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Cubs Sign Matthew Boyd

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DECEMBER 9: The Cubs made Boyd’s signing official on Saturday and Robert Murray of FanSided (X link) has the full contract details today. Boyd gets a $5MM signing bonus and a salary of $7.5MM in 2025, followed by a $14.5MM salary in 2026. There is a $2MM buyout on a $15MM mutual option for 2027. As for the bonuses, Boyd gets $100K for getting to 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120 innings pitched in each season.

DECEMBER 2: The Cubs have agreed with left-hander Matthew Boyd on a two-year deal that will guarantee him $29MM, per a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal includes $1MM in performance bonuses, $500K each year, that could take the total guarantee to $30MM over two years. Boyd is represented by the Boras Corporation.

Boyd, 34 in February, made his big league debut with the Blue Jays back in 2018 but established himself in the majors as a member of the Tigers the following year. From 2016 to 2020, Boyd served as a slightly below league average starter for Detroit with a 4.75 ERA (95 ERA+) and 4.54 FIP in 727 innings of work. The southpaw at times flashed exciting peripherals, such as the 2019 season when he punched out 30.2% of opponents in 185 1/3 frames while walking just 6.3%, but his overall body of work cast him as more of a solid back-of-the-rotation arm than anything else.

Matthew Boyd pitching for the Cleveland Guardians.

Boyd’s time with the Tigers came to a close when he required surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon late in the 2021 campaign, which left him limited to just ten relief appearances as a member of the Mariners. He returned to the Tigers in 2023 but made just 15 starts to lackluster results before going under the knife a second time, this time due to Tommy John surgery.

Once again a free agent coming off major surgery, Boyd remained unsigned headed into the 2024 season before eventually landing a big league deal with the Guardians back in June. The lefty didn’t make his season debut until mid-August after building up to game readiness in the minor leagues, but once he suited up for Cleveland he looked quite good with a 2.72 ERA and 3.29 FIP in 39 2/3 innings of work across eight starts down the stretch. He struck out 27.7% of his opponents while walking just 7.3%, which would have given Boyd one of the better K-BB% figures for a starter in the sport this year if he had pitched enough innings to qualify. He built on that solid regular season performance with a strong showing during the Guardians’ run to the ALCS. He pitched 12 innings for the club across four appearances (three starts), and struck out 28% of opponents while posting a dazzling 0.75 ERA.

That strong finish to Boyd’s season left the southpaw poised to garner plenty of interest in free agency this winter, even in spite of his checkered injury history. MLBTR ranked Boyd as the #23 free agent in this winter’s class on our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, and predicted a two-year, $25MM guarantee that comes in just below the pact he ultimately landed with the Cubs. Boyd becomes the fifth starting pitcher to sign a multi-year deal this winter, joining Michael Wacha’s three-year deal with the Royals, Yusei Kikuchi’s three-year pact with the Angels, Blake Snell’s five-year contract with the Dodgers, and the two-year agreement between Frankie Montas and the Mets that was reported earlier this evening.

Notably, four of the five were unencumbered by draft pick compensation in a pitching market where plenty of borderline candidates such as Nick Pivetta and Luis Severino were extended the qualifying offer by their clubs. (Wacha re-signed in Kansas City the day before QOs were tendered but would very likely have received one.) Each pitcher has landed a deal that come in at or above expectations.

Even so, that seems to have pushed clubs that aren’t interested in signing a qualified free agent to act quickly. The calendar has only just flipped to December the market is already beginning to thin in terms of starters who aren’t attached to a qualifying offer. MLBTR predicted multi-year deals for just four more free agent starters who aren’t attached to draft pick compensation this winter: Jack Flaherty, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Jose Quintana.

Turning back to the Cubs, the addition of Boyd adds another capable veteran arm to a rotation that already features lefties Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga as well as right-hander Jameson Taillon. Adding to the rotation has been a well-established priority for the club this winter, though early reports of plans to shop for a top-of-the-rotation arm eventually gave way to the suggestion Chicago could instead look for arms a tier or two below that pedigree. Boyd fits the latter description, given his roughly league-average work throughout his career and his recent struggles with injuries. The lefty has been limited to just 202 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2021 season, and in that time he’s posted a 4.04 ERA (105 ERA+) with a 3.97 FIP and a 23.2% strikeout rate against an 8% walk rate.

While Boyd may not necessarily profile as a front-end starter, it’s still not hard to imagine him providing an upgrade to the Cubs’ rotation when healthy. After all, the lefty was legitimately impactful for the Guardians this year in both the regular season and the playoffs, and that success being a late-career step forward rather than a simple hot streak can’t be ruled out for a pitcher who has long shown flashes of dominance throughout his time in the majors. What’s more, Chicago is perhaps uniquely well-equipped to handle any absences caused by future injuries thanks to a deep group of optionable arms that includes Ben Brown, Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, and Hayden Wesneski who can step into the rotation fairly seamlessly if needed.

For the time being, that quartet appears likely to vie for the fifth spot in the club’s rotation this spring, with Assad as the early front-runner after a generally successful (3.73 ERA, 4.64 FIP) season as a starter in 2024. RosterResource currently projects the Cubs for a $176MM payroll in 2025, and the Boyd deal should move that up to the $191MM range. That still leaves a bit more than $20MM of breathing room relative to the club’s 2024 Opening Day payroll, which Cot’s Baseball Contracts notes sat just over $214MM. It’s not impossible to imagine the club pursuing another starter to strengthen their rotation through either free agency or trade this winter with the financial flexibility the club has remaining, but given the club’s needs at catcher and in the bullpen it seems those funds will likely be used elsewhere—at least unless a trade of Cody Bellinger clears some additional money off the club’s books.

Latest On Alex Bregman

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While the majority of attention figures to be focused on the outfield market in the aftermath of Juan Soto’s decision to sign with the Mets on a record-shattering deal last night, one other beneficiary of the failed suitors’ expected aggressiveness on the rest of the free agent market could be third baseman Alex Bregman. Rob Bradford of WEEI reported last night that the Red Sox may “immediately be prioritizing” a pursuit of Bregman in the aftermath of Soto’s signing as they look to use those funds to sign other top free agents, while USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports this morning that the Yankees are “expected” to make a run at free agency’s top infielder as well.

The Red Sox were previously reported as a potential suitor for Bregman earlier this winter, but their level of interest has not been clear to this point. Now, it appears they may have more significant interest in adding the 30-year-old veteran to their roster after failing to land Soto. Bregman certainly makes plenty of sense for the Red Sox, as he’d help to balance a heavily left-handed lineup as a right-handed hitter with a career .277/.367/.494 slash line against southpaws. What’s more, the club’s crowded outfield mix makes the infield perhaps the most obvious place for Boston to add to the lineup, though they’ve seemingly prioritized adding pitching help (aside from their pursuit of Soto) to this point in the offseason.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to Bregman landing in Boston is a somewhat questionable positional fit. Bregman has spent virtually his entire big league career at the hot corner, which is currently occupied by Rafael Devers at Fenway Park. That said, it’s easy to see how the Red Sox could fit Bregman into their plans if they’re sufficiently motivated to do so. Bregman has expressed a willingness to slide over to second base if his new team so desires, and the Red Sox have also reportedly considered shifting Devers off third base into either a first base or DH role. There’s potential flaws in either of those plans given the presence of top prospect Kristian Campbell as a potentially big league ready long-term solution at the keystone and Devers’ reported desire to remain at third base for the foreseeable future, but those are issues that could surely be worked around if Boston were sufficiently motivated.

The Yankees, meanwhile, have been a speculative fit for Bregman’s services but have not previously been reported to have interest in the veteran. The club is sure to be aggressive in upgrading its roster now that Soto has landed elsewhere, and an infield that sports little certainty outside of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe is an obvious place to start. The club had reported interested in shortstop Willy Adames as a candidate to play either second or third base before he signed with the Giants over the weekend, and Bregman is certainly a logical fit to fill that same role.

Chisholm played third base for the Yankees down the stretch and into the postseason after being acquired from the Marlins last summer but has far more experience at the keystone, so adding a proven third baseman like Bregman could upgrade the club on both sides of the ball by allowing Chisholm to move back to his natural position while adding a reliable hitter who’s never posted a wRC+ lower than 114 in a season to their lineup. One theoretical roadblock to the Yankees signing Bregman could be discontent due to the third baseman being part of the 2017 Astros squad that was implicated in the infamous sign-stealing scandal, though the same could be said for shortstop Carlos Correa and GM Brian Cashman’s front office didn’t let that stop them from pursuing him when he was a free agent three years ago.

Of course, the longtime archrivals of the AL East are hardly the only suitors for Bregman’s services. The Phillies, Blue Jays, and Tigers all reportedly have at least some level of interest in the veteran infield this winter, and the incumbent Astros are perhaps his most obvious suitor of all. Houston has already made an offer to Bregman’s camp this winter, which was reportedly in the range of six years and $156MM. He’s reportedly looking for a deal in the $200MM range, however, and that gap could create room for one of his other suitors to swoop in and pull him away from the Astros. That’s led the club to explore contingency plans in case Bregman signs elsewhere such as infielder Jorge Polanco and first baseman Christian Walker, GM Dana Brown made clear in an appearance on MLBNetwork Radio yesterday that retaining their star third baseman remains the club’s top priority.

“We’re working on it… we’re having a lot of conversations with Scott [Boras], and, you know, we’re optimistic,” Brown said of their pursuit of Bregman. He went on to make clear that, even if they don’t re-sign Bregman in free agency this winter, he expects the club to seek outside help at third base. Brown noted that he believes the club’s internal infield solutions to be anywhere from six months to a year away from being ready for big league action, indicating that at least a stopgap solution at the hot corner such as Polanco will be necessary for Houston should they fail to bring Bregman back into the fold.

Sign Up For The Free MLBTR Newsletter

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The Opener: Winter Meetings, Soto Fallout, Outfield Market

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On the heels of Juan Soto signing the biggest contract in the history of professional sports last night, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Winter Meetings officially begin:

Players, agents, and executives alike arrived in Dallas last night for this year’s Winter Meetings, which officially kick off today and run through this coming Thursday. There was plenty of activity over the weekend, even aside from Soto, as the Giants landed shortstop Willy Adames on a franchise-record pact while the Dodgers and Orioles both swung two deals a piece. L.A. reunited with veteran reliever Blake Treinen and agreed to a one-year pact with outfielder Michael Conforto, while Baltimore agreed to a one-year deal with Gary Sanchez to serve as Adley Rutschman’s back-up behind the plate and added Tyler O’Neill to their outfield mix on a three-year agreement. That was quite a flurry of activity in the weekend leading up to this week’s meetings, and with Soto now off the table the hot stove is widely expected to burn even more brightly in the coming days.

2. Soto suitors decide what’s next:

With Soto now off the board, all five of his suitors will now have to redirect their attention elsewhere going forward. The Mets, of course, have now landed the crown jewel of their offseason but still have plenty of room to spend and figure to target corner infield help to either reunite with or replace slugging first baseman Pete Alonso in their lineup. They’ve also got a wide open vacancy in their rotation, even after adding Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes to the group earlier this winter. The club is reportedly in on a number of the better starters remaining on the free agent market, including Sean Manaea and Jack Flaherty.

Even more interesting than the Mets’ next steps after signing Soto, however, is what’s next for the other Soto suitors. The Yankees will now have to find a way to replace Soto’s production after falling short in their attempt to retain the superstar, and figure to be aggressive in upgrading the corner infield, rotation, and outfield as they hope to field a competitive team without their second superstar slugger. The Red Sox and Blue Jays, meanwhile, will now have to figure out how to jump-start their attempted returns to contention without adding Soto’s otherworldly bat to the lineup. Best positioned to rebound from their failed pursuit of Soto by far is the Dodgers, who were seemingly less invested in his market throughout the process and have already signed a handful of free agents headlined by Blake Snell this winter.

3. What’s next on the outfield market?

No corner of the winter’s market was more clearly held up by Soto’s decision than the outfield market, where Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Santander are the best remaining bats now that Soto has signed. The market for both sluggers figures to ramp up quickly in the coming days, and all four Soto suitors who missed out have been connected to one or both sluggers already. The Dodgers and Hernandez have reported mutual interest in a reunion after the slugger had a career year in L.A. this past season, while the Blue Jays appear to have the most interest in Santander of the four failed Soto bidders. One other factor in the outfield market worth considering is Cody Bellinger, who the Cubs have made clear they hope to trade this winter and has already been connected to the Yankees.

Braves Willing To Exceed Luxury Tax In 2025

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The Braves have been relatively quiet to this point in the winter, having done little to this point beyond trade Jorge Soler to the Angels at the start of the offseason. That’s created the impression of a club being cautious about its payroll situation this winter, when they stand at risk of surpassing the luxury tax for a third consecutive year, which would come with stiff tax penalties and cause the first-round pick in the 2026 draft to move back ten spots. Despite the club’s slow start to the winter, however, Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told reporters (including David O’Brien of The Athletic) that the club is willing to surpass the luxury tax for a third consecutive year to address the club’s needs this winter.

According to O’Brien, the club’s initial plans for the offseason were scuttled when they received worrisome medical updates regarding stars Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider as well as reliever Joe Jimenez. Neither Acuna nor Strider is expected to be ready for Opening Day as things stand, and O’Brien adds that both could be out of action “well into May.” That news, in conjunction with the loss of Jimenez to knee surgery for most or all of the 2025 campaign, left the Braves to look for ways to free up salary. Per O’Brien, the club likely wouldn’t have restructured the contracts of Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer nor declined the club option of veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud had these injuries not put additional pressure on the club to pursue help in the outfield, rotation, and bullpen.

Of those three areas of the roster, the outfield appears to be the most pressing for the club to address. O’Brien notes that the Braves may prefer to be extra cautious with Acuna next season in the aftermath of his second torn ACL in four seasons, particularly after he struggled (at least relative to his own elite standards) in 2022 after returning to the lineup as soon as possible. That’s led the club to pursue outfield help thanks to the relatively lackluster in-house alternatives of Eli White, Luke Williams and Carlos D. Rodriguez as options to pair with Jarred Kelenic and Michael Harris II on the grass until Acuna returns.

On the pitching side of things, however, the Braves seemingly have more comfort with their internal options. Reigning NL Cy Young award winner Chris Sale figures to be joined by Lopez and rookie Spencer Schwellenbach in the club’s Opening Day rotation for 2025, and the club has a large number of possible internal options to handle the other two rotation spots including Bryce Elder, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, and Ian Anderson among others, but Anthopoulos suggested one surprising internal candidate for a rotation job as well: right-hander Grant Holmes.

The 28-year-old made his MLB debut for the Braves this past season and excelled in a swing role for the club with a 3.56 ERA and 3.20 FIP in 68 1/3 innings of work split between seven starts and 19 relief appearances. Given Holmes’s apparent comfort moving between the rotation and bullpen, he could prove to be a sensible choice to fill in for Strider in the club’s Opening Day rotation before moving into a relief role once the hard-throwing righty returns to action. Similarly, O’Brien notes that Anthopoulos expressed interest in using right-hander Daysbel Hernandez in a set-up role in 2025 to help make up for the loss of Jimenez. Hernandez pitched just 18 innings for Atlanta in 2024 across 16 appearances, but he made a strong impression in that limited time with a 2.50 ERA, a 35.1% strikeout rate, and a 2.11 FIP.

One other option to help make up for the loss of Jimenez that O’Brien notes could be on the table is a reunion with southpaw A.J. Minter. While O’Brien suggests that the club “might” re-sign Minter this winter, one potential wrinkle in bringing Minter back to help ease the loss of Jimenez is the fact that the lefty might also miss Opening Day following surgery. Minter underwent season-ending hip surgery back in August, and O’Brien notes that it’s not yet clear whether or not he’ll be ready to pitch early in the 2025 season.

Even setting aside the potential implications Minter’s health could have on Atlanta’s interest in a reunion, his injury woes lingering into the season could substantially impact earning power this winter, as well. MLBTR predicted a two-year, $16MM deal for Minter earlier this offseason as part of our annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list, but that prediction came with the presumption that the southpaw would be ready for Opening Day in 2025. If Minter’s rehab from surgery leaves Opening Day in question for the lefty throughout the offseason, it would hardly be a surprise to see the 31-year-old settle for a one-year deal this winter in hopes of proving himself healthy and having a better chance at a more lucrative multi-year deal next year.

Giants Receiving “Strong” Interest In Camilo Doval

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While the Giants aren’t actively shopping hard-throwing righty Camilo Doval this winter, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier today that the club is receiving “strong” interest in his services around the league.

Doval, 27, is an intriguing trade candidate even after an undeniably lackluster 2024 campaign. The right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 who led the National League in saves and turned in his second consecutive excellent season as the closer in San Francisco, but 2024 saw him struggle with uneven performance throughout the year. That led the Giants to option him to the minors for a brief period in August, and upon his return to the majors he was replaced by right-hander Ryan Walker in the closer role. Overall, Doval pitched to a 4.88 ERA with a 3.71 FIP this past year with a strong 28.8% strikeout rate that was overshadowed by a massive 14.4% walk rate.

Difficult as 2024 was for Doval, it’s hard to deny the right-hander’s talent. Entering this year, Doval’s career numbers were nothing short of elite. In 162 1/3 innings of work across three seasons with the Giants prior to 2024, the right-hander dominated to the tune of a 2.77 ERA with a 2.97 FIP while striking out 30.2% of opponents, walking 9.6%, and racking up 69 saves. He combines his high strikeout rates with an excellent ability to induce contact on the ground as well, as he’s posted a 55.2% grounder rate in his career that ranks fourth among all relievers with at least 200 innings over the past four seasons. Even in his down season this year, Doval generated grounders at an incredible 60% clip that was good for seventh in the sport this year among qualified relief arms.

While the wide chasm between Doval’s ERA and FIP along with an elevated .333 BABIP and a below-average 68.2% strand rate might suggest Doval was simply unlucky in 2024, there are plenty of red flags that figure to give potential suitors pause. That walk rate is surely particularly concerning to interested clubs, seeing as it was the second-highest figure among qualified relievers last year. Only southpaw Aroldis Chapman walked batters at a higher clip than Doval, and Chapman’s 37% strikeout rate last year dwarfs even Doval’s best figures in his career. As tantalizing as the upside surely is for a hard-throwing ground ball specialist like Doval who has three years of team control remaining, his concerning 2024 campaign could make rival clubs cautious about paying a premium for the righty.

If the Giants believe Doval is likely to bounce back to his previous form in 2025, it would be a bold choice for the club to move him for what would surely be a lower price than he could garner following a dominant season—or even half of one, should San Francisco be in position to sell at this summer’s trade deadline. Given Doval’s significant upside, the club might be better off exploring trades involving other players like LaMonte Wade Jr. or Mike Yastrzemski, both of whom are rumored to be available as well.

With that being said, Slusser suggests that the club figures to listen on “significant offers” that would address another area of need thanks in part to the club’s impressive stock of high leverage arms. Aside from Doval and Walker, the club also figures to employ Taylor Rogers, Tyler Rogers, and Erik Miller in the late innings. Jordan Hicks was also used as a late inning option down the stretch this year, but he appears likely to be ticketed for the rotation after an up-and-down season that saw him make 20 starts and enjoy some success in the role during the first half.

Merv Rettenmund Passes Away

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Former big leaguer and longtime batting coach Merv Rettenmund passed away on Saturday at age 81.  Rettenmund played 13 seasons with the Orioles, Reds, Padres, and Angels from 1968-1980, then was a hitting coach for five different teams over parts of 19 seasons from 1983 to 2007.

Rettenmund was a two-sport star in his college days at Ball State, and was even a 19th-round pick for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1965 NFL Draft.  Already signed to the Orioles, Rettenmund went on to make his big league debut in 1968 and soon established himself as a regular on an outstanding Baltimore team.  Rettenmund hit .284/.383/.436 in 2021 plate appearances during his six seasons with the O’s, bouncing between all three outfield positions.

This stretch of Rettenmund’s career was highlighted by a World Series title with the Orioles in 1970, and he moved on to win another ring with the 1975 Reds.  Though Rettenmund’s production dropped off during his two years in Cincinnati, a backup role on one of the greatest teams in baseball history was no small feat.  He served mostly as a platoon player and pinch-hitter for the remainder of his career, and finished with a .271/.381/.406 slash line and 66 home runs across 3074 PA and 1023 games in the majors.

After retirement, Rettenmund moved into a lengthy second chapter of his baseball life by becoming a well-respected hitting coach.  Rettenmund spent parts of 11 seasons as the Padres’ hitting coach over two different stints (1991-99, and 2006-07) in San Diego, and his coaching duties also included stops with the Rangers, Athletics, Braves, and Tigers.  Three of Rettenmund’s teams won pennants, including the 1989 A’s team that won the World Series.

We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Rettenmund’s family, friends, and peers.

Garrett Crochet Rumors: Cubs, Padres, Yankees, Red Sox, Reds

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7:28pm: MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi reported this evening that a Crochet deal coming together during the Winter Meetings this week is “increasingly possible.” What’s more, Morosi suggests that the Red Sox are “more willing” to listen on top shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer than previously believed and could become a more significant factor in Crochet’s trade market if they make him available in trade talks with the White Sox.

4:23pm: Garrett Crochet’s status as the offseason’s top trade candidate means that there is plenty of buzz surrounding the White Sox southpaw as the Winter Meetings get underway.  A crosstown trade could be a possibility, as Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Cubs “have had at least preliminary talks” with the Sox about Crochet’s availability.

The Cubs’ list of top prospects is heavy on position players, which could fit with White Sox GM Chris Getz’s stated aim of obtaining premium position-player talent in exchange for Crochet’s services.  It is easy to imagine Getz asking for at least one of Matt Shaw or Owen Caissie as a headliner in a trade package, or perhaps even Pete Crow-Armstrong if the Sox wanted a player with some actual big league experience.  Given the Cubs’ depth at both the MLB and minor league levels, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer might feel comfortable in parting with a younger blue-chipper in order to land a controllable pitcher.

Crochet is projected to earn only $2.9MM in arbitration this season, and he is under one further year of team control in 2026.  Even if Crochet’s production takes a dip from his 2024 numbers, he’d still be a bargain in comparison to the cost of the average starting pitcher.  This might be the type of special circumstance that would make the Cubs want to keep adding to their rotation, even though the Wrigleyville starting five already seems set with Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Javier Assad, and new signing Matthew Boyd.

The White Sox are known to have a very high asking price on Crochet, and apparently had interest in at least one of Ethan Salas or Leodalis De Vries in trade talks with the Padres, as per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.  San Diego has been linked to Crochet on the rumor mill since prior to the trade deadline, yet the Friars have seemingly drawn a line when it comes to moving either of the top two prospects in their farm system.

The Padres and Cubs are just two of the many clubs known to have had some level of interest in Crochet in the last six months, and given his low price, it’s probably safe to say just about every team in baseball has probably at least checked in with Getz about what it would take to land the left-hander.  The Yankees refused to deal Spencer Jones to the White Sox for Crochet prior to the deadline, but MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (X link) writes that New York is still “believed to be in” on the Crochet sweepstakes.

Boston may be a different story, as Cotillo hears that the Red Sox are “just on the periphery of Garrett Crochet talks and are not aggressors at all.”  This tracks with reporting from Cotillo’s MassLive colleague Sean McAdam a couple of weeks ago, as McAdam wrote that negotiations between the two Sox teams had seemingly quieted.  On paper, the Red Sox would seemingly be an ideal fit for Crochet given Boston’s need for frontline pitching and their collection of elite position-player prospects (Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel), but obviously a match depends on what exactly Chicago would want back in return.  For instance, there have been reports that Anthony and Campbell are the true untouchables within the “big four” Red Sox prospects, so talks might have cooled with the White Sox are insisting on one of those two.

There appear to be mixed signals on whether or not the Reds could be involved.  Cotillo writes that “Cincinnati [is] seen as a real threat to land Crochet,” but Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer throws cold water on the possibility, saying that “the talks went nowhere” between the Reds and White Sox, “and there’s no reason to think they’ll re-engage at this point.”  Wittenmyer notes that the two sides discussed Crochet before Cincinnati acquired Brady Singer from the Royals, so that deal could mark the end of any higher-level pitching moves the Reds could make.

Mariners Reportedly Willing To Listen To Offers On Luis Castillo

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The Mariners have “expressed willingness” to listen to offers on veteran right-hander Luis Castillo, according to a report from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The report comes on the heels of Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto referring to dealing from the rotation as the club’s “Plan Z” for the offseason back in October. Indeed, it seems as though the club still isn’t necessarily enthused about the idea of parting with one of its starters, as Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reported this evening that while “anything is possible,” the club’s “public and private” stance entering the Winter Meetings is that they don’t want to trade from their rotation.

Even so, that the club is at least somewhat open to offers on Castillo is fairly notable. The right-hander, 32 next week, has three more guaranteed years on the extension he signed with the Mariners prior to the 2023 season. He’ll earn a $24.15MM salary each year from 2025 to 2027, and the contract also includes a possible option for the 2028 season. If Castillo misses more than 130 days due to a UCL procedure in 2025-2027, the contract includes a $5MM team option for the 2028 campaign. Otherwise, the contract includes a $25MM vesting option for 2028 that vests if Castillo throws at 180 innings during the 2027 season and receives confirmation from an independent physician after the season that he hasn’t suffered an injury that’d require him to begin the following year on the injured list.

In short, that somewhat complex deal guarantees Castillo $72.45MM over the next three seasons which could rise to $97.45MM over four years if his option vests. Notably, Castillo’s contract also included a full no-trade clause for the first three years of the deal that will remain in place through the end of the 2025 season, meaning the righty would have to approve of any trade he’s involved in. It’s unclear whether Castillo would be willing to entertain a trade out of Seattle or what his preferences might be, and it’s possible that the right-hander’s no-trade clause could render any trade talks moot if he’s unwilling to leave the Mariners.

Should Castillo and the Mariners both be open to a trade, however, it’s easy to see why he might be of interest to rival clubs. The righty’s $72.45MM guarantee over the next three years isn’t much more than what left-hander Yusei Kikuchi received from the Angels this winter, and Castillo compares quite well to the veteran lefty. Not only is he a year and a half younger than Kikuchi, but the right-hander has also roundly outperformed him on the field. Kikuchi’s pitched to a 3.96 ERA with a 3.78 FIP in 64 starts for the Astros and Blue Jays over the past two years, while Castillo has posted an excellent 3.43 ERA and 3.72 FIP in 74 starts since he first donned a Mariners uniform following the 2022 trade deadline. Given the ever-escalating prices on the starting pitching market and the hesitance many teams have shown engaging on pitchers encumbered by the Qualifying Offer, Castillo could be an attractive alternative to mid-market players like Sean Manaea and Nick Pivetta who remain available in free agency.

That’s not to say there are no causes for concern in Castillo’s profile, of course. Castillo has lost nearly two ticks of velocity off his fastball since his peak with the Reds, and since arriving in Seattle his once-superb groundball rate has fallen off to a more pedestrian 39.1% over the past two years. His strikeout rate dipped similarly this year, settling in at just 24.3% in 2024. That left him as a more-or-less league average starter by both results and peripherals this year, as he pitched to a 3.64 ERA with a 3.91 FIP and a 3.79 SIERA in 175 1/3 innings of work. That said, Castillo helps to make up for his diminishing results with volume. He’s been something of a workhorse throughout his career, pitching at least 150 innings in every wire-to-wire, 162-game season of his career while averaging nearly 178 innings per season since the start of the 2021 campaign.

Overall, Castillo is a solid, durable arm who can slot cleanly into the front or middle of virtually any club’s rotation. That should make him an attractive piece in a hot market for starting pitching, and if Castillo is open to a trade it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Mariners leverage their excellent rotation to help address other areas of the roster, even as they express reluctance to do so. After all, it’s worth noting that the club may face a budget crunch this winter that makes dealing Castillo and the $24.15MM he’s owed more palatable. While the Mariners are expected to enter 2025 with a payroll higher than their 2024 figure, that’s a point they’ve already reached: RosterResource projects Seattle for a $146MM payroll in 2025, and their year-end payroll this year was $144MM. Even with a small increase to payroll expected, that seemingly leaves very little room for the club to add salary.

That could pose a problem for the Mariners, given their reported interest in adding two infielders this winter. The club has a reported preference to add at the infield corners but has also been connected to middle infielders in the rumor mill, such as Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and KBO infielder Hyeseong Kim. Cubs first baseman Cody Bellinger and Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm are among the other players the Mariners have reportedly considered on the trade market, and the club also reportedly has interest in reuniting with either Justin Turner or Carlos Santana in free agency.

Of course, adding any of those players would cost money, and without a more substantial increase to the budget than expected it could be a tall order to add two of them. The Mariners would surely love to move on from the final year of either Mitch Haniger’s or Mitch Garver’s contract, but both sluggers have negative trade value coming off rough seasons. A Castillo trade, by contrast, likely could bring back a notable return while also clearing plenty of money off the club’s books to afford additional financial flexibility this winter to either dabble in free agency or take on salary on the trade market.

Dick Allen, Dave Parker Elected To Baseball Hall Of Fame

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Dick Allen and Dave Parker were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, as revealed by the Classic Baseball Era committee tonight.  Parker (14 votes) and Allen (13) each received more than the minimum 12 of 16 votes necessary for induction.  Tommy John was the next-closest candidate with seven votes, and Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Vic Harris and Luis Tiant each received fewer than five votes.

Allen and Parker will be officially inducted to Cooperstown on July 27, along with any players inducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.  The results of the writers’ ballot will be announced on January 21.

Known in the past as the “veterans committee,” the Era Committee is a rotating panel of former players, managers, executives, team owners, media members, and historians who meet annually to determine which (if any) candidates from the past deserve election to Cooperstown.  Candidates include former players who weren’t elected or considered on the normal BBWAA ballot, or non-playing personnel that aren’t part of the writers’ ballot.  This year’s ballot looked at candidates whose biggest contributions to the game came in the pre-1980 “Classic Baseball Era,” though obviously a few of the candidates also had significant moments in their careers after the 1980 season.

Today’s news is undoubtedly bittersweet for Allen’s family and supporters, as Allen passed away in 2020.  He twice fell just a single vote shy of induction in past appearances on Era Committee/Veterans Committee ballots, and Allen didn’t receive much attention on the writers’ ballots when he was eligible.  At long last, the slugger has now finally been recognized by Cooperstown for an outstanding 15-year career highlighted by the 1972 AL MVP Award.

Allen hit .292/.378/.534 with 351 homers and 1119 RBI over 7315 career plate appearances with the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox, and Athletics from 1963-77.  He kicked his career off with a bang by winning NL Rookie of the Year honors in 1964, while also finishing seventh in MVP voting that same year.  Allen was a seven-time All-Star who twice led the American League in home runs, and had an outstanding 155 wRC+ for his career.

No discussion of Allen is complete without mention of his outspoken personality.  To his detractors, Allen was viewed as a disruptive malcontent who clashed with some fans, sportswriters, teammates, managers, and front offices, which was part of the reason Allen frequently changed teams despite his success on the field.  To his supporters, however, Allen was a no-nonsense figure who was more than willing to fight back against perceived injustice, especially when faced with racism as a black player in the 1960s and ’70s.  While Allen was often perceived as a bad influence during his career, many of Allen’s past teammates and managers have spoken out to counter that reputation, describing Allen in glowing terms as a clubhouse leader.

Parker also dealt with controversy during his career, as he battled a cocaine addiction in the 1980s.  This well-publicized issue may have been the reason Parker also garnered relatively little support on the BBWAA ballot, and knee problems also cut short his prime years.  Still, “the Cobra” at his peak was one of the best all-around players in baseball, with a resume that includes seven All-Star nods, two NL batting titles, three Gold Gloves, the 1978 NL MVP Award, and two World Series rings during his 19 Major League seasons.

Parker played his first 11 of those seasons in Pittsburgh, joining Willie Stargell as the heroes of that era of Pirates baseball, including a starring role on the 1979 “We Are Family” championship team.  Injuries and drug problems hampered the tail end of Parker’s time in Pittsburgh, but he rebounded with a four-year run with the Reds that saw him bank top-five finishes in MVP balloting in 1985 and 1986.  The Cobra then earned a bit more postseason glory on the Athletics’ pennant-winning teams in 1988 and 1989, capturing another ring with the latter A’s club.  Over 2466 games and 10184 PA, Parker hit .290/339/.471 with 339 home runs, 1493 RBI, and had a 120 wRC+ for his career.

This year’s 16-person Classic Baseball Era committee was comprised of HOF members Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Tony Perez, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith, and Joe Torre; MLB owners and executives Sandy Alderson, Terry McGuirk, Dayton Moore, Arte Moreno and Brian Sabean; media members/historians Bob Elliott, Leslie Heaphy, Steve Hirdt, Dick Kaegel and Larry Lester.

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