NPB’s Orix Buffaloes Approve Posting Of Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Shortly after losing Game 7 of the Japan Series to the Hanshin Tigers, the Orix Buffaloes announced this morning that they have approved the posting of ace right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to MLB. As noted by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the next step in the process is the formal declaration of a posting window, which will last 45 days upon being announced. Morosi suggests that the announcement could occur in the coming days. Yamamoto has long been expected to enter MLB free agency via the posting system this offseason, though today’s news marks the first official confirmation from the Buffaloes that Yamamoto will be posted.
Yamamoto, 25, has established himself as the clear best pitcher in Japan in recent years. Since making his NPB debut as an 18-year-old in 2017, Yamamoto has posted a career ERA of just 1.72 with a 26.4% strikeout rate. Incredible as those career numbers are, Yamamoto has been even more impressive over the last three seasons: from 2021-23, Yamamoto has posted an eye-popping 1.42 ERA with a 27.4% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 5.1% across 557 2/3 innings of work. His most recent performance saw him record 14 strikeouts while allowing one run on nine hits and zero walks in a complete game for the Buffaloes in Game 6 of the Japan Series.
Scouts have widely regarded Yamamoto as a starter with top-of-the-rotation potential in MLB. Prior to the 2023 season, scouts suggested to Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Yamamoto could be considered a “full grade” ahead of right-hander Kodai Senga, who landed with the Mets on a five-year, $75MM pact last offseason in his first foray into stateside ball. Senga’s age-30 rookie season in MLB proved to be an excellent one, as he posted a 2.98 ERA and 3.63 FIP while striking out 202 batters in 166 1/3 innings of work. Needless to say, the idea of an ace nearly six years Senga’s junior widely regarded as the better pitcher of the two being available via free agency this offseason has to be nothing short of tantalizing for MLB clubs.
MLBTR contributor Dai Takegami Podziewski took a look at Yamamoto in the latest installment of his NPB Players To Watch series back in September, shortly after Yamamoto threw the second no-hitter of his career in front of several MLB scouts. Yamamoto’s unusual youth for a free agent and incredible upside figure to make him one of the most coveted free agents of the 2023-24 offseason. In MLBTR’s most recent Free Agent Power Rankings back in August, we had Yamamoto as the third ranked free agent to be on the board, behind only Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger. The market for Yamamoto is expected to be among the most competitive of the offseason, with the Giants, Mets, and Cardinals among the reported suitors in addition to the Phillies, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Dodgers, Tigers, and Diamondbacks, all of whom he’s been publicly connected to on some level or other throughout his final season before moving stateside.
Dick Drago Passes Away
Former starting pitcher Dick Drago has passed away on Thursday at the age of 78, as noted by Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Drago pitched for the Royals, Red Sox, Angels, Orioles, and Mariners throughout his big league career, which spanned 13 seasons from 1969 to 1981. The Royals and Red Sox both mourned the loss on X this morning, extending sympathies to Drago’s friends and family.
Drago’s big league career began as a member of the inaugural Royals team in 1969, a team for which he quickly emerged as one of the better starting options. Drago posted a 3.77 ERA with a 3.67 FIP across 200 2/3 innings of work during his rookie campaign, throwing 10 complete games and appearing in 41 with 26 starts. He largely repeated those results during the 1970 season with even more volume, pitching to a 3.75 ERA and 3.65 FIP across 240 innings of work.
The righty’s star shined brightest during the 1971 campaign, however. Across 35 appearances (34 starts) for Kansas City that year, Drago posted a 2.98 ERA with a nearly matching 2.99 FIP. He did that across 241 1/3 innings of work, recording 15 complete games with four shutouts among them. Drago’s performance led the Royals to the club’s first season above .500 in the young franchise’s history and earned him a fifth-place finish in AL Cy Young award voting that year while the trophy ultimately went to Vida Blue.
Drago ultimately spent two more seasons in Kansas City, pitching to a 3.58 ERA and 3.47 FIP across a combined 452 innings of work those seasons. In 1974, Drago began his first stint in Boston, which would only last two seasons. That included, of course, the club’s 1975 World Series run that saw them lose the World Series in seven games against the Reds. While Drago pitched just 72 2/3 innings of 3.84 ERA baseball with the Red Sox during the regular season that year, his contributions in four appearances out of the Boston bullpen during the playoffs were far more impressive: Drago allowed just one run in 8 2/3 innings of work across four appearances that postseason against the A’s and Reds.
After converting to relief work in the 1975 season Drago spent two seasons pitching out of the bullpen for the Angels (for whom he gave up the final home run of Hank Aaron‘s career in 1976) and the Orioles, with a 3.99 ERA and 3.86 FIP in 140 innings of work across those two seasons, before returning to Boston in 1978. His second stint with the club lasted three seasons, and saw him do some of his best work as a reliever: he posted identical 3.03 ERAs in back-to-back campaigns in ’78 and ’79 before reaching 100 innings pitched in a season for the first time since 1974, his first season with the Red Sox, during the 1980 campaign, his final in Boston.
Drago’s career then came to a close in 1981, after 39 appearances with the Mariners. Over his 13-season big league career, Drago posted a 3.62 ERA and 3.58 FIP with an above-average ERA+ of 103 across 1875 innings of work. He appeared in 519 games, struck out 987 batters, and accrued 108 wins throughout his career. We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to Drago’s family, friends, fans and former teammates.
Red Sox Decline Club Option On Joely Rodriguez
The Red Sox announced earlier this evening that the club has declined its club option on the services of left-hander Joely Rodriguez for the 2024 season. In lieu of exercising the $4.25MM option, the team will instead pay Rodriguez a $500K buyout to return to the open market.
The decision is hardly a surprising one, even though Rodriguez looked like an interesting pickup for Boston when he was signed to a $2MM guarantee last offseason. At the time of the signing, Rodriguez had spent the prior three seasons with the Rangers, Yankees, and Mets, pitching to a combined 4.28 ERA in 119 games with a sterling 3.14 FIP and a solid 25.5% strikeout rate. While those numbers indicated that the 31-year-old Rodriguez could be at least a solid middle reliever from the left side with perhaps even potential for a higher leverage role, that did not come to pass in 2023.
Instead of reaching the potential he has flashed in the past, Rodriguez suffered through an injury-marred season with the Red Sox this year. After starting the year on the injured list due to an oblique issue, Rodriguez then missed time with a shoulder strain and a recurring hip problem that eventually ended his season. All told, Rodriguez pitched just 11 innings for the Red Sox this year during which he allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 13 hits and six walks while striking out 14.
As Rodriguez returns to the open market, it’s certainly feasible that the lefty could be a quality bullpen arm for a club in 2024 if he manages to get healthy. That being said, between his lost 2023 campaign and past results that trended closer to average than the above-average production his underlying metrics might indicate, it seems likely that Rodriguez will be forced to settle for a minor league deal ahead of his age-32 campaign.
Looking toward the Red Sox, the bullpen in Boston is fairly well set up with Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin both returning for the late innings, not to mention the likes of Garrett Whitlock and Josh Winckowski. That said, with both Rodriguez and Richard Bleier headed to the open market this winter, it’s certainly reasonable to wonder if the club could look for another left-handed relief option to pair with Brennan Bernardino in the bullpen. The free agent market has plenty of options available in the regard, including veteran set-up arms like Matt Moore and Will Smith.
Josh Bell Exercises Player Option With Marlins
Switch-hitting slugger Josh Bell has exercised his player option for the 2024 season, as noted by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. In doing so, Bell has opted to remain with the Marlins, where he figures to be the club’s primary first baseman in 2024, rather than return to the open market this offseason. The Marlins have since announced the news.
Bell’s opt-out was among the more borderline cases this option season, particularly among positional players. Bell, 31, struggled a bit in the first half of the season with the Guardians, slashing just .233/.318/.383 with a below-average wRC+ of just 96 in 393 trips to the plate with Cleveland this season. Bell was then dealt to Miami at the trade deadline, however, and quickly caught fire with the Marlins. In 224 trips to the plate throughout the remainder of the season, Bell slashed .270/.338/.480 (119 wRC+) while doubling his season home run total, from 11 to 22.
While his run in Miami did little to salvage his overall season numbers, leaving him with a 105 wRC+ that was 17th among 24 qualified first basemen this year, the hot 53-game stretch was essentially in line with what Bell had produced in both 2021 and 2022 with the Nationals and Padres. In a relatively weak free-agent class for hitters, that made it at least conceivable that Bell would decline the option and test the open market, where he’d be one of the better first base/DH bats available alongside Brandon Belt. That said, Bell’s final decision wasn’t much of a surprise; a poll of MLBTR readers just before the postseason began indicated that a whopping 72% of respondents believed Bell was better off exercising his 2023 option in pursuit of a stronger platform year in 2024.
For the Marlins, the return of Bell is surely a relief to the club that parted with 2021 first-round pick Kahlil Watson in order to acquire him from the Guardians at the deadline this year. Bell and fellow deadline addition Jake Burger both helped to spark the club’s offense down the stretch in 2023, and with the club’s primary DH in Jorge Soler headed for free agency the duo figures to help anchor the lineup alongside second baseman Luis Arraez.
Of course, more will be needed to help the club reach the postseason for a second consecutive season. The club’s offense ranked 20th in the majors last year with a 94 wRC+, and the loss of Soler’s 126 wRC+ bat will further limit the club’s offensive potential without external additions. While the return of Bell on a one-year, $16.5MM pact leaves the club with less payroll space to facilitate those additions, they still have $20MM in budget space available even if they plan on just matching their 2023 payroll of $110MM, per RosterResource.
Padres Decline Two-Year Club Option On Michael Wacha
The Padres have declined their two-year, $32MM club option on the services of right-hander Michael Wacha for the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Wacha will now have the opportunity to decide between exercising a $6.5MM player option for the 2024 season or hitting the open market, with Lin noting that Wacha is expected to become a free agent.
Wacha first signed with the Padres this past offseason on a four-year, $26MM guarantee, though it now appears likely that deal will wind up being for just one year and $7.5MM. At the time, the 32-year-old righty was coming off his best season in several years after posting a 3.32 ERA and 4.14 FIP across 23 starts with the Red Sox in 2022. Though at the time it was easy to wonder if Wacha would regress back to the 4.62 ERA he had posted from 2016-2021, he managed to build upon his 2022 with an even stronger 2023 season. In 24 starts (134 1/3 innings), Wacha posted a 3.22 ERA that was 27% better than league average by ERA+ with a 3.89 FIP and a 22.4% strikeout rate.
Given that improvement, it’s something of a surprise that the club would decline to retain Wacha on what would have effectively been a two-year, $32MM pact, particularly with both Seth Lugo and Nick Martinez now slated to join Blake Snell in departing San Diego for the open market. Indeed, a poll of MLBTR readers revealed that nearly 44% of respondents expected the Padres to pick up Wacha’s options, a total that edges out the 39% of respondents who suggested that Wacha would return to the open market this offseason.
Of course, it’s necessary to consider the financial component of the move. After all, the Padres seem to be facing budgetary issues this offseason that could require them to pare payroll down to around $200MM. The departures of Lugo and Martinez, along with the club’s decision to decline Wacha’s option, have cut the club’s payroll for 2024 to just over $197MM, per RosterResource. Should Wacha decline his option as expected, that would drop the figure to just under $191MM.
That could allow the club to avoid more drastic changes to cut payroll, such as a possible trade of star left fielder Juan Soto. Of course, a payroll of $200MM would allow them just $9MM of room in the budget to replace three of the club’s regular rotation members and their top depth option for the starting staff, to say nothing of the loss of closer Josh Hader or potential upgrades to the lineup. If the Padres hope to patch the holes in their pitching staff and fine-tune their position player group, it seems reasonable to expect additional moves to trim the club’s payroll.
As for Wacha, he appears poised to join a free agent market that’s particular deep in starting pitching options. While he won’t compete at the top of the market alongside the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Snell, and Aaron Nola, Wacha will add another interesting mid-rotation option to a group that already includes the likes of Lugo, James Paxton, Marcus Stroman, Lucas Giolito and Eduardo Rodriguez in the event that he decides to decline his player option and test the open market.
Pirates Decline Club Option On Jarlin Garcia
The Pirates announced this evening that the club had declined its club option for the 2024 season on left-hander Jarlin Garcia. While Garcia’s option was worth just $3.25MM, the 30-year-old lefty did not pitch in 2023 after being shut down during Spring Training thanks to a nerve issue in his biceps, making the decision to decline the option fairly unsurprising.
Garcia made his big debut with the Marlins back in 2017. Though he struggled to a 4.81 ERA and 5.41 FIP across 119 1/3 innings of work his first two seasons in the majors, Garcia enjoyed a breakout season for Miami back in 2019 with a 3.02 ERA (144 ERA+) and 3.77 FIP across 50 2/3 innings of work. Despite that strong season, the Marlins exposed him to waivers during the 2019-20 offseason the Garcia was claimed by San Francisco.
Garcia continued to improve upon joining the Giants, recording a sensational 0.49 ERA in 18 1/3 innings of work during the shortened 2020 campaign before following that up with a 2.62 ERA and 3.77 FIP over 68 2/3 innings of work in 2021. Unfortunately, Garcia’s results took a turn for the worse in 2022, with a 3.74 ERA and 4.27 FIP across 65 innings of work. While that was still quality production for a middle reliever, the Giants opted to non-tender Garcia last offseason, leading him to sign with the Pirates. Ultimately, he’ll depart Pittsburgh without throwing a pitch for the big league club and return to the open market.
While Garcia has certainly found success as a quality left-handed option out of the bullpen throughout his career, it’s hard to imagine a club guaranteeing Garcia a particularly significant sum for what will be his age-31 campaign in 2024 after he missed the entire 2023 campaign season due to injury. That’s especially true given Garcia’s low strikeout totals throughout his career. While Garcia has managed to get results by keeping the ball on the ground at a 41.8% clip throughout his career, he sports a career strikeout rate of just 19.6%, including a 20.7% rate when he last took the mound during a 2022 season.
In addition to the news regarding Garcia, more details have become available regarding the club’s decision to waive left-hander Angel Perdomo earlier this week. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette relays that the 29-year-old lefty underwent Tommy John surgery last month. After first breaking into the big leagues with the Brewers back in 2020, Perdomo resurfaced with the Pirates this season and impressed out of the club’s bullpen, with a 3.72 ERA and 3.01 FIP in 30 appearances before his season came to an end in August due to elbow discomfort. That discomfort clearly ended up being more serious than initially though, given Perdomo underwent surgery two months later that figures to see him miss at least the majority of the 2024 campaign.
Andrew Heaney Exercises Player Option, Rangers Exercise Club Option On Jose Leclerc
When the Rangers attempt to repeat their 2023 World Series championship next season, they’ll have two more familiar names on the roster. The club announced today that left-handed veteran Andrew Heaney exercised his $13MM player option for the 2024 campaign, while the club picked up a $6.25MM team option on the services of righty reliever Jose Leclerc for next season.
Heaney, 32, was regarded as a borderline candidate to opt out of his final year in Texas and return to the open market this offseason. MLBTR readers were polled on Heaney’s upcoming decision last month, with 62% of respondents suggesting that Heaney ought to exercise his player option for the 2024 campaign and return to the Rangers against 38% suggesting he return to the open market this offseason in search of a more lucrative deal.
It’s certainly an understandable decision. After signing in Texas on the heels of a strong albeit injury-shortened campaign with the Dodgers last year, Heaney managed to stay healthy in 2023 but saw his results take a turn for the worse: while his 147 1/3 innings of work in 2023 more than doubled the 72 2/3 innings of work he posted in LA, his ERA ballooned from 3.10 last year up to 4.15 in 2023 while he struck out just 23.6% of batters faced after striking out a whopping 35.5% with the Dodgers. Given the downturn in results and his lengthy injury history, it was reasonable to wonder if Heaney would simply be better off hoping for a stronger platform season in 2024 rather than wading into a deep class of free agent starting options.
With Heaney locked in as a member of the Rangers pitching staff for 2024, it leaves Texas with a quality, mid-rotation veteran option available to them as a potential Opening Day rotation option next season. With Jordan Montgomery and Martin Perez both heading to the open market and ace righty Jacob deGrom rehabbing Tommy John surgery to open next year, Heaney’s return could theoretically round out a Rangers starting five that already contained Max Scherzer, Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, and Dane Dunning. With that being said, both Heaney and Dunning have seen plenty of time in relief roles in the past, leaving the door open for potential additions to the club’s starting group if they look to re-sign Montgomery or add another front-end starter to pair with Scherzer and Eovaldi atop the club’s rotation.
As for Leclerc, the Rangers’ decision to retain the 29-year-old righty is hardly a surprising one. After struggling in 2019 and missing time in 2020 and 2021 due to a shoulder strain and Tommy John surgery, Leclerc has been nothing short of excellent for the Rangers the past two seasons, with a 2.75 ERA (155 ERA+) and 3.67 FIP in 104 2/3 innings of work the past two seasons. 2023 in particular was a strong season for the righty, as he posted a 2.68 ERA and 3.62 FIP while striking out 28.8% of batters faced. Given those numbers, retaining Leclerc to help anchor the club’s bullpen next season was something of a no-brainer, particularly given the club option Texas holds for his services in 2025.
The bullpen figures to be a major area of focus for the Rangers this offseason. The club’s 4.77 ERA out of the bullpen in 2023 was the seventh-worst figure among all big league clubs, and the Rangers stand to lose flamethrowing closer Aroldis Chapman and veteran set-up options Will Smith and Chris Stratton to the open market this offseason. While the club has some interesting young arms like left-handers Brock Burke and Cody Bradford who could be relied on to help cover innings, the club will need to restock its relief corps with late-inning options who can surround Leclerc. Of course, a hypothetical addition to the starting rotation could help improve the club’s bullpen as well by kicking either Heaney or Dunning into a multi-inning relief role.
Dodgers To Decline Club Option On Alex Reyes
The Dodgers are expected to decline their $3MM club option on the services of right-hander Alex Reyes for the 2024 campaign, instead opting to pay the $100K buyout on the option per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. The club’s decision is hardly a surprise, as Reyes last pitched in the majors back in 2021.
The right-hander’s talent has never been in doubt, as he sports a career 2.86 ERA and 3.87 FIP in the big leagues since making his debut in 2016 and made an All Star appearance as a reliever back in 2021. Unfortunately, Reyes has simply not been able to remain on the field often enough to fully reach his potential; despite making his big league debut nine years ago, the righty has accrued just 145 innings of work in the big leagues due to an assortment of long-term injuries over the years. In addition to missing the entire 2017, 2022, and 2023 campaigns, Reyes managed just seven innings of work between 2018 and 2019.
Most recently, Reyes underwent shoulder surgery back in June and is not expected to return to a big league mound until mid-way through the 2024 campaign at the earliest. Reyes is headed into his age-29 season next year, and could once again be a candidate for a contract that offers a guaranteed year with a club option similar to the $1.1MM pact he landed with the Dodgers on this past offseason. Of course, now that Reyes hasn’t pitched in the majors in two-and-a-half seasons, it’s at least fair to wonder if he’ll be limited to minor league pacts this winter.
Reyes is far from the only injured relief option the Dodgers have to decide on in the coming days, as option decisions on both Blake Treinen and Daniel Hudson are set to come due as well. Like Reyes, Treinen was unable to pitch in the majors this year following shoulder surgery, while Hudson managed to return for three innings before returning to the injured list with a knee sprain. The Dodgers hold a $6.5MM club option on Hudson, who is undecided on whether he’ll continue to pitch in 2024, that’s likely to be declined. Meanwhile, the option on Treinen’s services is set to be valued at somewhere between $1MM and $7MM, though given the veteran hurler didn’t pitch in 2023, it’s expected to land toward the lower end of that range.
Reds Re-Sign Tony Santillan To Minors Deal
The Reds announced earlier this evening that the club has re-signed right-hander Tony Santillan to the a minor-league contract. The deal includes an invitation to Spring Training in 2024. Santillan, 26, was designated for assignment by the club back in August and outrighted back in September.
Santillan, a second-round pick by the Reds in the 2015 draft, began his career in the minor leagues as a full-time starter before converting into more of a swing role in 2021. Upon making his major league debut with Cincinnati that year, he made four starts alongside 22 relief appearances for a total of 43 1/3 innings of work. Santillan’s run prevention numbers were nothing short of excellent during that time, with a 2.91 ERA despite a mediocre 4.62 FIP. The solid performance earned Santillan a spot in the club’s Opening Day bullpen in 2022, though he managed just 19 1/3 innings of work before being sidelined with a low back strain for the remainder of the season, ending the year with a 5.49 ERA and 4.08 FIP.
That back injury carried into the 2023 campaign, leaving Santillan behind on his throwing program as he opened the season on the injured list. Santillan was eventually activated in July, though he ultimately made just three appearances with the Reds this year, throwing 3 1/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA while recording just one strikeout against one walk. Upon his demotion to Louisville, he struggled badly with a 7.88 ERA in 32 innings throughout the rest of the season.
Despite those brutal numbers in the minors to end his season, there’s certainly reason to believe Santillan could be a solid bullpen piece for the club in 2024 given his previous big league success and relative youth. With such a lengthy injury history since making his major league debut, Santillan enters the 2024 campaign as something of an unknown commodity but figures to compete for a spot in the club’s bullpen alongside established relievers like Alexis Diaz, Lucas Sims, and Sam Moll. After a surprisingly competitive 2023 campaign in Cincinnati, the club could look to upgrade their bullpen this offseason after the club’s relief corps posted a middle-of-the-pack 4.11 ERA this past season. Though Santillan’s return is unlikely to move the needle much in terms of impact, it shores up the club’s bullpen depth with a young arm who could be a solid middle reliever if he can recapture his 2021 form.
Cubs Outright Three Players
The Cubs have assigned right-handers Jeremiah Estrada and Nick Burdi as well as infielder Jared Young outright to the minor leagues, reports Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Burdi has the requisite service time to reject the assignment and elect free agency, while Estrada and Young will have the opportunity to enter minor league free agency later this month unless added back to the 40-man roster. The club’s 40-man roster now stands at 37.
Estrada, who celebrated his 25th birthday yesterday, was a sixth-round pick by Chicago in the 2017 draft. Estrada dealt with elbow troubles early in his career before being hospitalized with COVID-19 in August 2021, leaving him with just 40 professional innings prior to the 2022 campaign. Estrada’s rise in 2022 was impressive, however, as he posted a 1.30 ERA while striking out 40.4% of batters faced in 48 1/3 innings of work across three levels of the minors that year. The reliever’s exceptional minor league numbers earned him a brief cup of coffee with the big league club last season, during which he posted a solid 3.18 ERA and a 4.17 FIP over 5 2/3 innings of work.
Estrada’s strong 2022 earned him a longer audition as a member of the Chicago bullpen this season, though his stint in the majors did not go well with a 6.75 ERA and a 9.07 FIP as he walked a whopping 12 batters in 10 2/3 innings of work across 12 appearances. His minor league numbers also suffered, with a 5.97 ERA in 28 2/3 Triple-A innings of work, though he still struck out 31.5% of batters faced at the level this season. In the event Estrada hits free agency, he figures to be an attractive candidate for a minor league deal to clubs interested in adding relief depth thanks to his youth and big strikeout numbers in the minor leagues.
Burdi, 30, was a second-round pick by the Twins in the 2014 draft and eventually made his big league debut with the Pirates in 2018. He managed just 16 appearances from 2018-20 due to injuries, posting a 9.49 ERA along the way. Ugly as his run prevention numbers were, he struck out 38.3% of batters faced over that time. Burdi did not pitch in 2021 or 2022 due to injuries, but joined the Cubs through the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft last offseason. Unfortunately, Burdi managed just three innings of work before once again hitting the injured list, this time due to appendicitis. Overall, Burdi sports a career 9.39 ERA in 15 1/3 major league innings.
Young, 28, was a 15th-round pick by the Cubs in the 2017 draft and first made his major league debut in a six-game cup of coffee last year, slashing .263/.364/.368 in his 22 trips to the plate in the majors. That slash line more or less reflected his numbers at Triple-A that year, where he posted a .230/.311/.420 slash line in 109 games. Young returned to the Cubs at the Triple-A level and took a step forward with the bat, crushing the ball to the tune of a .310/.417/.577 slash line with 21 home runs in just 90 games. Unfortunately, that success did not translate to the big league level, where he hit just .186/.255/.465 across sixteen games. Nonetheless, Young could be an attractive candidate for teams on a minor league deal this offseason due to his strong Triple-A numbers and ability to play capable defense at all four corners.