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Red Sox Fielding Trade Interest In Masataka Yoshida, Kenley Jansen

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The Red Sox have received trade interest in left fielder Masataka Yoshida, report Jen McCaffrey and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. McCaffrey and Rosenthal write that while the Sox aren’t actively shopping Yoshida, they’re open to ways to restructure the outfield.

That aligns with a report from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe last week the Sox were considering dealing an outfielder. The Sox would have more suitors if they shopped an affordable, controllable player like Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela or Wilyer Abreu. Finding a suitable match on Yoshida would be more difficult, but it’s a possibility that’d clear some desired spending room.

Another move that’d allow the Sox to shed some money: a trade of closer Kenley Jansen. Speier reported this evening that Boston is entertaining interest in the four-time All-Star. Yoshida and Jansen were each free agent pickups last offseason.

Boston signed Yoshida to a five-year, $90MM contract. (They also paid a $15.375MM posting fee to Yoshida’s former team, the Orix Buffaloes.) It was a bet on the left-handed hitter transitioning smoothly to MLB pitching. The 30-year-old had mixed results in his first big league campaign. Yoshida hit .289/.338/.445 over 580 plate appearances. He showed strong strike zone awareness and excellent pure contact skills, yet it wasn’t an overwhelming offensive performance.

Yoshida hit 15 home runs and walked less than 6% of the time he stepped to the plate. Listed at 5’8″ and 176 pounds, he doesn’t have the raw power of a prototypical slugger. Yet the profile is built around his bat, as Yoshida has drawn below-average reviews for his glove dating back to his time in Japan. He’s limited to left field or designated hitter and received subpar grades from Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average.

Detractors pointed to those defensive and power questions when Yoshida was available via the posting system last winter. The Sox, under former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, were confident he’d hit enough to overcome that. With Bloom having since been replaced by Craig Breslow, the front office might be less bullish on his projection.

Yoshida’s contract calls for $18MM salaries for the next four seasons. It’s unlikely he’d have landed a $72MM deal covering his age 30-33 campaigns if he were a free agent this winter. As a result, Boston would probably have to offset a chunk of the money to move him — either by including cash considerations or taking some money back in the deal.

Jansen would be a much different trade candidate. His $16MM salary next season isn’t far below what Yoshida will make. He’d be a much shorter-term commitment, though, as he’ll be a free agent after 2024. Jansen had a solid but not overpowering first season with the Sox, pitching to a 3.63 ERA over 44 2/3 innings. He struck out 27.7% of opponents, an above-average mark that nevertheless represented the lowest rate of his career. He still successfully nailed down 29 of 33 save chances, but he wasn’t quite as dominant as he’d been for the Dodgers or Braves.

Boston has a fair amount of depth in both the outfield and the bullpen. That at least opens the possibility of offloading cash in those areas to clear space for other targets. Speier wrote tonight the front office is still seeking starting pitching and a right-handed power bat.

The Sox have been tied to free agent Teoscar Hernández throughout the offseason. Meanwhile, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Boston is also among the team showing interest in Jorge Soler. Either player would provide plenty of juice from the right side. A Yoshida trade would open a path to playing time in left field or DH. However, Speier indicates the Red Sox have been unwilling to offer more than two guaranteed years to Hernández, who is holding out for a three-plus year pact. It’s unclear if they’d be open to a third year on Soler.

In any case, there are obviously a number of possibilities the front office is still considering. The Sox have also been tied to a number of free agent rotation options, including Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Shota Imanaga. Recent reporting has indicated that Imanaga appears a more realistic target than Snell or Montgomery, although the NPB left-hander could top $100MM himself. Speier characterizes the Red Sox as “lurking” on Imanaga but indicates they may not be among the most involved suitors. The southpaw will make his decision before the posting window closes next Thursday.

Tigers Outright Donny Sands

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The Tigers announced that catcher Donny Sands has cleared waivers. He was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo and will remain in the organization without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.

Detroit acquired Sands alongside Nick Maton and Matt Vierling in last offseason’s trade sending Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens to Philadelphia. While Maton and Vierling saw a decent amount of action at Comerica Park, Sands spent the year in the minors. Outside of four appearances in Double-A, he played with Toledo all season.

Over 89 games for the Mud Hens, the 27-year-old had a .225/.318/.353 batting line. He homered only five times in 371 plate appearances, although his 12.1% walk rate and 19.9% strikeout percentage were each better than average. The lack of impact on batted balls made 2023 a disappointing showing, well below the .308/.413/.428 slash he’d managed with the Phillies’ Triple-A team the year before.

Sands has three games of big league experience, all of which came with the Phils in 2022. He’ll likely get a look in big league camp as a non-roster invitee. Detroit has Jake Rogers and Carson Kelly as the MLB catching duo. Prospect Dillon Dingler was added to the 40-man roster in November to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. Dingler didn’t hit well in his first crack at Triple-A, so Sands may still be Detroit’s top depth option if either Rogers or Kelly suffer an injury.

Wander Franco Released On Bond, Required To Report To Court Monthly

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Rays shortstop Wander Franco was granted bond at this morning’s hearing in the Dominican Republic, according to multiple reporters (including Gus Garcia-Roberts and Carolina Pichardo of the Washington Post and The Associated Press). He paid a bond of 2 million pesos, equivalent to around $34,000. Franco is allowed to leave the country but he is required to report monthly to speak with officials as they continue to investigate allegations of sexual abuse and money laundering.

According to documents obtained by the Washington Post, prosecutors claim that Franco had sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl over a span of four months. The age of consent in the Dominican Republic is 18. Investigators allege that Franco paid the girl’s mother the equivalent of thousands of dollars to remain silent about the abuse. The alleged victim’s mother was also detained and assigned to house arrest by the judge. (The linked articles have more details on the investigation.)

Franco’s attorney declined comment to the Washington Post. The Rays have not commented since placing him on the restricted list on August 14 after the abuse allegations were made public on social media. At the time, Tampa Bay said they “support any steps taken by the league to better understand the situation.” MLB has awaited results of the criminal investigation before deciding upon discipline.

Rockies Sign Dakota Hudson, Jacob Stallings

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6:55pm: MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports the finances for the free agent deals (on X). Hudson will make $1.5MM and can earn another $1.5MM in incentives. Stallings is guaranteed $2MM, taking the form of a $1.5MM salary next year and a $500K buyout on a 2025 mutual option.

2:24pm: The Rockies are planning to announce one-year deals with right-hander Dakota Hudson and catcher Jacob Stallings, per a report from Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The Rockies subsequently announced the moves, announcing two corresponding moves as well. Catcher Brian Serven was claimed off waivers by the Cubs while infielder Alan Trejo was outrighted to Triple-A.

A first-round selection by the Cardinals in the 2016 draft, Hudson was a quick riser who made his big league debut with the club back in 2018. Early in his career, the groundballer significantly outdid his peripheral stats to perform at a mid-rotation level for the Cardinals. From his big league debut until the end of the shortened 2020 campaign, Hudson impressed with a sterling 3.17 ERA in 241 innings of work despite a concerning 4.74 FIP. That elevated FIP was thanks primarily to a subpar 18.1% strikeout rate against an elevated 11.6% walk rate. Only Andrew Cashner, Antonio Senzatela, and Clayton Richard posted worse K-BB ratios than Hudson during that time among pitchers with at least 200 innings of work. With that being said, Hudson’s whopping 57.3% grounder rate actually led all pitchers over the same period.

Hudson lost nearly the whole 2021 season to Tommy John surgery and his performance began to take a turn for the worse the following season. In 139 2/3 innings of work across 27 appearances (26 starts) that year, Hudson saw his strikeout rate plummet to just 13.1% while his walk rate stayed relatively stagnant at 10.2%. That extreme lack of swing and miss left Hudson with a career-worst 4.45 ERA despite a still-strong 53% groundball rate and just 7.2% of the fly balls he did give up leaving the park for home runs.

Those red flags in Hudson’s profile led to an even more difficult 2023 season, where the right-hander spent much of the season in the minor leagues and struggled to a 4.98 ERA with a 5.06 FIP in 81 1/3 innings of work. When looking exclusively at the time Hudson spent in the Cardinals rotation following the departures of Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery at the trade deadline, Hudson’s numbers are even more concerning as he posted a 5.23 ERA and 5.45 FIP in 62 innings across those 11 starts. Hudson’s peripheral numbers also declined significantly as his groundball rate dipped to 51.5%, his strikeout rate fell to 12.7%, and his fastball velocity cratered to 91.3 mph. Each of those figures was the worst of his career and a far cry from the 57.3% grounder rate, 18.1% strikeout rate, and 93.8 mph fastball velocity Hudson showed in the first three seasons of his career.

Given Hudson’s longtime struggles and worsening peripherals, it wasn’t much of a surprise when St. Louis opted to non-tender the right-hander back in November rather than retain him for the 2024 campaign. While Hudson’s salary in Colorado isn’t yet known, it’s unlikely to be higher than Hudson’s arbitration projection (courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) of $3.7MM. Given that, the signing is a solid, low-cost gamble by the Rockies. Groundballers like Hudson are less subject to the difficulties of pitching at Coors Field than pitchers that allow more contact in the air, as highlighted by the previous successes of arms like German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela in the ballpark.

With that being said, both of those aforementioned hurlers figure to open the season on the injured list while rehabbing Tommy John surgery. That leaves the Rockies without their rotation’s backbone, and Hudson figures to join the club’s Opening Day rotation alongside Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber as well as fellow offseason acquisition Cal Quantrill. Even if Hudson can’t recapture his previous form in Colorado, he could eat innings for the club until Marquez and Freeland are ready to return. And if Hudson manages to find success with the Rockies, the club can control the 29-year-old through arbitration in 2025.

Stallings, 34 last month, was a non-tendered back in November by the Marlins. A seventh-round pick in the 2012 draft by the Pirates, Stallings made his big league debut in 2016 and received brief cups of coffee in the majors over three seasons before earning a regular role as the club’s back-up catcher in 2019. He made the most of the opportunity, combining strong defense behind the plate with a respectable .262/.325/.382 (82 wRC+) slash line in 210 plate appearances. That strong full-season debut earned Stallings a look as the club’s primary catcher over the next two seasons, and he did well for himself in the role with a .246/.333/.371 (92 wRC+) line in 154 games behind the plate. Stallings also saw his already solid defense behind the plate improve to the point of winning a Gold Glove at the position in 2021.

During the 2021-22 offseason, the Pirates decided to ship Stallings to Miami in exchange for a package of three players. That decision proved to be a wise one as Stallings saw his performance quickly crater upon joining the Marlins. During his two seasons with the club, he’s slashed just .210/.287/.290 (62 wRC+) in 660 trips to the plate while his formerly Gold Glove caliber defense has crumbled to more or less league average. Statcast estimates Stallings to have been worth +2 framing runs and +5 blocking runs in 2021; by contrast, the veteran was worth -5 framing runs and just +2 blocking runs this past season. That massive downturn in performance on both sides of the ball led the Marlins to non-tender Stallings prior to his final trip through arbitration, where he projected to earn $3.6MM.

Like Hudson, the details of Stallings’s arrangement with the Rockies are not yet clear, though his guarantee is unlikely to surpass that aforementioned $3.6MM figure. In Colorado, Stallings figures to be reunited with Elias Diaz after the two shared time behind the plate in Pittsburgh back in 2019. After earning his first career All Star appearance in 2023, Diaz figures to remain the club’s primary catcher. With that said, Stallings represents a considerable upgrade over the combination of Serven and Austin Wynns the Rockies used to back up Diaz last year. With a stronger backup option to Diaz, the club can afford to take some of the load off of Diaz’s shoulders after a season where he caught a whopping 126 games.

Speaking of Serven, the 28-year-old backstop is headed to Chicago after being squeezed off the Rockies’ 40-man roster by the addition of Stallings. A fifth-round pick by the Rockies back in 2016, Serven made his big league debut in 2022 but has struggled to hit at the big league level with a career .195/.248/.314 slash line in 228 major league plate appearances. Serven appears unlikely to supplant Yan Gomes or Miguel Amaya as part of the Cubs’ primary catching tandem, but he has options remaining and could provide depth for the club at the Triple-A level alongside the likes of Jorge Alfaro and Joe Hudson, both of whom the Cubs brought in on minor league deals earlier this offseason.

As for Trejo, the 27-year-old made his big league debut with the Rockies back in 2021 and has held a utility role with the club ever since, slashing .243/.292/.367 in 145 career big league games while playing second and third base as well as shortstop. Trejo figures to head to Triple-A to open the season and act as non-roster infield depth for the Rockies going forward.

Pirates Designate Max Kranick For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated right-hander Max Kranick for assignment. The move opens a 40-man roster spot for Martín Pérez, whose reported one-year deal has been finalized.

Kranick, 26, made 11 MLB appearances (nine starts) between 2021-22. The 6’3″ hurler worked to a 5.56 ERA with a middling 17.9% strikeout percentage and a 10.9% walk rate in 43 2/3 innings. Kranick underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2022, an unfortunately timed procedure that essentially cost him a year and a half.

The Bucs reinstated the Scranton, PA native from the injured list on September 1. They optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. He spent the remainder of the year there, allowing five runs over 16 1/3 frames. Kranick struck out 12 and walked six in that limited time.

Pittsburgh will trade Kranick or put him on waivers within the next week. While he has never been a high-strikeout pitcher, he owns a 3.55 ERA over parts of seven seasons in the minors. Kranick has been a plus strike-thrower on the farm, walking 6.2% of opponents in his minor league career. He’ll be out of options in 2024, however, so a team would have to carry him on the MLB roster or again designate him for assignment if they acquire him from Pittsburgh.

Braves Sign Luis Guillorme To Major League Deal

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The Braves announced they’ve signed free agent infielder Luis Guillorme to a one-year, $1.1MM contract. Atlanta also avoided arbitration with right-hander Huascar Ynoa, signing him to an $825K deal. Guillorme, a client of MVP Sports Group, has just under five years of MLB service, so Atlanta could control him via arbitration for the 2025 season as well.

Guillorme sticks in the NL East after spending his entire career with the Mets. He played a decade in the New York organization as a former 10th-round draftee. The glove-first infielder debuted in 2018 and got to the big leagues in each of the past six years. While he saw only sporadic action in each of his first three campaigns, Guillorme got a bit more work over the last trio of seasons.

The left-handed hitter combined for a roughly league average .270/.359/.331 slash in 491 plate appearances between 2021-22. Paired with his solid glove throughout the infield, he was a valuable piece off the bench. Guillorme’s offense dropped last year, as he hit .224/.288/.327 across 54 games. After striking out in roughly 14% of his trips over the previous two seasons, Guillorme fanned at a 23.3% clip a year ago.

That drop in offense led the Mets to move on in November. New York non-tendered the 29-year-old in lieu of a $1.7MM projected salary for his penultimate season of arbitration. Guillorme won’t quite reach that level on his deal with Atlanta, but he’ll get another crack in the big leagues.

Guillorme is out of options. Atlanta will have to carry him on the MLB roster or make him available to other teams via trade or waivers. That the Braves guaranteed him $1.1MM indicates they’re likely to carry him on the Opening Day roster. Guillorme can back up the starting infield of Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia and Austin Riley. There weren’t many shortstop reps available in Queens thanks to Francisco Lindor, but Guillorme has the ability to handle any infield spot.

Atlanta acquired David Fletcher from the Angels last month. At the time, he seemed the option to replace Nicky Lopez as the depth infielder. The Braves outrighted Fletcher from the 40-man roster not long after the trade, at least raising the possibility of him starting next season at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Ynoa, meanwhile, had been projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $1MM salary in his first year of arbitration. He lost all of last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery but could battle for the fifth starter job in camp.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Brewers Sign Austin Nola To Minor League Deal

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The Brewers and Austin Nola are in agreement on a minor league deal, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. The deal includes an invite to big league Spring Training next month.

Nola, 34, struggled terribly in 2023 with a disastrous slash line of .146/.260/.192 in 154 trips to the plate before he was optioned to Triple-A in mid-July, allowing the Padres to utilize a catching tandem of Gary Sanchez and Luis Campusano for the remainder of the season. Nola discussed his offensive woes back in September, revealing that he had been diagnosed with oculomotor dysfunction, an issue that impacts the brain’s ability to coordinate eye movement and comes with symptoms such as fogginess and headaches. Nola’s worrisome performance led San Diego to non-tender him back in November, sending him to the open market where he has now been snatched up by Milwaukee.

While it’s not clear how Nola’s health has evolved over the past few months or what impact it will have on his performance going forward, it’s not hard to imagine Nola returning to form offensively if healthy. After all, Nola entered the 2023 campaign with a solid .263/.336/.395 slash line for his career, good for a 105 wRC+, and above average offense behind the plate is fairly difficult to come by, particularly when paired with roughly average defense behind the plate. On the other hand, much of that strong offense and solid defense came early in Nola’s career as he slashed an impressive .280/.351/.476 in 377 trips to the plate in a Mariners uniform.

After being traded to the Padres in seven-player deal that sent Ty France and Andres Munoz (among others) to Seattle, Nola’s offense dipped considerably as he put up essentially league average numbers down the stretch in 2020 before slashing just .258/.327/.344 in 166 games with the Padres from 2021-22. Nola’s defense also took a tumble during his time with San Diego, as Statcast suggests he was worth a whopping -12 runs behind the plate in 2022 alone. It’s fair to wonder if there’s much room for improvement in Nola’s defense going forward, as catchers in their early-to-mid thirties often suffer significant struggles due to the wear and tear that comes with years behind the plate.

Even with the many red flags in Nola’s profile, it’s easy to see why the Brewers would have interest in taking a low-cost flier on the veteran’s services. After all, Victor Caratini departed for the Astros in free agency last month, leaving All Star catcher William Contreras without a clear back up behind the plate. The club recently landed Eric Haase for that role, but it’s easy to see how Nola could step into that role if he manages to prove himself healthy and recover some of his previous offensive ability when Spring Training rolls around in late February. Otherwise, Nola can work on regaining his past form at the Triple-A level with the Brewers while acting as non-roster depth for the club in the event of an injury.

Cardinals Swap Richie Palacios To Rays For Andrew Kittredge

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The Rays and Cardinals got together on a swap this afternoon that sent outfielder Richie Palacios to Tampa and right-hander Andrew Kittredge to St. Louis. Joel Sherman of The New York Post first reported that the sides were in talks regarding the two players, while The Athletic’s Katie Woo first reported that the deal between the two sides was complete.

Kittredge, 34 in March, was a 45th-round pick by the Mariners back in 2008 but didn’t make his big league debut until 2017 as a member of the Rays. After riding the shuttle between Triple-A and the majors in the first two seasons of his career, Kittredge earned a more permanent role with the club in 2019, when he pitched to a 4.17 ERA and 3.56 FIP in 49 2/3 innings of work across 37 appearances. Kittredge was relied upon for both single-inning and multi-inning relief appearances while acting as both an opener and a late-inning arm for the club throughout the season. Kittredge went on to impress early in the shortened 2020 campaign with a 2.25 ERA, but saw his season limited to just eight appearances by a UCL sprain.

Kittredge elected free agency following the 2020 season but re-signed with the Rays on a minor league deal shortly thereafter and wound up turning in a dominant 2021 season. Kittredge pitched 71 2/3 across 57 appearances and kept his ERA at a sparkling 1.88 figure during the time. He struck out 27.3% of batters faced while walking just 5.3% and maintaining a strong 53.5% groundball rate. Kittredge’s ERA was third in the majors behind only Jacob deGrom and Ranger Suarez among pitchers with at least 70 innings of work that season, easily earning him the first All Star appearance of his career.

Unfortunately for both the Rays and Kittredge, much of his time has been spent on the injured list since that phenomenal 2021 campaign. He dealt with back tightness early in the 2022 campaign before undergoing Tommy John surgery that June and didn’t return to the majors until mid-August. In 31 appearances between the 2022 and ’23 campaigns, Kittredge performed solidly despite the circumstances with a 3.13 ERA and 4.18 FIP in 31 2/3 innings of work. With that being said, some of the veteran righty’s peripherals took a turn for the worse during that time. The righty’s groundball rate dipped to just 42.7% during that time while his strikeout rate sank to 19.2%.

Even so, the addition of Kittredge offers the Cardinals a veteran arm with late inning experience to supplement the back of their bullpen, which currently features Giovanny Gallegos, Ryan Helsley, and JoJo Romero. Gallegos suffered a down season in 2023 while Helsley and Romero combined for just 73 1/3 innings of work, leaving plenty of uncertainty surrounding the group headed into 2024. While Kittredge has some question marks himself, he provides another quality arm with a track record of success in the majors: since he became a regular fixture in the Tampa bullpen back in 2019, Kittredge owns a 2.85 ERA and 3.43 FIP across 161 innings of work. For a Cardinals club that had made bullpen upgrades and explicit goal this offseason, adding Kittredge could go a long way to achieving that objective.

In exchange for Kittredge’s services, the Cardinals are giving up Palacios. The club acquired the 26-year-old outfielder from the Guardians in a cash deal back in June and the youngster took off in 32 games with St. Louis, slashing .258/.307/.516 in 102 trips to the plate in the majors while posting a .299/.418/.459 slash line in 195 Triple-A plate appearances with the organization. The offensive outburst from Palacios was relatively unexpected, as he had struggled to a .232/.293/.286 slash line with the Guardians in 2022 and mustered just a .217/.351/.318 line in 56 Triple-A games prior to the trade.

Clearly, the Rays are betting that Palacios unlocked a new level during his time in St. Louis. If he can hit at an above-average clip in the majors, the lefty-swinging youngster could provide the Rays with an outfield bat to fill the void left by Luke Raley, who the club swapped to Seattle earlier today. It’s even possible he could chip in at second base, where he has spent 920 1/3 innings in the minors (though he’s only made three appearances there at the big league level), alongside Brandon Lowe.

Tantalizing as the upside Palacios flashed last season was, however, it seems unlikely he would’ve been able to garner more than a bench role in St. Louis due to the club’s deep outfield mix and the presence of both Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman at the keystone. The lack of a clear role for Palacios in St. Louis and Kittredge’s lack of additional team control beyond 2024 make this swap a relatively low-cost gamble for both sides that could pay significant dividends in 2024 (and, in the case of the Rays and Palacios, beyond).

Mariners Trade José Caballero To Rays For Luke Raley

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The Mariners already completed one trade today, sending Robbie Ray to the Giants in exchange for Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani and cash considerations, and have now completed a second. They are sending infielder José Caballero to the Rays in exchange for outfielder Luke Raley, per announcements from both clubs.

“We’re thrilled to add Luke Raley to the middle of our lineup as a left-handed bat with positional versatility,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in that club’s press release. “Offensively, Luke brings power paired with game-changing baserunning and instincts. He’s also a solid defender across multiple positions, adding further flexibility to our lineup on a nightly basis.”

Raley, now 29, was drafted by the Dodgers and made a brief major league debut with them in 2021. He was traded to the Rays and then got some more limited MLB time in 2022. He finally got his first extended stretch of time in the big leagues last year and ran with it. He took 406 plate appearances over 118 games in 2023, striking out at a 31.5% clip but also hitting 19 home runs. His overall batting line of .249/.333/.490 translated to a wRC+ of 130, indicating he was 30% better than league average. He also stole 14 bases in 17 tries and received solid grades for his outfield defense while also spending a bit of time at first base.

Despite that strong performance, Raley was part of a crowded outfield mix that also featured Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe and José Siri in regular roles. Yandy Díaz is set to likely be the everyday first baseman, while players like Harold Ramírez, Jonathan Aranda, Jonny DeLuca and others were in the mix for playing time as well. With Raley now out of options, he needed to be kept on the active roster or else be removed from the 40-man entirely.

In Seattle, the path to playing time should be more smooth. That club let Teoscar Hernández reach free agency without making him a qualifying offer and also traded Jarred Kelenic to Atlanta. They have since added Mitch Garver to be their primary designated hitter, and take a share of the catching time from Cal Raleigh, while Haniger was acquired earlier today to join the corner outfield mix.

Julio Rodríguez is entrenched in center but Raley and Haniger could perhaps take the corner regularly, with players like Cade Marlowe, Taylor Trammell and Dominic Canzone also a part of that corner outfield picture. At first base, Ty France has been the regular in Seattle for the past three years but his production dipped in 2023. If that continues into this year, Raley gives them a fallback option for that position.

The Rays mostly shielded Raley from left-handed pitchers, with 363 of his 406 plate appearances coming with the platoon advantage last year. His high strikeout rate also doesn’t mesh with Seattle’s stated intention to cut down in that department, but the power, speed and defense make him enticing nonetheless. He’s also still at least a year away from reaching arbitration, meaning he fits well on a club with financial concerns like the Mariners. He can be controlled for another five seasons before qualifying for free agency.

Caballero, 27, made his major league debut with the Mariners last year, getting into 104 games. He hit .221/.343/.320 in his 280 plate appearances, drawing a walk in 10% of them. That production amounted to a wRC+ of 96, indicating he was just 4% below league average. But he also stole 26 bases in 29 tries and received strong grades for his defense at the two middle infield positions, as well as spending small amounts of time at third base and left field.

The ability to play shortstop likely appeals to the Rays, who have plenty of uncertainty there. Wander Franco once seemed to be firmly entrenched in that position, having signed an 11-year extension going into the 2022 season. But he is currently under investigation for allegedly having inappropriate relationships with minors and it’s unknown when, if ever, he will play a Major League Baseball game again.

Assuming Franco isn’t an option in 2024, the Rays have guys like Taylor Walls, Junior Caminero and Osleivis Basabe as potential shortstops on the roster. However, none of that trio is a lock to hold down the job this year. Walls and Basabe are broadly considered strong defenders but weaker at the plate while Caminero is generally considered the opposite. Basabe and Caminero both have less than 100 major league plate appearances.

Caballero’s first taste of MLB action was subpar, but only slightly so. He’s always hit well in the minors, perhaps leaving some room for him to continue developing with more exposure to major league pitching. He still has a full slate of options and less than a year of service time, meaning he can be a long-term part of the Rays’ roster if things click.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the framework of the deal while Jeff Passan of ESPN first relayed that it had been completed.

White Sox Sign Martin Maldonado

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JAN. 5: The Sox have officially announced the deal, announcing it as a $4.25MM pact with a club option for 2025. Per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, it”ll be a $4MM salary in 2024 with a $250K buyout on a $4MM option for 2025. Maldonado’s option vests with 90 appearances at catcher, per Robert Murray of FanSided.

DEC. 27: Maldonado will earn $4MM in 2024, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via X).  The 2025 option is a vesting option that, if triggered, would pay Maldonado another $4MM for a second season of the deal.

DEC. 26: The White Sox are in agreement with catcher Martín Maldonado on a one-year contract with an option for 2025, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (on X). Robert Murray of FanSided (X link) first reported the sides were near a deal. Financial terms for the MVP Sports Group client are still unreported.

Maldonado’s move to Chicago’s South Side officially ends a four-and-a-half-year run in Houston. It was clear the Astros were moving on from the 37-year-old when they inked Víctor Caratini to a two-year deal during the Winter Meetings. With Caratini on hand as an experienced option behind Yainer Diaz, Maldonado was left to look elsewhere.

A veteran of 13 big league campaigns, he’ll now join the sixth team of his MLB career. He reunites with former Houston teammate Korey Lee, whom the Astros traded to the Sox for reliever Kendall Graveman at this past summer’s deadline. The 25-year-old Lee hasn’t produced offensively in parts of two big league campaigns. He’s a highly-regarded defensive catcher, which is also Maldonado’s calling card.

Outside of the shortened 2020 campaign, Maldonado has never hit at an average level in the big leagues. He is one of the sport’s least impactful hitters overall. In more than 3700 career plate appearances, the right-handed batter owns a .207/.282/.349 line. He hasn’t approached the Mendoza line in three years, running a .183/.260/.333 slash going back to the start of 2021.

Among 226 hitters with at least 1000 plate appearances over that stretch, only Joey Gallo has a lower batting average. Maldonado has the worst on-base mark of the group, while he’s fifth from the bottom in slugging. That the Astros nevertheless relied on him as their #1 catcher on some of the best rosters in MLB speaks to how highly the coaches and pitching staff felt about his presence behind the plate.

For most of his career, Maldonado has indeed rated as an excellent defensive catcher. That was not the case last season. Statcast graded him as the worst pitch framer among qualified backstops. He only threw out 14% of attempted basestealers, roughly six percentage points below the league mark. That’s perhaps more a reflection of the Houston pitching staff than Maldonado, as Statcast ranked him 23rd among 81 catchers (minimum 10 throws) in average pop time to second base.

In any case, the greater appeal for Chicago’s front office and coaching staff is in Maldonado’s game-calling ability and work with a pitching staff. The White Sox are likely to cycle through a number of inexperienced pitchers in 2024. Dylan Cease is the staff ace, though it’s no sure thing he won’t be traded before Opening Day.

KBO returnee Erick Fedde is a lock for the season-opening rotation, while Michael Kopech is likely to get a rebound opportunity. Michael Soroka and Jared Shuster — each of whom was acquired from the Braves in the Aaron Bummer trade — could vie for spots. Rule 5 pick Shane Drohan will have to remain on the MLB roster or be waived and subsequently offered back to the Red Sox, while prospects Cristian Mena and Jake Eder could reach the big leagues at some point.

Maldonado will work with that pitching group. He can serve as a short-term bridge to catching prospect Edgar Quero, the headliner of last summer’s Lucas Giolito/Reynaldo López deal. The 20-year-old spent all of last season at Double-A. He could reach the majors late in the ’24 season while taking over as the primary option in 2025.

In the interim, it’s possible the Maldonado signing displaces one of the organization’s other catchers. Once the contract is finalized, the White Sox will have four catchers on the 40-man roster. It’s unlikely Chicago will move from Lee, leaving Carlos Pérez and Max Stassi potentially on the bubble. Pérez didn’t hit well in the majors or Triple-A last season. The White Sox just acquired Stassi from the Braves a couple weeks ago, but they’re not on the hook for money beyond the league minimum salary and didn’t surrender much (a player to be named later) to bring him in.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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