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Rangers Sign Travis Jankowski To One-Year Deal

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The Rangers announced the signing of outfielder Travis Jankowski to a one-year major league deal. He is reportedly guaranteed $1.7MM on a deal that also includes unspecified performance bonuses.

Jankowski, 32, parlayed a minor league deal with the Rangers last offseason into a role of significance on their World Series-winning roster. The veteran speedster appeared in 107 games for Texas and hit .263/.357/.332 with a 12.2% walk rate and just a 14.6% strikeout rate. Jankowski connected on only one homer but went 19-for-20 in stolen bases and provided the Rangers with above-average defense in all three outfield positions, becoming a key backup on a deep Texas roster.

That marked the first time since 2018 that Jankowski had reached 100 games played or 200 plate appearances in a season. While he’s appeared in the majors every year dating back to 2015, he’s been an oft-optioned and twice-DFA’ed player who hasn’t always held a firm grip on a roster spot. Last year’s impressive blend of speed, plate discipline, contact and defense clearly made a favorable impression on the Rangers, however, and it seems he’ll have an opportunity to reprise that role in 2024.

The Texas outfield won’t have much change in 2024 when compared to the end of the 2023 season. Star right fielder Adolis Garcia will look to build on last year’s 39-homer campaign. Leody Taveras is expected to return as the primary center fielder. Top prospect Evan Carter seized the left field job with a big showing late in the season and, particularly, in the playoffs. If any of that trio struggles or falls to injury, 2023 No. 4 overall pick Wyatt Langford is on the cusp of big league readiness himself. Langford will get a chance to earn an Opening Day roster spot this spring, and if he succeeds in doing so, he could form an outfield/DH rotation with the other three starting outfielders.

Jankowski will once again serve as a backup across all three spots, providing the potential for a late-game defensive replacement or pinch-running appearance on any given day. As a career .254/.343/.333 hitter against righties with just a .186/.256/.237 slash against lefties, any starts for Jankowski will likely be limited to those against right-handed opponent on the mound. The emergence of Carter and perhaps Langford could leave him with a more limited role than he saw in ’23, but Jankowski has the makings of a valuable bench piece who could step into a more prominent role for a short term, should injuries necessitate (as was the case with Garcia during the World Series).

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News first reported the Rangers and Jankowski were discussing a reunion. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported the $1.7MM guarantee and the inclusion of performance bonuses.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rangers Sign David Robertson

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The Rangers announced the signing of reliever David Robertson to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2025. The right-hander, who is self-represented, is reportedly guaranteed $11.5MM. He’ll make just $5MM in 2024 and is guaranteed the $1.5MM buyout on the option, which is valued at $7MM. The final $5MM is deferred, with $1MM paid annually between 2027-31.

Robertson split the 2023 campaign between a pair of NL East clubs. He signed a one-year, $10MM pact with the Mets. Initially tabbed as a setup man, he was pushed into the ninth inning by the Edwin Díaz injury. Robertson’s time in Queens ended up briefer than he or the team envisioned because the club quickly fell out of contention. That wasn’t any fault of his, as Robertson had an excellent 40-game run as a Met.

He tossed 44 innings with a 2.05 ERA, striking out nearly 28% of opposing hitters. For a second straight summer, Robertson was one of the better rental relievers at the deadline. New York flipped him to the Marlins for a pair of low minors prospects (Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez).

While Miami surprisingly stayed in contention and secured a Wild Card berth, Robertson wasn’t immediately effective. He had a tough first month in South Florida, allowing 13 runs (10 earned) with six walks and 10 strikeouts over 10 innings in August. Miami took him out of the closer’s role towards the end of that month. Robertson responded with a much better September, striking out 19 while allowing only two runs over his final 10 1/3 frames.

Despite the blip early in the second half, the former All-Star had another productive year. He finished the season with a 3.03 earned run average through 65 1/3 innings. Robertson fanned an above-average 29% of batters faced against a manageable 9.3% walk rate. He missed bats on a solid 12.6% of his overall offerings.

The Rangers have made no secret of their desire to add to the bullpen. Texas had been among the perceived frontrunners for Héctor Neris, arguably the top unsigned relief pitcher. They were also linked to Ryan Brasier a couple weeks ago. Robertson, who turns 39 in April, is available on a one-year pact. Neris and Brasier each have a shot at two years, with Neris likely to top the overall guarantee that Robertson secured.

Robertson is the second free agent bullpen acquisition of the offseason for GM Chris Young and his front office. The Rangers inked Kirby Yates to a $4.5MM deal during the Winter Meetings. Texas lost a trio of bullpen arms to free agency. Aroldis Chapman, Will Smith and Chris Stratton have all landed elsewhere. That left the relief group as the shakiest part of the defending champions’ roster. Robertson and Yates join Josh Sborz as bridge options to closer José Leclerc. Texas could still stand to add a left-hander after Brock Burke turned in a middling 2023 season.

Roster Resource projected their 2024 payroll around $210MM before the Robertson signing. He’ll push that to roughly $215MM. More importantly, the deal moves them into luxury tax territory. Texas was at roughly $231MM in CBT obligations before this signing. While the deferrals marginally reduce the contract’s net present value, the contract’s tax hit for next season is much closer to the $11.5MM overall guarantee than it is to next year’s $5MM salary.

Their CBT number jumps past the $240MM mark, pushing above the $237MM base threshold. Texas surpassed the CBT threshold last season, so they’ll pay escalating penalties for a second consecutive year of payments. The Rangers are taxed at a 32% rate on spending between $237MM and $257MM.

The tax for the Robertson signing is fairly modest. It’ll land in the $2MM range. The more significant impact could be on future tax obligations incurred on any further acquisitions. They’ve had a fairly quiet offseason amidst uncertainty about their broadcasting deal with Diamond Sports Group, but they’re bracing for another showdown with the Astros at the top of the AL West.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported the Rangers had interest in Robertson. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Rangers and Robertson had agreed to a one-year deal in the $11-12MM range. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand was first to report the $11.5MM guarantee, the mutual option, and the salary breakdown.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Brewers Sign Rhys Hoskins

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January 26: The Associated Press relays the full contract breakdown. Hoskins will make $12MM this year and will be slated for a salary of $18MM in 2025. If he decides to opt out after 2024, he will get a $4MM buyout. The mutual option for 2026 is valued at $18MM and there’s a $4MM buyout on that as well.

January 23: The Brewers announced they have signed free agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins to a two-year deal with an opt-out after 2024 and a mutual option for 2026. It is reportedly a $34MM guarantee for the client of the Boras Corporation.

Hoskins takes a modified pillow contract after missing the entire 2023 season. At the tail end of Spring Training, he tore the ACL in his left knee while retreating to the outfield grass to field a chopper. While he was able to take batting practice by the end of the season, he never quite made it back to the roster. Philadelphia suggested Hoskins may have been activated from the injured list had they advanced to the World Series.

With the Phils coming up a game short of the Fall Classic, the ACL tear marked an unfortunate end to a productive tenure at Citizens Bank Park. Hoskins seemed a potential candidate for the qualifying offer at the beginning of the offseason. The Phils opted against the QO, declaring they were moving Bryce Harper to first base permanently. That made clear Hoskins was headed elsewhere after nearly a decade in the organization.

The Phillies initially selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. Despite the modest draft stock, he hit the ground running in pro ball. He posted huge minor league numbers, mashing his way to the big leagues in the second half of the 2017 campaign.

That excellent production on the farm presaged strong numbers against MLB pitching. Hoskins raked at a .259/.396/.618 clip with 18 home runs over his first 50 games. While he didn’t maintain that pace over any subsequent season, he has been a consistent middle-of-the-lineup presence in Philadelphia.

Hoskins hit between 27 and 34 home runs in his four full seasons between 2018-22. He was on a similar pace in the shortened season, connecting on 10 longballs in 41 games. He has paired that with a walk rate above 10% in every year of his career. That power and patience gives him a solid offensive floor, even if he hasn’t hit above .250 in any season since his rookie year.

Since 2018, Hoskins has posted a .241/.350/.483 batting line. He strikes out in roughly a quarter of his plate appearances. That’s slightly higher than the league average but hardly outlandish, particularly for a player who hits for the kind of power he does. Hoskins has destroyed left-handed pitching at a .250/.399/.522 clip in his career. His .240/.336/.482 slash versus same-handed arms isn’t quite as impressive but remains solidly above average.

The offense carries the overall profile. Hoskins doesn’t offer much as a baserunner. He has graded as a slightly below-average defender throughout his career. It’s unlikely his defense will improve as he’s into his 30s and working back from a significant knee injury.

That’s fine for the Brewers, who needed an offensive upgrade. Milwaukee ranked 17th in runs last season, a subpar figure for a team that plays its home games at hitter-friendly American Family Field. By measure of wRC+, which adjusts for park, Milwaukee ranked 24th in overall hitting production. That was the worst of any playoff team.

First base was particularly problematic. Milwaukee received a dismal .231/.292/.389 showing from the bat-first position. That led the Brew Crew to non-tender Rowdy Tellez. Milwaukee acquired Carlos Santana at the deadline to stabilize first base for the stretch run. The Brewers have remained in contact with Santana this winter, but they’ll instead jump on the opportunity for a more significant lineup upgrade.

The contract aligns with MLBTR’s prediction of two years and $36MM. A few priority rebound targets have landed a two-year guarantee with an opt-out in recent offseasons. That’s appealing for the player, who locks in more security than they’d have received on a straight one-year pact while still allowing them to get back to free agency after one season.

Hoskins’ deal nearly matches the two-year, $36MM pact which Michael Conforto signed with the Giants last winter after missing the ’22 season rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Players like Josh Bell (two years, $33MM) and Lucas Giolito (two years, $38.5MM) have signed similar pacts after terrible finishes to their respective platform seasons. This contract structure isn’t attainable for every bounceback candidate, but it’s one that higher-ceiling free agents of that ilk are increasingly able to secure.

The specific salary structure hasn’t been reported. If the deal guarantees Hoskins $17MM in each season, it’d push Milwaukee’s payroll projection around $122MM, as calculated by Roster Resource. That’s marginally above last year’s $119MM Opening Day mark. Milwaukee’s payroll slate remains manageable even with Hoskins joining Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames (each of whom will make more than $12MM in their final arbitration seasons) on the books.

If Hoskins picks up where he left off before the injury, he’d likely join Burnes and Adames on next year’s free agent market. As with Burnes and Adames, Hoskins would be a candidate for a qualifying offer if he exercises the opt-out. He remains eligible for the QO since Philadelphia opted against the offer this winter. Milwaukee doesn’t have to forfeit any draft picks to add him.

Pete Alonso, Paul Goldschmidt and Christian Walker could all join Hoskins in an interesting first base class next winter. The remaining options for teams this offseason isn’t as robust. Beyond outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger, the top first basemen still unsigned are Brandon Belt, Santana, Garrett Cooper and Joey Votto.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported that the two parties were closing in on a two-year, $34MM deal with an opt-out next winter (X link). Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that they’d finalized the agreement.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

The Top Unsigned Starting Pitchers

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Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in about three weeks but a slow offseason means there are still plenty of free agents out there. MLBTR already took a look at the top catchers, first basemen, third basemen, shortstops and center fielders still available. Here’s a rundown of the top starting pitchers who’ve yet to sign.

Top-of-the-Market Arms

  • Blake Snell: The two-time Cy Young Award winner has reportedly been seeking a deal worth $200MM or more. The Yankees are said to have offered Snell something in the vicinity of $150MM over a six-year term, but it’s understandable if Snell and agent Scott Boras are aiming higher coming off the lefty’s NL Cy Young win. The Yankees gave a larger contract to Carlos Rodon last offseason despite a shorter track record. Snell’s shaky command has been a talking point throughout his free agency, but an elevated 13.3% walk rate didn’t hinder him much in 2023 when he pitched 180 innings of 2.25 ERA ball and whiffed 31.5% of his opponents. Snell made the easy call to reject a qualifying offer. He’ll eventually land a nine-figure contract, in all likelihood. Beyond the Yankees, he’s been connected to the Giants, Angels and Blue Jays.
  • Jordan Montgomery: Montgomery’s climb from Tommy John rehab to bona fide playoff starter was steady and arguably under the radar — at least until last year’s postseason heroics. The 31-year-old has posted a sub-4.00 ERA and started 30-plus games in each of his three full seasons back from Tommy John surgery, steadily adding more innings each season. Taken in total, he’s pitched 524 1/3 innings of 3.48 ERA ball since Opening Day 2021, highlighted by a career-best 3.20 earned run average in a career-high 188 2/3 frames in 2023. Add in the 33 2/3 postseason innings of 2.67 ERA he’s chipped in, and the profile looks even better. Montgomery isn’t a flamethrower but is a durable arm with average strikeout and ground-ball rates, strong command and a repeated ability to manage hard contact. The Rangers want him back but are facing some financial questions regarding their television broadcast outlook. Other teams to which Montgomery has been tied include the Red Sox, Yankees and Cardinals.

Solid Innings

  • Mike Clevinger: Fans who remember Clevinger’s peak days in Cleveland probably value him more than the current market does. The now-33-year-old righty had a brief but excellent peak in 2017-20 when he tossed 489 1/3 innings and logged a 2.96 ERA. Clevinger missed the 2021 season following Tommy John surgery, however, and had a pedestrian 2022 campaign in San Diego. Last year’s 3.77 ERA in 131 1/3 innings with the White Sox was a step forward, but since returning from surgery Clevinger touts a lackluster 19.4% strikeout rate. His velocity is down a mile per hour from its peak, and he’s allowing more hard contact than ever — as well as more fly-balls than ever. Clevinger made 32 starts and pitched 200 innings in 2018. He’s never reached 25 starts in another season. He can improve the back of most teams’ rotations, but counting on him for more than 120 innings is tough.
  • Michael Lorenzen: A big first half with the Tigers and a memorable no-hitter in his second start following a trade to the Phillies looked to have positioned Lorenzen for a sizable contract this winter. Things went south in a hurry following that no-hitter for the 32-year-old righty, however. Lorenzen hadn’t topped 100 innings since his rookie season and looked to hit a wall following that hitless gem. He allowed 23 runs in 26 innings over his next five starts, was dropped to the bullpen and immediately tagged for four runs in one-third of an inning. Lorenzen pitched 30 1/3 innings following the no-no and yielded an 8.01 ERA. Even prior to his slowdown, Lorenzen was sporting a well below-average strikeout rate. With last year’s 153-inning performance and 4.18 ERA fresh in mind, he’s a candidate to serve as a fourth starter somewhere.
  • Hyun Jin Ryu: Many of the numbers for Ryu in his return from Tommy John surgery last year looked good: a 3.46 ERA, a 6.3% walk rate, a 45.6% ground-ball rate. Ryu, however, fanned only 17% of his opponents — a far cry from his 27.5% peak. He also managed only 52 innings in 11 starts — an average of about 4 2/3 frames per outing. Ryu only recorded an out after the fifth inning one time in 2023, and he had only 33 plate appearances in which he was facing his opponent for the third time in a game. His 88.8 mph average fastball was a career-low. Ryu can still help a rotation, but it’ll be hard to treat him like more than a pure five-inning pitcher, given last year’s usage.

Injury Cases

  • Clayton Kershaw: In early November, Kershaw announced that he’d undergone surgery “to repair the gleno-humeral ligaments and capsule” in his left shoulder. If that sounds ominous, it is. He’s expected to be sidelined into the summer of 2024 at the very least. Kershaw was also a free agent last offseason, and the prevailing wisdom was that he’d re-sign with the Dodgers or sign with his hometown Rangers, whose stadium is just a few miles from Kershaw’s offseason home. The Dodgers have said they want Kershaw back, but all parties are taking their time as he mends from that surgery. Once he’s ready to make a decision, it seems like it’ll come down to L.A. and Texas once again.
  • Brandon Woodruff: The longtime Brewers co-ace was non-tendered after undergoing shoulder surgery that’s expected to sideline late into the 2024 season. Woodruff would’ve been a free agent following the 2024 campaign anyhow, and the Brewers were understandably wary about paying him a projected $11.6MM in arbitration when he can’t even be considered a lock to pitch this year. Woodruff is a candidate to sign a high-priced two-year deal that’d allow him to spend the bulk of the 2024 campaign rehabbing. In an ideal scenario, he’d return late in the year to get some innings in before stepping back into a full rotation role in 2025. He fits best with a deep-pocketed team willing to take a chance on his 2025 season and capable of absorbing the financial hit if he can’t return to form. From 2018-23, Woodruff pitched 637 1/3 innings with a 2.98 ERA, 29.7% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 42.4% ground-ball rate.

Former Dodgers hurlers Trevor Bauer and Julio Urias are both unsigned but could be long shots to return to MLB. No team signed Bauer last offseason after his record suspension under the league’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy was lifted; he’d been given a 324-game ban after sexual assault allegations arose, but that ban was reduced to 194 games after an appeal. The Los Angeles district attorney’s office declined to pursue criminal charges but did not proclaim Bauer innocent; rather, the DA’s office stated that proving the charges “beyond a reasonable doubt” was not feasible. Bauer signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and made 19 starts for their big league club, totaling 130 2/3 innings with a 2.76 ERA.

Urias, meanwhile, is currently under investigation after the DA declined to pursue felony charges following abuse allegations against the pitcher. He was referred for misdemeanor consideration, and the case is ongoing. Urias was allegedly captured on video in a physical altercation with a woman following an LAFC Major League Soccer match back in September. MLB has yet to conduct its own investigation while waiting for the legal process to play out. He finished the season on paid administrative leave. If the league eventually brings forth a suspension, Urias would become the first player to ever be suspended twice under MLB’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.

White Sox Designate Romy González For Assignment

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The White Sox have made their previously-reported signing of right-hander John Brebbia official, announcing that deal today. Infielder/outfielder Romy González was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

González, now 27, burst towards the major leagues with a strong 2021 season. By the end of August, he had played 87 games between Double-A and Triple-A. He hit 23 home runs in that time and drew walks in 10.6% of his plate appearances. His 27.8% strikeout rate was on the high side but he slashed .275/.357/.525 for a 141 wRC+ and stole 22 bases.

He was added to the 40-man roster as a September call-up and has been serving as an optionable depth piece since. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented him from seeing much playing time. In 2022, he only played 32 games in the majors and 35 in the minors. Last year, he went on the IL due to shoulder inflammation in early May. He returned just over a week later but returned to the IL in mid-June due to the same ailment, eventually requiring labrum surgery in August.

To this point, González has played 86 major league games with a tepid batting line of .222/.239/361. But given his health issues, it’s hard to read too much into that, and it’s a fairly small sample anyway. At the time of his surgery, the Sox said they expected him to be ready for Spring Training. He has played the three infield positions to the left of first base, all three outfield spots and has even made an appearance on the mound.

The Sox will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers. He hasn’t done much in the majors thus far but he was mashing in the minors when he was last healthy for an extended stretch. Perhaps that, and his defensive versatility, could intrigue one of the other clubs around the league. He still has a couple of option years and has yet to reach arbitration.

The Top Unsigned Third Basemen

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Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in about three weeks but a slow offseason means there are still plenty of free agents out there. MLBTR already took a look at the catchers, shortstops, center fielders and first basemen still available and will now take a look at some notable third basemen.

  • Matt Chapman: One of the best defensive third basemen in the league, Chapman leads the league in Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating since the start of 2017. In terms of Outs Above Average, he’s second, trailing only Nolan Arenado. Offensively, he’s strikeout prone but takes his walks and hits home runs. His 2023 season ended up a bit below his previous work, though that may have been caused by a late-season finger injury. His 17 home runs were his first time below 24 in a full season. Chapman’s .240/.330/.424 batting line and 110 wRC+ were a bit lower than his career pace, but through August 13, when he hurt his finger in a weight room incident, he had 15 homers and was sitting on a line of .255/.346/.449 with a 121 wRC+. A down year by his standards, he still produced 3.5 fWAR, his lowest in a full season. He’s had interest from plenty of clubs this offseason but remains unattached as Spring Training nears. Chapman turned down a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays, thus tying him to draft pick compensation.
  • Gio Urshela: Going back to his 2019 breakout with the Yankees, Urshela has hit .291/.335/.452 for a wRC+ of 115. He’s generally considered a sure-handed defender, though the advanced metrics are split on his work at the hot corner. Urshela has been credited with 10 Defensive Runs Saved and a grade of 13.5 from Ultimate Zone Rating in his career work at third, but Outs Above Average gives him a dreary -18. He’s coming off a rough platform season, as he hit just two home runs in his 62 games with the Angels and walked in only 4.4% of his plate appearances. His .299/.329/.374 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 92. He then suffered a season-ending pelvic fracture in June. Despite that rough year, he’s the best shot at an everyday third baseman apart from Chapman. There should be a huge difference in terms of their earning potential, which could make Urshela attractive to those who won’t come close to Chapman’s asking price.
  • Justin Turner: He won’t be relied upon as an everyday option at the hot corner or any other position, but Turner can still hit and isn’t entirely limited to a designated hitter role just yet. With the Red Sox in 2023, he appeared in 41 games at first, 10 at second and seven at third base. The Dodgers gave him 66 starts at the hot corner in 2022 and 135 the year before that. He’s now 39 years old and his time in the field will likely keep dwindling, but the bat still plays. He hit 23 home runs last year and slashed .276/.345/.455 for a wRC+ of 114. A one-year deal seems likely.
  • Evan Longoria: One year younger than Turner, Longoria still managed to head out to third base in 41 contests in 2023, with solid metrics for his work out there. Unfortunately, his work at the plate wasn’t as strong. He had never struck out in more than 24% of his plate appearances in any season of his career until 2022, when that number jumped to 27.9% and then to 30.8% in the most recent campaign. His .223/.295/.422 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 92 last year. But just the year prior, he hit .244/.315/.451 for the Giants, leading to a 116 wRC+. He won’t be considered an everyday option, having not played 90 games in a season since 2019.
  • Josh Donaldson: Detractors might say Donaldson is washed, and there are 2023 stats they can point to, such as a .152 batting average. He also made multiple trips to the IL and only played 51 games on the year. But he hit 13 home runs in that limited action and drew walks at an 11.6% rate. His .115 batting average on balls in play wouldn’t be sustained over a longer stretch of playing time, particularly given his 92.1 mph average exit velocity and 51.3% hard-hit rate, so perhaps there’s still a potent bat in there if the baseball gods quit messing with him. His defensive grades at the hot corner have stayed strong, even as he’s now 38 years old. Donaldson said in November he’d like to play for one more year and go out on a high note rather than the down season through which he struggled in 2023. He should be available on an inexpensive one-year contract.

Honorable mentions: Brian Anderson, Eduardo Escobar, Mike Moustakas

Twins Sign Caleb Boushley To Minor League Deal

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The Twins have signed right-hander Caleb Boushley to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The righty has been assigned to Triple-A St. Paul for now but could perhaps receive an invite to major league Spring Training.

Boushley, 30, got to make his major league debut towards the end of the 2023 season. The Brewers selected his contract September 29, after they had already clinched the National League Central. He ended up pitching 2 1/3 innings in that day’s game, finishing a 10-inning contest against the Cubs. He struck out five and walked two, allowing one hit and one earned run. The Brewers won it on Carlos Santana’s walk-off double, video courtesy of MLB.com. Boushley was able to earn the win, leading to the obligatory post-game bath. He was outrighted off the club’s roster at the end of October and elected free agency.

Apart from that one memorable MLB outing, he spent the year in Triple-A. He tossed 135 2/3 innings over 26 starts and three relief appearances, allowing 5.11 earned runs per nine frames. He struck out 18.9% of opponents while walking 8.8%. That’s generally been the shape of his minor league production over the years, as he has struck out 20.7% of hitters on the farm over his professional career but only walked 6.6%.

The Twins’ rotation is in a weaker spot than it was last year, with Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda having reached free agency. Chris Paddack has recovered from Tommy John surgery and could soften the blow a bit, but the group is a whole is still a notch below the 2023 squad. Paddack will join Pablo López, Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan in the front four. Louie Varland could perhaps be in the number five spot but he had significant home run issues in his debut. The roster also has Simeon Woods Richardson, Matt Canterino and Brent Headrick aboard as optionable depth pieces.

The club is seemingly working with diminished resources this offseason due to uncertainty around the broadcast revenue situation. They’ve had a fairly quiet offseason so far, not yet having done anything to try to compensate for the losses of Gray or Maeda. Boushley will give them a non-roster depth arm, joining guys like Randy Dobnak and A.J. Alexy.

Cardinals Sign Josh James To Minor League Deal

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The Cardinals announced Friday that they’ve signed right-handed reliever Josh James to a minor league contract. The 30-year-old hasn’t pitched in the Majors for two seasons and was non-tendered by the Astros after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair his right flexor tendon in 2022. He’s represented by CAA.

Prior to that injury, James spent parts of four seasons in the Houston ’pen as a hard-throwing but command-challenged middle reliever who could miss bats in droves. He’s pitched 106 1/3 innings in the majors and carries a 4.64 ERA with a huge 34.3% strikeout rate but an ugly 13.2% walk rate. James averaged 97.1 mph on his heater from 2018-20 but saw that mark tumble to 94.8 mph in 2021. Injuries limited him to just 25 2/3 innings between Triple-A and the big leagues in ’21, and he managed only 27 2/3 frames in the minors the following year before requiring surgery.

Between his injuries and his history of command troubles, James is a project for the Cardinals and little more than a roll of the dice at this point. If he can get back to full strength and back on track in the upper minors, he could eventually be called up when injuries and/or poor performance create an opening in manager Oli Marmol’s relief corps.

As it stands, however, the St. Louis bullpen figures to include Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge, Andre Pallante and Zack Thompson, with a handful of candidates for the final two spots (John King, Nick Robertson, Riley O’Brien, Rule 5 pick Ryan Fernandez and non-roster invitee Wilking Rodriguez among them).

The Top Unsigned First Basemen

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In recent days, MLBTR has taken a position-by-position look at the remaining free agent class (catchers, shortstops, center fielders). We’ll turn now to first base. There’s some overlap at the very top of the market.

  • Cody Bellinger: Bellinger is more of a center fielder, but he logged over 400 innings at first base for the Cubs last season. Playing him there regularly isn’t ideal — a good portion of his value lies in his ability to play an above-average center field — but a signing team could rotate him through first base on occasion. Bellinger, 28, is coming off his best season since his 2019 MVP campaign. He hit .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs across 556 plate appearances. His batted ball metrics (a 31.4% hard contact rate, 87.9 MPH average exit velocity) aren’t as impressive as one might assume from his 25+ homers and early-career power impact. Yet his 15.6% strikeout rate last season was a career low, a marked improvement after he fanned in a quarter of his plate appearances between 2020-22. Bellinger declined a qualifying offer from the Cubs. Chicago has been linked to him throughout the offseason, while he’s been tied to the Blue Jays, Giants and (more loosely) Angels as well.
  • Carlos Santana: Santana remains a capable veteran option even as he approaches his 38th birthday. He has posted roughly league-average offensive numbers in each of the last two seasons. Santana split the 2023 campaign between Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, running a combined .240/.318/.429 slash with 23 home runs through 619 plate appearances. He has walked in over 10% of his plate appearances in every season of his career. It’s not eye-popping offense for a first baseman, but Santana continues to play strong defense. Defensive Runs Saved graded him 11 runs above average in more than 1100 innings last season; Statcast put him two runs above par. Santana is also a respected clubhouse presence, evidenced by reported interest from his former teams in Seattle and Pittsburgh. The Brewers had also kept in touch with him this offseason but agreed to a two-year deal with Rhys Hoskins this week.
  • Brandon Belt: As he has been for most of his career, Belt was a very productive hitter against right-handed pitching last season. He signed a $9.3MM contract with the Blue Jays and turned in a .254/.369/.490 slash with 19 home runs through 404 plate appearances. While he struck out at a career-high 34.9% clip, he also drew a walk more than 15% of the time. Toronto used him almost exclusively in favorable platoon situations. That helps the overall batting line, but Belt remains effective in the role he was asked to play. He’ll be 36 in April and has battled knee injuries throughout his career. He’s likely to take one-year deals at this stage. His camp should look to beat last year’s salary, perhaps seeking something in the $12.5MM range which Joc Pederson recently landed from the Diamondbacks.
  • Joey Votto: After 17 seasons with the Reds, Votto will soon join the second organization of his career. Cincinnati has sufficient infield depth to move on from the former MVP, and president of baseball operations Nick Krall has publicly confirmed that as of now, the team plans to do just that. Votto wants to continue playing as he enters his age-40 season. He has been a replacement level performer over the past two years, hitting .204/.317/.394 since the start of 2022. That’s at least partially related to shoulder injuries, as he underwent rotator cuff surgery in ’22 and missed time last summer with shoulder discomfort. Votto still has excellent awareness of the strike zone. He won’t break the bank, but he could find a major league offer to mix in at first base and serve as a veteran clubhouse voice. The Blue Jays have been tied to the Toronto native, as have the Angels.
  • Garrett Cooper: A right-handed hitter, Cooper is a first-time free agent. He’d been a quietly productive offensive player for a few seasons with the Marlins. He was amidst an uncharacteristically middling season (.256/.296/.426) when Miami shipped him to the Padres at the deadline. The 33-year-old hit .239/.323/.402 over 41 contests in San Diego. His .251/.304/.419 platform showing wasn’t particularly impressive, but he ran a .274/.350/.444 slash between 2019-22. While Cooper drew reported interest from the Brewers last week, that’s probably off the table with Milwaukee signing Hoskins.

Honorable mentions: C.J. Cron, Donovan Solano

Rangers Trade J.P. Martinez To Braves

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The Rangers announced Friday that they’ve traded outfielder J.P. Martinez to the Braves in exchange for minor league right-hander Tyler Owens. Texas needed to open a spot on its 40-man roster in order to finalize yesterday’s reported signing of David Robertson, and a trade of the 27-year-old Martinez seemingly paves the way for that signing to be made official. Robertson is taking his physical in Texas today.

Martinez made his big league debut with the Rangers in 2023, appearing in 17 games and tallying 44 plate appearances late in the season. He hit .225/.250/.325 with a homer, a double and an unsightly 16 strikeouts (36.4%) during that cup of coffee. His output in 77 Triple-A games (353 plate appearances) was far more encouraging. The lefty-swinging Martinez slashed .298/.418/.543 with 14 long balls, 21 doubles, four triples and a hefty 38 stolen bases in 42 attempts. The small-sample strikeout woes that plagued him in the majors weren’t present in Triple-A; he walked at a 15.6% clip in Round Rock and fanned at a much more manageable 22.9% rate.

It’s worth noting that Martinez was older and more experienced than much of his competition in Triple-A. In addition to five minor league seasons, he played five years in the Cuban National Series (Cuba’s top professional league) and spent two seasons in the independent Canadian-American Association. Be that as it may, it was still an impressive showing and far and away his most productive minor league performance to date since signing with the Rangers organization in March of 2018. Martinez at one point ranked second among Rangers prospects, per Baseball America, but he dropped to 27th the following year (2020) and has been off the radar on major prospect rankings for the organization since.

The Braves’ outfield is full with Jarred Kelenic in left, Michael Harris II in center and reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. in right field. It’s feasible that Martinez could compete with Forrest Wall and non-roster veteran Jordan Luplow for a bench spot to begin the season. Martinez (two) and Wall (three) both have minor league option years remaining, so either could be sent down without needing to first be exposed to waivers. Luplow isn’t on the 40-man roster and would need to earn a job this spring.

Turning to the Rangers’ side of the swap, they’ll add a 23-year-old righty who was the Braves’ 13th-round pick in the 2019 draft. Owens split the 2023 season between High-A and Double-A, working to a combined 3.03 ERA in 65 1/3 innings split between the bullpen and the rotation. He fanned 23.4% of his opponents against a 7.7% walk rate, although both his strikeout and walk rate took a turn for the worse when moving up to the Double-A level from High-A.

Listed at 5’10” and 185 pounds, Owens is undersized but nonetheless elevated his prospect status with his 2023 performance. Baseball America ranked him 22nd among Braves prospects this offseason, touting a plus fastball that reaches 98 mph and befuddles hitters thanks in part to a lower-than-usual release angle. BA’s report also notes that Owens has a slider with strong spin rates which could be a plus pitch if he can locate it more consistently — which he’s struggled to do at this point in his career.

Owens gives the Rangers a potential bullpen arm who could be in the big leagues at some point in 2024 or in 2025, although it should also be noted that all 29 other teams passed on selecting him in December’s Rule 5 Draft despite being eligible.

The Rangers have more outfield depth in the upper minors and on their big league bench than the Braves, who have a stacked bullpen that left Owens with little chance of breaking through in the immediate term (barring multiple injuries on the MLB roster). Martinez is more interesting than the standard player who might be designated for assignment to make room for a free agent signing, and the Braves accordingly sent a relatively near-term bullpen prospect who seemingly has a chance to make it in the big leagues. Both clubs dealt from positions of depth and addressed areas of need; on the whole, it seems like a sensible swap for both parties.

Francys Romero first reported that Martinez had been traded to Atlanta.

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

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