NPB’s Orix Buffaloes Approve Posting Of Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Shortly after losing Game 7 of the Japan Series to the Hanshin Tigers, the Orix Buffaloes announced this morning that they have approved the posting of ace right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to MLB. As noted by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the next step in the process is the formal declaration of a posting window, which will last 45 days upon being announced. Morosi suggests that the announcement could occur in the coming days. Yamamoto has long been expected to enter MLB free agency via the posting system this offseason, though today’s news marks the first official confirmation from the Buffaloes that Yamamoto will be posted.
Yamamoto, 25, has established himself as the clear best pitcher in Japan in recent years. Since making his NPB debut as an 18-year-old in 2017, Yamamoto has posted a career ERA of just 1.72 with a 26.4% strikeout rate. Incredible as those career numbers are, Yamamoto has been even more impressive over the last three seasons: from 2021-23, Yamamoto has posted an eye-popping 1.42 ERA with a 27.4% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 5.1% across 557 2/3 innings of work. His most recent performance saw him record 14 strikeouts while allowing one run on nine hits and zero walks in a complete game for the Buffaloes in Game 6 of the Japan Series.
Scouts have widely regarded Yamamoto as a starter with top-of-the-rotation potential in MLB. Prior to the 2023 season, scouts suggested to Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Yamamoto could be considered a “full grade” ahead of right-hander Kodai Senga, who landed with the Mets on a five-year, $75MM pact last offseason in his first foray into stateside ball. Senga’s age-30 rookie season in MLB proved to be an excellent one, as he posted a 2.98 ERA and 3.63 FIP while striking out 202 batters in 166 1/3 innings of work. Needless to say, the idea of an ace nearly six years Senga’s junior widely regarded as the better pitcher of the two being available via free agency this offseason has to be nothing short of tantalizing for MLB clubs.
MLBTR contributor Dai Takegami Podziewski took a look at Yamamoto in the latest installment of his NPB Players To Watch series back in September, shortly after Yamamoto threw the second no-hitter of his career in front of several MLB scouts. Yamamoto’s unusual youth for a free agent and incredible upside figure to make him one of the most coveted free agents of the 2023-24 offseason. In MLBTR’s most recent Free Agent Power Rankings back in August, we had Yamamoto as the third ranked free agent to be on the board, behind only Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger. The market for Yamamoto is expected to be among the most competitive of the offseason, with the Giants, Mets, and Cardinals among the reported suitors in addition to the Phillies, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Dodgers, Tigers, and Diamondbacks, all of whom he’s been publicly connected to on some level or other throughout his final season before moving stateside.
Tigers Acquire Mark Canha From Brewers
The Tigers announced that first baseman/outfielder Mark Canha has been acquired in a trade with the Brewers. Minor league reliever Blake Holub heads back to Milwaukee in return.
It can be assumed that Detroit will exercised the $11.5MM club option on Canha’s services for the 2024 season, which is essentially a $9.5MM decision since that option came with a $2MM buyout. The trade saves the Brewers from at least that $2MM payout, while also bringing a 25-year-old reliever into the farm system.
Canha’s contract was initially established with the Mets, when the veteran inked a two-year, $26.5MM free agent deal during the 2021-22 offseason. Canha’s 2022 season in New York was solid, though his performance dipped to a .245/.343/.381 slash line over 303 plate appearances in 2023 before the Mets dealt Canha to Milwaukee at the trade deadline. The change of scenery sparked Canha’s bat, and he hit .287/.373/.427 over 204 PA for the Brew Crew to help Milwaukee capture the NL Central title.
It is fair to guess that the Brewers only viewed Canha as a rental piece, yet his performance probably gave the front office some second thoughts about whether or not to retain the nine-year veteran via the club option. The $11.5MM price tag might’ve been simply a bit too high for the Brewers’ liking, plus Canha turns 35 in February and Milwaukee also has a bit of an outfielder surplus. With those outfielders needing time in the corners and at DH, Canha might’ve been considered a luxury, even though the Brewers are still in clear need of some first base help heading into 2024.
Milwaukee fans may bristle at the idea of moving Canha for payroll purposes or for “just” a minor league reliever, yet Holub might be the type of under-the-radar bullpen arm the Brewers have had a knack for discovering in recent years. A 15th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2021 draft, Holub posted a 6.23 ERA over 52 innings at the A-ball/high-A levels in 2022, but took a nice step forward this past season. Over 65 1/3 combined innings at high-A and Double-A, Holub had a 3.03 ERA, 29.34% strikeout rate, and 6.56% walk rate. The improved control is particularly noteworthy, considering how Holub struggled to avoid free passes in 2022.
Today’s trade marks one of the biggest moves made by Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris in his year-plus tenure, and the first sign that the Tigers could be planning to contend next year. Granted, one year of Canha isn’t a huge expenditure, and Canha might very well find himself on the move again at the deadline if Detroit isn’t in the AL Central or wild card race. However, Canha does add some veteran reinforcement to a young Tigers team, and his skillset is a fit in many ways for Detroit’s roster.
Spencer Torkelson has first base spoken for in the Motor City, but Canha can act as a right-handed hitting complement at DH or in the corner outfield for any of Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, or Akil Baddoo (who all swing from the left side). Canha projects as the regular left fielder for the moment, with Carpenter at DH and Greene probably targeted for right field, depending on how the Tigers deploy Greene and Meadows between center and right field. Matt Vierling, Andy Ibanez, and Zach McKinstry are also in the mix for corner outfield work, and with so many unproven commodities competing for jobs, Canha adds some stability to Detroit’s lineup.
In a related move, the Tigers yesterday also declined their $30MM club option on Miguel Cabrera for 2024, paying the future Hall-of-Famer $8MM in a buyout. Cabrera had already announced his retirement and is now moving into a special assistant role with the team, so the buyout was just a formality. It does officially end Cabrera’s 16-year run as a player in Detroit, while also ending the team’s financial commitment to the slugger. With Cabrera’s eight-year, $248MM contract now off the books, it could allow Harris a bit more flexibility to spend, such as this trade to add Canha’s deal to the Tigers’ payroll.
Josh Bell Exercises Player Option With Marlins
Switch-hitting slugger Josh Bell has exercised his player option for the 2024 season, as noted by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. In doing so, Bell has opted to remain with the Marlins, where he figures to be the club’s primary first baseman in 2024, rather than return to the open market this offseason. The Marlins have since announced the news.
Bell’s opt-out was among the more borderline cases this option season, particularly among positional players. Bell, 31, struggled a bit in the first half of the season with the Guardians, slashing just .233/.318/.383 with a below-average wRC+ of just 96 in 393 trips to the plate with Cleveland this season. Bell was then dealt to Miami at the trade deadline, however, and quickly caught fire with the Marlins. In 224 trips to the plate throughout the remainder of the season, Bell slashed .270/.338/.480 (119 wRC+) while doubling his season home run total, from 11 to 22.
While his run in Miami did little to salvage his overall season numbers, leaving him with a 105 wRC+ that was 17th among 24 qualified first basemen this year, the hot 53-game stretch was essentially in line with what Bell had produced in both 2021 and 2022 with the Nationals and Padres. In a relatively weak free-agent class for hitters, that made it at least conceivable that Bell would decline the option and test the open market, where he’d be one of the better first base/DH bats available alongside Brandon Belt. That said, Bell’s final decision wasn’t much of a surprise; a poll of MLBTR readers just before the postseason began indicated that a whopping 72% of respondents believed Bell was better off exercising his 2023 option in pursuit of a stronger platform year in 2024.
For the Marlins, the return of Bell is surely a relief to the club that parted with 2021 first-round pick Kahlil Watson in order to acquire him from the Guardians at the deadline this year. Bell and fellow deadline addition Jake Burger both helped to spark the club’s offense down the stretch in 2023, and with the club’s primary DH in Jorge Soler headed for free agency the duo figures to help anchor the lineup alongside second baseman Luis Arraez.
Of course, more will be needed to help the club reach the postseason for a second consecutive season. The club’s offense ranked 20th in the majors last year with a 94 wRC+, and the loss of Soler’s 126 wRC+ bat will further limit the club’s offensive potential without external additions. While the return of Bell on a one-year, $16.5MM pact leaves the club with less payroll space to facilitate those additions, they still have $20MM in budget space available even if they plan on just matching their 2023 payroll of $110MM, per RosterResource.
Padres Decline Two-Year Club Option On Michael Wacha
The Padres have declined their two-year, $32MM club option on the services of right-hander Michael Wacha for the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Wacha will now have the opportunity to decide between exercising a $6.5MM player option for the 2024 season or hitting the open market, with Lin noting that Wacha is expected to become a free agent.
Wacha first signed with the Padres this past offseason on a four-year, $26MM guarantee, though it now appears likely that deal will wind up being for just one year and $7.5MM. At the time, the 32-year-old righty was coming off his best season in several years after posting a 3.32 ERA and 4.14 FIP across 23 starts with the Red Sox in 2022. Though at the time it was easy to wonder if Wacha would regress back to the 4.62 ERA he had posted from 2016-2021, he managed to build upon his 2022 with an even stronger 2023 season. In 24 starts (134 1/3 innings), Wacha posted a 3.22 ERA that was 27% better than league average by ERA+ with a 3.89 FIP and a 22.4% strikeout rate.
Given that improvement, it’s something of a surprise that the club would decline to retain Wacha on what would have effectively been a two-year, $32MM pact, particularly with both Seth Lugo and Nick Martinez now slated to join Blake Snell in departing San Diego for the open market. Indeed, a poll of MLBTR readers revealed that nearly 44% of respondents expected the Padres to pick up Wacha’s options, a total that edges out the 39% of respondents who suggested that Wacha would return to the open market this offseason.
Of course, it’s necessary to consider the financial component of the move. After all, the Padres seem to be facing budgetary issues this offseason that could require them to pare payroll down to around $200MM. The departures of Lugo and Martinez, along with the club’s decision to decline Wacha’s option, have cut the club’s payroll for 2024 to just over $197MM, per RosterResource. Should Wacha decline his option as expected, that would drop the figure to just under $191MM.
That could allow the club to avoid more drastic changes to cut payroll, such as a possible trade of star left fielder Juan Soto. Of course, a payroll of $200MM would allow them just $9MM of room in the budget to replace three of the club’s regular rotation members and their top depth option for the starting staff, to say nothing of the loss of closer Josh Hader or potential upgrades to the lineup. If the Padres hope to patch the holes in their pitching staff and fine-tune their position player group, it seems reasonable to expect additional moves to trim the club’s payroll.
As for Wacha, he appears poised to join a free agent market that’s particular deep in starting pitching options. While he won’t compete at the top of the market alongside the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Snell, and Aaron Nola, Wacha will add another interesting mid-rotation option to a group that already includes the likes of Lugo, James Paxton, Marcus Stroman, Lucas Giolito and Eduardo Rodriguez in the event that he decides to decline his player option and test the open market.
Andrew Heaney Exercises Player Option, Rangers Exercise Club Option On Jose Leclerc
When the Rangers attempt to repeat their 2023 World Series championship next season, they’ll have two more familiar names on the roster. The club announced today that left-handed veteran Andrew Heaney exercised his $13MM player option for the 2024 campaign, while the club picked up a $6.25MM team option on the services of righty reliever Jose Leclerc for next season.
Heaney, 32, was regarded as a borderline candidate to opt out of his final year in Texas and return to the open market this offseason. MLBTR readers were polled on Heaney’s upcoming decision last month, with 62% of respondents suggesting that Heaney ought to exercise his player option for the 2024 campaign and return to the Rangers against 38% suggesting he return to the open market this offseason in search of a more lucrative deal.
It’s certainly an understandable decision. After signing in Texas on the heels of a strong albeit injury-shortened campaign with the Dodgers last year, Heaney managed to stay healthy in 2023 but saw his results take a turn for the worse: while his 147 1/3 innings of work in 2023 more than doubled the 72 2/3 innings of work he posted in LA, his ERA ballooned from 3.10 last year up to 4.15 in 2023 while he struck out just 23.6% of batters faced after striking out a whopping 35.5% with the Dodgers. Given the downturn in results and his lengthy injury history, it was reasonable to wonder if Heaney would simply be better off hoping for a stronger platform season in 2024 rather than wading into a deep class of free agent starting options.
With Heaney locked in as a member of the Rangers pitching staff for 2024, it leaves Texas with a quality, mid-rotation veteran option available to them as a potential Opening Day rotation option next season. With Jordan Montgomery and Martin Perez both heading to the open market and ace righty Jacob deGrom rehabbing Tommy John surgery to open next year, Heaney’s return could theoretically round out a Rangers starting five that already contained Max Scherzer, Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, and Dane Dunning. With that being said, both Heaney and Dunning have seen plenty of time in relief roles in the past, leaving the door open for potential additions to the club’s starting group if they look to re-sign Montgomery or add another front-end starter to pair with Scherzer and Eovaldi atop the club’s rotation.
As for Leclerc, the Rangers’ decision to retain the 29-year-old righty is hardly a surprising one. After struggling in 2019 and missing time in 2020 and 2021 due to a shoulder strain and Tommy John surgery, Leclerc has been nothing short of excellent for the Rangers the past two seasons, with a 2.75 ERA (155 ERA+) and 3.67 FIP in 104 2/3 innings of work the past two seasons. 2023 in particular was a strong season for the righty, as he posted a 2.68 ERA and 3.62 FIP while striking out 28.8% of batters faced. Given those numbers, retaining Leclerc to help anchor the club’s bullpen next season was something of a no-brainer, particularly given the club option Texas holds for his services in 2025.
The bullpen figures to be a major area of focus for the Rangers this offseason. The club’s 4.77 ERA out of the bullpen in 2023 was the seventh-worst figure among all big league clubs, and the Rangers stand to lose flamethrowing closer Aroldis Chapman and veteran set-up options Will Smith and Chris Stratton to the open market this offseason. While the club has some interesting young arms like left-handers Brock Burke and Cody Bradford who could be relied on to help cover innings, the club will need to restock its relief corps with late-inning options who can surround Leclerc. Of course, a hypothetical addition to the starting rotation could help improve the club’s bullpen as well by kicking either Heaney or Dunning into a multi-inning relief role.
Padres, Nick Martinez Decline 2024-25 Options
The Padres and Nick Martinez have each declined their simultaneous options on the right-hander’s services for the 2024-25 seasons, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports, and Martinez is now a free agent.
Martinez re-signed with San Diego last winter on a contract that is now ultimately a one-year, $10MM pact, though it represented three years and $26MM in guaranteed money. Following this season, the Padres had to decide whether or not to exercise $16MM options on Martinez for both the 2024 and 2025 seasons. If the Padres rejected those club options, they turned into player options worth $8MM apiece, and Martinez then had to decide whether or not to exercise both years’ worth of options at once.
This rather complicated setup ended up being pretty simple, since both sides declined the two years’ worth of options and Martinez will head back into the open market. Though the Padres have some holes to fill in their rotation this winter, it seemed like retaining Martinez wasn’t too likely, as he had mostly worked as a reliever over his two seasons with the team. The $32MM price tag for a pitcher who might be best suited for swingman work might’ve also been too pricey for a San Diego franchise that looks to be cutting costs to some extent in 2024. If the payroll will indeed be pared down to a relatively smaller $200MM figure, Martinez could’ve been seen as a luxury.
The 33-year-old Martinez has taken an interesting career path, starting his MLB career pitching with the Rangers from 2014-17 before heading to Japan in search of a revival. Those four years in Nippon Professional Baseball led to improved results, and the Padres signed Martinez to a four-year, $25.5MM guarantee prior to the 2022 season. This was another option-heavy contract, as Martinez had the ability to opt out after each of the deal’s first three seasons, and he took that first opt-out last winter before re-signing with San Diego on his $26MM contract.
Martinez’s second stint in the majors has gone much more smoothly than his time in Texas, as the righty has a 3.45 ERA in 216 2/3 innings and 110 appearances since the start of the 2022 campaign. Martinez has started 19 of those 110 games, while posting a 22.1% strikeout rate, 8.9% walk rate, and an impressive 50.6% walk rate. Martinez had better numbers as a reliever than as a starter in 2022, and vice versa in 2023.
The Padres have just enough injury problems to create some openings for Martinez to receive looks as a starting pitcher, even if San Diego’s general surplus of arms mostly kept Martinez limited to bullpen work. As such, he is an intriguing pitcher to watch this offseason, with the added wrinkle that Martinez has changed representation and is now represented by the Boras Corporation (as per Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic).
It stands to reason that Scott Boras will shop Martinez first as a proper starter, to maximize his possible earnings. Since Boras is no stranger to complex contracts, so he might seek out another option-heavy type of deal for his new client with options or different incentive bonuses or price points tied to usage — appearances, innings pitched, games finished, etc. It’s possible such a deal might come from the Padres once again, given how they already reunited with Martinez after his opt-out last winter, and how the Padres are in need of rotation help.
Seth Lugo also opted out of his deal with San Diego, and the Padres haven’t yet revealed how they’ll approach Michael Wacha‘s club option, which is structured in relatively similar fashion to Martinez’s deal. Blake Snell is also headed for free agency, leaving Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish as the only two sure things for next year’s rotation. It’ll be tricky for president of baseball operations A.J. Preller to find pitching while still keeping the payroll in check, and it could be that the Padres might consider adding arms when exploring potential trades involving some higher-salaried players (such as Juan Soto.
White Sox To Decline Club Option On Tim Anderson
The White Sox will decline their $14MM club option on shortstop Tim Anderson, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers (X link). Anderson will instead receive a $1MM buyout, and become a free agent for the first time in his professional career.
The decision marks the end of an era on the South Side, as Anderson had been part of the organization since the White Sox made him the 17th overall pick of the 2013 draft. Emerging as a regular through the club’s rebuilding years, Anderson made two All-Star Games, won a Silver Slugger Award (in 2020), and won the 2019 AL batting title during his eight seasons in a Sox uniform.
The White Sox recognized this potential early, and locked Anderson up on a six-year, $25MM extension prior to the 2017 season that contained club options for both 2023 and 2024. Heading into the 2023 season, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Anderson’s first option would be picked up, yet this parting of the ways underscores the disappointing nature of the shortstop’s year.
Anderson hit only .245/.286/.296 over 524 plate appearances, and his 60 wRC+ was the lowest of any qualified hitter in baseball. Anderson missed about three weeks due to a left knee sprain early in the season, and said last month that he never quite felt right physically for the rest of the year, undoubtedly contributing to this major dropoff at the plate. With his defensive metrics also taking a tumble, Anderson was a sub-replacement level player, with -0.5 fWAR in 2023 after posting 16.1 fWAR over the previous five seasons.
Despite this poor performance, the Marlins and some unknown other teams still had some interest in Anderson heading into the trade deadline, even if a deal was never completed. It is fair to guess that Anderson would’ve been among the other White Sox veterans shipped at the deadline if he’d been playing at any sort of higher level, as it could be that the Sox couldn’t find an appropriate asking price and didn’t want to just give Anderson away.
Yet now, Anderson will hit the market with no strings attached, as the White Sox certainly aren’t going to issue a $20.325MM qualifying offer for a player they could’ve retained for an extra $13MM. Though the Sox lost 101 games last season, owner Jerry Reinsdorf and new GM Chris Getz indicated that the Sox plan to compete rather than rebuild, and it could be argued that parting with Anderson is a step in that direction if the White Sox don’t think a rebound is possible. It’s probably fair to guess that Chicago gauged the trade market again before making today’s decision, but even if clubs do see Anderson as a bounce-back candidate, the $13MM price point also wasn’t to their liking.
Anderson just turned 30 last June, so if he stays healthy, it wouldn’t be surprising if he indeed gets back to his old form in 2024. This makes him an interesting option within a pretty thin middle infield market, especially since Anderson has indicated he is open to playing second base. A position change could further boost Anderson’s value, as while his glovework at shortstop has been inconsistent, he might become a plus as a second baseman.
Colson Montgomery is the shortstop of the future in Chicago, yet since the top prospect has yet to play any Triple-A ball, it would be a very aggressive move for the White Sox to pencil him into their Opening Day plans. We can’t rule out the scenario since we don’t yet know how Getz might operate as a GM, but the likelier option is for Montgomery to make his MLB debut at some point closer to midway through the 2024 season, at the earliest.
The White Sox already needed middle infield help due to their lack of depth at second base, and now a new shortstop can also be added to Getz’s offseason checklist. Romy Gonzalez, Lenyn Sosa, and Zach Remillard could perhaps combine to handle one position until Montgomery is called up, yet some kind of veteran upgrade is absolutely needed for second base or shortstop, particularly if Chicago has any designs on competing. In theory, the Sox could aim to acquire a player using the $13MM they probably had earmarked for Anderson, on a shorter-term deal.
Eduardo Rodriguez Opts Out Of Tigers Contract
Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez is returning to free agency, as the New York Post’s Jon Heyman (X link) reports that Rodriguez has opted out of the last three years and $49MM on his contract with the Tigers.
Today was the deadline for E-Rod to enact his opt-out clause, and it has long seemed like the southpaw would indeed take the opportunity to again test the market. Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said in early October that the club was first waiting on Rodriguez’s opt-out decision before discussing an extension, yet MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported yesterday that the two sides were having some level of talks “about potentially restructuring his contract.”
The nature of these discussions might not be known now that Rodriguez has opted out, though the Tigers still hold exclusive negotiating rights with the lefty until Monday. It would seem like a longshot if a new deal did come together with Rodriguez so close to being able to speak with other teams, yet he did express his love of playing in Detroit in August after E-Rod used his 10-team no-trade clause to reject a proposed deal to the Dodgers.
Rodriguez signed a five-year, $77MM deal during the 2021-22 offseason, as the Tigers splurged on both E-Rod and Javier Baez as a way of signalling that the team was ready to contend after a rebuilding period. Instead, the Tigers stumbled to a 66-96 record in 2022, due to a punchless offense and a multitude of pitching injuries. Rodriguez was hit by the injury bug in the form of a ribcage sprain, but his extended absence during the middle of the 2022 campaign was due to a family-related personal matter. The Tigers put Rodriguez on the restricted list for most of that absence, and he ended up tossing only 91 innings (with a 4.05 ERA).
A pulley rupture in his left index finger put E-Rod on the injured list for a little over five weeks this season, but by and large, 2023 was a more normal year for the left-hander. Rodriguez posted a 3.30 ERA over 152 2/3 innings, with a less-flattering 4.26 SIERA and a set of Statcast metrics that generally landed either slightly above or slightly below league averages.
It makes for an interesting comparison to Rodriguez’s last foray into free agency, when he landed that $77MM deal on the strength of some good underlying metrics, even though he had a 4.74 ERA over 157 2/3 frames for the Red Sox in 2021. Without a qualifying offer impacting his market this time around, Rodriguez shouldn’t have much issue topping three years and $49MM, and another five-year pact seems very plausible since he doesn’t turn 31 until April.
However, geography might be a bit of a limiting factor for Rodriguez. Staying close to his family on the East Coast was reportedly a reason E-Rod vetoed the trade to the Dodgers, so if he wasn’t willing to head west for just the remainder of the 2023 season, it’s probably not too likely that he’d join a team in the western U.S. for a longer term. These feelings could potentially change once Rodriguez and his representatives fully gauge the market, yet for now, it would appear as though clubs in the east or more central (like Detroit) parts of the baseball world might have an advantage.
Hector Neris Declines Player Option With Astros
Right-hander Hector Neris will test free agency after declining his player option for the 2024 season, MLB Trade Rumors has learned. Neris passed a postseason physical, which was the final step in turning the Astros’ $8.5MM club option (with a $1MM buyout) for 2024 into a player option. The terms of Neris’ two-year, $17MM deal with Houston allowed that club option to vest into a player option if Neris made at least 110 appearances over the 2022-23 seasons, and the righty easily passed that benchmark with 141 games pitched.
Neris turned 34 back in June, yet doesn’t appear to be slowing down at all, considering that he posted a 1.71 ERA over 68 1/3 innings in 2023. An 11.4% walk rate is a red flag, yet most of Neris’ other metrics were well above average, and he was one of baseball’s best at limiting hard contact. A 3.89 SIERA might be a better reflection of Neris’ 2023 performance given his walk rate and his .219 BABIP, yet in some sense, Neris’ luck was evening out after a 2022 season that saw him post a 3.72 ERA but a 2.70 SIERA.
The combined result is a 2.69 ERA/3.29 SIERA over Neris’ two seasons in an Astros uniform, as well as 56 holds in a setup role in front of closer Ryan Pressly. With Rafael Montero, Phil Maton, and Bryan Abreu also contributing to a strong late-game mix, Neris was routinely called upon to shut down batters in the seventh or eighth inning, with generally impressive results. In addition to his regular-season work, Neris also had a 1.50 ERA over six innings and eight appearances during the 2022 playoffs, helping the Astros win the World Series.
There wasn’t much suspense that Neris would test the market again, as he should be able to land another multi-year deal coming off of this strong performance. The 10-year MLB veteran formerly worked as the Phillies’ closer early in his career, so he might have some extra appeal to a team that could use at least a backup option for save situations, even if Neris is likely going to be targeted as a setup man by most of his suitors. Neris looks to be one of the better options available in a typically crowded bullpen market, and some options are already off the board since the Braves re-signed Joe Jimenez and Pierce Johnson.
Reds Decline Club Options On Joey Votto, Curt Casali
The Reds announced that they have declined their club options on first baseman Joey Votto and catcher Curt Casali for the 2024 season. Votto will receive a $7MM buyout instead of the $20MM he would’ve received in 2024 salary, while Casali will receive a $750K buyout since the Reds turned down their end of a $4MM mutual option.
President of baseball options Nick Krall released a statement in regards to Votto, in a nod to the longtime star’s status in team history: “For 17 seasons, Joey has been the heart of Reds baseball as a Most Valuable Player, All-Star and respected clubhouse leader. His contributions to our team and his extraordinary generosity toward those in need, throughout our region and beyond, cannot be measured. At this point of the offseason, based on our current roster and projected plans for 2024, as an organization we cannot commit to the playing time Joey deserves. He forever will be part of the Reds’ family, and at the appropriate time we will thank and honor him as one of the greatest baseball players of this or any generation.”
A second-round pick for the Reds in the 2002 draft, Votto has spent his entire pro career in the Cincinnati organization, amassing an outstanding resume that includes six All-Star nods and the 2010 NL MVP Award. Votto’s emergence as a superstar inspired the Reds to sign the first baseman to what is still the largest contract in franchise history — a ten-year, $225MM extension covering the 2014-23 seasons, with that $20MM club option attached for 2024.
As Votto aged and his performance started to dip, it was generally expected that the Reds would buy out the option year, particularly as the team started to cut costs in the wake of the pandemic and entered another mini-rebuild phase. Votto did return to form with an excellent 2021 season, but shoulder problems impacted his performance and kept him off the field for large portions of both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, as Votto has played in only 156 of a possible 324 games over the last two years.
The Reds’ surplus of young and talented position players also left Votto in something of a crunch for playing time. Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand might already have the first base and DH positions spoken for in 2024, and if Steer is used at third base or in the corner outfield, Cincinnati might need that open DH spot to find at-bats for any of Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, Tyler Stephenson, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, or Will Benson when those players aren’t in the field.
This roster depth was probably as much of an impediment to a Votto return as the $13MM difference in salary. Re-signing Votto to a less-expensive contract might not be in the cards for the Reds given how Krall’s statement seemed to carry an air of finality about Votto’s spectacular tenure with the team. The 40-year-old Votto had floated the idea of retirement in the past, but he stated last month that he wants to play in “at least” the 2024 season and possibly beyond.
Despite Votto’s age, injury history, and modest (95 wRC+) production over the last two seasons, it seems likely that he’ll get that chance to continue his career. Votto has a great reputation as a clubhouse mentor, and several teams in need of DH or first base help could be interested in seeing what the veteran has left to contribute on the field. There has already been speculation in Votto’s hometown of Toronto that the Blue Jays might view Votto as a replacement for another left-handed hitting first baseman/DH in Brandon Belt, who is entering free agency.
Casali signed a one-year deal worth $3.25MM in guaranteed money last winter, as the Reds bolstered their catching ranks beyond Stephenson and Luke Maile. The team’s idea was to give Stephenson a good chunk of time at first base and DH in order to keep him healthy, with Casali and Maile picking up that additional slack behind the plate. The experiment didn’t really pan out, as Stephenson had an underwhelming year at the plate and Casali didn’t play after July 18 due to a foot contusion that wound up ending his season.
Casali (who turns 35 this week) had only a .490 OPS over 96 plate appearances in 2023. A veteran of 10 MLB seasons, Casali will enter free agency looking to catch on another team, though he’ll very likely have to settle for a minor league pact.