AL East Notes: Rosario, Peraza, Chapman, Orioles, Wong

Before Amed Rosario signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Rays, the Yankees offered the infielder a one-year contract with a significantly higher $4MM salary, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports.  While Rosario can earn another $500K in bonus money with Tampa, agent Ulises Cabrera told Sherman that his client was more interested in steady playing time than in extra guaranteed salary, as Rosario would’ve been ticketed as a bench or backup option in the Bronx.  Since Yankee targets Rosario and Enrique Hernandez have now both left the free agent market, Sherman feels the team will keep looking for veteran infield depth, and perhaps might pursue players currently on other rosters who might be cut or squeezed out of jobs late in Spring Training.

Oswald Peraza, of course, is ostensibly already slated to be New York’s backup infielder and backup shortstop in particular.  However, the Yankees might prefer to continue Peraza’s development by giving him everyday work at Triple-A rather than more a sporadic part-time role in the Show.  There is also the question of Peraza’s health, as a right shoulder issue has been bothering the infielder for the last two weeks.  Manager Aaron Boone said the Yankees don’t consider the injury to be overly serious for now, though Peraza is undergoing testing to determine the nature of the problem.

More from around the AL East…

• The Blue Jays offered Matt Chapman a two-year contract before he signed with the Giants, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.  Given how long Chapman lingered on the market, it isn’t surprising that the Jays made a late bid to gauge his interest in a return to Toronto, even if Chapman’s “first choice” as per Heyman was reuniting with his old manager Bob Melvin in San Francisco.  It can probably be assumed that the Blue Jays’ offer contained a player opt-out after the 2024 season, given how Chapman’s eventual three-year deal with the Giants has opt-outs after each of the first two years, plus both sides have a mutual option for the 2027 season.  Re-installing Chapman at third base would’ve solidified the Jays’ infield situation, even if it would’ve made for a crowded mix of players fighting for regular work at second base and in backup roles.  Had Chapman re-signed, Justin Turner would’ve been limited to first base and DH at-bats, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Davis Schneider, and Santiago Espinal all would’ve been vying to be the right-handed hitting side of a second base platoon with Cavan Biggio.
• Virtually all of Kolten Wong’s Major League experience has come as a second baseman, though his appearance at third base in yesterday’s Grapefruit League game marked his first time at the hot corner since college, Wong told MLB.com’s Jake Rill and other reporters.  “That’s just how the trend is going nowadays, is being versatile,” Wong said, and he is more than happy to shift positions if it means winning a job on the Orioles’ roster.  Wong is signed a minor league deal with Baltimore and is looking to rebound after a dismal 2023 season, though he’ll be in for a tough competition on a roster loaded with young infield talent and a couple of more established veterans in Jorge Mateo and Ramon Urias.
• David Rubenstein’s impending purchase of the Orioles took another step towards completion yesterday when the league’s ownership committee approved the sale.  (ESPN’s Jeff Passan was among those to report on the news.)  Rubenstein will now need approval from the eight-man executive council, and then receive at least 23 of the votes from all 30 ownership groups in order for the sale to be completely finalized.  The process isn’t expected to run into any roadblocks, so the sale could be official in April.