Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Transactions

Astros Sign José Abreu To Three-Year Contract

By | at

The Astros have found their new first baseman, announcing agreement Monday evening on a three-year deal with José Abreu. He’ll reportedly receive $19.5MM per season, bringing the total to $58.5MM. The salary will be paid out evenly, and the deal also contains various incentives based upon awards voting and All-Star appearances. Abreu is represented by ISE Baseball.

Abreu, 36 in January, has spent his entire big league career with the White Sox thus far, but it seemed likely as the season was winding down that they were ready to let him switch jerseys in 2023. With many other first base/designated hitter candidates on the roster, such as Andrew Vaughn and Eloy Jimenez, the thinking was that they would let Abreu walk and dedicate their resources elsewhere, which now appears to have come to pass.

Though the Sox were apparently willing to let him walk away, he continues to have excellent results at the plate. In 2022, he seemingly gave up a bit of power for a more contact-oriented approach, but still to great effect. His 15 home runs were the lowest of his career but so was his 16.2% strikeout rate. The result was a .304/.378/.446 batting line that was 37% better than league average, as evidenced by his 137 wRC+.

That was his ninth MLB season, with Abreu posting a wRC+ of 114 or higher in each of them. He got as high as 164 in 2020, winning Most Valuable Player in the American League in that shortened season. Despite the downturn in power this year, he’s been one of the best hitters in the league over the past decade or so. Since his debut in 2014, he has a 139 wRC+ for his career, with only 11 hitters posting a higher such number in that timeframe. Given his generally solid work at the plate but relatively older age, MLBTR predicted him to secure a contract of $40MM over two years, or $20MM per season. He was ineligible to receive a qualifying offer since he had already been given one earlier in his career.

The Astros were excellent in 2022, winning 106 regular season games and then storming through the playoffs to their second World Series title. First base was actually one of the few weak spots on the roster, as Yuli Gurriel suffered through a down year at the plate. After hitting .319/.383/.462 in 2021, he slumped down to .242/.288/.360 this year. The club acquired Trey Mancini at the deadline to try to bolster the position but it didn’t really work out as he hit just .176/.258/.364 after the deal. Both players reached free agency at season’s end, leaving a vacancy for Abreu to step into. This signing potentially brings Gurriel’s tenure in Houston to an end after seven seasons, unless he’s willing to return in a lesser role as a pinch hitter and occasional designated hitter.

The Astros recently parted ways with general manager James Click amid reported disagreements between him and owner Jim Crane. It seems Crane is in no rush to replace Click, taking over the baseball decisions and seemingly content to continue doing so into the new year. Despite the unusual front office situation, they’ve continued to be quite active, re-signing reliever Rafael Montero and now adding Abreu, both on three-year deals.

Turning to the financials, the Astros currently have a 2023 payroll around $163MM and a competitive balance tax figure around $178MM, per Roster Resource. Their Opening Day payroll figure was $175MM last year and $188MM in 2021, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Assuming Abreu’s contract is in the predicted range of about $20MM per season, that would push their payroll up above $180MM and their CBT number close to $200MM. Though they’re getting close to their previous highs in spending, it stands to reason that they can push it a little bit this winter on the heels of a Championship run and all the extra revenues that go along with that. As for the CBT, the lowest threshold for 2023 will be $233MM, leaving them with plenty of remaining space even if they plan on avoiding going over.

For the White Sox, this marks the end of an era that lasted almost a decade. Vaughn is a natural first baseman whose attempts to move to the outfield went poorly. He produced -16 Outs Above Average on the grass in 2022, the lowest mark of any outfielder in the league this year. His -10.5 Ultimate Zone Rating was also the lowest for an MLB outfielder on the season while his -14 Defensive Runs Saved was among the bottom five. However, he hit .273/.323/.433, producing a wRC+ of 115 while just 24 years old. The Sox surely hope that he can produce even better results as he continues to acclimate to MLB pitching, especially without having to bother with worrying about his outfield defense in the future. Nonetheless, the club will be looking to improve on an 81-81 season while letting their best hitter depart, which won’t be an easy task.

For the Astros, their lineup was already extremely potent, featuring the likes of Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker. They’ve now added one of the best hitters in the league as they look to defend their World Series title in the year to come.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that Abreu and the Astros were finalizing a deal, as well as the three-year term (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of The New York Post first relayed that the salary would be around $20MM per season. Mark Berman of Fox 26 reported that it would actually be $19.5MM per year. Heyman was first with the specific salary structure.

Image courtesy USA Today Sports.

Angels, Chris Devenski Agree To Minor League Contract

By | at

The Angels have reportedly agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander Chris Devenski. The 32-year-old receives an invitation to major league Spring Training.

Devenski made 13 big league appearances this past season. He opened the year with the Diamondbacks and was selected onto the MLB roster in late July. That marked a culmination of a year-long rehab from a Tommy John procedure undergone in June 2021. The Cal State-Fullerton product made 10 appearances for the Snakes, allowing nine runs in 10 2/3 innings before being let go at the end of August.

The Phillies added Devenski on a minor league pact almost immediately thereafter, and he was selected onto the 40-man roster at the end of September. He pitched three times in a Philadelphia uniform, allowing five runs in four innings. While he was eligible for postseason play, he was left off the roster throughout Philadelphia’s pennant-winning stretch.

It has now been a few seasons since Devenski was an effective bullpen arm, but he’s gotten at least brief MLB looks in each of the last seven years. The former 25th-round draftee was one of the most valuable relievers in the game at his peak with the 2016-17 Astros. Over that two-year stretch, he combined for a 2.38 ERA through 189 innings. Since the beginning of the 2018 season, however, he owns a 5.45 mark in 145 frames split between three teams.

To his credit, Devenski managed a quality 20:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 16 Triple-A innings this year. The Halos will take a no-risk look to see if he can carry that production over in Spring Training and compete for a spot in the big league bullpen. Anaheim had a middle-of-the-pack relief corps in 2022, finishing 18th in ERA (3.97) and 22nd in strikeout rate (22.2%).

Jon Morosi of MLB.com first reported the Angels and Devenski had agreed on a contract. Sam Blum of the Athletic was first to report it was a minor league pact with an invitation to MLB Spring Training.

Reds Sign Luke Maile

By | at

6:29pm: It’s a $1.175MM guarantee, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. There’s an additional $25K bonus attainable if Maile appears in 80 games next season.

4:25pm: The Reds announced they’ve signed catcher Luke Maile to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal have not yet been reported. Maile is a client of Meister Sports Management. Cincinnati’s 40-man roster count is up to 39.

Maile, 32 in February, has spent his career bouncing around the league as a depth option. He’s played parts of seven big league campaigns, suiting up with the Rays and Blue Jays early in his career. He spent the 2021 season with Milwaukee and inked a $900K guarantee with the Guardians this past spring.

The University of Kentucky product opened the season on the injured list with a left hamstring strain, but he was reinstated by mid-April. He spent the rest of the year on the active roster, logging a bit less action in a timeshare with Austin Hedges. Maile made 76 appearances, hitting .221/.301/.326 with a trio of home runs across 206 plate appearances. While he was arbitration eligible for a final time this winter, Cleveland non-tendered him in lieu of a projected $1.3MM salary.

Maile has 306 games of big league experience under his belt. He’s a career .207/.268/.314 hitter but has a solid reputation as a defender. Defensive Runs Saved gave him average marks in just over 500 innings of work last season, but that metric has pegged him 21 runs better than par over the course of his career. Statcast has given him mixed reviews as a pitch framer in recent years. It’s credited him with an above-average throwing arm, though, with a 1.96-second average pop time (time to throw to second base on a steal attempt) that ranked 28th among 72 catchers with 10+ throws.

With over five years of big league service time, Maile is on track to return to the open market at the end of next season. For the 2023 campaign, he’ll presumably settle into his familiar role as a backup. Cincinnati is sure to give the lion’s share of playing time to Tyler Stephenson, who looks like one of the top young backstops in the game. The Reds cycled through a number of depth options behind him this year, giving brief looks to each of Aramis Garcia, Austin Romine, Michael Papierski, Mark Kolozsvary, Chuckie Robinson and Chris Okey.

None of that group is still in the organization. Romine reached free agency, while Okey, Robinson, Papierski and Garcia were all let go. Kolozsvary was lost on waivers to the Orioles. Maile joins Stephenson as the only backstops on the 40-man roster, and Cincinnati could look to bring in another depth player on a minor league deal later in the offseason.

Giants Sign Four To Minor League Deals

By | at

The Giants have signed four players to minor league deals, according to their transactions tracker at MLB.com. They are infielder Colton Welker and right-handers Mauricio Llovera, Sam Delaplane and Drew Strotman. All four of them were on the club’s roster until getting non-tendered earlier this month.

Welker, 25, spent his entire career with the Rockies up until recently. Colorado drafted him in the fourth round in 2016 and he made his MLB debut with the club in 2021, getting into 19 games. He required season-ending shoulder surgery in June of this year and was subsequently designated for assignment. The Giants put in a claim and held onto him for a few months but he didn’t survive the non-tender deadline.

His cup of coffee in the majors wasn’t terribly impressive, but he has strong numbers in Triple-A. In 2021, he hit .286/.378/.476 for a wRC+ of 114 and then slashed .324/.422/.514 in 2022 for a wRC+ of 136. That latter number was in just 10 games prior to the shoulder injury, but it’s still intriguing enough for the Giants. If Welker can return to health next year, he can provide some depth at the infield corners.

As for the right-handers, Llovera is the only one with major league experience. He’s spent most of his career with the Phillies thus far, including brief appearances with them in 2020 and 2021. He was outrighted in August of last year and later signed a minor league deal with the Giants, who added him to the roster in April of 2022. Over the past three seasons, he’s thrown 24 innings with a 7.13 ERA, but stronger numbers in the minors. He threw 20 Triple-A innings last year without allowing an earned run, striking out 35.9% of batters faced while walking just 5.1% of them and getting grounders on 52.3% of balls in play. He’ll look to work his way back onto the 40-man roster, though he’s now out of options and won’t be able to be easily moved on and off the active roster going forward.

As for Delaplane and Strotman, they have each made it onto major league rosters but haven’t had the opportunity to appear in an MLB game. Delaplane was a 23rd round pick of the Mariners in 2017 and got added to the club’s roster in November of 2020 to protect him from being selected in that year’s Rule 5 draft. He required Tommy John surgery in April of 2021 and then was designated for assignment, but the Giants weren’t put off by the surgery and acquired him in a trade. He made it back to the mound this year but only tossed 3 2/3 innings in Single-A. With the injury and the canceled minor league seasons in 2020, his last healthy stretch on a mound was 2019, when he pitched 37 Double-A innings with a 0.49 ERA.

Strotman was a fourth round draft pick of the Rays in 2017 who was added to their 40-man roster ahead of the 2020 Rule 5 draft. He then went to the Twins in 2021 as part of the Nelson Cruz trade. The Twins tried moving him from the rotation to the bullpen but Strotman posted a 6.44 ERA in 50 1/3 innings with their Triple-A affiliate in 2022. He was designated for assignment and went to the Rangers and Giants on waiver claims.

SSG Landers Close To Signing Kirk McCarty

By | at

Left-hander Kirk McCarty is close to signing with the KBO League’s SSG Landers, according to a report from Ilgan Sports (hat tip to reporter Sung Min Kim).  A deal will become official once McCarty passes a physical.

McCarty made his Major League debut in 2022, posting a 4.54 ERA over 37 2/3 innings for the Guardians.  Eleven of McCarty’s 13 appearances came out of the bullpen, and he started getting some Triple-A usage as a multi-inning reliever after spending much of his pro career as a starter.  Over his 425 1/3 innings in the minors, McCarty has a 4.30 ERA, 22.9% strikeout rate, and 7.26% walk rate.

These types of numbers were enough to give McCarty his first crack in the big leagues, but ultimately made him a little expendable in the pitching-deep Guardians farm system.  McCarty was actually designated for assignment in July and claimed off waivers by the Orioles, but he pitched just one game with Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate before he was DFA’ed again, and re-claimed by Cleveland.  Prior to the 40-man roster deadline earlier this month, the Guards designated McCarty again and released him.

McCarty was a seventh-round pick for Cleveland in the 2017 draft, and he has spent his entire career in the organization apart from that one-week sojourn in the Orioles’ system.  The move to the Korea Baseball Organization presents a whole new chapter for the 27-year-old, and perhaps a chance for McCarty to more firmly re-establish himself as a starting pitcher.  Due to his lack of strikeouts, McCarty doesn’t really fit most MLB teams’ preferred model for a starter or a reliever, though he does have some quality spin rates on both his fastball and curveball.

NPB’s Yokohama BayStars To Sign J.B. Wendelken

By | at

The Yokohama BayStars have signed right-hander J.B. Wendelken, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  The contract is a one-year deal with an option for 2024, and Wendelken can earn up to $3.05MM, including incentives.

Wendleken elected free agency after the season, ending a stint with the Diamondbacks that began in August 2021 when Arizona claimed him off waivers from the A’s.  The Diamondbacks agreed to an arbitration-avoiding one-year, $835K deal with Wendelken last winter, but he posted only a 5.29 ERA over 29 innings in 2022.  Arizona designated the righty for assignment in July and then outrighted him off the 40-man roster, with Wendelken then spending the remainder of the season at Triple-A Reno.

Beginning his career in Oakland, Wendelken had a solid 2.30 ERA over 74 1/3 relief innings from 2018-20, though his 3.74 SIERA was perhaps more reflective of his overall work.  Wendelken benefited from a very low .218 BABIP in those three seasons, but his fortune changed with a .310 BABIP in 2021 and a dropoff in his strikeout rate.  The right-hander has only a 19% strikeout rate and a unimpressive 11.4% walk rate over 72 2/3 innings since the start of the 2021 season, as well as a 4.71 ERA.

With this recent performance, Wendelken might have been hard-pressed to find anything beyond than a minor league deal with an MLB team this winter, so he has instead opted for some guaranteed money and a fresh start in Japan.  Wendelken’s Triple-A numbers are worth noting, as he had a strong 2.63 ERA, 35.1% strikeout rate, and 9.6% walk rate over the small sample size of 24 innings with Reno.  This provides some hope that Wendelken can perhaps get on track with the BayStars, and either continue in NPB or perhaps eventually explore a return to North American baseball.

Roberto Osuna To Re-Sign With NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines

By | at

Reliever Roberto Osuna is close to agreeing to a one-year contract with Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines for the 2023 season, per Enrique Rojas of ESPN.

Osuna began the 2022 season playing in the Mexican League for the Diablos Rojos del México, tossing 13 1/3 innings of three-run ball while striking out 15 batters and earning six saves, before joining the Marines for the second half of the season. Once in Japan, he threw 32 2/3 innings of 1.37 ERA ball, posting a 37:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio, earning sixteen saves, and allowing only a single home run.

Osuna, who will be 28-years-old during the 2023 season, hasn’t appeared in a major league game since 2020, when he was outrighted off the Astros’ roster. Osuna had missed much of that season with an elbow injury that limited him to only four appearances. The injury initially came with a recommendation of Tommy John surgery, but a second opinion led him to rebab instead. Now, with two consecutive years of pitching more than 45 innings, Osuna appears fully recovered.

Osuna served a 75-game suspension in 2018 for violating the MLB – MLBPA Domestic Violence Policy. A member of the Blue Jays at that time, he was arrested in Canada and charged with the assault of his then-girlfriend. He later agreed to a one-year peace bond, with the alleged victim withdrawing the charges to resolve the criminal case.

Per the Canadian Department of Justice’s website, peace bonds are generally used when “an individual (the defendant) appears likely to commit a criminal offence, but there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has actually been committed.” The Canadian Department of Justice further adds that peace bonds are obtainable by “any person who fears that another person may injure them, their spouse or common-law partner, or a child, or may damage their property.”

It’s unclear if any major league club has shown interest in bringing Osuna back state-side this offseason. There’s little question of his on-field effectiveness when he is healthy, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll get another MLB opportunity at any point down the line.

Padres Sign Julio Teheran To Minor League Deal

By | at

Veteran right-hander Julio Teherán has signed with the Padres on a minor league deal, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The contract could pay Teherán up to $6MM if he reaches the majors and maxes out the incentives on the deal. Teherán is represented by Mato Sports Management. 

A two-time All-Star, Teherán returns to the National League, where he had previously spent nine seasons with the Braves, pitching to a 3.67 ERA in 1360 innings, before departing to join the Angels in 2020 and the Tigers in 2021. His tenure with the Angels was less successful, as the righty pitched to a 10.05 ERA in 31 1/3 innings with a poor 13.4% strikeout rate and a high 10.7% walk rate. Despite these substandard results, Detroit signed the hurler to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Teherán would eventually join the major league roster but would be shut down for the season with a right shoulder strain after a single start. 

The 31-year-old, joined the Staten Island FerryHawkes of the Atlantic League for the 2022 season before having his contract purchased by the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. The Toros de Tijuana released Teherán in August, but he would soon latch on with the Sultanes de Monterrey, also of the Mexican League. Over the 2022 season, Teherán pitched 68 innings across 13 starts, posting a 3.57 ERA with a 56:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.  

The 11-year MLB vet will look to find a spot on San Diego’s staff, who have seen starters Mike Clevinger and Sean Manaea depart to free agency. However, Nick Martinez figures to earn some starts with his new contract and the Friars have been connected to highly sought-after free agent pitcher Koudai Senga, potentially leaving Teherán as a Triple-A depth piece. 

Aristides Aquino Signs With NPB’s Chunichi Dragons

By | at

10:30 AM: Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital adds that Aquino’s deal is one-year, $1.2MM with an additional $300K of possible incentives.

10:20 AM: Outfielder Aristides Aquino has signed with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network. It’s Aquino’s first stint overseas, who had previously spent parts of the last five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds.

Aquino, 28, made his debut during the 2018 season, earning a single at-bat, before reaching free agency and re-signing on a minor league deal with the Reds. He would eventually join the team in a more permanent role during the 2019 season, slashing .259/.316/.576 with 19 homers in 205 at-bats while posting serviceable strikeouts (26.7%) and walk (7.1%) rates. During that stretch, the right-handed hitter hit 13 homers in his first 100 plate appearances, setting an MLB record.

His success soon faded, and Aquino would spend the 2020 season bouncing between the major league club and the Reds’ alternative training site. More recently, Aquino hit a weak .194/.269/.381 with 20 homers across the 2021 and 2022 seasons (433 at-bats) with a poor 36.7% strikeout rate and a strong 9.2% walk rate. He was designated for assignment two weeks ago, as the Reds adjusted their 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft.

It’s possible that Aquino has a strong enough performance in Japan to draw some new major league interest in the future, for it was only a few seasons ago that he showcased his immense power. Nevertheless, he will now turn to the Dragons as an outfield option with a career .300/.374/.644 line at the Triple-A level.

Angels Sign Jacob Webb To Minors Contract

By | at

The Angels have agreed to sign right-hander Jacob Webb to a minor league contract, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (Twitter link).  Webb became a free agent after spending much of the 2022 season with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate.

Webb was an 18th-round pick for the Braves in the 2014 draft, and he has spent his entire career in Atlanta’s organization apart from a brief stint with the Diamondbacks last season.  The D’Backs claimed Webb off waivers in April, and he made six appearances at Triple-A and some time on the Major League roster (without appearing in a game) before the Braves re-acquired Webb back in a trade last June.

Injuries hampered Webb last season, and he had only a 6.06 ERA over 35 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level with the Braves’ and Diamondbacks’ top affiliates.  He didn’t pitch at all at the MLB level, after posting a 2.47 ERA in 76 2/3 frames for Atlanta in parts of the 2019-21 seasons, topping out at 34 1/3 frames in 2021.  Webb also pitched 1 2/3 innings during the NLCS, and earned a World Series ring for his role in Atlanta’s championship season.

Despite that 2.47 ERA, Webb’s 4.28 SIERA and modest 21.9% strikeout rate perhaps better reflect why the Braves first parted ways with him a year ago, and he also had a checkered injury history.  Still, there isn’t much risk for the Angels in taking a look at Webb in camp and seeing if he can compete for a bullpen job.  As Murray notes, Webb is a known quantity to Angels GM Perry Minasian, who worked in Atlanta’s front office from 2017-20 before being hired by Los Angeles.

Though Webb doesn’t record a ton of strikeouts, he does have some swing-and-miss in his game, with an impressive 13.8% swinging-strike rate over his brief MLB career.  If he can continue to miss bats, generate soft contact and (perhaps most importantly) stay healthy, Webb might end up being a nice under-the-radar pickup for the Angels.

Show all

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

hide arrows scroll to top