The Opener: Griffin, Rangers, Roster Moves

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Griffin nearing deal?

Yesterday, it was reported that left-hander Foster Griffin has received major league offers, including at least one multi-year offer. A former first-round pick by the Royals, the southpaw has just eight innings of MLB experience but enjoyed a brilliant campaign in Japan this year, with a 1.62 ERA and a 25.1% strikeout rate in 78 innings of work for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants. MLBTR’s Steve Adams reported yesterday that Griffin has spoken to eight different teams with varying interest levels in his services, while MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi added that a deal could come together soon for Griffin. Which team will land the intriguing lefty?

2. Rangers press conference today:

The Rangers made official a pair of previously reported free agent signings yesterday when they announced the additions of catcher Danny Jansen and left-hander Tyler Alexander. Jansen replaces Jonah Heim in Texas’s catching tandem alongside Kyle Higashioka, while Alexander adds another lefty to the club’s bullpen to complement setup man Robert Garcia. At 11am local time today, president of baseball operations Chris Young and GM Ross Fenstermaker will be holding a press conference over Zoom to discuss the club’s latest signings with reporters. Amid an offseason where the Rangers are known to be limited in their ability to spend, today’s press conference could offer some indication towards the club’s plans for the remainder of the offseason and how much flexibility remains in the team’s budget.

3. 40-man roster moves incoming:

The Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Cardinals worked out deals with free agent right-handers Kenley Jansen, Merrill Kelly, and Dustin May, respectively, over the weekend. All three of those clubs have 40-man rosters already at capacity, however, and as a result each club will need to make a corresponding move the clears space on the 40-man before it can bring its new player into the fold officially. Those corresponding moves could be as simple as designating a player for assignment, though it’s also possible that a trade could be worked out that creates additional breathing room on the roster by trading someone already on the 40-man for non-roster prospects. That could be a particularly realistic route for the Cardinals, who are known to be engaging in trade conversations regarding a number of players on their roster as they enter a rebuilding period.