Yankees Rumors

Yankees, Dennis Santana Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2023 at 3:54pm CDT

The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with free agent right-hander Dennis Santana, reports Jessica Kleinschmidt. He’ll head to major league camp during spring training and compete for a bullpen job.

While it’s not the news Yankees fans are anxiously awaiting, Santana will add some depth with big league experience to the Yankees’ system. He spent the 2023 season with the Mets organization, where he tallied 10 2/3 innings at the MLB level and yielded seven runs in that time. The hard-throwing Santana has at times shown potential to be a steady big league reliever, but he’s yet to find much consistency at the MLB level.

Santana once ranked as one of the top pitching prospects in a deep Dodgers system, but his stock has fallen since injuries — most notably a torn rotator cuff in 2018 — slowed his development and eventually pushed him to a bullpen role. He’s spent time with the Dodgers, Rangers and Mets over the past three seasons, in addition to offseason waiver stops in Atlanta and Minnesota.

Overall, Santana carries a career 5.17 ERA in 149 2/3 MLB frames. He averaged 95.9 mph on his fastball last year and is at 96.2 mph for his career. Santana has whiffed 21.2% of his big league opponents and produced grounders at a solid 44.9% clip, but he’s also walked 12% of the batters he’s faced.

2023 Rule 5 Draft Results

By Darragh McDonald | December 6, 2023 at 1:01pm CDT

The 2023 Rule 5 draft will begin at 1pm Central time today at the Winter Meetings in Nashville.

As a refresher, the Rule 5 draft is a way for players potentially talented enough for the big leagues but blocked by their current clubs to find opportunities elsewhere. Any players that were 18 and under at the time of their original signing and have played five professional seasons, and any players who signed at 19 years of age or older at signing that now have four professional seasons, who are not on a club’s 40-man roster are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft.

The clubs will draft in reverse order of the 2023 standings, with no club obligated to make a selection when it’s their turn. If they do make a pick, they will have to pay $100K to the team they select from. The selected players must stay on the active roster (or injured list) for the entire 2024 season or else be placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, they must be offered back to their original team. They cannot be optioned to the minors. Last year’s edition saw some key players change clubs, such as Ryan Noda going from the Dodgers to the Athletics and Blake Sabol going from the Pirates to the Giants.

This post will be updated as the draft continues. Here is the order…

1. Athletics: RHP Mitch Spence (Yankees)
2. Royals: RHP Matt Sauer (Yankees)
3. Rockies: RHP Anthony Molina (Rays)
4. White Sox: LHP Shane Drohan (Red Sox)
5. Nationals: SS Nasim Nuñez (Marlins)
6. Cardinals: RHP Ryan Fernandez (Red Sox)
7. Angels: pass
8. Mets: RHP Justin Slaten (Rangers); Mets later traded Slaten to the Red Sox for LHP Ryan Ammons* and cash considerations.
9. Pirates: pass
10. Guardians: 3B Deyvison De Los Santos (Diamondbacks)
11. Tigers: pass
12. Red Sox: pass
13. Giants: pass
14. Reds: pass
15. Padres: RHP Stephen Kolek (Mariners)
16. Yankees: pass
17. Cubs: pass
18. Marlins: pass
19. Diamondbacks: pass
20. Twins: pass
21. Mariners: pass
22. Blue Jays: pass
23. Rangers: RHP Carson Coleman (Yankees)
24. Phillies: pass
25. Astros: pass
26. Brewers: pass
27. Rays: pass
28. Dodgers: pass
29. Orioles: pass
30. Braves: pass

The minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft also occurred this afternoon. Those players will not go onto the selecting teams’ 40-man roster. A few former major leaguers changed uniforms. They include 1B Seth Beer going from the Diamondbacks to the Pirates while the Yankees took RHP Kervin Castro from the Astros.

* (Robert Murray of FanSided first reported that Ammons was going to the Mets. Joel Sherman of The New York Post added that Ammons and cash were being exchanged for Slaten.

Mets Owner Steve Cohen Recently Met With Yoshinobu Yamamoto In Japan

By Darragh McDonald | December 6, 2023 at 12:36pm CDT

It was recently reported that Yoshinobu Yamamoto would soon be flying to the United States to meet with interested clubs and Jon Morosi of MLB.com relays today that the Yankees are expected to meet with him on Monday. It seems like Mets owner Steve Cohen wanted to get a headstart on the proceedings, as Will Sammon of The Athletic reports that he flew to Japan to meet with Yamamoto last week.

The Mets have long been connected to Yamamoto, even though they are supposedly taking something of a step back in 2024. Under normal circumstances, a top free agent fits best with a win-now club. Since most players reach free agency close to their 30th birthday, a long-term deal will likely see them at their best in the early parts of the contract. But Yamamoto is a special case, since he is only 25. Even if the Mets feel they will have a better shot at competing in 2025 and beyond compared to 2024, Yamamoto will still be able to hopefully offer them many prime years. Their excitement around Yamamoto is apparently strong enough that Cohen took the initiative of meeting with him in Japan.

The rotation in Queens has plenty of question marks and Yamamoto would be a logical target. They currently have Kodai Senga, José Quintana and Luis Severino in three spots, while the back end is less certain. Players like Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and José Butto are on the roster but each of them is arguably better utilized in a depth role than as part of the Opening Day rotation. David Peterson will miss the first half of the season due to hip surgery. Furthermore, Quintana and Severino are each slated for free agency after 2024, giving the club even less certainty in the long term.

Although signing Yamamoto might be a long play for the Mets, it would still come with significant short-term costs. The club currently has a competitive balance tax figure of $277MM, per Roster Resource, well beyond next year’s base threshold of $237MM and on the line of the third tier. Since they paid the tax in 2022 and 2023, they are set to be a third-time payor next year. There are escalating tax rates for paying in consecutive years, putting them in line for a 95% tax on spending beyond the third tier and then a 110% rate for spending beyond the fourth and final tier of $297MM.

Then there’s also the posting fee that will be due to the Orix Buffaloes, the Nippon Professional Baseball club that posted Yamamoto recently. MLBTR predicted Yamamoto for a contract of nine years and $225MM, which would also come with a posting fee of $35.625MM. Some recent speculation around Yamamoto’s popularity has suggested the bidding could push closer to $300MM, which would also push the posting fee up as well.

The Yankees have also been connected to Yamamoto for quite some time and they have a somewhat similar payroll situation to the Mets, as they are also set to be a third-time payor in 2024. Roster Resource currently pegs their payroll at $246MM and their CBT figure at $257MM. However, they are reportedly close to acquiring Juan Soto from the Padres today, which would quickly change those figures, depending on the final deal. Soto is projected for an arbitration salary of $33MM while Michael King, who is reported to be part of the package going the other way, has a projected salary of $2.6MM. It’s possible the final deal will change things but it’s possible the Yanks will add about $30MM to their books in the swap.

It appears that wouldn’t take them out of the running for Yamamoto, as Andy Martino of SNY reports the club is willing to surpass a $300MM payroll next year. That would be a bump from last year, with RR having their 2023 payroll finishing at $273MM and their CBT at $294MM.

But adding Yamamoto would give a boost to a rotation that got a Cy Young performance from Gerrit Cole but little else. The club will be hoping for bouncebacks from Carlos Rodón and Nestor Cortes after injury-marred campaigns while King appears to be headed to San Diego. Pitchers like Clarke Schmidt and Randy Vásquez are on the roster but an external addition or additions would be warranted.

The Yankees and Mets have been two of the clubs connected to Yamamoto most often but certainly not the only ones. Given his youth and talent, he is one of the most popular free agents this winter. The Phillies, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Tigers, Cardinals, Cubs, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Giants, Padres, and Dodgers have also been rumored to have interest, with some unnamed clubs perhaps in the mix as well. The 25-year-old Yamamoto has a 1.82 ERA in his NPB career and is coming off a dominant 1.21 ERA in 2023. It’s unknown how many of those clubs he will meet with in the coming weeks but his posting window is open until January 4.

Boone: LeMahieu Will Be Yankees’ Third Baseman In 2024

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2023 at 10:26am CDT

As trade rumblings surrounding star Padres outfielder Juan Soto and the Yankees look to be nearing a tipping point, there’s other significant news in the Bronx as well. Manager Aaron Boone announced at the Winter Meetings this morning that veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu will line up as the team’s primary third baseman next season (link via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch). Boone indicated yesterday that an outside acquisition at third base wasn’t likely, as the team felt covered with internal options. Today’s statement is a more forceful declaration of that likelihood.

LeMahieu, 35, is entering the fourth season of a six-year $90MM contract. He’s bounced around the diamond since originally arriving in New York in the 2018-19 offseason, spending considerable time at every infield position other than shortstop. Third base was his primary position in 2023, however, as he logged nearly 600 innings there and turned in a sound defensive effort in the eyes of Defensive Runs Saved (3), Ultimate Zone Rating (3.2) and Outs Above Average (3).

The remainder of the Yankees’ infield looks largely set. Anthony Rizzo will return to man first base, while Gleyber Torres is entering his final arbitration season and lined up as the primary second baseman. Anthony Volpe had an up-and-down rookie season at shortstop, ultimately putting together a 20-20 season with good defense but an underwhelming .209/.283/.383 batting line on the whole. Prospect Oswald Peraza gives the Yankees some additional depth at any position other than first base, but with no clear path to a starting role at present, he could open the season in a utility role, covering multiple spots on the diamond and spelling the regulars. (Peraza is out of minor league options and thus cannot be sent to Triple-A.) The versatility offered by both Peraza and LeMahieu would allow the Yankees to rather seamlessly cover an absence anywhere in the infield.

The 2023 season wasn’t LeMahieu’s best at the plate — far from it — but he still turned in a roughly average (by measure of wRC+) .243/.327/.390 batting line with 15 home runs, 22 doubles and three triples. The veteran infielder walked at a strong 10.7% clip, the second-highest mark of his career, but also fanned at a career-worst 22.2%. LeMahieu didn’t expand the zone any more than he did in seasons prior — he actually improved his chase rate from 2022 to 2023 — but his contact rate on both strikes and balls off the plate dipped.

LeMahieu entered the 2023 season with a lifetime 92.7% contact rate on swings at pitches in the zone but saw that number drop to 89.8% last year. His contact rate on the relatively rare chases off the plate was more concerning; LeMahieu entered 2023 with a career 76.1% contact rate on balls off the plate (including a nearly 80% mark from 2020-22) but made contact on just 70.2% of such offerings last year. He remained productive against fastballs (four-seamers and sinkers alike) but saw his numbers against opponents’ sliders, sweepers and cutters take a big hit. Time will tell whether that’s the beginning of a more alarming trend or simply a one-year aberration.

With regard to the remainder of the offseason, LeMahieu’s formal anointment as the Yankees’ everyday third baseman is of note. The Yankees already acquired Alex Verdugo from the archrival Red Sox and are ostensibly deep in talks for the aforementioned Soto. That would constitute a major revamp of the outfield alignment, but it seems there’ll be more continuity in the infield. Torres has been floated as a possible trade candidate at various points, and Peraza’s presence could embolden the Yankees to make some kind of move if the right opportunity presented itself. But Torres was also the team’s second-best hitter behind Judge this past season, and the Yankees would surely only swap him out if it meant acquiring immediate MLB help elsewhere (be it in the rotation, behind the plate or possibly in the ’pen).

Yankees Notes: Third Base, Kiner-Falefa, Peralta

By Nick Deeds | December 6, 2023 at 3:14am CDT

After landing Alex Verdugo from their arch-rival Red Sox in a rare trade between the sides earlier this evening, the Yankees still figure to look for upgrades to a lineup that ranked 19th in the majors with a 94 wRC+ in 2023 despite another fantastic season from team captain Aaron Judge, who slashed .267/.406/.613 with 37 home runs in just 106 games this season. Those upgrades don’t appear likely to come in the form of an addition at third base, however, as GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) earlier today that the club feels “covered” around the infield and does not consider third base to be an area of need this offseason.

While the Yankees figure to return Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, and Anthony Volpe as established regulars at first base, second base, and shortstop respectively, the hot corner features a little more uncertainty next season. Yankees third basemen slashed a collective .225/.302/.361 this past season, good for an 85 wRC+ that ranked better than just eight teams in 2023. Veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu took most of the club’s reps at the hot corner last season with 67 starts, though each of Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera also contributed as the Yankees mixed-and-matched at the position.

With Donaldson and Kiner-Falefa both having departed the organization, that would seemingly leave LeMahieu in line to receive the most reps at the position once again in 2024. The 35-year-old veteran just completed the third season of his six-year, $90MM contract with the Yankees. LeMahieu got roughly league average results (101 wRC+) at the plate in 2023 with a .243/.327/.390 slash line in 136 games. While LeMahieu’s 15 home runs tied his 2018 total with the Rockies for the second-highest of his career in a single season, the added power came at the cost of discipline. LeMahieu struck out at a career-high 22.2% clip this past season, well above both his career average of 15.2% and the 13.1% mark he posted in 2022.

Despite the additional whiffs as LeMahieu enters his mid-thirties, the veteran is likely still the club’s best option at the hot corner entering the year as both Cabrera and Peraza are coming off disastrous offensive seasons at the plate. While Peraza performed solidly at the Triple-A level with a 108 wRC+ in 300 plate appearances, the 23-year-old looked over-matched in the big leagues with a meager .191/.267/.272 slash line in a 52 games in the majors. Cabrera, meanwhile, appeared in 115 games for the Yankees as a utility player and struggled similarly across 330 big league plate appearances, slashing just .211/.275/.299 in that time.

Even as Cashman suggests the club is set at third with their internal options, Hoch reports that the club is at least considering adding one more bat to their infield mix: Kiner-Falefa. Jon Heyman of the New York Post echoes Hoch’s report of interest in bringing IKF back to the Bronx, but makes clear that the Yankees are far from alone in their interest in the utilityman; Heyman suggests that as many as 12 teams have interest in Kiner-Falefa’s services this offseason. The 28-year-old doesn’t contribute much at the plate, as he posted an 82 wRC+ in 2023 that nearly matches his career mark of 81, but he makes up for that lack of offensive ability with strong glovework all around the diamond.

Kiner-Falefa began his big league career as a backup catcher, though he hasn’t appeared behind the plate since the 2019 season. Since then, he’s proved to be an elite defensive infielder, winning a Gold Glove at third base in 2020 while offering strong defense at shortstop as well. IKF further expanded his defensive profile in 2023, appearing in 78 games on the outfield grass including 278 1/3 defensive innings of work in center field. While Kiner-Falefa’s strongest defensive marks come on the infield dirt, he posted a respectable +1 OAA and -1 DRS in center this season, potentially making him an attractive bench piece for teams in need of defensive versatility.

IKF isn’t the only outgoing free agent the Yankees reportedly have interest in retaining, as both Heyman and Hoch suggest the club has discussed a reunion with lefty reliever Wandy Peralta. Peralta, 32, has spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues splitting time between three organizations but saw his career reach a new level since joining the Yankees partway through the 2021 season. Across 165 appearances in pinstripes, Peralta posted a 2.82 ERA that was 49% better than league average by measure of ERA+, though his 4.00 FIP leaves something to be desired. Advanced metrics are particularly critical of Peralta’s 2023 campaign. Despite a sterling 2.83 ERA in 54 innings, the southpaw posted a 5.05 FIP, 4.50 xFIP and 4.44 SIERA this past season.

Much of that disparity is thanks to a whopping 13.2% walk rate that was papered over in terms of Peralta’s raw run prevention numbers thanks to a microscopic .218 BABIP allowed and a career-high 85.2% strand rate. Despite those red flags, however, Peralta has gotten results in each of the past four seasons with a 3.01 ERA dating back to the start of the 2020 season. Much of that success has been thanks to Peralta’s excellence against left-handed hitters, to whom he’s surrendered a slash line of just .213/.308/.330 throughout his big league career. That’s surely a particularly attractive trait for the Yankees, who currently sport just two left-handed relief options on their 40-man roster in Nick Ramirez and Matt Krook.

Yankees Acquire Alex Verdugo

By Anthony Franco | December 5, 2023 at 9:34pm CDT

The Yankees and Red Sox have lined up on a rare major trade. The teams announced a deal sending outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Bronx for reliever Greg Weissert and minor league pitchers Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice.

Verdugo, who turns 28 in May, has spent the past four seasons in Boston. The Sox acquired him from the Dodgers as the key piece of the Mookie Betts trade return. The left-handed hitting outfielder never quite lived up to that lofty billing. Verdugo has settled in as a solid regular without emerging as an impact player on either side of the ball.

Over his time with the Red Sox, Verdugo hit .281/.338/.424 in a little more than 2000 plate appearances. His strongest season was the shortened 2020 campaign. After posting a .308/.367/.478 slash, he has hit at a league average level for three years running. Verdugo owns a .277/.334/.417 mark since the start of 2021. This past season’s .264/.324/.421 line over 602 plate appearances fit that recent body of work.

Verdugo doesn’t have prototypical home run power for a corner outfielder. He has hit between 11 and 13 longballs in each of the last three years. Verdugo has topped 30 doubles in each season, however. He has always had excellent bat-to-ball skills and generally shows an all-fields approach. Aside from a 15-game debut showing in 2017, he has hit .260 or better in every year of his big league career.

Bringing in a hit-over-power lefty bat seems a deliberate effort by the New York front office to add balance to the lineup. The Yankees have skewed right-handed and leaned heavily on power hitters in recent years. They’ve found themselves generally lacking in consistent offensive production beyond Aaron Judge and, to a lesser extent, Gleyber Torres.

Verdugo isn’t an impact lineup presence, but he checks a box which general manager Brian Cashman had identified as a priority. Cashman expressed a desire for two outfielders to join Judge, preferably ones who hit from the left side. Top center field prospect Jasson Domínguez will be out into the middle of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, while left field has been a significant problem for the past couple years. 22-year-old Everson Pereira might be a longer-term solution there but limped to a .151/.233/.194 line in his first month as a big leaguer.

The desire for multiple outfield additions still leaves the Yankees very much in play for bigger stars. New York has been tied to Juan Soto in trade rumors and Cody Bellinger on the free agent market. Various reporters (including Andy Martino of SNY) unsurprisingly relay that the Yankees are still involved on Soto. Talks between the Yankees and Padres reportedly slowed over the weekend after San Diego demanded a pitching-heavy return built around Michael King and prospect Drew Thorpe.

Verdugo won’t take them out of that mix (or presumably impact a run at Bellinger if they can’t line up on a Soto deal). However, it could require the Yankees to lean on Judge in center field for a season if they were to acquire Soto. Verdugo hasn’t played center field since 2021. He has generally received solid marks for his glove in right field. Verdugo has one of the game’s better arms, although his speed and overall range are closer to average.

The outfield alignment is to be determined based on future moves. Verdugo steps in a short-term acquisition who’ll solidify one position while buying time for Domínguez to rehab and Pereira to see more action in Triple-A. The veteran outfielder is a year away from free agency. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz forecasts him for a $9.2MM salary in his final season of arbitration.

That pushes the Yankees’ projected spending to roughly $246MM, as calculated by Roster Resource. Their luxury tax number sits right at the $257MM line that marks the second tier of penalization. Since they’re paying the CBT for what’d be a third consecutive season, the Yankees are taxed at a 50% rate on spending between $237MM and $257MM. That’ll push their overall tab on Verdugo into the $14MM range, while they’re sure to continue adding to the roster (with accompanying higher penalties beyond the $257MM mark).

On the other side of the equation, Boston offloads Verdugo’s salary projection. They’re moving on from a player who, while reasonably effective, had a somewhat disappointing overall run at Fenway Park. In addition to the leveling off in his performance, Verdugo occasionally came under fire with the organization for perceived effort questions.

Beyond that, it’s not uncommon for an incoming baseball operations leader to reshape a roster. This is the first significant trade of Craig Breslow’s tenure as chief baseball officer. It leaves a vacancy in right field, where the Sox seem likely to look to free agency or the trade market. Boston has left-handed hitting Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida in the outfield mix, so the pursuit of a righty bat might make the most sense.

They’ll also add controllable pitching help, with Weissert standing as the most immediate upgrade. The 28-year-old righty has pitched at the MLB level in each of the past two seasons. Weissert has worked 31 1/3 innings, allowing a 4.60 ERA. His underlying numbers are more intriguing. The Fordham product has averaged around 94 MPH on his sinker and four-seam fastball. He has struck out a solid 24.4% of batters faced while keeping the ball on the ground at a 47.3% clip.

Weissert also had an excellent year in Triple-A in 2023. Over 40 1/3 frames, he pitched to a 2.90 ERA while punching out more than 34% of batters faced. Control has been an issue throughout his career, but Weissert has consistently shown the ability to miss bats in the minors. He still has two option years remaining and won’t reach arbitration for three seasons, making him an affordable and flexible bullpen piece.

Fitts, who turns 24 in a few weeks, is the more intriguing of the minor leaguers involved. An Auburn product, he was drafted in the sixth round in 2021. The 6’3″ righty had an impressive year at Double-A Somerset, working to a 3.48 ERA across 152 2/3 innings. He punched out nearly 26% of batters faced against a tidy 6.8% walk percentage. Prospect evaluators praise Fitts’s slider and overall command, projecting him as a potential back-end starter. Boston doesn’t need to add him to the 40-man roster until next offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft, but it’s possible he pitches his way into the MLB rotation mix at some point during the summer.

Judice was an eighth-round pick this year out of UL-Monroe. The 6’8″ hurler had posted a 3.74 ERA over 53 innings in his draft year. BA’s draft report praised his potential plus slider and mid-90s velocity. Judice projects as a reliever and is a low minors development flier.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the trade terms. Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Holliday, Yankees

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2023 at 7:53pm CDT

The Red Sox have been focused on pitching help first and foremost this offseason, yet that isn’t the team’s only target area. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) that the Sox are looking at second basemen on both the trade and free agent markets, though a new infielder is likeliest to come via trade. Breslow implied that the Red Sox would first like to address their pitching needs, so it may be some time yet before a second-base answer comes into focus.

A whopping 11 players saw at least a little time at second base for the 2023 Red Sox, but this revolving door combined for 0.0 bWAR, as only three teams got less production from their second basemen. Enmanuel Valdez, Pablo Reyes, Bobby Dalbec, or (when he isn’t in center field) Ceddanne Rafaela all look like the top internal candidates for the keystone heading into the offseason, but Boston would clearly like to better solidify the position. With a somewhat thin free agent class of midfielders available, it isn’t surprising that Breslow would prefer to bring in a higher-caliber upgrade in trade talks.

Latest On Juan Soto

By Nick Deeds | December 3, 2023 at 7:08pm CDT

Recent reporting on the trade talks between the Padres and Yankees regarding superstar outfielder Juan Soto have indicated that the sides have hit an impasse in their trade discussions. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported this morning that the sides haven’t talked since San Diego requested the previously-reported multi-player package centered round right-handers Drew Thorpe and Michael King, though The Athletic’s Brandon Kuty suggests that discussions between the sides are expected to reignite during the Winter Meetings this week.

Kuty goes on to discuss the current state of discussions between the sides, with a few noteworthy updates to past reporting. While San Diego’s proposal was previously believed to be a six- or seven-player package centered around King and Thorpe plus salary relief in exchange for Soto and Trent Grisham, Kuty suggests that the Padres proposed an eight-for-two swap with right-handers Clarke Schmidt, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vasquez all included in addition to King and Thorpe. The other three players in San Diego’s proposal are not known, though Kuty suggests that top prospects Oswald Peraza and Everson Pereira both are “figured to be on the table” in discussions.

The mention of Pereira as a potential piece in a Soto is especially noteworthy as past reporting has indicated that the 22-year-old has not been part of discussions between the sides. The young outfielder has emerged as a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport after slashing .300/.373/.548 in 81 games split between Double-A and Triple-A this season, though he struggled in a 27-game cup of coffee with an anemic .151/.233/.194 slash line in 103 big league plate appearances down the stretch. The inclusion of Pereira as a big-league ready outfield option could make plenty of sense for San Diego, particularly if the club parts with both Soto and Grisham in a deal.

While the specifics of reports on the Padres’ requested return package have conflicted, it’s clear that San Diego is hoping to receive a hefty return with a focus on MLB-ready pitching. What’s more, there’s a clear consensus between reports that the Yankees are particularly hesitant to include King and Thorpe in a package for Soto. Despite the gap between the sides in trade discussions, Kuty notes that restarting talks makes plenty of sense for both sides. The impetus behind a Soto deal for San Diego is the club’s desire to cut payroll, and Soto’s projected $33MM salary (courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) limits the number of teams that could realistically fit a deal for Soto into their budget. Meanwhile, Kuty notes that the Yankees are facing considerable pressure to improve after missing the playoffs with an 82-80 2023 campaign.

While Kuty notes that Cody Bellinger is another star-caliber lefty outfielder who the Yankees have interest in, no outfield addition is appealing to the club as Soto. Likewise, Kuty suggests that the Blue Jays represent a potential suitor for Soto if the Padres can’t get a deal done with New York. It’s a suggestion further backed up by SNY’s Andy Martino, who describes Toronto as a “real contender” for Soto, with Heyman adding that right-hander Alek Manoah has come up in discussions between San Diego and Toronto. That said, Martino suggests that the Jays are believed to prefer to wait on a Soto deal until they know whether or not they’ll be successful in their bid for superstar slugger Shohei Ohtani.

Kuty suggests that waiting for Ohtani to make a decision could be a double-edged sword for the Padres. While another superstar-caliber left-handed slugger coming off the board could raise the pressure on interested clubs to acquire Soto, the Padres are likely to attempt to use the savings from a Soto deal to explore the free agent starting pitching market, and waiting to move Soto could leave San Diego with less options on that front. While the free agent market has largely moved slowly to this point in the offseason, the top end of the rotation market has been something of an exception to that rule with Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray having already signed on in Philadelphia and St. Louis, respectively.

Yankees, Padres Reportedly Far Apart In Juan Soto Trade Talks

By Darragh McDonald | December 1, 2023 at 5:30pm CDT

The Yankees are known to have interest in Padres outfielder Juan Soto but it doesn’t seem as though a trade is close to coming to fruition. Per reports from Ken Rosenthal, Dennis Lin and Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Jon Heyman of The New York Post and Andy Martino of SNY, talks have stalled with a noticeable gap between the two clubs. Heyman says that “at least nine” clubs have checked in, while the report from The Athletic says the Blue Jays are involved.

All the reports indicate that the Padres are asking for a multi-player return, with Martino reporting that the Friars asked for Michael King, Drew Thorpe and four or five other prospects such as Randy Vásquez and Jhony Brito, as well as salary relief for Soto and Trent Grisham, who was also in the discussions. He adds that none of Jasson Dominguez, Anthony Volpe, Gleyber Torres, Austin Wells or Everson Pereira are involved. The report from The Athletic identifies Clarke Schmidt as a target.

It seems there is a disparity in how to value Soto, who is incredibly talented in a vacuum but there are other factors that could diminish his value in a trade. He only just turned 25 years old but has already played in 779 big league games with 160 home runs. He has drawn walks in 19% of his plate appearances while striking out in just 17.1% of them. He has slashed .284/.421/.524 overall for a wRC+ of 154, indicating he’s been 54% better than the league average hitter.

But he is now just one year removed from free agency, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting an arbitration salary of $33MM next year. It is generally expected that signing him to an extension will be extremely difficult, given that he’s about to hit the open market just after his 26th birthday, a uniquely young age for a free agent. The Nationals reportedly offered him an extension of $440MM in July of last year, eventually putting him on the trading block when he rejected it. Since then, he banked $23MM in 2023 and is set to add about $33MM more next year, increasing his earning power as he has moved to free agency. That makes him seen by many in the industry as a one-year rental.

Shortly after that extension was turned down, the Nats were able to trade Soto and Josh Bell for a package of six players: C.J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, James Wood, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit. But that was when Soto still had two and a half years of control remaining. Now he is down to one year and his salary has increased to roughly market rate for a star player.

Given the changing circumstances, his trade value should be far lower now than it was when the Padres acquired him. But the Padres still seem to be asking for a significant package of players, seemingly focused on pitching. King still has two years of control whereas Vásquez and Brito each have six. Thorpe is one of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects and hasn’t reached Triple-A yet. From the perspective of the Friars, they think the Yankees are acting like the only suitors, presumably extending offers the Padres consider non-starters.

It’s possible that this is just a classic case of early negotiations, where both sides stake out extremely unreasonable positions and gradually meet in the middle. But both sides also have the option of pivoting elsewhere. The Padres seem to have many other clubs calling, while the Yanks can walk away from Soto and pursue free agents like Cody Bellinger. They are known to be looking for two outfielders, which is presumably why Grisham’s name has been brought up in talks, but the Yanks could always looks elsewhere.

As for the Jays, it’s unsurprising that they are involved. General manager Ross Atkins has admitted that the club is looking for significant upgrades to their lineup, targeting big names like Bellinger and Shohei Ohtani. Like many things this offseason, the ultimate outcome might have to wait for a decision from Ohtani. Recent reporting indicates the Jays are one of the handful of clubs still involved as Ohtani’s market whittles down. But if they end up just missing there, they could call up the Padres and try to get something done for Soto.

Some reports have suggested that the Friars could look to finish a Soto deal as soon as next week’s Winter Meetings, but it might actually be in their best interests to wait. Since nothing is close with the Yankees and the Jays are waiting on Ohtani, the Padres might get a better deal with a bit of patience. Earlier reporting has suggested the Cubs, Giants and Phillies could be involved and there are other speculative fits as well.

Despite Soto’s immense talent, he’s available in trade talks due to the budgetary concerns in San Diego. The club’s payroll for next year is currently estimates by Roster Resource to be around $189MM. Due to aggressive spending in recent years and their loss of broadcast revenue with the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group, they are expected to be working with a reduced payroll of around $200MM this year. That means they are almost at their limit before addressing the significant losses to their rotation. Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Nick Martinez reached free agency at season’s end, leaving them with Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish and plenty of uncertainty beyond those two.

It appears that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is trying to kill two birds with one stone, moving Soto and his projected to salary to both clear out some payroll space and bring in the pitching they sorely need. Whether he can pull it off will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow in the weeks to come.

Yankees Claim Oscar Gonzalez From Guardians

By Darragh McDonald | December 1, 2023 at 1:30pm CDT

The Yankees have claimed outfielder Oscar Gonzalez off waivers from the Guardians, reports Jack Curry of YES Network. There wasn’t any public indication that Gonzalez was removed from the Cleveland roster but they evidently tried to pass him through waivers without success. Cleveland’s 40-man roster is now at 39 while the Yankees are at 37.

Gonzalez, 26 in January, is coming off a dismal season in 2023. In 54 big league games, he struck out in 25.6% of his plate appearances while walking at just a 2.8% rate. He hit just two home runs and produced a batting line of .214/.239/.312 for a wRC+ of 49.

That was a big drop from a solid rookie season in 2022, wherein Gonzalez hit 11 home runs in 382 plate appearances. His 3.9% walk rate was still well below average but his strikeout rate was a more manageable 19.6%. He slashed .296/.327/.461 overall for a wRC+ of 125. He also became known to many baseball fans for using the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song as his walk-up music.

Despite that strong 2022 campaign, the poor plate discipline is an ongoing issue. He has swung at 49.1% of pitches outside the strike zone in his career, the highest rate among MLB hitters with at least 550 plate appearances over the past two seasons. In 2,734 minor league plate appearances, he has walked in just 109 of them, a 4% rate.

Gonzalez is generally considered a poor defender in an outfield corner and he’s not a huge stolen base threat, so the offense really needs to carry the profile. Chasing pitches off the plate and the resulting lack of walks have always been an issue for him. He hit enough in 2022 to overcome those faults but crashed back to earth in 2023. He clearly fell out of the plans in Cleveland, spending much of this year in the minors and now departing organization completely.

The Yankees are known to be looking for outfield help but Gonzalez is likely to just be a depth pickup. He still has a couple of option years remaining, which means the Yanks can keep him in Triple-A until they need him in the majors, either due to an injury or Gonzalez showing himself to be in good form. While struggling with the Guards last year, he spent a lot of time in Triple-A and hit .287/.323/.496 at that level for a wRC+ of 98.

The Yanks have Aaron Judge in one outfield spot but will likely pursue external additions to fill out a couple more. They have been connected in rumors to players such as Juan Soto of the Padres and free agent Cody Bellinger. How they fare in their pursuits of those players and others will ultimately determine how high Gonzalez is on the depth chart. He figures to be battling players like Everson Pereira, Estevan Florial and Oswaldo Cabrera for playing time as depth outfielders.

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