded just yet, but we had a few more notable signings since last Sunday. Pitchers are flying off the board while the position player market has been stagnant. We can expect it to stay that way until the big names — Shohei Ohtani, Yoshonobu Yamamoto, and Blake Snell — are signed.
We should have much more to recap next Sunday as the Winter Meetings will run from Sunday, Dec. 3 to Wednesday, Dec. 6. That’s when we can expect some of the major deals to go down, and the dominos should fall from there.
For now, here’s a look at all that transpired in MLB over the last week.
Sonny to St. Louis
Veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, the 2023 American League Cy Young runner-up, is the latest piece of the St. Louis Cardinals’ starting rotation overhaul.
The Cardinals signed Gray to a three-year deal worth $75 million with a club option for 2027. The option is valued at $30 million.
This move comes after the Cards signed Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn to help fix a rotation that struggled mightily throughout the 2023 campaign. Gibson and Lynn offer some upside, but Gray can be a legitimate ace when he’s on. The 34-year-old posted a 2.79 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through 32 starts with the Minnesota Twins last season.
By paying Gray $25 million per year, St. Louis is betting the three-time All-Star will continue to perform as a No. 1 starter. While that’s certainly possible, regression seems more likely. Gray has had an up-and-down career since entering the league with the Oakland A’s in 2013. He’s a Cy Young candidate at his best but lacks the consistency of your prototypical ace.
It’s a solid — and much-needed — addition for the Cardinals, but fans likely hoped they’d shoot for a bigger fish like Blake Snell or Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
From the Bronx to Queens
Longtime New York Yankees righty Luis Severino is staying in NYC… just in a different borough.
Severino signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the New York Mets. With the move from the Bronx to Queens, Severino will hope a slight change in scenery will help him return to form as one of the top starting pitchers in the game.
The 29-year-old is coming off the worst season of his eight-year MLB career. Through 19 games, he posted a 6.65 ERA and allowed a whopping 23 home runs.
Injuries have plagued Severino in recent years. He was limited to three starts in 2019 due to shoulder and lat injuries, and he missed the 2020 season and most of 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
A one-year “prove it” deal is perfect for both sides. The $13 million is chump change for Steven Cohen and the Mets, so this is a low-risk/potentially high-reward signing for a reclamation project with high upside.
Maeda Sticks In the Central
Another veteran right-hander off the market. Kenta Maeda, a seven-year vet with the Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers, is sticking in the AL Central and signing with the Detroit Tigers.
Maeda heads to Detroit on a two-year, $24 million deal. The 35-year-old brings experience to a young starting rotation that needed an upgrade. He projects as the No. 2 starter behind Tarik Skubal, but he’ll have to do what he’s been unable to do over the last two years and stay healthy.
Maeda missed the 2022 campaign after undergoing elbow surgery and he missed two months in 2023 with a triceps strain. He finished the year with a 4.23 ERA over 104.1 innings for Minnesota.
There’s risk involved here given Maeda’s age and injury history, but his ceiling makes this an intriguing, under-the-radar deal for Detroit.
Rapid Fire
Veteran outfielder Jason Heyward re-signed with the Dodgers on a one-year, $9 million deal.
The Cincinnati Reds signed righty Nick Martinez to a two-year, $26 million contract. They also inked reliever Emilio Pagan to a two-year, $16 million deal.
The Mets signed utility infielder Joey Wendle to a one-year, $2 million contract.
The Dodgers are close to signing reliever Joe Kelly to a one-year contract.
The Rumor Mill
A Shohei Ohtani update: ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, and Mets have “turned their attention to other players” after initially being involved in the Ohtani sweepstakes. The Los Angeles Angels, Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays are considered to be the frontrunners.
Passan also reports the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Cubs are among the favorites to sign Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The San Francisco Giants, Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies are also expected to be in the mix.
Two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell “badly” wants to pitch for his hometown Seattle Mariners, according to multiple reports.
It’s looking likely the San Diego Padres will trade slugging outfielder Juan Soto before the end of the Winter Meetings. According to The Athletic, the Padres and Yankees are far apart in trade discussions. The Blue Jays are one of several teams involved in trade talks with San Diego.
The Cleveland Guardians are open to trade offers on All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase, Passan reports.
The Guardians have also made AL Cy Young award winner Shane Bieber available in trade talks with the Cubs and Reds both involved in the discussions, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi.
In addition to Bieber, the Cubs have engaged with the Rays in trade discussions involving ace Tyler Glasnow, according to 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine. The Reds are also rumored to be interested.
According to The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the Baltimore Orioles have shown interest in the top reliever on the market, Josh Hader
The trade talks for Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease have heated up, according to MLB.com. The Atlanta Braves and Dodgers are the two teams that have been linked to Cease most this offseason.
The Milwaukee Brewers are finalizing an eight-year, and $82 million contract extension for top outfield prospect Jackson Chourio (No. 2 ranked MLB prospect), per Heyman. This would be the largest ever given to a player before their major league debut.
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