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Padres, Max Schrock Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | December 19, 2022 at 9:03am CDT

The Padres have agreed to a minor league contract with free-agent infielder Max Schrock, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com. The Icon client received an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Shrock, 28, has spent parts of three seasons in the Majors, batting a combined .236/.292/.359 with four homers, seven doubles, a pair of triples, a 20.2% strikeout rate and a 5.1% walk rate in 237 trips to the plate between the Cardinals and Reds. The lefty-swinging Schrock has played second base, all four corner positions and even tossed a few innings of mop-up relief in his big league career thus far, though second base has been far and away his most frequent position (with third base the only other spot he’s seen more than occasional playing time).

Though he had a rough stretch in his first look at Triple-A as a 23-year-old back in 2018, Schrock has been productive there in 2019, 2021 and 2022; in that trio of Triple-A seasons he’s slashed .284/.354/.411 through 514 plate appearances.

The Padres’ starting infield is likely set, with Manny Machado at third base, Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, Ha-Seong Kim at second base and Jake Cronenworth likely sliding to first base. Fernando Tatis’ Jr.’s eventual return will further deepen that mix, either pushing Kim to a utility role or creating a carousel where an infielder is slotting in at designated hitter most days. That said, the Padres’ bench is lacking in veteran options with MLB experience, so there could  be some backup roles up for grabs. In that sense, Schrock’s experience at multiple spots and his left-handed bat (on a team with more righty-swinging starters) could work to his benefit.

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San Diego Padres Transactions Max Schrock

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The Opener: Shortstop, Smyly, Outfield

By Nick Deeds | December 19, 2022 at 8:38am CDT

After a fairly busy weekend on the MLB hot stove, here’s three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball throughout the day today.

1. Where can teams who missed out on Dansby Swanson turn?

Swanson’s deal with the Cubs puts all four of this offseason’s star shortstops on a new team. While each of the clubs who lost a shortstop has an internal alternative, all four would be bettered by an external addition. The Dodgers and Red Sox would be able to keep incumbent second basemen Gavin Lux and Trevor Story at their current position. The Twins wouldn’t have to rely on Kyle Farmer, likely better suited to a part-time role, as an everyday player while waiting for Royce Lewis to return from his second ACL tear. The Braves would be able to ease Vaughn Grissom in at shortstop rather than immediately thrust him into an everyday role on a playoff club. The pickings are slim when it comes to quality regulars on the free-agent market, with Elvis Andrus and perhaps Jose Iglesias the last remaining options. The trade market has more possibilities, though each comes with questions: Paul DeJong and Nick Ahmed could be had for salary relief, but they’re overpaid relative to their expected production headed into 2023 (and Ahmed is recovering from shoulder surgery). Jorge Mateo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are quality defenders but both have been further than 20% below average at the plate since 2021, by measure of wRC+. Amed Rosario is perhaps the most complete player who could potentially be had, though it’s possible the Guardians just keep him until he hits free agency next offseason before handing the keys to shortstop to their bevy of youngsters in 2024. The four aforementioned teams will have competition, as well, with the Angels and White Sox among the other teams who could still look for middle infield help this offseason.

2. Will the Cubs/Smyly deal get done today?

Reports surfaced yesterday that the Cubs and lefty Drew Smyly were close to a deal, but it’s yet to be reported as done, and the terms remain unknown. It’s possible that resolution could come as soon as today. Fellow 33-year-olds Ross Stripling’s (Giants) and Jose Quintana (Mets) both landed two-year deals, but both veterans were coming off stronger seasons than Smyly. On the other hand, the likes of Kyle Gibson and Noah Syndergaard are among the players to recently sign one-year deals. Assuming Smyly indeed returns to Wrigley, that could take the Cubs out of the starting pitching market, as he’d presumably join Marcus Stroman, Jameson Taillon, Kyle Hendricks and Justin Steele in the rotation.

3. Where does the outfield market stand?

It’s been a busy few days for the outfield market. Andrew Benintendi signed a five-year deal with the White Sox, Joey Gallo took a one-year deal with the Twins, and Michael Brantley returned to the Astros on a one-year pact of his own. This leaves Michael Conforto and Jurickson Profar as arguably the top free agents left, with veterans like David Peralta, AJ Pollock, Wil Myers and Andrew McCutchen also available. The Blue Jays, Rangers, and Marlins are among the teams pursuing outfield help this offseason, and each (along with the Cubs) has been linked to Conforto. Profar’s market is less clear, and one rumored suitor, the Astros, just re-signed Brantley. The trade market, where Bryan Reynolds, Max Kepler, and Daulton Varsho are among those who’ve reportedly been discussed, remains an alternative path.

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The Opener

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MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | December 18, 2022 at 10:13pm CDT

Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s MLBTR live baseball chat

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MLBTR Chats

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Pirates Acquire Connor Joe From Rockies

By Mark Polishuk | December 18, 2022 at 7:05pm CDT

The Pirates have acquired first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe from the Rockies in exchange for minor league righty Nick Garcia, as announced by both teams.  To create room on the 40-man roster, Pittsburgh designated right-hander Nick Mears for assignment.

The move represents something of a homecoming for Joe, who was drafted 39th overall by the Pirates back in the 2014 draft.  Joe never suited up for the Bucs at the Major League level, however, as Pittsburgh dealt him to the Braves for Sean Rodriguez in August 2017.  After bouncing around to the Braves, Reds, Giants, and (twice) to the Dodgers over the next few seasons, Joe reached the big leagues with 16 plate appearances for the 2019 Giants, but he then sat out the 2020 season due to surgery related to testicular cancer.

Fortunately, Joe recovered and signed a minor league deal with the Rockies in the 2020-21 offseason.  It was in Denver that Joe finally got an extended opportunity, and he has appeared in 174 games and received 678 plate appearances over the last two seasons.  Joe hit .285/.379/.469 with eight homers over 211 PA in 2021, and after he got off to a great start this past year, it looked like the Rox had perhaps found a hidden gem.  However, Joe cooled off, and finished 2022 with a .238/.338/.359 slash line and seven home runs over 467 PA.

The Pirates have also added Carlos Santana, Ji-Man Choi, and catcher Austin Hedges to their mix around the diamond, and Joe now joins these other veterans in augmenting Pittsburgh’s core of younger players.  Joe has played first base and both corner outfield positions in his brief MLB career, with generally good defensive grades as a first baseman and left fielder.  This makes Joe a good complement to Calvin Mitchell and Jack Suwinski (both left-handed hitters) in the Bucs’ corner outfield picture, and Joe could also join the left-handed hitting Choi and the switch-hitting Santana in sharing the first base/DH playing time.

Adding Joe meant parting ways with Garcia and possibly Mears, if another team claims the right-hander on waivers or if the Pirates simply released Mears once his DFA period is up.  Mears has pitched 30 1/3 innings of 4.75 ERA ball for Pittsburgh over the last three seasons, with 23 1/3 of those frames coming in 2021.  After undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove some scar tissue in March 2022, Mears didn’t make his season debut in the minors until late May, and he ended up pitching in only two games for the Pirates at the MLB level.

Garcia didn’t crack MLB Pipeline’s list of the Pirates’ top 30 prospects, though he did make a good accounting for himself in two seasons in Pittsburgh’s deep farm system.  A third-round pick in the 2020 draft, Garcia has a 3.88 ERA over 187 2/3 innings and 46 games (36 of them starts) as a professional.

Garcia turns 24 in April, and is expected to move to Double-A after pitching only in high-A ball in 2022.  Anthony Murphy of Pirates Prospects recently detailed Garcia’s improvements last season, and the fact that Garcia might still be something of an untapped resource certainly holds appeal to a Rockies team that is forever looking for pitchers who can handle Coors Field.  As noted by Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette, the 30-year-old Joe might have been superfluous since prospect Sean Bouchard looks ready to fill a similar role on the big league roster, and thus the Rox moved the older player to bring a new young arm into the system.

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Colorado Rockies Pittsburgh Pirates Transactions Connor Joe Nick Mears

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Red Sox Agree To Sign Justin Turner

By Mark Polishuk | December 18, 2022 at 6:41pm CDT

6:41PM: Another breakdown is provided by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, who reports that Turner will earn $15MM in 2023, and then $7.7MM in 2024 if he exercises his player option.  Another $1MM is available to Turner in incentive bonuses in 2023, as he can unlock a series of $200K bonuses if he reaches at least 480 plate appearances.

6:01PM: Alex Speier of The Boston Globe has a different set of contract numbers, reporting that Turner will get only $8.3MM in 2023 and then $11.4MM in 2024 if he exercises the player option.  Unless is a signing bonus or buyout also attached to the deal, Speier’s report would indicate that Turner is only receiving $19.7MM in guaranteed salary.  The $8.3MM figure in 2023 in particular looks like a very nice bargain for the Red Sox on what could well end up being a one-year commitment to a 38-year-old player.

5:26PM: Turner will earn $14MM in 2023, Heyman reports, and the 2024 player option is worth $8MM.

4:54PM: The Red Sox have agreed to a deal with infielder Justin Turner, according to ESPN’s Joon Lee and Jeff Passan (Twitter links).  The two-year contract will pay Turner slightly less than $22MM, and Turner can opt out of the deal following the 2023 season.  Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter links) reported earlier today that Turner and the Sox were “looking close” to working out a contract, and that Boston was “heavily” pursuing Turner.  Michael Marino of Fantrax reported yesterday that Turner and the Sox were in talks.  Turner is represented by Vayner Sports.

The Marlins, Diamondbacks, Twins, and Dodgers are the other teams publicly known to have some interest in Turner, and Miami made Turner an offer earlier this week.  Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald described the Marlins’ offer as “competitive,” and though the exact details of the offer weren’t known, Heyman wrote that the Marlins seemed open to giving Turner the multi-year deal he is seeking in free agency.

Turner (who is entering his age-38 season) did find that multi-year pact, though at a significant drop in average annual value from the $17MM he received in his previous two-year deal with the Dodgers.  MLBTR projected Turner for only one guaranteed year, but for $14MM.  The year-to-year breakdown of the new contract isn’t yet known, and the opt-out could indicate that Turner’s camp might essentially view this deal as a one-year pact, with an eye towards getting a larger multi-year contract next after on the heels of a big platform year at Fenway Park.

That said, it isn’t as though Turner underachieved in 2022, as he posted a strong 123 wRC+ after batting .278/.350/.438 with 13 homers over 532 plate appearances with the Dodgers.  However, given how Turner’s usual offseason routine was thrown off-kilter was the lockout and the shortened Spring Training, he might well imagine that he could’ve hit much better had it not been for a very slow start.  Turner had only a .611 OPS over his first 243 PA of the year, but then caught fire with a .940 OPS over his last 289 PA.

Despite this production and Turner’s long track record of success over nine seasons in Los Angeles, the Dodgers opted to decline their $16MM club option on Turner for 2023, instead buying him out for $2MM.  The move was seemingly made to give the Dodgers some extra flexibility in regards to their payroll and luxury tax situation, as the Dodgers could conceivably use any of Max Muncy, Chris Taylor, or prospect Miguel Vargas at third base.  While president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman repeatedly stated that the door was still open for a possible reunion with Turner, the Dodgers’ signing of J.D. Martinez yesterday seemed to hint that L.A. had moved on.

As it turned out, the Dodgers and Red Sox will unofficially swap veteran hitters, with Martinez heading to Los Angeles and Turner coming to Boston.  Turner brings more defensive utility than Martinez, as Turner still saw quite a bit of action at third base last season, basically splitting his time between third and DH.  Rafael Devers of course has priority at the hot corner in Boston, but the Red Sox could now use Turner at third base when Devers (a subpar defender) is given a DH day of his own.  Turner hasn’t played at first base since 2016, but he could also conceivably get some time at the cold corner as a right-handed hitting complement to rookie Triston Casas.

Xander Bogaerts’ departure to the Padres has led to a lot of hard feelings from Red Sox Nation directed towards ownership and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.  Though Bogaerts is certainly a major loss, Bloom’s plan is to fill the void with multiple players, as Bloom has stated that he wanted to add roughly 7-9 new faces to the roster.  That long list of needs has now been partially filled by Turner, Masataka Yoshida, and relievers Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, and Joely Rodriguez.

It would seem like starting pitching, catching, and the outfield remain on Bloom’s checklist, given the other players the Red Sox have at least checked in on this winter.  But with Turner, the club reinforcements the corner infield/DH mix that Boston first looked to address by making a push for Jose Abreu, before Abreu signed with the Astros.  The Red Sox made some room at first base by designing Eric Hosmer for assignment earlier this week, and though Hosmer was essentially a free player since the Padres were covering almost all of his remaining salary, the Sox were looking for either a more productive bat, or at least to more firmly clear a path for top prospect Casas.

After surpassing the luxury tax threshold in 2022, the Red Sox are thus far well under the $233MM threshold.  That leaves Bloom with some opportunity to perhaps stay under the tax line, though given how Bloom and ownership were willing to pay the tax for even a rather remote shot at a playoff berth last year, one would imagine the Red Sox wouldn’t balk at paying another tax penalty for the right upside.  Many of the offseason’s top free agents have already come off the board, but the Sox could still pursue other upgrades on the trade market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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Boston Red Sox Newsstand Transactions Justin Turner

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Marlins Sign Garrett Hampson To Minors Contract

By Mark Polishuk | December 18, 2022 at 6:24pm CDT

The Marlins have signed utilityman Garrett Hampson to a minor league deal, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).

Hampson was a third-round pick for the Rockies in the 2016 draft, and he had spent his entire pro career with Colorado before being non-tendered last month.  The 28-year-old was projected to earn $2.1MM in his second trip through the arbitration process, but the Rockies opted to part ways after Hampson hit only .211/.287/.307 over 226 plate appearances in 2022.

Both Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America included Hampson near the end of their top-100 prospect lists prior to the 2019 season, owing to Hampson’s high batting average, OBP, and stolen bases totals during his way up the Rockies’ minor league ladder.  Unfortunately for Hampson, he couldn’t translate that potential into any production at the MLB level.  While he has swiped 52 bases in 65 tries, Hampson hit only .235/.296/.370 over 1279 career PA in the majors.

This lack of hitting kept Hampson from firmly establishing himself with Colorado, though the Rox gave him opportunities as more or less an everyday player in 2020-21.  Most of Hampson’s playing time came as a center fielder or second baseman, but he also has quite a bit of shortstop experience and a handful of games as a left fielder and third baseman.

There is a bit of a “jack of all trades, master of none” aspect to Hampson’s versatility, as while he can play several positions, defensive metrics are mixed at best on his glovework anywhere on the field.  Smaller sample sizes are also a factor, though for his two primary positions, Hampson is graded as a slightly below-average but passable second baseman, and the Outs Above Average metric like his work (+8) as a center fielder, while UZR/150 (-1/2) and Defensive Runs Saved (-7) are less impressed.

Miami has long been looking for center field help, and Hampson could at least factor into a mix that includes Bryan De La Cruz, Jesus Sanchez, JJ Bleday, and utilityman Jon Berti.  While a change of scenery might help Hampson at the plate, he could at least give the Marlins some additional utility depth beyond Berti, and Hampson’s speed is also a useful weapon to bring off the bench for pinch-running purposes.  At the cost of just a minor league contract, there’s no risk for the Marlins in giving Hampson a Spring Training audition to see what he can offer.

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Miami Marlins Transactions Garrett Hampson

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Latest On The Cubs’ Catching Targets: Casali, Barnhart, Pérez

By Maury Ahram | December 18, 2022 at 1:59pm CDT

The Chicago Cubs are looking for a “defense-first catcher,” reports Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, with Mooney linking the team to free agents Curt Casali, Tucker Barnhart, and Roberto Perez. Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation has also recently connected the club to Barnhart in a platoon role with incumbent Yan Gomes.

The Cubs currently only have two catchers on their 40-man roster, prospect Miguel Amaya, who reached Double-A Tennessee in 2022 and is projected to debut during the 2023 season, and 11-year veteran Gomes. Gomes, who signed a two-year, $13MM deal during the 2021 offseason, with a $6MM player option for the 2024 season, hit .235/.260/.365 in a complementary role to All-Star Willson Contreras during his first season in Chicago. P.J. Higgins also saw time behind the dish during the 2022 season, hitting .229/.310/.383 in 229 plate appearances, and has the ability to plan all around the infield.

Nevertheless, the recent additions of Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon, Brad Boxberger, and Cody Bellinger, along with their reported re-signing of Drew Smyly, signal an intent to compete in 2023 after finishing third in their division last season. With the free agent catcher market rapidly shrinking, Casali, Barnhart, and Perez profile as veteran regulars that won’t command long-term contracts and delay Amaya’s promotion.

Casali was limited to only 57 games during the 2022 season, spending time on the injured list with a concussion and right oblique strain. Over 176 plate appearances, the 34-year-old hit a weak .203/.318/.331 with a high 28.4% strikeout rate but a strong 13.6% walk rate. Casali is a career .223/.316/.392 hitter over parts of nine seasons and is credited with 16 defensive runs saved since 2014, in addition to throwing out 32% of runners and drawing positive marks for his framing ability.

Barnhart joined the Tigers via trade after the 2021 season and struggled to a .221/.287/.267 slash line with a 24% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate in 2022. It’s a sharp drop off from his career numbers of .245/.320/.360, and his strong 2017 showing (.270/.347/.403) is slowly becoming a distant memory. Like Casali, Barnhart is typically viewed positively for his defensive ability, earning a total of 12 DRS over nine seasons, despite being credited -8 DRS during the 2022 season, while throwing out 32% of runners. Barnhart also ranks highly for his framing ability.

Perez suffered a left hamstring strain in early May and was forced to undergo season-ending surgery later in the month. It marks the second consecutive injury-ravaged year for Perez, who was limited to only 44 games with Cleveland during the 2021 season due to a pair of IL stints (a fractured right finger and shoulder inflammation). Like Casali and Barnhart, Perez is a glove-first catcher, with a meager career slash line of .207/.298/.360, but he has accumulated a whopping 79 DRS since 2014 while throwing out 39% of would-be runners and possesses a highly regarded framing ability.

The Cubs’ will likely struggle to fill Contreras’s offensive production from the catching position, but the franchise will hope that recent additions of Swanson and Bellinger, as well as prospects Brennen Davis and Matt Mervis settling in at the Major League level, will help fill the All-Star size hole behind the dish at Wrigley Field.

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Chicago Cubs Curt Casali Roberto Perez Tucker Barnhart

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Cubs, Drew Smyly Close To A Deal

By Maury Ahram | December 18, 2022 at 11:45am CDT

The Cubs and starter Drew Smyly are closing in on a deal for the 2023 season, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Reports emerged in early October that the two parties were involved in extension talks, but nothing came of those discussions before Smyly opted out of his side of a mutual option in November.

Smyly initially joined the Cubs after the 2021 season on a one-year, $4.25MM contract with a $1MM buyout on a $10MM mutual contract for the 2023 season, which Smyly declined, and $2.5MM in potential incentives. He would go on to make 22 starts, pitching to a 3.47 ERA in 106 1/3 innings with a slightly below-average 2o.4% strikeout rate but paired with a low 5.8% walk rate. Interestingly, despite ranking poorly in fastball velocity (20th percentile), fastball spin (24th percentile), and curve spin (8th percentile), Smyly posted a chase rate in the 77th percentile and limited hard hits (69th percentile).

Since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017, Smyly has become a mercenary swingman, spending the 2019 season with the Rangers, joining the Brewers on a minor league deal in 2019 before finishing the season with the Phillies, spending the shortened 2020 year with the Giants, winning a World Series ring with the Braves during the 2021 season, and then joining the Cubs last winter. Over these four years, Smyly has made 71 starts (83 appearances) and pitched to a 4.65 ERA in 373 1/3 regular-season innings with a 22.9% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate.

The nine-year veteran will rejoin a rotation that includes Marcus Stroman, recent signee Jameson Taillon, and Justin Steele. Kyle Hendricks will likely have a spot on manager David Ross’s staff, but the 30-year-old had yet to begin a throwing program as of late October after suffering a mid-season capsular tear.

The financial terms of the agreement are not yet clear. The Cubs presently have around $181MM in estimated commitments for 2023, not including Smyly, per Roster Resource. Their projected luxury tax ledger is around $203MM, leaving the possibility of adding with the base tax threshold set at $233MM.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Drew Smyly

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Red Sox Notes: Vázquez, Yoshida, Rafaela

By Maury Ahram | December 18, 2022 at 10:17am CDT

Despite a mid-season trade from the Red Sox to the Astros, catcher Christian Vazquez remained interested in a potential Boston reunion, even going so far as to reach out to the club before agreeing to his deal with the Twins, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. However, Speier adds that the “Sox never showed any interest in bringing back” the veteran backstop.

Vazquez, who is tied for the fifth-most games caught in franchise history, was reportedly offered a one-year extension before Boston picked up his $7MM option for the 2022 season, but the extra year was at a lower average salary than the 2022-23 option. Vazquez subsequently declined the offer, and the two parties never discussed a new deal. This decision to bet on himself worked well for the catcher, who would go on to sign a three-year, $30MM deal with the Twins. Nevertheless, during his introductory press conference, Vazquez noted the difficulty in his free agent decision, saying that the Sox will “be in my heart forever” and that it “was tough to leave Boston.”

Barring an offseason catcher addition, the Red Sox are projected to rely on Reese McGuire and Connor Wong behind the dish. While the duo doesn’t have as successful of an offensive history as Vazquez, McGuire is a career .256/.301/.381 hitter and Wong has a .213/.290/.361 slash line in 70 plate appearances, McGuire hit .337/.377/.500 following a trade to the Red Sox and Wong has hit .276/.327/.471 in two seasons at the Triple-A level.

In other Red Sox news:

  • The Red Sox were quick to pounce on Masataka Yoshida, agreeing to a record-setting five-year, $90MM contract with the Japanese outfielder shortly after he was posted. However, the organization had been reportedly scouting Yoshida for years, per VP of professional scouting Gus Quattlebaum. Quattlebaum cites Pacific Rim coordinator Brett Ward for bringing Yoshida to the Red Sox’s attention long before the NPB star was posted this offseason, telling reporters that “Wardy recognized this bat a long time ago for us, and cited him as one of the better pure hitters that he’d seen since Ichiro.” While comparing Yoshida to Ichiro Suzuki is high praise, the two produced similar batting lines during their time in Japan’s NPB with Yoshida slashing .326/.419/.539 over seven seasons and Ichiro hitting .353/.421/.522 over nine seasons.
  • With the majority of MLBTR’s top free agents inking contracts, general manager Chaim Bloom will be forced to turn to the trade market to improve his team this offseason. While Marcelo Mayer, Brayan Bello, and Triston Casas are considered untradeable, Tanner Houck, Ceddanne Rafaela, Bryan Mata, and Josh Winckowski have been floated as potential trade candidates. However, one National League team official believes that Rafaela is the least likely of the group to be moved, telling Speier that the Sox are “hugging him very tight.” Following a solid 2021 season at Single-A Salem, Rafaela broke out during the 2022 season. Across High-A and Double-A, the speedy utility man hit .299/.342/.539 with 21 home runs, 1o triples, and 32 doubles. The Red Sox’s No. 3 prospect, Rafaela is projected to make his debut during the 2023 season.
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Boston Red Sox Notes Ceddanne Rafaela Christian Vazquez Masataka Yoshida Red Sox

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KBO’s Hanwha Eagles Sign Burch Smith

By Maury Ahram | December 18, 2022 at 8:27am CDT

The Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League have signed pitcher Burch Smith for the 2023 season, according to reports out of South Korea (hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net). Smith’s contract is worth up to $1MM, with the righty receiving a $100K signing bonus, $700K salary, and the opportunity to earn an additional $200K in incentives.

Initially drafted by the Padres in 2011, Smith would quickly debut for the team in 2013, albeit to a lackluster 6.44 ERA in 36 1/3 innings. He was traded to the Rays after the 2014 season and would soon undergo Tommy John surgery, missing the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He returned to the Majors in 2018 with the Royals, but once again pitched to an ineffective 6.92 ERA in 78 innings and was designated for assignment. Smith would go on to have short stints with the Brewers and Giants before latching on to a more permanent role with the Athletics during the 2021 season. Over parts of five MLB seasons, Smith holds a high 6.03 ERA in 191 innings with below-average strikeout and walk rates, 21.3% and 10.1%, respectively.

Smith transitioned overseas for the 2022 season, spending the year with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s NPB league. He was significantly more effective there, throwing 38 1/3 innings of 3.29 ERA baseball with a 23.7% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate.

Smith, who will be 33 years old in April, is now in line to play his second consecutive season overseas. There is little indication that the veteran reliever received any MLB interest prior to his contract with the Eagles. Instead, Smith will head to South Korea and earn significantly more than what he could have made from a potential minor league contract.

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Korea Baseball Organization Transactions Burch Smith

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