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Braves, Jordan Weems Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Braves have agreed to a minor league deal with free agent righty Jordan Weems, per MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes. He’ll be in major league camp as a non-roster invitee in spring training. Weems is represented by O’Connell Sports Management.

Weems, who just turned 32, has spent the past three seasons with the Nationals, for whom he’s totaled 136 innings with a 5.03 ERA, 22.9% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate out of the bullpen. He’s averaged 96.4 mph on his heater during that time, primarily coupling the pitch with a slider that’s averaged 87.7 mph in that same span. Washington passed Weems through waivers back in August, and he became a free agent following the season, as was his right as an outrighted player with three-plus years of big league service time.

Weems’ most effective season came with the Nats in 2023, when he pitched a career-high 54 2/3 big league innings with a 3.62 ERA and 25.9% strikeout rate. That solid showing was bookended by a pair of rough years with ERAs north of 5.00, however. During his three years with the Nationals organization, he’s also pitched to a 3.27 earned run average in 77 Triple-A frames.

The Braves have clearly been operating on a tight budget this winter, looking to stockpile depth in the outfield and bullpen on low-cost deals. Weems joins Enoli Paredes and Ray Kerr as non-roster invitees who’ve signed in the wake of Joe Jimenez’s knee surgery, which will cost the righty most and possibly all of the 2025 season. (Kerr is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will be out until the summer as well.) Atlanta has also inked outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and righty Connor Gillispie to split (non-guaranteed) major league contracts with low salaries.

At present, RosterResource projects the Braves for a $201MM payroll with just over $217MM of luxury obligations. That places Atlanta about $30MM shy of where it ended the 2024 season in terms of payroll — and nearly $60MM shy of last year’s luxury tax ledger. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said earlier this month that his club is willing to pay the luxury tax for what would be a third consecutive season, but to this point anyhow, most of Atlanta’s transactions have centered around scaling back spending and compiling affordable depth. That doesn’t preclude an eventual free agent strike of note and/or an impactful trade, but there’s been little to no inkling of such talks for Atlanta so far in the offseason.

Trey Cabbage To Sign With NPB’s Yomiuri Giants

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Dec. 17: Cabbage will sign with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, reports Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Dec. 16: The Pirates released first baseman/outfielder Trey Cabbage, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports that Cabbage will pursue an opportunity in a foreign league. That opens a spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster, which drops to 37.

Pittsburgh claimed Cabbage off waivers from the Astros last month. Houston had attempted to outright him off their roster at the beginning of the offseason. Cabbage could’ve battled for a spot in Spring Training with the Bucs, but there was no guarantee he’d have stuck on the roster all winter. Even if he’d held the 40-man spot, Cabbage has an option remaining and might’ve spent most of next year in Triple-A.

It seems his camp is finalizing a deal with a team in another league that’d presumably come with a better payday. Cabbage has an intriguing power-speed combination. He had a 30-30 showing with a .306/.379/.596 slash in Triple-A with the Angels in 2023. His minor league production wasn’t quite as strong this year (.243/.351/.474) but he made a career-high 45 MLB appearances with the Astros. MLB pitching has exploited Cabbage’s propensity for huge strikeout totals in the upper minors, fanning him at a near-41% clip. He’s a career .209/.245/.331 hitter in 147 big league plate appearances.

The Opener: Luzardo, Baddoo, MLBTR Chat

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As the Hot Stove continues to simmer following a busy Winter Meetings week, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:

1. Could a Luzardo deal be in the works?

The overwhelming majority of teams are at least ostensibly trying to contend in 2024, leaving precious few rebuilding teams who can be expected to trade established players for prospects this winter. The Marlins are among the few clear sellers, and they’re seemingly open for business regarding their established players not named Sandy Alcantara. They already dealt infielder Jake Burger to the Rangers during the Winter Meetings, and now it appears left-hander Jesus Luzardo could be the next player Miami deals away. The Cubs are reportedly making a push to acquire the southpaw.

It’s not clear if a deal between the sides is close or if there are any other Luzardo suitors in active talks with the Fish, but adding Luzardo would give a Chicago team that already swung a trade for star outfielder Kyle Tucker an upside arm to pair with fellow lefties Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga, likely slotting in ahead of Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd in the starting five. Luzardo struggled in 2024, making just 12 starts due to lumbar issues and pitching to a 5.00 ERA when healthy enough to take the mound. However, he’s among the hardest-throwing lefties in the sport and is just one year removed from posting a 3.58 ERA with a 28.1% strikeout rate in 32 starts in 2023.

2. Baddoo resolution imminent:

A resolution regarding the future of Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo is expected today. Baddoo was designated for assignment by Detroit last week to create 40-man space for freshly-signed righty Alex Cobb, giving them one week to either trade Baddoo or attempt to pass him through waivers. That one week window expires today, so it should soon be apparent whether or not he’s headed to a new team. Baddoo, a former Rule 5 pick by the Tigers, impressed during his rookie season in 2021 with above-average numbers at the plate but has hit just .203/.292/.328 in the majors across the last three seasons. Any acquiring team would be on the hook to offer Baddoo a contract via arbitration in 2025, which projections from MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects to land at $1.6MM.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

With the Winter Meetings behind us, the offseason is in full swing with 16 of MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents off the board. Whether you have questions about who your favorite team will be targeting this winter or a trade proposal in the back of your mind, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be here to answer your questions during a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Orioles Sign Tomoyuki Sugano

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The Orioles signed longtime NPB star Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year contract on Monday evening. Sugano, a client of VC Sports Group, is reportedly guaranteed $13MM. Baltimore had an opening on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was necessary.

Sugano makes the jump to Major League Baseball for the first time in what’ll be his age-35 season. He’s one of Japan’s most accomplished pitchers. The 6’1″ right-hander spent 12 years with the Yomiuri Giants in his home country. He posted a 2.43 earned run average in more than 1800 innings at the NPB level.

Major league scouts have followed Sugano for some time. He first appeared on many fans’ radars when the Yomiuri Giants made him available via the posting system during the 2020-21 offseason. Sugano was coming off a 1.97 ERA showing in his age-30 season. While he certainly attracted attention from big league clubs, he didn’t find a deal that compelled him to leave Japan. Instead, Sugano returned to the Giants on a four-year deal that paid him $40MM.

That contract allowed Sugano to opt out after each season, potentially clearing a path for him to make the move to MLB. He was evidently happy with his longtime club and decided not to take any of the early outs. Once the four-year term concluded, his camp made clear he intended to sign with an MLB team this offseason. Sugano had surpassed the nine years of NPB service time necessary to qualify for international free agency. Yomiuri will not receive any compensation for his departure, nor will the deal cost the Orioles anything other than the player’s salary.

Despite his age, Sugano is coming off one of his strongest seasons. He turned in a 1.67 ERA across 156 2/3 innings spanning 24 starts. It’s the second-lowest ERA of his career and earned him the NPB’s Central League MVP award for the third time. That’s not to say he’s still at his absolute peak form, however. Sugano only threw 77 2/3 innings during the 2023 season, reportedly on account of an elbow injury. His swing-and-miss rates have also dropped significantly compared to earlier years. Sugano struck out 18.3% of batters faced this year — well off the 24-26% range he’d posted in his late 20s.

Sugano’s NPB strikeout rate was about four percentage points lower than the 22% MLB average for starting pitchers. Many NPB hitters adopt a more contact-oriented approach than is common in the big leagues, so perhaps he’ll miss a few more bats in the majors. Sugano doesn’t have the same upside he would’ve brought a few seasons ago, though. Baseball America’s scouting report notes that his fastball velocity has dipped into the 92-93 MPH range after sitting somewhere between 94-96 MPH earlier in his career.

While the pure stuff has dropped as he’s aged and battled injury, Sugano has thrived thanks to his feel for pitching. That’s most evident in his excellent command. Sugano only walked 16 hitters all season, a microscopic 2.6% rate that’s lower than what any MLB starter managed this year (minimum 100 innings). That should rise slightly as he faces more patient hitters, but it’s fair to project Sugano for plus or better command.

Baseball America writes that Sugano indeed profiles as a control-oriented fourth or fifth starter. The outlet credits him with a five-pitch mix headlined by an above-average slider and splitter. Fans are encouraged to read BA’s full column, which also includes updated scouting reports on other prominent NPB and KBO players who are available to MLB teams (i.e. Roki Sasaki, Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Hyeseong Kim and Koyo Aoyagi).

The contract aligns with MLBTR’s prediction of one year and $12MM. It values Sugano as a capable back-end starter. Alex Cobb signed for $15MM with the Tigers last week. Late-career innings eaters Lance Lynn ($11MM) and Kyle Gibson ($13MM) got similar one-year deals with the Cardinals last offseason.

Sugano is a needed rotation upgrade for GM Mike Elias and his front office. The O’s should continue searching for higher-upside arms in the coming weeks. Sugano slots behind Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez in the projected rotation. Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers, Albert Suarez and youngsters Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott are options for the final two spots. The rotation remains Baltimore’s biggest question mark.

Sugano is the third highest-paid player on the roster, narrowly trailing Eflin ($18MM) and newly signed outfielder Tyler O’Neill ($16.5MM). Their player payroll is up to $134MM, as calculated by RosterResource. It’s not clear how far they’re willing to push spending in the first offseason under the David Rubenstein ownership group.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the salary. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Blue Jays Finalize Coaching Staff

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The Blue Jays announced their 2025 coaching staff on Monday afternoon. The only previously unreported addition is assistant pitching coach Sam Greene.

The 27-year-old Greene is one of the younger coaches on an MLB staff. This is his first big league coaching work. The Jays noted that he spent the ’24 season working as a senior pitching research specialist. Greene, a Pennsylvania native, pitched collegiately in Canada at Montreal’s McGill University. He has worked for the Jays for four seasons.

Greene joins newly-hired bullpen coach Graham Johnson as assistants to pitching coach Pete Walker. The Jays also shook up the hitting side, bringing in David Popkins to work as lead hitting instructor and tabbing Lou Iannotti as an assistant. The rest of John Schneider’s staff — all of whom are returnees from last season — is as follows: associate manager DeMarlo Hale, bench coach Don Mattingly, first base coach Mark Budzinski, third base coach Carlos Febles, assistant hitting coach Hunter Mense, and mental performance coach John Lannan.

Astros Sign Joe Hudson To Minor League Deal

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The Astros have signed catcher Joe Hudson to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He has been assigned to Triple-A Sugar Land for now but will presumably receive an invite to big league spring training.

Hudson, 34 in May, was briefly in the majors in 2024. He had started the year with the Cubs on a minor league deal but was traded to the Mets in April. The latter club selected him to their roster for about three weeks in June, though Hudson only got into one big league game in that time and didn’t get a plate appearance. On June 21, the Mets were leading the Cubs 11-1 and had Hudson catch the bottom of the ninth, replacing Francisco Alvarez. He was later outrighted off the roster and elected free agency at season’s end.

That technically added to Hudson’s big league résumé, getting him up to 19 games played over four different seasons. He has a .167/.219/.200 batting line in his 33 plate appearances at the major league level.

He’s generally been a serviceable depth piece at Triple-A. He’s played 198 games at that level over the past four years, stepping to the plate 740 times. He was punched out in 29.1% of those appearances but also managed to draw a walk 14.5% of the time. That allowed him to produce a combined .215/.338/.389 line and 92 wRC+. Baseball Prospectus has generally given him good grades for his framing, blocking and throwing throughout his minor league career.

The Astros currently have three catchers on their 40-man roster. Yainer Diaz should get the bulk of big league playing time, with Victor Caratini also lined up for a notable chunk and César Salazar in Triple-A. Diaz and Caratini also spent some time at first base last year as the Astros tried to cover that spot after releasing José Abreu. Diaz was also slotted in as the designated hitter from time to time, keeping his bat in the lineup even when he got a break from catching.

Hudson gives them a bit of non-roster depth at the Triple-A level. That could perhaps be important as they might continue to experiment with rotating Diaz and Caratini through first, which might tempt them to have Salazar in the majors as a third catcher. Then there’s the ever-present possibility of an injury changing the plans. If Hudson gets a roster spot at any point, he has less than a year of service time and still has options, meaning he’ll be cheap and provide roster flexibility.

Blue Jays, Ali Sanchez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Blue Jays are in agreement with catcher Ali Sánchez on a minor league contract, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. He’ll be in camp as a non-roster invitee.

Sánchez, 28 in January, got into 31 games for the Marlins this year. The Venezuelan-born backstop hit .167/.211/.190. That was Sánchez’s most significant stretch of big league play. His previous MLB experience consisted of seven games split between the Mets and Cardinals in 2020-21. His struggles led Miami to outright him off the 40-man roster in September.

The right-handed hitting Sánchez made 48 appearances at the Triple-A level. He split the season between the Cubs and Miami systems, hitting .226/.310/.361 across 174 plate appearances. Sánchez now carries a .267/.339/.395 batting line over parts of five Triple-A seasons. He has a solid defensive reputation and threw out a quarter of attempted basestealers in his limited MLB look.

Toronto only has two catchers on the 40-man roster: Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman. It seems unlikely Sánchez will beat Heineman for the backup job out of camp, but he could begin next season at Triple-A Buffalo as Toronto’s top non-roster depth catcher.

Braves Sign Bryan De La Cruz

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December 16: De La Cruz will be paid at an $860K rate for time spent in the majors, according to The Associated Press. He’ll make $180K for his time in the minor leagues.

December 15: The Braves announced that outfielder Bryan De La Cruz has been signed to a non-guaranteed deal for the 2025 season.  De La Cruz’s deal is specifically a split contract, not a minor league deal.  The contract is an early birthday present for De La Cruz, who turns 28 years old tomorrow.

No stranger to the NL East, De La Cruz broke into the majors with the Marlins in 2021 and spent parts of the next four seasons in the Miami outfield.  A part-time role turned into essentially everyday duty by the end of the 2022 campaign, and De La Cruz hit .263/.311/.420 with 37 homers over 1200 plate appearances for the Fish during the 2021-23 seasons.

Unfortunately, the production trended downward, from a 111 wRC+ in 219 PA in De La Cruz’s rookie season to a 99 in 2022, then a 90 in 2023, and down to a 77 wRC+ in 2024.  De La Cruz hit 21 homers this past season but only with a .233/.271/.384 slash line in 622 combined PA with the Marlins and Pirates.  The bulk of the struggles came after Pittsburgh acquired De La Cruz at the trade deadline, as De La Cruz hit only .200/.220/.294 in 168 PA with his new team.

The dropoff was so drastic that the Pirates opted to non-tender De La Cruz rather than pay him a projected $4MM salary in the first of three arbitration-eligible seasons.  Given those three years of control and the fact that the Bucs gave up two prospects for De La Cruz at the deadline, it would’ve been understandable if the Pirates had kept De La Cruz around for another look, yet the $4MM price tag and his sub-replacement level play made the non-tender a justifiable call.

De La Cruz has essentially been a power-only player to this point in his career, and he has had consistently solid hard-contact numbers.  However, making contact has been a struggle since De La Cruz has a 25% career strikeout rate, and he doesn’t often take walks.  De La Cruz has experience at all three outfield positions and he has a good throwing arm but is considered a middling defender at best.

The non-guaranteed nature of the contract means that the Braves lose nothing by seeing what De La Cruz can do in Spring Training.  If he can get himself on track at the plate and more consistently translate his power into steady production, the Braves suddenly have a controllable outfielder in the fold through the 2027 season.  De La Cruz has two minor league option years remaining, adding more flexibility to Atlanta’s decision-making about whether or not to deploy him on the active roster.

The Braves’ need for outfield help is no secret.  Ronald Acuna Jr.’s recovery from a torn ACL could stretch well into May, Jarred Kelenic wasn’t particularly productive in his first season in Atlanta, and Jorge Soler (though mostly a DH) was traded to the Giants in a salary dump right at the outset of the offseason.  De La Cruz could ideally pair with Kelenic in a platoon in left field once Acuna is back, and perhaps might be viewed as a starter capable of holding the fort in right field in Acuna’s absence.  That said, De La Cruz’s contract certainly won’t preclude the Braves from continuing to seek out a more clear-cut starting outfield option in the coming months.

Mets, Brandon Waddell Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mets are in agreement with left-hander Brandon Waddell on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. While it was initially reported as an MLB deal, Murray subsequently issued a correction. The deal is pending a physical.

Waddell is the second former member of the Korea Baseball Organization’s Doosan Bears to agree to terms with the Mets today. New York added multi-positional bat Jared Young on an MLB split deal after he clubbed 10 homers in 38 games for the Bears late in the season. Waddell, a 30-year-old southpaw, spent parts of three years with the club between 2022-24.

That was a generally successful run. Waddell turned in 244 2/3 innings of 2.98 ERA ball in the KBO. That included a 3.12 mark in 75 frames this year. The UVA product fanned 23.8% of opposing hitters against a 3.5% walk rate. His season was unfortunately cut short by a rotator cuff injury in late June.

The Mets were evidently intrigued enough by Waddell’s form to give him a look as non-roster rotation or long relief depth. This will be his first stint in affiliated ball since 2022, which he spent in Triple-A in the St. Louis system. Waddell last pitched in the big leagues in 2021. He divided that season between four teams — the Twins, Pirates, Orioles and Cardinals — and allowed eight runs across 9 1/3 innings. He has 11 career MLB appearances and owns a 5.37 ERA over parts of four years at the Triple-A level.

Finlete Offers Fans The Opportunity To Acquire A Piece Of Emmanuel Clase’s MLB Salary (Sponsored)

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The following is a sponsored post from Finlete.

As anyone who watched the Cleveland Guardians this past season can attest to, entrusting the ninth inning to a lights-out closer like Emmanuel Clase is about as good as it gets. For the Guardians, it’s a competitive edge that few other teams can match. For fans, it’s a reason to rise from your seat. For Clase, it further solidifies his surging trajectory as one of the best closers of all-time – a fact that leaves him well-positioned to become one of the highest paid relievers in the game.

Finlete, a new sports investment platform, has partnered with Clase to offer fans the chance to invest in his career and get a piece of his MLB salary in exchange. Investors will receive their first dividend in the middle of the 2025 MLB season.

Clase represents the second athlete and first active Major Leaguer to sign a future earnings contract with Finlete, following Marlins prospect Echedry Vargas earlier this year. The company expects to launch several more athletes in 2025. Fans can currently get in on the ground floor of this exciting, SEC-compliant platform.

You may be asking yourself, what’s in it for Emmanuel? Well, the answers are clear. For starters, Finlete is raising capital for Clase, which he can spend on his family, offseason training, and his own investment goals. He also benefits from Finlete by forging a connection with a rapidly growing community of fan-investors who are first and foremost fans of his, regardless of what team he plays for. Those who invest have every incentive to support his career from both an emotional and financial standpoint every step of the way. Game in, game out. Season in, season out. Through Finlete, Clase is building a devoted fanbase of uniquely invested supporters.

Let’s look back at the major milestones notched by Clase during the 2024 MLB season:

  • 3-time AL Reliever of the Month
  • 3rd straight All-Star appearance
  • 3rd straight year leading AL in Saves
  • 2nd All-MLB 1st Team honors
  • 2nd Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year Award
  • 1st reliever to finish top 3 in Cy Young voting since 2008
  • 5th lowest single-season ERA in MLB history (0.61)
  • Became Cleveland’s all-time Saves leader (157)
  • Set a Cleveland record for Saves in a season (47)
  • Converted 34 Saves in a row

All in all, it was a banner season for the 26-year old, and one of the most dominating ever recorded in MLB history.

Now let’s talk finances. Currently, Clase is locked into a team-friendly contract extension with Cleveland that he signed in 2022. Over the remainder of the contract, he’s set to receive base salaries of:

  • 2024: $2.9 million
  • 2025: $4.9 million
  • 2026: $6.4 million
  • 2027: $10 million (club option)
  • 2028: $10 million (club option)

The contract also includes the following clauses:

  • 2027 club option includes a $2M buyout
  • 2028 club option includes a $1M buyout
  • Cy Young Award Bonus Structure
    • 1st Place: $250K
    • 2nd or 3rd Place: $150K
    • 4th or 5th Place: $75K
  • Mariano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award: $100K
  • All-Star: $100K
  • ALCS MVP: $50K
  • World Series MVP: $100K
  • $500,000 for 200 innings pitched or 200 appearances from 2022-2026
  • Trade Assignment Bonus: $1M

Thanks to his excellence at the back end of the Cleveland bullpen, it should come as no surprise that Clase has earned nearly every major possible incentive in his contract.

Given that he’s now entering the prime of his career age-wise, barring health issues or a sudden drop in effectiveness, he should be in a strong position to become one of the highest-paid relief pitchers when he reaches free agency in 2029 (assuming his 2027 and 2028 club options are picked up).

Those who invest in Clase’s career through Finlete will get a piece of his earnings for the rest of his career. That starts with the $30+ million he currently has left on his contract and gets even more exciting once he reaches free agency. The greater his success on the field between now and then, the greater the size of his next contract will likely be, and the greater the potential return for investors.

The minimum investment is under $400 and Finlete is currently offering up to 25% bonus shares when you invest today. Additionally, investors are eligible to receive exclusive bonus perks such as a baseball or baseball card signed by Clase and a special baseball trip package during the upcoming MLB season.

The world of sports investing is changing rapidly, that much is clear. The line between fan and investor is blurring, and Finlete is at the forefront of it all. This is your chance to join a superstar athlete on their journey in a meaningful and potentially lucrative way. See the game from a totally new perspective and own a tangible piece of the action.

Welcome to the future. Welcome to Finlete. To learn more about this new sports investment platform, visit finlete.com today.

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