After acquiring Randal Grichuk earlier today, the Blue Jays appear slated to utilize him as the primary option in right field, GM Ross Atkins tells Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). That said, the team believes it can play Grichuk in any of the three spots, with that versatility increasing his appeal. What’s of greater interest, perhaps, is what the move means for the rest of the unit. It’s possible, Atkins suggests, that the Jays will entertain negotiations with other organizations regarding Steve Pearce and Ezequiel Carrera, though the team is also open to sporting a five-outfielder mix on the Opening Day roster.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- Red Sox chairman Tom Werner acknowledged today that the organization is engaged in active talks with free agent slugger J.D. Martinez, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal was among those to report on Twitter. While noting that “it takes two” sides to get a deal done, Werner certainly gave plenty of reason to believe that the Boston organization isn’t done adding to its roster. Of course, the interest in Martinez is longstanding and well known; earlier today, it emerged that the Sox have made an offer of $25MM annually over a five-year term.
- Infielder Eduardo Nunez has worked out for the Red Sox, per Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald. We learned earlier today about developing interest in the utilityman, who thrived in a brief, injury-shortened stretch in Boston in 2017. Nunez has long seemed likely to draw wide interest after three straight seasons of average or better production at the plate, but understandably has seen a quiet market to this point while recovering from a knee injury. Now that he has been cleared for activity, Nunez can try to max out his value. Entering the winter, MLBTR predicted that Nunez would command two years and $14MM.
- The Rays are far from done with their own winter tinkering, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Trimming payroll and accounting for a few open spots on the roster will still take place, says Topkin, even if it has been quiet of late in Tampa Bay. There are still quite a few potential moving pieces for the Rays, whether or not the team ends up pulling off deals involving some of its best remaining veteran trade assets.
- This one won’t exactly boil the tea kettle sitting atop the hot stove, but it’s worth noting nevertheless. The Orioles are still looking for veteran catching after agreeing to bring back Audry Perez on a minors deal, says Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). As things stand, top youngster Chance Sisco will enter camp as the favorite to share time with Caleb Joseph. But there’s time yet for the team to address its overall depth situation — perhaps, in a manner that creates real competition for Sisco, who did not exactly dominate offensively at Triple-A in 2017 (.267/.340/.395 in 388 plate appearances). Meanwhile, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun looks at the O’s options for utility infielders.
The Red Sox need him back with Pedroia a question mark to start the season and Devers being so green @ 3rd
I agree. I really like Nunez and he’s cost effective.
How is he cost effective when we don’t even know what his contract will be?
It’ll be a single digit number of millions. For an above average hitter and base runner who can field just about anywhere that’s extremely cost effective.
He’s not a good fielder anywhere but can field anywhere.
Jack of all trades… master of none
Like him also, only it means the team could give up on Marco Hernandez too soon and another team find themselves a super utility guy really cheap.
Hernandez is slated to start in Pawtucket, sign Nunez and bring up Hernandez when injuries inevitably occur
If the Sox re-sign Nunez, it’s a fair statement that it marks the end of the road for Brock Holt. Holt’s only advantage is that he can play the outfield and Boston could get a 4th/5th outfielder pretty much anywhere.
Take the 5yr 125 deal JD. That is probably the best you’ll get.
let’s see if Scott Boras channels his inner Paul Kinzer.
NO DOUBT!!! That’s more than he’s worth. I can’t believe he thinks he should have more 125 over 5 years. The guys is a very good professional baseball player. He is NOT GREAT. He is not a hall of famer.. in fact, he better take it before its end of March and they rescind it and make it 4 years 90mil. Greed. Someone will pay for greed this offseason. Not sure who. But someone!! THAT COULD BE THE NEXT POLL QUESTION!!! Who gets the shaft this offseason?
you sound angry
it’s not that he SHOULD but he COULD….so if you know you have the red sox offer in your back pocket, why not see if anyone can top it or you can get boston to up it a little. thats how free agency works. relax.
What do everyone think of this deal between the jays and marlins!?
•Realmuto & Yelich for Pillar,Teoscar,Warmoth,Reid-Foley,Harris,Tellez,Romano,and McGuire
I like it. I think the marlins might think it’s a little light though. They want either bo or vlad at least for Yelich. I don’t think they’d give up both of them without at least one do you?
They will want one of the top 2
No clue who anyone is. But Pillar in a huge center field maxes his defensive value. I like that. AA would’ve made that play – and I’d watch out for him. Sans R. Acuna and he makes the deal.
I think a lot of teams can beat it. It’s not a package that would favor the Marlins.
I think a lot of teams could beaten the staton deal as well. With jeter running that team, they might end up with a bucket of balls and a new practice pitcher in a deal.
A lot of teams could of beat the Stanton deal? Dude literally had a list of 4 teams he would go to and 2 of them beat the offer and stanton backed out. thats the best deal jeter could have made
But Jeter is NOT running the team! Michael Hill is the GM in Miami!
Please please please get rid of Morales. I’m fully willing to accept packaging prospects to rid of him, something along the lines of Reese McGuire + Harold Ramirez + Kendrys Morales for Drew Hutchison will be okay in my books.
(I’m exaggerating, but I think you get the gist)
I don’t disagree with getting rid of Morales, but who needs a primary DH? Twins or Royals? Maybe you could swing a deal with KC for Kennedy. It will have to be a bad contract for bad contract. Kennedy could slot into the number 5 spot in the rotation. Add in some prospects and maybe get a reliever as well. Those are the only two teams I can see utilizing Morales.
Tampa Bay could be a fit too, although you wonder if teams within the same division would trade with one another! Not that the Jays could use another OF, but a Span for Morales (and cash or prospects) might be worth exploring.
Ha. I’m wearing a blue jays Hutchison t shirt right now.
In a perfect offseason the Jays would be able to shed Morales and Pearce’s salaries. I like Pearce as a hitter but a good OF he is not. Then if they could acquire Yelich which centers around Alford as the main piece going the other way it could turn into an excellent offseason. Probably a pipe dream but man that would be great
So many teams with the cutting and trimming of payroll. Ridiculous. I hate how going into spring training you can name over half the teams that have no chance. Maybe they should consider contraction again like they talked about back in 04.
They have no chance because they will not put money back into the team,they won’t pay their young star players so they lose them after 5 years,the problem is in 80 precent of all teams,teams like the cubs,dodger,Red Sox,and Yankees never have this problem so most fans hate them,that’s the state of the game right now,so SADDDDDDDDDDD,,The Astros won but what happens in 3 to 4 years,will they pay their players the big money or lose them to free agency like the royals did.
Astros are a large market team so yes, they probably will pay everyone that they don’t have a replacement waiting in the minors for.
They are resetting their luxury tax clocks for next offseason which will have crazy contracts….. everyone right now was that one year to early
I’ll believe it when all this happens. They NEED pitching too!!!! They need to sign a big bat fast. And please tell me WHY the evil empire keeps adding to a great team n the Redsox haven’t got Nunez, or JD, or another PITCHER!!!!
Nice to see new fans on mlb trade rumours. I’ll explain since your a new fan. See in baseball team have to below 197 mil, or else they will face a luxury tax. Because the redsox have been over for years they need to reset so they can go after the big free agents next year otherwise new fans like yourself will complain. The Redsox are paying a lot of money to players that aren’t even on the team this coming year. They were certainly need to trim payroll if or when they sign JD Martinez as everyone expects.
I’d suggest trading Hanley’s 20 mil for the jays Morales. This would clear some money for this year but Morales is signed for next year so I dunno if it will work.
No it won’t work to trade Hanley for Morales. The Jays won’t do it. Period.
I would do that in a heartbeat. Doesn’t Hanley have one year left? He can also play first better than Morales
I like this one both are underachieving what the organizations thought so it’s a roll of the dice if they don’t get JD
If a Morales for Hanley trade happened it would be because the RedSox are handcuffed by the 197mil Lux tax. They’ve got a little over 11 mil to spend I believe I might be wrong probably am because I didn’t check today. But Morales is at like 13 mil I think Hanley is at 20mil this year. Redsox would save 7mil this year which gives them more wiggle room. Now with that said morakes is owed money next year which is why I don’t think the deal would occur. Boston would probably just cut Morales if they acquired him cause he’s not worth a roster spot. Hanley at 20 mil isn’t exactly easy to unload either without pay some most of his salary which defeats the purpose of trading him in the first place
Iverbure it was nice of you to explain how the luxury tax works to a new fan.
The only problem is that what you told him isn’t correct the Red Sox went under the luxury tax last year so they have already reset.
Harold Reynolds sucks.
The MLB Network Harold Reynolds.
?
F*****. right Harold sux
Harold speaks what the baseball analyst get wrong ,he is an ex player who knows the game from the inside ,as an ex minor leaguer he is so smack on with his comments.
Ex players generally will add that insider perspective with their analysis but I never found Reynolds stood out as having a lot to add. Wouldn’t say he stood out as sucks either.
I wonder if he was even mentioned anywhere in this article or someone just felt the need to point out that he sucks? And another person agreed blatantly. Hilarious stuff all around.
The ex player argument holds little weight to me, because I’ve seen ex players from dumb to smart add analysis, so it’s impossible to group them all as one!
True some ex players don’t have a clue,but Harold spends time with the players of the game on the field,locker room,batting cage he gets to hear what they say,sometimes he does go a little awol ,but the players love him and relate whit them,smolts is till in the 90s,billy Ripken is living off his brother and the guy with the tight pants is just nuts.
He said he had Gregorius over Seager bc of health – reference MLB top 10 last weekend. He is ignorant. Seager played more that Gregorius. He talks out of his ass.
Agreed. Reynolds is brutal. He is ignorant and condescending. I can’t stand listening to him.
And your writing comes out of thou rump.
Yea
And Kevin Millar is a moron!
Sky is blue
Grass is green,
I wish the Sox would have signed Howie Kendrick.
I’m a fan of J.D. but $125M over 5 years is an overpay.
Nunez would be a real nice fit with the Mets at 2B. Fingers crossed….
…getting harder and harder to find anything much to say about these moves isn’t it?
Definitely harder and harder to be positive about the Jay’s moves.
Actually I think the Jays learned a lesson from last off-season and have done a decent job of reacting to both the market and their position in the league.
I honestly don’t think there was enough talent in this free agent class to close the gap on the Red Sox and Yankees, never mind the Astros.
On the flip side, the returns for traded players haven’t been overwhelming. Stanton traded for basically salary relief. Cole and McCutchen for lottery tickets and spare parts. Who else was bidding for Donaldson other than the Cardinals? If you’re not getting a premier prospect why trade him?
So what should the Jays do? Sell out the entire farm in trades? Risk hamstringing their budget in future years by signing a bunch of mediocre free agents now just because they would be upgrades? Dump everyone from a team that is likely among the 6 best in the AL when there are 5 playoff spots available?
The Blue Jays are caught somewhat in-between contention and rebuild. I think removing as much risk as possible by replacing a bunch of below average backup players with average or better guys, while not making long-term commitments, or trading away any of the top prospects, is a solid strategy for this team.
That said, I would still be in favor of Toronto signing Cain, and adding another SP.
Jeff, seriously? Jays trade Pearce and/or Carrera? They are just pieces and in the case of Pearce, vastly overated oft injured piece. No team will want to take anything for these guys except as weak depth at the deadline and then the Jays would have to take on contract money.
How can Grichuk play all 3 outfield positions? He has a minus minus arm.
I think Ben Nicholson-Smith needs to write an article on the coming firing of Ross Atkins.
Pearce could be a fit in Texas as a 1B compliment to Gallo, and a RH DH compliment to Choo.
Hope the Red Sox can work things out with Nunez.
I have been saying that all along.
I don’t think they need JDM but they seem fixated on him for some strange reason.
$125 / 5 years is the most I would ever go if I were John Henry.
Just one other thought.
If they get JDM Hanley Ramirez has to go.
They won’t play JDM in the outfield unless they’re stupid.
The defense they have now is way better.
So JDM becomes the DH.
That seems foolish as Hanley can also play 1B and can platoon with Moreland.
Pedroia seems like the most logical to DH when Hanley plays 1B.
Assuming they get Nunez to play 2B.
Pedroia’s knee is gone and he has multiple years left on his contract.
He can still hit and so can Hanley.
Can’t understand why they would want JDM?
A starting pitcher like Lynn seems like a much higher need.
But this JDM story seems to keep staying alive?
I’m glad it’s not my team or my money.
I honestly believe DD has more sense than that.
And Scott Boras is somehow out there making teams think he has a hall of famer?
JDM is a good player and a bad fit for Boston.
Maybe Boston is driving up his value to hurt a competitor?
If that’s the case I wonder who the competitor would be?
Otherwise what could be driving this constant JDM talk?
Or can someone out there please explain where they play JDM in Boston?
Are they perhaps thinking of moving Betts back to 2B where he played in the minors?
That’s a possibility but Betts is an all star in RF.
They can get Nunez for maybe $14M/2 years to play 2B.
And they will still need 1 or 2 SP’s.
It’s too bad Boston has so much money to spend.
They seem to thinking money will buy them talent.
They probably are they worst team at spending per return on investment in the MLB.
It’s funny to see Jeter slash his payroll and Boston blow their money.
Name me the last expensive contract they did that really paid off?
Even the great Hall of Famer to be Ortiz they nickled and dimed every year.
Let’s see, Crawford, Sandoval, Castillo.
They let Lester go. Apparently they evaluated him as a failure.
Andrew Miller go.. Apparently evaluated him as a failure.
They let Theo Epstein go, Apparently evaluated him as a failure.
They let Terry Francona go. Apparently evaluated him as a failure.
They under bid in Jose Abreu. Instead paid more on Rusnay Castillo.
Henry Owens was the big rookie star. They just cut him.
And now they plan to get JDM?
John Henry, do you ever wonder if someone’s getting kickbacks spending your money?
Do you ever demand results of your scouts and executives, coaches and managers?
You’re in the playoffs only because of your hefty budget.
It takes brains to win with far less money.
Even in the movie Moneyball you acknowledged that with Billy Beane.
You have Sabermetrics and the latest Bill James metric.
.If you only could combine Sabermetrics/Bill James metrics with return on investment you’d really have something.
But it’s you’re money.
I just can’t figure why you don’t see the gigantic need for a SP?
I’m hearing nothing of a SP that you are pursuing.
DD did say he was looking for a SP.
Why no rumors on who he’s seeking?
Seriously? Start a blog.
Dude the Red Sox want JDM because he is a power bat in the middle of the lineup something they missed last year.
JDM would be the Red Sox DH and spit start in the outfield when someone needs a day off. My guess is he would be relegated to Left field when that would happen.
The Red Sox don’t need another starter they are just fine in the pitching department. They may add another another reliever but that’s about all. There aren’t many teams in baseball that have better starters.
They will not be able to trade Hanley most likely so he will be a platoon at 1st with Mitch Moreland if they sign JDM.
I have seen absolutely no news that Boston is looking at a starter at all. The only way they add one is if they miss on JDM then they may add a starter even though that is really the strength of the team on paper.
They aren’t moving Mookie out of right they probably will go with in-house options until Pedroia comes back at second.
The Red Sox have a real solid club as is with no real glaring hole except the middle of the order power bat therefore that is what DD is looking at and probably will get because I don’t think anyone else will bid 5/125 for a DH.
“Just one other thought…”
followed by 50 lines of text, lol
what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Sign Nunez, trade Bogearts. Please