The Opener

Here are three things we’re keeping an eye on throughout baseball today…

1. Two weeks left for Imanaga:

Left-hander Shota Imanaga’s posting window is open until January 11, meaning there’s now just two weeks left for him to arrange a deal with an MLB club. If no deal is reached by then, he will return to the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball, but all indications point to his market being robust. He has a 3.18 earned run average in his eight NPB seasons and is coming off a 2023 season that saw him finish with a 2.80 ERA and 29.2% strikeout rate. MLBTR predicted he could secure a five-year, $85MM deal but there have been reports of his market pushing to the $100MM range. The signing team would owe the BayStars a posting fee on top of the money they guarantee to Imanaga.

2. White Sox need roster spot for Maldy:

The White Sox agreed to a deal with catcher Martín Maldonado earlier this week. They currently have a full 40-man roster and will need to make some kind of move in order to open a spot before making the Maldy signing official. Perhaps the club will look to make some kind of trade in the coming days or simply designate someone for assignment.

3. What’s next for the Jays?

The Blue Jays have been connected to a lot of big names this winter, including Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Once those players landed elsewhere, the Jays pivoted to smaller moves, recently agreeing to terms with Kevin Kiermaier and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. There’s still time for a bigger splash, with players like Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman available in free agency. The Kiner-Falefa deal could also be a precursor to a trade, as he now joins a crowded group of depth or part-time players on the roster. With Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lined up at shortstop and first base respectively, candidates for the third base and second base positions include Kiner-Falefa, Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal, Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement, Otto López, Orelvis Martinez, Addison Barger and Leo Jimenez.

Though many of us are still full of cookies and eggnog, here are three things to keep an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. What’s next for the Mariners after signing Garver?

The Mariners made their first buy-side splash of the offseason on Christmas Eve, inking catcher Mitch Garver to a two-year, $24MM deal. While he’s unlikely to do too much catching given the presence of Cal Raleigh, Garver’s bat has proven to be more than capable of handling work as a regular DH. In 87 games with the Rangers last year, Garver slashed an impressive .270/.370/.500 with 19 home runs in just 344 plate appearances and a wRC+ of 138, the 15th best figure among hitters with at least 300 plate appearances.

With Garver likely to take over regular DH duties in Seattle, it’s fair to wonder what the Mariners will do next. While Garver looks to be a strong addition to the club’s lineup, GM Jerry Dipoto and his front office have plenty of work to do in renovating a lineup that has lost Teoscar Hernandez, Jarred Kelenic, and Eugenio Suarez this offseason. An infielder to pair with Luis Urias and Josh Rojas alongside JP Crawford could make some sense, and the club would surely benefit from adding a corner outfielder or two to a mix that currently features the likes of Cade Marlowe, Taylor Trammell, and Sam Haggerty.

2. Can the Padres address all their needs on a budget?

The Padres’ financial woes are well-documented at this point, having spurred the club to flip superstar Juan Soto to the Yankees alongside center fielder Trent Grisham. As things currently stand, the club is reportedly hoping to stay under the luxury tax threshold in 2024, leaving San Diego without much room to address needs all across the roster. The club’s deal with left-hander Yuki Matsui, which became official over the weekend, comes with a $5.7MM AAV for luxury tax purposes, giving the club (according to RosterResource) around $27MM to work with below the first threshold of the luxury tax. While that offers some flexibility to president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and his front office, the club likely needs at least one more reliever, at least one more starting pitcher, and at least two more everyday players in outfield/DH mix.

3. Will Matsui’s signing cause the relief market to pick up?

San Diego’s deal with Matsui land the second multi-year deal for a reliever headed to a new team this offseason after Emilio Pagan’s deal with the Reds late last month. The slow relief market this offseason stands in sharp contrast to last year’s which saw the likes of Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez, and Rafael Montero sign multi-year pacts in early November. This year, relief ace Josh Hader headlines a class of relievers that also includes the likes of Robert Stephenson, Jordan Hicks, Matt Moore, and Aroldis Chapman. While virtually every contender could benefit from bullpen upgrades, the Cardinals, Cubs, Rangers, and Astros all have specific interest in retooling their relief corps this winter.

With Christmas just around the corner, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. What’s next for the teams that missed out on Yamamoto?

Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto exceeded all expectations by signing a whopping 12-year, $325MM deal with the Dodgers last night that includes two opt-out clauses. Including the posting fee L.A. owes to the Orix Buffaloes as compensation for Yamamoto’s services brings the total financial outlay to more than $375MM. While the megadeal likely takes the likes of the Mets, Blue Jays, and Phillies out of the running at the top of the pitching market, plenty of other suitors for Yamamoto figure to attempt to pivot elsewhere as they attempt to find front-end starting pitching. The Yankees, Giants, and Red Sox all appear likely to continue exploring the top of the pitching market as the offseason continues, with lefties Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Shota Imanaga among the best remaining arms available in free agency. Meanwhile, the trade market offers righties Shane Bieber, Dylan Cease, and potentially Corbin Burnes as front-of-the-rotation options.

2. Will the Dodgers keep going?

Between the additions of Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Tyler Glasnow the Dodgers have now spent over $1 billion this winter, at least before accounting for the deferrals in Ohtani’s contract. That massive outlay leaves the club with a projected payroll of just over $282MM in 2024 for luxury tax purposes according to RosterResource, which puts the club around $15MM under the highest threshold of luxury penalization. What’s next as they look to improve their roster this offseason? Rumors have indicated that the club could look to upgrade at shortstop, where Gavin Lux and Miguel Rojas currently figure to split time. Beyond that, an outfield bat who can push Chris Taylor into a utility role or an additional starting pitcher to round out the club’s rotation alongside Yamamoto, Glasnow, Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller could make some sense for the club.

3. Will any last-minute deals come together before Christmas?

During the offseason, major holidays are occasionally used by teams and players as soft deadlines for deals to get done. Some free agents like to know where they’re going to live next year before a holiday, and GMs at the one-yard line on a trade may have a little extra incentive to get it over the line before they go home to celebrate. For example, Yamamoto’s market was discussed throughout much of the offseason as regarding Christmas as something of a soft deadline; considering his posting window was set to close on January 4, little time would have been left after the new year for the righty to land a contract.  Although the day before Thanksgiving was rather quiet this year, could things be different on the Friday before Christmas weekend?

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

1. What’s next for the Brewers?

Yesterday saw the Brewers and Mets get together on a trade that sent right-hander Adrian Houser and outfielder Tyrone Taylor to Queens in exchange for pitching prospect Coleman Crow. The sell-side move from Milwaukee subtracts from a rotation the club had deepened earlier in the offseason by signing right-hander Joe Ross and reuniting with veteran southpaw Wade Miley. Taylor’s departure clears one piece from what had become a crowded outfield mix following the club’s decision to sign top prospect Jackson Chourio to a pre-debut extension earlier this month.

The departure of Houser makes any deal involving right-hander Corbin Burnes more complicated. With likely sixth starter Aaron Ashby’s timeline uncertain as he looks to work his way back from shoulder surgery, trading Burnes could leave Milwaukee short on viable starting options headed into 2024. Of course, it’s worth noting that the club may be more hesitant to deal Burnes to begin with than once believed. The outfield, by contrast, is an area from which the Brewers should have little issue sacrificing some depth. Aside from Chourio and Christian Yelich, Milwaukee’s outfield mix also features Garrett Mitchell, Joey Wiemer, Sal Frelick, and Blake Perkins. That’s plenty of talent the club could trade use to improve their infield situation, which offers little certainty outside of shortstop Willy Adames.

2. D-backs, Gurriel deal not yet official:

Over the weekend, the Diamondbacks reportedly brought back left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a deal worth $43MM guaranteed over three years that features both an opt-out after 2025 and a club option for 2027. That deal has yet to be made official, meaning Gurriel does not yet count against the club’s 40-man roster. At the time of the signing, that wasn’t particularly meaningful as Arizona had an open spot on its 40-man. That changed earlier this week, however, when the club claimed right-hander Collin Snider off waivers from the Royals. With the addition of Snider filling the club’s roster, Arizona will now have to clear a spot for Gurriel when his deal eventually becomes official, something they could accomplish by working out a minor trade involving one of the players towards the back of their roster or by simply designating a player for assignment.

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

1. Will Yamamoto get $300MM?

The top free agent remaining at this point in the offseason is right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 25-year-old NPB ace has previously been reported as having seven “finalists” for his services: the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Giants, Red Sox, Phillies, and Blue Jays. Reporting has since indicated that Philadelphia and Toronto are likely on the periphery of the sweepstakes, while last night rumors surfaced that the Dodgers were considering making an offer to Yamamoto in the $250-300MM range.

An offer even on the smaller end of that range would make Yamamoto’s contract the second-largest in MLB history for a starting pitcher (ignoring two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani) behind only Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, edging out Nationals righty Stephen Strasburg’s $245MM guarantee from the 2019-20 offseason. The bidding process for Yamamoto’s services is expected to continue throughout the week, leaving the door open for other finalists’ offers to reach or even surpass the reported range L.A. is considering.

2. Is a Matsui deal on the horizon?

Yamamoto isn’t the only NPB pitcher getting buzz of late. As of yesterday, the Padres and left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui were reportedly close on a multi-year deal. Matsui, 28, has posted sub-2.00 ERAs out of the bullpen in Japan in each of the past three seasons, with a combined 1.42 ERA and a 36.4% strikeout rate across 152 innings during that time. That show of dominance overseas earned Matsui the No. 43 spot on MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB free agents list. The Cardinals, Red Sox and Cubs are among the teams that have been connected to Matsui this offseason outside of San Diego, though with a deal seemingly on the verge of coming together, those teams may be forced to look elsewhere for bullpen help going forward.

3. Pirates facing roster crunch:

The Pirates have begun making moves to add to the club in recent days as they look to improve upon a 76-86 season during which the club showed flashes of success but ultimately finished fourth in the NL Central. Two recent moves made to improve the club’s standing were the addition of left-hander Martin Perez to the rotation and the club’s reported reunion with veteran DH Andrew McCutchen, who will don on a Pirates uniform for an 11th season in his 16-year MLB career. Before either deal can become official, however, the Pirates must clear space on their 40-man roster, which is currently full even without Perez and McCutchen having officially signed. Pittsburgh could look to make a minor trade or two in the coming days to clear space on the roster for their recent signings, or simply designate two players on the 40-man roster for assignment to make room.

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

1. Will Carpenter find a new team?

The Braves released veteran slugger Matt Carpenter yesterday, sending the 38-year-old to the open market. Carpenter posted an otherworldly performance as a member of the Yankees in 2022 when he slashed a whopping .305/.412/.727 across just 47 games. Outside of that brief stint in the Bronx, however, Carpenter has posted below average offensive numbers every year following the 2018 campaign, when he finished in the top-10 of NL MVP voting with the Cardinals.

While Carpenter’s age and mostly meager production in recent years make it reasonable to wonder if he’ll be able to land a job with a big league club, it’s worth noting that any interested club would only have to pay a pro-rated portion of the big league minimum for the time Carpenter spends on the roster given the Padres and Braves are still on the hook for his 2024 salary. That could make him an affordable option for teams in need of a lefty bat on a tight budget.

2. Royals working through roster crunch:

The Royals have spent more than $100MM on free agents this offseason, and the influx of additions has led to something of a logjam on the 40-man roster in recent weeks. To accommodate their new signings, Kansas City has shipped right-hander Taylor Clarke to Milwaukee, outfielder Edward Olivares to Pittsburgh, and most recently right-hander Jonathan Heasley to Baltimore in minor trades while also surrendering right-hander Collin Snider to the Diamondbacks on waivers. That flurry of activity has allowed them to make official the signings of right-handers Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Chris Stratton as well as left-hander Will Smith.

Even after all of that, the club still has one more player for whom they’ll need to open a 40-man roster spot: outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who the club reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with last week. The Royals have largely been successful in working out small trades for marginal players on their 40-man roster while navigating through this roster crunch, though it remains to be seen if they’ll pull off a fourth swap in that vein or have to settle for designating a player for assignment to accommodate Renfroe as they did with Snider to make room for Smith.

3. MLBTR chat today:

With the new year swiftly approaching, are there any questions burning in your mind about the offseason as 2023 comes to a close? Are you wondering what’s next for your favorite team, or perhaps curious about what the market for a particular free agent looks like? If so, tune in this afternoon when MLBTR’s Steve Adams hosts a live chat with readers at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after its completed.

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

1. Could the Orioles reach a lease agreement today?

Earlier this year, the Orioles and Maryland governor Wes Moore initially reported that they had reached an agreement that would keep the Orioles in Baltimore for at least 30 years. That deal was later revealed to be a non-binding “memorandum of understanding,” and no deal has come together in the months since. That could change today according to an announcement late last week from Moore’s office that a long-term lease agreement between the Orioles and the Maryland Stadium Authority will be voted on by Maryland state officials today. The agreement is expected to go before both the stadium authority and the state’s Board of Public Works this afternoon. Time is running out on an agreement, as the club’s lease at Camden Yards expires at the end of the calendar year.

2. Is the outfield market heating up?

The positional market has lagged behind the pitching market for the most part this offseason, and while infielder Jeimer Candelario and DH Shohei Ohtani have both signed in recent weeks, the outfield market was falling even further behind in free agency with a focus on trades of players like Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, Tyler O’Neill, and Jarred Kelenic. Fortunately, the outfield market has begun to heat up over the past week as KBO star Jung Hoo Lee landed in San Francisco on a six-year deal.

Since then, the rest of the outfield market has begun to catch up as Hunter Renfroe reached an agreement on a two-year pact with the Royals. Just yesterday, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and the Diamondbacks came together on a multi-year contract that will keep the reigning NL championship club’s left fielder in town for the next two to four seasons. It’s possible that the recent movement on the outfield market could spur movement involving a corner outfield class led by Teoscar Hernandez that also features noteworthy names such as Tommy Pham, Joc Pederson, and Jorge Soler.

3. What’s next for the Padres?

The Padres kicked off their offseason earlier this month by trading away Soto and center fielder Trent Grisham to the Yankees in exchange for a package of five players headlined by right-hander Michael King and top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe. While the club was initially believed to be motivated to move Soto by a desire to open up budget space to repair a pitching staff that had lost four starting pitchers (including reigning NL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell) and star closer Josh Hader to free agency, reporting from this past weekend indicates that San Diego may have less room in the budget to work with than initially believed even after dealing away Soto.

The Padres are reportedly considering attempting to duck under the luxury tax threshold this offseason, a strategy that could leave them with just $30MM to spend as they look to add multiple arms to both the rotation and bullpen while also filling out their recently-vacated outfield alongside franchise cornerstone Fernando Tatis Jr. Given the club’s complicated financial situation and the number of holes left on the roster, the club’s path back into contention seems likely to remain unclear until president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and his front office make their next move.

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

1. Glasnow deal appears imminent:

Reports yesterday indicated that the Dodgers and Rays have agreed upon a trade that would send right-hander Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot to the Dodgers in exchange for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny Deluca. The deal hinges on an extension being finalized between the Dodgers and Glasnow. A deal is expected to come together, with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggesting it could occur as soon as today. When completed, the deal will begin to address L.A.’s massive vacancies in the rotation, where Glasnow will join Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler as surefire starting options. Emmet Sheehan and Ryan Yarbrough are among the club’s depth options for the rotation, though the Dodgers figure to continue looking to reinforce the group after posting a 4.57 ERA that was 11th-worst in all of baseball last year.

2. Royals 40-man roster move incoming?

Yesterday, the Royals cleared space on their 40-man roster for right-hander Seth Lugo by trading right-hander Taylor Clarke to the Brewers in exchange for right-hander Ryan Brady and infielder Cam Devanney, neither of whom are on the 40-man. Lugo isn’t the only free agent signing the club will need to make room for on their roster, however, as Kansas City also got together on a deal with right-hander Chris Stratton earlier this week. The Royals, of course, could simply designate a player on their 40-man for assignment to make room for Stratton, though it’s fair to wonder if the club hopes to work out another minor trade to clear roster space as it did with Milwaukee yesterday.

3. SP market heating up?

In addition to the aforementioned agreement on a Glasnow trade, the starting pitching market lost a pair of free agents yesterday as right-handers Jack Flaherty and Tyler Mahle signed on with the Tigers and Rangers, respectively. The deals further heat up a middle-to-back of the rotation market that has seen plenty of deals come together so far this offseason. The upper tiers of the market have lagged behind in comparison, with Eduardo Rodriguez agreeing to a contract this month after quick-strike deals came together for Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray in November. Generally, it seems as though the top-of-the-rotation market is being held up by the Yoshinobu Yamamoto bidding. Yamamoto visited with the Phillies, adding a new team to the widely-known field of contenders for his services that already included the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Giants, Red Sox, and Blue Jays.

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

1. Glasnow trade buzz:

News broke recently that the Dodgers and Rays were discussing a deal that would send Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot to L.A. in exchange for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny Deluca. No deal ultimately got done yesterday, and there have been reports of the Rays discussing Glasnow deals at a similar level of seriousness with other clubs. Could a deal come together soon? The 6’8” right-hander has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career but would be a major addition to the front of any would-be contender’s rotation; dating back to the 2019 season, Glasnow owns a 3.03 ERA and 2.89 FIP across 60 starts (332 2/3 innings).

2. Lee to undergo physical:

Star KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee recently agreed to terms with the Giants for six years and $113MM ahead of what should be his stateside debut. The final step in Lee’s move to MLB is expected to occur today as he undergoes a physical. That step in the process is usually a formality, though Giants fans will of course remember the Carlos Correa saga last offseason that saw him initially agree to a contract with San Francisco before the club backed out due to issues with Correa’s ankle. Lee, 25, underwent season-ending surgery in late July after sustaining a fractured ankle just this past season, though of course the Giants were well aware of that fact before engaging with the young outfielder.

3. Ohtani’s introductory presser:

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is a Dodger, on a contract that shook the baseball world with its significant deferrals and unique conditional opt-out clause. Ohtani’s time in Dodger blue is expected to officially begin at 5:00pm CT this evening with an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium, where both Ohtani himself and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman will be available to the media. It will be Ohtani’s first media appearance since his 2023 season came to an end back in September. Ohtani underwent elbow surgery shortly thereafter, though specifics regarding the procedure have not been made available since.

With 60 days remaining until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today…

1. Yamamoto meeting with teams:

Yesterday, the Dodgers met with NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the 25-year-old hurler continues meeting with clubs interested in his services this offseason. L.A. joins the Giants, Mets, and Yankees among clubs publicly known to have met with Yamamoto this offseason. It was reported yesterday that both the Red Sox and Blue Jays figure to join that quarter in the coming days. A report last week indicated that the field for Yamamoto’s services had thinned to seven teams, with every team that has met with Yamamoto to this point except for Boston named alongside two “mystery teams.”

2. Is Bellinger’s market crystalizing?

The Giants shocked the baseball world by landing star KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee on a six-year deal worth $113MM. The signing of Lee takes another top left-handed bat off of the market following Shohei Ohtani’s decision to sign with the Dodgers and the swap that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees. Both the Giants and Yankees were considered top suitors for center fielder Cody Bellinger prior to their additions of Soto and Lee. It’s possible that the recent run on left-handed bats has left Bellinger with only a handful of potential destinations left.

Remaining suitors for Bellinger could include the Blue Jays, Cubs, and Mariners. Toronto and Chicago, the latter of whom Bellinger bounced back with in 2023, were among the final bidders on Ohtani before he landed in L.A. The Mariners, meanwhile, have little certainty in their outfield beyond Julio Rodriguez and would benefit from Bellinger’s 15.6% strikeout rate last year as they look to create a more contact-oriented lineup. It’s also at least plausible that the Giants have the wherewithal necessary to land both Bellinger and Lee, though given the club’s logjam in the outfield they may be better suited toward spending in other areas at this point.

3. Greinke joins the market:

After months of uncertainty regarding the plans of future Hall of Famer Zack Greinke, the veteran right-hander is reportedly planning to continue his career in 2024. The news puts Greinke in line to become the 20th pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 career strikeouts, a milestone he sits just 21 punchouts away from. Beyond the potential history a 21st big league season from Greinke figures to involve, the update also adds another quality back-of-the-rotation starter to a market ravenous for starting pitching options. While Greinke struggled to the first below-average ERA+ of his career since 2005 last season, it’s easy to see a club taking a chance on Greinke given the solid deals back-end starters like Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson have received so far this offseason.

In the recent past, Greinke hasn’t had much impact on the wider free agent market as he’s seemingly limited himself to pitching in Kansas City. However, the news of Greinke’s decision to continue pitching comes on the heels of the Royals committing to Seth Lugo on a three-year pact, leaving open the possibility that Greinke will need to look elsewhere to continue his career. If Greinke hopes to stick with familiar clubs, both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks could use rotation fortifications, even after Arizona landed Eduardo Rodriguez earlier in the month.