MLBTR Originals

We covered the American League’s 15 teams earlier today, so now let’s check in on how the National League’s 15 members have done (to date) in fixing their biggest problem positions from the 2022 season.  Baseball Reference’s position-by-position bWAR breakdown is our guide through last year’s numbers….

Braves (Left Field, -1.4 bWAR): The lowest total of any outfield position in baseball, left field was a glaring weak spot in an otherwise very strong Atlanta lineup.  Eddie Rosario and Marcell Ozuna will look to bounce back from down years, but the Braves have otherwise only tinkered rather than overhauled the position, adding depth pieces like Sam Hilliard, Eli White, and Jordan Luplow to the mix.  One can never rule Alex Anthopoulos out for making a bigger acquisition, and the Braves are one of the many teams asking the Pirates about Bryan Reynolds.  However, with these many options on board and a lot of strength elsewhere on the roster, Atlanta might opt to stand pat in left field for now, and only pursue help if nobody steps up during the season.

Brewers (Catcher, 0.9 bWAR): Speaking of big Braves trades, the Brewers got themselves involved in the huge three-team blockbuster that brought Sean Murphy to Atlanta.  The deal brought Milwaukee its own catcher of the future, as William Contreras has already delivered on his hitting potential with an All-Star performance in 2022.  Contreras will join Victor Caratini behind the plate, and with Omar Narveaz and Pedro Severino departing in free agency, Payton Henry was also acquired from the Marlins as a depth move.

Cardinals (Catcher, 0.4 bWAR): Both Contreras brothers will be in the NL Central, as William’s big brother Willson Contreras jumped from the Cubs to the Cardinals on a five-year, $87.5MM free agent deal.  St. Louis led the majors in non-pitcher bWAR in 2022, though catcher was the weak spot, as injuries hampered Yadier Molina’s farewell season and backup Andrew Knizner didn’t provide much during fill-in duty.  With Molina hanging up his cleats, the Cards will now replace Molina with another established star backstop.

Cubs (Center Field, -0.1 bWAR): Cody Bellinger’s offense has badly fallen off since his 2019 MVP season, but his glovework remains very strong.  In signing Bellinger to a one-year deal worth $17.5MM in guaranteed money, Chicago is hoping that his defense alone will shore things up in center field, but naturally the Cubs would love to see Bellinger recapture his old batting form.  First base (0.1 bWAR) was another weak point for the Cubs, and a veteran addition like Eric Hosmer might yet be added, but Chicago is also planning to give breakout prospect Matt Mervis a long look at the MLB level.

Diamondbacks (Relief Pitching, -4.4 bWAR): For comparison’s sake, the Pirates’ -0.8 total was the second-worst bullpen bWAR number, giving you an idea of just how little Arizona received from its relief corps.  The D’Backs inked Scott McGough to a two-year/$6.25MM deal, with McGough making his return to the majors after a very successful four-year stint in Japan.  McGough could be something of a hidden gem, and he joins several other new arms (Miguel Castro, Cole Sulser, Miguel Vargas, Zach McAllister, Austin Brice, Sam Clay, and more) as the bullpen options the Diamondbacks will sort through during Spring Training.

Dodgers (Pinch-Hitting, 0.8 bWAR): The Dodgers’ 61.4 total bWAR led all 30 teams, even though both center field (1.5) and left field (1.6) were relative weaker links among the everyday positions.  Even the lower pinch-hitting total wasn’t exactly bad, even if Los Angeles did have a bit less depth than in recent years.  With the Dodgers almost exactly slated to meet the $233MM luxury tax threshold, it remains to be seen if L.A. will exceed the threshold again or perhaps look to reset its tax penalties, which might limit what the Dodgers can do in amassing more depth.  Youngsters like Miguel Vargas, Michael Busch, and James Outman are being groomed for larger roles in 2023, so the Dodgers might first see if they can fill some holes from within.  Veterans like Jason Heyward, Bradley Zimmer, and Steven Duggar have also been signed to minor league contracts.

Giants (Designated Hitter, 0.1 bWAR): The platooning and lineup-juggling that worked so well for San Francisco in 2021 backfired last year, as catcher was the only lineup position with a collective bWAR above the 1.2 mark.  The DH spot was at the bottom of the list, and such frequent designated hitters as Tommy La Stella and Evan Longoria are already gone.  Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto figure to boost the DH spot when they’re not in the outfield, but by and large, the Giants will keep cycling multiple players through the DH role to keep everyone healthy.

Marlins (Right Field, -0.7 bWAR): Despite signing Avisail Garcia to a four-year, $53MM deal winter, the Marlins still got sub-replacement numbers out of the right field spot, as Garcia battled hamstring injuries and had a dreadful year at the plate.  Miami has enough money committed to Garcia that there isn’t much to do except hope for a rebound, which isn’t out of the question given that Garcia has alternated between good and bad seasons over the last six years.  Center field is the more pressing outfield position for the Marlins, and first base (0.0 bWAR) and catcher (0.1 bWAR) are also problem areas.

Mets (Pinch-Hitting, 0.0 bWAR): With the Carlos Correa signing not yet official, we’ll wait before declaring that Eduardo Escobar will be an overqualified backup for the Amazins’ next season.  However, the Mets might be more likely to keep Escobar than trade him to a team that can offer more playing time, since the Mets will want plenty of depth to keep its World Series push from being waylaid by injuries (especially given whatever concerns New York has about Correa’s health).  Among everyday positions, the Mets only got 0.1 bWAR from the catching spot, but James McCann was traded to the Orioles and Omar Narvaez was signed.  With Narvaez, Tomas Nido, and star prospect Francisco Alvarez ready for the majors, the Mets are expecting a lot more from behind the plate.

Nationals (Starting Pitching, -4.8 bWAR): If the Diamondbacks were feeling bad about their lackluster bullpen, here come the Nats with an even bigger gap between last and second-last place in a single position.  The Tigers were 29th in the majors with a cumulative 1.7 rotation bWAR, making Washington the only team with sub-replacement performance from their entire starting pitching corps.  Trevor Williams was signed to a two-year, $13MM deal to provide some help, but since the rebuild is on, D.C. will be limited to similar veterans on modest deals rather than any big splashes.  The Nationals are counting on youngsters Josiah Gray, MacKenzie Gore, and Cade Cavalli to take some steps forward in 2023, and getting any kind of rebound from Patrick Corbin or good health from Stephen Strasburg would be immensely helpful to the Nats’ efforts.

Padres (Pinch-Hitting, 0.4 bWAR): The DH spot was next on the list with 1.2 bWAR, adding to the Padres’ overall goal of building more depth.  Josh Bell, Wil Myers, Brandon Drury, and Nomar Mazara have all signed elsewhere, but San Diego’s blockbuster signing of Xander Bogaerts shuffled around the everyday lineup to the extent that Fernando Tatis Jr. now looks slated for the outfield when his suspension is over.  Matt Carpenter was also signed to aid the DH mix, and since president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is nothing if not aggressive, any number of trade possibilities are still open for the Padres to further bolster the position player ranks.

Phillies (Right Field, 0.4 bWAR): Bryce Harper’s torn UCL limited him to DH duty for almost the entire season, leaving Nick Castellanos handling most of the action in right field.  Unfortunately for the Phils, Castellanos struggled both offensively and defensively, delivering a subpar -0.1 bWAR in his first season in Philadelphia.  Since Harper will be out until at least midseason while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Castellanos will have to hold the fort, though he might get more DH at-bats on days when Matt Vierling or Dalton Guthrie are used in the outfield.  The Phillies got 0.6 bWAR from both the center field and shortstop positions in 2022, but center field might’ve already been addressed by the midseason trade for Brandon Marsh, and the Phils upgraded at shortstop in a major way with their signing of Trea Turner.

Pirates (First Base, -2.1 bWAR): Pittsburgh had low bWAR scores over most positions, with right field, the bullpen, pinch-hitter, and catcher also clocking with negative figures.  With first base standing out as the biggest issue, the Bucs swiftly moved on from Yoshi Tsutsugo and Michael Chavis by signing Carlos Santana and swinging trades for Ji-Man Choi and Connor Joe.  Santana and Choi figure to essentially split first base duty, and Santana in particular could be in line for a bounce-back year given how heavily opposing teams have used defensive shifts against him in recent years.  With the new rules restricting the use of shifts, Santana figure to improve on his roughly league-average offense from 2022.

Reds (Catcher and Center Field, -0.8 bWAR): Like their NL Central brethren in Pittsburgh, the Reds are another rebuilding team with needs all over the diamond, including four positions that had sub-replacement bWAR totals.  Curt Casali and Luke Maile were signed to play catcher, but getting a healthy year from Tyler Stephenson (even if Stephenson sees additional time as a first baseman or DH) will be Cincinnati’s biggest boost in that regard.  If Nick Senzel can stay healthy, he’ll still be the Reds’ top choice in center field, but the club has been looking around for help in center and might even be willing to trade from its surplus of young shortstop prospects to land an equally promising young outfielder.

Rockies (Catcher, 0.1 bWAR): There hasn’t been much buzz about the Rox getting involved in the catching market, so it seems likely the team will just run it back and hope for better results from Elias Diaz and backup Brian Serven.  Diaz signed a three-year, $14.5MM extension in November 2021, and followed up that long-term pact by hitting only .228/.281/.368 over 381 plate appearances.  Given the lack of MLB experience on the catching depth chart, the Rockies will probably sign at least one veteran backstop to a minor league deal, if for no other reason than to provide Serven with some competition in Spring Training.

New Year’s Day isn’t technically the midpoint of the baseball offseason, yet with business slightly paused as the calendar turns to 2023, it seems like a good time to see how teams have taken care of some of the most pressing items on their to-do list.  With a tip of the cap to Baseball Reference’s bWAR breakdown of how each club performed by position in 2022, let’s explore how the American League’s 15 teams have looked to correct their biggest positions of need.

Angels (First Base, -1.0 bWAR): The top-heavy Angels are known for superstars Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, but the club also had sub-replacement production at a whopping five positions.  First base was the lowest of the bunch, as Jared Walsh struggled through a rough season that was cut short by thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.  While Walsh is expected to be ready for Spring Training, the Halos picked up some depth and insurance by acquiring Gio Urshela from the Twins and signing Brandon Drury, either of whom could see action at first base when not playing elsewhere around the diamond.

Astros (Catcher, -0.8 bWAR): Unsurprisingly, the World Series champions were pretty strong across the board, apart from sub-replacement numbers at catcher and first base (-0.4 bWAR).  The signing of Jose Abreu instantly updated first base, though Martin Maldonado and prospect Korey Lee remain the top options behind the plate. Houston reportedly had interest in such free agents and trade targets as Willson Contreras, Sean Murphy, Tucker Barnhart, and old friend Christian Vazquez, and while these players have all found new homes, it still feels like the Astros will bring at least one new catcher into the fold by Spring Training.

Athletics (Third Base, -1.2 bWAR): Oakland’s combined 9.1 bWAR was the lowest of any team in baseball, yet another dubious distinction for the A’s in a 102-loss season.  After Matt Chapman was traded to the Blue Jays last offseason, third base turned into the weakest of the Athletics’ many weak links.  Vimael Machin and Sheldon Neuse got the bulk of playing time at the hot corner in 2022 but both are now off the roster, leaving Kevin Smith and newly-signed utilitymen Jace Peterson and Aledmys Diaz in line to help stabilize things at third base.

Blue Jays (Pinch-Hitting, 1.4 bWAR): With a heavily right-handed starting lineup, the Jays filled their bench with left-handed hitters like Raimel Tapia, Bradley Zimmer, and Jackie Bradley Jr. all of whom struggled at the plate.  This lack of depth became apparent pretty much every time a regular starter was injured, or when the Blue Jays needed a bat off the bench for an important late-game at-bat.  In theory, a full season of Whit Merrifield should help the depth, as at least two of Merrifield, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio, or even Kevin Kiermaier or Daulton Varsho should be available off the bench.  However, Toronto seems likely to seek out at least one more veteran backup type this winter.  In terms of everyday positions, Jays left fielders were the lowest with 2.1 bWAR — Toronto has addressed that area by adding Varsho, and trading former regular left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to the Diamondbacks as part of that swap.

Guardians (Catcher, -0.1 bWAR): Austin Hedges and Luke Maile provided very little offense, which wasn’t a huge concern for a Guardians team that has long prioritized defense from its backstops.  However, Bo Naylor made his MLB debut last season, and the Guards are hopeful that the prospect can provide both good glovework and some pop from the catching spot.  With Hedges and Maile both departing in free agency, Cleveland added Mike Zunino, another good defender who is inconsistent at the plate but has delivered some big power numbers in the past.

Mariners (Second Base, 0.4 bWAR): Seattle hopes Kolten Wong can fill the gap at the keystone, after the Mariners acquired Wong in the trade that sent Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro to the Brewers.  Even in an uncharacteristically poor defensive year for Wong in 2022, he still generated 3.1 bWAR, marking a vast improvement over what the Mariners got from the position last year.  Second base just edged out left field (0.5 bWAR) as Seattle’s biggest need, and the latter position remains a bit of a question mark.  With Winker and Kyle Lewis both dealt and Teoscar Hernandez acquired to handle right field, the Mariners will likely still look to improve over the current mix of Jarred Kelenic, Taylor Trammell, and utilitymen Dylan Moore and Sam Haggerty.

Orioles (Second Base, 0.1 bWAR): One team’s castaway is another team’s upgrade, while the Mariners looked to improve on Adam Frazier, Baltimore inked him to a one-year, $8MM contract.  Frazier brings a veteran presence to a young and still unsettled Orioles infield, as while Frazier will probably get the bulk of time at second base, it remains exactly to be seen if Gunnar Henderson will be deployed as the regular third baseman or shortstop.  Ramon Urias, Terrin Vavra, Jorge Mateo, and a wealth of other up-and-coming prospects will also factor into the infield picture.  Frazier had a rough offensive year in 2022, but he brought more to the table than Rougned Odor, whose clubhouse leadership didn’t make up for a -0.4 bWAR.

Rangers (Left Field, -1.0 bWAR): Texas has been focused on pitching, as between retaining Martin Perez via the qualifying offer and adding Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Jake Odorizzi, the Rangers have done a lot to improve a starting mix that ranked 25th of 30 teams in rotation bWAR.  With the rotation now addressed in major fashion, left field is the next item on the checklist for Texas GM Chris Young.  Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger were among the names on the Rangers’ radar before both outfielders signed with the Giants.  Young will continue to look to add a veteran bat to either replace or complement the Rangers’ younger options in left field.

Rays (Catcher, 0.2 bWAR): As usual, the Rays were pretty solid at every position, though catcher remains an ongoing concern for the organization.  With Zunino gone, Christian Bethancourt and Francisco Mejia are the incumbents, and Tampa Bay at least explored a big upgrade in checking in on the Sean Murphy trade market.  However, now that Murphy is in Atlanta and many of the other top available names have landed elsewhere, the Rays may once again be facing more of a second-tier addition.

Red Sox (First Base, -0.5 bWAR): Top prospect Triston Casas made his MLB debut last season, and Boston’s hope is that Casas will live up to that potential quickly.  Such a breakout could solve the first base position for years to come, though to alleviate some pressure on Casas, the Red Sox also acquired Justin Turner with an eye towards giving the veteran some time at first base and DH.  On paper, Rafael Devers might also get some first base time if Turner fills in at third base.  As for other first base options, the Sox already parted ways with Eric Hosmer, and Bobby Dalbec is being shopped in trade talks.

Royals (Shortstop, 0.2 bWAR): Bobby Witt had a solid rookie season, beginning the year as Kansas City’s third baseman before moving into pretty much everyday duty at shortstop.  Witt’s glovework at both positions was pretty rough, but the Royals are hopeful that their young cornerstone can improve enough to provide at least passable defense at shortstop, even if Witt’s long-term position might still be a question.  The Royals haven’t done much with their position player mix at all, and so if Witt has to be moved back to third base, the incumbent answers at shortstop are still Nicky Lopez and (if healthy) Adalberto Mondesi.  Prospect Maikel Garcia made his MLB debut in 2022 and could also factor into the backup picture.

Tigers (First Base, -1.3 bWAR): Another case of a team counting on a youngster to blossom, as there’s really nowhere to go but up for Spencer Torkelson after a mediocre rookie season.  The former first overall pick hit only .203/.285/.319 in his first 404 Major League PA, and was temporarily demoted back to Triple-A at midseason.  Since the Tigers seem to be taking a step back after a team-wide letdown in 2022, Torkelson will still get plenty of playing time, and it’s far too early to write off a rookie who is still only 23 years old.  The Tigers have been linked to Brian Anderson and Edwin Rios, two free agents that could be part-time options at first base when they’re not at the hot corner.

Twins (Catcher, 1.0 bWAR): Christian Vazquez was signed to a three-year, $30MM deal, as Vazquez will take over the starting catching duties even though Ryan Jeffers will still get a good chunk of playing time.  Vazquez brings experience, a solid bat, and quality defense, so his signing should instantly patch one of the holes on Minnesota’s roster.

White Sox (Catcher, Right Field, each -0.4 bWAR): The Pale Hose were yet another team who had interest in trading for Murphy, and Chicago is still looking for a catcher as a platoon partner or even a replacement for Yasmani Grandal.  Gavin Sheets is the favorite for playing time in right field until prospect Oscar Colas is ready, though the White Sox did improve their outfield mix as a whole by signing Andrew Benintendi for left field and moving Andrew Vaughn from the corner spots to first base.  Sheets isn’t a strong defender either, but limiting the shaky glovework to just one outfield position is a step up for the White Sox.

Yankees (Left Field, Pinch-Hitting, each 2.0 bWAR): New York led all American League teams with 54.7 total bWAR, so their “weak positions” are still pretty solid.  Benintendi, Joey Gallo, Miguel Andujar, Marwin Gonzalez, and Matt Carpenter have all been removed from the revolving door that was left field in Yankee Stadium, leaving intriguing rookie Oswaldo Cabrera, struggling veteran Aaron Hicks, and slugger Giancarlo Stanton (when Stanton isn’t in his primary DH role) as the top options.  Former top prospect Estevan Florial could also get a look for more playing time.  This all being said, the Yankees also seem to be eyeing more help, and have explored trades with such teams as the Pirates, Twins, and Diamondbacks while also speaking with free agents like Benintendi, Conforto, and Brandon Nimmo.  Willie Calhoun and Billy McKinney were also just signed to minors deals, but with the free agent market drying up, New York will probably have to turn to the trade route for a more substantive addition in left field.

2022 was a busy year for baseball. It all started in the middle of a lockout which threatened the season. Then we had a flurry of transactions when business opened up as teams frantically prepared for the upcoming season. The season itself provided plenty of entertainment, whether it was on the field as Aaron Judge chased 62 home runs, or off the field where Juan Soto was traded in one of the biggest deadline deals in history. The season culminated with the Astros beating the Phillies in the World Series. Since then, we’ve seen a flurry of free agent action with most of the top players signing before Christmas.

MLBTR has enjoyed being there throughout, so as we call time on 2022 we thought we’d share our most read articles of the year. A big thank you to you, our readers, for contributing and we look forward to seeing what excitement baseball has in store for us in 2023!

1. March 19: Trevor Story Reportedly Choosing Among Four Teams

Much like this winter, the 2021-22 free agent shortstop class was packed with talent, and it all came to a head over a few days in late March. Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Javier Baez had all come off the board pre-lockout, so when baseball reopened for business in mid-March there were two clear top options remaining – Carlos Correa and Trevor Story. The first report surfaced early in the afternoon on the 18th, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Story was choosing between four teams, including the Giants and Red Sox. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic confirmed the Red Sox were in on Story later that afternoon. Yet the twist came that night when the Twins shocked the baseball world and agreed a deal to sign Correa, leaving Story as the clear top free agent left on the market. Sure enough, with Correa suddenly off the board, Heyman reported the next morning that Story had “multiple new suitors”. Adding further intrigue was the uncertainty over what sort of deal Story would take, with reports suggesting he’d be open to short or long term contracts, as well as shifting positions. A day later, Story had a new home, inking a six-year, $140MM contract with the Red Sox.

2. August 2: Report: Padres On The Verge Of Acquiring Juan Soto

It’s hardly surprising to see one of the biggest deadline deals in recent memory make it high up this list. When it was reported in mid-July that Soto had turned down the Nationals’ $440MM extension offer and were willing to listen to trade offers, there was no doubt that the young superstar would dominate the trade deadline headlines. Over the next few weeks, information slowly came out that the Nationals would not offer more than their $440MM mark, and they wanted a monstrous trade haul for Soto. There wasn’t really a precedent for a deal of this magnitude, which made it tricky to predict possible trade packages. Yet on August 2 the Padres satisfied Washington’s huge ask, sending a haul of premium young talent including CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, James Wood, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana to get Soto, and rental first-baseman Josh Bell. There would be another wrinkle, as San Diego had planned to send Eric Hosmer to the Nationals as part of the deal, but he exercised his limited no-trade clause to block the deal. The two teams would find a solution though, substituting Luke Voit in for Hosmer to complete one of the biggest trades in MLB history. While the Padres acquired one of the best players on the planet, and the Nationals jumpstarted their rebuild with a haul of young talent, it’ll be fascinating to revisit this trade in five or more years to assess how it panned out in the long run.

3. December 24: Mets Have “Raised Concerns” Over Carlos Correa’s Physical, Deal Still “Likely”

After signing a short-term contract with the Twins the previous winter, Correa looked like he’d cashed in on December 13 after it was reported that the Giants had agreed to a 13-year, $350MM deal with the shortstop. Yet that was just the beginning of a tumultuous few weeks that looks set to continue into 2023. On December 20, the Giants reportedly postponed Correa’s introduction press conference due to a concern over something in his physical. Then, in the early hours of the next morning, Heyman dropped a bombshell by reporting that Correa had instead agreed to a 12-year, $315MM deal with the Mets. While there was no official confirmation of the deal, Mets owner Steve Cohen had this to say to Heyman: “we needed one more hitter. This puts us over the top”.  Such a comment from the owner before the signing is official seemed to suggest there was little concern that the concerns San Francisco saw would be an issue for the Mets. Yet on Christmas Eve, a report emerged that the Mets had “raised concerns” over Correa’s physical, particularly his surgically repaired right lower leg. Unlike with the Giants, there would be no quick pivot to a new team, and as things stand the two parties are still trying to work out how to proceed.

4. August 2: Red Sox Acquire Eric Hosmer

The background to this deal has been touched on earlier, and stemmed from the Juan Soto trade. When Hosmer exercised his limited no-trade clause to block being dealt to the Nationals as part of that deal, they quickly sent Luke Voit there instead. That didn’t mean Hosmer was staying in San Diego though, and the Padres quickly found a new trade partner, one that Hosmer could not block a deal to. Boston acquired Hosmer as part of a curious deadline strategy that saw them both buy and sell players. The Padres ate the remaining salary bar the league minimum, which was approximately two months of his $21MM 2022 salary, and a further three years and $39MM. Boston also got prospects Max Ferguson and Corey Rosier, while San Diego received Jay Groome in return. Hosmer’s time in Boston wasn’t particularly successful, he made just 14 appearances before back inflammation ended his season, then the Red Sox DFA’d then released him earlier this month.

5. November 14: 2022-23 Top 50 Free Agents With Predictions

MLBTR’s Steve Adams took the lead on this annual piece, with valuable contributions from Tim Dierkes, Anthony Franco and Darragh McDonald. This year’s Top 50 was, unsurprisingly, topped by the reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge. He’s since signed a nine-year, $360MM deal with the Yankees, which topped the eight-year, $332MM prediction made. Kodai Senga, Nathan Eovaldi, Clayton Kershaw, Joc Pederson, Martin Perez all had their contracts correctly predicted, while a further 14 player’s contracts fell within $5MM of the prediction.

6. December 12: Braves Acquire Sean Murphy, Brewers Acquire William Contreras In Three-Team Trade

Coming into the off-season, Oakland catcher Sean Murphy was arguably the most obvious trade candidate in the game. Murphy’s elite play combined with a lack of top catching options on the free agent market outside of Willson Contreras and Christian Vazquez made him an obvious candidate for a number of team. As many as nine teams had reported interest at some stage in Murphy, and that number could well have been higher. Ultimately, it was the Braves who acquired him, giving up a haul of prospects and sending their own promising catcher in Contreras to Milwaukee to seal the deal. In typical Atlanta fashion, they’d move quickly to lock up their new catcher, signing him to a six-year, $73MM extension just two weeks after acquiring him.

7. December 7: Yankees Sign Aaron Judge To Nine-Year Deal

The Yankees flexed their financial muscle to get this deal done, locking up the reigning AL MVP on a nine-year, $360MM deal and promptly announcing him as the team’s new captain. While Judge is almost certain to end his career in pinstripes now, it didn’t always look that way. After a monster platform year in which he belted an AL-record 62 home runs, Judge went to the open market making no promises of a return to the Bronx. The Giants put in a strong bid to bring Judge back to his northern California roots, and the Padres made a surprising late play to bring him to San Diego. With Judge’s free agency seemingly holding up the markets on a number of other top free agents, it all came to a head at the winter meetings. Judge would turn down opportunities to play elsewhere, instead securing a record free agent contract and a record AAV for a position player to end his career in New York.

8. March 13: Nelson Cruz Deal Moving Along Quickly

Just three days after the lockout ended, veteran slugger Nelson Cruz was moving quickly towards a deal with the Washington Nationals. Coming off yet another strong season at the plate, and with the DH now available to all 30 teams in the new CBA, it’s not surprising Cruz had a robust market once business opened up. The then-41-year-old inked a one-year deal worth $15MM with the Nats. Unfortunately for Cruz, he’d hit just .234/.313/.337 for a wRC+ of 85, the first time it’s been under the league-average 100 mark since 2007.

9. December 6: Aaron Judge “Appears Headed” To Giants

With the Judge sweepstakes heating up, reports from the winter meetings suggested there was momentum towards Aaron Judge heading to San Francisco. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he saw the reports and immediately called general manager Brian Cashman for an update, only to find there was nothing to report. The Giants, too, said Judge had not yet made his decision. Still, it was a sign that Judge’s free agency was coming to a conclusion and by the next day, it was confirmed that he’d agreed to a deal to return to the Yankees.

10. July 27: Yankees To Acquire Andrew Benintendi

Wrapping up our top ten is a move the Yankees made in advance of the deadline this summer. Devoid of left-handed contact hitters, and with regular left fielder Joey Gallo out of favor, Cashman jumped on the chance to acquire Benintendi, who’d put together a .321/.389/.399 line for Kansas City. Gallo would wind up traded to LA a few days later, and Benintendi would be the everyday left fielder. After slumping immediately after arriving in the Bronx, Benintendi recovered slightly to post a .254/.331/.404 over 33 games. He underwent surgery in September to repair a fracture hamate bone, missing the remainder of the regular season and the Yankees’ playoff run.

11. March 16: Dodgers, Freddie Freeman Reportedly Making Progress On Deal

12. July 29: Mariners Finalizing Acquisition Of Luis Castillo From Reds

13. March 20: Red Sox To Sign Trevor Story

14. August 1: Astros To Acquire Trey Mancini

15. March 14: Astros Step Up Efforts To Re-Sign Carlos Correa

16. August 1: Brewers Trade Josh Hader To Padres

17. March 14: Freddie Freeman Rumors: Monday

18. December 17: Cubs Finalizing Contract With Dansby Swanson

19: July 23: Latest On Juan Soto Trade Talks

20: December 21: Mets To Sign Carlos Correa

The winter holiday period has generally been a quiet period on the hot stove, perhaps particularly so this year given so many free agent deals occurred prior to Christmas. New Year’s Eve has generally been quiet, but there have been a few big moves that took place on the final day of the calendar in recent years.

Here’s a look at major transactions that took place on December 31 since the start of the 21st century:

• 2018: The Mariners agree to a deal with Japanese hurler Yusei Kikuchi.

After eight seasons dominating in Japan, the Seibu Lions posted Kikuchi ahead of the 2019 campaign. The Mariners had long been seen as a strong fit for the left-hander, and on the final day of 2018 word broke that the Mariners had got their man. Kikuchi had agreed to an initial three-year, $43MM deal with Seattle that came with a $13MM player option, as well as a four-year club option that promised Kikuchi an additional $66MM. Kikuchi would have a challenging start to life in the big leagues, working to a 5.39 ERA over 41 starts across the 2019-20 seasons. He did find some form in 2021 though, working to a 4.41 ERA over 157 innings. That was enough for Kikuchi to decline his player option but not enough for Seattle to exercise their four-year club option, so Kikuchi hit the open market and found a new home in Toronto ahead of the 2022 season.

• 2014: The Reds acquire outfield Marlon Byrd from the Phillies in exchange for pitcher Ben Lively.

After back-to-back playoff appearances the Reds took a step back in 2014, finishing 76-86. With a solid core still under contract GM Walt Jocketty made a move to bolster their offense, acquiring the veteran Byrd from the rebuilding Phillies. Byrd was owed $8MM in 2015, and the Phillies chipped in for half of that. In exchange, they got Lively, a promising young pitcher in the Reds system. He’d go on to make 20 starts for Philadelphia between 2017-18 but would be claimed off waivers by the Royals in 2018, and last pitched in the big leagues in 2019. The 37-year-old Byrd would hit .237/.286/.448 with 19 home runs across 96 games, but the Reds would fall well out of contention and wound up flipping him to the Giants in August of that year.

• 2013: The Astros sign veteran reliever Jesse Crain to a one-year, $3.25MM deal.

The 2013 Astros lost 111 games, and were deep in the midst of their rebuild. 2014 saw the emergence of some of the core players that become building blocks over the next decade or so in Houston, and the team clearly felt some veteran leadership wouldn’t hurt in the young clubhouse. The then-31-year-old Crain had been a solid reliever for a number of years in Minnesota, but had blossomed into an elite relief arm over the previous three seasons for the White Sox. Between 2011-13, he’d throw 150 innings of 2.10 ERA relief for Chicago. Unfortunately for Houston, Crain would land on the injured list in spring training as he recovered from off-season surgery and he wouldn’t throw a single pitch for the Astros, or any other team in the big leagues after that 2013 season.

• 2012: The Royals sign 38-year-old veteran Miguel Tejada to a minor league deal

Tejada had been a force for a number of years for the Orioles and Athletics, winning the AL MVP award in 2002. Yet by the time the Royals agreed to a minor league deal with the veteran shortstop, his star had well and truly waned. Tejada’s last MLB season came in 2011 when he hit .239/.270/.326 for the Giants, and he’d spent the 2012 season playing at Triple-A. Yet he made it onto the Royals’ big league roster in 2013, appearing in 53 games and hitting .288/.317/.378. He’d suffer a calf injury that looked set to end his season, but a 105-game ban following two positive drug tests ended his season, and he wouldn’t play in the big leagues again.

• 2011: The Padres acquire outfielder Carlos Quentin from the White Sox for minor leaguers Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez.

The 2011 White Sox finished a disappointing 79-83, and felt comfortable sending their All Star outfielder, and California native, Quentin out west. The 29-year-old had been worth 2.5 fWAR the previous season, and netted the White Sox a pair of young pitchers. Unfortunately for Chicago, Castro would throw just 6 2/3 innings of relief for them, while Hernandez would be torched for eight earned runs in four innings in a solitary start for the team. For the Padres, Quentin would be productive when he could stay on the field, slashing .268/.368/.498 over 168 games in his first two seasons. His knee would continue to cause problems, and a disappointing 2014 would be his last appearances in the big leagues.

• 2010: The Orioles sign veteran Derrek Lee to a one-year contract.

In his prime, Lee had been a hugely productive hitter for the Cubs and Marlins, finishing third in MVP voting in 2005. Those numbers were dwindling, but Lee was still putting up solid enough numbers in 2010 that the Orioles felt comfortable giving him a $7.25MM salary for the 2011 season. He struggled to a .246/.302/.404 line with 12 home runs over 85 games with the Orioles that year. With Baltimore in the midst of a losing season, they sent him to Pittsburgh at the deadline, and Lee would hit .337/.398/.584 over 28 games down the stretch for the Bucs, before retiring at the end of the year.

• 2009: The Cubs sign Marlon Byrd to a three-year deal and the Phillies sign Danys Baez to a two-year pact.

The first of Byrd’s two NYE transactions would come at the end of 2009, as the Cubs added him on deal that’d pay him $15MM over the next three years. Byrd would go to the All Star game in his first season in Chicago, slashing .293/.346/.429 with 12 home runs over 630 plate appearances as the Cubs finished 75-87. A wretched start to the 2012 season (3-for-43) would see him traded to the Red Sox in April of that year, the final year of his three-year contract. Baez had shifted around the big leagues a fair bit prior to landing in Philadelphia, appearing for five teams over eight years and working to a combined 4.04 ERA. The Phillies signed him to a two-year, $5.25MM deal, but Baez struggled significantly, working to a 5.48 ERA in his first year and a 6.25 ERA in his second. The Phillies released him in August, 2011, and he wouldn’t pitch in the big leagues again.

• 2004: The Yankees bring back veteran Tino Martinez on a one-year, $3MM deal.

Martinez played 1,054 games for the Yankees between 1996 and 2001, winning four World Series rings in that time before they replaced the first baseman with Jason Giambi. He’d played the previous year for the Devil Rays, but after they declined his $8MM option, the Yankees swooped in to add him as cover for the player that replaced him. The 37-year-old Martinez wound up playing in 131 games that year for the Yankees, and while he wasn’t the same offensive threat as a few years prior, he still posted a respectable .241/.328/.439 line with 17 home runs as the Yankees went 95-67 in 2005. The Yankees declined their $3MM option for 2006, and Martinez retired.