The Weekly Rundown: 12/10/23 - 12/16/23
Dodgers keep dealing, Royals go on a spending spree, and much more.
Good morning and happy Sunday!
After a slow start to the MLB offseason, we’ve been treated to a couple of entertaining weeks filled with player movement. The most intriguing move, of course, was Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While we’re still waiting for major dominos to fall, such as free-agent aces Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell, we’ve got plenty to cover in this week’s edition of the rundown.
As always, grab your coffee and let’s jump in…
Another Hollywood Blockbuster
Just a few days after inking two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million deal, the Los Angeles Dodgers made another big splash.
L.A. acquired ace Tyler Glasnow, outfielder Manuel Margot, and $4 million from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-hander Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca. Glasnow, who was set to hit free agency next winter, then signed a four-year extension worth $110 million. The Dodgers have a $30 million club option for the 2028 season.
Injuries have plagued Glasnow throughout his eight-year MLB career. The 6-foot-8 righty has missed time due to Tommy John surgery, a forearm strain, an elbow strain, and an oblique strain that sidelined him for the first two months of the 2023 campaign.
A healthy Glasnow is among the game’s top starting pitchers. Since being traded by the Pirates to the Rays in 2018, Glasnow has amassed a 3.20 ERA in 71 starts. The move is a risk worth taking for a Dodgers club that still needed help atop its rotation after signing Ohtani.
Margot joins Los Angeles as an above-average defensive outfielder who can hit left-handed pitching. With Mookie Betts moving to second base full-time, Margot should split time in a platoon role with the left-handed-hitting outfielder Jason Heyward.
Pepiot rose through the Dodgers’ system as a Top 100 MLB prospect and debuted in 2022. The 26-year-old has impressed through his first 17 games (10 starts), posting a 2.76 ERA and a 1.085 WHIP.
DeLuca debuted with the Dodgers last season and appeared in 24 games. The 25-year-old hit .262 with two homers and a .740 OPS.
Royal Flush
The Kansas City Royals made a flurry of moves over the last week as they aim to bounce back from a dismal 2023 season in which they posted a 56-106 record.
Veteran left-handed reliever Will Smith signed a one-year, $5 million contract with KC. The teams that signed Smith the last three offseasons — the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers — went on to win the World Series. Smith, 34, has a 4.40 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 60 games for Texas last season.
The Royals further bolstered their bullpen by signing righty Chris Stratton to a two-year, $8 million deal. Stratton, an eight-year MLB veteran, had a 3.92 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 64 appearances between the St. Louis Cardinals and World Series champion Rangers last season.
Also headed to Kansas City are right-handed starters Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. For Lugo, it’s a three-year contract worth $45 million that includes a player option for 2026. Wacha signed a two-year, $32 million deal with a player option for 2025.
Lugo was a coveted starter on the market after a rock-solid season with the San Diego Padres. The 34-year-old notched a 3.57 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 26 starts (146.1 innings).
Wacha, 32, also was part of that Padres rotation and enjoyed a strong campaign. In 24 starts (134.1 innings), he had a 3.22 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.
After improving their pitching staff, the Royals turned their attention to the outfield, signing veteran Hunter Renfroe to a two-year contract worth $13 million. Renfroe, 31, has played for six different teams since 2019. Last season with the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds, he belted 20 homers but slashed just .233/.297/.416 in 140 games. Despite the down year, Renfroe offers upside with his power at the plate.
The AL Central is the most wide-open division in baseball. These additions could make the Royals a sleeper to keep tabs on in 2024.
Giants Land Jung Hoo Lee
Jung Hoo Lee, a star outfielder from the Korea Baseball Organization, signed a six-year contract worth $113 million with the San Francisco Giants. The deal includes an opt-out after four years.
Lee, 25, has been considered an elite contact hitter in the KBO and will look to carry his skill set over to the big leagues. He posted an impressive .340/.407/.491 slash line during his seven seasons overseas. He’s also a former KBO MVP with five Golden Glove awards under his belt.
“We think this is an absolutely perfect fit,” Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said. “As we’ve talked about entering this offseason, our goals were to get more athletic as a team, from an offensive standpoint to make more contact and play the kind of baseball where the industry seems to be trending towards. Honestly, as we looked at our options this offseason, there was no player, no target, who was more of a perfect fit for what we were hoping to achieve than Jung Hoo.”
Lee is expected to be the Giants’ everyday center fielder.
Tigers Add Two Arms
The Detroit Tigers made a pair of pitcher signings over the last week.
Lefty reliever Andrew Chafin signed a one-year, $4.75 million deal with the club. Right-handed starter Jack Flaherty also joined Detroit’s staff on a one-year, $14 million contract.
Chafin, 33, is coming off a down season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers. In 2022, however, he enjoyed one of his best seasons in Detroit with a 2.83 ERA in 64 appearances out of the bullpen.
Flaherty marks the Tigers’ second addition of a starter this offseason, following Kenta Maeda. The 28-year-old went 8-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 29 outings last season between the Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles.
Spring Breakout
Major League Baseball announced a new spring training event called the “Spring Breakout” that will debut this March.
“All 30 MLB clubs will assemble rosters filled with 20-25 of their best prospects to take on top Minor League or rookie talents from other organizations. Each team will play at least one seven-inning exhibition game as part of the initiative. One Arizona and one Florida organization will play two over the four days to make the math work.
“Twelve of this year’s matchups will be paired with Major League Spring Training games as part of in-stadium doubleheaders, giving fans a peek at their favorite team’s future and present in one memorable day.”
Not much else to add, other than this is a great idea by MLB to spotlight some of the league’s best up-and-coming talent. It’s an opportunity to watch potential future superstars like Jackson Holliday, Paul Skenes, and Dylan Crews before they officially make their MLB debuts. I’ll be tuning in for sure.
Rapid Fire
The Padres traded veteran first baseman/DH Matt Carpenter, left-hander Ray Kerr, and cash considerations to the Braves in exchange for minor-league outfielder Drew Campbell. Atlanta reportedly plans to flip Carpenter in another deal.
Three-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer will be sidelined until mid-2024 after undergoing back surgery, the Rangers announced.
The Rangers signed righty Tyler Mahle to a two-year contract worth $22 million.
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed first baseman Rowdy Tellez to a one-year contract worth $3.2 million.
The Cleveland Guardians signed catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year, $4 million contract.
New York Mets top prospect Ronny Mauricio will almost certainly miss the entire 2024 season after tearing his ACL while playing in the Dominican Winter League. Mauricio was expected to be the team’s starting third baseman.
Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez will miss the 2024 season after undergoing reconstructive on the UCL and flexor tendon in his throwing arm. Rodriguez is a former top Pirates prospect coming off a subpar rookie season at the plate but an outstanding defensive campaign.
The Rumor Mill
The Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes are heating up with the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, and Blue Jays each meeting with the Japanese ace over the last week. The Mets also met with Yamamoto in Japan the week prior. A decision is likely to come before next Sunday’s rundown.
The Blue Jays have shown interest in free-agent slugger J.D. Martinez, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Martinez is coming off a nice bounce-back season at the plate with the Dodgers.
Veteran infielder/DH Justin Turner has drawn interest from the Mets over the last week, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.
The Seattle Mariners have interest in free-agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
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