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Al McBean Passes Away

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Former big league veteran Al McBean passed away earlier this week at age 85.  McBean holds a distinction as the first pitcher (and one of just 15 players ever) from the Virgin Islands to play in Major League Baseball, making some history when made his debut in 1961.

Most of McBean’s career was spent with the Pirates, including his first eight seasons and then a brief return in 1970 for what ended up being his final seven MLB games.  (In between those two stints in Pittsburgh, McBean pitched for the Padres and Dodgers.)  Pitching mostly as a reliever in his rookie season and then mostly as a starter in 1962, McBean then primarily worked out of the bullpen for most of his career, apart from a return to the Pirates rotation late in the 1967 season and for much of 1968.

McBean posted a 3.13 ERA and 63 saves over 409 games and 1072 1/3 career innings.  The 63 saves are a retroactive statistic given how saves weren’t officially recognized since 1969, and the idea of a true closer was still something of a rarity in the 1960’s.  However, the Pirates enjoyed great success with longtime relief ace Roy Face anchoring the bullpen, and McBean teamed with Face as a one-two punch for high leverage work.  McBean was named Reliever Of The Year by the Sporting News in 1964 for an outstanding season of 1.91 ERA ball and 21 saves over 89 2/3 innings and 58 appearances.

We at MLB Trade Rumors give our condolences to McBean’s family and friends.

Orioles Notes: Burnes, Cease, Hicks

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The Orioles completed one of the offseason’s biggest trades in landing Corbin Burnes from the Brewers earlier this week, and it was a move that GM Mike Elias said the organization had been “talking about…since when the World Series ended.” It was heavily expected that the O’s would be looking for significant rotation help during the winter, and Elias shared some details on the search when speaking with reporters (including MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and MLB.com’s Jake Rill) on a conference call in the aftermath of the trade.

“Corbin Burnes is exactly what we needed.  We were in a dogged pursuit of him the entire offseason,” Elias said.  “Obviously, there were other starting pitchers who we pursued, but it’s harder to have somebody higher than Corbin Burnes on your wish list.  It’s a tremendous impact.”

Milwaukee’s side of the deal involved two big league-ready young players (Joey Ortiz and DL Hall) with top-100 prospect pedigrees, as well as the Orioles’ Competitive Balance Round draft pick (currently 34th overall in the 2024 draft order).  It was a noteworthy amount to give up even for a team as rich in minor league depth as the O’s, but Elias felt it was worth the plunge.

“We’re giving up a lot of long-term talent and also a couple of players that were going to contribute to the 2024 Orioles,” Elias said.  “So I mean, this is a risky move, but it lined up for both sides.  We weren’t going to force it necessarily, but our wish list was a rotation upgrade and I certainly think that the Cy Young winner and with his body of work qualifies as that. We couldn’t have found a better upgrade and now we just have to go play the games.”

While the Orioles’ offer was enough to sway the Brewers, it apparently wasn’t enough to get the White Sox to move Dylan Cease, another pitcher known to be on Baltimore’s list of potential targets.  USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the O’s “offered basically the same package” to White Sox, as well as an unknown additional player.  The larger size of the offer probably reflects the fact that Cease is arbitration-controlled through the 2025 season while Burnes is only controlled through 2024, yet it still wasn’t enough to meet Chicago’s asking price for Cease’s services.

Past reports have suggested that the Sox have a particular interest in Jordan Westburg, Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser, among many of Baltimore’s top prospects.  It can be assumed that none of these blue-chippers weren’t the mystery fourth part of the Orioles’ offer to Chicago, so speculatively, it could be that the White Sox asked for one of the trio as the top position-player piece instead of Ortiz.  Considering that the Sox have reportedly been looking for additional pitching in other Cease-related trade talks with the Mariners and Reds, it could also be that the White Sox wanted a better pitcher included than Hall, or perhaps a pitcher as the fourth element if the Orioles had offered a position player.

These talks are again indicative of the very large price tag that the White Sox are demanding for Cease, which isn’t really surprising given how he is their biggest trade asset apart from Luis Robert.  It also understandable why the Orioles ultimately pivoted from these talks with Chicago to closing the deal on Burnes, as Burnes provides a higher ceiling as a more consistent ace-level pitcher even if he comes with one less year of control than Cease.

Obviously some of this discussion is just conjecture since we don’t know exactly what the Orioles put on the table for Cease, yet it also speaks to the interesting juggling act Elias has been facing in determining how to put the best “final touch” on the AL East-winning roster.  It can be assumed that pretty much every rival team has been asking about the top tier of names in Baltimore’s farm system in any trade talks, so Elias technically has the minor league depth to complete just about any deal, he naturally isn’t going to deplete that depth for just any pitcher.

Speaking of Kjerstad and Cowser, it wouldn’t be surprising to see either youngster play big roles in whatever success awaits the 2024 Orioles, though they’re part of a crowded outfield, first base, and DH picture that also includes Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, Austin Hays, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, and even more up-and-coming prospects in Coby Mayo and Kyle Stowers, among others.  Even with all these options on hand, Nightengale reports that the O’s still had interest in bringing back Aaron Hicks before the veteran outfielder signed with the Angels earlier this week.

After an injury-plagued stint with the Yankees, Hicks revived his career after joining the Orioles last season, hitting .275/.381/.425 over 236 PA and acting as a veteran leader within the young clubhouse.  Since the Yankees are still covering Hicks’ previous contract through the 2025 season, the outfielder was available on only a minimum MLB salary to any team this winter, giving him presumably a pretty wide range of suitors.

Though the Orioles are in a better position to contend than the Angels in 2024, it could be that Hicks simply felt he wouldn’t get as much playing time in Baltimore than he would in Los Angeles.  Though the Angels have a fair amount of outfield options themselves, Mike Trout’s injury history and the unproven big league track records of Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell leave more room for Hicks to become a lineup regular.

Rangers Sign DJ Peters To Minors Deal

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The Rangers signed DJ Peters to a minor league contract, as initially reported by pitching consultant and former big leaguer Dave Coggin (X link).  After beginning his pro career as an outfielder, Peters is now exploring a second chapter as a pitcher, which began when he tossed 21 2/3 innings for the Tigers’ Florida Complex League team last season.

Peters appeared in 70 games with the Dodgers and Rangers in 2021, which marks his only previous MLB experience.  He hit .197/.242/.422 with 13 home runs and 82 strikeouts over his 240 plate appearance.  The lack of contact has been the story for much of Peters’ career, as while his power potential drew him some notice during his time in the L.A. farm system, rival pitchers were increasingly able to find holes in his swing.  The canceled 2020 minor league season also seemed to halt Peters’ momentum, as his numbers in the minors drastically tailed off after that lost year.

Peters’ 2022 season was mostly spent in South Korea with the KBO League’s Lotte Giants, though he caught on with the Nationals late in the year on a minor league deal, and then spent the 2023 campaign in Detroit’s organization on another minors contract.  Peters didn’t see any game action apart from his 17 appearances as a pitcher in the FCL, and he posted a 6.23 ERA over his 21 2/3 frames, and had more walks (27) than strikeouts (24).

Clearly the transition to pitching is still a work in progress, and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes that Peters’ deal doesn’t include an invitation to the Rangers’ big league spring camp.  Peters will get an opportunity to work with some familiar faces in the organization as he continues to develop his craft on the mound, and figure out how to harness his stuff.  As noted by Coggin elsewhere on his X feed, Peters’ fastball sits at 95mph and he has a slider with a lot of break.

Evan Longoria Undecided On Future

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Veteran third baseman Evan Longoria is still “weighing his options” regarding his future ahead of the 2024 season, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Reporting back in October indicated that while the 38-year-old was undecided on his future, he was “leaning” towards playing in 2024.

A veteran of 16 MLB seasons, Longoria was selected third overall in the 2006 draft by the then-Devil Rays and rose to prominence in the big leagues quickly, becoming an All Star in each of his first three major league seasons. During that time, he posted a strong .283/.361/.521 slash line while collecting MVP votes in each year along with two Gold Glove awards, a Silver Slugger award, and the 2008 Rookie of the Year award. Longoria spent ten seasons as the face of the franchise in Tampa, appearing in 1,435 games with the club and slashing .270/.341/.483 during that time while playing excellent defense at the hot corner.

Longoria’s production took a bit of a dip upon the infielder being shipped to San Francisco prior to the 2018 season. While he hit a decent .251/.312/.438 during his five seasons in San Francisco, that slightly better than average production was a far cry from the star-level production he boasted earlier in his career, and the veteran began to miss time with injuries more frequently after regularly playing 150-plus games during his time with the Rays. Across five years with the Giants, Longoria never appeared in more than 129 games with the club in a season and eclipsed 100 games just twice, in 2018 and 2019.

The veteran’s Giants tenure came to an end last season, when he departed for the Diamondbacks via free agency. In a part-time role with Arizona this year, Longoria flashed considerable power as he slashed .223/.295/.422 with 11 home runs in just 74 games. Notably, Longoria’s production through the season’s first four months was considerably stronger as he raked to the tune of a .238/.303/.500 slash line with 30 extra base hits in just 178 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, Longoria hit the shelf with a lower back strain in late July and struggled badly upon his return, batting just .171 while reaching base at a 27.1% clip and failing to record an extra-base hit over his final 59 trips to the plate last year.

Given the veteran’s age and lengthy injury history, his late-season struggles cannot be completely ignored. With that being said, the form Longoria’s flashed for the majority of the season would represent a noticeable improvement for a number of clubs at the hot corner, particularly given Longoria’s willingness to accept a part-time role. The allure of returning for another season is fairly clear from Longoria’s perspective, as well: he currently sits at 1,930 career hits, putting him just 70 away from the 2,000 hit milestone. He’s also just eight round-trippers away from becoming the 100th player in MLB history to club 350 home runs in his career.

While the 38-year-old hasn’t been publicly connected to any clubs to this point in the winter, there are a few teams for whom he could make some sense, speculatively speaking. The Mets lost infield prospect Ronny Mauricio for the 2024 season due to an injury during winter ball, and Longoria could serve as a veteran mentor and right-handed hitting complement to youngster Brett Baty at third base headed into the 2024 campaign. Meanwhile, the Cubs lack an established third baseman could mix-and-match Longoria with other internal options like Nick Madrigal and Miles Mastrobuoni at the hot corner.

Braves Sign Jake Walsh To Minor League Deal

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The Braves and right-hander Jake Walsh are in agreement on a minor league deal, according to the transactions section of the righty’s MLB.com player page. The deal includes an invite to big league Spring Training.

Walsh, 28, was a 16th-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2017 draft and began his professional career as a starter before moving to the bullpen full time back in 2021. Between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, Walsh impressed at both the Double- and Triple-A levels with a combined 2.17 ERA and a whopping 37% strikeout, though he was limited to just 40 frames during that time by a pair of lengthy trips to the injured list. 2 2/3 of those 40 frames came in the big leagues as Walsh got his first taste of major league action with a 3-game cup of coffee in May of 2022, though he allowed four runs on three hits and two walks across that trio of appearances.

Uninspiring big league debut aside, Walsh’s dominance since converting to the bullpen seemed to leave him poised for big things headed into the 2023 campaign. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way as Walsh struggled to a 5.28 ERA in 30 2/3 innings of work this past year. His strikeout rate plummeted to just 23.9% while his walk rate ballooned from an elevated but manageable 11.1% in 2022 to a ghastly 16.2% figure. Those pronounced struggles led the Cardinals to place Walsh on the injured list shortly before granting him his unconditional release back in July in order to open up a spot on the club’s 40-man roster.

Walsh did not catch on with another club for the remainder of the 2023 campaign, but now joins the Braves with a chance to compete for a job on the big league staff this spring. The Atlanta bullpen appears to be mostly set in stone for the time being with Raisel Iglesias, A.J. Minter, and Reynaldo Lopez as the club’s top high-leverage arms with the likes of Tyler Matzek, Joe Jimenez, Aaron Bummer, and Pierce Johnson on tap to cover the middle innings.

With that being said, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Walsh make himself into the club’s top depth option behind the current group given the considerable talent the right-hander flashed after first converting to full-time relief work, particularly if he manages to put whatever injury he suffered last summer behind him. Walsh will have plenty of competition among fellow non-roster invitees such as Ken Giles, Ben Bowden, and Grant Holmes when Spring Training begins later this month, not to mention the presence of arms like Daysbel Hernandez and Ray Kerr who are currently slated to act as optionable relief depth on the 40-man roster.

Nationals Sign Adonis Medina To Minor League Deal

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The Nationals have signed right-hander Adonis Medina to a minor league deal, as noted in the transactions section of the righty’s MLB.com profile page.

The 27-year-old hurler was once a consensus top-100 prospect and made his big league debut with the Phillies back in 2020. Over two seasons with the club, he posted a respectable 3.86 ERA with a 4.03 FIP in 11 2/3 innings of work spread across five appearances, including two starts. Solid as those big league numbers were, Medina was unable to find that same success when working at the Triple-A level during the 2021 season, as he struggled to a 5.05 ERA across 17 starts while striking out just 18.5% of batters faced against an 8.7% walk rate. That weak performance in the upper minors led the Phillies to place Medina on waivers, where he was promptly claimed by the Pirates. Medina didn’t stay in Pennsylvania for long, however, as Pittsburgh dealt him to the Mets the very next month.

Medina converted to full-time relief while pitching for the Mets and found slightly stronger results at the Triple-A level after switching roles. The right-hander posted a 4.65 ERA in 31 innings of work with the club’s affiliate in Syracuse while striking out 22% of batters faced. Unfortunately, that improvement didn’t translate over to the major league level, as Medina was rocked to the tune of a 6.08 ERA in 23 2/3 innings of work across 14 appearances in the big leagues that year. The righty’s peripheral numbers were better than his on-field results as he generated an impressive 51.9% groundball rate while cutting his walk rate to just 5.5%, leaving him with a decent 4.04 FIP and a 3.89 SIERA.

After his struggles with the Mets in 2022, Medina departed stateside ball to pitch for the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization. The right-hander returned to starting during his time overseas, but the experiment did not go well as he struggled to a 6.05 ERA in 58 innings of work across 12 starts. Unlike his time in Queens, Medina’s struggles on the field were now reflected in his peripheral numbers as he struck out just 13.4% of batters faced while walking a whopping 10.8%. Medina’s rough performance led to him being released back in July. Since then, he’s pitched in the Dominican Winter League and found solid results with a 2.93 ERA in 15 1/3 innings of work across nine appearances.

Now back in affiliated ball for the first time since 2022, Medina figures to compete for a job with the Nationals in camp this spring. It seems unlikely Washington would consider Medina for a role in the starting rotation, though it’s certainly feasible that Medina could earn himself a role in the big league bullpen where he would be set to compete with the likes of Joan Adon and Jordan Weems as well as non-roster veterans like Robert Gsellman and Spenser Watkins.

Mariners Sign Heath Hembree To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners recently inked veteran right-hander Heath Hembree to a minor league deal, according to the transactions section of the righty’s MLB.com profile page.

Hembree, 35 last month, is a veteran of 11 major league seasons. After being selected in the fifth round of the 2010 draft by the Giants, Hembree worked his way through the minor leagues to make his debut during the 2013 season. His first cup of coffee in the majors was an impressive one, as the right-hander struck out 12 while allowing four hits and two walks across 7 2/3 scoreless innings for San Francisco that season. Hembree’s time with the big league club in San Francisco was short-lived, however, as he was swapped to the Red Sox in a deal that netted the Giants Jake Peavy the following summer.

In joining the Red Sox, Hembree found his new home for the next seven seasons. During that time, he made 251 appearances with the club, pitching to a 3.70 ERA and 4.32 FIP while striking out 24.2% of batters faced. The strongest stretch of the right-hander’s tenure in Boston came in 2016 and 2017, when Hembree made himself a key member of the club’s late-inning mix with a 3.19 ERA (142 ERA+) and a 3.88 FIP in 100 appearances. Unfortunately, Hembree began to struggle with injuries late in his tenure with the club and missed nearly two months with elbow issues during the 2019 season.

The Red Sox eventually dealt Hembree to the Phillies as part of a larger deal that brought Nick Pivetta to Boston ahead of the trade deadline during the shortened 2020 season. Since then, the right-hander has become something of a journeyman. Over the past four seasons, Hembree has played for seven different clubs while struggling to a 6.55 ERA and 5.84 FIP and managing just 100 1/3 innings in the majors during that time. The most recent big league stop in the veteran’s travels was with the Rays back in April. While in Tampa, the right-hander posted 1 1/3 scoreless innings during his lone major league appearance last year.

After being designated for assignment by the Rays and electing free agency, Hembree caught on with the Tigers last year and enjoyed some brief success at the Triple-A level, where he posted a 3.00 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate. Unfortunately his stay with the organization would last just six innings as Hembree was placed on the injured list for more than a month before he was released by the club in early July.

Now, Hembree is poised to join his ninth big league organization over the past five years. The Mariners feature a strong trio of high-leverage options in the form of Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, and Gregory Santos, though Hembree could get a look in the event of an injury somewhere in the club’s bullpen provided he’s healthy. In the meantime, he figures to provide Seattle with a non-roster depth option who has found success at the major league level in the past and could compete with the likes of Jackson Kowar and Trent Thornton for a role in the big league bullpen this spring.

Latest On Mets’, Red Sox’ DH Plans

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Earlier this offseason, the Mets were frequently rumored to be interested in adding a bat to their DH mix after parting ways with Dan Vogelbach at the non-tender deadline back in November. It now appears the club may have other priorities, however. According to a recent report from Will Sammon of The Athletic, the club intends to stick with its internal options at DH rather make a splash on the free agent market for a player such as J.D. Martinez or Jorge Soler, at least without prices falling “dramatically.” Sammon goes on to note that the club did not aggressively pursue deals with outfielder Teoscar Hernandez or first baseman Rhys Hoskins before the duo signed with the Dodgers and Brewers last month.

The news isn’t necessarily a surprise given comments from president of baseball operations David Stearns last month, which indicated that the club wasn’t interested in taking opportunities away from young players with veteran additions this winter. To that end, Sammon indicates that the likeliest use of the DH in Queens this year figures to involve plenty of playing time for 24-year-old slugger Mark Vientos, with DJ Stewart and Starling Marte also getting time at DH in addition to occasional reps in the outfield.

Vientos has struggled to a .205/.255/.354 slash line to this point in his big league career, but has just 274 trips to the plate in the majors under his belt. The youngster crushed Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .306/.387/.612 slash line in 61 games at the level last year and owns a career .247/.377/.499 line across six seasons in the minor leagues. The 30-year-old Stewart, meanwhile, spent parts of five seasons in a part-time role with the Orioles to roughly league average results at the plate but showed a bit more promise after joining the Mets on a minor league deal last year. Stewart slashed a solid .244/.333/.506 with 11 homers in just 185 trips to the plate across 58 games with the club last year, though that strong power production came with a hefty 30.3% strikeout rate.

Marte is a much more established hitter at the big league level than the other two likely members of the Mets’ DH mix. The 35-year-old veteran of 12 major league seasons boasts a career slash line of .287/.343/.445 and posted a 134 wRC+ as recently as 2022, but struggled badly in 341 trips to the plate last year amid groin, neck, and migraine issues last year. While Marte figures to be penciled in as the club’s everyday right fielder, the presence of both Stewart and Tyrone Taylor as other corner outfield options figure to give the Mets flexibility to utilize the DH spot for Marte on a semi-regular basis in hopes of keeping him healthier throughout the 2024 campaign.

While the Mets appear to be stepping away from the DH market in favor of internal options, it appears that the Red Sox still have interest in adding a right-handed bat to their lineup to replace the production of Justin Turner, who recently signed with the Blue Jays on a one-year deal. Boston was heavily connected to Hernandez before he signed in L.A. and was reported as a likely landing spot for Adam Duvall last month. More recently, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com opines that a reunion with Duvall still makes for the Red Sox even though his free agency “isn’t as close to a resolution” as those past reports seemed to indicate at the time. Should the 35-year-old slugger ultimately land elsewhere, Cotillo suggests that the likes of Garrett Cooper, C.J. Cron, Donovan Solano, and Randal Grichuk could be potential fallback options for the club. Recent reporting has also linked Boston to veteran outfielder Tommy Pham.

It’s worth noting that each of those suggested options has a defensive home outside of DH. While the presence of Triston Casas at first base leaves the likes of Cooper and Cron likely to spend a majority of their time at DH if either were to sign in Boston, Solano has experience all around the infield and could fill a similar role to that of Turner last year as a right-handed hitter who can fill in at first, second, and third base while also getting regular at-bats out of the DH slot. Duvall and Grichuk, meanwhile, have experience at all three outfield spots and could join Tyler O’Neill as a right-handed complement to the club’s lefty-swinging outfield bats such as Masataka Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran. Pham would likely fill a similar role, though he’s largely confined to the corner outfield spots and DH at this point in his career.

While Cotillo indicates that a bat that fits more around the margins of the club’s roster is the most likely addition for Boston to make to its lineup at this point in the winter, he doesn’t completely rule out a more significant addition. Cotillo cautions that a larger addition to the club’s roster is “unlikely at best” given the club’s recent comments, but nonetheless suggests that Soler could be a fit for the club if the club manages to clear payroll space. Reporting last month indicated that the club has fielded trade interest on both Yoshida and veteran closer Kenley Jansen, though a deal involving Jansen appears more likely than one involving Yoshida as things stand.

If the Red Sox can find a way to fit a Soler signing into their budget, he’d likely provide a major boost to the club’s lineup. The slugging outfielder is coming off a phenomenal season with the Marlins where he slashed .250/.341/.512 with 36 home runs and 24 doubles. That sort of production could be transformative for a Boston lineup that got just a .242/.305/.393 line out of its right-handed hitters last year. That slash line is good for a wRC+ of just 86, a bottom-four figure among major league clubs in 2023. By contrast, Soler posted a 126 wRC+ and owns a cumulative 117 wRC+ dating back to the 2018 season.

One bat of significance the Red Sox have no plans to pursue this winter, Cotillo notes, is Martinez. The veteran slugger slashed a strong .292/.363/.526 during his five-season tenure in Boston and crushed 33 home runs in just 117 games for the Dodgers last year, but Cotillo reports that the Red Sox have no interest in a reunion with their long-time DH. While Martinez’s bat is undeniably valuable, he lacks the ability to play the field demonstrated by other options Boston is reportedly considering and, per Cotillo, the veteran’s approach was not “universally loved” in the Red Sox clubhouse and contrasted with the style of leadership exhibited by Turner that made the 39-year-old so popular among his teammates last year.

Mariners Acquire Gregory Santos

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The Mariners have acquired right-hander Gregory Santos from the White Sox in exchange for right-hander Prelander Berroa, outfielder Zach DeLoach, and their 2024 Competitive Balance Round B draft pick (#69 overall), according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Both clubs have since announced the deals. To make room for the club’s additions on the 40-man roster, the White Sox announced that they’ve designated right-hander Lane Ramsey for assignment.

Santos, 24, entered the 2023 campaign with just 5 2/3 innings in the majors under his belt for his career but fashioned a strong rookie performance out of the White Sox bullpen last year. The right-hander posted a strong 3.39 ERA in 66 1/3 innings of work across 60 appearances for Chicago last season, and those already solid numbers are backed up by even stronger peripherals. Santos paired a solid 22.8% strikeout rate with a microscopic 5.9% walk rate last season all while generating grounders at an excellent 52.5% clip. Those quality peripheral numbers left Santos with a 2.65 FIP last year, a figure bested by only Felix Bautista, Tanner Scott, Matt Brash, and David Bednar among relief arms with at least 60 innings of work last year.

Given the presence of both Brash and flamethrowing closer Andres Munoz at the back of Seattle’s bullpen, it seems unlikely that Santos will find himself in line for many save opportunities with the Mariners after picking up five saves in eight opportunities with the White Sox last season. That being said, Santos appears likely to step into the void created by right-hander Justin Topa’s departure from the club’s late-inning mix. Topa, who posted a 2.61 ERA and 3.15 FIP for the Mariners last year, was shipped to Minnesota last week alongside Anthony DeSclafani and two prospects in exchange for infielder Jorge Polanco. While reporting earlier this winter indicated that Santos may not be ready for Spring Training after ending the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation, MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer relays that the Mariners expect Santos to make six to eight appearances this spring in preparation for Opening Day.

In exchange for parting ways with a quality relief arm with five seasons of team control remaining, the White Sox are receiving a pair of rookie-eligible youngsters as well as what should become a third noteworthy piece in the form of the #69 selection in this year’s draft. That will be Chicago’s third pick in next year’s draft as things stand, as they will also draft the #5 and #43 selections this summer.

Berroa, 23, was acquired by the Mariners back in May of 2022 in a deal that sent Donovan Walton to San Francisco. The right-hander was listed as Seattle’s #15 prospect by MLB.com last season on the heels of a 2022 campaign that saw him post a 2.86 ERA in 26 starts split between the High-A and Double-A levels of the minors. The Mariners converted Berroa to the bullpen in 2023 and he found considerable success in the role as he punched out 36.6% of batters faced while compiling a 2.89 ERA in 65 1/3 innings of work in a return to Double-A last year. Impressive as those strikeout numbers are, Berroa’s penchant for issuing free passes stands out as a possible red flag. The righty walked 14.1% of batters faced last season and has walked at least 11.8% of opponents every year since he made the jump to full-season ball back in 2019.

Though the youngster has yet to appear at the Triple-A level to this point in his career, he got his first taste of big league action last year, with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of work across his first two appearances in the majors. There should be plenty of opportunities this season for the righty to step into a significant role in Chicago’s bullpen, where they figure to rely on the likes of John Brebbia, Tim Hill, and Garrett Crochet as late-inning options.

As for DeLoach, the 25-year-old was Seattle’s second-round pick in the 2020 draft. Early in his professional career, DeLoach struggled to create much power with his swing, clubbing just 14 home runs in each of his first two pro campaigns. The right fielder managed to improve his power output this past season, however, as he slashed .286/.387/.481 in 623 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level. While that translates to a wRC+ of just 111 in the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League, where the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate plays its games, DeLoach’s 23 homers last season still show the power potential necessary to make him a potential big league contributor as soon as this season.

While star slugger Luis Robert Jr. is locked into the everyday center field job and veteran outfielder Andrew Benintendi figures to get the lion’s share of starts in left for the White Sox this year, the club’s right field situation is far less certain. Oscar Colas was the club’s main contributor at the position last year, though he posted a brutal .216/.257/.314 slash line in 75 games with the big league club last year. As such, there’s plenty of room for either DeLoach or fellow recent addition Dominic Fletcher to seize an everyday role with the club during Spring Training later this month. That trio also figure to battle with non-roster invitees Brett Phillips and Kevin Pillar for the club’s fourth outfield role headed into Opening Day.

Making room on the 40-man roster for the additions of DeLoach and Berroa is Ramsey, a 27-year-old who made his big league debut last season. Originally acquired by the White Sox in the 23rd round of the 2018 draft, Ramsey struggled to a 5.85 ERA in 20 innings of work with the big league club last year as he struck out just 19.6% of batters faced while walking 9.8%. The club will have seven days to either trade Ramsey or attempt to pass him through waivers. If they are successful in doing so, they’ll have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues where he’ll remain with the club as non-roster depth headed into the 2024 campaign.

Giants’ Chairman On Zaidi, Offseason Plans

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Giants chairman Greg Johnson recently spoke to reporters, including Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle, regarding the contract status of president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi as well as the club’s plans heading into the home stretch of the offseason.

On Zaidi, Johnson revealed that the extension the club announced back in October that would keep Zaidi in San Francisco through the 2026 season has not yet been finalized. That’s something of a surprise, given Johnson said at the time of the announcement that the deal had been “agreed [upon] in principle” and would be formally announced in the near future. That, of course, didn’t come to pass, though Johnson nonetheless noted that the extension is a “done deal.”

“It’s effectively done,” Johnson said (as relayed by Kroichick). “He probably has signed it; I’m probably the one who hasn’t because I haven’t been around enough. But we’re done.”

The extension for Zaidi, whose current deal runs through the end of the 2024 campaign, came as something of a surprise given the club’s inconsistency during his tenure in San Francisco. The Giants posted losing seasons in his first two campaigns with the club before mustering a phenomenal 107-win 2021 season that propelled the club to its first NL West title since 2012. Since that strong showing, however, the club has been marred by middling performances. The club finished the 2022 season with a .500 record before slipping back underwater in 2023 with a 79-83 season that resulted in the club swapping out Gabe Kapler in favor of Bob Melvin in the manager’s chair.

Beyond the comments on Zaidi’s contract status, Johnson also spoke about the club’s ability to make further additions to the roster via free agency after spending on outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, catcher Tom Murphy and right-hander Jordan Hicks earlier this winter while also picking up southpaw Robbie Ray in a trade with the Mariners last month. Johnson was quick to emphasize that the club still has the capacity to continue improving the club via free agency, noting that “there are a lot of good players out there” who the club remains “very interested in.”

While Johnson didn’t specify any particular targets, previous reporting has indicated that the Giants view third baseman Matt Chapman as their top target on the positional market. Chapman, 31 in April, would substantially improve the club’s defense as a four-time Gold Glove award winner at third base who leads all big leaguers with +92 Defensive Runs Saved at the hot corner since he first debuted back in 2017. Chapman would also provide the club a substantial boost in terms of power. While he veteran hit just 17 home runs last season, his .203 isolated slugging since the start of the 2020 season could nonetheless provide a dramatic boost to a Giants lineup that posted an anemic .149 ISO last year, good for just 23rd in the majors. Among all Giants with at least 100 plate appearances last season, only Wilmer Flores and Mike Yastrzemski posted an ISO of .200 or more.

By contrast, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that comments from Zaidi in the wake of the Hicks signing last month indicated the club may not pursue further starting rotation additions. Johnson somewhat backed that notion up, with Shea quoting Johnson as having said that he thinks the club is “going to have to rely on some younger pitching” headed into the season with veterans Alex Cobb and Ray both expected to start the season on the shelf. Those signals from both the front office and ownership seemingly cast doubt on the likelihood of San Francisco making a splash at the top of the rotation market, where southpaws Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are the consensus best arms remaining.
If the Giants truly are unlikely to make a run at further rotation upgrades, it would be something of a surprise. After all, after trading away both Anthony DeSclafani and Ross Stripling while watching Alex Wood and Sean Manaea depart via free agency, the Giants have seen their starting pitching depth take a major hit this winter. While both Cobb and Ray could provide reinforcements later in the season, the club currently figures to go with rookies Keaton Winn and Kyle Harrison, youngster Tristan Beck, and Hicks to round out the club’s rotation alongside Logan Webb.

Only Hicks debuted in the majors prior to the 2023 campaign among that quartet, and the righty has made just eight starts in the majors to this point in his career. Adding a reliable arm to the mix alongside Webb would give the club a significantly deeper and more stable rotation mix to open the season with while lessening the club’s need to rely on speedy returns from Cobb and Ray as they rehab from their respective surgeries. If the club doesn’t have the financial wherewithal to stomach a nine-figure commitment to Snell or Montgomery, a handful of decent mid-to-back of the rotation arms such as Mike Clevinger and Michael Lorenzen also remain available.

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