Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2024

Cardinals Interested In Brandon Crawford

By | at

The Cardinals and shortstop Brandon Crawford reportedly have mutual interest. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle mentioned earlier today that the Cards were believed to have interest in Crawford, though she also reports that there’s an A.L. West club in the mix. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirmed that the Cards are interested in Crawford and relayed that the interest is mutual.

Last week, it was reported that the Cards were looking for some extra shortstop depth, with Crawford, Nick Ahmed and Elvis Andrus mentioned as speculative fits. Ahmed signed a minor league deal with the Giants earlier today, removing one option the Cardinals could have considered.

Crawford, 37, has spent his entire career with the Giants thus far. The Bay Area native was drafted by them in 2008 and made it to the majors by 2011, winning the World Series with them in 2012 and 2014.

Over the past decade-plus, he’s had many good years but is coming off a couple of frustrating campaigns. In 2021, he hit a career-high 24 home runs and slashed .298/.373/.522 for a wRC+ of 140. Along the way, the club signed him to a two-year, $32MM extension so that he wouldn’t reach the open market. Though that deal kept a franchise icon on the roster, it didn’t work out especially well for them.

Crawford spent time on the injured list in 2022 due to knee issues and hit just nine home runs in 118 games. Hit batting line dipped to .231/.308/.344, leading to a wRC+ of 88. His defense also may have slipped, depending on your favored metric. Outs Above Average still had him at +7 but Defensive Runs Saved put a -6 on him.

Last year, things got even worse. There were IL trips due to a right calf strain, left knee inflammation, a left forearm strain and a right hamstring strain. He got into only 94 contests and mustered a tepid batting line of .194/.273/.314. The defensive metrics were split again, with Crawford posting +6 OAA but -14 DRS.

Up until today, a return to the Giants would have been somewhat plausible. That club is slated to have rookie Marco Luciano as its regular shortstop, making it sensible that Crawford could have been brought back as a backup/insurance policy/veteran mentor. But the signing of Ahmed seems to make that less likely and may push Crawford out of San Francisco for the first time in his career.

St. Louis is also set to turn over the shortstop job to a rookie, with Masyn Winn slated for the lion’s share of playing time for the Cards. He has just 37 games of big league experience so far and hit just .172/.230/.238 in that time. The primary fallback option would be Tommy Edman, though he’s penciled in as the club’s everyday center fielder and is also working back from undergoing arthroscopic wrist surgery in October. Utility player Brendan Donovan underwent flexor tendon surgery in August of last year. José Fermín is also on the roster but doesn’t have much of a track record in the majors or even at Triple-A.

Given the state of the depth chart at shortstop, bringing in another option would make sense. Perhaps playing in a part-time role would allow Crawford more opportunity to stay healthy and productive. Or even if he doesn’t play much, he could serve as a mentor and share his accumulated wisdom with Winn, who hasn’t even turned 22 years old yet. Given his struggles over the past two years, he likely wouldn’t cost much, if he’s even able to secure a guaranteed roster spot.

Giants Sign Nick Ahmed To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Giants announced Monday that they’ve signed veteran infielder Nick Ahmed to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training. Ahmed, a client of Excel Sports Management, has long been a division rival of the Giants, spending his entire big league career with the D-backs until now.

San Francisco has reportedly been mulling a variety of veteran options at shortstop. Ahmed will add a glove-first option to their spring group. He’ll compete with prospect Marco Luciano, 25-year-old Casey Schmitt and 26-year-old Tyler Fitzgerald for playing time at that position. Ahmed was recently linked to the Cardinals as well, where he’d also have been competing with a young prospect (Masyn Winn) for playing time, and the Marlins before that. It’s not clear whether St. Louis or Miami ever made an offer, but that’s largely moot now that Ahmed has signed on with the Giants.

The past two seasons have been a struggle for Ahmed, a two-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop. Shoulder surgery in 2022 limited him to just 17 games, and his already modest offensive production cratered upon returning in 2023. Ahmed hit just .212/.257/.303 last year, losing playing time to Geraldo Perdomo. In September, the Diamondbacks designated Ahmed for assignment and released him. It was an unceremonious end to a 10-season tenure as Arizona’s primary shortstop, but the veteran’s dwindling role and production prompted the organization to move on.

In the five seasons prior to his shoulder surgery, Ahmed had still been below-average at the plate, but not nearly to the extent he was in ’23. From 2017-21, Ahmed tallied 2057 plate appearances and batted .242/.300/.402 (83  wRC+). As is to be expected from a right-handed hitter, he’s been far better against lefties in his career, slashing .257/.309/.430 (93 wRC+).

Ahmed offsets his lackluster offensive output by playing defense as well as virtually any player in the sport. From ’17-’21, Ahmed’s 58 Defensive Runs Saved ranked fifth among all big leaguers, regardless of position. His 87 Outs Above Average, per Statcast, tied him with Francisco Lindor for the most of any player — shortstop or otherwise — in the big leagues.

Whether Ahmed can return to those heights in the field remains to be seen, though last year’s showing in a small sample was promising. He only logged 488 innings in the field but still tallied 1 DRS, 6 OAA and a 1.6 Ultimate Zone Rating. The typically surehanded Ahmed did make an uncharacteristic eight errors in that small sample, but his range remained excellent.

Ahmed will have some youthful competition as he looks to grab a roster spot. The 22-year-old Luciano currently ranks 56th on Baseball America’s Top 100 list. He didn’t hit much in a tiny sample of 45 plate appearances during last summer’s MLB debut, however, and also struggled in Triple-A following a promotion from Double-A (where he’d struck out in 29.8% of his plate appearances). Questions about his glovework and contact profile could lead Luciano to Triple-A to begin the season.

Both Schmitt and Fitzgerald made their MLB debuts last season as well. Schmitt is a plus defender at multiple infield positions but hit just .206/.255/.324 in 277 trips to the plate during last year’s debut effort. His .300/.346/.435 slash in Triple-A was a far sight better, but he’s not yet proven himself against MLB pitching. Fitzgerald didn’t play shortstop at all in the majors last season, but that’s been his primary spot in the minors. He went just 7-for-32 in 34 MLB plate appearances but connected on a pair of homers and doubles alike. Fitzgerald popped 20 homers and swiped 29 bags in Triple-A, but scouts see him as more of a utilityman than an everyday option at shortstop, in part for defensive reasons.

Submit Your Questions For This Week’s MLB Trade Rumors Podcast!

By | at

On the MLB Trade Rumors podcast, we’ll frequently answer questions from our readers and listeners.  With the next episode set for Wednesday, we’re looking for MLBTR’s audience to submit their questions and we’ll pick a few to answer.

Spring Training is ramping up but there’s still many notable free agents unsigned and possible trades not yet consummated. If you have a question about a recent transaction, a future transaction or anything else related to the offseason or upcoming season, we’d love to hear from you!  You can send your questions to mlbtrpod@gmail.com.

Also, if you want to hear your voice on the podcast, send us your question in audio form and we might play it.  iPhone users can find instructions on how to do so here.

In the meantime, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Opener: Boras Four, Cubs, Hernandez

By | at

As Spring Training continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. The “Boras Four” is down to three:

The big news over the weekend was center fielder Cody Bellinger returning to the Cubs on a three-year deal worth $80MM with opt-outs after the 2024 and 2025 seasons. With free agency’s top remaining hitter now signed, the so-called “Boras Four” is now down to three, with southpaws Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery as well as third baseman Matt Chapman still lingering on the market. Now that one of the quartet of high-profile Boras Corporation clients has agreed to a short-term deal, will any of the others follow suit?

Montgomery has been loosely connected to the Red Sox throughout the offseason, though the latest reporting has indicated Boston only has interest in the event that his price comes down. It’s a similar story for Snell, who reportedly had an offer on the table from the Yankees last week with negotiations seemingly at a standstill. Chapman’s market is somewhat murkier at this point. He had been connected to Chicago prior to the club’s reunion with Bellinger, but the Cubs have not indicated a willingness to surpass the luxury tax — which would likely preclude them from further significant additions. The Giants have also been connected to Chapman frequently throughout the winter, with some reporting indicating the third baseman is their “top target,” though it’s unclear where negotiations between the sides stand at this point.

2. Bellinger deal to be made official:

As noted by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Cubs and Bellinger have wasted no time in moving forward now that a deal is in place, with Bellinger having already arrived at camp to take his physical yesterday. Assuming the physical didn’t turn up anything unexpected, that could put the deal in position to be officially announced sometime today. The Cubs have a full 40-man roster as things stand, meaning they’ll need to make a corresponding move to make room for Bellinger.

Barring a surprise injury announcement, the club has no clear candidates for the 60-day injured list, meaning that they’ll likely need to designate a player towards the back of the 40-man for assignment. Another option would be to work out a trade that would clear roster space. Chicago benefited from that sort of trade earlier this winter when the club acquired infield prospect Michael Busch and right-hander Yency Almonte for non-40-man prospects Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope in a deal that cleared two roster spots for the Dodgers.

3. Hernandez nearing decision?

Veteran utility player Enrique Hernandez was reportedly nearing a decision entering the weekend. While no deal ultimately came together, a list of four finalists for the 32-year-old’s services was reported that suggested he was choosing between the Giants, Padres, Twins, and Angels. Hernandez is among the most versatile players in the game with the glove. He’s spent more than a thousand innings in center field and at both middle infield spots in addition to hundreds of innings in the outfield corners, significant time at third base, and even occasional cameos at first. He touts a solid .257/.343/.458 slash line against lefties, though he’s typically posted below-average offense against righties, which limits his ceiling as an everyday player. Nonetheless, Hernandez figures to improve the depth of any club he signs with significantly. Which team will ultimately land the veteran?

AL Notes: Mejia, Bellinger, Yankees, Carter, Twins

By | at

The Angels released Francisco Mejia earlier today, and the veteran catcher has already had some “initial talks” with the Rays about a return to Tampa, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.  Mejia spent the last three seasons as part of the Rays’ catching mix, having time with Mike Zunino, Christian Bethancourt, and Rene Pinto before Tampa Bay designated Mejia for assignment last August and subsequently outrighted him off their 40-man roster.  Mejia chose to remain in the organization rather than opt for free agency in the wake of that outright assignment, but he became a free agent after the season and signed with the Angels on a minor league contract.

Pinto and Alex Jackson look to be Tampa’s preferred catching combo heading into the 2024 season, but the Rays were known to be looking for more depth at the position.  Re-signing a familiar face like Mejia would seem like a logical move in that department, even if a reunion with a catcher the Rays already seemingly moved on from last summer doesn’t represent much of an upgrade on a position that had been an issue for the team for years.  Mejia has hit .239/.284/.394 over 1098 career plate appearances in the majors, as the 28-year-old has only rarely shown any of the promise that made him a top prospect during his time in the Cleveland and San Diego farm systems.

Here’s some more from the American League….

  • The Yankees were linked to Cody Bellinger’s market early in the offseason, even if the Juan Soto trade seemingly closed the door on the chances of Bellinger in the Bronx well before Bellinger left the market for good by re-signing with the Cubs.  New York’s interest in Bellinger didn’t begin this offseason, as the club looked into signing Bellinger last winter and The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney reports that the Yankees also had interest in acquiring Bellinger prior to the last trade deadline.  Bellinger was seen as a major trade chip for much of the first half until the Cubs went on a hot streak and opted against selling at the deadline, leaving suitors for several of Chicago’s veterans out of luck.  Of course, the Yankees’ own fortunes changed, as the team’s midseason slump led the front office to have a very quiet deadline, perhaps as an acknowledgement that the roster was more than one player away.
  • Evan Carter and the Rangers seemingly avoided an injury scare today when x-rays came back negative on the outfielder’s left forearm, as manager Bruce Bochy told the Dallas Morning News’ Shawn McFarland and other reporters.  Carter was hit by a Kyle Harrison during today’s Cactus League game and left the field after a visit from the team trainer, though it appears as though Carter is just day-to-day with some soreness.  One of the big favorites for AL Rookie of the Year honors heading into 2024, Carter made his MLB debut last September and immediately produced at a superstar level down the stretch and throughout the Rangers’ postseason run.
  • On paper, the pairing of Carlos Santana and Alex Kirilloff gives the Twins a platoon at first base, though manager Rocco Baldelli told The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman and other reporters that “I don’t think of it as a traditional platoon in any way because one of our guys [Santana] is a switch hitter.  You end up with different options because Santana can play pretty much any day….It just gives us a lot of flexibility.”  Since Minnesota also wants to give Kirilloff at-bats and keep him healthy, the defensively superior Santana figures to get the majority of the work at first base and Kirilloff could be DH, with both players appearing in the same lineup on a regular basis.  Two wrist surgeries and a shoulder surgery have limited Kirilloff to 192 games and 706 PA over his first three big league seasons, so adding Santana on a one-year, $5.25MM deal allowed Minnesota to bolster the first base position.

Cubs To Sign Garrett Cooper To Minors Deal

By | at

The Cubs have signed veteran first baseman Garrett Cooper, according to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald (X link).  It is a minor league pact for Cooper, who will receive an invitation to Chicago’s big league spring camp.

The 33-year-old hit .251/.304/.419 with 17 home runs over 457 combined plate appearances with the Marlins and Padres in 2023, translating to a 96 wRC+.  Cooper made decent contact when he did make contact, though his strikeout and walk rates were below the league average.  His production picked up a bit after he was dealt to San Diego at the trade deadline, in a swap which ended Cooper’s six-year run as a Miami regular.

A down year heading into free agency was an unfortunate outcome for Cooper, who had a 117 wRC+ (from 39 homers and a .274/.350/.444 slash line) over 1273 PA for the Marlins from 2019-22 and was even an All-Star in 2022.  Injuries have long plagued Cooper and frequently kept him on the injured list, so there’s some irony that he struggled during the healthiest year of his pro career.  Apart from a minimal 10-day IL stint due to an inner ear infection, Cooper managed to stay on the field, yet in 2023 lost playing time due to a lack of production against right-handed pitching.

Cooper’s splits were pretty drastic last year, with a .904 OPS against lefties and a .666 OPS against righties.  The right-handed batter had naturally posted better numbers against southpaws over his career, though Cooper had always hit righties respectably well apart from last season and during the smaller sample size of the abbreviated 2020 campaign.

This adds up to a bit of a curious fit on the Cubs roster, given how the Cubs are still a little heavy on right-handed bats even after today’s signing of Cody Bellinger.  However, projected first base starter Michael Busch is both a lefty swinger and short on MLB experience, so adding Cooper gives Chicago some platoon depth if Bellinger ends up playing center field more regularly than first base.  There also isn’t a set option at the DH spot, if the Cubs end up giving Christopher Morel an extended look as a third baseman.  Cooper has a good deal of right field experience, though he’s a likelier to stick to first base or DH duty since he hasn’t played in the outfield since 2021.

There’s no risk for the Cubs in seeing what Cooper can provide on a minor league deal, and the obligatory opt-out provided to veteran players in minor league deals would allow both sides to part ways before the end of Spring Training if the Cubs ultimately don’t see a spot for Cooper on the Opening Day roster.  It is a little surprising that Cooper couldn’t find a guaranteed contract, yet it also speaks to the limited marketplace for first base-only players in their 30’s, and obviously Cooper’s subpar 2023 last season weighed heavier on the minds of front offices than his solid track record in previous years.

The Brewers and Red Sox were publicly linked to Cooper’s market earlier this winter, though Milwaukee’s signing of Rhys Hoskins seemed to close the door on Cooper’s chances of landing in the Badger State.  Boston’s interest in Cooper was reportedly more conditional, as the Red Sox saw Cooper as a backup plan if they couldn’t sign their preferred choice in the still-available Adam Duvall.  Speculatively, this could mean a deal between Duvall and the Red Sox could be more likely, if Boston is now a little more inclined to up its offer to Duvall with Cooper off the board.

NL West Notes: Walker, D’Backs, Winn, Matsui, Amador, Rockies

By | at

There hasn’t been “too much” talk between Christian Walker’s representatives and the Diamondbacks about a contract extension, though the first baseman told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he “loves” playing for the team.  However, Walker is also interested in the idea of testing free agency next winter after the humble beginnings of his career, as he bounced around to multiple teams and didn’t become a real big league regular until 2019, his third season in Arizona.  “To look back, it’s a sense of accomplishment.  Like, wow, we’ve created this leverage; it’s a thing now,” Walker said.  “We have the ball in our court.  It hasn’t always felt that way….I think it’s motivating to keep wanting to head in that direction.”

Walker will be 34 on Opening Day 2025, so hitting the market at something of an advanced age is likely to limit his chances at an overly lengthy contract.  He is a first base-only player, yet with the benefit of being baseball’s best defensive first baseman, as the winner of the last two Fielding Bible Awards and Gold Gloves at the position.  To go along with his superb glove, Walker has also hit .253/.332/.463 with 115 homers over 2619 plate appearances since the start of the 2019 season, translating to a 112 wRC+.  (Over the last two seasons in particular, Walker has 69 homers and a 112 wRC+.)

It will be interesting to see if the D’Backs could work out a way to re-sign Walker, as the team is projected for a club record $143MM payroll heading into 2024, but a decent chunk of money is coming off the books next offseason.  This could provide an opening for a reunion between the D’Backs and the underrated first baseman, if an extension isn’t reached before Walker even gets to free agency.

More from around the NL West…

  • Keaton Winn’s sore right elbow has “calmed down” after a bout of nerve irritation, the Giants rookie told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle).  Winn didn’t need a cortisone shot and has been cleared to start throwing again, so he believes he’ll have plenty of time to ramp up in time for Opening Day.  The 26-year-old right-hander made his MLB debut in 2023, and is one of several young starters the Giants are counting on through at least the early part of the season before Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray are slated to return from the injured list.
  • Newly-signed Padres reliever Yuki Matsui is day-to-day with back spasms, manager Mike Shildt told reporters from 97.3 The Fan (X link) and other media outlets.  The problem doesn’t appear to be too serious, but Shildt said the team is just taking a precautionary measure this early in camp.  After an outstanding career in Japan, Matsui made the jump to the majors this winter, signing with the Padres to an interestingly structured five-year deal that will pay the left-hander $28MM in guaranteed money.
  • Top Rockies prospect Adael Amador had an injury-shortened 2023 season and has only played 10 games at the Double-A level, so it might still be a while before we see Amador in the Show.  However, his development this season will not only hasten his own potential path to the majors, but if Amador plays well, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post feels it might make the Rox more open to trading Brendan Rodgers to clear room at second base.  It wasn’t long ago that Rodgers was also seen as something of a building block in Colorado, though Rodgers played in only 46 games last season due to shoulder surgery and didn’t hit well after returning to action.  Since Rodgers is only under team control through the 2025 season, there has been some sense that Amador is already viewed as the long-term replacement, and the Rockies have explored dealing Rodgers in the past.  Of course, this all might hinge on how well Rodgers plays in the early part of the 2024 campaign and whether or not he can rebuild his stock either as a trade chip or as part of Colorado’s future plans.

Kodai Senga Diagnosed With Posterior Capsule Strain In Right Shoulder, Will Open Season On IL

By | at

TODAY: Senga received a PRP injection in his right shoulder and won’t throw for at least three weeks, the Mets told Anthony DiComo and other reporters.  This creates a rough timeline of late April/early May for Senga’s return if he returns from his shutdown period and is then able to ramp up as per usual, though things are still very fluid for a recovery plan.  “We’ve got to be careful, but we’ll be flexible, as well,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.  “Senga knows his body well.  He knows he’s going to be pretty honest, and this is the conversation I’m having with him — making sure he voices his opinion, so we will have to adjust as we get going with his throwing program.”

FEBRUARY 22: The Mets were dealt some difficult injury news on Thursday morning. New York president of baseball operations David Stearns announced that staff ace Kodai Senga was diagnosed with a moderate posterior capsule strain in his throwing shoulder (relayed by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Senga is being shut down until his symptoms subside. He’s out indefinitely and will open the year on the injured list.

Senga sat out the team’s workout yesterday after reporting arm fatigue. The Mets sent him for testing yesterday. That evidently revealed the shoulder strain. It subtracts the team’s best starter from the Opening Day rotation mix, although Stearns downplayed the urgency to go outside the organization for additional help (video link via the New York Post).

Senga, 31, signed a five-year, $75MM deal with the Mets last offseason after an 11-year run in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. The former Softbank Hawks ace outperformed even some of the more optimistic expectations for his MLB debut, pitching 166 1/3 innings of 2.98 ERA ball with a 29.1% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate. Senga made the NL All-Star team, finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting and even landed seventh on the NL Cy Young ballot.

Following last summer’s trades of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, Senga stood as the presumptive favorite to take the ball for the Mets on Opening Day. He’d have been followed, in some order, by Jose Quintana and offseason acquisitions Adrian Houser, Sean Manaea and Luis Severino. Instead, with Senga sidelined, one of those four (Quintana, most likely) will take the ball on Opening Day, while a battle for the fifth spot among in-house options like Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and Jose Butto plays out during spring training. Many Mets fans will surely hope that the Senga injuries spurs further activity on either the trade or free agent front, but that seems quite unlikely.

“I don’t thinks so,” Stearns replied when asked whether Senga’s injury increases the likelihood of adding someone from outside the organization. “We’re always going to be opportunistic and hear what’s out there, but I don’t think it really changes our thought process.”

The free agent market still features several notable names; each of Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Michael Lorenzen and Mike Clevinger remains unsigned. Presumably, the agents for all of those arms will be reaching out to the Mets in the wake of an ominous injury to their top starter.

However, the team’s mindset throughout the offseason has been to avoid long-term investments ahead of what looks like a largely transitional season. (Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the lone exception to that thinking, due to the 25-year-old’s atypical youth relative to other free agents.) That aversion to long-term deals will surely rule out a run at Snell or Montgomery, barring a change of heart from owner Steve Cohen, and the Mets’ luxury-tax status might make them reluctant to spend further on back-of-the-rotation arms like Lorenzen and Clevinger. Any spending for the Mets at this point comes with a 110% tax, so they’d effectively be paying double for any rotation additions.

Tigers Outright TJ Hopkins

By | at

TODAY: Hopkins cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, the Tigers announced.

FEBRUARY 22: The Tigers announced that outfielder TJ Hopkins has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move for infielder Gio Urshela, who was signed to a one-year deal earlier today.

Hopkins, 27, was with the Reds last year but has been bouncing around the league in recent months. He was designated for assignment in December when Cincy signed Austin Wynns, later getting flipped to the Giants in a cash deal. He lasted a couple of months on the Giants’ roster but was designated assignment again in mid-February when that club acquired Otto López. The Tigers claimed him off waivers two days ago but he’s now received his third DFA of the offseason.

He made his major league debut last year but hit just .171/.227/.171 in 25 games. His 94-game showing in Triple-A was much more impressive as he drew walks at a 14% clip and hit 16 home runs, leading to a slash of .308/.411/.514 and a 134 wRC+. He’s mostly played left field but has experience at all three outfield slots.

He’s never really been a highly-touted prospect but it seems last year’s strong Triple-A showing is intriguing enough for several clubs to have acquired him. He still has two option years and could be a nice depth piece somewhere. The Tigers will now have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers. Based on the way his offseason has gone so far, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he landed on another roster. If he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he would stick with the Tigers as non-roster depth.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top