The Weekly Rundown: 12/3/23 - 12/9/23
Ohtani is very rich, Soto is a Yankee, and much more.
Good morning and happy Sunday!
We’ve finally made it to the fun part of the MLB offseason. As unexciting as the Winter Meetings were, the days that followed were filled with blockbuster trades and significant free-agent signings.
It’s a loaded rundown today, so I’ll spare you the long intro. But for those who haven’t subscribed to the newsletter yet, here’s your weekly reminder to do so (FREE). Again, there is no better holiday gift you can give me.
Thanks! Now let’s get into all of the action from the past week in baseball…
The Shohei Saga
We went through a rollercoaster of emotions with the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes. A random X account started a rumor on Friday that Ohtani may be on a private plane flying from Anaheim to Toronto. A couple of legitimate MLB accounts amplified the rumor, which spread like wildfire on social media and made the Blue Jays look like the clear frontrunner to sign Ohtani. Thousands of people tracked a flight from Anaheim to Toronto believing Ohtani was on board.
A few hours went by before MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported Ohtani was “en route” to Toronto.
At this point, the photoshops of Ohtani in a Blue Jays uniform were everywhere. Morosi earlier reported that Ohtani’s decision was “imminent” and could be made “as early as today.” The Blue Jays appeared to be on the verge of landing the two-way superstar until USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale shut down Morosi’s report.
A total buzzkill for Blue Jays fans and those who tracked that flight all day.
Saturday was even worse for Toronto. Ohtani announced via his Instagram account that he decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision. I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.
”First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process. Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.
”And to all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself. Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.
”There are some things that cannot be conveyed in writing, so I would like to talk more about this again at a later press conference.
”Thank you very much”
It’s a record-shattering 10-year, $700 million deal for Ohtani. The majority of his salary reportedly will be deferred payments to give the Dodgers financial flexibility.
Ohtani switching teams but staying in L.A. was always the expected outcome. Now that it’s real, it’s terrifying. The top of the Dodgers lineup now consists of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Ohtani. Will that finally be enough come playoff time? Time will tell, but it’ll be a blast to watch along the way.
Yankees Win Soto Sweepstakes
The most coveted trade candidate of the offseason is headed to the Bronx. The Yankees acquired slugging outfielder Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres in exchange for right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez, pitching prospect Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka. They also received outfielder Trent Grisham in the deal.
Soto, 25, will form a scary 1-2 punch alongside Aaron Judge in a Yankees lineup that desperately needed help. The three-time All-Star also fills a glaring void in the Yankees outfield.
Through six MLB seasons, Soto has 160 homers and a .946 OPS. He has led MLB in walks three times and has walked more than he’s struck out in every season except his first two in the league.
Last year with the Padres, Soto slashed .275/.410/.519 with 35 homers and 109 RBIs. He placed sixth in National League MVP voting and earned his fourth Silver Slugger award.
This of course is a huge addition for the Yankees as they look to return to prominence. There’s still plenty of work to be done, however. They still need to upgrade their rotation with a front-end starter or two. Otherwise, this offseason will be looked back on as another failure come next October.
Soto is also set to become a free agent after the 2024 season, so Brian Cashman and the Yankees should look to ink him to an extension ASAP.
A Rare Red Sox-Yankees Trade
The Soto deal followed another Yankees trade for an outfielder. They also acquired Alex Verdugo from their archrival Boston Red Sox for right-handers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert, and Nicholas Judice
Verdugo, initially sent to Boston in the infamous Mookie Betts trade, appeared to be checked out during the second half of the Red Sox’ last-place 2023 season. He was disciplined for showing up late to the ballpark and for not hustling on the basepaths. His future with the club had been in doubt for the last several months.
The Yankees have reportedly coveted Verdugo since the 2023 trade deadline. By adding him to the mix, they’ll get a significant defensive boost in the outfield and a solid — albeit inconsistent — hitter. Perhaps a change of scenery will help Verdugo live up to the potential he has shown at points during his career.
As for the pitchers Boston received in the deal, they’re purely depth pieces. Fitts is the most notable name as he could make an impact as soon as 2024. The 23-year-old has enjoyed two strong minor-league seasons and projects as a back-end rotation starter.
With Verdugo out of the picture, the Red Sox’ big-league outfield depth consists of Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Rob Refsnyder, and Wilyer Abreu.
O’s Get Their Closer
With star closer Felix Bautista set to miss all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, the Baltimore Orioles found their replacement on the free-agent market.
Veteran closer Craig Kimbrel signed a one-year, $13 million contract with Baltimore that includes a club option for 2025. The 35-year-old spent the 2023 season with the Philadelphia Phillies, earning his ninth All-Star nod while tallying 23 saves and posting a 3.26 ERA in 71 appearances.
While Kimbrel isn’t the consistent lockdown closer he once was, he at least will stabilize a spot that looked like a glaring weakness after Bautista — a Cy Young candidate before his injury — went down. He’s also a far cheaper alternative to Josh Hader, who the O’s reportedly showed interest in earlier in the offseason.
E-Rod To Arizona
The Diamondbacks bolstered their starting rotation by signing veteran left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to a four-year, $80 million contract. He’ll slot in a rock-solid No. 3 starter behind Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.
E-Rod, 30, was in the American League Cy Young conversation last season with the Detroit Tigers before suffering a finger injury in June. He still finished the year with impressive numbers including a 3.30 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 143 strikeouts in 152.2 innings (26 starts).
The 2018 World Series champ improves a DBacks club that fell to the Texas Rangers in the 2023 Fall Classic. His signing marks the second notable move by Arizona this offseason, following its trade for slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
Reds Land Candelario
One of the most underrated players on the free-agent market is off the board. The Cincinnati Reds signed switch-hitting corner infielder Jeimer Candelario to a three-year, $45 million contract.
Candelario hit .251 with 39 doubles, 22 homers, and 70 RBIs in 140 games during a bounce-back season with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs. The 30-year-old joins a crowded Reds infield that also includes Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. India has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, so another move could be coming soon.
The Reds have been among the more active teams lately. They signed right-handers Nick Martinez and Emilio Pagan last week and have reportedly been involved in trade discussions regarding aces Tyler Glasnow (Rays), Dylan Cease (White Sox), and Shane Bieber (Guardians).
Rapid Fire
The Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-hander Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White from the Seattle Mariners for right-handers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips. Kelenic headlines the deal as a former top prospect who hasn’t lived up to expectations as a big-leaguer. Gonzales was later flipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later.
The Red Sox sent reliever Nick Robertson and minor-league pitcher Victor Santos to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Tyler O’Neill.
The Braves acquired infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi from the Angels for first baseman Evan White and reliever Tyler Thomas. Stassi was later flipped to the White Sox for a player to be named later.
The Milwaukee Brewers signed veteran righty Joe Ross to a one-year, $1.75 million contract. Ross hasn’t pitched since 2021 due to elbow issues.
The Brewers also re-signed veteran southpaw Wade Miley to a one-year, $7 million contract with a mutual option for 2025.
The Rangers signed veteran reliever Kirby Yates to a one-year, $4.5 million contract. The former All-Star is coming off a solid bounce-back year with Atlanta.
The New York Mets signed reliever Jorge Lopez to a one-year contract worth $2 million
The Nationals signed infielder Nick Senzel to a one-year, $2 million deal.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he expects superstar Mookie Betts will be the team’s everyday second baseman in 2024.
The Cleveland Guardians won the No. 1 overall pick for 2024 in MLB’s draft lottery.
The Tigers signed manager A.J. Hinch to a contract extension.
The Phillies extended manager Rob Thomson through 2025.
The Rumor Mill
With Ohtani officially off the market, clubs will shift their attention to Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Dodgers remain interested in Yamamoto after the Ohtani signing and rank third on the list of suitors behind the Mets and Yankees.
Last week, it was reported the Reds and Cubs were at the top of the list of potential suitors for Rays ace Tyler Glasnow. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times added the Dodgers and Braves to the mix.
The Red Sox have shown interest in veteran catcher Martin Maldonado, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. Also, they have reached out to the representatives of second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield, per Chad Jennings and Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.
Free-agent slugging outfielder Jorge Soler is drawing interest from the Mariners and Diamondbacks, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
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