As the offseason continues, here are three things for MLBTR readers to watch for today:
1. Lance Lynn to finalize deal with Cardinals:
Veteran starter Lance Lynn will take his physical today (per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch), and barring any setbacks, he will officially rejoin the Cardinals, the team that selected him in the first round of the 2008 draft. Following the least productive season of his 12-year major league tenure, it’s no surprise that Lynn wanted to return to the homer-suppressing ballpark where he saw so much success in the early days of his career. The Cardinals, meanwhile, desperately needed to bolster their starting rotation, and signing Lynn is the first step in that direction. Other names the team has been linked to include Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery (another former Cardinal), and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has officially been posted:
As of 7:00 am CT this morning, MLB clubs can begin negotiations with Yamamoto, who was posted by the Orix Buffaloes on Monday. The posting window will last 45 days, which means it will expire at 4:00 pm CT on January 4. Now that teams can begin discussions with the NPB superstar, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com suggests that the other top arms remaining on the market, namely Montgomery, Gray, and Blake Snell, could wait until Yamamoto signs before agreeing to deals of their own. Yamamoto is expected to sign for more guaranteed money than any other pitcher (aside from Shohei Ohtani) this winter, so it stands to reason that Montgomery, Gray, and Snell would like to wait for him to set the market. The Phillies, Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and Cardinals are just some of the many teams that have been linked to the star pitcher, who will not turn 26 until next August.
3. MLBTR Chat today
Two of MLBTR’s top 50 free agents have come off the board this week – Aaron Nola and Reynaldo López – and with Yamamoto officially on the market, it looks like the hot stove is finally starting to heat up. MLBTR’s Steve Adams will host a chat with readers today at 1:00 pm CT to take questions about free agent signings, potential trades, and more. You can click here to submit a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to participate live and read a transcript once the chat is complete.
Yamamoto to Boston, please!
I feel it. I don’t know why.
Hope is never mere, even when it is meager; when all other senses sleep, the eye of hope is first to awaken, last to sleep.
Gil-galad to Elrond
“Hope is never mere, even when it is meager; when all other senses sleep, the eye of hope is first to awaken, last to sleep.”
Word salad. Needlessly complicated to sound deep.
rsmith – You obviously don’t have an appreciation for and/or an understanding of the arts. It’s ok, sports is meant as a distraction so it’s not entirely your fault.
RS isn’t accustomed to reading anything not in an online baseball chat.
I like the quote. Hope is an important thing and prioritizing it keeps other negativity and hopelessness at bay.
Thanks for adding it, Brewe88.
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Well I certainly hope the BoSox don’t sign him, as I’m not a fan, but it’s who I picked.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
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Warren Buffet, quoting someone else, who undoubtedly quoted someone else:
“Be fearful when when people are greedy, and be greedy when people are fearful.”
Maybe the best financial advice ever.
Word salad is actually when something makes no sense at all. It’s complete gibberish–words thrown together. This is not gibberish.
Wasn’t expecting LOTR in this cesspool! Thank you sir
“Well you know those times when you feel like there’s a sign there on your back
That says I don’t mind if you kick me, seems like everybody has
Things go from bad to worse you think they can’t get worse than that and then they do
“If you’re goin’ through hell keep on going
Don’t slow down if you’re scared don’t show it
You might get out before the devil even knows you’re there”
— Rodney Atkins
JoeBrady — Or this one:
“Hands up, don’t move.”
I’m trying to be positive. this is a player you spend on, with sale being gone next year, it balances out the salary next season. I hope the Sox feel the same way
with sale being gone next year,
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I’m going to be in the minority, but I am hoping that Sale is not gone next year. He is still a top-tier SP, when healthy. I’d be asking Sale for two more $20M option years in exchange for us guaranteeing the $20M 2025 option.
There is still I’d guess at least a 40% chance of the RS picking up his $20M based on the 2024 results.
Why because he. like chowder?
He’s going to whoever offers the best contract but also has the ability to win now….he obviously has seen Ohtani languish with the Angels and that’s got to resonate on his decision…..and please don’t go the worst to first route with the Sox…….
…..and please don’t go the worst to first route with the Sox…….
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Every FA will expect the RS to be contenders every year.
Come on Joe….contenders every year…….really……what happened this year……..you Boston fans love to chant that last to first stuff…and that fine until you come in last there year after making the playoffs…….
We had this discussion in 19 when Sox fans knew Mookie was leaving. Many indicated we’d take last place finishes in exchange for championships. I’m still in that mindset although 22 was tough. Having the Yankees at the bottom in 23 made it easier…
@bcjd – Let’s hope he and Yoshida were good friends when they both played for Orix. I’d love to see Masa get involved in the negotiations and help lure him to Boston if the Red Sox are truly interested in landing him.
Maybe on a layover to New York.
I’m going Yankees. They need to make some impact moves or Judge and Cole will be wasted. They’ve had recent success with Japanese pitchers
ohyeadam — Yanks sign Bellinger.
Belli will be left holding the bag and end up taking another one year deal. Maybe something similar to what Correa did his first trip into FA, one year guaranteed with short term options. Not enough teams are going to buy into his extreme turnaround as thought imo
I’d take long odds to bet against this outcome.
Why would he want to go there and lose? What is the upside to playing with that Boston team..they have? Devers? A fake Story?
Can’t believe Morgenstern doesn’t mention San Francisco.
That will be one sizeable hospital gown Ol’ Lance will take his physical in. The Cards may have one left over from Jonathan Broxton’s physical.
No pockets for snacks though.
Not sure why people are so fascinated with making fat jokes. I’m sure you’re the epitome of fitness.
Never brought up “fat”. Just noted “size”. You projected the “fat”.
Lester, your passive aggression is noticed and if that’s how you wanna live your life, I hope for better days for you, brother.
The picture you painted lester made it pretty obvious.
But the gown having a lack of “pockets for snacks” sure implied it. It’s semantics, everyone knew what you meant.
You should own up to the fact that you implied “fat”.
The fat jokes may stem from the obvious connection between fitness and performance for athletes. Lynn isn’t an accountant. He’s a highly paid professional athlete. There will be questions about his physical fitness.
Not wanting to get to political, but commenting on his fatness is fine. Making jokes at his expense, not so very much.
Approve of these jokes or not, the people who make them reveal something about themselves, and it’s probably not what they intended. It’s Homer Simpson’s world, we just live in it.
I don’t like fat jokes. I once dated a hefty lady. Every Friday, I would take her out to dinner and a movie and a dinner.
Lynn isn’t fat. He’s a big, beautiful man. Let’s 86 the body-shaming.
Lance Lynn slogan, “I serve ‘em up!”
Lance “Way Back” Lynn
Lance Lynn back with club that drafted him. I’m am literally crying.
Same
It is Go Time in Baltimore for Yoshi
Not to be super negative, but what indication do you get that Angelos is willing to spend to that level when he’s already talking about not being able to keep the core together in the future?
Maybe the Angelos family will disappear to another planet and sell the team
I really do hope that for you guys. Unfortunately, only a few of these billionaires actually care about winning.
Breslow should be all in on Yamamoto
He and Bailey know pitching. I say either Yamamoto, Gray or (absolute worst-case) Lorenzen.
I will be absolutely shocked if the cardinals are willing to spend enough to get yamamoto. crossing my fingers.
I hear Admiral Yamamoto has a great “sinker”….
Silas;
I get it!
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Next you’ll say he hopes to make a big splash in the league.
He has trouble “Midway” through the game though
Yamamoto looks like an interesting pitcher but the Japanese pitchers don’t pitch more than 160ip in a 143 game season, on a 6 man rotation in a dead ball league whose average hr hitter is 5. Marwin Gonzalez hit 12hrs, next best player was at 13hrs.
I can’t see giving Blake Snell type money, unless it’s a graduated contract, minus the obligatory tjs year, increasing per year over 6 years.
The thinking is Snell signs for more AAV, but Yamamoto signs a longer deal for a larger total contract. Snell is the number one get imo because of the uncertainty of a new league for Yamamoto.
Took me awhile to get out of the habit of writing phrases such as, “will not turn 26 until next August,” when what I really mean is “will turn 26 next August.”
I got Yamamoto to the Mets. they got out from the Verlander and Scherzer contracts and he is young enough to fit into their rebuilding plans.
Thank goodness the Cards got that signing done before the bidding war really heated up. /s
Yamamoto said he prefers West Coast, so there’s that.
“Meanwhile” has to come at the start of the sentence. It can’t come in the middle.