The Opener News & Rumors

With the holiday season upon us, here’s a few things we’ll be keeping an eye throughout the day today around baseball:

1. The Royals and Jordan Lyles

Last night, reports came through that Jordan Lyles was nearing a two-year deal with the Royals. With Kansas City also having inked Ryan Yarbrough to a one-year deal, it’s possible this Lyles signing could take them out of the pitching market if completed. If that’s indeed the case, it would leave likely Hall of Famer Zack Greinke looking for a new club to play for during his age-39 season. Brady Singer, Brad Keller, Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch, and Jackson Kowar are among Kansas City’s current options to start alongside Yarbrough and Lyles. A Lyles deal would also take yet another veteran back-end arm off of the free agent market, which has been thinning rapidly for weeks.

2. Will the Braves add another bat?

The Braves signed Jordan Luplow yesterday to bolster their outfield mix, but coming off a 101-win season and a fifth consecutive NL East crown, it would surely behoove Atlanta to do more to address the holes in their lineup. With Dansby Swanson having departed for Chicago in free agency, the Braves look set to hand the keys to shortstop to youngster Vaughn Grissom, with Orlando Arcia available should he struggle. While another bat capable of playing short could help solidify the position, the most glaring holes in the lineup are left field and DH, even after the addition of Luplow. The trio of Luplow, Marcell Ozuna, and Eddie Rosario who figure to man left field and DH combined for a troubling -2.3 bWAR in 2022. While improvements from Ozuna and Rosario are certainly possible, both players are on the wrong side of 30 and haven’t been above average with the bat in a full season since 2019. Even with Travis d’Arnaud likely to pick up extra playing time at DH following the acquisition of Sean Murphy, it seems clear that Atlanta needs another bat for the outfield, whether that comes via free agency in the form of Jurickson Profar or David Peralta, or perhaps through trade, where a number of outfielders are reportedly available.

3. MLBTR Chat with Steve Adams at 1pm CT today

MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be hosting his weekly live chat today at 1pm CT. You can submit questions in advance if you like, and also use that link to check back at 1:00 and follow along live. If you can’t make it today, Anthony Franco will host a chat of his own later in the week, so keep an eye out for that one as well.

After a fairly busy weekend on the MLB hot stove, here’s three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball throughout the day today.

1. Where can teams who missed out on Dansby Swanson turn?

Swanson’s deal with the Cubs puts all four of this offseason’s star shortstops on a new team. While each of the clubs who lost a shortstop has an internal alternative, all four would be bettered by an external addition. The Dodgers and Red Sox would be able to keep incumbent second basemen Gavin Lux and Trevor Story at their current position. The Twins wouldn’t have to rely on Kyle Farmer, likely better suited to a part-time role, as an everyday player while waiting for Royce Lewis to return from his second ACL tear. The Braves would be able to ease Vaughn Grissom in at shortstop rather than immediately thrust him into an everyday role on a playoff club. The pickings are slim when it comes to quality regulars on the free-agent market, with Elvis Andrus and perhaps Jose Iglesias the last remaining options. The trade market has more possibilities, though each comes with questions: Paul DeJong and Nick Ahmed could be had for salary relief, but they’re overpaid relative to their expected production headed into 2023 (and Ahmed is recovering from shoulder surgery). Jorge Mateo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are quality defenders but both have been further than 20% below average at the plate since 2021, by measure of wRC+. Amed Rosario is perhaps the most complete player who could potentially be had, though it’s possible the Guardians just keep him until he hits free agency next offseason before handing the keys to shortstop to their bevy of youngsters in 2024. The four aforementioned teams will have competition, as well, with the Angels and White Sox among the other teams who could still look for middle infield help this offseason.

2. Will the Cubs/Smyly deal get done today?

Reports surfaced yesterday that the Cubs and lefty Drew Smyly were close to a deal, but it’s yet to be reported as done, and the terms remain unknown. It’s possible that resolution could come as soon as today. Fellow 33-year-olds Ross Stripling‘s (Giants) and Jose Quintana (Mets) both landed two-year deals, but both veterans were coming off stronger seasons than Smyly. On the other hand, the likes of Kyle Gibson and Noah Syndergaard are among the players to recently sign one-year deals. Assuming Smyly indeed returns to Wrigley, that could take the Cubs out of the starting pitching market, as he’d presumably join Marcus Stroman, Jameson Taillon, Kyle Hendricks and Justin Steele in the rotation.

3. Where does the outfield market stand?

It’s been a busy few days for the outfield market. Andrew Benintendi signed a five-year deal with the White Sox, Joey Gallo took a one-year deal with the Twins, and Michael Brantley returned to the Astros on a one-year pact of his own. This leaves Michael Conforto and Jurickson Profar as arguably the top free agents left, with veterans like David Peralta, AJ Pollock, Wil Myers and Andrew McCutchen also available. The Blue Jays, Rangers, and Marlins are among the teams pursuing outfield help this offseason, and each (along with the Cubs) has been linked to Conforto. Profar’s market is less clear, and one rumored suitor, the Astros, just re-signed Brantley. The trade market, where Bryan Reynolds, Max Kepler, and Daulton Varsho are among those who’ve reportedly been discussed, remains an alternative path.

Coming off the heels of a day where we saw another major signing, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on in the baseball world throughout the day.

1. Swanson is the last man standing.

For a few days now, Dansby Swanson has been the last of the four star shortstops that hit the free agent market this offseason to remain available. Now, with lefty Carlos Rodon headed to the Yankees on a six-year deal, Swanson is the last top-tier free agent at any position. He’s one of just two players still on the market who ranked in the top 20 of MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents at the start of the offseason, joining No. 15 Andrew Benintendi. Swanson appears to be in a good position, with teams such as the Cubs, Twins, and Red Sox, who missed out on the other top-of-market free agents they’ve pursued, potentially in the market along with the incumbent Braves. MLBTR readers voted the Cubs, Braves and Twins (in that order) as the likeliest landing spots for Swanson in a poll yesterday.

2. When will the Blue Jays look to move a catcher?

The Blue Jays have been open to dealing one of their catchers throughout the offseason, and with the free agent catching market thinning out by the day, the Jays’ catchers are the top remaining options on either the trade or free-agent markets. Most recently, Omar Narvaez agreed to a deal to join the Mets yesterday, and Mike Zunino landed with the Guardians just a few days before. With Tucker Barnhart and Austin Hedges now among the best remaining options available behind the plate, it would be no wonder if catching-needy teams began to explore a trade with Toronto more aggressively. The Cubs are in need of a catcher to pair with Yan Gomes after Willson Contreras left for St. Louis, while the Astros were a finalist for Contreras and had interest in a trade for Sean Murphy, suggesting they’re a candidate to weigh a trade with the Blue Jays as well. Perhaps the most interesting partner would be the Diamondbacks, who were reportedly interested in Murphy and have a handful of big-league ready, lefty-hitting outfielders who could provide some much-needed balance to a lineup which is overwhelmingly right-handed.

3. Will San Diego’s aggressiveness continue?

San Diego has been one of the league’s most aggressive team for years now, and that hasn’t changed this offseason as they signed Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year deal last week. Still, it appears possible they could make even more additions to impact the team before Opening Day. The Padres, for instance, were reported finalists for righty Chris Bassitt, who ultimately signed with the Blue Jays on a three-year deal. It was a pursuit that made sense for San Diego; despite the strong trio of Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Blake Snell, the back of the rotation — which currently consists of Nick Martinez and Adrian Morejon — has question marks. An additional starter, such as Nathan Eovaldi or Corey Kluber, could bump one of them to the bullpen and solidify the rotation. The Friars also appear to have interest in adding a corner outfield bat, with Jose Azocar currently projected for regular work in left field. However, recent trades have depleted San Diego’s once-stellar farm system, and Roster Resource already projects the Padres over the second tier of luxury tax for 2023, complicating their path to upgrades. Still, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has proven time and time again he should never be counted out of making another major move to improve his club.

As the offseason continues to chug along, here are three things to keep an eye on today:

1. With Correa on board, what’s next for San Francisco?

The Giants have agreed to terms with star shortstop Carlos Correa on a 13-year, $350MM contract, which will install Correa as the face of the Giants franchise through his 40th birthday. Correa adds immediate impact to a team that desperately needs it following the retirement of Buster Posey last year. With that being said, the Giants will need to do more if they want to return to the postseason in 2023. While the Giants are adding a likely 5-win player in Correa, they also appear unlikely to re-sign Carlos Rodon at this point, who produced 6.2 fWAR for them last season. The additions of Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling should help offset that loss, and Mitch Haniger should bolster their outfield production. Still, there’s plenty left for San Francisco to do this offseason if they want to compete with the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West. While an outfield unit of Haniger, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater and LaMonte Wade Jr. (plus likely designated hitter Joc Pederson) is solid, the Giants are nonetheless reportedly looking to add another outfielder. The free agent market for outfielders has begun to thin out, but there are still some interesting players available, including Michael Brantley, Michael Conforto, Joey Gallo and Jurickson Profar. Additionally, the trade market has plenty of options, with the likes of Bryan Reynolds, Max Kepler, and Daulton Varsho drawing interest so far this offseason. Aside from the outfield, San Francisco is known to be interested in a late-inning bullpen arm to pair with incumbent closer Camilo Doval. While the Giants came up short in their pursuit of Kenley Jansen, other options remain on the market, such as Adam Ottavino, Andrew Chafin, and Taylor Rogers, twin brother of Giants reliever Tyler Rogers.

2. Do the Cubs have more moves on the horizon?

Entering the offseason, there were high expectations for the Cubs, who performed surprisingly well in the second half of 2022 and were frequently speculated upon as a landing spot for a star shortstop. Flash forward to today, though, and the offseason hasn’t gone as many fans would have hoped. Correa, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts are all off the market along with potential fits at other positions, such as Christian Vazquez, Sean Murphy, and Kodai Senga. This offseason hasn’t been entirely quiet, as the club has added both outfielder Cody Bellinger and starter Jameson Taillon. While both are sensible additions to a roster with plenty of holes, it’s an open question whether these moves can even make up for the production lost by franchise catcher Willson Contreras moving on to sign with the division-rival Cardinals, much less set the Cubs up to attempt to return to the postseason. Dansby Swanson is still on the market, and the Cubs do appear to be a legitimate candidate to sign him, but he should have multiple suitors, including the Twins, who recently lost Correa. Owner Tom Ricketts pledged in August to be “very active in free agency” this offseason — comments that generally echoed his Oct. 2021 statement to fans, wherein he declared: “We commit to fielding a competitive team reflective of your unrivaled support.” If Taillon ends up as the Cubs’ most notable addition, that doesn’t necessarily line up with the expectations created by Ricketts himself in those public-facing comments.

3. MLBTR Chat Today

Yesterday, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco fielded questions during a live chat (transcript here). If there’s still unanswered questions about this offseason or the direction of your favorite team burning in your mind, you’re in luck, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be hosting another chat today at 1pm CT. You can submit a question in advance, and you can use the same link to check back in this afternoon and participate live once the chat begins.

On the heels of last night’s midnight megadeal, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball throughout the day:

1. With Correa signed, are Rodon and Swanson next?

The 13-year deal Carlos Correa agreed to with the Giants last night takes yet another star player off the free-agent market. Will it loosen up the market for the top remaining names? Dansby Swanson already saw his market begin to heat up yesterday, and though the Giants are now presumably out after landing Correa, he has plenty of other suitors. The Cubs are perhaps at the top of the pile, but the Twins might be aggressive on Swanson now that they missed out on Correa. The Dodgers, Red Sox, and incumbent Braves loom as additional possibilities. While Correa’s signing doubtlessly clears the field for Swanson, it may impact Carlos Rodon even more. Rodon’s market, much like Correa’s, included both the Twins and the Giants. The prevailing theory was that neither team would be willing to spend what it took to land both stars. With Correa set to suit up for San Francisco, that appears to leave the Twins, Cardinals, and Yankees as the three frontrunners for Rodon. New York is rumored to be Rodon’s preferred destination, but reports suggest a significant gap between the two sides, with Rodon known to be looking for a seven-year deal in the $200MM range.

2. Thor’s market heating up?

According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the market for right-hander Noah Syndergaard began to heat up yesterday. Syndergaard had a solid if somewhat uninspiring season in 2022, his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. The righty posted a slightly above league average 3.94 ERA alongside a 3.83 FIP in 134 2/3 innings for the Angels and Phillies in 2022, but saw his fastball velocity decline dramatically; his heater averaged around 94 mph this year, down from nearly 98 mph on average in 2019. That contributed to a strikeout rate of just 16.8%, but Syndergaard paired it with a strong 5.5% walk rate and a fairly small 19.1% line drive rate. Ultimately, even if Syndergaard isn’t the same flamethrowing ace he was in his younger days, his still-above average fastball velocity and his pinpoint command make him a worthwhile investment for a team looking to fill out their rotation.

3. MLBTR chat today

Have the recent happenings on the hot stove raised questions for you? Are you wondering about what else you can expect your team to do before spring training starts in February? If so, you’ll want to tune at 5pm CT this evening for a live chat with MLBTR’s Anthony Franco, where he will be taking questions from readers. If you have a question you’d like to drop in advance of the chat, you can use this link to submit a question. The same link will take you to the chat when it begins later today, if you’d like to check back in and participate live.

The hot stove was busy yesterday, and here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout baseball today:

1. Catching market update

The top trade target and free agent are off the board on the catching market, as Sean Murphy is headed to the Braves, and Christian Vazquez is set to sign with the Twins. With the Guardians, Cubs, Rays, and Astros among the teams looking to land a catcher, what options remain? On the free agent market, Omar Narvaez is likely the top option, with Tucker Barnhart and Mike Zunino also getting attention. On the trade market, the only clear seller behind the plate is the Blue Jays, who are expected to deal a member of their catching trio (Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk, and Gabriel Moreno) at some point. The Astros (Korey Lee) and Guardians (Bo Naylor) both have catching prospects who could see more playing time in 2023, perhaps supported by the addition of a lower cost veteran like Barnhart or Austin Hedges. The Astros are also reportedly discussing a Daulton Varsho trade with the Diamondbacks, and Varsho, though more of an outfielder at this point, could still support a catching tandem of Lee and Martin Maldonado with an occasional appearance behind the plate. Other teams could also see the limited impactful options on the market behind the plate and take advantage by dangling one of their catchers. If the Braves get an offer to their liking regarding Travis d’Arnaud, he could be flipped elsewhere while the team pivots to sign a less-expensive backup to Murphy. The Padres could offer up one of Luis Campusano or Austin Nola, while the Rangers have MLB-ready catchers in Jonah Heim, Sam Huff, and Mitch Garver.

2. What deals could be coming down the pipeline?

After a fairly busy day on the hot stove yesterday, there’s plenty more moves that could be made in the near future. As previously mentioned, the Diamondbacks and the Astros are reportedly discussing trade of Varsho, while the Blue Jays are looking to move one of their catchers. Aside from those moves, the Yankees still have plenty to do this offseason, even after re-signing Aaron Judge. They reportedly a preparing a formal offer to the top free agent pitcher left on the market, Carlos Rodon, while engaging in trade discussions with teams in order to fill the hole in left field. Reportedly, they have interest in a deal with the Pirates for Bryan Reynolds and have talked to both the Twins and Diamondbacks about trades. Moving down the east coast, the Marlins have reportedly made an offer to third baseman Justin Turner, who could provide the team with a much needed boost to their offense. Sticking with small markets, the Pirates, despite re-signing catcher Tyler Heineman on a minor league deal, could still add a starting catcher to their club in the near future. Barnhart is known to be a name that interests Pittsburgh.

3. The Blue Jays added a starter — is a bat next?

The Blue Jays yesterday signed Chris Bassitt to a three-year deal, fortifying a rotation that already contained Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman. While the move improves their rotation in a significant way, they Jays are still in the market for a left-handed bat. A trade of Jansen, Kirk, or Moreno could end up playing a part in solving this part of the roster for the Jays, but they could potentially stand to add another bat to the outfield mix as well, with the DH slot relatively vacant. Michael Conforto and Michael Brantley are both options who have previously been connected to Toronto, but Andrew Benintendi and Joey Gallo are also available on the free agent market, while the trade market offers options such as Reynolds and Max Kepler.

Fresh off the heels of an overnight signing, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball throughout the day:

1. When will the Correa market heat up?

Now that Xander Bogaerts is in San Diego and Trea Turner is in Philadelphia — both on 11-year contracts — Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson are the last two stars standing on the free agent shortstop market. With Swanson’s market potentially held up due to Correa’s lingering presence on the market, it begs the question of when Correa will sign. So far, the Giants, Cubs, and incumbent Twins appear to be Correa’s top suitors, while the Dodgers are known to be out of the Correa market. Correa’s market was likely being held up, to some extent, by San Francisco’s pursuit of Aaron Judge, but his market has remained fairly quiet since Judge agreed to a nine-year deal with the Yankees last week. It’s worth noting that in previous offseasons, agent Scott Boras has frequently been willing to allow negotiations for his top clients to stretch well into the new year in order to ensure they receive the best possible offer.

2. Rodon stands alone

With Kodai Senga set to pitch in Queens next season, the top pitcher on the market, Carlos Rodon, stands as not only the last remaining ace on the free agent market, but also the youngest option available, having just celebrated his 30th birthday over the weekend. The incumbent Giants could be moving on from Rodon, based on their late-night deal with Sean Manaea. Rodon, who is reportedly seeking a seven-year deal, still has plenty of rumored options available. The Yankees, Dodgers, Twins, Orioles, and Blue Jays have all been mentioned as having interest in Rodon, while the Cardinals may be entering the market for the ace as well. The Mets and Rangers were previously known to have interest in Rodon, as well. However, the Mets have agreed to deals with three starters (Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana, Senga), while the Rangers have since signed both Jacob deGrom and Andrew Heaney. It’s possible neither is aggressively pursuing Rodon at this point. With the rest of the top pitching market largely decided, Rodon may be the next domino to fall at the top of the free agent market this offseason. Chris Bassitt and Nathan Eovaldi are among the best alternative options available for teams in need of pitching who don’t land Rodon.

3. How long will the trade market stay dormant?

This year’s Winter Meetings saw a bonanza of activity on the free agent market, with over $2 billion in spending on free agents. That activity masked a trade market that’s been very quiet this offseason, and figures to heat up now that so many free agents have come off the board. The trade market is particularly flush with catchers, as Oakland has made Sean Murphy available while Toronto has fielded interest on their catching trio of Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk and Gabriel Moreno. There’s also a fair number of rumors on the outfield market, with Bryan Reynolds requesting a trade from the Pirates, the Twins drawing some interest in Max Kepler, and the Diamondbacks listening on their surplus of outfield talent. Elsewhere on the market, the Reds are reportedly interested in dealing some of their surplus of infield prospects for outfield prospects, while the Marlins are known to be entertaining offers on much of their pitching staff, including Pablo Lopez and Trevor Rogers. As teams begin to exhaust payroll space and as the supply of impact free agents continues to dwindle, trade talks figure to escalate.

After another day that saw a top free agent sign on with a club, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball throughout the day:

1. How much more can the Mets spend?

Mets owner Steve Cohen has the deepest pockets among MLB ownership, and he hasn’t been afraid to use that to his organization’s advantage since he purchased the team in September of 2020. While this year’s collective bargaining agreement included a newly created fourth tier of luxury penalization, Cohen has yet to show much deference to that final, $293MM level. Instead, he’s given the green light to GM Billy Eppler’s front office on signing reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, lefty Jose Quintana, and set-up man David Robertson while also retaining closer Edwin Diaz and center fielder Brandon Nimmo on massive contracts. Altogether, RosterResource pegs New York’s luxury tax line for 2023 at just over $335MM. That figure already has them set to pay more than $60MM in penalties — a figure higher than the entire payroll of the Pirates or A’s in 2022. With the team incurring such massive fees already, it’s fair to wonder if the Mets are approaching the limit of their payroll capacity — if there even is one. Notably, the Mets are reportedly still interesting in adding another starter to their rotation, like Kodai Senga or Chris Bassitt. As perhaps the two best pitchers on the free agent market behind ace Carlos Rodon, both Senga and Bassitt are sure to have more suitors than the Mets for their services, and that could make things complicated for New York. After all, they’ll pay a 90% tax on the AAV for any contract to which they sign Senga or Bassitt this year.

2. Where will center field-needy teams turn with Nimmo off the market?

Yesterday’s deal between the Mets and Nimmo raises more questions than those about the Mets’ payroll. Chief among those questions is where the center field market goes from here. With Nimmo and Cody Bellinger both off the market, the already thin free agent market at the position is nearly barren. Kevin Kiermaier is the top option still available, but he’s recovering from season-ending hip surgery. Those behind him, such as Rafael Ortega, Tyler Naquin, Adam Duvall, and Jackie Bradley Jr. appear to be miscast as everyday players in center, at least for any club with playoff aspirations. With the Giants, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Rockies, and Marlins among the teams in the hunt for a center fielder, it seems likely that at least some of those clubs will need to explore the trade market to find their next center fielder. The Diamondbacks are flush in center field options at or approaching the big league level, and are drawing interest in that group. Pirates star Bryan Reynolds recently requested a trade, though the Bucs apparently plan to hang onto him regardless. Minnesota’s Max Kepler is a premium right fielder with decent career grades in center, and he’s also drawn some trade interest. Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins has long been the source of trade speculation, but given the Orioles’ shift to a win-now mentality, it’d likely take an overwhelming offer for them to even consider moving his remaining three years of club control.

3. Relief market keeps rolling

The relief pitching market has remained active, as Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin both signed deals with the Red Sox, Robertson landed in Queens, Tommy Kahnle returned to the Bronx, and both Brooks Raley and Joe Jimenez were traded in recent days. As early as November, there were signs that the market for relief pitching this offseason would be a robust one, from the megadeal between Diaz and the Mets to surprisingly strong contracts for both Robert Suarez and Rafael Montero. That strong market continued to play out with these deals, as the Red Sox paid out almost $50MM between Jansen and Martin, while both Kahnle and Robertson secured guarantees of more than $10MM despite recent injury struggles. Even with these players off the board, there still remains a number of quality options with late-inning experience on the free agent market, with Craig Kimbrel, Taylor Rogers, Andrew Chafin, and Adam Ottavino among the options left on the market.

With a frenzied Winter Meetings in the rear-view mirror, here are some things we’ll be watching around baseball throughout the day:

1. After Bogaerts stunner, what’s next for the shortstop market?

Late last night, the Padres and Xander Bogaerts agreed to a massive 11-year, $280MM deal. While things seemed to be progressing toward a reunion between Bogaerts and the Red Sox as recently as yesterday afternoon, the Padres managed to pry away Boston’s longtime shortstop with a huge offer that runs through Bogaerts’ age-40 season, wildly surpassing even optimistic predictions; MLBTR predicted Bogaerts would receive a seven-year, $189MM deal. Such an expectation-shattering deal could certainly come with implications for the top remaining shortstops on the market, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson. With Bogaerts approaching the $300MM mark, and fellow top shortstop Trea Turner reaching it, it seems reasonable to expect that Correa will surpass that benchmark. Swanson isn’t likely to push into that stratosphere, but he could also benefit and beat expectations — particularly given the wide breadth of teams still looking for a shortstop. The Cubs and Twins are both known to be in on both remaining shortstops, but they’re far from the only suitors, even with the Dodgers reportedly bowing out of the Correa market. The Giants are pursuing Correa after missing on Aaron Judge, while both the Red Sox and Cardinals have been linked to Swanson. However, both Boston and St. Louis made significant signings yesterday that could theoretically take them out of the inflated shortstop market: a deal with Willson Contreras for the Cardinals, and deals for both NPB star Masataka Yoshida and closer Kenley Jansen for the Red Sox.

2. Where will the Astros turn at catcher?

The aforementioned five-year, $87.5MM deal between Contreras and St. Louis leaves Houston in a difficult position, as they were the other main suitor for Contreras. The reigning World Series champs have a clear need at catcher, where Martin Maldonado and Korey Lee are the current tandem. The next-best free agent on the market, Christian Vazquez, has been clear about his desire to receive more playing time than he did following an August trade to Houston, where Maldonado remained the starter behind the plate even after Vazquez was accquired. This could leave the Astros pursuing cheaper options behind the plate, such as Tucker Barnhart, to whom they were recently connected. It’s also possible the Astros could dive into the trade market, where each of Sean Murphy, Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk, and Gabriel Moreno have been discussed in trade scenarios by their respective teams. The Astros have already been connected to Murphy in recent days, though the acquisition cost could be exorbitant for a division rival. Whether the Astros pursue a lower-tier free agent or a trade for a younger catcher, they won’t be spending anything close to the $87.5MM guarantee Contreras landed with the Cardinals. Given that, it’s possible the Astros could reallocate any money they had set aside for Contreras to other parts of the roster, whether that means signing a pitcher after reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander departed for the Mets, or bolstering their outfield corps with an outfielder like Brandon Nimmo or Andrew Benintendi, as they have been rumored to have interest in doing.

3. MLBTR Chat with Anthony Franco today at 1pm CT

After the whirlwind of the Winter Meetings, do you have any burning questions about your favorite team’s offseason? If so, tune in at 1pm CT for a live chat MLBTR’s Anthony Franco, where he will be taking questions from readers. With so much having happened in the past few days and a few of the biggest free agents on the market yet to sign, there’s plenty to talk about! You can submit a question in advance, and use that same link to check back and participate live.

The stove is so hot that we couldn’t even get this post out this morning! Judge, Quintana, Jansen, Contreras! Here’s what else we’re looking at:

1. How Will The Giants React To Missing Out On Judge?

Perhaps the biggest news of the offseason came in this morning, as reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge re-signed with the Yankees on a monster contract. In yesterday’s Opener, we discussed how the Judge decision was likely holding up most of the remaining top players on the market. With Judge’s decision now made, it’s possible we’ll see movement on other top players, and any such movement will likely involve the Giants and Padres, the losing bidders on Judge. The Giants signed Mitch Haniger last night, but San Francisco will likely be thinking much bigger with regard to future pursuits, as they’ve been connected to Carlos Correa at the top of the shortstop market, have interest in bringing back Carlos Rodón, the top pitcher left on the market, and may turn to Brandon Nimmo in their pursuit of a second outfield signing. Nimmo, of course, is the top outfield free agent available now that Judge has signed. With the Giants reportedly having offered Judge a deal in the range of $360MM, they should have plenty of money available for pursuits of any of these top free agents.

2. The Rule 5 Draft Is Today

The Winter Meetings are set to end today, and they’ll likely feature the same flurry of activity the past two days had. Today won’t be entirely the same, however, as the Rule 5 draft will occur at 4 PM CT this afternoon. Any players that were 18 and under at the time of signing and were signed in 2018 or earlier, and any players 19 or older and signed in 2019 or earlier who are not on a club’s 40-man roster are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft. Teams must have space on their 40-man to accommodate their Rule 5 selections. Currently, the 40-man rosters of the Angels, D-Backs, Rangers, Rays and Royals are full. This year’s Rule 5 draft is of particular note because the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft did not occur last year, leaving more players than usual freshly vulnerable in the draft this time. Between the Rule 5 draft and a likely third straight busy day of rumors and signings, the final day of this year’s Winter Meetings looks to be one to watch. Be sure to check in here at MLBTR throughout the day today for all the latest coverage and analysis of the Winter Meetings. You can also download our free Trade Rumors app on iOS or on Android and set up notifications for your favorite teams or any players of particular interest!

3. Who’s Left On The Mid-Rotation Market?

Yesterday saw the market for mid-rotation starters heat up in a big way, as the Rangers signed Andrew Heaney, the Phillies inked Taijuan Walker and the Cubs landed Jameson Taillon. It isn’t slowing down today, with the Mets and José Quintana agreeing on a deal. Walker and Taillon landed similar deals of four years, with Walker’s $72MM slightly outdoing Taillon’s $68MM, while Heaney took a different approach to his free agency, settling for a guarantee of just two years, $25MM in order to secure an opt-out that will allow him to test free agency again next offseason if he so chooses. In any case, the deals indicate that the market has gotten much stronger for mid-rotation starters since Tyler Anderson‘s three year, $39MM deal with the Angels last month. With prices soaring, the supply of mid-rotation options in free agency is shrinking rapidly, with Kodai Senga and Chris Bassitt the best options remaining behind Rodón, the last remaining ace. Looking a bit further down the free agency tier list, the likes of Nathan Eovaldi and Sean Manaea also remain on the market. Any of these pitchers could see their markets heat up as the Winter Meetings come to a close, now that the mid-rotation market has been established and their fellow free agents are beginning to sign.