5 Key Stories

The biggest stories on MLBTR from the past week:

Tragedy strikes baseball: Last Sunday was a horrific day for the sport, as Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura and former major leaguer Andy Marte died in separate car crashes in the Dominican Republic. Ventura became the second active big leaguer to pass away since September, when then-Marlins ace Jose Fernandez lost his life in a boating accident. At 25, Ventura was already an established major league starter and a World Series champion. Marte wasn’t as successful as Ventura stateside, but he did emerge as a star with the KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization over the previous two seasons. He was 33.

The Dodgers find a second baseman: Los Angeles’ monthslong search for help at the keystone finally ended with the addition of Logan Forsythe, whom they acquired from the Rays on Monday. The Dodgers gave up high-end pitching prospect Jose De Leon in a one-for-one swap, which came after they attempted to send the right-hander to the Twins for Brian Dozier.

More name-brand free agents come off the board: It nearly took until February, but infielder Luis Valbuena, reliever Greg Holland and left-hander Brett Anderson finally landed major league deals this week. Valbuena signed a two-year pact featuring $15MM in guarantees with the Angels, whom he played against regularly from 2015-16 as a member of the AL West rival Astros. Valbuena was primarily a third baseman in Houston, but he’ll see plenty of action at first base in Anaheim. Holland, who was a lights-out closer with the Royals before undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2015, joined the Rockies on an incentive-laden accord that contains a vesting option for 2018. Anderson, whom injury issues weighed down in 2016 as a member of the Dodgers, signed on with another National League superpower – the reigning World Series champion Cubs. His contract is also heavy on incentives.

Decision coming soon on Cardinals-Astros hacking scandal: New details in ex-Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa’s hacking of the Astros’ computer systems came to the fore Saturday. Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is amid a lengthy investigation of the Cardinals, but that could end as early as the upcoming week in light of the publicly released information concerning Correa’s transgressions. The Cards, who fired Correa in 2015, could face some type of punishment for his actions. Correa has been paying a particularly heavy price since last July, when he received a 46-month prison sentence and was hit with a $279K fine.

Mets prepared to entire 2017 with Jay Bruce on their roster: The Mets are loaded with starting-caliber corner outfielders – Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson, Michael Conforto and Bruce – and that’s likely to remain the case when the season begins. General manager Sandy Alderson has tried to unload Bruce this offseason, but those attempts have gone for naught. As a result, the team informed Bruce that he’ll open the season as its right fielder. While the Mets could have cut the cord on Bruce in November, their decision to exercise his $13MM option came amid uncertainty surrounding Cespedes, who was unsigned at the time.

Here are the top items from a busy week around baseball:

Blue Jays re-sign Jose Bautista.  The Blue Jays re-signed the longtime Toronto slugger to a one-year deal that will pay Bautista $18.5MM in guaranteed money.  The contract also contains a $17MM mutual option for 2018 and a $20MM vesting option for 2019, plus bonuses based on attendance figures.

Orioles re-sign Mark Trumbo.  Another AL East team retained a free agent slugger, as the Orioles brought Trumbo back on a three-year, $37.5MM deal.  Trumbo, whose first year in Baltimore saw him hit a league-best 47 homers, looks to split time between DH and a corner outfield spot, depending on matchups.

Angels sign Luis Valbuena, extend Kole Calhoun.  The Halos added some pop to their infield mix by signing Valbuena to a two-year deal.  Valbuena projects as a left-handed hitting complement to third baseman Yunel Escobar and/or switch-hitting second baseman Danny Espinosa, plus Valbuena could see action at first base with Albert Pujols recovering from offseason foot surgery.  In other news from Anaheim, the Angels signed right fielder Calhoun to a three-year, $26MM extension that contains a club option for 2020 (Calhoun’s first free agent season).

Royals extend Danny Duffy.  The Royals locked up a key member of their rotation by agreeing with Duffy on a five-year, $65MM extension.  The deal has significant big-picture implications for the Royals, as Duffy was one of several important players (such as Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar) slated to hit free agency next winter.

Hall Of Fame voting results.  The Cooperstown class of 2017 was finalized after Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez were voted into the Hall Of Fame.  Rodriguez made the cut in his first year of eligibility, while Bagwell was in his seventh year and Raines was in his tenth and final year on the ballot.

Here’s the key news from a busy week here at MLBTR:

Arbitration madness. This week’s arbitration filing deadline led to a number of interesting deals to avoid the arbitration process, including a two-year, $29.5MM contract for Nolan Arenado, $15.6375MM over one year for Jake Arrieta, $12.25MM for Eric Hosmer, $12MM for Todd Frazier, $11.5MM for Manny Machado, $11.4MM for Zach Britton, $13.625MM for Bryce Harper, $9.15MM for Dallas Keuchel. Here’s a roundup of various agreements from the National League, and here’s a roundup from the American League. You can follow all of this week’s arbitration-related moves with MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.

Padres’ big week. The Padres aren’t yet ready to announce a deal, but it appears they’re closing in on an extension with first baseman Wil Myers that’s worth north of $80MM and that will cover his three arbitration seasons plus his first three years of free agency eligibility. They also signed another infielder, Yangervis Solarte, to a two-year extension that includes two options, the latter covering a season in which Solarte would previously have been eligible for free agency. And as the week came to a close, the Padres were also reportedly nearing a deal with righty Trevor Cahill.

Mariners acquire Drew Smyly in pair of deals. The Mariners’ busy offseason continued this week with a pair of related trades. First, they shipped well-regarded prospect Luiz Gohara plus another young lefty, Thomas Burrows, to Atlanta for outfielder Mallex Smith and righty Shae Simmons. Then, they sent Smith, minor-league infielder Carlos Vargas and minor-league lefty Ryan Yarbrough to the Rays for lefty Drew Smyly, who will join their rotation. (Smith will join a Rays outfield mix that also now includes Colby Rasmus, with whom they agreed to a one-year deal this week.)

Athletics add Santiago Casilla, Trevor Plouffe. The A’s reached agreement with two players on big-league contracts this week, landing former Giants closer Santiago Casilla on a two-year, $11MM deal that will keep him in the Bay Area, and former Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe on a one-year deal that’s likely to be in the $5MM range.

Rangers land Tyson Ross. A variety of teams were connected to free agent righty Tyson Ross, who the Padres non-tendered last month after an injury-plagued 2016 season. Ross ultimately agreed to terms with the Rangers this week on a one-year deal for $6MM plus incentives, potentially allowing him to reestablish his value before heading out on the free agent market again next winter.

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Here are five key stories from this week at MLBTR.

Mariners deal for Yovani Gallardo, Jarrod Dyson. Seattle acquired two veterans this week in a pair of related trades. First, they sent outfielder Seth Smith to Baltimore in exchange for starter Yovani Gallardo. Then, they shipped a starter, Nate Karns, to Kansas City for outfielder Jarrod Dyson. The deals give the Mariners a pair of short-term possibilities; Gallardo is signed through 2017 with an option for 2018 and Dyson can become a free agent at the end of the year, while Karns is controllable through 2020.

Rajai Davis returns to Athletics. After six years split between the Blue Jays, Tigers and Indians, speedy veteran Rajai Davis came back to Oakland this week, signing a one-year, $6MM deal to join an outfield group that will also include Khris Davis, Matt Joyce, Jake Smolinski and Brett Eibner. The Athletics could continue to add, too, as they’ve recently been connected to free-agent slugger Mark Trumbo.

Reds sign Drew Storen. The Reds made their first big-league signing of the year this week, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s for a former closer, as they inked former Nationals fireman Drew Storen to a one-year, $3MM deal that can include up to $1.5MM in incentives. In other Reds news, it also emerged this week that second baseman Brandon Phillips blocked a trade to the Braves this past November.

Twins expect resolution of Brian Dozier trade talks. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier has been a rumored trade candidate throughout much of the winter, but the Twins don’t expect that to continue, as they plan to soon resolve his status for 2017. The Dodgers have long been the team most strongly connected to Dozier, and that appears to continue to be the case, and they’re reportedly willing to include Jose De Leon and other prospects in exchange.

Royals, Cardinals begin Matt Adams trade talks. The Royals and Cardinals have reportedly begun trade talks on a deal that would send first baseman Matt Adams across the state of Missouri. With Kansas City, Adams would likely find playing time as a DH. The Royals also added another potential DH candidate this week when they acquired minor league slugger Peter O’Brien from the Diamondbacks for righty Sam Lewis.

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The biggest stories on MLBTR from the past week:

Blue Jays talking with Jose Bautista. The slugger’s rather unusual spin through free agency could lead him back to where he started, as Bautista has been in “active contract discussions” with the Jays about a return.  Bautista is apparently willing to discuss accepting a one-year deal from the Jays or other teams, though that one-year pact would still need to pay him beyond the $17.2MM value of the qualifying offer.

Mike Napoli’s market heats up.  The free agent first baseman has seen his market pick up in recent days, with the Rangers perhaps in the driver’s seat.  Texas is discussing a two-year contract with Napoli, though some other teams (reportedly the A’s and Orioles) are still in the mix.

Twins asking for final trade bids on Brian Dozier.  After a winter full of trade rumors about the slugging second baseman, Minnesota is reportedly looking to wrap up the process, asking interested teams to submit their best and final offers for Dozier’s services.  The Dodgers have long been seen as Dozier’s most ardent pursuers; the Braves and Giants have also been involved in talks, while the Nationals and Cardinals both have rather limited interest.

More trade buzz about Jose Quintana.  Speculation about the left-hander’s future has become even more intense since the White Sox dealt Chris Sale.  Conflicting reports this week suggested the Yankees may or may not be pursuing a trade for both Quintana and David Robertson, and New York also reportedly discussed a three-team deal with the White Sox and Pirates (another club interested in Quintana’s services).

Rockies linked to Greg Holland.  Colorado is the latest team to show interest in the former Royals closer, with one report suggesting that the Rockies offered Holland a multi-year contract.  Rockies GM Jeff Bridich didn’t comment on the reported offer, though he did acknowledge that his club “checked in” on Holland.  Including the Rockies, that makes a whopping 18 different teams who have shown some degree of interest in Holland as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery.

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Here are the five biggest stories here at MLBTR this week.

Indians to sign Edwin Encarnacion. The Indians agreed with the slugger on what’s reportedly a three-year, $60MM deal that also includes a club option, edging out the Athletics and Rangers. The move ended what’s been a frustrating free agent period for Encarnacion and his agent and potentially cleared the way for the signings of other power bats like Mark Trumbo, Chris Carter and Jose Bautista (who is reportedly willing to consider a one-year deal). Earlier this week, 30% of you thought the Indians would land Encarnacion.

Pirates to re-sign Ivan Nova. Ivan Nova seemingly benefited from being traded to Pittsburgh at last year’s deadline, and this week, he agreed to re-sign with the Bucs for the surprisingly low price of three years and $26MM. Nova’s market was surprisingly quiet this offseason, even though he looked like one of the best free agent starters. The Pirates also added a hard-throwing reliever this week, inking Daniel Hudson to a two-year deal. And they’re reportedly still trying to acquire star White Sox lefty Jose Quintana to further bolster what suddenly looks like a much-improved pitching staff.

Phillies acquire Clay Buchholz. The Phillies bolstered their young rotation, acquiring veteran righty Clay Buchholz from the Red Sox for minor league second baseman Josh Tobias. Phillies GM Matt Klentak says he had begun talking to the Red Sox about Buchholz months before the deal actually occurred.

Braves extend Ender Inciarte. The Braves agreed to a five-year deal, plus a club option, to potentially keep outfielder Ender Inciarte for two extra seasons. Inciarte, meanwhile, will receive a guaranteed payout of $30.525MM. “We are thrilled to announce an extension for Ender,” said Braves GM John Coppolella. “We feel that he’s the best defensive center fielder in baseball and one of the best leadoff hitters in the game.”

Angels sign Ben Revere. The Angels have signed outfielder Ben Revere to a one-year, $4MM deal, and it appears he’ll platoon with Cameron Maybin in left field.

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Here’s a look at the biggest stories from the past week here at MLBTR:

Dodgers agree to re-sign two premier free agents: Los Angeles was in danger of losing two of its top players – closer Kenley Jansen and third baseman Justin Turner – to free agency, but the team came to terms with the pair this week. Jansen, who drew serious interest from the Marlins and Nationals before re-upping with the Dodgers, agreed to a five-year, $80MM contract with an opt-out after the third season. His accord is the second-richest pact ever awarded to a reliever, trailing only recent Yankees signing Aroldis Chapman. Turner, meanwhile, will earn $64MM over four years. No one would have expected that outcome after the Mets non-tendered Turner in 2013, but he has broken out as a Dodger with a .296/.364/.492 line and 12.8 fWAR in 1,383 plate appearances since 2014.

Phillies extend Odubel Herrera: Speaking of unexpected breakouts, Herrera has gone from a 2014 Rule 5 pick to a key contributor for the Phillies, who inked the center fielder to a five-year extension Thursday. Herrera will earn a guaranteed $30.5MM on a deal that also includes club options totaling $24MM for the 2022 and ’23 seasons. Without an extension, the soon-to-be 25-year-old would have hit free agency after the 2020 campaign. In his two years as a Phillie, Herrera has slashed .291/.353/.419 with 41 steals, 23 home runs and 7.8 fWAR in 1,193 PAs.

Several free agent relievers find new homes: Jansen wasn’t the only late-game option who agreed to a new contract earlier this week. After the Marlins finished as a runner-up for Jansen’s services, they landed former Red Sox relievers Brad Ziegler (two years, $16MM) and Junichi Tazawa (two years, $12MM) to further bolster a bullpen that also features A.J. Ramos, Kyle Barraclough and David Phelps. The Marlins did lose their top left-handed reliever, though, as Mike Dunn reached a three-year, $19MM agreement with the Rockies. And, like former teammates Ziegler and Tazawa, Koji Uehara departed Boston. He’ll play 2017, his age-42 season, on a $6MM deal with the reigning World Series champion Cubs.

White Sox replace Chris Sale with another left-handed starter: Unfortunately for Chicago, Derek Holland is no Sale. The longtime Ranger has experienced success in the past, however, and the White Sox’s hope is that Holland will bounce back under well-regarded pitching coach Don Cooper on a one-year, $6MM contract. A revival from Holland, 30, could make him an interesting trade chip around the summer deadline for the Sox, who are unlikely to push for a playoff spot next year after trading Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton for prospect hauls.

Angels get their second baseman: There was a report last Saturday that Danny Espinosa was unhappy with the idea of serving in a bench role with the Nationals. Shortly after, the Nats traded the middle infielder to the second baseman-needy Angels for two minor league right-handers. The defensively gifted Espinosa should form an excellent double-play tandem with Halos shortstop Andrelton Simmons, arguably the majors’ best fielder.

Here are the top stories from a week dominated by the Winter Meetings:

White Sox land huge bounties in Sale, Eaton trades. Usually, it’s the teams acquiring veterans who receive the most attention and praise in the offseason, but that wasn’t the case this week. First, the White Sox turned down a remarkable package of Victor Robles, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez for Chris Sale so they could take a deal that was arguably even better from the Red Sox, nabbing Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech. Sale will join Rick Porcello and David Price in a loaded Boston rotation.

Then, the White Sox got Giolito and Lopez (plus another pitching prospect, Dane Dunning) anyway when they sent Adam Eaton to DC to fill the Nationals’ center field vacancy. “The weird part for me is that we walk around here, you have a lot of people congratulating you — kindly, with well-intentioned congratulations — whether it’s scouts, or executives from other clubs,” White Sox GM Rick Hahn told a group of reporters, including MLBTR’s Steve Adams. “It’s a little awkward, because we traded Chris Sale. That’s not something you feel great about. That’s not a feather in your cap, so to speak, but this is where we are.”

Yankees agree to sign Chapman to the largest reliever contract ever. The Yankees agreed to terms with flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman on a record-shattering five-year, $86MM deal that includes a no-trade clause for the first three years and an opt-out after the third year. The Marlins’ heavy involvement in the closer market reportedly drove Chapman’s price upward, and there are questions about whether it makes sense for the Yankees to sign an expensive reliever who can opt out just as the team’s strong core of young talent begins to make an impact.

Closer carousel keeps spinning. Kenley Jansen remains a free agent and will be the next to grab headlines when he signs, but several other closers picked new teams this week. Before Chapman’s deal, Mark Melancon was briefly the highest paid reliever ever, thanks to a $62MM deal from the Giants. The Cubs acquired Wade Davis from Kansas City for blocked outfielder Jorge Soler. And the Diamondbacks signed Fernando Rodney. MLBTR’s Jason Martinez recently examined the closer market in the wake of all those moves.

Rockies agree to sign Desmond. The Rockies agreed to sign infielder/outfielder Ian Desmond to a surprising five-year, $70MM deal, giving up the 11th overall pick in next year’s draft in the process. Desmond appears slated to be the Rockies’ first baseman, but that could be subject to change, as the team has been closely connected to free agent Mark Trumbo, the signing of whom could bump Desmond to the outfield. If Desmond were to head to the outfield, they could trade an outfielder such as Charlie Blackmon.

Cardinals sign Fowler. The Cardinals took decisive action to address their center field vacancy this week, landing Dexter Fowler to a five-year, $82.5MM contract with a full no-trade clause. The Cards might not be done making big moves, either — they could pursue another big-name free agent, like Trumbo or Edwin Encarnacion.

These were, of course, far from the only significant moves this week. For many more, check out our Newsstand, which contains notes about Rich Hill to the Dodgers, Wilson Ramos to the Rays, Carlos Beltran to the Astros, Carlos Gomez to the Rangers, Matt Holliday to the Yankees, Tyler Thornburg and Mitch Moreland to the Red Sox, Steve Pearce to the Blue Jays, Joaquin Benoit to the Phillies, and more.

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Here’s a look at the biggest stories from the past week here at MLBTR.

Diamondbacks acquire Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte for Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger and Zac Curtis. Two West division teams pulled off a big deal Wednesday night when the Mariners shipped young pitcher Taijuan Walker and shortstop Ketel Marte to the desert for a package centered around middle infielder Jean Segura. Here’s what GMs Mike Hazen and Jerry Dipoto had to say about the deal, and here are a few reactions to the trade.

Twins to sign Jason Castro. The Twins landed former Astros backstop Jason Castro Tuesday on a three-year, $24.5MM deal in the first significant move of the new Minnesota front office headed by Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. The contract leaves Wilson Ramos, Matt Wieters and Nick Hundley as the top catchers available on the free agent market.

Braves to sign Sean Rodriguez. On Thanksgiving Day, the Braves reached agreement with the former Pirates utilityman on a two-year, $11.5MM contract. He’ll join R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon on the list of veterans added to help the Braves as they move into their new stadium.

Lockout a possibility as CBA talks continue. Owners could consider a player lockout if the two sides are unable to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement by next Thursday, Ken Rosenthal reported. Such a move might not lead to missed games, but it could have a significant effect on the pace of player signings this offseason. ESPN’s Jayson Stark later reported, though, that there was still optimism a deal could be reached.

Blue Jays offered about $80MM to Edwin Encarnacion. The Blue Jays made a significant offer to keep Edwin Encarnacion before ultimately striking a deal with Kendrys Morales. Despite adding Morales, the Jays remain interested in re-signing Encarnacion, with Encarnacion playing first base and Morales at DH. (Also this week, Mark Polishuk looked at Encarnacion’s free agent case in our Free Agent Profile series.)

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Here are the five biggest stories here at MLBTR from the past week.

Braves reach deals with Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey. Several key veterans found new teams this week, and the Braves were perhaps the most active team in acquiring them, grabbing 40-something hurlers Colon and Dickey to eat innings for their 2017 staff. Colon will receive one year and $12.5MM, while Dickey will get $7.5MM for 2017, and $8MM or a $500K buyout for 2018. (The Braves got a veteran arm for their bullpen as well, signing injury-ravaged righty Jordan Walden to a minor league deal for a return engagement.)

Phillies deal for Howie Kendrick. The Dodgers shipped OF/2B/3B Howie Kendrick to the Phillies for the modest price of first baseman Darin Ruf and 2B/OF Darnell Sweeney. (It was the Dodgers’ second trade involving a veteran this week, as they also sent catcher Carlos Ruiz to Seattle for Vidal Nuno.) The rebuilding Phillies cited Kendrick’s versatility as a key to the deal — Kendrick’s ability to play multiple positions gives the team flexibility depending on which young players turn out to warrant regular playing time.

Blue Jays reach deal with Kendrys Morales. The Blue Jays, facing the potential departures of Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Michael Saunders, plugged one hole in their lineup Friday by agreeing to terms with veteran DH Kendrys Morales on a three-year, $33MM deal. (The Blue Jays made a second big move this week, signing heralded Cuban infield prospect Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to a seven-year, $22MM deal.)

Cubs decline Jason Hammel’s option. The Cubs made the somewhat surprising decision to pay Jason Hammel a $2MM buyout rather than exercising his $12MM option. Hammel, who pitched 166 2/3 solid innings in 2016, seemingly would have made a good trade chip at that price, but the Cubs said they preferred to let Hammel pick his next team rather than dealing him.

Rockies hire Bud Black. The Rockies replaced Walt Weiss at manager with Bud Black, entrusting the former pitcher, pitching coach and Padres manager to develop young arms like Jon Gray, Jeff Hoffman and Tyler Anderson.

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