The Opener: Corner Infield Market, DFA Resolutions, Christmas Eve Transactions

As you’re getting ready to hang your stockings by the chimney with care, here are three things to watch for (other than Santa Claus) on Christmas Eve:

1. The corner infield market is heating up:

On Sunday morning, the White Sox came to terms on a two-year, $34MM contract with NPB first baseman/third baseman Munetaka Murakami. Later that day, the Red Sox swung a trade with the Cardinals to acquire a slugging corner infielder of their own, first baseman Willson Contreras. Then, on Tuesday, it was the Pirates who joined in on the fun, coming to terms with Ryan O’Hearn on a two-year, $29MM guarantee.

In addition to those recent moves, corner infielders have overrun the rumor mill lately. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported over the weekend that Blue Jays officials have had “recent contact” with Scott Boras regarding his client Alex Bregman. The star third baseman is the top unsigned corner infield free agent from MLBTR’s Top 50 list. Mariners GM Justin Hollander also reconfirmed his team’s interest in reuniting with third baseman Eugenio Suárez, while Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that, before the Pirates signed O’Hearn, they had “multiple virtual meetings” with Kazuma Okamoto, another All-Star first baseman/third baseman from NBP.

One also has to wonder if more corner infield-related trade rumors are soon to come. One of Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo is likely to be on the trade block now that Pete Alonso is ensconced at first base in Baltimore, and Triston Casas could be on the move after Contreras’s arrival in Boston. What’s more, the fact that the Cardinals have now traded Contreras and Sonny Gray only seems to make a Nolan Arenado deal more likely. While any notable trades and signings probably won’t take place on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, keep an eye out for the next big corner infield transaction that’s surely on its way.

2. DFA resolutions coming for Noel and Wiemer:

Today marks a week since the Guardians and Giants DFA’d outfielders Jhonkensy Noel (also known as Big Christmas) and Joey Wiemer, respectively. There hasn’t been any news about either player since, but that should change today. When a player is designated for assignment, his team has seven days to either trade him or pass him through waivers. If no trade comes together and the player goes unclaimed, his team can send him outright to the minor leagues. Neither Noel nor Wiemer has the necessary service time to reject an outright assignment, so if they do clear waivers, the Guardians and Giants will be able to keep them in their organizations.

3. Last-minute holiday shopping?

Yesterday featured two official major league signings and news of another, with Jacob Webb joining the Cubs, Sean Newcomb joining the White Sox, and O’Hearn reportedly agreeing to terms with the Pirates. Today, however, is likely to be a slow news day around Major League Baseball. Trades and free agent signings are almost as rare on Christmas Eve as they are on Christmas Day. Of course, that doesn’t mean a move is out of the realm of possibility. Just last year, the Twins sent left-handed reliever Jovani Morán to the Red Sox in exchange for catcher/utility man Mickey Gasper on December 24.

Some of the biggest Christmas Eve transactions in MLB history include Mark McGwire re-signing with the Athletics in 1992 (five years, $28MM) and Reggie Jackson returning to the Athletics on December 24, 1986 for what would be his final season. Funnily enough, the A’s are also one of just three teams in the last decade to sign a major league deal with a free agent on Christmas Eve. The Cubs officially signed Drew Smyly in 2022, the Mets came to terms and announced a deal with Dellin Betances in 2019, and the A’s finalized a contract with Mike Fiers on the holiday in 2018. Fiers would go on to throw a no-hitter for Oakland the next May.