Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Chris Bassitt To Decline Mutual Option

By | at

Mets’ starter Chris Bassitt is expected to decline his $19MM mutual option per Jon Heyman of the NY Post. Bassitt will receive a $150K buyout and head to free agency for the first time in his career.

Following a trade from the Athletics, Bassitt agreed to a one-year, $8.65MM contract with a $19MM mutual option for the 2023 season ($150K buyout if either team declined) in his final trip through the arbitration process. During his first season with New York, the 8-year veteran led the Mets in starts (30) and innings pitched (181 2/3) while pitching to a 3.42 ERA with a 22.4% strikeout rate, 6.6% walk rate, and a 49.1% groundball rate.

Bassitt, who will be 34 on Opening Day, has been a reliable pitcher over the last four seasons. Since 2019, he has made at least 27 starts (excluding the 2020 season) paired with a 3.31 ERA in 546 innings, a 23.2% strikeout rate, a 6.7% walk rate, and a 44.1% groundball rate.

On the heels of a strong season, the Mets will likely attach a Qualifying Offer to Bassitt (a one-year, $19.65MM contract). While this sum is more than double what Bassitt was paid in 2022, he will likely opt to find a longer contract with an annual salary similar to the value of the QO.

As for the Mets, they enter the 2022-23 offseason with big questions surrounding their rotation. Two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and former All-Star Taijuan Walker both hold player options that they are expected to decline, and the Mets hold a $14MM club option on Carlos Carrasco’s 2023 services that they must make a decision on in the next few days. Tylor Megill is a candidate to fill one of the spots in the rotation, but owner Steve Cohen will likely open his wallet again this offseason to buff his team’s starting pitching.

Mets To Pick Up Daniel Vogelbach’s Club Option

By | at

The Mets are reportedly picking up Daniel Vogelbach’s $1.5MM club option for the 2023 season, per Jon Heyman of the NY Post.

Acquired in a midseason trade from the Pirates, Vogelbach slashed a strong .255/.393/.436 in New York to finish his 2022 season with a collective .238/.360/.433 line with 18 homers across the two teams. Interestingly, Vogelbach spent the 2022 season as full-time DH, logging only five innings at first base after playing over 400 innings at the corner infield position in 2021.

After a breakout year in 2019 with Seattle where he hit .208/.341/.439 with 30 homers and earned a trip to the All-Star game, Vogelbach has bounced around the league, spending time with the Blue Jays, Brewers, Pirates, and now the Mets. He has largely become a platoon player, hitting .261/.382/.497 against right-handed pitchers in 2022, compared to .139/.262/.153 against lefties.

Vogelbach, who has one more arbitration-eligible season after 2023, may become a trade candidate for the Mets, who currently have three other 1B/DH options on their 40-Man Roster in Darin Ruf, Dominic Smith, and starter Pete Alonso. However, out of the trio of backups, Vogelbach had the strongest 2022 season and GM Billy Eppler might opt to keep him as a left-handed bench bat.

Twins To Pick Up Sonny Gray’s Team Option

By | at

The Twins plan to pick up starter Sonny Gray’s $12.7MM team option for the 2023 season, per Jon Heyman of the NY Post.

Acquired at the start of the 2022 season from the Reds, Gray has been a solid presence in the Twins’ rotation. Across 24 starts (119 2/3 innings) the veteran right-hander pitched to a 3.08 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate, and 44.1% groundball rate.

However, Gray has been burdened by injuries in recent years, pitching over 140 innings in only two of his last six seasons, excluding the shortened 2022 season. In 2022, the righty spent time on the 10-day and 15-day IL with a right hamstring strain and a right pectoral strain, respectively. Additionally, Gray averaged just under five innings per start in 2022.

Nevertheless, when healthy, Gray has been a strong presence in the Twins’ rotation. In the second half of the season, the veteran pitched to an impressive 2.38 ERA in 56 2/3 innings. During this time, opposing batters hit a meager .212/.286/.335 against him.

As noted in MLBTR’s Offseason Outlook, Twins starters ranked 20th in the Majors with a 4.11 ERA and 27th with 782 2/3 innings in 2022. With Joe Ryan and Tyler Mahle returning, along with Kenta Maeda who spent the 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, the Twins have a formidable quartet of quality starters as they look to return to the top of the AL Central.

Nationals To Decline Mutual Option With Nelson Cruz

By | at

Nov 6: As expected, the Nationals have officially declined their 2023 Mutual Option on Nelson Cruz.

Oct 15: Talk Nats reports that the Nationals are expected to decline their half of a $16MM mutual option with righty slugger Nelson Cruz for the 2023 season, instead opting to pay him a $3MM buyout on the option. Additionally, Cruz, who had been previously reported to be undergoing eye surgery sometime this month, has undergone the procedure this past week.

Washington’s decision is no surprise after a difficult season for Cruz, who slashed just .234/.313/.337 in 507 PA in 2022, posting his first below average offensive season by measure of wRC+ since his age 26 season back in 2007. Given his age (he turned 42 this past July) and down year in 2022, it’s a fair question to wonder what sort of market he might find for his services this offseason, particularly given his inability to play the field at this stage in his career. Cruz hasn’t regularly taken the field since 2015, and hasn’t played anything other than DH since 2018, barring seven innings spent at first base in a single game for the Rays last year. It’s difficult to imagine any clear contenders wanting to lock up their DH slot with an aging bat who performed at a below-average offensive level in 2022, particularly given the number of teams who prefer to cycle their every day players through the DH slot as an opportunity to provide them extra rest.

Cruz may be able to find a market nonetheless, however. His aforementioned eye surgery provides a possible explanation for his struggles this season, and hope it can be corrected headed into 2023. Combined with his lengthy track record as an all star caliber bat and his reputation as a leader in the clubhouse, the procedure on his eye could give some teams enough confidence to offer Cruz a major league deal this offseason, though salary offers surely won’t come close to the $18MM guarantee he received with the Nationals in 2022.

Speculatively speaking, a reunion with the Brewers or the Rangers this offseason could make some sense. Both teams are in dire need of added offensive firepower this season, but with the Brewers facing a massive arbitration class in 2022, and the Rangers also in dire need of rotation reinforcements, a low-cost flier on Cruz could make more sense than a splashier, more surefire addition. Another potential fit could be found with the Guardians, who have shocked most of the baseball world by beating out the White Sox and Twins for the AL Central title and have since knocked the Rays out of the postseason and stand tied with the Yankees 2 games into the ALDS. Despite the impressive season, the Guardians have struggled offensively this year, especially when compared to other postseason clubs. Having moved on from another DH-only righty slugger in Franmil Reyes earlier this season, and sporting an extremely youthful roster, Cruz’s veteran presence and potential with the bat could make sense. Given the Guardians are a franchise that rarely has the budget space available to make impact additions, the low price tag that will likely be attached to Cruz is another reason for Cleveland to be interested in the slugger.

Tigers Hire Robin Lund As Assistant Pitching Coach

By | at

The Tigers continue to add to their personnel, this time plucking Iowa pitching coach Robin Lund to work as an assistant pitching coach, reports Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball. The team has not confirmed the move. Lund had previously worked with Detroit’s pitching coach Chris Fetter and led one of the best collegiate pitching staffs. Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group adds that Tigers’ bullpen coach Juan Nieves, who has the title of assistant pitching coach, is expected to return to the team and that manager A.J. Hinch had said that the Tigers might be flexible in how they fill out coaching roles for 2023.

Lund joins the Tigers after five seasons at Iowa. During the 2021-2022 season, the pitching staff ranked third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.2), fourth in ERA (3.72), and 11th in WHIP (1.29). Over the last seasons, seven Hawkeye pitchers have joined MLB organizations under Lund’s watch.

Lund’s most recent success story is South Dakota State transfer Adam Mazur who was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year after going 7-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 93 2/3 innings with 98 strikeouts. Mazur led a quartet of Hawkeyes selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, going in the second round (53rd overall) to the Padres.

Perhaps most notable for the Tigers is Lund’s kinesiology experience. Lund holds a Doctorate of Exercise Science and was an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at UNI from 2002-2018 studying biomechanics, anatomy, statistics, and research methods with a research focus on improving athletic performance. Last season, only one Tigers pitcher reached 20 starts, Tarik Skubal, with Tyler Alexander, Eduardo Rodriguez, Beau Brieske, and Matt Manning all missing time due to injuries.

Lund will work with a staff that pitched to a collective 4.05 ERA (10th highest), with a 19.8% strikeout rate (6th lowest) and 8.5% walk rate (12th highest).

Orioles Outright Anthony Bemboom

By | at

Just a month after selecting Anthony Bemboom back to the Major League roster, the Orioles have once again outrighted the veteran backstop to Triple-A Norfolk, per MLB Transactions Log. Because he’s already been outrighted in his career, Bemboom had the right to elect free agency as soon as he cleared waivers. However, there is no indication that the catcher did so, and Roch Kubatko of MASN reports that Bemboom is expected to accept the assignment and compete for the backup job in spring training.

Beemboom had recently signed a split-rate contract with the Birds, paying the 32-year-old a varying rate depending on if he’s in the minors next season, reports Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun. During the 2022 season, Bemboom produced in a limited fashion, hitting .115/.207/.212 in 52 at-bats. He fared slightly better in Triple-A, slashing .228/.292/.350 line in 123 at-bats. However, those marks were below his career marks in Triple-A of 247/.340/.392.

Given his 2022 struggles, the Orioles might look to other backups for the budding star Adley Rutschman during the 2023 season. The Birds currently have Cam Gallagher and Mark Kolozsvary on their 40-man roster, however, neither has extensive Major League experience. The 29-year-old Gallagher has taken 420 at-bats over six seasons, hitting a weak .240/.302/.355, while the 27-year-old Kolozsvary has only appeared in ten games (all in the 2022 season), slashing .200/.238/.450.

With the offseason arriving, the Orioles are conducting typical roster maintenance. Removing Bemboom from the 40-man drops their tally to 36. Additionally, the Birds have John Means on the 60-day injured list, and he’ll need to be reinstated at the start of the offseason.

 

131 Players Reach Free Agency

By | at

As announced by the MLB Players Association, 131 MLB players have officially reached free agency this morning. This list, including names like Aaron Judge, Jose Abreu, and Edwin Diaz, excludes players such as Jacob deGrom and Carlos Correa, who have until November 10th to decide on their opt-out. The Dodgers lead the list with ten free agents, headlined by starter Clayton Kershaw, while the Mets and the Yankees each have nine free agents. Conversely, both the Diamondbacks and the Marlins have no free-agent decisions released today.

Broken down in Mark Polishuk’s 2022-23 Offseason Preview, all eligible free players can officially file for free agency today. However, players who file for free agency are only able to negotiate with their current team. Before the free agent market officially opens on November 10th, teams and players must make decisions regarding club options, opt-outs, mutual options, and qualifying offers. The trade market also re-opens opens today. 

A complete list of 2022-23 MLB Free Agents can be found here.

The 2022-23 Offseason Begins

By | at

The Astros are World Series champions, officially bringing the 2022 baseball season to a close.  As the party continues in Houston, the rest of the baseball world has already gotten started on winter business, as (knock on wood) the league prepares for its first “regular” offseason in three years.  The 2019-20 offseason was interrupted by the pandemic, with that uncertainty continuing to cloud MLB’s preparations heading into 2021.  Last winter, the offseason was shut down by a 99-day lockout, until the league and the players’ union finally agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Fortunately, it looks like we might be in store for nothing but hot stove talk during this offseason, in a welcome return to normalcy.  We at MLB Trade Rumors are already in the swing of things, with Matt Swartz’s annual arbitration projections posted and our annual Offseason Outlook series well underway.  In addition, the annual Top 50 Free Agents list and Free Agent Prediction contest are both coming soon, so stay tuned.

Here is the rundown of the offseason’s key dates on the baseball calendar…

NOVEMBER 6: All eligible players can officially file for free agency, though even though this technically marks the start of free agency, players still aren’t allowed to negotiate with anyone but their current team.  During the five days until the full opening of the free agent market, teams and players must make their contractual decisions about any club options, player options, opt-outs, and mutual options.  The trade market also fully re-opens today, and it is rare but not totally uncommon to see a prominent swap take place as soon as the market opens.

NOVEMBER 7-10: The annual GM meetings, this year taking place in Las Vegas.

NOVEMBER 10: The free agent market officially opens, and free agents are now free to negotiate and sign with other teams.  This is also the deadline for option decisions, as well as the deadline for teams to issue qualifying offers to eligible free agents.  MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently examined which players are most likely to receive the one-year, $19.65MM offers from their current teams, and which players represent trickier decisions for the clubs.

NOVEMBER 14-17: Awards week begins, as the league announces the results of one major award on each of these four days. The Rookie Of The Year winners are revealed on the 14th, the Manager Of The Year winners on the 15th, the Cy Young Award winners on the 16th, and finally the league MVPs on the 17th.  Many players can earn extra contract bonus money based on high finishes in these awards races, but there is an extra hot-stove element this year.  Due to the Prospect Promotion Incentive plan included in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the top two finishers in AL and NL ROY voting will receive a full year of Major League service time, regardless of how much time they actually spent on their clubs’ active rosters.

NOVEMBER 15: The deadline for teams to set their 40-man rosters in advance of the Rule 5 draft.  This usually involves adding some prominent minor leaguers onto the 40-man to prevent their selection in the R5, and several clubs might be looking to swing trades to free up 40-man space and ease any possible roster crunch.

NOVEMBER 15: The deadline for the free agents issued qualifying offers to decide whether or not to accept the QO.

NOVEMBER 18: The non-tender deadline, as teams must decide by this date whether or not to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players.  This date represents a notable difference to the regular offseason calendar, as the non-tender deadline is usually in late November or early December.  Given the closer proximity to the 40-man roster decision date, it seems quite possible we could see some earlier non-tender decisions than usual, so teams can free up more roster spots.

DECEMBER 4-7: The annual Winter Meetings, this year taking place in San Diego.

DECEMBER 7: The Rule 5 Draft, returning to its usual date on the final day of the Winter Meetings.  Last year’s Rule 5 Draft was canceled due to the lockout, marking the first time since 1891 that some form of the R5 didn’t take place.

JANUARY 13: The filing deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to submit 2023 salary numbers.  Arbitration hearings will begin to take place in March, though teams and players can agree to a salary at any point (even minutes before) a hearing takes place.  However, many teams adopt the “file and trial” tactic, meaning that they’ll automatically opt to go to a hearing with any player who doesn’t agree to a salary by January 13, with no further discussion about an arbitration-avoiding deal.

JANUARY 15: The international signing window officially opens, and closes 11 months later on December 15, 2023.  Many of the top names of the 2023 int’l class will sign on the first day the market opens, as several of these prospects have already agreed to unofficial deals with teams years in advance.  Because Major League Baseball and the MLBPA didn’t reach an agreement on the league’s desire to implement a draft for international prospects, the current int’l signing system and the qualifying-offer system will both remain in place for the length of the CBA (though the 2026 season).

FEBRUARY 24: Spring Training games officially begin.

MARCH 8: The World Baseball Classic begins, with games played in Taichung, Tokyo, Phoenix and Miami over the course of the 14-day, 20-team event.  The WBC returns for the first time since 2017, as the 2021 tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.

MARCH 30: Opening Day

The Astros Win The World Series

By | at

For the second time in franchise history, the Houston Astros have won the World Series.  Houston clinched the championship with a 4-1 victory over the Phillies tonight in Game 6, fueled by a massive home run from Yordan Alvarez in the sixth inning.  With the Phillies leading 1-0 after the top of the sixth, starter Zack Wheeler (who had been cruising in the game) was pulled after allowing two baserunners, a decision that will lead to decades of second-guessing in Philadelphia.  Reliever Jose Alvarado promptly allowed a 450-foot home run to Alvarez that put the Astros ahead for good.

The Astros won 106 games during the regular season, and had a perfect 7-0 record throughout the American League playoffs to capture the pennant.  However, the Phillies took a 2-1 lead through the first three games of World Series, leading to speculation that Philadelphia’s power bats had the edge over Houston’s vaunted pitching staff.  That speculation was quieted in a big way when the Phillies scored only three total runs over the remaining three games of the Series, starting when four Astros pitchers (led by Cristian Javier’s six innings) combined for a no-hitter in Game 4.

That historic win restored the sense of invincibility that followed Houston for much of the season, as the team showed few weaknesses while fielding an excellent lineup, rotation, and bullpen.  The franchise’s extensive rebuild period under former GM Jeff Luhnow built a farm system and player development pipeline that continues to excel, given how the bulk of the World Series roster was comprised of homegrown players.  This included Javier, Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, and Luis Garcia — four lightly-regarded international prospects who joined future Hall-of-Famer Justin Verlander and (former first round pick) Lance McCullers Jr. to create an outstanding pitching staff.

The Astros have won two championships and made two other World Series appearances (in 2019 and 2021) over the last six seasons, an extended run of dominance over the big leagues.  Of course, no discussion is complete without mention of the sign-stealing scandal that tainted the memory of the 2017 championship, and resulted in the firings of both Luhnow and former manager A.J. Hinch following the 2019 season.  For many fans, no amount of time will soften the hard feelings directed towards the organization, though only five players — Verlander, McCullers, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Yuli Gurriel — remain from the 2017 roster.

Houston’s ability to reload and restock its roster has been impressive, as the team has brought some new talent into the organization and also continued to rely on its farm system.  For instance, after Carlos Correa left in free agency last winter, the Astros had confidence that top prospect Jeremy Pena would be able to step into Correa’s big shoes.  Fast forward to November, and Pena has followed up an impressive rookie season with World Series MVP honors — only the third rookie to ever capture the award.

After winning a World Series as a player with the Dodgers in 1981, Dusty Baker had to wait 41 more years and through 25 seasons as a manager before capturing his second ring.  Baker’s excellent track record (2093 regular season wins) already made a Cooperstown induction a likelihood, but after years of close calls and disappointments in the postseason, Baker finally captured his first title as a manager at age 73.  Baker was only signed through the 2022 season, yet the Astros are expected to offer him a new deal, and Baker himself told David Ortiz in an interview that “I said if I win one, I want to win two.”

Verlander is expected to opt out of his contract to re-enter the free agent market, but the bulk of the Astros’ core will be under contract and control for 2023, making Houston an early favorite to repeat.  Perhaps the biggest question is in the front office, as there has been quite a bit of speculation that GM James Click (whose contract is also now up) won’t be invited back for next season, due to some clashes with owner Jim Crane.  Click’s fate will be a major talking point in the days now following the World Series, and given the talent already on hand in the organization, the Astros’ GM job might be the most coveted in all of baseball.

Latest On Rangers, Martin Perez

By | at

Both during and after Martin Perez’s bounce-back season, the veteran left-hander and the Rangers shared mutual interest in a potential contract extension.  The two sides have met for negotiations, and while no deal has yet emerged, Rangers GM Chris Young told the Dallas Morning News’ Evan Grant that “we continue to have good conversations.  We’re hopeful of getting something done, but we’re considering various options, including the qualifying offer.  We understand that Martín will have value on the free agent market.”

Once the World Series is over, teams have five days to issue qualifying offers (a one-year, $19.65MM deal) to any eligible free agents.  Perez fits the bill for eligibility, as a player who has never received a QO in the past, and who spent the entire 2022 season with one team.  If a free agent rejects a qualifying offer and signs elsewhere, his former team would then receive a compensatory draft pick — in the Rangers’ case, that pick would fall between Competitive Balance Round B and the third round, so a pick around 75th and 80th overall.

That extra draft selection would be particularly useful for a Texas club that lost picks for signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien (who both rejected QOs) last winter in free agency, and who might very well be prepared to lose more picks for other qualifying-offer free agents this offseason.  The Rangers are expected to continue being aggressive as they look to finally get back into contention, and any number big names could be on the radar in Young’s first winter running the front office.

That said, starting pitching is the Rangers’ most glaring need, so a reunion with Perez could well be more valuable in the short term than the bigger-term value of a compensatory draft pick.  If Perez did accept the one-year qualifying offer, nothing prevents the two sides from continuing to discuss a multi-year deal.  Back in the 2019-20 offseason, Jose Abreu accepted the QO from the White Sox, and shortly thereafter signed a new extension that added two additional years beyond his commitment to the 2020 campaign.

These are some of the reasons that MLBTR’s Anthony Franco listed Perez as a borderline possibility in his recent preview of the qualifying-offer market, as both Perez and the Rangers face some interesting pros and cons regarding the QO.  As Franco noted, Perez’s underlying metrics didn’t reveal any huge difference between Perez’s 2022 season and the southpaw’s more inconsistent past seasons.  If the Rangers think some regression is coming, they just might not value Perez at the $19.65MM price point.  While the Rangers would naturally be offering him more total dollars over the course of a multi-year arrangement, spreading out that cost over at least two seasons might be more palatable from the team’s perspective, especially if Texas is planning to start spending closer to the luxury tax threshold in the next year or two.

$19.65MM would easily represent the biggest single-season salary of Perez’s career, and he could opt to accept the QO simply to cash in on his comeback season.  However, with almost $36MM earned over 11 Major League seasons, Perez has already banked quite a bit of financial security.  Coming off four straight one-year contracts and entering his age-32 season, Perez might be looking for more stability at this point in his career, and might prefer a multi-year contract to a one-year pact, even at the higher $19.65MM price point of a qualifying offer.

Once that five-day period after the World Series ends, free agency officially opens to the entire league, and the Rangers lose their exclusive negotiating rights with Perez.  The deadline for players to decide on accepting or rejecting qualifying offers doesn’t come until 10 days after the opening of free agency, giving Perez more time to ponder his choice if Texas did opt to issue the QO.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top