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Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world this weekend:
1. Deals to avoid arbitration:
The non-tender deadline is one week from today, and last night saw the first player of the winter look to avoid the arbitration process entirely and sign with his club early. In this case, the Angels avoided arbitration with recently-acquired utilityman Scott Kingery, though the financial details of that deal are not yet known. The days leading up to the non-tender deadline are typically rife with similar deals signed by players on the non-tender bubble, often referred to as pre-tender deals. Mets DH DJ Stewart and Rockies southpaw Jalen Beeks were among the players who signed such agreements a year ago. Pre-tender deals often fall shy of expectations/projections, as the alternative to accepting that lower salary is typically a non-tender.
2. 40-man roster moves looming:
Even sooner than the non-tender deadline is the deadline for teams to protect prospects from the Rule 5 Draft, which is scheduled for this coming Tuesday at 5pm CT. While many teams have a handful of 40-man roster spots available for prospects that need protection, that’s not true for every club, and even some clubs with roster space available will have more prospects to protect than openings. Most clubs will wait until the final hours leading into the deadline to announce these moves, but some could get a jump on clearing roster space this weekend.
The Red Sox stand out as one particularly interesting example of a club in need of roster space. Not only do they have a full 40-man roster, but they also have a player in need of protection who isn’t a typical prospect: right-hander Michael Fulmer, who signed with the club on a two-year minor league deal last winter while rehabbing Tommy John surgery. If not added onto the club’s 40-man roster by Tuesday, Fulmer will be a rare established big leaguer available in the Rule 5 draft and for that reason would stand a strong chance of getting selected away from Boston during the Winter Meetings next month.
3. The Hernandez market:
Juan Soto has understandably dominated headlines for major free agent hitters this offseason, particularly with him taking individual meetings with interested teams over the course of the past week. Many top-tier free agents will want to wait for Soto’s decision before signing, as the teams that miss on Soto will be motivated to pursue alternatives more aggressively. One possible exception? Teoscar Hernandez, who just won his third career Silver Slugger Award. ESPN’s Jeff Passan suggested earlier this week that Hernandez may not wait for Soto to sign and could be one of the first big-name free agents off the board this winter.
Hernandez sat on the market for more than two months last offseason awaiting a three-year offer that never materialized. He eventually signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers in January. Given that lengthy stay on last year’s market, it’s understandable that he’d prefer a quicker turnaround this winter. The Dodgers, Orioles and Red Sox have all been connected to Hernandez thus far. He slashed .272/.339/.501 with a career-high 33 homers and tied a career-high 12 steals with L.A. in the regular season, then went on to hit .250/.352/.417 with three home runs during the Dodgers’ postseason run to a 2024 World Series crown.
The Rays have decided on their temporary home for the 2025 season: George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. Steinbrenner Field is the spring training home of the Yankees and the regular season home of the Tampa Tarpons, New York’s Single-A affiliate. Colleen WrightMarc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times were the first to report the news.
The Rays explained their decision, describing Steinbrenner Field as “the best-prepared facility in the Tampa Bay region to host regular-season Major League Baseball games” (per Topkin). Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner weighed in on the decision with his own statement:
“We are happy to extend our hand to the Rays and their fans by providing a Major League-quality facility for them to utilize this season. Both the Yankees organization and my family have deep roots in the Tampa Bay region, and we understand how meaningful it is for Rays players, employees and fans to have their 2025 home games take place within 30 minutes of Tropicana Field. In times like these, rivalry and competition take a back seat to doing what’s right for our community — which is continuing to help families and businesses rebound from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”
The Yankees will continue to play their spring games at Steinbrenner Field, per the league, and the Rays will be business-as-usual in March as well, hosting their games at their annual home in Port Charlotte.
With regard to the regular season, Tim Kephart of the Associated Press reports that the Tarpons will use other fields at the spring facility. There will be upgrades made to the stadium prior to Opening Day to “ensure fans continue to have a wonderful experience,” per the league’s press release. Recent improvements have already been made to the facility itself, including upgraded lighting, a larger home locker room, and improved training and rehab setups. The Yankees, according to Kephart, will receive an additional $15MM in revenue for agreeing to host the Rays in 2025. That won’t come at the cost of the Rays’ revenue but rather insurance and other yet-unreported avenues.
The Red Sox announced they’ve added lefty reliever Justin Wilson on a one-year contract. Boston had an opening on the 40-man roster, which is now at capacity. Wilson, an ACES client, is reportedly guaranteed $2.25MM on a deal that offers another $750K in incentives. He’d earn $150K apiece for reaching 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 appearances.
Wilson, 37, has a lengthy track record in the majors but has struggled with injuries in recent seasons. He returned from Tommy John surgery last year to pitch 46 2/3 innings for Cincinnati but was tagged for an unsightly 5.59 earned run average in that time. A good portion of those struggles were due to spikes in his average on balls in play and home run rate, the latter of which was directly influenced by the hitter-friendly nature of his home park in Cincinnati. Seven of the ten homers surrendered by Wilson last year came at Great American Ball Park, which has been far and away MLB’s most homer-friendly setting over the past three seasons, per Statcast’s Park Factors. (Boston’s Fenway Park is right in the middle of the pack at No. 16.)
Wilson’s run-prevention numbers were uninspiring, but his rate stats were far more encouraging. Both his 24.4% strikeout rate and 6.2% walk rate were better than league average. The 95.5 mph he averaged on his four-seamer was the second-best mark of his career, trailing only his 95.9 mph average in 2017. The 92.3 mph he averaged on his cutter was a career-high. Metrics like xFIP (3.99) and SIERA (3.41), which normalize a pitcher’s homer-to-flyball rate, both feel Wilson is a strong bet to rebound in 2025 if he can continue at his 2024 pace.
From 2015-20, Wilson was one of the most consistently effective lefties in the game. He appeared in 344 games between the Yankees, Tigers, Cubs and Mets during that span, totaling 291 innings of 3.41 ERA ball with a 28.2% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate. His command looked far better than usual in his ’24 showing with the Reds, and his ability to miss bats didn’t seem overly compromised. The veteran Wilson is no stranger to late-inning work, having picked up 142 holds and 20 saves in his 12 major league seasons.
Entering the offseason, Brennan Bernardino was the only lefty reliever who could be comfortably projected for Boston’s 2025 bullpen. Fellow southpaws Bailey Horn, Cam Booser and Chris Murphy are on the 40-man roster as well. However, Murphy had Tommy John surgery last year and won’t be ready for Opening Day. Horn and Booser come with little to no big league experience of which to speak. Wilson will provide skipper Alex Cora with a seasoned veteran who’s still capable of missing bats and, if he can get back to pre-surgery levels of run prevention, could eventually emerge as a viable leverage option at a bargain price point.
Robert Murray of FanSided was first to report that Wilson and the Red Sox had an agreement. Rob Bradford of WEEI first reported it was a one-year major league deal with a $2.25MM base salary and $750K in incentives. Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reported the specific incentive structure.
The Angels announced the signing of free agent infielder Kevin Newman on a one-year deal with a club option for 2026. The Halos designated catcher Matt Thaiss for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot. Newman, a Jonathan Weiss client, is reportedly guaranteed $2.75MM. That takes the form of a $2.5MM salary for next season and a $250K buyout on a $2.5MM club option for 2026. The Angels recently announced that shortstop Zach Neto could miss the start of the 2025 season following shoulder surgery.
Newman, 31, had a nice year in a utility role with the Diamondbacks in 2024. The former Pirates first-rounder hit .278/.311/.375 (89 wRC+) with plus defense at both middle infield spots. He also logged brief time at third base and in the outfield corners. He doesn’t provide any power (three homers, .097 ISO) or draw many walks (4.8%), but Newman also showed pesky contact skills, fanning in only 15.4% of his plate appearances. He’s a roughly average runner but has savvy enough instincts to have gone 30-for-35 in stolen base attempts over the past four seasons (85.7% success). Newman swiped eight bags in each of the past three seasons and peaked at a career-best 16 steals when he was given more playing time with the Pirates in 2019.
Even in the event that Neto is ready for Opening Day, Newman makes some sense as a pure bench option for an Angels club that’s lacking any sort of proven contributor. Former top prospect Scott Kingery is currently in line to hold a bench role. The only other infield options on the 40-man roster are Eric Wagaman, who debuted as a 27-year-old rookie in September, and former second-round pick Kyren Paris, who struggled immensely at Double-A, Triple-A and in the majors last season. Newman will add some necessary depth and raise the team’s floor with his track record of excellent glovework.
Newman can also provide the Halos with some depth in the event that oft-injured veteran Anthony Rendon again requires an absence of length. Newman has been better suited at the middle infield spots than at third base, but the Halos could shift Luis Rengifo to the hot corner if Rendon misses time and plug Newman in at second in his place.
While Newman doesn’t have a strong track record at the plate, he’s settled into a fairly specific range in terms of offensive output over the past three seasons. His 2024 output is a good approximation of what to expect. Dating back to 2022, he’s a .270/.313/.371 hitter in 873 plate appearances. It’s about 14% worse than average, by measure of wRC+, but when coupled with plus defense and above-average baserunning skills it’s enough to make Newman a useful role player who can help any club that’s short on infield depth — a description that currently fits the Angels to a tee.
Will Sammon and Sam Blum of the Athletic first reported the Angels and Newman were nearing a deal. Jon Heyman of the New York Post confirmed there was an agreement in place. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported the salary breakdown.
The Giants announced on Thursday that they’ve hired Randy Winn as their vice president of player development. The longtime outfielder played for the Giants between 2005-09 and has been involved with the organization in a few different roles since retiring. Farm director Kyle Haines will remain in his current position, according to Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic.
Winn had a lengthy and successful run as a player. He appeared in 13 seasons between 1998-2010 and suited up for five teams. He made an All-Star team as a member of the Devil Rays in 2002 and spent a few years with the Mariners before landing in San Francisco. A switch-hitting outfielder, he finished his playing days with a .284 average and 110 home runs.
Since retiring, Winn has worked as an analyst with NBC Sports Bay Area. He spent a few seasons coaching outfielders throughout the Giants organization and spent a year in the pro scouting department. He was briefly teammates with president of baseball operations Buster Posey in ’09 and has surely maintained a relationship with the franchise icon over the past decade.
Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Posey initially suggested that Winn interview for the general manager position that represented the #2 role in the front office. It’s unclear if that wound up happening before the Giants tabbed Zack Minasian, himself a mainstay in San Francisco’s scouting ranks. Conversations were productive enough that Winn comes on board in a fairly significant role. Giants fans will want to check out Pavlovic’s piece, as he speaks with Winn about the job and his vision for player development more broadly.
The Orioles are promoting Sherman Johnson to the major league coaching staff, writes Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner. The 34-year-old will work alongside hitting coach Cody Asche and assistant hitting coach Tommy Joseph on the offensive side. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com suggested this morning that a promotion for Johnson could be in the cards.
It’ll be Johnson’s first work on an MLB staff. He has moved very quickly up the coaching ranks. He was playing professionally in the independent American Association as recently as 2022. A Florida State product, he had a nine-year minor league career. Johnson briefly reached the big leagues as a member of the Angels in 2018. He went hitless in 10 at-bats. A lefty batter, he showed good plate discipline with minimal power in the minors.
Johnson didn’t move into coaching until 2023. Baltimore hired him as a hitting instructor with their Double-A team in Bowie. He spent this past season as a minor league hitting coordinator. It seems he built a quick rapport with a number of the O’s prospects. Johnson coached Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo with Bowie and should get to work with them again at Camden Yards.
Baltimore has opted for a fairly inexperienced group of hitting instructors. Asche, also 34, is a lead hitting coach for the first time after two years as an assistant on Brandon Hyde’s staff. Joseph, 33, is going into his second season as an MLB coach. He spent this year with the Mariners in an assistant role.
Major League Baseball conducted its 2024 awards show on Thursday evening. MLB revealed a host of honors, most notably Comeback Player of the Year and the Hank Aaron Award winners. The top honors from the Baseball Writers Association of America — the MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year awards — will wait until next week.
Braves lefty Chris Sale and White Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet were named Comeback Players of the Year. Sale rebounded from a middling final season in Boston in which he was limited to a 4.30 ERA in 20 starts. He starred for Atlanta, turning in an MLB-best 2.38 ERA across 177 2/3 innings. He’s favored to win his first Cy Young next week.
Crochet, who was limited to 12 2/3 innings of relief by elbow and shoulder problems in 2023, was one of the game’s biggest breakout performers. The former first-rounder moved into Chicago’s rotation and turned in a 3.58 ERA over 32 starts. While the Sox eased his workload late in the season, he managed 209 strikeouts across 146 innings. Crochet is the top pitcher known to be available on the offseason trade market.
Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani were named the respective winners of the AL and NL Hank Aaron award, given to each league’s best offensive player. Ohtani also picked up the Edgar Martinez award as MLB’s best designated hitter. Guardians star Emmanuel Clase and Cardinals fireballer Ryan Helsley won the respective Reliever of the Year honors in each league. Much like Crochet, Helsley is one of the winter’s top trade candidates.
MLB also announced its 1st and 2nd teams. Those are not league specific and are designed to honor the best player at each position. Those are as follows:
1st Team
2nd Team
The Rockies have signed left-hander Jack O’Loughlin to a minor league deal, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today on X. The Gaeta Sports Management client also receives an invitation to major league spring training.
O’Loughlin, 25 in March, just made his major league debut this past season. The Athletics signed him to a minor league deal going into the 2024 season and he eventually cracked the roster. He tossed 9 2/3 innings over four appearances, allowing five earned runs while striking out six opponents and giving out five walks. He was outrighted off the club’s roster in September and was able to elect free agency at season’s end.
The Australian southpaw naturally has a larger body of work in the minors to look at. His time on the farm includes 159 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level over the past two seasons with 5.35 ERA, though a very high .356 batting average on balls in play might be a factor there. His 22.1% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate at that level are both pretty close to average.
The Rockies generally face challenges in building a pitching staff due to their hitter-friendly home park, as it’s tough to both lure free agents there and develop hurlers who can succeed at Coors Field. They’ve also been bit by the injury bug in recent years, thinning out their staff significantly. The club had a collective 5.48 ERA in 2024, easily the worst in the majors, with the Marlins second last at 4.75.
O’Loughlin has worked both out of the rotation and the bullpen in his career, so he can give the club depth in both departments. If he finds any success, he still has a couple of option years and just a few days of service time, so he can potentially be cheaply retained well into the future.
This is a sponsored post from Rawlings.
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., announced the winners for the 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Award®, honoring the best individual fielding performances at each position in the American League® and National League®. The winners were unveiled on Nov. 3rd.
Recognized as the best defensive players at their respective positions, this year’s class of honorees includes six previous winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and 14 first-time winners.
Of this group, Matt Chapman has earned the most awards during his career thus far with five at the third base position.
Several teams had multiple winners: the Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners in the American League; and the Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants in the National League.
“The art of defense is something we’ve deeply admired and treasured over the 67-year history of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, and this year’s winners are truly masters of their craft,” said Mike Thompson, chief marketing officer for Rawlings.
“It’s evident, from this year’s stacked lineup of Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists to the newly announced winners, that superior defensive excellence is what differentiates the good from the great in this game.”
How Gold Glove Winners are Selected:
To determine the winners of the 18 defensive position awards, each team’s manager and up to six coaches on his staff voted from a pool of qualified players in their league and could not vote for players from their own team. Additionally, Rawlings includes the SABR Defensive Index™ (SDI) as part of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process, which influences approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, with the managers’ and coaches’ votes continuing to carry the majority.
To identify the utility award winners, Rawlings collaborated with SABR to create a specialized defensive formula separate from the traditional selection process for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award position winners. Utilizing the SABR formula and additional defensive statistics, Rawlings selected one utility winner from each league.
“We truly value our role in providing the quantitative metrics used to assist in determining the winners of a career-defining honor such as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award,” said Scott Bush, chief executive officer for SABR. “The 20 Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipients this year certainly took defense to a new level, and we congratulate them on their golden achievement this season.”
The Winners!
Below is the complete listing of the 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners from each league and the number of Rawlings Gold Glove Awards each player has won in his career:
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
“I’m honored to have won my very first Rawlings Gold Glove Award alongside such a talented group of athletes, including my own teammate, which makes it even more special for me,” said Cal Raleigh, catcher for the Seattle Mariners. “I can’t wait to wear the iconic Rawlings gold patch on my gear and glove as Gold Glovers like Johnny Bench, Yadier Molina and Salvador Perez have done throughout their impressive careers as catchers.”
About the Rawlings Gold Glove Award®:
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award® is a registered trademark owned by Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. The award is correctly identified as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The name should not be shortened, abbreviated, or otherwise misused. Proper identification of this service mark using the registration symbol and the Rawlings name is important to protect the integrity of the program and perpetuate this worthy tradition. For more information including how players qualify for the Award, please visit www.Rawlings.com.
About Rawlings®:
Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls, and protective headwear. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings.
Rawlings is the official glove, baseball, helmet and faceguard, and base of Major League Baseball, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball and the official baseball and softball of the NCAA and NAIA, and the official softball of the NJCAA. For more information, please visit www.Rawlings.com.
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