With just a few days to go until the Winter Meetings, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Overseas players officially posted:
Two players from across the Pacific have just been posted for major league teams, officially allowing them to join MLB’s free agent market: KBO infielder Hyeseong Kim and NPB right-hander Koyo Aoyagi. Kim, 26 in January, is the bigger name of the two. His posting has been anticipated for the better part of a year. The former double-play partner of Ha-Seong Kim, he has ample experience at both middle infield positions but has spent considerably more time at second base — playing exclusively there in 2024. While the younger Kim hit an excellent .326/.383/.458 in 127 games for the Kiwoom Heroes this year, that strong slash line figures to come down somewhat at the big league level. Even if he projects as merely a league average (or even slightly below average) hitter, his youth, speed (30 steals in 2024), and strong defense make him one of the more interesting players available in a thin infield market.
Aoyagi, on the other hand, will celebrate his 31st birthday next week. A low strikeout rate could limit his upside at the big league level. Even so, Aoyagi could provide an interesting depth option for clubs on either a minor league deal or a relatively inexpensive big league deal. It’s also possible that the sidearming hurler could get a look from an MLB club in relief, which might help his stuff play up compared to his work in Japan as a starter, where he posted a 3.69 ERA with a 13% strikeout rate this year.
2. Rays stadium plan to be voted on:
While the majority of the attention regarding the Rays’ stadium plans is focused on the 2025 season in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton’s destruction of Tropicana Field, the question of where the club will be playing long-term has been put back on the table as well. There should be some movement on that front today. Colleen Wright of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the St. Petersburg City Council is scheduled to vote on approving bonds that would help finance a new stadium for the Rays. The sides had a plan in place last year that would’ve constructed a new stadium near the Trop in time for the 2028 season, but the aftermath of Milton and frustration from local officials about the club’s decision to play its home games in nearby Hillsborough County next year rather than in a stadium located within Pinellas County alongside the Trop, has led to delays in the approval of bonds for financing the new stadium.
Even if today’s vote passes, that won’t guarantee the stadium plans goes through as intended. The delays have led the Rays to suggest that the stadium may now not be ready in time for the 2028 season, leaving the club skeptical about the deal. What’s more, the Pinellas County Commission also delayed approving their own bonds that would fund the project. Getting approval from the county seems to be a much larger obstacle than the city of St. Petersburg, given that last month’s elections altered the makeup of the commission, with a handful of key votes in favor of the stadium deal no longer in office.
3. Yankees exploring other top-of-the-market options:
While all eyes are on Juan Soto as a decision seemingly looms in the near future, the Yankees do not appear to be putting all their eggs in his basket. Reports yesterday indicated that they’re also making efforts with a number of other high-profile free agents. They’ve met with starters Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, and shortstop Willy Adames has also drawn interest from the club recently. Could yesterday’s reports offer a glimpse at which players the Yankees might focus on if Soto departs?
Yanks should be in on Kim, he seems to be exactly what they need at the keystone. Bring some speed, contact and defense. Mariners would make a ton of sense too, and depending on money maybe a mid market team like the pirates see value. I think this guy will be a steal for whoever gets him.
Yup, and Kim wouldn’t be as expensive as Adames will most likely be. Good defender with good bat to ball skills at 2B would be an improvement over Gleyber in my opinion.
Totally agree. Kim if healthy is fantastic.
@uvmfiji. He’s talking about Hye-seong not ha-seong.
We already have Torres replacement in Durbin/Jazz.
Durbin is an interesting prospect but not to the point that he can be confidently penciled in as a regular on a win now team for 2025. Personally I’m comfortable with the idea of keeping jazz at third especially if the yanks win the soto sweepstakes. There are more options internally and on the hot stove at second that play better with a soto payroll.
For $600 million id take Burnes, Fried, Adams and Kim with money to spare..
It’s a valid point, but it doesn’t work that cleanly. Teams focus on AAV, and those players would double the AAV of Soto.
Stop!!! Yankees have $116 million to spend if they move Stroman’s contract. Soto is only about $46 -50 million avv and its very doubtful Yankees paying him that so they have a full $98-116 million avv before they reach the $301 million Cohen threshold plenty of money to sign those 4 players plus more!
That’s not entirely accurate. The Yankees aren’t moving Stroman without eating a significant part of it, so they would still have less than $116 to spend
You’re probably correct to some extent, but with how expensive SPs are this offseason, it may be as little as 25% that the Yankees have to eat.
Good luck moving clubhouse cancer Stroman
@Player
not a single Yankee has had a bad thing to say about him. stop listening to false narrative.
First, where are you getting $116MM? Second, how can you get all four of those guys for under that value? I’m missing it.
Anthony – Seriously, what the hell? Yankees are right now based on 2025 commitments just $42M under the threshold. Apparently you’re not aware of the penalty for exceeding it three years in a row. Look it up.
Ah screw up, you’re probably not capable. It’s 50% for 3 or more years and 45% for spending between $281M-$391M. Maybe you’re able to add those two numbers?
Typos … ah screw it, you’re probably not capable. It’s 50% for 3 or more years and 45% for spending between $281M-$301M. Maybe you’re able to add those two numbers?
Clip – Just the usual blatantly wrong crap being thrown around, hoping people will believe their lies.
Signing those four will keep the Yankees above the third tax line for the foreseeable future.
Negative.
That’s three qualifying offer free agents. Each would cost the team their 2nd and 5th highest draft picks plus 1M in international money.
The Yankees would lose SIX draft picks and 3M of their 5M or so international budget. That’s a price I don’t imagine the team will want to pay.
But the WAR…
What is it good for…absolutely nothing
Say it again…
Good god y’all
Only Yankees fans think players take team friendly deals to play there and not use them for their tens of millions they spend more than other teams.
Teams don’t care about total contract the way they care about AAV. Your actual comparison is $40m-$45m a year vs around $100m-$110m a year.
They don’t have 600 million to spend that is a contract for 15 years They will have 80 million to spend minus Soto. I like trading for Bellinger CF, Walker 1B, Burns SP and 2 relief pitchers
I agree with your proposal except I don’t want Bellinger at all, and I prefer Fried over Burnes. I’d find someone else for the OF if we don’t land Soto, unless we believe we can “fix” Bellinger. His 109 wRC+ from 2024 is barely above average.
Bellinger is $27.5 million out of that, Burnes is roughly $32-35 so the leaves between $21-23 million for Walker and those relievers. While finding bullpen help on the cheap isn’t impossible it’s unlikely you get Walker for less than $20 million
As a Braves fan, Fried is exactly who NYY needs. Rodon’s deal has been a common comp to what Fried has been chasing. They need someone reliable to go with Cole, and there’s not many more reliable since 2020 (via ERA) than him. Sure, there are questions about his postseason stats (save 2021) and arm issues, but NYY can afford some risk in a deal, especially if Fried is a Plan B from Soto.
Every team can use Max Fried. Whatever team that ends up signing up, I’d be very nervous about his overall health.
Fried would be so good if he wasn’t so skinny and put some meat on
@sad
Max is 6’4 190lbs and while there are plenty of pitchers in the 6’2 to 6’5 range that weigh on at 225-260lbs, there is also a guy that was Max’s teammate in 2024 who is 6’6 180lbs and had quite a good year. Not sap suee adding weight improves performance
Braves need him too
Sure, ATL needs him too, but that contract will be a risk they can’t afford, and NYY can, especially if you have a Soto nest egg.
AA offered 200M to try to get Nola last off season. I havent heard if Fried has been offered anything from the Braves, but I don’t want to go into another season as a Braves fan with inconsistent AAA scrubs to try to fill spots. Something tells me that Atlanta will go back and settle on Charlie Morton for one more year to fill one spot
@Skyrider123 — That’s the first time I’m hearing 200M. Source? I thought I remember ~160M. I highly doubt 200M. Maybe AA said, “No way in hell I’ll give you 200M” and the anonymous source started listening at “…I’ll give you 200M”.
If not Morton, a Morton-esque player (35 or older) on a short-term, high-AAV. I see them splurging a little (in comp to Morton) for Eovaldi (though he’s 34). He’s fairly durable, postseason success. Wasn’t he also a teammate of Sale’s in BOS (fwiw)?
@Skyrider: AA reportedly offered $162M for Nola, not $200M. Nola re-signed w/the Phils for $172M.
@RunDMC: Yep. Eovaldi was Sale’s teammate w/the Sox.
Yes, you are both right. It was a 162M offer. Not sure where I came up with 200M. I agree Eovaldi would be a solid pick up.
TalkinYanks said the Yankees had a 90 minute zoom call with Max Fried that went well.
Reading that was the moment I finally learned what agents do. 90 minutes on Zoom? F*** that. We (millenials) don’t take phone calls lmao my rep from CAA Sports can TEXT me how it went
I think we should merge the streams….:”Yankees take Soto money and invest it in a new stadium for Rays”
Or, to make that thought more logical, “Yankees take Soto money and buy the Rays”
Why buy them when we already OWN them!!!! Oooooohhhhhhhhh, mic drop.
This is basically how minor league baseball started.
NO on Max. He was destroyed in the playoffs the last several starts. Who needs him if he can’t do it when it counts?!
As a Braves fan, Fried also seems to get rocked two straight outings then be lights out in three turns through the rotation only to come up with a forearm injury or blister issue. Simply put Fried is good but very inconsistent. It would not surprise me that whoever signs Max that he ends up needing TJS at some point this year. His arm issues last season including numbness in his forearm and elbow were very worrisome.
@skyrider123. That’s why I would take a shot on beiber. He should be back mid-season, but he was one of the best pitchers before he went down.
There are more and more rumors about the Yankees in the last couple of days. Maybe they are out on Soto. Or Soto told them that he won’t sign with them.
Certainly possible, Maybe they are signaling Boras the purse is not infinite.
Also possible
Yanks have the most media members, more mouths to feed!
Rays should run the Yankees out of town, and build a new stadium where Steinbrener Stadium is.
Or we can just evict them.
If the Rays make the World Series, where will they play their home games? I don’t think MLB would allow them to play in a 14,000 seat stadium. Miami?
If they make the playoffs, period, I suspect they’ll play in Miami.
This has been the slowest offseason ever
Tons of FAs
And none of em can sign
Until ONE guy makes up his mind
Hurry the F up
@johncoltrane
Tell the owners to pay the big bucks already. Give him $1B and he’ll sign today. Problem solved.
It not the owners
Its soto
And boras
Greedy mfers
We’ve had many painfully slow off-seasons in recent years. It’s too early to declare this one slow. Let’s at least get to the Winter Meetings.
They need a French Revolution type of clean up on both sides.
Get it through the players that a Cap with a Floor is better for everyone. Get the owners to realize that sharing all revenue with the demand that it be used by all cheap ownership is the best for everyone.
The reason the NFL realized this in 1960 was that their revenue was nowhere near MLB. They also had the AFL coming along to take some of their attention. Money from TV.
Baseball was king and had no competition. Then until at least you can say when the merger happened. And then MNF took off. Then the strike of 1981. Then NFL passed them. But that is subjective.
Either way. Rozelle cajoled them to accept this way as the best way or this to function. Then they ended up passing baseball while not having to accept FA until what 1992?
While baseball has had to deal with creating arbitration in 1973 because of Finley constant contract issues. Refusing Miller’s offer if 10 years before FA. The owners say No. the arb says yes and it’s now 6 years.