Before Jordan Lyles signed his two-year, $16MM deal to join the Texas Rangers rotation, there was no shortage of interest in the big righty. Though we don’t know which (if any) of these teams made official offers, we do know that the White Sox, Blue Jays, Brewers and Twins were among the teams with interest, per MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Without financial specifics, it’s presumptuous to assume much in regards to the interest level of these four clubs, but the size of the contract inked by Lyles at least hints at a low-scale bidding war for the back-end rotation arm.
The Brewers interest is not surprising, given they acquired Lyles around the deadline in each of the past two seasons and he pitched to a 2.45 ERA (4.42 FIP) to close out 2019. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out that the Brewers have now lost the bidding on each of their free agent targets thus far (except Justin Grimm!), suggesting either limited payroll flexibility or disciplined judiciousness on the part of GM David Stearns. Of course, Lyles signed for more than most would have guessed, and Yasmani Grandal and Mike Moustakas signed for a combined 8-years, $137MM, a stratum the Brewers were hardly expected to reach. On the plus side, should the Rangers scuffle and Brewers stay in the race, we could see the rare baseball trade turkey, when a team successfully strikes for the same player at the deadline for three consecutive seasons.
The Twins and White Sox are two of the more eager starting pitching hunters this offseason, so their inclusion on this list is no surprise either. Both teams are likely to sign a couple of veteran free agents before the winter is out. As for the Blue Jays, they have less urgency given their timeline, though Lyles certainly fits the mold of the type of free agent they are likely to target.
Until I’m proven wrong, I think the Blue Jays are just a lot of talk regarding signing any meaningful free agents this year.
The meaningful free agent talk is probably indeed bs. Lyles isn’t meaningful, and the pursuit was probably real.
I think they have their targets and are kicking tires on everything else.
They’ll be “in” on everybody and then they’ll say everybody wanted more money than they were comfortable giving them. Come February they’ll sign Castellanos or somebody else nobody really wants just so the union doesn’t mutiny over a $50 million payroll.
In this case I’m glad that the Jays didn’t sign a guy that they were “runners-up for.”
I hate to agree, but you’re right. They’ve done absolutely nothing to gain the fan bases confidence. Nothing.
If the Jays can’t sign FAs, then they need to lock up they’re young players now.
Jays really havent said much so I’m not sure how they can be “all talk”. They have been non-committal to all FAs and even a direct approach to the FA and offseason market; except for generically having a need to add to the rotation. Which is obvious.
Side note, saying “until I’m proven wrong” doesn’t make you right. Especially when it comes to an opinion on a rumor website.
Finishing second in any competition just makes you the first loser.
And at least three of these teams didn’t even finish second.
Would that make them all the Biggest Losers?
Particularly in going after FA’s
White Sox out here trying and failing to sign everybody.
No facts here – just guess work on story. Slow day
It’s early
Yasmani. Grandal.
Besides, They have made no secret of the fact that they would like to sign a SP or two, so they are going to be linked in some way to every single one available. Missing out on Jordan Lyles is not the end of the world.
Especially because he sucks. 3 starters are good. Cole Strasburg Ryu. Pineda may have been. PEDs may have influenced his success however
Bumgarner makes a lot of sense for Brewers. Yeah, he’s not coming cheap, but Brewers have plenty of payroll room and at some point for them to contend they are going to have to take a risk that they may have overpaid. They’ll find their other starter either internally, via trade or at the bargain bin.
They have both corner infield spots to fill. Talk is Braun may go back to playing some at first. Look for them to deal for Dominic Smith and play him there is soft 50-50 platoon with Braun, and the Brewers to focus on a bat like Castellanos to get bulk of time ahead of Braun in outfield. though Braun will see plenty of time when they rest Cain and move Yelich to CF.
They’ll find a bargain or two to compete for 3B job. Maybe Starlin Castro. Maybe they’ll take Lowrie in the Smith deal from the Mets.
This is wishful thinking on just about all of those guesses. They need more than two SPs…more like 5.
What starter is going to want to pitch in Brew city as long as the starters are pulled before the 3rd time Through the order? Starters want the “W” not the 4 2/3 IP and a no decision…
It’s not like situational pinch hitting or pitch counts factor in at all….. you’re probably right, it’s just the Brewers enjoying burning their bullpen….smh
Shake your head all you would like! Taking starters out in the 5th inning while winning by 3 or 4 runs requires situational bullpen management? It sure as hell isnt going to land a starter when they have another team to choose from. This has happened repeatedly throughout the past 2 seasons
1 complete game start from a pitcher since Counsell has been the Crew’s manager…2015. One.
Yes, guys like Lyles were so misused by the Brewers that his market value was all but destroyed…really??
Original point was that free agent starters won’t come to Milwaukee because they get pulled early way to often
So what does that say about the Cubs that the Brewers still finished ahead of them the last two years…without 5 starters. You=Moron
The cubs spent 90 million dollars on their starters
burning their bullpen up by August
All I am saying is that starters won’t come to Milwaukee
Totally agree
Some rumblings from the Dominican Republic saying Marcell Ozuna confirmed with CWS. Not sure if I like it.
Is it the same guy who confirmed Machado?
Just what CWS need, another defensively shaky OFer.
2 years ago the man won a gold glove. And has an excellent bat.
Probably has the worst throwing arm in baseball and with Eloy in left, it’s going to be hard to watch Ozuna in right. The Sox just had a second baseman that won a Gold Glove that they got rid of for nothing. It’s difficult to think that Ozuna is a really good fit for the Sox.
Hopefully this rumor won’t become fact. Some background on Marcell Ozuna per this very site in their 2019-20 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions (mlbtraderumors.com/2019/11/mlb-free-agent-predicti…) :
Marcell Ozuna’s market figures to be similar to that of (Nicholas) Castellanos. Ozuna does have one huge season on his resume: his 2017 campaign for the Marlins wherein he posted a career-best 143 wRC+ with 37 home runs. Miami traded him to the Cardinals afterward, and his offense in St. Louis was pedestrian. Ozuna’s 108 wRC+ over the past two seasons is worse than a more affordable free agent like Yasiel Puig. Plus, unlike Castellanos (and Puig!), he’s been saddled with a qualifying offer. Ozuna’s arm pretty much limits him to left field, where he has received above-average defensive marks.
There are reasons the Cardinals have rushed in to re-sign Ozuna. What are they?
*not
I’m a little torn on this, as Ozuna can be a powerhouse. RR could potentially sub him out defensively later with either Engel/Cordell, or switch Robert to RF and Ozuna to LF.
But it’s hard to get excited for this when the better fit would be Puig (for all above reasons). Cubs would be fools to let Castellanos go, they need his bat and should pay whatever it takes. Plus, those people who think Castellanos is a good call for White Sox are probably xbox. I was against the idea from day one on account of Castellanos and McCann being on our squad going into Detroit is not a good business practice in the real world.
No body really wants to sign with CWS, well, maybe if they are way overpaid.
hey Dogbone. who’s your team?
He’s a Cub fan who regularly trolls the comment section of articles relating to the White Sox.
In addition to the recent Yasmani Grandal FA signing the White Sox won a bidding war two years ago for Luis Robert, the last ‘expensive’ international Latin American free agent before a new rule change took effect that limits signing bonuses to ‘amatuer’ prospects under 25-years old. Robert received a $26MM bonus with the White Sox also responsible for a matching penalty amount for exceeding their pool allotment.
You mean except Abreu and Grandal?
No signings on Pearl Harbor Day please.
ok Boomer
Why not? It’s an anniversary, and it’s not like life and jobs just stop happening for a day
what a dumb comment
On the eve of Pearl (prior knowledge debatable) per testimony post WW2: Pres. Franklin Roosevelt was playing with stamp collection, CNO Admiral Harold Rainsford Stark was at the theater, COS General George C. Marshall doesn’t know where he was.
The morning of, George Marshall is horseback riding and doesn’t get to the office until 11:30am. It occurs to him, that 1pm in Washington is dawn in Hawaii. Instead of using scramble coded telephone on his desk, he sends a commercial telegraph (Western Union) to relay a potential warning to General Walter Short in Hawaii. The message was received while the base was burning.
No posting on Bleacher Report then Mr Patriot.
JD is having a good offseason… think he watched the movie field of dreams a few to many times but it seems to be working.
Ivan Nova should get about 15 million a year in this crazy market.
Twins are all talk. Odo and Pineda will be their marquee signings.
Odo and Pineda are a lot better than what most teams will come away with this offseason.
Most teams don’t play in the worst division in baseball while also needing 4 starters including a legit ace while otherwise positioned well to be championship contenders.
Word…the idea is to get better. Since both were on the team last year they clearly are not. FO talks about windows being open and targeting impact pitching but I doubt they’ll add any decent pitching.
They certainly could have and likely would have been worse if they didn’t get those two back.
I agree they need to get better though.
CWS only really need a good starting pitcher and rf power bat that is a reasonably good fielder preferably a lefty. Joc Pederson’s a very good choice trade McCann and outfielder from farm. Go all in on Strasburg/Cole. If doesnt work get Kuechel and bullpen help for the weakest division in baseball is a good place to be.
It’s true that not getting Lyles is hardly tragic news, but we hear that the Jays are in on everyone, I think we know realistically it is the bottom of the pitching barrel for us Jays fans to be hopeful for….we were lead to believe that Ordorizzi, Pineada, Wheeler and Lyles were all realistic potential signings for the Jays? They are all off the board already, and it’s not that I wanted to sign them all, but so far there’s not much reason for optimism. The track record of Shapiro and Atkins speaks for itself!
Management to random Rogers media employee: “yeah, we’re in on _______”
Very easy to have a water cooler conversation with a fellow employee looking to print something on Twitter or a Rogers-owned website. That is how Jays fans hear (most) Jays news.
Give it up. Are you related to jimmer?
No he isn’t.
AKA teams that all dodged a bullet
White Sox seem out of sorts after whiffing on Wheeler and Hamels.
Lyles is just a desperation signing.
Hamels is washed up and would NOT fair well in the AL. Wheeler sure as hell didn’t want the AL either. He wants to face the picture every time through the batting order
There’s no sign the Sox were ever in on Hamels, so how’d they whiff? The Sox shouldn’t just sign guys out of desperation. They’re trying to win a championship, and to do that they need to acquire the right players. If they can’t get Cole, Strasburg, Ryu, or MadBum, they may as well not even bother with the rest of the free agent pitchers. Keuchel alone is not a significant move for them. Regarding RF, none of the OF free agents are a great longterm fit. Acquiring a TOR pitcher this offseason could make Lopez expendable as a trade piece for a RF. Another option the Sox should consider is acquiring Rendon to play 3B, and moving Moncada to the outfield. Too many trade scenarios to consider. The bottomline is, you don’t want the White Sox adding dead weight to the roster out of desperation like they’ve done in the past. Let the Phillies waste their money overpaying for overrated, or past their prime players. It’ll bite them in the ass for years to come (don’t be that guy, Hahn).
The White Sox still have plenty of money to throw at other FA pitchers who could be a compliment to Lucas Giolito atop their rotation in 2020 and beyond. Madison Bumgarner, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel are still available to the White Sox as potential TOR southpaws while Wade Miley, Drew Pomeranz, Alex Wood, Rich Hill and Drew Smyly remain as possible back of the rotation lefty options.
GM Rick Hahn has professed his desire to add two veteran starters to the White Sox rotation this offseason with one of them likely being a southpaw.
Not Pomeranz “he gone”
How do they seem out of sorts?
The Sox lost out on Wheeler despite making the highest bid, and every pitcher they rumored to have interest in is being courted by three or four teams. It’s always like this when the Sox want to add top free agents, and they never seem to be prepared for it. They need to be more aggressive and bid higher for the players they want—it’s just that simple.
Agree with you 100%, Priggs. It’s dang December 7th……and speaking for myself, I’m not in any “war room” watching Rick throw glasses up against the wall because they didn’t sign Cole Hamels. Heck, I’m not even in the room to see where Hamels was on their board and for how many years/how much money their analytic teams had him pegged at? Or Wheeler….or MadBum or every single other free agent and professional ballplayer for that matter.
With every Plan A, I am sure that every team also has plans reaching into the R, S, T range.
Until someone identifies themselves here and can verify that they are actually linked to private meetings, I doubt than many, if any, executives get “out of sorts” on December 7th.
This would be such an enjoyable site to read opinions if they were not jaded towards teams that people just don’t like.
You’re not informed enough to know why others are concerned about the Sox. You should listen and read more, and post less.
Why were there runner ups to begin with? This guy stinks. He’s no good… why would anyone want him? I wouldn’t want to pay him 8 mil over the next 2 years… idc if he had a small timeframe last year where he pitched well. Historically speaking, he’s more likely to be an awful train wreck than even serviceable. How do players like him remain in the league this long? Mind blown
This is what MLB has become. $8m a year for a below average starter who may give you one or two quality starts and may go past the 5th 25% of the time. It’s like hitting the lottery
Eh, he would be the 2nd best pitcher on my Orioles. The price tag may be a tad high, but he has some value.
Jays motto for this year: “always the bridesmaid, never the bride”.
I’m not sure why the Twins have no confidence in any of their minor league pitchers to be that back end of the rotation arm. It’s not the back end of the Twins’ rotation which is the problem anyway…
This offseason for the Blue Jays is becoming ridiculously embarrassing. All the amount of talk about having interest in everyone, and having all the money in the world, but can’t sign a single pitcher.. Not even one that makes 8 million a year. This incompetence is truly becoming a total joke. Atkins has no business being a general manager at this point. The guy is a total incompetent joke.
You don’t think he’s going to have at least another signing before it’s all said and done? Who cares if they miss out on Jordan Lyles for 8 million?
I couldn’t agree more you that assessment of the Blue Jays!
Really nothing to complain about here if you are the Blue Jays. At this point I’d rather see the Jays trade an OF or two for Chris Archer. See if he can get himself back on-track or buy him out at 250k.
This.
Brewers are the Dollar Store of MLB. They have lost everyone if gheyrcsoludcfree agents due to cheapness. Even though fans have thrown loads of cash at them in recent years. Stearns is looking to sign hasbeens and hopefuls to fill out all those empty spaces on the 40 man. Look for Brewers to finish no better than 3rd in NL central. Moose and Grandal were warriors. Brewers floundering in the wind.
“Runners up for Jordan Lyles” is a headline I never thought I’d see.