The Weekly Rundown: 2/4/23 - 2/10/23
Multiple star players sign extensions, Clayton Kershaw staying put, and more.
Good morning and happy Sunday!
It’s officially spring training week. Pitchers and catchers for all 30 MLB teams are set to report to their club’s spring training sites with most report dates on Wednesday and Thursday. Next week, full squad workouts will begin.
Despite players returning to the practice field, we’re still waiting for several top free agents to sign new deals. Two of the top pitchers on the market, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, have yet to find a home. Matt Chapman, J.D. Martinez, and Jorge Soler are among the top hitters still unsigned.
It was a pretty quiet week on the free-agent front, though there were some notable contract extensions and rumors across the league. So grab your coffee and let’s jump into today’s rundown…
Extensions Galore
As stated above, there were some big extensions last week. Here are the details:
Bobby Witt Jr.
The Kansas City Royals locked up budding superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year, $280 million contract extension. It’s a massive move for a Royals club that has surprisingly made some shrewd moves to compete in 2024.
Witt Jr., the second overall pick in the 2019 draft, broke through with a spectacular sophomore campaign. The 23-year-old did a little bit of everything for the lowly Royals, totaling 28 doubles, an MLB-leading 11 triples, 30 homers, 96 RBIs, 49 stolen bases, and a .813 OPS.
This one was a no-brainer. The Royals have their franchise cornerstone.
Jose Altuve
Altuve ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. The former American League MVP signed a five-year extension with the Houston Astros worth $125 million, keeping him from hitting free agency after the 2024 campaign.
A two-time World Series champion, Altuve was plagued by injuries last season but put up his usual stellar numbers when healthy. The 33-year-old second baseman slashed .311/.393/.522 with 17 homers and 51 RBIs in 90 games.
The signing likely means Altuve will remain in Houston for the remainder of his career, and that’s the way it should be. It’s difficult to imagine the 5-foot-6 future Hall of Famer in any other uniform.
Adolis Garcia
The Texas Rangers signed slugger and postseason hero Adolis Garcia to a two-year contract, avoiding arbitration ahead of their hearing on Thursday. The deal is worth about $14 million in total, which looks like a steal for Texas.
Garcia is coming off the best season of his career. The soon-to-be 31-year-old hit .245/.328/.508 with 39 home runs, the second most in the AL. His defense was exceptional as well, resulting in his first Gold Glove award.
Kevin Cash, Erik Neander
The Tampa Bay Rays signed president of baseball operations Erik Neander and manager Kevin Cash to contract extensions.
Over the past nine seasons, Cash has led the Rays to a 739-617 record with five straight playoff appearances and two AL East titles. MLB’s longest-tenured manager has won two AL Manager of the Year Awards.
Neander is entering his third full season as the Rays’ front-office leader.
Back In Blue
Surprise, surprise! Future Hall-of-Fame southpaw Clayton Kershaw is returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers for his 17th season with the club. It’s a one-year contract with a player option for 2025.
Kershaw, entering his age 36 season, is expected to begin the year on the 60-day injured list after undergoing shoulder surgery. When healthy, there’s no reason to believe he won’t return to All-Star form. He posted a 2.46 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP and 137 strikeouts in 24 starts last season.
With Kershaw back on board, the Dodgers’ 2024 rotation consists of him, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler. Tyler Glasnow, Bobby Miller, James Paxton, Emmet Sheehan, and Ryan Yarbrough.
Rapid Fire
Veteran reliever Ryan Brasier signed a two-year, $9 million deal with the Dodgers. The 2018 World Series champion posted a ridiculous 0.70 ERA in 39 appearances out of the L.A. bullpen last season.
The Milwaukee Brewers signed righty Jakob Junis and catcher Gary Sanchez to one-year contracts.
The Red Sox signed reliever Michael Fulmer to a two-year minor-league contract that would be worth $1.5 million if he’s added to the big-league roster this season or next. Fulmer is expected to miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing UCL revision surgery on his right elbow.
Corey Kluber announced his retirement after 13 MLB seasons. The three-time All-Star right-hander finishes his illustrious career with two Cy Young awards, a 116-77 record, a 3.44 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 1,725 strikeouts in 1641.2 innings pitched (271 games, 260 starts).
The Rumor Mill
Utility man Gio Urshela is drawing interest from the Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, and New York Yankees in free agency, per multiple reports.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports the San Diego Padres have expressed interest in trading for Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.
The New York Mets have been in touch with veteran DH J.D. Martinez for a potential deal, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. However, Andy Martino of SNY reports there’s still a significant gap between the sides financially.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported outfielder Jorge Soler and the Giants are "in talks" about a possible contract.
The Giants and the Chicago Cubs are the two teams showing the most interest in free-agent third baseman Matt Chapman, according to Heyman.
Thanks for reading! Catch you next Sunday.