The Weekly Rundown: 12/11/22-12/17/22
Sit back, relax, and catch up on what you missed in the baseball world over the last week.
Happy Sunday, everyone!
As I transition to the e-mail newsletter life, I figured it would make sense to have some piece of writing you can expect delivered to your inbox at the same time on the same day of each week. Since most of you — even if you love the sport — probably don’t have the time to keep tabs on what goes on in the world of baseball on a daily basis, I’ve got you covered.
The Weekly Rundown will include an in-depth recap of the top stories from the week in baseball, some rumors, and some of my hot takes mixed in. There could also be some stuff in there that has nothing to do with what happened in baseball over the week that I include just for shits and gigs. Who knows? Not me, since I haven’t even started yet.
This eventful MLB offseason seems like a good time to ease into this new weekly routine, so let’s get into it, shall we? Weekly Rundown No. 1, coming right up…
Blockbuster In The Bay
The Giants were quiet in free agency besides their signing of outfielder Mitch Haniger. Their offseason had been defined by losing the Aaron Judge sweepstakes.
That changed in a big way this past week.
Carlos Correa signed with San Francisco on a massive 13-year, $350 million deal. The star shortstop will be 41 his contract expires. These absurd types of contracts are becoming the new norm as Xander Bogaerts and Trea Turner signed 11-year pacts, Mariners phenom Julio Rodriguez signed a 13-year extension, Mookie Betts signed on for another 12 years in L.A., and the Rays extended Wander Franco on an 11-year contract that now looks like an absolute steal at $182 million. The list of recent decade-plus contracts goes on.
This is a groundbreaking move for the Giants. They haven’t had a player with 30+ homers in a season since Barry Bonds. That isn’t to say Correa is a lock for 30+ homers — he’s never hit 30 in his career — but he does add significant pop to a lineup that has desperately needed it for a while now.
Giants president Farhad Zaidi was active throughout the week. He also landed left-hander Sean Manaea, who began his career across the bay in Oakland, on a two-year contract worth $25 million. The addition of Manaea will help shore up the rotation, but there’s no doubt they’ll feel the absence of Carlos Rodon.
Manaea struggled last season with the Padres, posting an 8-9 record with a 4.96 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Pitchers tend to figure things out in San Francisco though, so there’s hope for a bounce-back campaign in 2023.
It’s also worth noting right-hander Ross Stripling joining the Giants on a two-year deal to fill out the pitching staff. The 33-year-old was excellent last season for Toronto as he notched a 10-4 record with a 3.01 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 32 appearances (24 starts).
The Other Carlos
One day after Correa’s monster deal came Carlos Rodon’s six-year, $162 million contract with the New York Yankees. Before you break out your calculator, that’s a whopping $27 million per season for the southpaw.
Rodon could be worth every penny. Or, this contract could prove to be a disaster. The range of outcomes is enormous. While Rodon has been outstanding over the last two years, his injury history is an obvious concern. The first six seasons of his career in southside Chicago were abysmal.
It’s a risk for the Yankees, but it’s one worth taking. It’s actually a cheaper contract than I expected for Rodon. Teams undoubtedly regretted not taking a chance on him last offseason as he went on to go 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, a league-best 2.25 FIP, and 237 strikeouts in 178 innings (31 starts). This deal makes perfect sense for New York as it looks to end its uncharacteristically long World Series drought.
Welcome To Atlanta
No name had been mentioned more in potential trade talks this offseason than Sean Murphy. Several teams were linked to the Gold Glove catcher including the Giants, Red Sox, Cubs, Rays, Guardians, and Braves.
The Oakland A’s traded Murphy to Atlanta as part of a three-team deal on Monday. With a surplus of catchers on their roster, the Braves sent William Contreras to the Brewers and Manny Pina to Oakland.
Also heading to the A’s in the deal is utility man Esteury Ruiz, who the Brewers originally acquired from the Padres in last season’s Josh Hader deal. Below is the full trade, via ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Lots of moving parts there. With Murphy in the mix, the Braves lineup is even more terrifying. They now have two above-average catchers in Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud.
A’s fans… I’m so sorry. You deserve better.
Nice Pickup, Eh?
Hey, look, another former Oakland A! Right-hander Chris Bassitt is off the board after signing a three-year, $63 million deal with the Blue Jays.
It’s a smart signing for a talented Toronto club hoping to make a deep postseason run in 2023. Bassitt brings another reliable arm to a rotation that already consists of Kevin Gausman, Alek Manoah, and Jose Berrios. Hyun Jin Ryu could also contribute coming off Tommy John surgery. I wouldn’t rule out the addition of another starter considering Yusei Kikuchi’s struggles.
Last season with the Mets, Bassitt went 15-9 with a 3.42 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He was a top-10 Cy Young finisher in both 2021 and 2022.
Catcher Central
With Willson Contreras staying in the National League Central and landing with the Cardinals, Christian Vazquez and Mike Zunino were two of the top catcher options remaining on the free-agent market. Both found new homes in the American League Central over the last week.
Vazquez earned a solid payday as the Minnesota Twins signed him to a three-year, $30 million contract. That’s the third-largest free-agent deal handed out by the Twins front office in the last six years.
It’s easy to see why the Twins wanted Vazquez so badly. The veteran backstop was beloved in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse and helped them to a World Series title in 2018. He added a second World Series ring to his collection this year with the Houston Astros. He’s a proven winner and the numbers show he’s still one of the better all-around catchers in the game.
Zunino’s deal wasn’t as lucrative, but he gets a solid landing spot with the Cleveland Guardians on a one-year contract worth $6 million. The 31-year-old underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in July, limiting him to only 36 games. When healthy though, he’s proven to be a high-quality defensive backstop who can also produce 20+ homers at the plate. This could be a fantastic bargain for Cleveland.
One more catcher signing worth mentioning — though not in the Central — is Omar Narvaez heading to the Mets on a one-year deal. That makes four catchers currently on the Mets’ depth chart.
Thor Returns To Hollywood
Noah Syndergaard will return to Los Angeles, this time as a member of the Dodgers. The 30-year-old inked a one-year, $13 million contract with the superior L.A. club as he looks to regain form as one of the top starting pitchers in the game.
Thor spent the 2021 campaign with the Angels and Phillies. His numbers were solid for a mid-rotation arm — 10-10, 3.94 ERA, 1.26 WHIP — but his dip in velocity was alarming. If he can get that fastball back into the upper 90s and resemble anything close to his days as a Mets ace, this will be a steal for the Dodgers. Don’t rule it out.
Down (To Baltimore) Goes Frazier
There aren’t too many exciting second basemen on the free-agent market this winter, but the Baltimore Orioles signed one of the better ones in Adam Frazier. The former All-Star had a down 2022 season but has shown in the past that he can hit. He’s a fine stopgap for an O’s club hoping to build off a surprisingly impressive campaign.
A Paradigm Shift?
The Twins followed their Christian Vazquez signing by adding outfielder Joey Gallo on a one-year “prove it” deal. By paying the strikeout-prone slugger $11 million, they’re betting he’ll benefit greatly from the shift being banned in 2023.
Extreme shifts (as seen below) have prevented Gallo from doing much of anything of value at the plate outside of homers and walks. This is the year we see what Gallo, a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glover, is really made of. He rightfully has vocalized his frustration with the shift in the past, but it can no longer be used as an excuse.
Benny Benjamins
Congratulations to Andrew Benintendi, who signed the largest contract in Chicago White Sox history. Yes, you read that right. Benintendi’s five-year, $75 million contract is the largest free-agent deal ever given out by the White Sox.
Benintendi is being rewarded for a 2022 season in which he earned his first All-Star selection. The 2018 World Series champion changed his approach at the plate from his Red Sox days to focus more on hitting for contact. It paid off as he posted a career-best .304 batting average, though the White Sox probably would like to see him hit more than five homers with that price tag.
While $15 million per year is a bit expensive for a player of Benintendi’s caliber, the signing fills a significant outfield void in South Side Chicago. He’ll bring Gold Glove-level defense while providing a consistent bat in the lineup. The question is whether he’ll stick to that light-hitting approach or try to up his home run total in 2023.
Chicago Power Couple
Former Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson and soccer star Mallory Pugh officially tied the knot on Sunday. Congrats to them and all, but I really could have done without the reminder of how average-looking, unathletic, and poor I am.
Seriously, though… their kids are going to be insane athletes. And now they’re super rich.
In actual baseball news, Swanson is the last top shortstop off the board as he signed a seven-year, $177 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. That officially forms a Chicago athlete power couple as Pugh plays for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Hell of an offseason for those two.
The Red Sox, Dodgers, Twins, and Braves were the other teams interested in Swanson, according to reports. Chicago now has a pretty damn good middle infield with Swanson alongside Nico Hoerner.
J.D. To L.A.
The Dodgers followed up the Syndergaard signing by adding former Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez on a one-year, $10 million contract. Despite age possibly starting to catch up with Martinez, who’s entering his age-35 season, this is a great fit for both sides.
Los Angeles needed another right-handed bat in its lineup and Martinez, even coming off a down season, should be worth every penny of that deal. For Martinez, it’s an opportunity to make a run at another World Series title while playing alongside former Red Sox teammate Mookie Betts.
Martinez’s power outage last season was alarming. He hit just 16 home runs, his lowest total with 100+ games played since 2012. He did tally 43 doubles with a solid .790 OPS, but the production simply wasn’t up to par with that we’ve seen from him in previous years.
I’d bet on a bounce-back year for Martinez in 2023. He’s a professional hitter who obsesses over his craft, probably to a fault. I have a sneaky suspicion the Red Sox will eventually regret not giving him a one-year contract, especially given how their roster is currently constructed.
The Rumor Mill
The Astros apparently have had trade discussions with the Diamondbacks regarding outfielder/catcher Daulton Varsho. There hasn’t been much buzz since the original report earlier in the week, so those talks may have fizzled out by now. Adding Varsho would truly be a “rich get richer” acquisition for Houston.
Twins outfielder Max Kepler is drawing trade interest following the Gallo acquisition. Seems like he’d fit well in the Bronx.
The Orioles have shown interest in veteran right-handers Michael Wacha and Rich Hill. Which reminds me, are the Red Sox going to make any more moves or what?
Hope you all enjoyed the first edition of the Weekly Rundown. Note that since next Sunday is Christmas, you can expect the next Weekly Rundown in your inbox bright and early on Monday morning.
I haven’t officially decided whether I should send these on Sunday or Monday mornings going forward. If you have a preference, let me know!
Have a great week and a happy holiday. Stay safe out there.
Hey Justin, this was a great idea! I'm thinking with this new format you're going to find it's going to appeal to a lot more sports fans! As a NHL junkie I'd obviously like to see some hockey sprinkled in every now and then, but you probably already been thinking of it! As far as best time for you to post goes Sunday versus Monday, I'm leaning towards Sunday, especially if you get it out in the morning. Look at all the success the huge newspaper companies have had with their extra-large Sunday papers. People just have more time on Sunday I guess. Thanks, – Darren