Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. WBC pool play continues:
Pool play in the World Baseball Classic remains underway, with Samurai Japan (3-0) and Korea (2-2) both having advanced out of the pool stage of the tournament. Those two clubs will be the quarterfinalists from Pool C. In Pool A, the favorites to advance are Puerto Rico and Cuba, both of which have 2-0 records. The same can be said for the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in Pool D given their own 2-0 records. The most interesting pool at the moment is Pool B, where each of the United States, Italy, and Mexico have perfect 2-0 records. The winner of tonight’s game between Team USA and Team Mexico will be an overwhelming favorite to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. The U.S. will send reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes to the mound against former Orioles right-hander Manny Barreda.
2. Littell contract to be finalized:
The Nationals and right-hander Zack Littell have reportedly agreed to one-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2027. That deal was pending a physical, however, and the exact dollar amount of the deal has not yet been reported. Financial details figure to become available at some point in the near future, and the deal should be finalized quickly in the interest of getting the righty into camp with the Nats; there are just over two weeks until the regular season begins. The Nationals will need to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate the addition of Littell, and the club has no obvious 60-day IL candidates after already transferring Trevor Williams and DJ Herz earlier this spring.
3. Giolito stands alone:
Now that Littell has a deal, right-hander Lucas Giolito stands alone as the final member of MLBTR’s top 50 free agents list who has yet to land a deal somewhere. MLBTR’s Steve Adams took a look at a handful of teams that remained plausible candidates to add a starter like Giolito to the mix back in February, and many of those teams still make some sense for his services. Clubs like the Braves and Phillies that look like plausible fits on paper have indicated a lack of interest in the right-hander to this point.
Of course, the nature of pitcher injuries (particularly in Spring Training) is such that any given pitch thrown by a player expected to be in the rotation mix for their team could lead to an injury that creates an opening for Giolito. That’s been all too apparent in Atlanta, where injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep at the start of camp have more recently been compounded by an injury to Joey Wentz. Wentz was carted off the field with an apparent right knee injury sustained while covering the bag on a grounder to first. Initial reports were that Wentz seemed to have avoided a major injury, but he was still being sent for imaging. If he’s forced to miss some time, perhaps losing a third rotation option would push the Braves to consider some external additions.
Atlanta isn’t doing anything with Cy Elder on the roster……
Can’t believe nobody has signed Giolito yet he isn’t an ace but most teams would happily take him on their starting staff. I was also wondering why Nestor Cortes didn’t get a redemption deal but then I saw he’s out most of the year so that makes sense.
He’s probably waiting out a MLB deal. Teams I guess only want to give him a MiLB deal. Also, Cortes is injured so he’s not rushing.
I’m sure you’re right but man that’s crazy a mid 3 ERA and low 4 FIP starter with that low of interest it’s crazy how some free agents fly off the board and similar ones sit for ever.
Twins – I don’t think you’re understanding, he ended last season with a concerning injury. Doesn’t matter how good a season he had, you don’t give a big contract to a pitcher with his injury history.
You don’t need to give him a big contract. He never said to give him a big contract. If someone offers 2/5 to Cortes, would he take it?
Cortes shouldn’t take that deal. If he comes back in July, August, September, or even after the season and shows he’s 100% he’s probably looking at least a 1 year deal for the 2027 season of 8M+.
He is coming back in late August at the earliest. He’s not resuming baseball activities until July when he starts throwing. He needs a big ramp up.
Astros – the ‘big contract’ FPG highlights is probably not Cortes, its Giolito.
Last deal Gio signed he didnt even pitch half of due to injuries, and, ended the walk year shut down with another injury before declining his side of a mutual option.
Fever, it’s a one year deal so a team could provide a lower base with easy incentives assuming he stays healthy. I’m thinking he’s waiting for a good club to have an injury or two as compared to signing with a non-contender who woukd look to flip him at the deadline. That club though would have to agree to not tag him at season’s end.
Look at Giolito’s advanced stats last season and the mystery disappears. xERA over 5.00, got hit hard, didn’t miss bats, then pair that with his last two healthy seasons where he was flat out bad and that is why Giolito isn’t signed.
Thanks for telling me.
It’s, forget saberstats. Any Sox fan who watched last season knows he was very good until the late season injury.
You can forget advanced stats all you want but front offices will not. Especially when those stats suggest he pitched like his 22 and 23 versions which were ERA’s closer to 5 than they were 4.
Also, if you were in fact a Sox fan, you’d know he pitched better to end the season and struggled at the beginning but regardless you’re looking at a guy who had two bad seasons, then missed an entire season and then had bad underlying stats.
GaSox – Thanks, yeah I didn’t even notice he was talking about Cortes too.
Its – Gotta look a little closer though, March thru May Giolito sucked because he was shaking the rust off. June forward is what you really should look at.
At this point he’s desperate. He’s looking for a good club, a bad club, whatever he can find. These guys are looking for the dollars way more than being on a good team.
Hank – Yep, he turned down a $19M Mutual Option with the Sox which goes to show what he thinks he is worth.
Granted, he likely knew the Sox weren’t picking up their end of the option anyway.
Dewey – I think gio would welcome getting tagged, I dont see anyone paying him 22+ per season going forward
@Astros71
I’m pretty sure Giolito has MLB offers with 145 IP and a 4.11 xFIP. They haven’t matched his asking price.
He turned down his $19M option. He got a $1.5M buyout. So he is/ was likely looking for at least the difference.
He didn’t pitch until June because of elbow surgery, came back and looked ok, then had more elbow problems and was shut down in September.
If he was listening to his agent in turning down the option, he should be firing him.
I expect a few teams would be interested, but not likely enough to allow him to save face.
Ducey – it was a mutual option so Boston was expected to decline it anyways. He was trying to jump the gun and look like it was him seeking a better deal than his club cutting ties.
Giolito should come back to the Sox.. Coop will fix… oh wait.
You mean Ethan his Harvard Westlake coach..also not around
Giolito to Atlanta makes too much sense, but I feel like they would have done it by now.
Atlanta keeps getting hit with pitching injuries, at some point the damn will be break I think.
I mean they are nuts for putting bandaids on that dam break already!
What to do when you have already spent your payroll?!
@Salzilla like Giolito wouldn’t be yet another bandaid… “we have bandaids at home” -AA
Has Profar’s appeal gone through yet? Until it’s confirmed, that money isn’t free up to spend on anyone like Giolito.
Giolito getting hurt right at the end of the season is hurting his free agency. He’ll sign with any team that hits the emergency button though.
Acoss – Yes without question, teams don’t want to invest a lot for a pitcher who ended last season with a concerning injury. Nobody believes him saying he’s perfectly fine, not after what he did to the Red Sox 2 years ago.
Fever,
Oh yeah, especially if his asking price is anywhere near what the Red Sox gave him two years ago. At this rate, he’s probably going to sign with a team around May to be ready for June….
He couldve gotten a guaranteed $14M, if he had skipped a couple of starts, towards the end of the season, like Red Sox management wanted him to. (Less than 140IP during season, and the $14m guarantee kicks in).
He’s not getting that now. Doh!
That and him getting large like a Macy’s float. Hope they secure him with some zip ties or hes bound to float, float away
I believe teams give physicals to players they sign as free agents, and the contract is not official until they pass. So where is the risk? Just do a thorough and extreme physical.
styme – Physicals before signing wouldn’t catch many things that lead to serious injury. MRI might, but usually aren’t done.
I’m betting his initial demands were no where near the offers teams were willing to give at the time. Now, most teams have spent their budgets and his current offer(s) are way below his expectations. Eventually, a team with enough ? marks will make him an offer he’s willing to “survive off of” for the year.
mrk – Since players never want to go backward by signing for less than what they just made, I bet he was looking for around $39M/2yrs.
I think his inital demands was like 3/66.
Astros – Thanks, I hadn’t heard that. It’s a reasonable amount if he had no health concerns.
I heard it somewhere with while I was talking with some of my friends and reading baseball news. I can’t remember where, but I think it’s somewhere around that. I would bet someone offered him 3/48 though before signing a new starter (this sentence is just my speculation)
No. His advanced stats and previous two seasons is hurting his free agency.
Six-two and even Gio ends up in Atlanta…
Well, my cat has a sense about these things and when I asked him about Giolito going to the Braves, he scratched the hell out of me, so…
Giolito MIGHT be a good pickup for some team but then again might be a waste of money. It’s good that he has confidence in his abilities but he should be pitching in the WBC to prove that he’s healthy. Otherwise he’s just working out and no one is chomping at the bit to sign him. The alternative to the WBC would be to set up a camp and training schedule for unsigned free agents to show their wares to prospective employers. And maybe they already do that and I haven’t been paying attention. I know at least we’re not at war because Mike Johnson tells us that. But what’s going on is escaping me these days.
Hayzee – your higher end agents usually do just that. I know Boras has done it before on times he seriously missed the market on QO guys.
Cool, thanks GA.
Haze, assuming he is able to pitch in the WBC, was he invited?
dewey – I don’t think unsigned MLB pitchers get invited because they haven’t had the opportunity to ramp up in ST.
FPG – unsigned players are eligible to play in the WBC as long as the eligibility requirements are otherwise met.
*but* they do so without the security of a team deal if they get hurt (medical care, rehab, etc).
I think Profar did before his 2023 deal. But I know there were others as well.
GaSox – You don’t have to go back very far for another example.
Vazquez was with Team PR when he signed the minor league contract with the Astros.
FPG – heck, if you want really recent I think Goldschmidt announce his intention while still unsigned and negotiating with the Yankees and presumably other clubs this year.
But, its less risky and its much easier on position guys than for pitchers.
GaSox – I’m torn. I’ve been rooting for both USA and Italia. Tonight I obviously have allegiances to Roman and Duran, but what a great story it would be if Italia goes to Miami.
Who should I root for tonight?
Woops …. scratch Duran obviously, he’s not on Team USA. LOL
Giolito is likely looking for a raise on what he made with the Sox last season and that’s not going to happen. He may not sign til after opening day which will push his availability til May
Almost 1/2 the population of Houston is Mexican or self identifies as Latin, so I expect Team Mexico to get a boost from the crowd, bring it, and earn the W.
Ha. Skenes vs a guy who is 37, pitched three games in the MLB in 2021 and got rocked; has a ERA over 4 in the Mexican league and had a 3.44 ERA in the minors? He’ll be lucky to make it three innings.
Having said that, I just jinxed the US and I’ll be eating crow later lol.
True, but this isn’t June Skenes either (who btw, will pitch 5 max~unless the rule is still 3?). IMO The US beats Mexico 8/10 times but anything could happen.
I think the rule is 65 pitches for pool play.
Wow it’s a quiet day if the Opener is still the first thing I see at this time where it’s 11:15 local time.
Is Gioloto’s salary request outrageous??
Or is there something about him that we don’t know?? Looks like a good middle of the order man on a contenders team.