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Angels, Luis Barrera Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Angels recently agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Luis Barrera, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. He’ll receive an invite to big league camp, tweets Martín Gallegos of MLB.com.

Barrera, 27, has appeared in the big leagues with the division-rival A’s for the past two seasons. He’s gotten into 38 contests, compiling a .235/.290/.329 mark in 93 trips to the plate. Barrera was twice designated for assignment by Oakland this year, going unclaimed on waivers both times. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting .263/.329/.436 over 348 plate appearances in an extremely hitter-friendly environment. Barrera only connected on eight home runs for the Aviators but he limited strikeouts to a solid 19.5% clip.

A 10-year minor league veteran, Barrera has drawn some attention from prospect evaluators for excellent speed. He has decent contact skills and enough athleticism to play all three outfield spots, though he’s worked primarily in the corners during his MLB time. The Dominican Republic native has a potential fourth/fifth outfield profile despite his modest power.

Barrera will compete for a depth role in Spring Training. The Halos have an outfield of Taylor Ward, Mike Trout and Hunter Renfroe. Former top prospects Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell presently project as the depth outfielders. If Barrera cracks the MLB mix at any point, he’d have to stick on the active roster or be made available to other clubs by virtue of his out-of-options status.

Braves Acquire Lewin Diaz From Orioles

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The Braves have acquired first baseman Lewin Díaz from the Orioles for cash, according to announcements from both teams. Atlanta’s 40-man roster count jumps to 39.

Díaz has bounced around the league in the past few weeks. Designated for assignment by the Marlins in advance of the deadline to add prospects to the 40-man to keep them out of the Rule 5 draft, Díaz has moved from the Pirates to the Orioles on successive waiver claims. Baltimore took him off their roster yesterday upon signing Mychal Givens, and his stint in the organization proves exceptionally brief.

Atlanta is near the bottom of the waiver order, so they jumped the line by sending some cash to Baltimore. In the process, they’ll add a player who’s clearly of interest to a few teams around the league. Díaz hasn’t managed much of an MLB track record, but he’s shown enough as a minor leaguer to have some appeal to clubs.

A left-handed hitting first baseman, he’s managed just a .181/.227/.340 line in 112 MLB games with Miami. Díaz took a personal-high 174 trips to the plate in 2022, posting a .169/.224/.288 slash with a 31% strikeout rate. He showed better during a more extended stretch at Triple-A Jacksonville, hitting .252/.323/.492 with 19 home runs and a 20.4% strikeout percentage across 368 plate appearances.

An aggressive offensive approach has given Díaz problems to this stage of his MLB career. He was a quality prospect for an extended stretch in the Miami farm system, though, with evaluators praising his power upside and defensive acumen. Public metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average have loved his glovework during his 753 2/3 MLB innings to date. He’s exclusively a first baseman, so despite the quality of his defense, he’ll need the bat to carry him if he’s to hold a roster spot. Atlanta obviously has Matt Olson entrenched at the position; Díaz will try to carve out a depth role behind him.

The 26-year-old is out of minor league option years. If the Braves carry him on their 40-man roster for the rest of the offseason, they’ll have to keep him in the majors or again expose him to other teams. It’s possible Atlanta tries to sneak him through waivers at some point before Spring Training, though no team has yet been successful in that attempt.

Royals Sign Mike Mayers To Minor League Contract

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The Royals have inked right-hander Mike Mayers to a minor league contract, the team announced. The team didn’t specify whether the deal contains a Spring Training invitation, though that seems likely given his MLB experience.

Mayers, 31, has pitched in the majors in each of the last seven seasons. His first four years came in St. Louis, where he was primarily deployed as a depth reliever. Claimed off waivers by the Angels over the 2019-20 offseason, he’d take on a larger role in Orange County. Mayers made 29 appearances and posted a 2.10 ERA during the shortened 2020 campaign. He had another solid showing the next season, working to a 3.84 ERA across 75 frames.

From 2020-21, Mayers tossed 105 innings of 3.34 ERA ball. He struck out upwards of 30% of opponents and held batters to a .225/.294/.380 line over that stretch. The former third-rounder looked like an underrated bullpen find for the Halos, but his production dropped in 2022.

Mayers tossed 16 2/3 innings through the season’s first couple months, allowing a 5.40 ERA. His strikeout rate plummeted to 18.7% and the Angels designated him for assignment at the end of May. He went unclaimed on waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake. The organization stretched him out as a starter, letting him soak up 33 innings through eight appearances. While the results weren’t great, Mayers returned to the majors at year’s end. He picked up three starts down the stretch, working into the sixth inning on two occasions. After the season, the Angels waived him again and he qualified for minor league free agency.

With the bulk of his career experience having come as a reliever, Mayers is probably better suited for that role. The late-season rotation work at least raises the possibility of Kansas City giving him a crack as starting pitching depth. If Mayers makes the Royals roster in either capacity, he’ll have to remain in the majors or again be designated for assignment since he’s out of minor league option years.

Mets Release Yoan Lopez

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The Mets announced they’ve released reliever Yoan López. The move frees a 40-man roster spot for infielder Danny Mendick, who has officially signed a one-year free agent contract.

It seems the López release was designed to facilitate his heading overseas. Francys Romero reported this week (Twitter link) that the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball were negotiating a deal with the Mets about buying out his contract. The Wasserman client will apparently make the jump to Japan’s highest level for the first time, securing a loftier salary than the one he’d have made if he spent much of next season shuttling on and off New York’s active roster.

López, 30 next month, has appeared in the last five MLB seasons. Formerly a high-profile international signee of the Diamondbacks, he played four seasons in the desert. The righty posted a 3.41 ERA over 60 2/3 innings in 2019 but otherwise put up subpar numbers at the MLB level. López bounced around via waivers last offseason before landing in Queens, where he worked as a depth reliever.

He appeared in eight MLB games as a Met, tallying 11 innings of eight-run ball. López threw 35 innings at Triple-A Syracuse, posting a 5.14 ERA. His underlying numbers at the top minor league level were more impressive, as he racked up grounders on over 57% of batted balls. López also struck out 23.8% of opponents against a 9.4% walk rate in Triple-A while averaging nearly 96 MPH on his fastball during his limited MLB time.

Additionally, New York announced agreement with left-hander Joey Lucchesi on a 2023 contract to avoid arbitration. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports he’ll receive a $1.15MM salary (Twitter link). That’s an identical match for this year’s salary, which isn’t surprising since the southpaw missed the whole year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He’s expected to factor in as a swingman or depth starter for New York next season, and he’ll be eligible for arbitration once more at the end of the ’23 campaign.

Cubs Sign Sergio Alcantara, Roenis Elias To Minor League Deals

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The Cubs have inked infielder Sergio Alcántara and reliever Roenis Elías to minor league contracts, the team informed reporters (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times). Both players receive invitations to MLB Spring Training.

Alcántara is back for a second stint in Chicago. The Cubs claimed him off waivers from the Tigers in February 2021, and he spent the year in the organization. The switch-hitting infielder played in just over half their MLB contests that season, picking up a personal-high 255 plate appearances. Alcántara hit only .205/.303/.327 with five home runs. Chicago designated him for assignment last March and sold his contract to the Diamondbacks.

For the 2022 campaign, Alcántara bounced between Arizona and the Padres on waivers. The Snakes lost him in May before bringing him back in July. He played out the year in the desert but was taken off the 40-man roster at season’s end. Upon going unclaimed on waivers, he became a minor league free agent.

Over parts of three MLB seasons, Alcántara owns a .209/.281/.343 line in 502 trips to the plate. He’s gone down on strikes at an elevated 26.9% clip and posted below-average power production while generally featuring at the bottom of a lineup. The 26-year-old has only 25 games of Triple-A experience and had a fairly light .261/.340/.317 showing in just under 900 plate appearances at Double-A.

While he’s never been much of a hitter, Alcántara is a well-regarded and versatile infield defender. He has plenty of experience at second, shortstop and third base and has rated favorably at shortstop in the eyes of public defensive metrics (albeit with curiously subpar marks at the less challenging second and third base positions). Scouts consistently credited him as a plus defensive shortstop throughout his time in the minors, even if longstanding questions about his bat have pointed to a utility future. He’ll add some familiarity and upper level experience to Cubs camp and compete for a spot on the bench behind Chicago’s middle infield tandem of Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner. Alcántara is out of minor league option years, so if he cracks the 40-man roster at any point, he’ll either have to stick in the majors or again be made available to other teams.

Elías is a veteran left-hander with parts of seven MLB campaigns under his belt. A starter for his first couple seasons with the Mariners, he has worked primarily out of the bullpen in recent years. Elías had some success with the Mariners and Nationals between 2018-19, but his career was sidetracked when his elbow blew out and he required Tommy John surgery in March 2021.

After losing that season to rehab, he returned on a minor league deal with Seattle in 2022. The 34-year-old briefly made it back to the big leagues, working seven times and allowing three runs over 7 1/3 innings. Elías averaged 93.5 MPH on his fastball in that look. He played the bulk of the season with Seattle’s top affiliate in Tacoma, working primarily as a long reliever. In 65 innings across 37 appearances (nine of which were starts), he managed a 5.12 ERA. Elías only posted a 19.8% strikeout percentage, though he limited walks to a 6.8% clip.

Outrighted off Seattle’s roster midseason, the veteran reached minor league free agency at year’s end. He’ll battle for a bullpen spot in the spring, with the Cubs lacking in left-handed depth. Brandon Hughes looks assured of one spot, but he’s the only southpaw reliever on the 40-man roster. Elías will battle for playing time with fellow non-roster invitee Eric Stout and, likely, another player or two whom the Cubs bring in this offseason.

Trevor Bauer’s Suspension Reduced To 194 Games; Bauer Reinstated, Effective Immediately

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Major League Baseball announced Thursday night that the 324-game suspension imposed on Trevor Bauer has been reduced to 194 games on appeal. He has already served the entirety of that ban. He’ll be reinstated, effective immediately.

“Today, the neutral arbitrator selected by MLB and the MLBPA affirmed that Trevor Bauer violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy,” the league said in a statement. “After an exhaustive review of the available evidence the neutral arbitrator upheld an unpaid suspension of 194 games.  As part of the decision, the arbitrator reinstated Mr. Bauer effectively immediately, with a loss of pay covering the 144 games he was suspended during the 2022 season. In addition, the arbitrator docked Bauer’s salary for the first 50 games of the 2023 season (i.e., the period covering March 30, 2023 to May 23, 2023).  While we believe a longer suspension was warranted, MLB will abide by the neutral arbitrator’s decision, which upholds baseball’s longest-ever active player suspension for sexual assault or domestic violence.

We understand this process was difficult for the witnesses involved and we thank them for their participation.  Due to the collectively bargained confidentiality provisions of the joint program, we are unable to provide further details at this time.”

A California woman filed a civil action accusing Bauer of assaulting her during sex, and Major League Baseball placed him on administrative leave when those allegations became public in July 2021. He spent the remainder of that season on paid administrative leave by mutual agreement of MLB and the Players Association while the league conducted an investigation. Two Ohio women later came forth with allegations that Bauer had assaulted them in prior years.

The California woman filed for a long-term restraining order against Bauer. A judge denied that request in August 2021, finding he did not pose an ongoing threat to her safety. Bauer never faced criminal charges, with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office declining to proceed with a criminal action after their investigation. “After a thorough review of the available evidence, including the civil restraining order proceedings, witness statements and the physical evidence, the People are unable to prove the relevant charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” the DA’s office said at the time.

Even in the absence of criminal charges, MLB is permitted to impose discipline if its investigation finds a player violated the joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy. The league did so in April, imposing a 324-game ban that went into effect from the date of the suspension. That would have kept Bauer out for the entire 2022-23 seasons (and a few weeks in 2024); Bauer immediately appealed, becoming the first player to appeal a domestic violence suspension.

The appellate process has played out over the past eight months. As per the terms of the policy, the panel consisted of three individuals — one of whom was selected by the league, one selected by the Players Association, and one independent arbitrator approved by both parties.

As the league statement indicates, the panel found that Bauer did violate the Domestic Violence policy. His missed time from the second half of 2021 and the entire ’22 campaign was upheld. Bauer was not paid during the 2022 season after the suspension was announced, and he will forfeit his salary for that season. He will also lose the salary for the first 50 games of next season, as that represents retroactive payment for salary he collected while not playing during his time on administrative leave from July 2021 to April 2022.

However, the panel also determined MLB’s suspension to be excessive and knocked off 130 games from the ban. Based on the number of games he’s already missed, he’ll be eligible to return to the field at the opening of next season.

Bauer has been on the restricted list and hasn’t counted against the Dodgers 40-man roster since first landing on administrative leave. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets the team will have until January 6 to either reinstate him to the roster or release him. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets the Dodgers are expected to release Bauer, though the team has yet to comment on the matter.

Even if the Dodgers cut Bauer loose, it’s a meaningful development for the organization from a financial perspective. Los Angeles will owe him his 2023 salary whether they keep him on the roster or not. They won’t have to pay him for the first 50 games of the season, but they’ll remain on the hook for the rest of his $32MM salary. He’ll still be owed approximately $22.12MM after accounting for his docked pay. Perhaps more meaningfully, that money now goes back onto the Dodgers’ luxury tax ledger for the 2023 campaign. As calculated by Roster Resource, Los Angeles’ CBT number jumps to approximately $232MM. That’s just $1MM below next year’s $233MM base tax threshold.

Reporting in recent weeks had suggested the Dodgers were reluctant to spend aggressively this winter, in part due to a desire to maintain flexibility under the CBT threshold in case Bauer’s suspension were reduced. With that coming into play, they’ll have virtually no financial breathing room without shedding salary unless they’re willing to pay the luxury tax for a third straight season.

Red Sox, Marlins Have Discussed Joey Wendle In Trade Talks

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The Red Sox have had some discussions with the Marlins about infielder Joey Wendle, reports Chad Jennings of the Athletic. There’s no indication a deal is imminent or even likely, as he’s one of a number of names whom Boston has looked into as they search for middle infield help.

Wendle is headed into his second season in Miami. The Marlins acquired him from their in-state counterparts last offseason, sending minor league outfielder Kameron Misner to the Rays. That was one of a number of transactions Miami made in hopes of adding a jolt to their lineup, as they also brought in Jacob Stallings via trade and Avisaíl García and Jorge Soler through free agency.

None of those additions panned out as expected in year one. Wendle had his worst season in a few years, hitting .259/.297/.360 over 371 trips to the plate. He kept his strikeout rate in check, punching out in a career-low 13.5% of plate appearances. That higher-contact approach was the product of increased aggressiveness at the dish, and it tamped down his walk rate to a meager 4% clip. Wendle managed just three home runs, and he played in only 101 games around a trio of injured list stints thanks to issues with both hamstrings.

Wendle’s value is certainly at a low ebb, though there are reasons the Boston front office could view him as a solid bounceback target. He’d posted above-average offensive numbers in three of his four seasons with Tampa Bay, showing the ability to handle the AL East. Between 2018-21, the left-handed batter compiled a .274/.330/.414 mark in just under 1500 plate appearances. His power and walk rates were both a touch below average, but he demonstrated plus contact skills. He was particularly adept against right-handed pitching, putting together a .287/.337/.439 mark with the platoon advantage. During his first two seasons with the Rays, Wendle overlapped with Chaim Bloom. The current Red Sox chief baseball officer was a high-ranking member of the Tampa Bay front office at the time.

At his best, Wendle pairs that slightly above-average offense with quality defense around the infield. He’s primarily a second and third baseman, logging more than 1500 career innings at each spot. Public defensive metrics have loved the former All-Star’s work at the keystone, while he’s earned more solid but unspectacular marks at the hot corner. Wendle has never been an everyday player at shortstop, but he’s logged limited time there in each of the last five years. He topped out with 233 1/3 innings for Miami this past season, posting strong marks in that very limited sample.

Jennings suggests the Red Sox are eyeing Wendle as a potential option at shortstop after the departure of Xander Bogaerts. Turning to him there regularly would be a bold gambit, as he’s headed into his age-33 season and coming off a year in which he was nagged by leg injuries. Playing him more frequently at second base with an occasional game at shortstop would be more straightforward, yet Jennings suggests the front office is somewhat divided on how best to handle the middle infield.

Boston signed Trevor Story to a $140MM free agent deal last offseason. The longtime Rockie shortstop posted strong defensive numbers throughout his time in Colorado, but some evaluators raised questions about his arm late in that tenure. That wasn’t a concern in 2022, as Story moved to second base in deference to Boagerts. He posted strong numbers there, showcasing high-end range and hands. His arm remained subpar, though, with Statcast ranking him 155th out of 162 qualified infielders in maximum throw speed. Story averaged 76.1 MPH on his throws, around four MPH below average at second base and nearly 10 ticks below the league mark at shortstop.

That alone doesn’t mean Story can’t play shortstop. He’d had a below-average arm for the position in both 2020-21 and still rated highly there by measure of both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating (albeit with less enthusiastic reviews from Statcast). Bloom has previously suggested Story’s presently the favorite for the position, but Jennings writes that some in the front office would rather keep Story at second base and play Enrique Hernández at shortstop. That’d require finding someone to replace Hernández in center field, so bringing in another middle infielder would be the simpler solution.

Wendle figures to be attainable in trade, even if Jennings characterizes Miami’s current asking price as high. With over five years of MLB service, Wendle is in his final year of team control. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $5.4MM salary for his final arbitration season. That’s reasonable but not insignificant for a Miami club that is seemingly up against it from a payroll perspective. The Marlins are known to be looking for ways to upgrade their lineup and have yet to address it in any meaningful capacity. Moving Wendle’s salary while recouping some pre-arbitration or minor league talent could be appealing for general manager Kim Ng and her staff as they try to create some flexibility to kickstart their offseason.

It seems a trade is Boston’s preferred means for adding the up-the-middle talent they desire. Jennings suggests any interest on their part in the top remaining free agent shortstops like Elvis Andrus and José Iglesias is fairly modest. He reports they’ve given internal consideration to players like Cleveland’s Amed Rosario and St. Louis’ Paul DeJong at points this winter but no longer seem to be targeting those players. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported earlier this month that Boston had reached out to the Fish on shortstop Miguel Rojas; however, it seems unlikely Miami would move Rojas, a clubhouse leader and quality defensive shortstop, without being overwhelmed by the return.

Angels Designate Oliver Ortega For Assignment

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The Angels are designating reliever Oliver Ortega for assignment, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. That’s the corresponding 40-man roster move for infielder Brandon Drury, who has officially inked a two-year free agent contract.

Ortega has appeared in the majors in each of the past two seasons. The right-hander debuted as a September call-up in 2021, making his first eight MLB appearances late in the year. He logged a fair bit of action in 2022, coming out of the bullpen on 27 occasions and tallying 34 innings. Ortega posted a solid 3.71 ERA over that stretch, though his peripherals were less impressive. He struck out a slightly below-average 22.3% of opponents while walking batters at a lofty 12.2% clip.

It was a different story at Triple-A Salt Lake, where a rough ERA belied better underlying marks. In 25 2/3 innings as a Bee, he was tagged for a 5.96 ERA. His 22.3% strikeout rate there was a match for his MLB figure, but he nearly halved his walk rate to a solid 6.6% clip. Ortega posted slightly better than average ground-ball numbers at both stops.

Ortega throws fairly hard, averaging a bit north of 96 MPH on his fastball during his MLB time. He’s paired that with a low-80s curveball that has been a quality swing-and-miss offering. Both pitches have been hit hard when opponents have made contact, however. The 26-year-old has shown inconsistent control throughout his minor league career, and the walks contributed to squeezing him off the Halos roster entirely.

Initially an amateur signee out of the Dominican Republic, Ortega has played seven-plus seasons in the Los Angeles organization. His time with the franchise could now be nearing its end, as the Halos will have a week to trade him or try to run him through waivers. He still has two minor league option years remaining, meaning another team could freely move him between MLB and the upper minors for the foreseeable future if they’re willing to keep him on the 40-man roster. Ortega doesn’t have the requisite service time to refuse an outright assignment, so he’d stick in the organization if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Angels Sign Brandon Drury To Two-Year Deal

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DECEMBER 22: Drury’s contract is now official. The Angels announced the move on Thursday evening.

DECEMBER 20: The Angels have continued their active offseason, agreeing to a two-year contract with free agent infielder Brandon Drury. The deal reportedly guarantees the Wasserman client $17MM.

Drury earns the first multi-year guarantee of his career after a personal-best season. He looked to have settled into journeyman territory in recent years. After a few seasons playing a semi-regular role with the Diamondbacks, Drury suited up with all of the Yankees, Blue Jays and Mets from 2018-21. He hit just .211/.254/.360 in 137 games with Toronto from 2019-20, resulting in his outright at the end of that season. Drury played well in a limited look for the Mets the next year, but New York designated him for assignment at year’s end.

The Oregon native signed a minor league contract with the Reds shortly after the lockout. While the move generated little fanfare at the time, it might’ve been the best non-roster pact signed all offseason. Drury broke camp with the big league club and almost immediately played his way into everyday reps. He connected on 20 home runs in 92 games as a Red, posting a cumulative .274/.335/.520 line across 385 plate appearances.

While Cincinnati struck gold on their minor league arrangement with Drury, their 2022 season on the whole was a disaster. With the team well out of contention by the deadline, the impending free agent became one of the sport’s most obvious trade candidates. Cincinnati dealt Drury to the Padres for infield prospect Victor Acosta on deadline day. He played the final couple months in San Diego, offering solid but not spectacular production.

Drury connected on a grand slam in his first at-bat as a Padre, but his work from that point forward was roughly average. While connected on eight homers in 185 trips to the dish, that came with a meager 4.9% walk rate and a .290 on-base percentage. It was a similar story in the postseason, with Drury reaching base in just eight of 31 trips to the plate.

Relatively slow finish aside, Drury had an impressive year overall. He picked up 28 homers (plus one more in the postseason), managing a .263/.320/.492 line in 568 plate appearances. Cincinnati’s very hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park certainly played to his strength, as Drury posted a .298/.354/.561 mark in 223 trips to the plate at that venue. His .240/.299/.447 line in 345 plate appearances in all other parks was closer to average, but the Angels will take a shot on him bringing an above-average bat to Orange County.

Drury has an aggressive offensive approach and rarely walks, drawing free passes just 6.7% of the time this past season. He makes contact at an above-average clip and has solid power from the right-handed batter’s box, though. Drury’s 42.2% hard contact rate was around seven percentage points higher than the league mark. He put the bat on the ball on 81.2% of his swings this year, around five points better than average. This year’s 28-homer showing is an outlier compared to the rest of his career, but he’s topped 15 longballs on two other occasions while hitting north of .260 in three years.

The 30-year-old has some defensive flexibility. He’s played mostly second and third base throughout his big league career, logging around 1500 innings at both spots. Public metrics have been mixed on his work, though both Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast feel he’s better suited at the keystone than at the hot corner. Drury isn’t likely to win a Gold Glove, but he’s rated as a capable defender at both positions. He also has a decent amount of experience at first base and in the corner outfield, though he’s not a regular option in center field or at shortstop.

The Halos have focused on upgrading their roster with solid but not elite additions, attacking the lack of depth that has burned them repeatedly in recent seasons. They landed the final years of arbitration control over Gio Urshela and Hunter Renfroe via trade and inked Tyler Anderson and Carlos Estévez to free agent deals. Drury now looks as if he’ll join that mix, serving a similar role to Urshela as a righty-swinging infielder who can bounce around the diamond.

Second base seems likely to be Drury’s primary home. Playing him there regularly could push David Fletcher and/or Luis Rengifo more frequently to shortstop, where the Angels got nothing offensively this past season. Urshela can also occasionally factor in at shortstop while serving as injury insurance for Anthony Rendon at third base. Both players offer potential platoon complements at first base to the lefty-swinging Jared Walsh, as well.

There’s not a whole lot locked in around Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Taylor Ward and Renfroe in the everyday lineup. General manager Perry Minasian and his group have worked hard to bring in better offensive options for manager Phil Nevin to move around the diamond in 2023, and the coaching staff has a few more weapons at their disposal than they had this past season.

They’ve kept those investments to relatively short terms, with Anderson’s three-year pact standing as the longest of their offseason commitments. There was plenty of uncertainty hanging over the organization with owner Arte Moreno exploring a sale of the franchise, but the front office has at least had plenty of leeway to make notable short-term commitments. Drury’s contract falls right in line with MLBTR’s prediction of two years and $18MM.

The specific financial breakdown has yet to be reported, but an even salary distribution would push the club’s payroll projection around $206MM, per Roster Resource. They’ll easily top this past season’s $189MM franchise-record Opening Day figure as they seek to compete with the defending World Series champion Astros, Mariners and upstart Rangers in the AL West. Regardless of the financial distribution, the deal will count for $8.5MM against the club’s luxury tax ledger. That’s suddenly a relevant consideration for the Halos, with Roster Resource projecting them for a CBT number around $220MM. That’s $13MM shy of the $233MM base tax threshold.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported the Angels and Drury were in agreement on a two-year, $17MM contract.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Carlos Correa Taking Physical With Mets Today

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Carlos Correa is undergoing his physical with the Mets today, agent Scott Boras announced to reporters (including Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal). According to Boras, the Mets are expected to take 24-48 hours to review the results (relayed by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com).

Under normal circumstances, a free agent who has agreed to terms with a team undergoing a physical would hardly be worth noting. In most cases, agreements are reported on before a deal is made official, with the physical a rubber stamp on the way to the official announcement. Of course, the Correa situation has been anything but normal. He agreed to a 13-year, $350MM deal — pending a physical — with the Giants on December 13. That was scuttled on Monday evening when the Giants found something in their examination of Correa that gave them pause. They reportedly wanted more time to look into the medicals but Boras quickly pivoted and secured a new deal with the Mets for 12 years and $315MM. It has occasionally happened before that deals have been scuttled by medicals but never with a player or contract of this magnitude.

The Giants are restricted by HIPAA laws from providing clear answers about the precise nature of the injury. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi released a very generic statement on the matter yesterday: “While we are prohibited from disclosing confidential medical information, as Scott Boras stated publicly, there was a difference of opinion over the results of Carlos’ physical examination. We wish Carlos the best.”

Various reports over the past 24 hours have indicated the Giants raised concerns regarded Correa’s right leg. As a prospect in the Astros organization, a then 19-year-old Correa fractured his right fibula while playing in High-A in June 2014. The injury required surgery and cost him the remainder of that season. Last night, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic wrote about the dilemma and called San Francisco’s concern “pretty obvious” while linking to a 2014 Houston Chronicle story about the fibula fracture.

Jeff Passan of ESPN also indicates the right leg was the issue as part of a wider-ranging piece on the bizarre situation. According to Passan, San Francisco asked Correa’s camp for time to evaluate the issue after identifying their concerns in the physical on Monday night. The team postponed the press conference they’d scheduled Tuesday morning, one clearly designed to formally introduce Correa as a Giant after he signed his contract. That afternoon, the sides reengaged over the phone and the Giants informed Boras they weren’t prepared to keep their 13-year, $350MM offer on the table, Passan writes. San Francisco may have been willing to renegotiate a lower deal, according to Passan, but the decision not to abide by the originally agreed upon terms freed Correa’s camp to explore other opportunities.

In the hours after the Giants deal fell apart, Boras and his staff reached out to both the Mets and Twins. Last night, Andy McCullough, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that Correa’s camp had been in touch with Minnesota before agreeing to terms with the Mets. The Twins, Correa’s incumbent team, had put forth a ten-year, $285MM offer earlier in the offseason. According to both The Athletic and ESPN, Minnesota expressed reluctance to move past that proposal on Tuesday evening — at least not without more time to evaluate the concerns raised by the Giants in their exam.

Not long after, Correa and the Mets hammered out the agreement. Both The Athletic and ESPN characterize negotiations as fairly direct between Boras, New York owner Steve Cohen and Mets general manager Billy Eppler. By the middle of the night, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the sides were in agreement on their 12-year pact. According to McCullough, Rosenthal and Sammon, Mets manager Buck Showalter and numerous other team officials weren’t aware of the extent of negotiations, learning when they woke up Wednesday morning about the agreement.

That’s all subject to the Mets physical evaluation, of course. However, there doesn’t seem to be much concern within the New York organization about Correa potentially failing a second physical. Cohen discussed the agreement on the record with Heyman; as Andy Martino of SNY wrote yesterday, that’d open the Mets up for a potential grievance if they back out of the deal over concerns about the medicals.

Correa’s camp, predictably, has denied there’s reason for concern. “There is nothing with him that is currently any sort of medical issue,” Boras said this morning, per DiComo. The agent added the Giants were trying to use a “crystal ball” to predict Correa’s long-term health (via Laura Albanese of Newsday).

The right leg that apparently gave the Giants pause has never sent Correa to the injured list as a major leaguer. He missed the second half of the 2014 minor league season recovering from surgery but was back on the field at the start of the following campaign. Correa has had a few injured list stints in the majors, missing time between 2017-19 with a torn ligament in his left thumb, back soreness (twice) and a rib fracture. He also lost a bit of time this past season after bruising his right middle finger. Since making his MLB debut, Correa hasn’t had any IL stints related to his lower half. However, Passan writes that San Francisco’s medical professionals raised concerns about the long-term stability of his right leg, fearing he could quickly lose the lateral mobility that plays such a key role in his defensive projection.

It’s worth pointing out that there is some precedent for the Mets similarly striking down a deal with a player, just as the Giants have done with Correa this week. The Mets selected Kumar Rocker, also represented by Boras, 10th overall in the 2021 draft and agreed to a $6MM signing bonus until they grew concerned by something in his physical and the deal fell apart. Backing out of a $6MM bonus for a draftee and a $315MM agreement with a superstar are two different things, however, and Cohen’s on-record discussions of the Correa agreement reiterate the owner’s confidence in the exam going without issue.

It has been a rollercoaster for Correa over the past two years, having reached free agency for the first time after the 2021 season. He went into the open market seeking a deal of ten-plus years in length and over $300MM but didn’t find one before the sport went into a lockout in December. During that lockout, he fired his representatives and hired Boras. After the lockout, he still didn’t find the megadeal he was looking for, but settled on a three-year contract with Minnesota that paid him a huge $35.1MM annual salary and allowed him to opt out after each season.

After another solid performance in 2022, he returned to the open market and seemed to finally land the deal he wanted with San Francisco. That’s gone but he secured another within hours from the Mets. There’s one step to go, perhaps the most anticipated physical examination in baseball history.

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