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

By Mark Polishuk | February 25, 2024 at 10:14pm CDT

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.
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Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Notes Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Alex Kirilloff Carlos Santana Cody Bellinger Evan Carter Francisco Mejia Kyle Harrison

Cubs To Sign Garrett Cooper To Minors Deal
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The Opener: Boras Four, Cubs, Hernandez
View Comments (51)
Post a Comment

51 Comments

  1. Salzilla

    2 years ago

    Note to spring training players: Getting hit by a whole Kyle Harrison sounds painful. Avoid that!

    20
    Reply
    • MWeller77

      2 years ago

      6’2″, 200 lbs. Can’t be a pleasant experience.

      4
      Reply
    • richardc

      2 years ago

      This was precisely what I came to the comments section for, thank you for not disappointing!! lol

      3
      Reply
    • rememberthecoop

      2 years ago

      when I worked for Bleacher Report and ran the Cubs & Bears community, we didn’t have paid editors yet (eventually we got them). So I had our best writers editing each other’s work. Maybe that’s something this site could try.

      2
      Reply
  2. mlbnyyfan

    2 years ago

    The Yankees should have been signing Bellinger and unloaded Stanton in the process. Yankees refuse to unload Stanton by any means necessary.

    3
    Reply
    • User 3617846742

      2 years ago

      The Yankees would love to unload Stanton, but his contract is the major stumbling block. Besides, Hal has only once unloaded a player and ate a contract since he’s taken control of the Yankees.

      6
      Reply
      • Joe says...

        2 years ago

        Hal has actually done it a few times. ARod, Hicks, Donaldson, Ellsbury. They weren’t owed as much as Stanton though.

        6
        Reply
        • 178iq

          2 years ago

          The list is far longer than that….

          1
          Reply
      • 178iq

        2 years ago

        Justice?

        1
        Reply
        • Chris from NJ

          2 years ago

          The Yankees traded him to the Mets for Robin Ventura and then the Mets turned around and traded Justice to Oakland for Mark Guthrie.

          Reply
        • 178iq

          2 years ago

          Yea, all the while paying a chunk of his salary to play for other teams.

          1
          Reply
    • KnicksFanCavsFan

      2 years ago

      Use common sense. You don’t think they’d have traded GC if they could’ve?

      3
      Reply
    • D-Nice

      2 years ago

      His contract is “unloadable”. They’d have to pay the vast majority of it just to get a half *** prospect. They’d probably get a good prospect if he’d stay off the IL and produced, but would still have to send a bunch of cash with him. Nobody’s taking that contract. Especially this off-season, with the built in excuse of the TV contract uncertainty.

      3
      Reply
    • StudWinfield

      2 years ago

      I would have signed Bellinger and moved Verdugo. There’s little need to dump Stanton yet, nor much opportunity considering the $ that would need to be eaten. As it is now, with Soto and Verdugo onboard you can bat Stanton as far down as 7th behind Rizzo and DJL.

      1
      Reply
    • Rob Schumann

      2 years ago

      Yeah unloading an anchor of a contract with a player that chose the team he was traded to plus has a full no trade deal is so easy to do. Every contending team is searching for a mid 30s oft injured former superstar to spend $25m a year on. Even with the Marlins kicking in $10m per next year he will still be overpaid. Teams still remember when he was on the block with the Marlins and nixed deals to San Fran and St Louis after the work was done. Stanton isn’t going anywhere unless the Yankees cut him.

      2
      Reply
  3. Rsox

    2 years ago

    Who are they unloading him to? Stanton has a full no-trade clause and no one is taking the remainder of that contract with out a large chunk of cash or serious prospect capital coming with him

    17
    Reply
    • Lars MacDonald

      2 years ago

      Thank you Rsox for using facts.

      Reply
    • 178iq

      2 years ago

      It would have to be a David justice deal. The Yankees were literally paying DJ to play against them. That’s how they felt about DJ. lol name the movie.

      1
      Reply
      • Rsox

        2 years ago

        Moneyball

        1
        Reply
    • 178iq

      2 years ago

      And he doesn’t hit his weight. Another Yankee hitting below the Mendoza line. Trade? Hahahah to who? For whom? hilarious.

      2
      Reply
    • Salzilla

      2 years ago

      I’ve said this before but next offseason a Rendon for Stanton trade would make some sense for both teams. I think GC could be convinced of it too to go to a LA team.

      1
      Reply
      • acoss13

        2 years ago

        Salzilla,

        Probably what would not make that trade happen is that Rendon is horrible with the media. His attitude towards criticism from the Anaheim press is tolerable from that fanbase, but that’s not going to fly with the New York media. Stanton’s been very tolerant towards the New York media, Rendon’s going to quickly become a distraction for the team. Just my two cents!

        Reply
        • Salzilla

          2 years ago

          Folks can change tbh especially if they’re career starts going right. At the very least he plays a position of need!

          1
          Reply
        • ChuckyNJ

          2 years ago

          The same NYC media that’s been baying for the Yankees and Mets to “Sign Montgomery! Sign Snell!” All that will do is cripple the farm system of the ballclub unlucky enough to cave to Boras.

          Reply
    • Rob Schumann

      2 years ago

      Well, starting next year the Marlins kick in $10m a year so he becomes a lot more affordable. You are correct they are not getting around that no trade though. I guess they have forgotten that he forced the Marlins to trade him to the Yankees nixing a much better trade with the Giants. So many pundits gave Jeter and the Marlins so much grief for that trade when they had their hands tied. Wonder why they quit saying Jeter gave him to the Yankees. I knew that trade wouldn’t work out just like the Judge contract is not going to work out. You can’t expect baseball players built like linebackers (6’7″ 275lbs) to age well. Once they finally get Stanton off the roster it will be Judge’s turn to massively decline with nonstop injuries. No idea why they didn’t give Judge a huge contract for 4 years. Even if it was an overpay anything would have been better than 10 years. ‍♂️

      Reply
  4. Dmac13

    2 years ago

    Let’s see how Stanton does this year. I think he will have a ok year. Ba .241 36hr 97 rbi… batting 6th or 7th then again I thought hicks and Donaldson would rebound as well.

    7
    Reply
    • 178iq

      2 years ago

      Donaldson would have if the MLB didnt let Jackie get in his head. All that nonsense can take your head out of the game. Not one player liked Jackie, and they all called him Jackie. The Latin players were the best, you could hear them calling him Yahckie from the stands. Was hilarious.

      3
      Reply
      • CleaverGreene

        2 years ago

        Are you for real, mate?

        1
        Reply
      • johnrealtime

        2 years ago

        Dumbest thing I’ve read all week

        2
        Reply
        • 178iq

          2 years ago

          But you read it. lol

          1
          Reply
      • CityofChampions

        2 years ago

        Donaldson was old and finished. Period

        Reply
        • 178iq

          2 years ago

          Being pegged as a racist in mlb where the vast majority of players are not white was a kiss of death. It messed with his head. They going to your nominal job ever day with something like that hanging over your head in your workplace- see how you perform. Like garbage I’m sure.

          2
          Reply
        • DarkSide830

          2 years ago

          He’s just old and not good anymore. That tends to be a big reason why many sports players end their careers.

          Reply
  5. briar-patch thatcher

    2 years ago

    Just remind him he’ll be playing in St. Petersburg, not Tampa.

    1
    Reply
  6. 178iq

    2 years ago

    Belly, like many DID NOT WANT TO PLAY FOR THE NYY, no matter the contract. Much like Snell who as you can see is trying to land elsewhere. Even Monty is not even in talks with NYY. The cubs are in a tuff spot. There are many teams better than them. They lucked out last year but even the reds might be far better than the cubs this year. Belly signed with the cubs for less years and less money then the NYY offered him months ago, it’s no secret Boras hates NYY and probably influenced Belly to take the 3 years over the 5 or 5 the NYY offered. They NYY are secretly trying desperately to keep AJ out of center but no one is answering the call, especially Boras.

    1
    Reply
    • CleaverGreene

      2 years ago

      Boras hates the NYY is no secret? If the Yanks wanted to keep AJ out of CF completely they could have signed a cheap CF until Dominguez gets back.

      Reply
      • 178iq

        2 years ago

        They did. Grishom. As a last resort

        1
        Reply
      • Dmac13

        2 years ago

        grishom is on the yankees… they want to play him in CF at least for this season long term he will be back in RF if Soto leaves

        Reply
    • Salzilla

      2 years ago

      Stop making up your own Yankees hating narrative. There’s zero indication that Belly received any offer from NY.

      And it’s OK if Boras hates NY, we hate him, too, but I’m sure he’ll always engage with the team because there’s money here and he’s not that stupid. Snell has indicated he DOES want to play here btw, not the opposite, and most likely Belly lands here next season to replace Rizzo or go to Center.

      1
      Reply
      • 178iq

        2 years ago

        They made an offer months ago when they were trading for Soto. It’s a fact.

        1
        Reply
        • Salzilla

          2 years ago

          Please enlighten me where EVER was it said there was anything beyond interest? When Snell was offered a contract it was news, but that wasn’t the case with Bellinger.

          Reply
    • Not a casual MLB fan

      2 years ago

      You can’t assume that the Reds might be “far better” than the Cubs this year. Also, don’t forget that the NL Central should be a highly competitive division in 2024. The Reds could become surprised rather quickly that the teams they’re competing with for the top spot in the division might also be good to very good.

      Time will tell, and it will be very interesting to watch how the season progresses regarding the NL Central specifically.

      Reply
  7. JPR

    2 years ago

    Can’t be much of a secret if you know so much detail.

    Reply
    • 178iq

      2 years ago

      Writers don’t dare… they kiss NYY a$$. There’s so much not written.

      1
      Reply
  8. Melchez17

    2 years ago

    Bellinger 3 year deal. $30 mil a year.
    Judge 9 year deal $40 mil a year.

    Bellinger is 28… Judge is 31. Both have a durability issue.

    Reply
    • 178iq

      2 years ago

      Actually I think it’s 25×2. Then 30.

      1
      Reply
      • 178iq

        2 years ago

        Check that- 30 30 20

        Reply
  9. Cleon Jones

    2 years ago

    What to say abt Yanks, other than the old adage:
    “If it looks like crap and smells like an outhose in the hot August sun, it must be 161st St in the Bronx.”

    4
    Reply
    • 178iq

      2 years ago

      Lmfao

      1
      Reply
  10. Pads Fans

    2 years ago

    Mejia already booted to the curb for his lack of catching ability, bad attitude, and refusal to take instruction I see.

    1
    Reply
  11. HEHEHATE

    2 years ago

    Man I love carter, but I don’t want him to be the next banged up button. Take what you can get from taveras instead in center, he’s got the speed to field the position and protect your long term asset in lf instead.

    Reply

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