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Naoyuki Uwasawa Signs With NPB’s SoftBank Hawks

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Right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa’s foray into North American ball will come to a close after one season. The SoftBank Hawks of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball announced this week that they’ve signed the 30-year-old righty to a four-year contract (link via The Mainichi).

Uwasawa signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Rays last offseason as he looked to make the jump to Major League Baseball on the heels of a nice nine-year run with NPB’s Nippon-Ham Fighters. He only spent spring training with Tampa Bay, however, as he triggered an assignment clause in his minor league deal at the end of camp when he was told he wouldn’t make the team. That prompted a trade to the Red Sox, who sent cash back to the Rays and selected Uwasawa to the 40-man roster the following day.

Uwasawa only wound up pitching in two games with Boston. He gave the Red Sox four innings of one-run ball across those two appearances but didn’t get a longer look, due in large part to his struggles down in Triple-A Worcester. The soft-tossing righty was hammered for a 7.63 ERA over 59 1/3 innings, during which time he fanned 16.8% of his opponents against a 12.9% walk rate. For a pitcher who was never a big strikeout arm in Japan but offset the lack of punchouts with sharp command, the walks were as uncharacteristic as they were problematic.

The Red Sox passed Uwasawa through waivers unclaimed in July. He was assigned outright to Triple-A and became a minor league free agent at season’s end. While there may have been some interest from other MLB clubs on a minor league deal, a four-year guarantee to return home to Japan understandably appears to have been too tempting for the right-hander to overlook.

Uwasawa will head back to Japan and look to build on what’s already a fine track record in NPB. He’s pitched 1118 1/3 innings at Japan’s top level and turned in a 3.19 ERA, a 70-62 record, a 19.7% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate (though his strikeout rate has dwindled as his walk rate has improved further in recent NPB seasons).

Yankees Notes: Williams, Loaisiga, Bellinger, Trevino

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It’s been a frenetic week-plus for the Yankees, who over the past ten days have watched Juan Soto sign with the Mets and quickly pivoted to bring lefty Max Fried, closer Devin Williams and first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger into the fold. There’s still more on the Yankees’ short-term to-do list, but Williams also offered a glimpse at a potential conversation that could be had in the coming months. Asked by the YES Network’s Jack Curry about the possibility of signing a long-term contract in the Bronx, Williams replied that it’s “definitely an option.” As it stands, he’s heading into his final season of club control before free agency.

Williams has been one of the game’s most dominant relievers since making his debut. The 2020 National League Rookie of the Year ranks in the top-three of all big league pitchers (min. 200 innings) in both ERA (1.83, second) and strikeout rate (39.4%, third) since coming into the league.

Detractors might point to Williams surrendering what was effectively a season-ending home run to Pete Alonso against the Mets in the NLDS, but it’s rare for the righty to falter in that manner. Since 2020, his first full big league season, no pitcher in baseball has a higher win probability added than Williams. He’s been placed into 138 save/hold situations in his career and only blown the opportunity 10 times. Broadly speaking, Williams has done his best work in high-leverage spots, that lasting memory from the ’24 postseason notwithstanding.

A pitcher with Williams’ stuff and track record should have the opportunity to command one of the largest deals ever for a reliever next winter — provided he maintains that standard in his first season with the Yankees. Williams will pitch nearly all of this season at 30 years of age, turning 31 in September. Age and perhaps some health questions — he missed three months in 2024 with multiple stress fractures in his back — might keep him from quite reaching the same heights that Edwin Diaz (five years, $102MM) and his former teammate Hader (five years, $95MM) reached in free agency. Diaz was 29 in the first year of his contract. Hader was 30.

Still, Williams could reasonably expect to command at least four years, if not five, and he’d be able to push into the rarefied air of $16-20MM average annual values for relievers that have only been attainable for the game’s truly elite stoppers over the past few years. Diaz, Hader, Wade Davis, Liam Hendriks, Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman are the only relievers to command multi-year deals with AAVs of $16MM or more.

Whether the two sides will actually get into serious negotiations is an open question, but Williams’ ostensible openness is of some note. He’s projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $7.7MM in his final arbitration this coming season, and one would presume he and his reps at Klutch Sports are eyeing an annual salary of $18MM or more for his free agent seasons. It’d be a costly endeavor, but the Yankees have been willing to make huge commitments to the bullpen in the past (e.g. Chapman, Zack Britton).

Elsewhere in the Yankee bullpen is another potentially dominant arm: righty Jonathan Loaisiga. The Yanks more quietly re-signed the Nicaraguan-born righty this month. He’s currently eight months removed from an internal brace procedure to repair a UCL tear in his right elbow. Pitching coach Matt Blake told reporters today, including Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, that the aim is for Loaisiga to be back in the Yankees’ big league bullpen by late April or early May.

The 30-year-old Loaisiga has only reached 50 innings in one big league season but has been excellent when healthy enough to take the ball. Dating back to 2020, the oft-injured righty sports a 2.98 ERA with a below-average 20.3% strikeout rate but a strong 6.5% walk rate and an elite 58% ground-ball rate. Since largely shelving his four-seamer in favor of a sinker, Loaisiga has averaged a blazing 98.1 mph on that sinker, also employing a changeup to help keep lefties off balance. It seems the current expectation is for Loaisiga to open the season on the injured list, but it may not be a particularly lengthy stay, based on the current trajectory of his rehab.

Of course, the headline-grabbing news of the week in the Bronx — beyond finalizing their eight-year deal with Fried and introducing him at a press conference today — was the Yankees’ completion of a trade to bring Bellinger to the Bronx. Rumors of talks between the Yankees and Cubs were plentiful, particularly once Soto signed with the Mets. The two teams finally lined up on a deal yesterday afternoon.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted not long after the trade that the Yankees had informed Bellinger he’ll be utilized in center field. General manager Brian Cashman pushed back on that today following the Fried presser (link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com), stating that there’s no firm decision on Bellinger’s defensive home. He could play any of center field, left field or first base for the Yankees next season, and that decision will be contingent on what the Yankees are able to accomplish throughout the remainder of the offseason. FOX Sports’ Deesha Thosar adds that manager Aaron Boone spoke to Bellinger last night, and Bellinger informed his new skipper he’s open to playing wherever needed.

That flexibility, plus the flexibility provided by Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s ability to play multiple spots, leaves Cashman a vast array of possibilities for the remainder of the offseason. The Yankees are reportedly intrigued by several free agent first basemen but could look to the outfield market and also have other areas of depth from which they could trade. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com suggests that catcher Jose Trevino, for instance, could find himself on the trade block in the weeks ahead.

There’s been some speculation that the Yankees could deal from their catching depth this winter, and they’ve already moved one of the five catchers they had on their 40-man roster, sending Carlos Narvaez to the Red Sox for a minor league pitcher and some international bonus pool space. With Austin Wells emerging as the starter behind the plate and backstops J.C. Escarra and Jesus Rodriguez joining Trevino on the 40-man roster, there’s still a good bit of depth. (That doesn’t even include catcher/first baseman Ben Rice, or catching prospect Rafael Flores, who’s not on the 40-man but just had a big season in Double-A.)

To be clear, there’s no indication that Trevino is expressly being shopped. But catching depth is always at a premium around the league, and this offseason’s market is particularly thin. The Yankees are a surefire luxury payor, and while Trevino’s projected $3.4MM salary (again, via Swartz) isn’t excessive, moving him could cut the Yankees’ spending by around $7MM after accounting for the CBT.

The 32-year-old Trevino hit just .215/.288/.354 in 234 plate appearances last year but graded out as a plus-plus defender. The 2022 Platinum Glove winner is a free agent after the season, and with a wealth of young catching options in Wells, Escarra, Rodriguez and Flores, it’d be understandable if the Yanks leveraged that depth by moving Trevino for some bullpen help or depth in another area of need.

KBO’s NC Dinos Sign Logan Allen

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The NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization announced Wednesday that they’ve signed left-hander Logan S. Allen (not to be confused with current Guardians lefty Logan T. Allen) to a one-year contract (hat tip: Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net). Allen is represented by Roc Nation Sports. He’ll be guaranteed $700K between his salary and signing bonus, and he can earn another $300K worth of incentives.

It’ll be the first stint overseas for the 27-year-old Allen — a former top prospect who’s now bounced to seven different MLB organizations in his career, appearing in the majors with four of them. Allen spent the 2024 season with the Diamondbacks, pitching 28 innings of 5.46 ERA ball in the majors and adding another 96 1/3 frames at the Triple-A level.

Allen breezed through the lower minors and had a terrific season between Double-A and Triple-A as a 21-year-old back in 2018, but his results both in the majors and in Triple-A have generally been subpar since that time. He altered his repertoire this past season, however, debuting a new splitter that seems to have caught the Dinos’ attention. The pitch generated strong results and drew positive grades from both Statcast and Sports Info Solutions. The Dinos mentioned it in their press release, wherein GM Seon-nam Lim noted that Allen is expected to join their rotation.

Allen heads over the the KBO for his age-28 season, giving him plenty of time to potentially parlay a strong showing in Asia into a big league return. He’d hardly be the first player to do so. Because Allen debuted in the majors less than a month after his 22nd birthday, he’s perhaps younger than many fans might expect of a journeyman who’s been with seven MLB organizations over a nearly decade-long pro career. If he can make further gains with that new split-changeup, it’s feasible that he could garner a look from big league clubs in future offseasons.

Yankees, Colten Brewer Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees have agreed to a minor league deal with righty Colten Brewer, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The ISE client will be back for a second stint with the Yankees and will receive an invite to big league camp next spring.

Brewer, 32, pitched 8 1/3 innings with the Yankees in 2023 and spent the bulk of that season with their Triple-A affiliate. He spent the 2024 campaign with the Cubs, pitching 20 2/3 innings with a grim 5.66 ERA but a more encouraging 23.2% strikeout rate versus a 9.5% walk rate. The 6’4″ righty has pitched in parts of six big league seasons for four teams, compiling 120 innings of 5.10 ERA ball.

Though Brewer doesn’t have a standout MLB track record, he’s been solid in parts of seven Triple-A seasons, working 164 2/3 innings with a 4.10 ERA, a 26.6% strikeout rate and a 9.5% walk rate. He averaged 94.3 mph on his heater this past season and, like many Yankees pitching targets, has shown a repeated penchant for inducing ground-balls. Just over half the batted balls put into play against Brewer in his big league career have been grounders (50.1%).

With the exception of an uncharacteristic six homers in 25 2/3 innings in 2020, Brewer has done a good job of both keeping the ball in the yard and avoiding hard contact. He yielded just a 31.9% hard-hit rate in Triple-A this past season and an even stingier 28.3% mark with the Yankees in 2023. Overall, Brewer was excellent with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2023, recording 20 2/3 innings of 1.80 ERA ball for the Yankees’ top affiliate that year. He parlayed that success into a run with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan but returned stateside this past season.

Obviously, Brewer’s minor league deal is far from the most impactful Yankees news of the day. However, he’ll give the Yanks an experienced reliever with a nice Triple-A track record and plenty of grounders to stash in the upper minors. Brewer has pitched in six of the past seven MLB seasons — 2022 being the lone exception — and ought to be in line for a call should the Yankees need an extra arm in the event of injuries and/or a stretch that heavily taxes the big league bullpen.

Third Base Options For The A’s

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After largely sleepwalking through recent offseasons, the A’s have woken up ahead of their temporary move to West Sacramento with splashes both in the free-agent market and trade market. Luis Severino (three years, $67MM) and Jeffrey Springs (Joe Boyle, Will Simpson, Jacob Watters, Competitive Balance draft pick) now stand atop the rotation depth chart.

Some of the maneuvering could be due to a desire to draw in fans from a new market. Some could be early groundwork to convince the eventual long-term fans in Las Vegas that this isn’t the same spendthrift A’s club we saw in Oakland. More realistically, a good portion of the spending is simply to boost payroll enough to avoid a grievance from the MLBPA. The A’s already had their status as a revenue-sharing recipient revoked once after failing to sufficiently utilize the funds they receive from that arena; they were only reinstated as a recipient in the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement.

With that in mind, it’s worth looking ahead to what the remainder of the offseason might hold. General manager David Forst was candid about his desire to add a third baseman last week, and he stated that he’s open to further rotation moves as well. With regard to third base, the A’s have plenty of options but will likely need to get creative. The two most oft-discussed third base options on the market right now are free agent Alex Bregman and trade candidate Nolan Arenado.

The A’s might be spending, but they’re almost certainly not going to dole out the $200MM+ required to sign Bregman. Arenado, meanwhile, has a full no-trade clause and would need to green-light a trade to the A’s in order to spend the next three seasons playing in a Triple-A facility. Arenado’s agent, Joel Wolfe, suggested that if a trade indeed comes together, his client will want it to be to a team capable of being a perennial contender. The A’s have made some waves this winter, but I don’t think anyone’s convinced they fit that description just yet.

So, where could they turn? Let’s run down some of the in-house options and handful of potential outside fits who could jump to the front of the line for playing time…

In-House Candidates

Darell Hernaiz, Max Schuemann, Brett Harris, CJ Alexander

A click through the results that quartet posted this past season will reveal why the A’s are so open to the idea of adding at the hot corner. Each of Hernaiz, Schuemann and Harris logged over 100 plate appearances with the A’s. None hit well in the majors. Harris and Hernaiz hit some in Triple-A, but both are generally regarded as fringey prospects for different reasons. Harris is a good defender and has good bat-to-ball skills but offers little power and plodding speed. Hernaiz has an even better hit tool with more power but far more questions about his glovework. Alexander was an August waiver claim who’s already 27 and has all of eight MLB plate appearances. He ripped apart Triple-A pitching this year but struggled in his first taste of that level as a 26-year-old in 2023.

Free Agency Route

Paul DeJong: Big flies, slick plays and punchouts galore. Anyone who signs DeJong at this point in the 31-year-old’s career knows that’s what they’re getting. DeJong has fanned in at least 30% of his plate appearances in each of the past three seasons. He’s also slugged 44 home runs in his past 1119 plate appearances and delivered strong glovework on the left side of the infield. He’s typically been a shortstop, but both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average were bullish on his defense in 328 1/3 innings at third base last year between the White Sox and Royals. DeJong can very likely be had on a one-year deal, and the allure of an everyday gig to begin the season would hold appeal, given that many of his suitors are going to view him as more of a bench piece.

Yoan Moncada: This is the biggest upside play on this winter’s crop of options at the hot corner. Moncada is still 29 years old (30 in May). He was the consensus top prospect in the sport at one point and was so touted as a prospect that the Red Sox paid more than $60MM (signing bonus and penalty taxes combined) to sign him under the former iteration of MLB’s international bonus pool system. Moncada looked like a star in 2019 and 2021 but has battled injuries since. Dating back to Opening Day 2022, he’s posted a .236/.291/.387 slash. He’s been playing Winter Ball in Puerto Rico, but Francys Romero reported that he’s stepping away — in part because of an injury scare after fouling a ball into his right foot recently but also perhaps because he’s on the cusp of an agreement with a big league team. Moncada can’t be too picky about where he plays, and of all the names available on short-term deals, he’s the one who could most plausibly erupt with a rebound that turns him into a coveted trade candidate.

Jorge Polanco: At 31 (32 in July), Polanco isn’t as “upside-y” as Moncada, but he has a longer track record of hitting in the big leagues. From 2018-23, the switch-hitter slashed .270/.338/.455 for the Twins — highlighted by a 33-homer season in 2021. He became the latest established hitter to flop following a trade to Seattle, though October knee surgery revealed that perhaps there was more than just the pitcher-friendly environment impacting his struggles. Polanco’s agency says he’s healthy now and he very superficially looks the part — MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes and I saw him multiple times at the Winter Meetings in Dallas as he met with interested clubs — and if so, he should be a strong rebound candidate. Polanco hit .255/.335/.454 as recently as 2023. The Astros are one team considering him as a third base option, and the A’s could do the same. Polanco could also be insurance at second base, should Zack Gelof’s 2024 struggles continue.

Josh Rojas: The 30-year-old Rojas hasn’t hit much these past two seasons (.234/.304/.337), but he’s played the heck out of third base for the D-backs and the Athletics’ division-rival Mariners. Like Polanco, he has ample experience at second base and can provide a safety net in the event that Gelof struggles. Rojas was non-tendered by the Mariners as they look for offensive upgrades in the infield while facing tight budgetary constraints from ownership. From 2021-22 in Arizona, he hit .266/.345/.401 (106 wRC+) while walking in nearly 11% of his plate appearances. If he can come close to that level of production while replicating his brilliant 2024 defense (+6 DRS, +7 OAA), he’d be a steal at the one-year deal he’ll likely command.

Trade Route

Brett Baty, Mets: The former No. 12 overall pick (2019) and longtime top prospect has mustered only a .215/.282/.325 line in his first 602 MLB plate appearances, although those have been spread across three seasons. Baty is a .273/.368/.531 hitter in 416 Triple-A plate appearances and has shown improving strike zone awareness even in the majors. He walked at a 9.4% clip last year and cut his strikeout rate from 28% in 2023 down to 24.6% in 2024. Baty fanned in 21.2% of his Triple-A plate appearances and walked at a 12.4% clip in 2024. The emergence of Mark Vientos has at least temporarily blocked Baty’s path to the majors, although if Pete Alonso signs elsewhere in free agency, then Vientos could slide to first base and create another chance for Baty. Still, the Mets are getting hits on Baty, and they’re likely open to moving him for the right return. He wouldn’t help the A’s boost payroll, as he’s not yet into arbitration … but if the A’s wanted to take on a portion of Starling Marte’s contract to lower the cost to acquire Baty, the Mets might have interest in that.

Alec Bohm, Phillies: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Can’t blame the Phillies for reportedly asking about Mason Miller when talking to the A’s about Bohm — just as you can’t blame them for reportedly looking at Logan Gilbert and George Kirby in Seattle. It doesn’t sound as though the Phils have a realistic price tag on Bohm right now, but that could change as the winter wears on. If they get to the point where they’d look at moving Bohm for some optionable back-of-the-rotation arms, the scenario becomes more plausible. Bohm is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $8.1MM next year. The Phillies are looking to shake up their offense and could move Bohm to address other needs and create an opening for a new acquisition of their own.

Willi Castro/Jose Miranda, Twins: The Twins are deep in infielders. They’re almost certainly not going to move former No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis or Brooks Lee, the No. 8 pick from the 2022 draft. Carlos Correa is entrenched at shortstop, and the Twins have repeatedly downplayed speculation about a trade regarding their highest-paid player. Castro makes more sense as a trade candidate, given that he’s entering his final season of club control and projected to earn $6.2MM as the Twins face payroll issues amid a potential sale. But, he can play anywhere on the field, is beloved in the clubhouse and just hit .251/.344/.395 with good defense and plus baserunning across the past two seasons. Miranda could be a go-to bat at first base; he excelled as a rookie in 2022, didn’t hit in 2023 before undergoing shoulder surgery, and bounced back with a .284/.322/.441 line in a resurgent 2024. The Twins still have Edouard Julien as a potential option at first base. Top infield prospect Luke Keaschall is rising quickly. They could move one of Miranda or Castro and possibly even pair him with Chris Paddack to fill multiple needs for the A’s while trimming payroll and adding some young talent in the process.

Nolan Gorman, Cardinals: All the talk in St. Louis is about trading Arenado to open playing time for young hitters, but what about possibly trading some of those young hitters themselves? Gorman feels like a change of scenery candidate after being unable to solidify himself as a big leaguer despite looks in three different seasons. He has clear plus power but some notable contact issues. The Cards, even if they move Arenado, might like to get Jordan Walker back to third base and could prefer Thomas Saggese or Brendan Donovan at second base. This year’s first-round pick, JJ Wetherholt, could rise quickly. We’re also still only four months removed from president of baseball operations John Mozeliak saying this about Gorman before optioning him to Triple-A:

“Obviously, it’s a game of production up here and at some point, you’ve got to consistently produce, or we have to find someone who can. I mean, that’s what it ultimately comes down to, and these are hard messages to hear. It can be frustrating, but this is what ends up defining you. With our offensive struggles this year, I think you can strictly look at the inability for consistent performance, day in and day out.”

Mozeliak has since changed his tune, telling The Athletic’s Katie Woo earlier this winter that the club hoped to get Gorman close to 600 plate appearances next season. Even if that’s true, Gorman has had multiple auditions and hasn’t yet claimed a spot. Walker, Saggese and Wetherholt are all in the mix for playing time around shortstop Masyn Winn and first baseman Willson Contreras (Wetherholt more in the second half of 2025). If the A’s offer the right young player(s), they’d have a chance at buying four years of Gorman. As with Baty, he wouldn’t do anything to bump payroll (unless paired up with, say, Steven Matz), but he’s an intriguing candidate.

Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pirates: Had the Pirates known Hayes would run into chronic back troubles that would send him to the IL five times over the first three seasons of his contract extension, they’d have thought twice about guaranteeing the former top prospect $70MM. Hindsight is 20/20. At the time of the extension, Hayes was a recent top pick who’d hit .282/.342/.432 through his first 506 plate appearances while playing flat-out elite defense. The plus-plus glovework is still there, but in a possible 482 games since putting pen to paper, Hayes has suited up just 352 times and batted .250/.303/.369 in that time. He’s still owed $43MM over the next five years on what was a front-loaded contract extension. That front-loading will make him easier to trade than a more conventional backloaded deal, and Hayes’ sensational glovework gives him a high floor whenever he’s on the field. The always payroll-crunched Bucs surely wouldn’t mind escaping the remainder of this deal.

Casey Schmitt, Giants: Another former high pick with big defensive skills, Schmitt has posted a tepid .219/.264/.369 slash in 390 big league plate appearances across the past two seasons. His defensive grades at shortstop have been surprisingly down for a player whom scouting reports praised in that regard, but plenty of plus defensive shortstops slide down the defensive spectrum to third base in the majors. Schmitt has strong grades for his small sample of 296 MLB frames at the hot corner. He’s a career .286/.343/.460 hitter in Triple-A. The Giants have nowhere to put him except in a utility role, now that Matt Chapman and Willy Adames own the left side of the infield and Tyler Fitzgerald is ticketed for regular work at second base. That might be a fine role for Schmitt, too, but the Giants have other candidates for that role. You could argue 27-year-old David Villar also works for the A’s, but he’s older and has failed in the majors in a larger sample; he’s also out of minor league options and doesn’t have near Schmitt’s defensive acumen. Schmitt is another player who won’t do anything to add to the payroll, but he’s a recently well regarded prospect who’s now blocked from a path to regular playing time.

Breslow: Red Sox Still Pursuing Starters, Right-Handed Bats

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The Red Sox came up short in free agent pursuits of Juan Soto and Max Fried, but they made their first major strike of the offseason when they pried Garrett Crochet from the White Sox in exchange for a package of four prospects headlined by catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery — their top picks in each of the past two drafts. Boston now controls Crochet through the 2026 season, making him a multi-year contributor alongside Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and perhaps Lucas Giolito — depending on his 2026 option. The Sox, however, don’t plan to stop there. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM today that he’s still in the market for more rotation help (audio link).

“Teams that win in the postseason, they pitch,” said Breslow. “The ability to build out both quality and depth in our rotation is something that’s going to serve us well over the season. I think we saw what happened last year, when later in the season, our bullpen got tired and we had a couple unfortunate injuries with our rotation. We didn’t quite have the depth built up to step in and replace them. So, that’s a focus of ours. We’ll continue to be aggressive in pursuing starting pitching, but we’ll also start to shift our focus to continuing to address the bullpen.”

Breslow’s comments align with recent reporting on the Sox’ offseason efforts. In the week since landing Crochet, they’ve been connected to trade candidate Luis Castillo and to free agents John Means and Jack Flaherty. They were previously reported to be readying an offer to Corbin Burnes. Means, coming off early June UCL surgery, would be a pure depth addition with an eye toward the late stages of the 2025 season. Burnes, Flaherty or Castillo, clearly, would represent a potential major upgrade to a rotation already including Crochet, Giolito, Houck, Bello and Crawford.

Giolito is recovering from his own UCL procedure and might not be ready for Opening Day. Even if the Sox get a relatively healthy season out of him, there’s reason to think they could use another starter. Injuries on the starting staff are practically inevitable, first and foremost. Beyond that, Giolito’s workload will probably be managed in his first post-surgery season. Crochet’s 2024 season was his first full, healthy season as a starter. Another established arm would allow Boston to ease Giolito into the mix and provide some extra insurance should one of the other starters get hurt.

Addressing the pitching staff has been just one of multiple stated goals throughout the winter. The focus on Soto and the rotation clearly took priority, but Breslow is still mindful of needs within the lineup. “Also, we’ll take a look at trying to balance out the lineup a little bit and potentially do that via the addition of a right-handed bat,” he added during his radio hit.

Certainly, the pursuit of balancing the lineup and upgrading the pitching staff could be intertwined. Boston has explored trade possibilities involving both Triston Casas and Wilyer Abreu this offseason. Moving a left-handed bat could clear a path for the Sox to sign a righty-swinging outfielder like Teoscar Hernandez (if they deal from the outfield) or to move Rafael Devers across the diamond to first base (if they move Casas). That, in turn, could free up the possibility to trade for Nolan Arenado or to sign Alex Bregman in free agency. Boston could take the more direct approach of adding a right-handed bat to play second base while waiting on the development/arrival of top prospect Kristian Campbell (who can play multiple positions anyhow).

There are various avenues for Breslow & Co. to explore, but the second-year baseball operations leader’s comments Tuesday only reinforce that the Crochet acquisition was the first of what should be several notable offseason transactions.

Latest On Teoscar Hernandez

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The thinking that Teoscar Hernandez would sign early in the offseason or in the immediate aftermath of Juan Soto’s decision has not played out as such. The 32-year-old slugger remains unsigned, reportedly juggling interest from at least the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees to this point in the winter. Hernandez and the incumbent Dodgers have been unable to bridge a gap in Hernandez’s asking price and the team’s offer. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com adds further context, reporting that Hernandez is seeking a three-year deal that’ll guarantee him $22-24MM annually.

A three-year deal in $66-72MM range would generally dovetail with expectations. Hernandez’s agent, Rafa Nieves, already stated earlier in the offseason that Hernandez had been seeking three years last offseason when they pivoted and took a one-year deal in Los Angeles. A three-year deal on the heels of the slugger’s rebound campaign in L.A. seemed (and still seems) reasonable, even though he’s now headed into his age-32 season after rejecting a qualifying offer (and thus attaching himself to draft pick compensation). That $22-24MM range would align with last year’s $23MM salary (though some of that was deferred, dinging the net present value a bit).

With Soto off the board, Hernandez and fellow slugger Anthony Santander are the top corner outfield bats on the free agent market. Santander is two years younger but is also reportedly seeking a five-year deal after swatting 44 homers for the Orioles in 2024. Both players rejected QOs. Hernandez is the more affordable of the two but is also older and more strikeout-prone. The presence of Cody Bellinger on the trade market and the recent emergence of the now-traded Kyle Tucker might’ve combined to slow things down for Hernandez’s market, speculatively speaking.

Hernandez turned in a .272/.339/.501 slash with a career-high 33 home runs last season before going on to hit .250/.352/.417 in postseason play. His 28.8% strikeout rate was an improvement over his 31.1% mark from 2023 but still sat about six percentage points higher than league average. His 8.1% walk rate was the second-best of his career but fell right in line with the 8.2% league average. At this point, teams can expect plus power, a below-average walk rate and more strikeouts than they’d prefer from Hernandez. He drew well below-average marks for his defense, but Hernandez has plus speed and above-average arm strength, per Statcast, so a team might think there’s enough raw talent to coax some better performance out of him.

The defensive concerns do make a multi-year reunion with the Dodgers a potentially problematic pairing, however. Hernandez has said he hopes to return — and the Dodgers are clearly open to a reunion. Beating the rest of the market when Hernandez is already 32 and there’s no DH opportunity thanks to the presence of Shohei Ohtani could make a long-term arrangement worrisome for Los Angeles in a way that’s not the case with other Hernandez suitors.

Braves, Jordan Weems Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Braves have agreed to a minor league deal with free agent righty Jordan Weems, per MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes. He’ll be in major league camp as a non-roster invitee in spring training. Weems is represented by O’Connell Sports Management.

Weems, who just turned 32, has spent the past three seasons with the Nationals, for whom he’s totaled 136 innings with a 5.03 ERA, 22.9% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate out of the bullpen. He’s averaged 96.4 mph on his heater during that time, primarily coupling the pitch with a slider that’s averaged 87.7 mph in that same span. Washington passed Weems through waivers back in August, and he became a free agent following the season, as was his right as an outrighted player with three-plus years of big league service time.

Weems’ most effective season came with the Nats in 2023, when he pitched a career-high 54 2/3 big league innings with a 3.62 ERA and 25.9% strikeout rate. That solid showing was bookended by a pair of rough years with ERAs north of 5.00, however. During his three years with the Nationals organization, he’s also pitched to a 3.27 earned run average in 77 Triple-A frames.

The Braves have clearly been operating on a tight budget this winter, looking to stockpile depth in the outfield and bullpen on low-cost deals. Weems joins Enoli Paredes and Ray Kerr as non-roster invitees who’ve signed in the wake of Joe Jimenez’s knee surgery, which will cost the righty most and possibly all of the 2025 season. (Kerr is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will be out until the summer as well.) Atlanta has also inked outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and righty Connor Gillispie to split (non-guaranteed) major league contracts with low salaries.

At present, RosterResource projects the Braves for a $201MM payroll with just over $217MM of luxury obligations. That places Atlanta about $30MM shy of where it ended the 2024 season in terms of payroll — and nearly $60MM shy of last year’s luxury tax ledger. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said earlier this month that his club is willing to pay the luxury tax for what would be a third consecutive season, but to this point anyhow, most of Atlanta’s transactions have centered around scaling back spending and compiling affordable depth. That doesn’t preclude an eventual free agent strike of note and/or an impactful trade, but there’s been little to no inkling of such talks for Atlanta so far in the offseason.

D-backs Had Interest In Devin Williams Prior To Yankees Trade

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The Diamondbacks are known to be on the lookout for high-leverage options in the bullpen — general manager Mike Hazen has said as much on record — and they spoke to the Brewers about a potential deal for Devin Williams before Milwaukee traded him to the Yankees, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reports.

On the one hand, it’s entirely unsurprising that a team seeking a leverage arm would throw its hat into the ring with regard to Williams. On the other, it’s at least tangentially notable, given the number of similarly priced late-inning arms on the market. If the Snakes were trying to engage the Brewers on Williams, it stands to reason that Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, Rays closer Pete Fairbanks and perhaps Houston’s Ryan Pressly are all of varying levels of interest. (At $14MM, Pressly costs significantly more than the other listed options, it should be noted.)

The bullpen market, unlike in many recent offseasons, has been slow to develop this winter. That could be in part due to the presence of names like Williams, Helsley, Fairbanks and Pressly (among others) all potentially being available. To this point, the only signings of note have been Aroldis Chapman (one year, $10.75MM to the Red Sox), Blake Treinen (two years, $22MM back to the Dodgers), Yimi Garcia (two years, $15MM back to the Blue Jays) and Jordan Romano (one year, $8.5MM to the Phillies). None of the market’s top relievers have come off the board, save for righty Clay Holmes, who signed a three-year deal to convert to a starting role with the Mets.

After last week’s Winter Meetings drew to a close, D-backs general manager Mike Hazen told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that both free agent and trade scenarios are still in play. Arizona did not complete any deals at last week’s event, but Hazen expressed confidence that the groundwork for future transactions was laid.

“There’s free-agent situations and trade situations that are both out there for all the areas that we’re looking at,” said Hazen, who is also looking for help at first base. “Trying to find what combinations go together in different ways is part of what we’re discussing right now.”

The top names still on the free agent market include Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez. All figure to command multi-year deals, with Scott in particular standing a chance at landing four years. That type of contract length could be an issue for the D-backs. Under Hazen, they’ve never signed a free agent reliever for more than two years and never gone higher than a $7MM annual value (as shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker). The market has plenty of intriguing one-year options as well, though any of David Robertson, Kirby Yates or Kenley Jansen would require pushing well past that $7MM highwater mark.

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