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Latest On Giants’ Offseason Targets

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The Giants’ offseason hasn’t necessarily been inactive, but it also hardly hasn’t played out as many fans would’ve expected when president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi kicked off the winter by stating a need to think differently, specifically with regard to the team’s roster construction.

The Giants made one big splash with their December signing of star KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee on a six-year deal, but the rest of their additions have been smaller scale in nature. Jordan Hicks, the hardest-throwing reliever on the market, was signed to a four-year deal. The Giants, despite having just one dependable source of innings (ace Logan Webb), plan to stretch the oft-injured Hicks out as a starter. Last year’s 65 2/3 innings were his most since a career-high 77 2/3 frames as a rookie in 2018. San Francisco also added backup catcher Tom Murphy on a two-year deal and acquired former AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray (who’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery) in a trade with the Mariners that dumped the contracts of Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani.

That’s a fair bit of activity, but the Giants are still teeming with questions about the composition of both the lineup and the rotation. It doesn’t appear they consider their offense to be a finished product, however. San Francisco made a “late run” at Rhys Hoskins before he signed with the Brewers, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle hears the same but cautions that their offer “wasn’t close” to the two-year, $34MM deal Hoskins inked in Milwaukee. That pact also contains an opt-out provision following the 2024 season.

While the Giants have given opt-out clauses perhaps more regularly than any other team in MLB in recent years — e.g. Haniger, Carlos Rodon, Michael Conforto, Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling — Slusser reports that the team is trying to move away from that contract mold. (Lee’s deal also contains an opt-out, though that comes after four years as opposed to the short-term nature of the others just listed.) Whether it was the lack of an opt-out or reluctance to match the years/dollars on the deal, Hoskins preferred the Brewers’ offer and will spend at least the 2024 season in Milwaukee.

The Giants may have missed on Hoskins — an all too familiar refrain for their fans — but mere interest in the longtime Phillies slugger shows that the Giants remain interested in the possibility of adding a bat to the lineup at either first base or designated hitter. The market still offers quite a few options at both positions. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco ran through some of the top unsigned first basemen earlier today (including old friend Brandon Belt), while DH types still on the market include Justin Turner, J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler. Last year’s primary designated hitter, Joc Pederson, agreed to a one-year deal with the division-rival Diamondbacks just yesterday.

That said, Slusser also writes that third baseman Matt Chapman remains the Giants’ “top position-player target.” The 30-year-old, two-time Platinum Glove winner has ties to multiple Giants higher-ups; he was drafted by the Athletics when Zaidi was still an assistant GM in Oakland, and new Giants skipper Bob Melvin is obviously quite familiar with Chapman after managing him for the first five seasons of the third baseman’s career with the A’s. Zaidi has been focused on upgrading the team’s defense in addition to deepening his lineup, and Chapman could potentially check both boxes — particularly if he’s able to bounce back from the finger injury he sustained in the weight room in early August, which surely contributed to a disastrous finish at the plate (.183/.259/.318 over his final 139 plate appearances).

There’s still a fair bit of offseason left, but San Francisco’s options — particularly on the free agent market — have dwindled while quite a few needs remain unaddressed. The club hasn’t meaningfully upgraded its power production or added any stable innings behind Webb. The rotation behind the Cy Young runner-up is currently a hodgepodge of swingman Ross Stripling, top prospect Kyle Harrison, 26-year-old Keaton Winn (42 1/3 career innings) and the aforementioned Hicks, who’s made all of eight starts in his MLB career. Alex Cobb should be back in the first half, and Ray could return after the All-Star break, but the Giants have spent more than $165MM in free agency so far and the roster doesn’t look definitively better than it did in 2023 when they lost 83 games.

Padres Sign Matt Festa To Minor League Deal

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The Padres announced their list of non-roster Spring Training invitees this evening. Among the acquisitions not previously covered at MLBTR: reliever Matt Festa and utility player Tyler Wade. San Diego also brought back catcher Chandler Seagle on a new minor league pact after he’d elected free agency.

According to Wade’s transaction log at MLB.com, he inked his deal back in November. The transaction eluded MLBTR at the time. The Marietta native sticks in California after spending the prior two seasons with the Angels and A’s. Wade tallied a career-high 163 plate appearances with the Halos two years ago but only got into 26 contests for Oakland.

Previously a utility player with the Yankees, Wade has appeared in seven MLB seasons. The speedy left-handed hitter owns a .217/.293/.300 batting line in just over 700 plate appearances. He’s coming off a solid .291/.384/.409 showing through 91 games with Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate. Wade stole 42 bases in 51 attempts in the minors a year ago. He’s a versatile depth option who can cover either middle infield position or play anywhere in the outfield.

Festa signed with San Diego today, according to the transaction tracker. The 30-year-old righty (31 next month) had lingered in free agency since he was released by the Mariners last August. Festa was on the minor league injured list with an undisclosed malady at the time, explaining why he didn’t catch on with another team for the stretch run.

Injuries have been an issue for Festa, who lost a good portion of the 2020-21 seasons to Tommy John surgery. The former seventh-round draftee returned to the mound in Triple-A at the tail end of the ’21 campaign. He made Seattle’s roster the following year and logged a personal-high 54 innings. Festa worked to a 4.17 ERA behind a very strong 29.2% strikeout percentage, although he allowed an alarming 1.67 homers per nine innings.

Seattle only gave Festa eight MLB appearances last season. Before going on the IL, he’d pitched 28 times for the M’s top affiliate in Tacoma. His ERA there could hardly have been better. He allowed only two earned runs in 34 frames (0.53 per nine) for the Rainiers. Despite the nearly immaculate run prevention, his strikeout and walk profile was middling. Festa only fanned 21.9% of opponents while issuing free passes at an alarming 12.5% clip. An unsustainably low .114 batting average on balls in play against him was a big reason for the ERA being as impressive as it was.

Seagle, a 27-year-old depth catcher, has spent his entire career in the San Diego system. A 30th round pick in 2017, he’s a .204/.277/.287 hitter in more than 1000 minor league plate appearances. While he clearly isn’t going to provide much at the plate, the Padres seem happy enough with his defensive ability to keep him in the minors. San Diego called Seagle up for the final weekend of 2023 after losing Luis Campusano to injury. He got into a game and received one at-bat. The Padres placed him on waivers at the start of the offseason but brought him back last week in a non-roster capacity.

Dodgers Sign T.J. McFarland, Kevin Padlo To Minor League Contracts

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The Dodgers announced 20 non-roster invitations to big league Spring Training. While the majority of those players were either already in the L.A. organization or had been previously reported as minor league signees, a few of the invitees are new acquisitions. Reliever T.J. McFarland and infielder Kevin Padlo will be in camp, as will right-handers Kevin Gowdy and Michael Petersen.

McFarland, 34, has the most extended MLB track record. He has pitched in 353 big league contests going back to 2013. The soft-tossing lefty reached the majors for the 11th straight year last summer with a brief stint for the Mets. He was on New York’s roster for around two weeks in the middle of the summer. He pitched three times, logging 1 2/3 innings of two-run ball.

The veteran spent the rest of the year at the Triple-A level. McFarland had a very productive season between the top affiliates of the Mets and Orioles. He combined to log a 2.30 ERA across 62 2/3 innings. He fanned a quarter of batters faced and induced ground-balls on over 60% of batted balls at both stops. McFarland’s cumulative 10.5% walk percentage was a bit high, but the rest of his Triple-A numbers were quite strong.

He hasn’t had the same success against MLB hitters lately. While he managed a 2.56 ERA in 38 appearances for the Cardinals in 2021, he carries a 4.57 mark over the last five seasons. McFarland has posted a grounder rate nearing 60% over that stretch but has struck out fewer than 13% of his opponents.

Padlo, 27, is a right-handed hitting corner infielder. The former fifth-round draftee has seen scattered playing time at the MLB level, logging 26 games over the past three seasons. He has rather remarkably spread those appearances over five different times. Padlo has played for the Rays, Mariners, Giants, Pirates and Angels but didn’t get to 10 games with any of those clubs. He’ll look to don a sixth MLB uniform with the Dodgers.

Teams have been intrigued enough by Padlo’s solid Triple-A résumé to give him brief looks at the back of the roster. He hit .261/.384/.450 with 13 homers across 406 plate appearances for the Halos top farm team a year ago. That brings him to a .251/.348/.461 slash over parts of four Triple-A campaigns. Padlo has drawn walks at a lofty 12.3% clip in that time, although he’s also gone down on strikes at a 26.6% rate.

Neither Gowdy nor Petersen have big league experience. Gowdy, 26, is a former second-round pick of the Phillies. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers last winter and spent the year in relief at Double-A Tulsa. He worked to a 4.93 ERA over 38 1/3 innings, striking out 24.4% of opponents with an 11.9% walk rate. The Dodgers were intrigued enough with his arsenal to bring him back on a new minor league deal.

Petersen, who turns 30 in May, spent last year in the Colorado organization. The 6’7″ hurler split the year between the Rox’s top two affiliates. Working exclusively in relief, he pitched to a 3.46 ERA over 41 2/3 frames. Petersen struck out 26.3% of opponents but ran a concerning 13.4% walk rate. Petersen, who was born in the UK and suited up for the Great Britain national team, flashed a triple-digit fastball in last spring’s World Baseball Classic.

The Top Unsigned Designated Hitters

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Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in about three weeks but a slow offseason means there are still plenty of free agents out there. MLBTR already took a look at the catchers, shortstops, center fielders, first basemen and second basemen still available. We’ll take a look at the top DH options on the market next. Obviously, this is a subjective category. Any player can technically serve as a designated hitter, after all. There are a handful of older and/or defensively limited sluggers who aren’t likely to sign anywhere that doesn’t have substantial DH at-bats available. That’ll be the focus here.

  • Jorge Soler: After opting out of the final year and $13MM on his contract with the Marlins, Soler should be in position for a multi-year deal. The 32-year-old belted 36 home runs with the Fish in 2023 despite the pitcher-friendly nature of their home park, reducing his strikeout rate to 24.3% — the second-lowest of his career. His 11.4% walk rate was the second-best in his career. Soler remained one of the best in the game in terms of strong contact, delivering an excellent 91.3 mph average exit velocity and 48% hard-hit rate. Unlike the others on this list, Soler is both in his early 30s and has a demonstrated history of hitting for top-of-the-scale power in the big leagues. Everyone’s power production was up during the juiced-ball 2019 season, but Soler still paced the American League with 48 homers and finished third in all of baseball that season. The Blue Jays have been most heavily connected to Soler recently. Other suitors like the D-backs (Joc Pederson) and Mariners (Mitch Garver) have signed other DH candidates. Beyond Toronto, the Mets, Giants and Angels have all been more loosely linked to Soler.
  • J.D. Martinez: Martinez had a “down” season by his standards in 2022 when he “only” hit .274/.341/.448 with 16 homers in his final season with the Red Sox. He more than doubled that home run total with the Dodgers in 2023, smashing 33 homers despite tallying just 479 plate appearances. It’s possible that Martinez has begun selling out for power even more than he may already have been at times in the past. Last year’s 31.1% strikeout rate was easily the worst of his career, and his 7.1% walk rate was his lowest since 2014. Even if that’s the case, there’s no getting around the fact that JDM was a legitimate middle-of-the-order presence. He hit .271/.321/.572 overall and posted elite numbers in average exit velocity (93.4 mph) and hard-hit rate (53.4%). He’s entering his age-36 season, but Martinez can still mash.
  • Justin Turner: Turner turned 39 in December but you’d never know it looking at last year’s .276/.345/.455 batting line with the Red Sox. Turner connected on 23 home runs, walked at a respectable 8.1% clip and struck out in 17.6% of his plate appearances — about five percentage points below the league average. Turner embodies the “professional hitter” archetype and can still take the field at any of third base, first base or perhaps even second base in a pinch. Turner hasn’t had a below-average season at the plate since establishing himself as a regular with the Dodgers back in 2014, and there’s little reason to think that’s about to change.
  • Brandon Belt: He’ll turn 36 in April and has battled knee troubles in recent seasons, but Belt can still flat-out mash right-handed pitching. Like Turner, he can still play defense on a part-time basis — Belt logged 29 games at first base last season — but 70% of his games came as the Blue Jays’ designated hitter. Toronto only gave Belt 39 plate appearances against lefties, and he’ll be similarly limited wherever he signs next. But Belt hit .256/.375/.516 against righties as a member of the Jays, and he’s only gotten better in platoon situations as his career has progressed. Since making his MLB debut, he’s a .267/.364/.480 hitter against righties, but those numbers jump to .269/.376/.541 dating back to 2020 (150 wRC+).
  • Mike Ford: The 31-year-old Ford doesn’t have anywhere near the track record of Soler, Martinez or Turner, but he posted eye-popping numbers in a half season with the Mariners last season. The former Yankees farmhand hit 16 homers in just 251 plate appearances. His .228 average was something of an eyesore, but Ford walked at a 9.6% clip and managed to post a .323 OBP while slugging .475. Despite the power production, Ford was non-tendered by the Mariners, who were looking to reduce their strikeout rate and may have worried that Ford’s 32.3% mark in that regard made him a long shot to replicate his success. That he was non-tendered also suggests that the M’s couldn’t find a trade partner for him, even with a modest $1.5MM projected salary. Ford could wind up signing a minor league pact or a very low-cost big league deal. He’s an affordable three-true-outcomes slugger who can be controlled through the 2026 season via arbitration by any team that signs him.

Honorable Mentions: Austin Meadows, C.J. Cron, Daniel Vogelbach

Cubs, Carl Edwards Jr. Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs are bringing back free agent reliever Carl Edwards Jr. on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (X link). He’ll be in MLB camp as a non-roster invitee.

Edwards returns to the organization with which he made his MLB debut in 2015. The former Rangers draftee was dealt to Chicago as a prospect in the 2013 deadline swap sending Matt Garza to Arlington. Edwards moved to the bullpen by the time he got to the big leagues.

The lanky right-hander opened his MLB career with a few solid seasons on the North Side. While he only made five appearances in 2015, he pitched to a 3.75 ERA over 36 outings the following year. Edwards collected a World Series ring as part of the curse-breaking championship club. He continued pitching well over the next couple seasons, posting a sub-3.00 ERA in consecutive years from 2017-18.

Edwards struggled early in the 2019 campaign. That kicked off a nomadic stretch of his career. Chicago dealt him to the Padres at the deadline. He landed with the Mariners briefly in 2020 and made cameos with the Braves and Blue Jays the next season. A minor league deal with the Nationals during the lockout set the stage for Edwards’ best work in a few years.

He made the MLB roster by the middle of May. He pitched well enough to hold that spot all season, eventually logging 62 innings with a 2.76 ERA. The Nats tendered him a $2.25MM contract for his last year of arbitration. He was reasonably effective when healthy but limited to 32 appearances. Edwards had worked to a 3.67 ERA across 31 2/3 frames despite a subpar 16.9% strikeout rate and an alarming 12% walk percentage. Those peripherals likely would’ve muted trade interest at the deadline regardless, but a late June diagnosis of shoulder inflammation took a trade firmly off the table.

Edwards would spend the rest of the season on the injured list. He attempted to rehab in August but was diagnosed with a stress fracture after feeling continued shoulder soreness. He surpassed six years of MLB service and hit free agency at season’s end.

With the injury cutting short his ’23 campaign, he’ll now have to work his way back to an MLB roster. His fastball velocity was down slightly last season. The heater sat at 93.5 MPH on average, a little below his typical 94-95 MPH range. It’s possible he regains an extra tick or two if he’s able to put the shoulder pain behind him.

The Cubs had a league average relief group in 2023. Adbert Alzolay, Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr. are locked into season-opening roles, while lefty Drew Smyly seems ticketed for long relief after struggling as a starter last year.

Chicago recently acquired the out-of-options Yency Almonte from the Dodgers, suggesting he’ll secure an Opening Day spot. Pending further acquisitions, that leaves two or three jobs up for grabs among the likes of José Cuas, Daniel Palencia, Keegan Thompson and swing types like Hayden Wesneski and Javier Assad. Edwards joins Colten Brewer as non-roster veterans in camp.

Rangers Designate Daniel Duarte For Assignment

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The Rangers announced they’ve designated righty Daniel Duarte for assignment. That move and this morning’s trade of J.P Martínez to the Braves clear the necessary 40-man roster spots for reliever David Robertson and outfielder Travis Jankowski, each of whom have officially signed one-year deals.

Texas acquired Duarte last week, sending cash to the Reds after Cincinnati had DFA him. His stay on the Rangers’ 40-man only lasted 10 days. Signing Robertson strengthened the relief corps, nudging Duarte off the roster bubble. As was the case when he was designated by the Reds, he’ll be traded or placed on waivers within a week.

Duarte, a 27-year-old righty, has pitched for Cincinnati in each of the past two seasons. He only made three appearances during his debut campaign but got into 31 contests last year. The 6’0″ hurler turned in a solid 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings, but mediocre strikeout and walk numbers explain why he has found himself in DFA limbo twice. Duarte issued a free pass to nearly 15% of opposing batters while striking hitters out at a below-average 16.9% rate.

While he didn’t miss many bats, Duarte kept the ball on the ground on half the batted balls he allowed. He averaged a little above 94 MPH on his sinker and nearly 96 MPH when throwing a four-seam fastball. The grounder rate and decent velocity could again lead to a minor trade or waiver claim. Duarte has one option year remaining, so any team that acquires him would be able to keep him in Triple-A for another season.

The Top Unsigned Second Basemen

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Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in about three weeks but a slow offseason means there are still plenty of free agents out there. MLBTR already took a look at the catchers, first basemen, shortstops, third basemen, center fielders and starting pitchers still available and will now take a look at some notable second basemen.

  • Whit Merrifield: A late bloomer who also signed an extension with the Royals, Merrifield is now a free agent for the first time at the age of 35. He’s never been a huge power guy, nor does he take many walks, but he’s tough to strike out and has had some success with the contact approach. He’s also provided defensive versatility by playing the keystone and the outfield, along with some brief time at the infield corners. In each of the past three years, he’s hit either 10 or 11 home runs while walking less than 7% of the time, but his strikeout rate has never climbed above 17.1%. He’s stolen 82 bases over those three seasons while getting solid defensive grades at second and passable marks in the outfield corners. His .284/.330/.420 career batting line translated to a 101 wRC+.
  • Tim Anderson: From 2019 to 2022, Anderson hit .318/.347/.473 for the White Sox for a wRC+ of 123. But his batting line dropped all the way to .245/.286/.296 last year. That translated to a wRC+ of 60, the worst mark of any qualified hitter in the league. His glovework also seemed to decline, relative to his previous work. He’s a prime bounceback candidate, with an April knee injury perhaps helping to explain his poor results last year. The lack of available shortstops could lead to him getting a job at that position but he has expressed a willingness to move over to second going forward.
  • Amed Rosario: Mostly a shortstop in his career, Rosario got his first taste of second base in the latter stages of the 2023 campaign. His glovework received solid marks at the keystone, albeit in a small sample of 190 innings. But since he was never considered a strong defensive shortstop, he’s probably best suited to move across the bag regardless. Like Anderson, the weak shortstop market might get him a gig at that spot but he could be a solid option on the other side if that’s his best bet. He’s also a bounceback candidate, having hit .263/.305/.378 for a wRC+ of 88 last year but .282/.315/.412 for a 101 wRC+ in the four previous seasons.
  • Donovan Solano: Somewhat quietly, Solano has been an excellent utility piece over the past five years. Since the start of the 2019 season, he has hit .296/.355/.413 for a wRC+ of 112. His on-base percentage hasn’t been below .339 in any of those seasons and his wRC+ never below 100. He’s done that while playing all four infield positions, though he hasn’t played shortstop in the past two years. The majority of his time in the field has come at second base, where he’s received passable reviews for his glovework.
  • Adam Frazier: Somewhat similar to Merrifield, Frazier doesn’t walk much or run up huge power numbers, but he’s tough to strike out and does a few things well. His 13 homers in 2023 were a career high and he has career walk and strikeout rates of 7.4% and 13%, respectively. He’s hit .269/.331/.393 overall for a wRC+ of 98, though his 2023 output was slightly below that, except in the power department. DRS likes his glovework at the keystone but OAA doesn’t, though both like his work as an outfielder. He’s tallied double-digit steal totals in each of the past three seasons.

Honorable mentions: Elvis Andrus, Enrique Hernández, Tony Kemp, Kolten Wong

Rangers Sign Travis Jankowski To One-Year Deal

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The Rangers announced the signing of outfielder Travis Jankowski to a one-year major league deal. He is reportedly guaranteed $1.7MM on a deal that also includes unspecified performance bonuses.

Jankowski, 32, parlayed a minor league deal with the Rangers last offseason into a role of significance on their World Series-winning roster. The veteran speedster appeared in 107 games for Texas and hit .263/.357/.332 with a 12.2% walk rate and just a 14.6% strikeout rate. Jankowski connected on only one homer but went 19-for-20 in stolen bases and provided the Rangers with above-average defense in all three outfield positions, becoming a key backup on a deep Texas roster.

That marked the first time since 2018 that Jankowski had reached 100 games played or 200 plate appearances in a season. While he’s appeared in the majors every year dating back to 2015, he’s been an oft-optioned and twice-DFA’ed player who hasn’t always held a firm grip on a roster spot. Last year’s impressive blend of speed, plate discipline, contact and defense clearly made a favorable impression on the Rangers, however, and it seems he’ll have an opportunity to reprise that role in 2024.

The Texas outfield won’t have much change in 2024 when compared to the end of the 2023 season. Star right fielder Adolis Garcia will look to build on last year’s 39-homer campaign. Leody Taveras is expected to return as the primary center fielder. Top prospect Evan Carter seized the left field job with a big showing late in the season and, particularly, in the playoffs. If any of that trio struggles or falls to injury, 2023 No. 4 overall pick Wyatt Langford is on the cusp of big league readiness himself. Langford will get a chance to earn an Opening Day roster spot this spring, and if he succeeds in doing so, he could form an outfield/DH rotation with the other three starting outfielders.

Jankowski will once again serve as a backup across all three spots, providing the potential for a late-game defensive replacement or pinch-running appearance on any given day. As a career .254/.343/.333 hitter against righties with just a .186/.256/.237 slash against lefties, any starts for Jankowski will likely be limited to those against right-handed opponent on the mound. The emergence of Carter and perhaps Langford could leave him with a more limited role than he saw in ’23, but Jankowski has the makings of a valuable bench piece who could step into a more prominent role for a short term, should injuries necessitate (as was the case with Garcia during the World Series).

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News first reported the Rangers and Jankowski were discussing a reunion. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported the $1.7MM guarantee and the inclusion of performance bonuses.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rangers Sign David Robertson

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The Rangers announced the signing of reliever David Robertson to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2025. The right-hander, who is self-represented, is reportedly guaranteed $11.5MM. He’ll make just $5MM in 2024 and is guaranteed the $1.5MM buyout on the option, which is valued at $7MM. The final $5MM is deferred, with $1MM paid annually between 2027-31.

Robertson split the 2023 campaign between a pair of NL East clubs. He signed a one-year, $10MM pact with the Mets. Initially tabbed as a setup man, he was pushed into the ninth inning by the Edwin Díaz injury. Robertson’s time in Queens ended up briefer than he or the team envisioned because the club quickly fell out of contention. That wasn’t any fault of his, as Robertson had an excellent 40-game run as a Met.

He tossed 44 innings with a 2.05 ERA, striking out nearly 28% of opposing hitters. For a second straight summer, Robertson was one of the better rental relievers at the deadline. New York flipped him to the Marlins for a pair of low minors prospects (Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez).

While Miami surprisingly stayed in contention and secured a Wild Card berth, Robertson wasn’t immediately effective. He had a tough first month in South Florida, allowing 13 runs (10 earned) with six walks and 10 strikeouts over 10 innings in August. Miami took him out of the closer’s role towards the end of that month. Robertson responded with a much better September, striking out 19 while allowing only two runs over his final 10 1/3 frames.

Despite the blip early in the second half, the former All-Star had another productive year. He finished the season with a 3.03 earned run average through 65 1/3 innings. Robertson fanned an above-average 29% of batters faced against a manageable 9.3% walk rate. He missed bats on a solid 12.6% of his overall offerings.

The Rangers have made no secret of their desire to add to the bullpen. Texas had been among the perceived frontrunners for Héctor Neris, arguably the top unsigned relief pitcher. They were also linked to Ryan Brasier a couple weeks ago. Robertson, who turns 39 in April, is available on a one-year pact. Neris and Brasier each have a shot at two years, with Neris likely to top the overall guarantee that Robertson secured.

Robertson is the second free agent bullpen acquisition of the offseason for GM Chris Young and his front office. The Rangers inked Kirby Yates to a $4.5MM deal during the Winter Meetings. Texas lost a trio of bullpen arms to free agency. Aroldis Chapman, Will Smith and Chris Stratton have all landed elsewhere. That left the relief group as the shakiest part of the defending champions’ roster. Robertson and Yates join Josh Sborz as bridge options to closer José Leclerc. Texas could still stand to add a left-hander after Brock Burke turned in a middling 2023 season.

Roster Resource projected their 2024 payroll around $210MM before the Robertson signing. He’ll push that to roughly $215MM. More importantly, the deal moves them into luxury tax territory. Texas was at roughly $231MM in CBT obligations before this signing. While the deferrals marginally reduce the contract’s net present value, the contract’s tax hit for next season is much closer to the $11.5MM overall guarantee than it is to next year’s $5MM salary.

Their CBT number jumps past the $240MM mark, pushing above the $237MM base threshold. Texas surpassed the CBT threshold last season, so they’ll pay escalating penalties for a second consecutive year of payments. The Rangers are taxed at a 32% rate on spending between $237MM and $257MM.

The tax for the Robertson signing is fairly modest. It’ll land in the $2MM range. The more significant impact could be on future tax obligations incurred on any further acquisitions. They’ve had a fairly quiet offseason amidst uncertainty about their broadcasting deal with Diamond Sports Group, but they’re bracing for another showdown with the Astros at the top of the AL West.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported the Rangers had interest in Robertson. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Rangers and Robertson had agreed to a one-year deal in the $11-12MM range. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand was first to report the $11.5MM guarantee, the mutual option, and the salary breakdown.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Brewers Sign Rhys Hoskins

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January 26: The Associated Press relays the full contract breakdown. Hoskins will make $12MM this year and will be slated for a salary of $18MM in 2025. If he decides to opt out after 2024, he will get a $4MM buyout. The mutual option for 2026 is valued at $18MM and there’s a $4MM buyout on that as well.

January 23: The Brewers announced they have signed free agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins to a two-year deal with an opt-out after 2024 and a mutual option for 2026. It is reportedly a $34MM guarantee for the client of the Boras Corporation.

Hoskins takes a modified pillow contract after missing the entire 2023 season. At the tail end of Spring Training, he tore the ACL in his left knee while retreating to the outfield grass to field a chopper. While he was able to take batting practice by the end of the season, he never quite made it back to the roster. Philadelphia suggested Hoskins may have been activated from the injured list had they advanced to the World Series.

With the Phils coming up a game short of the Fall Classic, the ACL tear marked an unfortunate end to a productive tenure at Citizens Bank Park. Hoskins seemed a potential candidate for the qualifying offer at the beginning of the offseason. The Phils opted against the QO, declaring they were moving Bryce Harper to first base permanently. That made clear Hoskins was headed elsewhere after nearly a decade in the organization.

The Phillies initially selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. Despite the modest draft stock, he hit the ground running in pro ball. He posted huge minor league numbers, mashing his way to the big leagues in the second half of the 2017 campaign.

That excellent production on the farm presaged strong numbers against MLB pitching. Hoskins raked at a .259/.396/.618 clip with 18 home runs over his first 50 games. While he didn’t maintain that pace over any subsequent season, he has been a consistent middle-of-the-lineup presence in Philadelphia.

Hoskins hit between 27 and 34 home runs in his four full seasons between 2018-22. He was on a similar pace in the shortened season, connecting on 10 longballs in 41 games. He has paired that with a walk rate above 10% in every year of his career. That power and patience gives him a solid offensive floor, even if he hasn’t hit above .250 in any season since his rookie year.

Since 2018, Hoskins has posted a .241/.350/.483 batting line. He strikes out in roughly a quarter of his plate appearances. That’s slightly higher than the league average but hardly outlandish, particularly for a player who hits for the kind of power he does. Hoskins has destroyed left-handed pitching at a .250/.399/.522 clip in his career. His .240/.336/.482 slash versus same-handed arms isn’t quite as impressive but remains solidly above average.

The offense carries the overall profile. Hoskins doesn’t offer much as a baserunner. He has graded as a slightly below-average defender throughout his career. It’s unlikely his defense will improve as he’s into his 30s and working back from a significant knee injury.

That’s fine for the Brewers, who needed an offensive upgrade. Milwaukee ranked 17th in runs last season, a subpar figure for a team that plays its home games at hitter-friendly American Family Field. By measure of wRC+, which adjusts for park, Milwaukee ranked 24th in overall hitting production. That was the worst of any playoff team.

First base was particularly problematic. Milwaukee received a dismal .231/.292/.389 showing from the bat-first position. That led the Brew Crew to non-tender Rowdy Tellez. Milwaukee acquired Carlos Santana at the deadline to stabilize first base for the stretch run. The Brewers have remained in contact with Santana this winter, but they’ll instead jump on the opportunity for a more significant lineup upgrade.

The contract aligns with MLBTR’s prediction of two years and $36MM. A few priority rebound targets have landed a two-year guarantee with an opt-out in recent offseasons. That’s appealing for the player, who locks in more security than they’d have received on a straight one-year pact while still allowing them to get back to free agency after one season.

Hoskins’ deal nearly matches the two-year, $36MM pact which Michael Conforto signed with the Giants last winter after missing the ’22 season rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Players like Josh Bell (two years, $33MM) and Lucas Giolito (two years, $38.5MM) have signed similar pacts after terrible finishes to their respective platform seasons. This contract structure isn’t attainable for every bounceback candidate, but it’s one that higher-ceiling free agents of that ilk are increasingly able to secure.

The specific salary structure hasn’t been reported. If the deal guarantees Hoskins $17MM in each season, it’d push Milwaukee’s payroll projection around $122MM, as calculated by Roster Resource. That’s marginally above last year’s $119MM Opening Day mark. Milwaukee’s payroll slate remains manageable even with Hoskins joining Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames (each of whom will make more than $12MM in their final arbitration seasons) on the books.

If Hoskins picks up where he left off before the injury, he’d likely join Burnes and Adames on next year’s free agent market. As with Burnes and Adames, Hoskins would be a candidate for a qualifying offer if he exercises the opt-out. He remains eligible for the QO since Philadelphia opted against the offer this winter. Milwaukee doesn’t have to forfeit any draft picks to add him.

Pete Alonso, Paul Goldschmidt and Christian Walker could all join Hoskins in an interesting first base class next winter. The remaining options for teams this offseason isn’t as robust. Beyond outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger, the top first basemen still unsigned are Brandon Belt, Santana, Garrett Cooper and Joey Votto.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported that the two parties were closing in on a two-year, $34MM deal with an opt-out next winter (X link). Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that they’d finalized the agreement.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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