Dodgers Sign Max Muncy To Two-Year Extension
The Dodgers announced they’ve signed infielder Max Muncy to a two-year, $24MM extension. The deal also includes a $10MM club option for 2026. The contract overwrites a $14MM option that L.A. had on Muncy’s services for next season.
A client of Hub Sports Management, Muncy will reportedly receive a $5MM signing bonus. He’ll make a $7MM salary next season and $12MM in 2025, while the deal includes additional bonuses based on his plate appearance totals. The contract has a $12MM average annual value.
Muncy, 33, has spent the past six seasons in Los Angeles. Originally an unceremonious addition via minor league contract, he quickly developed into one of the Dodgers’ most important hitters. The lefty-swinging infielder has reached the 35-homer mark in four of the five full schedules. He popped 36 longballs this past season, tying with Jorge Soler for 12th in the majors in that regard.
That power production comes with one of the sport’s more extreme offensive approaches. Muncy is a prototypical three true outcomes hitter. He pairs the home runs with an extremely patient plate approach. The deep counts translate to plenty of walks, as he has drawn a free pass in 15% of his career plate appearances. Yet he’s also prone to strikeouts and runs very low averages on balls in play thanks to a fly-ball heavy swing.
As a result, Muncy has one of the lower batting averages among everyday players. He hit .212/.333/.475 through 579 trips to the plate this past season. That’s on the heels of a .196/.329/.384 showing. Over the last two years, the two-time All-Star sports a .204/.331/.430 line in a little more than 1100 trips to the plate.
That isn’t quite as impressive as Muncy’s production over his first few seasons in Southern California. The overall offensive production is still clearly above-average, however. Muncy’s 118 wRC+ this year indicates he was 18 percentage points better than an average batter. The front office clearly values his contributions, as they’ve now signed him to three separate extensions.
Muncy has a decent amount of experience at first and second base. He spent the entire ’23 campaign at third base, logging a personal-high 1052 innings there. Metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average estimated he was between three and five runs below par at the hot corner. That’s hardly disastrous but aligns with his reputation as a bat-first player.
As he gets into his mid-30s, that profile seems likely to skew increasingly towards offense. Whether Muncy sees another 120+ starts at third base may well be determined by the Dodgers’ subsequent offseason moves. Freddie Freeman is locked in at first base. The club should welcome Gavin Lux back from the ACL tear that cost him all of 2023, likely securing second base. Miguel Vargas, Michael Busch and Chris Taylor are among the possibilities for third base reps, although Muncy is clearly above that group on the depth chart.
The designated hitter role will be one of the stories of the offseason. L.A. will see J.D. Martinez hit free agency in the coming days, although they could make him a qualifying offer. They’re sure to make a run at Shohei Ohtani, a potential addition that would push Muncy back to third base.
Even with this deal in place, the Dodgers have plenty of breathing room financially. Roster Resource projected the 2024 payroll around $127MM before this extension. That’ll sit a little under $140MM now, well below this year’s $223MM Opening Day estimate. The $12MM AAV pushes their luxury tax projection to roughly $155MM. That’s more than $80MM south of next year’s $237MM base threshold.
Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Dodgers and Muncy were seriously discussing a two-year extension. Jon Heyman of the New York Post first suggested the deal was agreed upon. Murray had the specific salary breakdown.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
A’s Decline Option On Drew Rucinski
The Athletics are declining a $5MM option on right-hander Drew Rucinski, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 (X link). That was the expected decision.
Oakland signed Rucinski to a $3MM guarantee last offseason. It was a low-cost flier after the 34-year-old had turned in a 2.97 ERA with the Korea Baseball Organization’s NC Dinos. Injuries derailed his effort to establish himself as an MLB starter. Rucinski made only four starts, allowing 22 runs (18 earned) across 18 innings. He walked 14 while striking out just six.
Rucinski landed on the injured list in mid-May. The team announced the problem as a stomach illness. A bit thereafter, the team announced he was dealing with a degenerative back condition. Rucinski underwent a surgical procedure in July. Alexander notes the rehab is expected to carry into 2024, leaving it unclear when he might be able to take the mound.
Pirates Place Miguel Andujar, Angel Perdomo On Waivers
The Pirates have placed outfielder Miguel Andújar and reliever Angel Perdomo on outright waivers, reports Alex Stumpf of DK Pittsburgh Sports. They join righty Yerry De Los Santos as Pittsburgh players known to be on the waiver wire. Both Andújar and Perdomo will become free agents if they aren’t claimed.
Pittsburgh ran Andújar through waivers twice this past season. The former Rookie of the Year runner-up got into 30 big league contests, hitting .250/.300/.476 with four home runs across 90 plate appearances. He had a very strong offensive showing at Triple-A Indianapolis, running a .338/.404/.536 line while connecting on 16 home runs in 103 games. Andújar walked at a strong 10.1% clip and struck out only 11.8% of the time.
The 28-year-old hasn’t found much major league success since his excellent 2018 debut with the Yankees, however. Paired with questions about his defensive profile, he has fallen into a depth role. With a projected $2.2MM arbitration salary, he looked a very likely non-tender.
Perdomo, a 6’8″ southpaw, made 30 appearances for the Bucs this year. He posted a 3.72 ERA with a massive 37.6% strikeout rate across 29 innings. Perdomo looked as if he’d stake a claim to a spot in the Pittsburgh bullpen before landing on the injured list with season-ending elbow discomfort in August.
Ian Kennedy To Retire
Right-hander Ian Kennedy is retiring, he told Evan Thompson of Sport Relay during last night’s World Series celebration. While Kennedy indicated he had made the decision that this would be his final season going into 2023, he acknowledged “there’s no better way to go out” than as a member of a Rangers team that clinched the franchise’s first title.
The Yankees selected Kennedy in the first round of the 2006 draft. The USC product reached the majors a little more than a year later, debuting as a September call-up in ’07. He saw limited action in the Bronx over the next two-plus seasons. During the 2009-10 offseason, the Yanks dealt Kennedy to the Diamondbacks as part of the three-team blockbuster that moved Max Scherzer to Detroit and Curtis Granderson to New York.
Kennedy spent three and a half seasons as a key piece of the Arizona rotation. He led the National League with 21 wins while pitching to a 2.88 ERA across 222 innings in 2011, securing a fourth-place finish in NL Cy Young balloting. At the 2013 deadline, the Snakes flipped Kennedy to the Padres for Joe Thatcher. He worked out of the San Diego rotation for two and a half seasons, eating around 200 innings annually with a combined 3.97 ERA.
Going into 2016, the Royals signed the hurler to a five-year, $70MM free agent pact. After posting a 3.68 ERA across 33 starts during his first season in K.C., Kennedy struggled in 2017-18. He reinvented himself as a closer in 2019, saving 30 games while posting a 3.41 ERA. He was hit hard in the shortened season and landed with the Rangers on a minor league pact in 2021.
Kennedy had a strong rebound showing in Texas, emerging as one of the better rental relievers on that summer’s trade market. The Rangers dealt him alongside Kyle Gibson to the Phillies. He played out the stretch with Philadelphia, then returned to Arizona on a $4.75MM free agent deal. Kennedy’s return to the desert didn’t go well. He re-signed with the Rangers for 2023, logging 16 1/3 frames over a pair of stints. While he wasn’t on the active roster for Texas’ playoff run, he capped off his playing days with a ring.
It was a storybook punctuation to a 17-year run in the majors. Kennedy logged a little over 1900 innings between six teams, posting a 4.16 ERA. He struck out 1775 hitters, won 104 games and collected 66 saves after his late-career bullpen move. According to Baseball Reference, he banked over $101MM in career earnings. MLBTR congratulates Kennedy on an excellent run and wishes him the best in retirement.
Blue Jays, Whit Merrifield Decline Mutual Option
The Blue Jays informed reporters that second baseman Whit Merrifield has become a free agent (relayed by Kaitlyn McGrath of the Athletic). Both parties declined their end of the $18MM mutual option in his contract. Merrifield will collect a $500K buyout and head to the open market for the first time.
Toronto acquired Merrifield, who turns 35 in January, from the Royals at the 2022 trade deadline. It was a buy-low move for the two-time hits leader, who carried a .240/.290/.352 line at the time. Merrifield turned things around in Canada, hitting .281/.323/.446 down the stretch. He carried that into the first half of this year, posting a .286/.342/.392 slash to secure his third career All-Star nod.
Unlike 2022, Merrifield didn’t perform well in the second half. He limped to a .212/.250/.288 showing from August 1 onward, although his overall season line was still respectable. He concluded the year with a .272/.318/.382 line with 11 home runs through 592 trips to the plate. He stole 26 bases while getting thrown out 10 times.
Merrifield has plus contact skills and is one of the best players in a weak class of free agent middle infielders. He’s arguably the top second baseman available. The White Sox have reportedly identified him as a target, while teams like the Red Sox, Mariners and Pirates could explore the market.
The Jays may remain in that bidding as well. Cavan Biggio, rookie Davis Schneider and Otto López are among the in-house options. They’re certainly not going to offer Merrifield a salary approaching $18MM on an annual basis, but a two-year pact at a lesser value could be attainable. Jean Segura landed a $17MM guarantee over two years last winter when he was coming off a .277/.336/.387 platform showing.
Pirates Place Yerry De Los Santos On Outright Waivers
The Pirates have placed reliever Yerry De Los Santos on outright waivers, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (X link). That will drop Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster count to 36.
De los Santos, 26 in December, has spent his entire career with the Bucs. He signed with Pittsburgh out of the Dominican Republic in 2015. The right-hander reached the majors seven years later. He has tossed around 25 MLB innings in each of the past two campaigns, including 24 1/3 frames this past season. De Los Santos posted a solid 3.33 ERA but had mediocre strikeout and walk numbers. He punched out 17.3% of batters faced while walking 12.5%.
Over 25 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis this year, De Los Santos pitched to a 6.12 ERA with a 21.7% strikeout rate. He kept the ball on the ground at a strong 51.8% clip. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he has the requisite minor league service time to become a free agent.
Mets Place Six Players On Outright Waivers
The Mets have put six players on outright waivers, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Outfielder Tim Locastro and pitchers Denyi Reyes, Bryce Montes de Oca, John Curtiss, Elieser Hernández and Peyton Battenfield are now available to other clubs.
Locastro, best known for his speed, got into 43 games. He hit .232/.338/.393 in 67 trips to the dish. Locastro has played for four major league clubs, compiling a .228/.327/.337 slash in 290 MLB contests. He has 45 stolen bases in 50 career attempts, including a perfect 6-6 showing this year.
Reyes and Hernández were expected to be depth starters for New York in 2023. The former pitched nine times (including three starts), turning in a 7.78 ERA across 19 2/3 innings. Hernández never pitched as a Met. Acquired in a trade with the Marlins last offseason, he spent almost the whole season on the injured list with shoulder and pectoral concerns.
Curtiss pitched 15 times for New York after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He posted a 4.58 ERA through 19 2/3 innings. His season ended a bit early when he underwent surgery to remove a loose body from his elbow, although he is expected to be ready for Spring Training.
Montes de Oca lost the entire ’23 campaign after undergoing a Tommy John procedure in March. New York claimed Battenfield off waivers from the Guardians in the season’s final month, keeping him in Triple-A. Neither Montes de Oca nor Battenfield have the requisite service time to become free agents. They’d remain with the Mets as non-roster players if they clear waivers. The others will likely choose free agency unless another team places a claim.
Reds Re-Sign Tony Santillan To Minors Deal
The Reds announced earlier this evening that the club has re-signed right-hander Tony Santillan to the a minor-league contract. The deal includes an invitation to Spring Training in 2024. Santillan, 26, was designated for assignment by the club back in August and outrighted back in September.
Santillan, a second-round pick by the Reds in the 2015 draft, began his career in the minor leagues as a full-time starter before converting into more of a swing role in 2021. Upon making his major league debut with Cincinnati that year, he made four starts alongside 22 relief appearances for a total of 43 1/3 innings of work. Santillan’s run prevention numbers were nothing short of excellent during that time, with a 2.91 ERA despite a mediocre 4.62 FIP. The solid performance earned Santillan a spot in the club’s Opening Day bullpen in 2022, though he managed just 19 1/3 innings of work before being sidelined with a low back strain for the remainder of the season, ending the year with a 5.49 ERA and 4.08 FIP.
That back injury carried into the 2023 campaign, leaving Santillan behind on his throwing program as he opened the season on the injured list. Santillan was eventually activated in July, though he ultimately made just three appearances with the Reds this year, throwing 3 1/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA while recording just one strikeout against one walk. Upon his demotion to Louisville, he struggled badly with a 7.88 ERA in 32 innings throughout the rest of the season.
Despite those brutal numbers in the minors to end his season, there’s certainly reason to believe Santillan could be a solid bullpen piece for the club in 2024 given his previous big league success and relative youth. With such a lengthy injury history since making his major league debut, Santillan enters the 2024 campaign as something of an unknown commodity but figures to compete for a spot in the club’s bullpen alongside established relievers like Alexis Diaz, Lucas Sims, and Sam Moll. After a surprisingly competitive 2023 campaign in Cincinnati, the club could look to upgrade their bullpen this offseason after the club’s relief corps posted a middle-of-the-pack 4.11 ERA this past season. Though Santillan’s return is unlikely to move the needle much in terms of impact, it shores up the club’s bullpen depth with a young arm who could be a solid middle reliever if he can recapture his 2021 form.
Seth Lugo Declines Player Option With Padres
Seth Lugo has declined a $7.5MM player option with the Padres, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 (X link). He’s a free agent and will be permitted to commence negotiations with other teams on Monday.
This was one of the league’s easiest opt-out decisions. Lugo inked a two-year, $15MM guarantee last winter. A longtime reliever with the Mets, he prioritized finding a rotation job. Lugo sought to demonstrate he could hold up as a starter before getting back to the open market.
He did just that. The right-hander worked 146 2/3 innings across 26 starts, pitching to a 3.57 ERA. Lugo struck out a solid 23.2% of opposing hitters while keeping his walks to a tidy 6% clip. Now that he has established himself as a mid-rotation starter, he should find a much better guarantee than he had 12 months ago. Even a couple weeks from his 34th birthday, Lugo has a good case for a three-year pact.
The Padres could issue Lugo a $20.325MM qualifying offer. It’s questionable whether they’re willing to risk that kind of one-year salary in an offseason in which they’re expected to slice payroll. San Diego also faces the potential departures of Blake Snell, Michael Wacha and Nick Martinez (the latter two of whom have complicated option decisions in their contracts) from a rotation they’ll need to address over the coming months.
Jorge Soler Opts Out Of Deal With Marlins
Jorge Soler has informed the Marlins he is declining his $13MM player option for next season, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid (Twitter link). He is a free agent and will be able to begin negotiating with other teams on Monday.
It’s an entirely unsurprising decision. Soler, 32 in February, is coming off his best season in a few years. He connected on 36 home runs with a .250/.341/.512 batting line. The right-handed hitter walked at a strong 11.4% clip while cutting his strikeout rate to a manageable 24.3%.
That marked a strong rebound showing after a tough first year in South Florida. Originally signed to a three-year, $36MM guarantee during the 2021-22 offseason, Soler slumped to a .207/.295/.400 slash over 72 games a season ago. He had an opt-out possibility last winter but understandably forewent a trip to the open market. With a much better platform performance, he’ll get to the market this time around.
While Soler’s opt-out call was made without much suspense, it puts the onus on Miami to answer a more interesting question. The Fish have until Monday to determine whether to tender a $20.325MM qualifying offer. If they do, Soler would have just over a week to gauge the market before deciding if he wants to accept.
In the event Miami opts against the QO or Soler declines one, he’ll be one of the top offensive players in a rough free agent class. Soler doesn’t offer much defensive value. He’s a well below-average corner outfielder who spent the majority of his time at designated hitter this past season. Miami plugged him into right field for just 241 2/3 innings. Few impending free agents can match his power upside, although Soler’s pre-2023 production has been inconsistent.
Miami’s QO decision is clouded by an uncertain front office picture. General manager Kim Ng recently departed the organization and the club has yet to name her replacement. Brian Chattin is leading the front office on an interim basis. Miami also awaits an opt-out decision from first baseman Josh Bell, while they’re sure to decline team provisions on Johnny Cueto and Matt Barnes.