Headlines

  • Tigers To Place Reese Olson On 60-Day IL With Shoulder Strain
  • Tigers To Acquire Chris Paddack From Twins
  • Cubs, Jed Hoyer Agree To Multi-Year Extension
  • 4 More Days To Lock In Savings On Trade Rumors Front Office
  • Royals Sign Seth Lugo To Extension
  • Emmanuel Clase Placed On Administrative Leave Amid MLB’s Sports-Betting Investigation
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2024

Brewers Acquire Bryan Hudson From Dodgers

By Darragh McDonald | January 3, 2024 at 12:20pm CDT

12:20pm: The Dodgers have announced the deal, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, with the Brewers sending lefty Justin Chambers and a player to be named later in return. Chambers is just 18 years old, having been selected in the 20th round of the 2023 draft. He didn’t make an appearance in affiliated ball after that draft selection.

12:05pm: The Brewers are acquiring left-hander Bryan Hudson from the Dodgers, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. The lefty was designated for assignment two weeks ago. DFA limbo is normally capped at one week but that clock is paused for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s unclear what the Dodgers are receiving in exchange. Milwaukee’s 40-man roster count is up to 39.

Hudson, 27 in May, made his major league debut last year with 8 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. He allowed seven earned runs in that time, leading to an unsightly 7.27 ERA, though that’s obviously a miniscule sample size. He spent most of the season in Triple-A, tossing 55 2/3 innings with 2.43 ERA. He struck out 35.7% of batters faced while giving out walks at a 10.8% clip and keeping 46.7% of balls in play on the ground.

Grounders have consistently been a part of his game, going all the way back to his Rookie ball days. Those strikeouts are a fairly new development, however, having shot up in the past two years. He also struck out 29.7% of batters faced in 2022, splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A while in the Cubs organization.

The ability to both strike hitters out and keep the ball on the ground when they do make contact is enticing and appears to have caught the attention of the Brewers. Hudson still has a couple of option years remaining, so he can serve as a depth piece for the bullpen in Milwaukee. Their southpaw relief corps is currently headlined by Hoby Milner, with Ethan Small and Clayton Andrews also on the roster, though Hudson will now jump into that group as well.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Bryan Hudson

48 comments

Diamondbacks To Sign Kevin Newman To Minor League Deal

By Nick Deeds | January 3, 2024 at 10:10am CDT

10:10am: It’s a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.

8:59am: The Diamondbacks and infielder Kevin Newman are in agreement on a deal, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The specifics of the deal are not yet known.

Newman, 30, was a first-round pick by the Pirates in the 2015 draft and made his debut in Pittsburgh back in 2018 after being called up in late August. Newman appeared in 31 games for the club down the stretch but struggled badly in 97 trips to the plate, slashing just .209/.247/.231 during that time. Fortunately, Newman’s second taste of big league action went much better as the infielder posted the best season of his career in 2019. While acting as Pittsburgh’s regular shortstop, Newman slashed a solid .308/.353/.446 (109 wRC+) in 531 trips to the plate while striking out at a clip of just 11.7%.

Newman’s success did not last, however, as his offense cratered during the shortened 2020 season and his struggles at the plate continued into the 2021 season. While the Pirates stuck with Newman as their regular shortstop, he hit just .226/.268/.302 in a combined 726 trips to the plate across those two seasons. That production was good for a wRC+ of 52 that was 48% worse than league average and represents the worst slash line in the majors during that time among all regulars (min. 700 plate appearances). That weak production and a groin injury left Newman supplanted at shortstop by Oneil Cruz early in the 2022 season. Upon returning from injury in July and moving to second base, Newman provided the Pirates with decent production in the second half, slashing .279/.318/.371 (91 wRC+) in 257 trips to the plate from July 8 onward. Still, that improved production didn’t stop the Pirates from dealing Newman to Cincinnati last November in exchange for right-hander Dauri Moreta.

Joining the Reds ahead of the 2023 campaign left Newman to move into a part-time role as the club’s wave of young infielders including Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, and Elly De La Cruz took on regular roles throughout the season. Newman performed decently in his new role as a utility player, spending time at all four infield positions while slashing .253/.311/.364 (78 wRC+) in 253 trips to the plate, though his season was eventually cut short in mid-August by an oblique strain. The Reds then released Newman in late September, at which point he hit the open market.

The addition of Newman offers Arizona a high-contact bat capable of playing anywhere on the infield dirt. While his overall offensive profile leaves something to be desired, Newman’s ability to avoid strikeouts gives him value as a pinch-hitting option off the bench. Just 19 players with at least 200 plate appearances last season posted a strikeout rate lower than Newman’s 13.4% figure, and his career strikeout rate of 12% ranks sixth among active players with at least 1500 plate appearances since the start of 2018 season. That places him in rarefied air alongside the likes of Jeff McNeil, David Fletcher, and Yuli Gurriel.

Newman figures to continue in a utility role with the club. Though the details of his contract with the reigning NL champions are not yet available, Newman appears likely to battle with fellow utilityman Jace Peterson and infielder Emmanuel Rivera for a spot on the club’s bench this spring. Newman is the only member of that trio capable of playing shortstop, a fact that could give him a leg up even in spite of his relatively meager offensive production as he would likely serve as the club’s primary back-up to Gerlado Perdomo in the event that top prospect Jordan Lawler begins the season at Triple-A.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks Transactions Kevin Newman

51 comments

The Opener: Go, Blue Jays, Jensen

By Nick Deeds | January 3, 2024 at 7:56am CDT

As MLB’s offseason continues, here are three things worth keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Go, Padres nearing deal?

It was reported yesterday evening that right-hander Woo Suk Go of the Korea Baseball Organization’s LG Twins was nearing a deal with the Padres. According to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News, Go reportedly took a flight to San Diego overnight to finalize the deal with the Padres. Go’s posting window expires this afternoon at 4pm CT, meaning an announcement should come today if a deal is completed. In addition to Go’s salary, the Padres would be responsible for a posting fee paid to the LG Twins as compensation for Go’s services. Go, who sports a 2.39 ERA over 275 1/3 innings of work since the start of the 2019 season, figures to occupy a late-inning role for the Padres alongside fellow overseas signing Yuki Matsui.

2. Blue Jays presser:

As noted by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins is expected to address the media at 9am CT this morning followed by recent signings Kevin Kiermaier and Isiah Kiner-Falefa later in the day. The press conference comes on the heels of a December that saw the Blue Jays connected to many of the league’s top free agents including Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Cody Bellinger, and Matt Chapman. Since then, however, Toronto has come up short in their bids for both Ohtani and Yamamoto while the signings of Kiermaier and Kiner-Falefa seemingly cast doubt on the club’s odds of landing Bellinger to play center field or reuniting with Chapman at third base. Will today’s presser provide additional clarity regarding Toronto’s pursuits of a the two biggest bats left on the market?

3. Jensen resolution incoming?

Right-hander Ryan Jensen was designated for assignment by the Marlins two weeks ago to make room for right-hander Roddery Munoz on the 40-man roster after Miami acquired him from the Pirates in a minor trade. Typically, a player can only be DFA’d for seven days before they must be assigned, but the clock is paused for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. That would leave Jensen likely to see a resolution to his DFA sometime today. The former first-round pick has been claimed off waivers twice in the past six months, but if the he passes through waivers successfully the Marlins can outright Jensen to Triple-A and retain him in the organization headed into the 2024 season without utilizing a 40-man roster spot.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

The Opener

105 comments

Woo Suk Go Nearing Deal With Padres

By Anthony Franco | January 3, 2024 at 7:10am CDT

Jan 3: The deal between the Padres and Go is a two-year guarantee worth “more than 9MM,” according to Jiheon Pae of Spochoo.com (Korean language link). Pae adds that the deal includes a club option. Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News relayed last night an announcement from the LG Twins that the club has given Go approval to sign with the Padres. At the time of Go’s posting, the Twins reportedly allowed Go to seek MLB opportunities with the condition that they could reverse their decision if the offers Go received from MLB clubs- and, subsequently, the posting fee the club would receive- were too low.

Jan 2: South Korean reliever Woo Suk Go is nearing an agreement with the Padres, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (X link). It appears to be a major league contract, as Heyman suggests Go could serve as San Diego’s closer next season.

Go, a 25-year-old righty, has pitched parts of seven seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization. He has worked as a pure reliever throughout that time, operating as the closer for the LG Twins for the past five years. After struggling during his first two seasons as a teenager, Go has been a solid bullpen arm for a half-decade.

He has rattled off four seasons with a sub-4.00 ERA, including three campaigns allowing fewer than 2.20 earned runs per nine. Go surpassed 30 saves in each of 2019, ’21 and ’22. He has fanned more than 26% of batters faced in each of the last five years, topping the 30% mark in the last two seasons.

While Go has consistently shown the ability to miss bats, he hasn’t always been around the strike zone. He has walked more than 10% of opposing hitters in four of his seven seasons. Go issued free passes to an alarming 11.6% of batters faced last year, contributing to a 3.68 ERA that made for more of a solid than exceptional platform showing.

Public scouting reports have generally pegged Go as a likely middle reliever at the big league level. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs writes that Go leans primarily on a mid-90s fastball and low-90s cutter while occasionally mixing in a curveball. That’s an intriguing arsenal, but the fringy control could make him a risk in higher-leverage spots.

San Diego has been one of the sport’s most aggressive teams in targeting players making the jump from Asian professional leagues. They recently signed lefty Yuki Matsui to a five-year, $28MM pact as he came over from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It seems unlikely Go would match that kind of deal, but the Friars are clearly intrigued by his youth and swing-and-miss potential.

With Josh Hader, Nick Martinez and Luis García hitting free agency, the Padres have Matsui and Robert Suarez (another former NPB signee) as their top two leverage relievers. Go, assuming a contract is finalized, could join that mix alongside righty Enyel De Los Santos — whom San Diego acquired from the Guardians in exchange for Scott Barlow this winter.

In addition to what they’d pay Go, San Diego would owe a release fee to the LG Twins under the MLB/KBO posting system. If the total guarantee is less than $25MM, the posting fee would be 20% of the contract’s value. If the guarantee topped $25MM, they’d owe 17.5% of the next $25MM. They’d owe 15% on any spending beyond $50MM, but it’s highly unlikely that Go received a deal approaching that level.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

San Diego Padres Woo Suk Go

145 comments

Details On Yuki Matsui’s Contract With Padres

By Anthony Franco | January 2, 2024 at 10:09pm CDT

The Padres finalized a five-year deal with NPB reliever Yuki Matsui at the end of December. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the $28MM pact contained a pair of opt-out chances, as well as a conditional option for the 2028 campaign depending on Matsui’s elbow health.

A report from The Associated Press lays out the specifics of the 28-year-old’s deal. Matsui’s ability to opt out after the 2026 season is conditional on avoiding a Tommy John surgery or any other elbow injury that requires an injured list stint of 130+ days between 2024-25. The salary breaks down as follows:

  • $3.25MM in 2024
  • $5.5MM in 2025
  • $5.75MM in 2026
  • $6.5MM in 2027
  • $7MM in 2028

If Matsui suffers a significant elbow injury, the 2028 salary becomes a conditional team/player option. He also receives full no-trade protection and can bump the value of future years’ payments by up to $1.4MM annually based on the number of games he finishes.

The first opt-out decision comes with two years and $13.5MM in guarantees remaining. Passan reported that Matsui would also have the right to opt out after the ’27 campaign. If he plays out the full contract, he’ll be a free agent after 2028 despite not reaching six years of MLB service, according to the AP. That’s a common provision for players who sign guaranteed deals after a stint in the KBO or NPB.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

San Diego Padres Yuki Matsui

22 comments

D-Backs, Tucker Barnhart Agree To Minor League Deal

By Anthony Franco | January 2, 2024 at 8:48pm CDT

The Diamondbacks are in agreement with catcher Tucker Barnhart on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (X link). He’ll be in camp as a non-roster invitee.

Arizona adds a defense-first catcher to their Spring Training group. Barnhart won a pair of Gold Gloves during his eight-year run with the Reds. Statcast has still graded him as a slightly above-average pitch framer over the past two seasons, but those numbers are down from his 2019-21 peak. It’s a similar story from a throwing perspective. Barnhart threw out a middling seven of 37 basestealers in 312 2/3 innings with the Cubs.

With nearly a decade of MLB experience, the 32-year-old has a strong reputation for his work with a pitching staff. That has always been his selling point. Barnhart has never provided league average production at the dish. His offensive numbers have been particularly poor over the past two years. In 431 plate appearances since the start of 2022, the left-handed hitter owns a .215/.286/.264 line.

Last winter, the Cubs signed Barnhart to a two-year, $6.5MM guarantee. He appeared in only 47 games before being released. Chicago turned to 24-year-old Miguel Amaya to pair with veteran Yan Gomes in August. Barnhart caught on with the Dodgers on a non-roster deal for the stretch run. He appeared in seven Triple-A games and never received a big league call.

Chicago is still responsible for Barnhart’s $3.25MM salary for the 2024 season. If he cracks Arizona’s roster, the Snakes would only owe him the prorated portion of the $740K league minimum for whatever time he spends in the majors. He’d be an inexpensive veteran option to back up Gabriel Moreno, who has clearly established himself as the organization’s #1 catcher.

Aside from Moreno, José Herrera stands as the only catcher on the 40-man roster. Herrera is a .198/.272/.231 hitter in 88 MLB games over the past two seasons. That gives Barnhart a solid chance to make the club out of camp. Former Rays and Red Sox prospect Ronaldo Hernández will also be in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks Transactions Tucker Barnhart

36 comments

Yamamoto’s Opt-Out Dates Are Conditional On Elbow Health

By Anthony Franco | January 2, 2024 at 7:09pm CDT

The Dodgers signed NPB star Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325MM deal that set the record for the largest pitching guarantee. That included a pair of opt-out chances for the 25-year-old righty. He could be in line for an even loftier deal a few years down the line if he continues to perform like a top-of-the-rotation starter against MLB competition.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported that Yamamoto would be able to opt out of the contract after the 2029 and ’31 seasons. According to the Associated Press, that’s in part conditional on the pitcher’s arm health in the first six years of the deal. If Yamamoto undergoes Tommy John surgery or spends 134+ consecutive days on the injured list with a right elbow concern between 2024-29, his opt-out chances would be delayed until following the 2031 and ’33 seasons. In the absence of that significant of an elbow injury, he’d be able to opt out after 2029 and ’31 as initially reported.

Interestingly, the contract also includes an opt-out provision designed to keep him from being traded. The AP reports that if the Dodgers trade Yamamoto, that would vest an opt-out clause that’d allow him to become a free agent at the end of that season. While it’s not true no-trade protection, it makes it very difficult to deal him. Any acquiring team would have to account for the possibility that Yamamoto leaves the following winter.

Of course, the Dodgers didn’t sign Yamamoto with any intention of trading him in the foreseeable future. They’re going to be all-in for years to come, likely for the entire duration of Shohei Ohtani’s decade-long contract. Ohtani’s willingness to defer $68MM of his $70MM annual salaries afforded the organization more short-term leeway to acquire and extend Tyler Glasnow and to sign Yamamoto.

Yamamoto’s contract contains a massive $50MM signing bonus. The AP reports that he’ll be paid $20MM by the start of February and the other $30MM by July 1. His annual salary structure breaks down as follows:

  • $5MM in 2024
  • $10MM in 2025
  • $12MM in 2026
  • $26MM annually from 2027-29
  • $29MM annually from 2030-31
  • $28MM annually from 2032-35

He’ll thus be paid $155MM over the next six seasons. If he doesn’t incur a serious elbow injury, he’d be weighing whether to opt out of six years and $170MM once the 2029-30 offseason arrives. Were Yamamoto to suffer an elbow injury within the first six years and opt in after the 2031 and ’33 seasons, the Dodgers receive a $10MM option (no buyout) covering the 2036 season, the AP reports.

The salary breakdown does not affect the contract’s average annual value. The deal counts for approximately $27.08MM each year from a luxury tax perspective. The Dodgers also owe a $50.625MM posting fee to Yamamoto’s former team, the Orix Buffaloes, though that is separate from the CBT calculation.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Yoshinobu Yamamoto

96 comments

This Date In Transaction History: Luis Robert Extension

By Anthony Franco | January 2, 2024 at 5:40pm CDT

Today marks the four-year anniversary of one of the White Sox’s better moves in recent memory. On January 2, 2020, the Sox finalized a $50MM extension with Luis Robert. The right-handed hitting center fielder had yet to make his MLB debut but was a consensus top prospect.

As shown on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, the deal was then the largest ever signed by a player with no big league reps. It marked the second straight year in which the Sox inked a record-setting contract with a player before his debut. Their 2019 deal with Eloy Jiménez, which guaranteed him $43MM over six seasons, hasn’t necessarily gone as the club envisioned. They had far more success with the Robert extension.

The contract ensured Robert would open the 2020 campaign as Chicago’s center fielder. While that might have happened regardless on the heels of a monster showing in the high minors, there was a possibility of the Sox keeping Robert in Triple-A long enough to secure an additional year of club control. (Under the previous collective bargaining agreement, there were fewer incentives for teams to carry top prospects on the Opening Day roster.) The extension bought out their six-year control window while tacking on two team options to add two high-upside seasons for the organization.

Robert had a solid but not overwhelming debut showing, hitting .233/.302/.436 as a 22-year-old during the shortened season. A hip flexor strain interrupted what looked like a breakout showing in his second season. Robert was out of action between May 4 and August 9. Around the injury, he put up spectacular numbers. He raked at a .338/.378/.567 clip with above-average defense in center field. His power numbers took a step back in 2022 but rebounded last season, when Robert turned in the best performance of his career.

The 26-year-old finished ninth in the majors with 38 home runs. He hit .264/.315/.542 overall, more than compensating for  a middling strikeout and walk profile with huge power. Robert also put his excellent athleticism to use on the bases and defensively. He went 20-24 in stolen base attempts and received strong grades for his 1207 2/3 innings in center field. Defensive Runs Saved pegged Robert as six runs better than average, while Statcast rated him 11 runs above par.

In what was a disastrous season for the Sox overall, Robert was a rare bright spot. He earned his first All-Star nod and a Silver Slugger at year’s end. He finished 12th in AL MVP balloting, the first time in his career he received down-ballot recognition for that award.

That stellar showing led to a bit of chatter about Robert’s potential availability in trade. White Sox general manager Chris Getz stoked those flames early in the offseason when he said there were no untouchables on a top-heavy roster. While Getz has never entirely walked those comments back, he clarified at the Winter Meetings the Sox would set such a high bar in talks that he had “a tough time seeing him wearing another uniform next year.”

Even as the White Sox entertain trade possibilities on the likes of Jiménez and starter Dylan Cease, there’s reason for Chicago to more or less take Robert off the table. He’s the team’s best player, for one. Yet a trade would have been easier to envision if not for the extension. Robert has four years of MLB service. If Chicago hadn’t signed him to an extension (or kept him in the minors to delay his service clock in 2020), he’d be two years from the open market.

Instead, they have him under control for another four seasons. Robert will make $12.5MM next season and $15MM the year after. Chicago holds affordable $20MM options on his services for the 2026-27 campaigns. His combination of star upside and extended control window makes him one of the most valuable trade assets in the sport. Moving Robert would signify a full teardown. Trading Cease, who is controllable via arbitration for two seasons, is more in line with a shorter-term “retool.”

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Chicago White Sox MLBTR Originals Luis Robert

88 comments

Krall: Reds Likely Done With “Major Moves” For The Offseason

By Nick Deeds | January 2, 2024 at 3:43pm CDT

The Reds have had a fairly busy offseason to this point, headlined by the surprise addition of switch-hitting infielder Jeimer Candelario on a three-year, $45MM deal. Beyond that, the club has addressed its pitching staff by picking up Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez as potential rotation options while shoring up the bullpen with Emilio Pagan. GM Nick Krall suggested to reporters, including C. Trent Rosencrans of The Athletic, today that the club is unlikely to make any more “major moves” this winter, though it’s possible they’ll look to bolster their bench or bullpen depth before Spring Training begins.

It’s not necessarily a surprise that the Reds don’t expect to make any other significant additions in free agency, as the club has made more than $100MM in salary commitments this offseason after much smaller offseasons in recent years. On the other hand, RosterResource projects the club for a payroll of just $101MM next season even after all of that spending. That still leaves a healthy amount of room relative to the club’s all-time high of $126MM back in 2019 (per Cot’s Baseball Contracts), though it does represent a significant step up from the club’s $87MM payroll in 2023 and roughly in he same ballpark as 2022’s $107MM figure.

Somewhat more surprising than the idea the Reds may not look to sign additional free agents of significance is the fact that Krall seemed to indicate the club doesn’t expect to swing a significant trade throughout the remainder of the offseason. The club’s infield depth is the envy of the rest of the league, and Cincinnati appears to have more position players ready for an everyday role in the majors than they can afford such an opportunity to. That’s caused Reds infielders such as Jonathan India to generate plenty of buzz on the offseason rumor mill, with India even landing at #11 on MLBTR’s list of the Top 25 Offseason Trade Candidates.

Of course, an unexpected opportunity cropping up on the trade market or even via free agency is always possible, but it seems as though the club will now shift its focus to fine-tuning the roster with minor moves. Giving the aforementioned deep positional group the club has at its disposal, the bullpen seems like a more likely place for additions at the margins than the bench, though it’s at least conceivable the club could look to add a right-handed hitting outfielder to its bench mix to help balance the trio of Jake Fraley, TJ Friedl, and Will Benson alongside Spencer Steer and Stuart Fairchild.

As for the bullpen, Alexis Diaz looked like a capable late-inning arm last season and a supporting cast of Pagan, Lucas Sims, and Sam Moll should help the Reds field a competitive relief corps next season. With that being said, the club’s bullpen ranked in the bottom half of the league in terms of ERA (16th), FIP (23rd), and xFIP (29th). While the addition of Pagan and a healthier starting rotation could take some of the load off a relief corps that threw 652 1/3 innings last year, it’s easy to see where the group could benefit from further reinforcements. The Reds seem unlikely to play at the top of the relief market with players like Josh Hader, Jordan Hicks, and Robert Stephenson, though lower-level arms with late-inning experience such as Brad Hand or Adam Ottavino could make sense to add a veteran arm to the late-inning mix.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Cincinnati Reds

144 comments

Cubs To Sign Colten Brewer

By Nick Deeds | January 2, 2024 at 2:54pm CDT

The Cubs are apparently in agreement with Colten Brewer on a contract for 2024, per a post from Brewer’s own Instagram page. It’s not yet clear if the arrangement is a major or minor league pact.

Brewer, 31, was a fourth-round pick by the Pirates in the 2011 draft. After several years in the Pirates and Yankees farm systems, Brewer made his big league debut with the Padres in 2018 though the right-hander struggled to a 5.59 ERA across 11 appearance that first season. From there the right-hander joined the Red Sox, the club with whom he spent most of his time in the majors. In parts of three seasons with Boston, Brewer posted a 4.98 ERA and 5.20 FIP across 81 1/3 innings of work. While he struck out a respectable 20.3% of batters faced during that time while generating a solid 50.4% groundball rate, Brewer walked a whopping 13.3% of batters faced during his time with the Red Sox.

Those control issues led the club to designate Brewer for assignment back in June 2021. He was eventually outrighted to Triple-A and spent the remainder of the season in the minor leagues before signing a minor league deal with the Royals the following offseason but was confined to the minor leagues for the entire 2022 season. During his 18-month stint at the Triple-A level, Brewer put up a relatively pedestrian 4.53 ERA over 57 2/3 innings of work as his walk rate remained over 10%.

That didn’t stop Brewer from landing with the Rays on a minor league deal during the 2022-23 offseason, though he ultimately wouldn’t make it to Opening Day as a member of the organization. The Rays instead got together with the Yankees on a minor trade before the start of the season that shipped Brewer to the Bronx, where he joined the club’s 40-man roster. He put up decent enough results in 8 1/3 innings of work for the big league club with a 4.32 ERA, but was nonetheless designated for assignment in mid-April.

Brewer accepted an outright assignment with the Yankees and pitched exceptionally well in 20 innings with the club’s Triple-A affiliate, posting a 1.35 ERA with a whopping 29.9% strikeout rate. That brief flash of dominance earned Brewer attention from Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hanshin Tigers, and he signed with the club for the remainder of the 2023 season. Though he managed just 12 1/3 innings down the stretch in Japan, the strong numbers continued. Brewer allowed an ERA of just 2.19 across 14 appearances overseas, striking out 30.2% of batters faced while walking 11.3%.

Brewer’s stretch of dominance in the upper minors and abroad last season has seemingly caught the attention of the Cubs. Chicago is among a handful of clubs known to be looking for relief help this winter along with the Cardinals, Rangers, and Astros. Brewer could conceivably bolster the depth of a club that saw the likes of Michael Fulmer and Brad Boxberger depart for free agency. With that being said, the addition of Brewer seems unlikely to take the Cubs out of the relief market given their reported interest in some higher-level arms like former Rays righty Robert Stephenson and veteran closer Liam Hendriks. For now, Brewer figures to enter Spring Training with a shot at a role in the club’s bullpen competing alongside the likes of Daniel Palencia and Jose Cuas.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Chicago Cubs Transactions Colten Brewer

70 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Tigers To Place Reese Olson On 60-Day IL With Shoulder Strain

    Tigers To Acquire Chris Paddack From Twins

    Cubs, Jed Hoyer Agree To Multi-Year Extension

    4 More Days To Lock In Savings On Trade Rumors Front Office

    Royals Sign Seth Lugo To Extension

    Emmanuel Clase Placed On Administrative Leave Amid MLB’s Sports-Betting Investigation

    Braves Acquire Erick Fedde, Place Grant Holmes On 60-Day IL

    Yankees Place Aaron Judge On Injured List With Flexor Strain

    Top 50 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Yankees Acquire Amed Rosario

    Royals Acquire Randal Grichuk

    Aaron Judge Undergoing Testing For “Elbow Issue”

    Yankees Acquire Ryan McMahon

    Mets Acquire Gregory Soto

    Padres Interested In Luis Robert Jr., Ramón Laureano

    Mariners Acquire Josh Naylor

    Latest On Eugenio Suárez’s Market

    Pirates Listening On Oneil Cruz; Deal Seen As Unlikely

    Diamondbacks Reportedly Planning To Be Deadline Sellers

    Jesse Chavez Announces Retirement

    Recent

    Tigers To Place Reese Olson On 60-Day IL With Shoulder Strain

    Tigers To Acquire Chris Paddack From Twins

    Cubs, Jed Hoyer Agree To Multi-Year Extension

    4 More Days To Lock In Savings On Trade Rumors Front Office

    Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat, Today 3pm CT

    Royals Sign Seth Lugo To Extension

    Rays Outright Coco Montes, Release Jacob Waguespack

    Blue Jays Looking For Bullpen Upgrades

    Orioles Designate Jacob Stallings For Assignment

    Astros To Designate Jon Singleton For Assignment

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Eugenio Suarez Rumors
    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Ryan O’Hearn Rumors
    • Mitch Keller Rumors
    • David Bednar Rumors
    • Marcell Ozuna Rumors
    • Merrill Kelly Rumors
    • Zac Gallen Rumors
    • Seth Lugo Rumors
    • Ryan Helsley Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    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

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version