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Pirates Acquire Marco Gonzales

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2023 at 10:04pm CDT

The Pirates announced the acquisition of left-hander Marco Gonzales and cash considerations from the Braves. Atlanta receives a player to be named later or cash in return. The move comes just two days after Atlanta landed Gonzales as part of a five-player trade with the Mariners, yet it was already expected that Gonzales would be quickly flipped to another team.

Pittsburgh will presumably now be Gonzales’ final landing spot of the offseason, as the southpaw brings some experience to a Pirates team sorely in need of rotation help. Beyond ace Mitch Keller, the Bucs’ projected starting staff is thin on MLB service time and lacking in quality results at the big league level. Roansy Contreras, Bailey Falter, Luis Ortiz, and Quinn Priester were lined up as the next four in the rotation, as Johan Oviedo will miss all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and JT Brubaker and Mike Burrows won’t be options until closer to midseason due to TJ procedures of their own from last April. 2023 first overall draft pick Paul Skenes is expected to be on a fast track to the big leagues as early as next season, yet with only 6 2/3 pro innings on his resume, it is too early to assume Skenes is a lock for his MLB debut in 2024.

This isn’t to say that Gonzales (who turns 32 in February) is necessarily a clear-cut upgrade for the Buccos, as he is trying to bounce back from essentially a lost season. Gonzales’ 2023 campaign was cut short by a forearm strain in May, and he had struggled to a 5.22 ERA over 50 innings and 10 starts for Seattle before going on the injured list. While the forearm problem was a painful new wrinkle to the proceedings, the overall dip in form wasn’t a total surprise, given how Gonzales has been outperforming his peripheral numbers for years.

Gonzales posted a 3.94 ERA over 765 2/3 innings for the Mariners from 2018-22, with a more unflattering 4.64 SIERA reflecting his lack of strikeouts. Though Gonzales isn’t a hard thrower and he doesn’t miss many bats, he still achieved success with a recipe of solid control and limiting hard contact. Despite the lack of velocity, Gonzales’ four-seamer was quietly one of the more effective pitches in baseball before 2022, when it suddenly dropped into being a below-average offering.

If Gonzales can stay healthy and get back to his pre-2023 results, that alone represents a nice boost for the Pirates’ staff. It might help that the lefty is leaving Seattle for another pretty pitcher-friendly locale in PNC Park, as home runs also became an increasing problem for Gonzales in 2021-22.

2024 is the last guaranteed season of the four-year, $30MM extension that Gonzales signed with the Mariners prior to the 2020 campaign, and the deal also contains a $15MM club option for 2025 with no buyout. Since Gonzales received a $250K assignment bonus for being traded from the Mariners, the $4.5MM Seattle included in the trade package to Atlanta left $7.75MM remaining in owed salary to the left-hander. The Braves have eaten part of that portion to facilitate this next deal with Pittsburgh, only increasing Gonzales’ affordable nature — no small matter for a Pirates team that is always looking to keep its spending in check.

Though the Bucs are intending to raise their modest payroll by some extent, obtaining Gonzales for less than $7.75MM allows the club to fill one rotation hole without taking up much of whatever spending capacity GM Ben Cherington has been allotted this winter. Since Jack Flaherty is another name on the Pirates’ radar, it could be that Pittsburgh will address its rotation with veterans on short-term deals, hoping that at least one reclamation project like Gonzales or Flaherty can bounce back to become solid starter.

From Atlanta’s perspective, taking on the contracts of Gonzales and Evan White was the price necessary to obtain Jarred Kelenic from the Mariners. White’s injury history makes him more or less immovable outside of a total salary dump, yet Gonzales’ history as a decently effective and durable starter prior to 2022 made him a better candidate to be flipped, considering the league-wide need for pitching depth. The Braves are known to be looking for higher-tier pitching upgrades themselves, after missing out on Aaron Nola earlier in the offseason.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the Pirates were acquiring Gonzales and cash for a player to be named later.

Angels Sign Luis Garcia

By Anthony Franco | December 5, 2023 at 9:51pm CDT

The Angels announced the signing of reliever Luis García on a one-year contract. He’ll reportedly make $4.25MM.

An 11-year big league veteran, García is set for a second stint with the Halos. The right-hander spent the 2019 campaign in Orange County, turning in a 4.35 ERA across 64 appearances. That was amidst a difficult three-year run spanning 2018-20, but García has generally turned things around over the past couple seasons.

After pitching to a 3.24 ERA in 34 games with the Cardinals in 2021, the Dominican Republic native inked a two-year pact with the Padres. He had a strong first year at Petco Park, tossing 61 innings of 3.39 ERA ball while working in a high-leverage role. García’s second season wasn’t as impressive. His ERA jumped to 4.03 while his strikeout rate dropped from a quality 26.3% mark to a middling 19.9% clip. As his production tailed off, the Padres deployed him in mostly low-leverage situations.

Despite that dip, there are still a few clear positives for the Halos front office. García has an extended track record of keeping the ball on the ground. He has allowed fewer than one home run per nine innings in three straight seasons and racked up grounders at a massive 61.5% rate this year. Even as he enters his age-37 campaign, he’s still one of the harder throwers available. García’s sinker sat north of 97 MPH.

It’s the second grounder specialist whom the Halos have added this offseason. They signed left-hander Adam Kolarek to a $900K guarantee a few weeks ago. García also steps into the middle innings mix alongside younger, more volatile arms like Ben Joyce and José Soriano. The Halos still seem likely to look for a clearer setup option to bridge the gap to closer Carlos Estévez.

The signing brings the Angels’ 2024 payroll projection to roughly $156MM, as calculated by Roster Resource. They’re upwards of $50MM from last season’s Opening Day payroll and around $70MM shy of the luxury tax threshold.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported the Angels and García were in agreement on a one-year, $4.25MM deal.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Yankees Acquire Alex Verdugo

By Anthony Franco | December 5, 2023 at 9:34pm CDT

The Yankees and Red Sox have lined up on a rare major trade. The teams announced a deal sending outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Bronx for reliever Greg Weissert and minor league pitchers Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice.

Verdugo, who turns 28 in May, has spent the past four seasons in Boston. The Sox acquired him from the Dodgers as the key piece of the Mookie Betts trade return. The left-handed hitting outfielder never quite lived up to that lofty billing. Verdugo has settled in as a solid regular without emerging as an impact player on either side of the ball.

Over his time with the Red Sox, Verdugo hit .281/.338/.424 in a little more than 2000 plate appearances. His strongest season was the shortened 2020 campaign. After posting a .308/.367/.478 slash, he has hit at a league average level for three years running. Verdugo owns a .277/.334/.417 mark since the start of 2021. This past season’s .264/.324/.421 line over 602 plate appearances fit that recent body of work.

Verdugo doesn’t have prototypical home run power for a corner outfielder. He has hit between 11 and 13 longballs in each of the last three years. Verdugo has topped 30 doubles in each season, however. He has always had excellent bat-to-ball skills and generally shows an all-fields approach. Aside from a 15-game debut showing in 2017, he has hit .260 or better in every year of his big league career.

Bringing in a hit-over-power lefty bat seems a deliberate effort by the New York front office to add balance to the lineup. The Yankees have skewed right-handed and leaned heavily on power hitters in recent years. They’ve found themselves generally lacking in consistent offensive production beyond Aaron Judge and, to a lesser extent, Gleyber Torres.

Verdugo isn’t an impact lineup presence, but he checks a box which general manager Brian Cashman had identified as a priority. Cashman expressed a desire for two outfielders to join Judge, preferably ones who hit from the left side. Top center field prospect Jasson Domínguez will be out into the middle of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, while left field has been a significant problem for the past couple years. 22-year-old Everson Pereira might be a longer-term solution there but limped to a .151/.233/.194 line in his first month as a big leaguer.

The desire for multiple outfield additions still leaves the Yankees very much in play for bigger stars. New York has been tied to Juan Soto in trade rumors and Cody Bellinger on the free agent market. Various reporters (including Andy Martino of SNY) unsurprisingly relay that the Yankees are still involved on Soto. Talks between the Yankees and Padres reportedly slowed over the weekend after San Diego demanded a pitching-heavy return built around Michael King and prospect Drew Thorpe.

Verdugo won’t take them out of that mix (or presumably impact a run at Bellinger if they can’t line up on a Soto deal). However, it could require the Yankees to lean on Judge in center field for a season if they were to acquire Soto. Verdugo hasn’t played center field since 2021. He has generally received solid marks for his glove in right field. Verdugo has one of the game’s better arms, although his speed and overall range are closer to average.

The outfield alignment is to be determined based on future moves. Verdugo steps in a short-term acquisition who’ll solidify one position while buying time for Domínguez to rehab and Pereira to see more action in Triple-A. The veteran outfielder is a year away from free agency. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz forecasts him for a $9.2MM salary in his final season of arbitration.

That pushes the Yankees’ projected spending to roughly $246MM, as calculated by Roster Resource. Their luxury tax number sits right at the $257MM line that marks the second tier of penalization. Since they’re paying the CBT for what’d be a third consecutive season, the Yankees are taxed at a 50% rate on spending between $237MM and $257MM. That’ll push their overall tab on Verdugo into the $14MM range, while they’re sure to continue adding to the roster (with accompanying higher penalties beyond the $257MM mark).

On the other side of the equation, Boston offloads Verdugo’s salary projection. They’re moving on from a player who, while reasonably effective, had a somewhat disappointing overall run at Fenway Park. In addition to the leveling off in his performance, Verdugo occasionally came under fire with the organization for perceived effort questions.

Beyond that, it’s not uncommon for an incoming baseball operations leader to reshape a roster. This is the first significant trade of Craig Breslow’s tenure as chief baseball officer. It leaves a vacancy in right field, where the Sox seem likely to look to free agency or the trade market. Boston has left-handed hitting Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida in the outfield mix, so the pursuit of a righty bat might make the most sense.

They’ll also add controllable pitching help, with Weissert standing as the most immediate upgrade. The 28-year-old righty has pitched at the MLB level in each of the past two seasons. Weissert has worked 31 1/3 innings, allowing a 4.60 ERA. His underlying numbers are more intriguing. The Fordham product has averaged around 94 MPH on his sinker and four-seam fastball. He has struck out a solid 24.4% of batters faced while keeping the ball on the ground at a 47.3% clip.

Weissert also had an excellent year in Triple-A in 2023. Over 40 1/3 frames, he pitched to a 2.90 ERA while punching out more than 34% of batters faced. Control has been an issue throughout his career, but Weissert has consistently shown the ability to miss bats in the minors. He still has two option years remaining and won’t reach arbitration for three seasons, making him an affordable and flexible bullpen piece.

Fitts, who turns 24 in a few weeks, is the more intriguing of the minor leaguers involved. An Auburn product, he was drafted in the sixth round in 2021. The 6’3″ righty had an impressive year at Double-A Somerset, working to a 3.48 ERA across 152 2/3 innings. He punched out nearly 26% of batters faced against a tidy 6.8% walk percentage. Prospect evaluators praise Fitts’s slider and overall command, projecting him as a potential back-end starter. Boston doesn’t need to add him to the 40-man roster until next offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft, but it’s possible he pitches his way into the MLB rotation mix at some point during the summer.

Judice was an eighth-round pick this year out of UL-Monroe. The 6’8″ hurler had posted a 3.74 ERA over 53 innings in his draft year. BA’s draft report praised his potential plus slider and mid-90s velocity. Judice projects as a reliever and is a low minors development flier.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the trade terms. Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Support Our Winter Meetings Coverage With An Ad-Free Subscription

By Tim Dierkes | December 5, 2023 at 9:30pm CDT

The 2024 MLB Winter Meetings are upon us! Team executives and agents are ready to make some deals in Nashville. The top storyline this year is two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, only the biggest free agent in MLB history. On top of that we’ve got a pair of 25-year-old stars on the market: ace righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been posted by Japan’s Orix Buffaloes, and Padres left fielder Juan Soto could be traded.

There are many other free agents and trade candidates, of course, and MLBTR will have round-the-clock coverage of the firehose of hot stove news coming out of Nashville. That includes our overnight news coverage, as you may have seen. We’ve been doing this for 18 years and we’re excited as ever for this offseason!

If you’re one of the millions of people hitting F5 constantly on this website this week, please consider purchasing an ad-free subscription for $29.89 per year. We call this service Trade Rumors Front Office, and we pack a ton of value into it. You get to enjoy the website and app with no ads, you gain access to our industry-approved MLB Contract Tracker, and we’re sending out exclusive articles and chats from Steve Adams and Anthony Franco every week. Your subscription also supports our independent company in a time of declining ad rates. Check out Trade Rumors Front Office today!

Marlins Looking To Add Shortstop Help, Jazz Chisholm To Remain In Center Field

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2023 at 9:03pm CDT

Joey Wendle and Garrett Hampson have already signed with other teams, as the free agent departures left the Marlins further thinned out at a shortstop position that was already something of a weak link. President of baseball operations Peter Bendix is looking to address the position this winter, telling MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola and other reporters that “I’d like to increase the number of options that we have who can play shortstop.”

Utilityman Jon Berti is the top choice at the moment, as manager Skip Schumaker told the media. Jacob Amaya, Xavier Edwards, and the recently-acquired Vidal Brujan provide further depth. Brujan and Edwards are former top-100 prospects looking for a big league breakout, while Amaya is a defensive standout acquired from the Dodgers in the Miguel Rojas trade last offseason.

It makes for an interesting mix, and Bendix noted that “I think we have a few people on the roster, off the roster, who are pretty good options, but nobody who’s the clear, ’This is our everyday shortstop.’ So we’d love to add that, and really just adding long-term value to the organization — whether that is players at the Major League level with control, whether that is prospects. Ideally, it’s both. It’s supplementing the 2024 club, just building on what’s a competitive team already, but also keeping that eye on the future.”

Finding a long-term shortstop answer is obviously easier said than done, and landing such a player would require a significant return on Miami’s part. For instance, the Fish have continued to get lots of interest in their starting pitching, yet considering how injuries and other trades have cut down on their rotation depth over the last two years, it remains to be seen if Bendix will be open to trading more arms when the Marlins are no longer dealing with a surplus. Bendix was somewhat non-committal about the idea of moving the team’s own pitchers, and even implied that Miami could look to add hurlers due to the basic credo of “you always need more pitching.”

In terms of other in-house shortstop candidates, it doesn’t appear as though Miami will be turning to its former shortstop. Asked whether or not Jazz Chisholm Jr. might be moved back to shortstop, Schumaker said “I don’t see that happening yet. Jazz really took off kind of the second part of the season in the outfield as our center fielder, so I don’t anticipate that happening just yet.”

Since Chisholm had another injury-shortened season, the first priority is just to get him healthy as he recovers from an October turf toe surgery. Between his toe problems and an oblique strain, Chisholm was limited to 97 games in 2023, extending his unfortunate streak to three consecutive injury-plagued years.

Chisholm hasn’t played any shortstop since the 2021 season, as he played second base in 2022 before being shifted to the outfield last winter. The position change was made to both accommodate Luis Arraez as the new everyday second baseman, and also to see if Chisholm could be an answer to the Marlins’ longstanding need in center field. Considering both his injuries and the fact that it was the first time Chisholm had ever played as an outfielder in his pro career, the results were somewhat respectable — a +4 in Outs Above Average, though other public defensive metrics (a -6.6 UZR/150 and -9 Defensive Runs Saved) weren’t impressed.

As Schumaker noted, Chisholm naturally looked more comfortable with the more experience he gained at the position, so it makes sense that Miami wouldn’t want to switch his position yet again when he might still be something of an untapped resource as a center fielder. There’s also the fact that moving Chisholm would again create an outfield vacancy for the Marlins to address, and adding something of a supplementary shortstop alongside Berdi and company is probably an easier task than landing a new regular center fielder.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Holliday, Yankees

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2023 at 7:53pm CDT

The Red Sox have been focused on pitching help first and foremost this offseason, yet that isn’t the team’s only target area. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) that the Sox are looking at second basemen on both the trade and free agent markets, though a new infielder is likeliest to come via trade. Breslow implied that the Red Sox would first like to address their pitching needs, so it may be some time yet before a second-base answer comes into focus.

A whopping 11 players saw at least a little time at second base for the 2023 Red Sox, but this revolving door combined for 0.0 bWAR, as only three teams got less production from their second basemen. Enmanuel Valdez, Pablo Reyes, Bobby Dalbec, or (when he isn’t in center field) Ceddanne Rafaela all look like the top internal candidates for the keystone heading into the offseason, but Boston would clearly like to better solidify the position. With a somewhat thin free agent class of midfielders available, it isn’t surprising that Breslow would prefer to bring in a higher-caliber upgrade in trade talks.

Latest On Christopher Morel, Tyler Glasnow

By Darragh McDonald | December 5, 2023 at 7:45pm CDT

7:45pm: Nightengale tweets that while Morel’s name has come up in discussions on Glasnow, the Cubs are reluctant to move him for a player with one year of team control. Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic, on the other hand, write that Morel has not come up in any recent discussions about Glasnow.

3:34pm: The Cubs are one of many clubs to have known interest in Rays’ right-hander Tyler Glasnow and Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports today that Christopher Morel’s name has surfaced in those talks.

It’s unclear which club decided to make Morel part of the negotiations but it was reported last month that the Cubs were willing to make Morel part of the return in a potential Pete Alonso trade. Perhaps Morel has been squeezed out of the plan in Wrigley and the club is shopping him around to see what he could bring in return.

The tricky thing with Morel is that he has tremendous power in his bat but doesn’t have a perfect spot to fit onto the Cubs’ roster. He’s hit 42 home runs in his first 854 plate appearances, despite a 31.6% strikeout rate. His .241/.311/.471 batting line thus far translates to a wRC+ of 114. But attempts to have him line up defensively at shortstop, third base or the outfield haven’t gone well. His work at second base is passable but the Cubs have a set middle infield of Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner.

It was reported about a month ago that the Cubs would get Morel some first base reps in winter ball, though that wouldn’t be an ideal fit for him either since he has 99th percentile arm strength. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at that time that “another team might be able to put him” at second base.

It seems as though the Cubs may feel as though the best use of the talent on their roster is to explore trades for Morel and perhaps address first base in some other way. He still has five years of club control remaining and hasn’t yet reached arbitration, which should give him plenty of appeal. It was reported earlier today that the club is discussing various contract structures with first baseman Rhys Hoskins. If they can get something done there and also flip Morel for some pitching help, perhaps that is a preferable path to paying for pitching and using Morel at first base.

That will naturally depend on how the talks proceed and whether the Rays want Morel to be the center of any Glasnow return. The Rays have a solid second baseman in Brandon Lowe. He has missed some time due to injuries in the past two seasons but has still been able to hit at an above-average rate. He’s also controlled at an affordable rate through 2024 with a couple of reasonable club options after that. The club also has Isaac Paredes and Jonathan Aranda as guys on the roster capable of playing second.

Acquiring Morel is probably not the first choice for the Rays, given their incumbent infield options. Though they are considering moving Glasnow and his $25MM salary, they have obvious rotation needs and will need to think about bringing in cheaper pitching in the event they pull the trigger on a trade. With each of Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs set to miss most or all of the 2024 season due to elbow surgeries, the rotation isn’t in great shape. They still have Glasnow, Zach Eflin and Aaron Civale but some question marks beyond that. But Glasnow’s salary and perpetual payroll concerns in Tampa might lead them to try to balance saving money while still running out a talented roster.

The Rays are generally unafraid to make deals and could perhaps also flip Lowe for pitching in addition to acquiring Morel in a Glasnow deal, though that would require further conversations with other clubs and it might be easier if they just have an offer that involves a younger pitcher coming to them directly in a Glasnow deal. It’s also possible that the Cubs and Rays discussed larger trade scenarios involving more than just Glasnow and Morel, as clubs often consider all kinds of plausible scenarios at this time of year.

The Rays have also received interest from clubs such as the Cardinals and Reds while there are also plenty of other speculative fits. Some of those clubs may be pursuing big free agents like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery and may pivot to the trade market if they come up short there. Perhaps the Rays will wait to see if they can get a few more clubs on the line after the free agent market moves a bit more, but they could also strike quickly if they find a deal that they truly like.

Cardinals Expect To Add Bullpen Help Via Free Agency

By Anthony Franco | December 5, 2023 at 7:33pm CDT

The Cardinals have made no secret of their desire to add to the bullpen. Having accomplished their goal of bringing in three starting pitchers, St. Louis is prioritizing the relief corps.

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak suggested this evening the organization is likelier to add to the bullpen via free agency than in trade (relayed by Katie Woo of the Athletic). That’s a little surprising considering the Cards have been open about their willingness to trade a position player — Mozeliak candidly admitted they’re fielding offers on Tyler O’Neill yesterday — for pitching help.

Of course, noting that a free agent acquisition is more probable than a trade doesn’t close the latter avenue completely. The front office is surely exploring both paths. On the free agent front, reports have loosely linked St. Louis to Phil Maton, NPB closer Yuki Matsui and old friend Jordan Hicks.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on X) that the Cards have also discussed KBO pitcher Woo Suk Go. The LG Twins have made Go available to MLB teams via the posting system. A 25-year-old righty, Go turned in a 3.68 ERA over 44 innings this past season. He struck out an excellent 31.1% of opposing hitters but walked an elevated 11.8% of batters faced.

Go has until January 3 to decide whether to sign with a major league club or stay in South Korea. He’s not expected to command the same level of contract as either Maton or Matsui (and certainly won’t approach what it would cost to reunite with Hicks). The Cardinals project for a payroll in the $180MM range, according to Roster Resource. That’s a little above this year’s approximate $177MM Opening Day mark.

Mozeliak has previously suggested the Cards would keep their payroll steady, so they could be fairly close to their budgetary limit. The front office head unsurprisingly confirmed last night that the Cards were not going to top the $237MM luxury tax threshold (via Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat). Roster Resource projects the franchise’s CBT number around $208MM, a fair bit south of the base tax tier.

Pirates Planning To Increase Payroll

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2023 at 6:52pm CDT

Never known for their big spending, the Pirates are planning some level of a payroll increase in 2024, GM Ben Cherington told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey and other reporters. “I’d anticipate us ending up above where we landed last year,” Cherington said. “Generally speaking, we expect that as we get better, the payroll will continue to climb with us. To some extent, it’s motivation for us is if we can actually push that as we get better.”

This isn’t different from statements Cherington has made in the past about the Bucs’ spending, and in some sense, there’s really nowhere to go but up for a team that has traditionally been at or near the back of the pack in payroll even during its last playoff seasons (2013-15). According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Pirates’ Opening Day payroll hasn’t ranked higher than 27th in the league in any of the last six seasons, with last year’s Opening Day number sitting at just under $73.28MM.

That 2023 payroll figure represented a notable jump from the Pirates’ $55.76MM figure at the start of the 2022 season, which might provide some hint about what kind of increase we might be able to expect this winter. A similar-sized bump would bring the Bucs into a payroll range of around $91MM, and since the 2024 payroll ledger sits at roughly $53MM at the moment, Cherington and company could have a comparably large amount of money to work with as they look for roster upgrades.

Expecting quite such a payroll increase is far from a lock, of course, and the Pirates are one of many teams around baseball whose revenues are impacted by TV broadcasting uncertainties. Mackey recently explored the Pirates’ situation, as the team seems to have the option of either letting MLB handle broadcast rights, or airing games on SportsNet Pittsburgh, the recently-rebranded channel that has been the Pirates’ cable TV home for years.

After losing 201 games in 2021-22, Pittsburgh’s 76-86 record represented a solid step forward in the team’s rebuilding process. The team’s extension with Bryan Reynolds in April was another important turning point, as both the biggest contract in franchise history and a clear sign that the Pirates want to start turning towards contending. Expecting the Bucs to make that leap in 2024 is perhaps a tall order, yet stranger things have happened, and there might be some particular opportunity within an unsettled NL Central.

It is hard to imagine this current Pirates pitching staff carrying a contender, however, and it seems clear that the bulk of whatever dollars Pittsburgh has available this winter will be focused on rotation help. Given the ever-rising cost of pitching and the Pirates’ multiple needs in the staff, it is safe to assume that the team will go after multiple mid-tier starters rather than splurge on a Jordan Montgomery-esque ace at the very top of the market. Reports surfaced earlier today that Jack Flaherty was a target of interest for the Pirates, with the former Cardinals standout looking for a one-year deal as he tries to rebound from a few underwhelming and injury-plagued seasons.

White Sox, Erick Fedde Agree To Two-Year Contract

By Anthony Franco | December 5, 2023 at 6:40pm CDT

The White Sox are in agreement with right-hander Erick Fedde on a two-year, $15MM contract, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN (X link). The deal is pending a physical. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported last night that Fedde, a client of the Boras Corporation, was nearing a two-year pact and named the White Sox and Mets as finalists.

Fedde returns to the majors after one season in South Korea. He’d signed a one-year, $1MM pact with the KBO’s NC Dinos last December. A few weeks earlier, Fedde had been non-tendered by the Nationals, with whom he’d spent his entire pro career up to that point. Within 12 months, he has dramatically raised his profile.

The 30-year-old righty turned in an excellent season for the Dinos. He pitched to a 2.00 ERA in 180 1/3 innings covering 30 starts. He struck out an excellent 29.5% of batters faced while walking under 5% of opposing hitters. As a result of that dominant showing, he was named the KBO’s Most Valuable Player.

Before his move to Korea, Fedde had a fairly nondescript run in Washington. The 6’4″ hurler was a first round draft choice in 2014. He received some Top 100 prospect attention as a potentially quick-moving college starter. Fedde got to the majors midway through the 2017 season but didn’t solidify himself in the rotation for a few years. He spent time on the injured list with shoulder inflammation during the 2018 campaign and bounced between the nation’s capital and Triple-A in ’19.

Fedde carved out a spot in the Nats rotation during the shortened 2020 campaign. He’d hold that role for the next three seasons, combining to log 310 2/3 innings over 67 appearances. The results weren’t great, as he posted a 5.42 ERA with a middling 18.1% strikeout rate. Rather than meet a projected $3.6MM arbitration salary last offseason, Washington moved on.

While surely a tough pill to swallow at the time, Fedde has come out ahead following the non-tender. This past August, he told the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty that he’d developed more horizontal action on his slider and tweaked the grip on his changeup as part of an overhauled approach in the pitching lab.

Between the repertoire adjustments and the dominance in a hitter-friendly KBO, Fedde secured the largest guarantee for a former affiliated pitcher returning from Korea. Each of Josh Lindblom, Merrill Kelly and Chris Flexen landed multi-year guarantees. Fedde is the first to cross the $10MM threshold, doing so rather handily.

The $7.5MM average annual value is a strong deal for the righty, although it could still turn out to be solid value for the Sox if Fedde can turn in league average results in the majors. Chicago is in desperate need of starting pitching. Dylan Cease had been the only pitcher on the roster who was clearly assured of a rotation spot and he’s widely expected to be traded. Fedde is almost certain to get a spot in the starting five, while Michael Kopech and trade pickup Michael Soroka have a decent chance at rotation roles. Jared Shuster, Jesse Scholtens and Touki Toussaint are also in the mix.

That’s still a lackluster group, particularly if the Sox wind up moving Cease. First-year general manager Chris Getz and his front office are likely to continue searching for starting pitching. The specific breakdown of Fedde’s contract has yet to be reported. If it’s distributed evenly, a $7.5MM salary would bring the Sox’s projected payroll (courtesy of Roster Resource) around $144MM. Getz has already suggested they’re not planning to approach their franchise-record spending mark, which topped $193MM, but they’re still more than $35MM shy of this year’s approximate $181MM Opening Day figure.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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