5 Key Stories

Recapping the five biggest items from the past week on MLB Trade Rumors…

Red Sox (finally) land J.D. Martinez: Boston was cited as a natural landing spot for the free agent slugger well before Martinez even hit the open market, though it took quite a while for the two sides to finally reach an agreement.  (And then the official announcement was delayed for a week due to some last-minute details, though it appears as though Martinez will finally be officially introduced in a press conference on Monday.)  The Sox land one of the game’s best bats for their power-starved lineup, while Martinez will earn $110MM over the five-year pact, plus some additional flexibility in the form of player opt-out clauses after both the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

LoMo heads to the Twin Cities: Another power hitter who had a longer-than-expected stint in free agency, Logan Morrison landed with a new team just today, with the news that he and the Twins had agreed to a contract.  Morrison is only guaranteed one year (worth $5.5MM in salary), though he can unlock a vesting option for 2019 that would pay him $8MM in that second.  Additional incentives could make the deal worth as much as $16.5MM over two years.  It isn’t the type of deal Morrison expected in the wake of a career year that saw him hit .246/.353/.516 with 38 homers in 601 PA for the Rays, though Morrison was hampered by both the overall slow free agent market and the recent trend of teams being unwilling to pay too much for first base power.  Still, Morrison will now get a chance to join a contender and the Twins have landed a very notable lineup upgrade at a price that more than fits their mid-market payroll.

Rays, Yankees, Diamondbacks swing a trade: A rare three-team deal saw New York land infielder Brandon Drury, Arizona acquire outfielder Steven Souza and pitching prospect Taylor Widener, and Tampa Bay add more young talent (southpaw Anthony Banda, second baseman Nick Solak and two players to be named later) into their organization.  With Martinez gone to the Red Sox, the D’Backs pivoted by acquiring Souza as their new everyday right fielder while trading from an infield surplus.  The Yankees fulfilled their goal of adding second base and third base depth with the versatile Drury, giving them a stable big leaguer at either position until Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar are expected to step into the two spots at some point during the season.  As for the Rays, they got Souza’s $3.55MM salary off their books while also obtaining some solid prospects — Banda, in particular, could be an option for the Tampa rotation as soon as this season.

D’Backs sign Jarrod Dyson: Souza wasn’t the only outfielder joining the Snakes this week, as Arizona also signed Jarrod Dyson to a two-year, $7.5MM contract.  Dyson brings a needed boost of speed and defense to the Diamondbacks’ roster, and the two-year commitment means he could step into center field in 2019 should A.J. Pollock leave in free agency next winter.

Rays trade Dickerson, add Hudson and Gomez: Beyond just the three-team swap, it was a very busy week for a Rays organization that continues to both manage its payroll while not closing the door on contending in 2018.  Tampa designated All-Star outfielder Corey Dickerson for assignment in the wake of their trade for C.J. Cron last week, and found a taker for Dickerson in Pittsburgh, who sent right-hander Daniel Hudson, prospect Tristan Gray, and $1MM to the Rays.  Dickerson becomes the Pirates’ new everyday left fielder, filling a void in the Bucs’ outfield left in the wake of the Andrew McCutchen trade.  Hudson brings some veteran depth to the back of the Rays’ bullpen, and they added another experienced name in Carlos Gomez, who signed a one-year, $4MM pact.  It will be very interesting to see how the Rays’ roster-shuffling develops on the field this season, though they were dealt a blow with the news that top pitching prospect Brent Honeywell suffered a torn UCL.

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Here are the biggest stories from the past week here at MLB Trade Rumors…

Darvish goes to Wrigleyville: The offseason’s biggest free agent finally landed a new home, as Yu Darvish agreed to a six-year, $126MM deal with the Cubs.  Though several teams were linked to Darvish over the course of the winter, it took until almost mid-February in this unusually-quiet offseason for the star right-hander to sign —  this slow market, in fact, seemingly opened the door for the Cubs to pursue Darvish in the first place, as opposed to other pitching targets.  The addition of Darvish to an already-strong rotation of Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana, and Tyler Chatwood bolsters Chicago’s chances of repeating as NL Central champions, despite other notable offseason upgrades for the Cardinals and Brewers.  It wouldn’t be surprising if Darvish’s contract leads to more movement on some of the other top members of the free agent pitching class, i.e. Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn, and Alex Cobb.

Mets sign Todd Frazier: A prominent free agent position player also signed this week, with Todd Frazier remaining in New York but trading in the Yankee pinstripes for the orange-and-blue.  Frazier signed a two-year, $17MM deal with the Mets, a lower-than-expected contract that reflects the cool free agent market overall and, specifically, the relative lack of contenders looking for third base help.  The Mets themselves were mostly focused on second basemen (or multi-position infielders) this winter with Asdrubal Cabrera penciled in at the hot corner, though the Frazier signing came not long after Cabrera expressed a preference for playing second base.  With so much health and positional uncertainty dotting the Mets’ roster, the team will be helped by Frazier’s durability, not to mention his above-average defense and hitting.

Spring Training for free agents: With more that 100 free agents still unsigned, the MLB Players Association is finalizing plans for a separate Spring Training camp for these unattached players so they can prepare as normally as possible for the coming season.  Several details are still to be finalized about this camp, and not all free agents are expected to attend; some of Scott Boras’ clients, for instance, will train at the Boras Corporation’s own facilities.  The MLBPA camp is the most public example yet of what an unusual offseason this has been for free agent activity, and the war of words between the union and the league office about the alleged reasons for the dearth of signings continued this past week.

Bullpen signings: The Rangers and Rays each added some veteran depth at the backs of the bullpens, with Texas signing Seung-hwan Oh to a one-year, $2.75MM deal (with a $4.5MM club option for 2019) and Tampa Bay welcoming back Sergio Romo on a one-year pact that could pay Romo as much as $2.75MM.  Oh’s second year in Major League Baseball wasn’t nearly as successful as his first, though the former Cardinals closer has the opportunity to regain his old “Final Boss” status within a Rangers pen that lacks a clear answer for the ninth inning.  As for Romo, he could also be in line for some saves should the Rays pull the trigger on an Alex Colome trade.  Romo struggled with the Dodgers last season before regaining some of his old form after a July trade to Tampa Bay.

Arbitration results: ’Tis the season for arbitration hearings, and you can keep track of each case’s decision via the MLB Trade Rumors ArbTracker.  Of course, not all of the unsettled cases have actually gone to a hearing, as Jonathan Schoop and the Orioles avoided arbitration by agreeing to an $8.5MM salary for 2018 (for reference’s sake, Schoop filed for $9MM and the O’s countered with $7.5MM.  The Astros both reached agreement with a young star and saved themselves some work for next winter by inking a two-year, $24MM extension with George Springer that will cover the World Series MVP’s next two arb-eligible seasons.

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Here are the biggest stories MLBTR has featured since last weekend…

Pittsburgh says goodbye to two stars: Dating back to the 2016 season, it seemed like a matter of when – not if – the Pirates would trade center fielder Andrew McCutchen and right-hander Gerrit Cole. It finally happened in separate deals over the past week. McCutchen went to San Francisco for two players, and Cole headed to Houston to join the reigning champions in a package that netted the Bucs a quartet of potential contributors.

McCutchen and Cole (particularly the former) were terrific Pirates during their long tenures with the organization, but their lack of team control helped lead to the end of both eras. The 31-year-old McCutchen is only signed through the upcoming season, and it seemed unlikely before the trade that the Pirates would extend him. While Cole has two more years remaining, the low-payroll Pirates weren’t going to re-up the Scott Boras client before his eventual trip to free agency. As such, general manager Neal Huntington took what he believed were the best offers for both players. Some Pirates fans are incredibly displeased, though, even petitioning for owner Bob Nutting to sell the franchise.

…But Felipe Rivero’s sticking around: The Pirates’ excellent closer was already under control via arbitration for the next four seasons, but the club elected to extend him anyway. In doing so, the Bucs bought out all of Rivero’s arb years and potentially a couple free agent seasons. The reasonably priced deal guarantees the 26-year-old left-hander $22MM, while each option (2022 and ’23) is worth what will be a team-friendly $10MM if Rivero’s dominance continues.  In 2017, his first full season in Pittsburgh, the ex-National saved 21 of 23 opportunities and pitched to a 1.67 ERA across 75 1/3 innings. In the process, Rivero notched 10.51 K/9 against 2.39 BB/9 and logged a 52.9 percent groundball rate.

Padres extend a (Brad) Hand: San Diego’s Hand, another of the game’s premier southpaw relievers, landed an extension before Rivero. Like Rivero, Hand was already under control prior to the deal, as he wouldn’t have been eligible for free agency until after 2019. Hand’s payday is for a guaranteed $19.75MM over the next three years, and it also comes with a $10MM club option for 2021. The soon-to-be 28-year-old Hand had been popular in trade rumors prior to the extension, but he could now be part of the next good Padres team – if their rebuild goes as planned, that is. Hand was about as effective as Rivero last season, with a 2.16 ERA, 11.8 K/9 against 2.27 BB/9 and a 46.3 percent grounder rate over 79 1/3 frames.

Blue Jays add power to outfield: The Blue Jays picked up a couple home run-hitting corner outfielders in Randal Grichuk, whom they acquired from the Cardinals, and free agent signing Curtis Granderson. Grichuk, a 26-year-old right-handed hitter, cost Toronto reliever Dominic Leone – who was a standout in 2017 – as well as pitching prospect Conner Greene. The lefty-swinging Granderson pulled in a one-year, $5MM guarantee entering his age-37 season. With Grichuk and Granderson in the fold, GM Ross Atkins acknowledged that the Jays could listen to offers for corner outfielders Steve Pearce and Ezequiel Carrera.

A few other recognizable free agents come off the board: Surprisingly, the Twins reeled in reliever Addison Reed for just $16.75MM over two years – a much lower guarantee than most expected entering the offseason. A desire to play in the Midwest reportedly helped lead Reed to Minnesota, where he’s likely to set up for recently signed closer Fernando Rodney. At 29, Reed is the youngest free agent to find a team over the past week-plus. Aside from the previously mentioned Granderson, a slew of other 30-somethings in Jay Bruce, Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick and Brian Duensing also exited the market.

Bruce got the richest deal (three years, $39MM) and is once again a member of the Mets, with whom he played parts of the previous two seasons. Gonzalez will join him as part of the 2018 Mets, though his previous employer – the Braves, who released him in December after a luxury tax-geared trade with the Dodgers – will take care of nearly all of his $22MM salary. The Mets will only pay Gonzalez a minimum salary. Kendrick, who finished 2017 with the Nationals after they acquired him from the Phillies at midseason, returned to Washington for a two-year, $7MM guarantee. He figures to once again offer the Nats a quality utility player. And after a resurgent 2017, Duensing re-upped with the Cubs – also on a two-year, $7MM contract.

Here are the biggest stories from the past week at MLBTR …

Rockies complete trio of high-priced relief additions: After committing $27MM apiece to two top setup men, the Rockies went for broke by signing top free agent closer Wade Davis to a three-year, $52MM deal. Davis can lock in yet more money if he’s healthy and holds onto the closer’s role for the third season of the contract, via a vesting player option. All told, it’s a significant commitment — indeed, the deal includes the highest average annual value ever given to a reliever — that confirms the Rox believe they are primed to contend.

Twins star Sano accused of assault: Earlier this week, a photographer made some troubling accusations of assault against young Twins third baseman Miguel Sano. At this point, it is not clear whether legal or league disciplinary action will occur. The incident is being investigated under MLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy, which gives the commissioner authority to investigate and punish players regardless of arrest or prosecution.

Reds building out bullpen: After two seasons of mostly miserable output from the Cincinnati pitching staff, the Reds entered the offseason in search of a few arms to help turn the tide. While the club does not seem to be gearing up for any major spending, it can probably hope for significant improvements merely by replacing sub-replacement-level output with solid hurlers. That’s likely an element of the thought process in the team’s signing of righty Jared Hughes to a two-year pact. Giving him a multi-year guarantee likely tamped down the annual cost (he’s promised just $4.5MM) and helped draw the veteran to town. It remains to be seen whether further relief upgrades will be pursued, though if so it’s likely they’ll be similarly low-cost acquisitions.

Twins ink bounceback relief candidate: Much like the Rockies, the Twins were a somewhat surprising postseason team in 2017. Both organizations have solid young cores in place but also still admit of a few holes. But while the Rox spend big on premium relief arms, the Minny brass has adopted a somewhat more conservative strategy. Most recently, the club signed veteran southpaw Zach Duke to join aging closer Fernando Rodney in the late-inning mix. More significant additions could also be pursued, but it seems the Twins intend to be a bit more protective of their future balance sheets while still trying to add veterans to the 2018 roster.

Old favorites seek redemption in San Diego: It has been an interesting offseason thus far for the Padres, mostly owing to a surprise pursuit of top free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer (status: unresolved). Perhaps it’s mostly a curiosity at this point, but the organization has also landed a few former stars. After agreeing to take over the contract of third baseman Chase Headley, the Friars went out and struck minor-league pacts with former right-handers Chris Young and Tyson Ross (see here and here). Both of the hurlers will need to pitch their way onto the roster in camp, and Headley could well end up being traded, but it’s still fun to see such notable alums filtering back. As MLBTR’s Jason Martinez noted on Twitter, the Pads could really make things interesting if they found a way to bring back current free agents such as Andrew Cashner, Jake Peavy, and Mat Latos.

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Here are the biggest stories from the past week at MLBTR…

Longoria goes west: The Rays shook up their franchise by dealing longtime cornerstone Evan Longoria (plus $14.5MM to cover his salary) to the Giants for a four-player package of Denard Span, Christian Arroyo, and pitching prospects Matt Krook and Stephen Woods.  The move gives San Francisco a sorely-needed hitting upgrade at third base, while the inclusion of Span’s contract and the salary offset also allows the Giants to continue to look for outfield help while sticking to their goal of staying under the luxury tax threshold.  For the Rays, the trade moves $60.5MM in future salary commitments off their books, though it is the surest indicator yet that the club is looking to rebuild rather than fully aim to contend in 2018.

Alonso goes to Cleveland: With Carlos Santana now in a Phillies uniform, the Indians filled their hole at first base by signing Yonder Alonso to a two-year, $16MM deal with a $9MM vesting option for 2020.  Alonso is coming off a career year with the A’s and Mariners, though he struck out more than usual and still didn’t produce much against left-handed pitching.  Still, for less than a third of Santana’s deal with the Phillies, Alonso looks like a good value signing for the Tribe.

Red Sox bring Moreland back: Speaking of first base signings, the Red Sox surprised many by re-signing Mitch Moreland to a two-year, $13MM deal.  Boston had been rumored to be looking at much more high-profile first base additions (such as signing Eric Hosmer or trading for Jose Abreu) but will now stick with a familiar face.  Moreland hit .246/.326/.443 with 22 homers over 576 PA for the Sox last season, though that middling offensive impact was overshadowed by outstanding glovework (5.8 UZR/150, 10 Defensive Runs Saved) at first base.  The door isn’t closed on the Sox added to their lineup, however, as rumors continue to swirl that the team is considering signing J.D. Martinez, though no deal seems close.

Britton undergoes Achilles surgery: Orioles closer Zach Britton will miss 4-6 months after undergoing surgery to fix a ruptured right Achilles tendon, which he suffered during offseason workouts.  The former All-Star closer had been mentioned as a possible trade chip, and his absence will now impact the Orioles in whatever direction they take, whether it was keeping Britton to keep their bullpen strong, beginning a rebuild, or dealing Britton for players that could help them win in 2018.  The O’s have already agreed to tender Britton a contract for next season, which MLBTR projects at $12.2MM, so there has already been speculation that Baltimore might approach Britton with a one-year extension offer to keep him at Camden Yards through the 2019 season.

Mets extend Alderson: Though Sandy Alderson’s contract was up after the 2017 season, it was widely expected that he would stay on as the Mets’ general manager, and the announcement of a new deal was indeed made this past week.  Though seven seasons as New York’s GM, Alderson has overseen a rebuild that led to the NL pennant in 2015 and another postseason appearance in 2016, though an injury-riddled 2017 campaign has left the team facing a number of question marks going into next season.  While Alderson’s extension was expected, the Mets also made a considerably more eyebrow-raising front office move this week by re-hiring former GM Omar Minaya as a special assistant to Alderson.

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Here are the biggest stories from the past week here at MLBTR…

Carlos Beltran retires: After winning his first World Series championship, Carlos Beltran decided to go out on top, announcing his retirement after 20 years in the big leagues.  The nine-time All-Star ends his career with a .279/.350/.486 slash line and 435 homers over 11031 PA, cementing himself as one of the best all-around players of the 21st century.  Highly respected both on and off the field, Beltran is a strong candidate to reach the Hall Of Fame as soon as he is eligible.

Braves add Alex Anthopoulos, lose John Hart: Former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos was hired as Atlanta’s new executive vice-president and general manager, ending an offseason of turmoil within the Braves’ front office.  Anthopoulos now sits atop the team’s baseball decision-making pyramid, as former president of baseball operations John Hart was first shifted to a senior advisory role before announcing that he is leaving the organization.

Qualifying offer news: All nine players (Jake Arrieta, Lorenzo Cain, Alex Cobb, Wade Davis, Greg Holland, Eric Hosmer, Lance Lynn, Mike Moustakas, Carlos Santana) who were issued qualifying offers rejected the one-year, $17.4MM deals.  The six teams who issued the QOs now stand to receive draft pick compensation should these free agents sign elsewhere.  This is the first time in three offseasons that no free agents accepted a qualifying offer, which could have to do with the new QO rules in place this offseason, or simply all of these individual players felt they were better served in pursuing multi-year deals this winter.

J.D. Martinez aims high in contract talks: The free agent slugger and agent Scott Boras are reportedly looking for a seven-year, $210MM deal on the open market, setting the bar quite high for negotiations.  MLBTR projects Martinez for “only” six years and $150MM, so it isn’t out of the question that Boras (with his notable history of finding bigger-than-expected paydays for his clients) can find another guaranteed year and even more money for the former Diamondbacks outfielder.

Trade winds blowing in Seattle: Jerry Dipoto is no stranger to swinging deals, as the Mariners GM continued his roster-shuffling ways by making three trades in four days.  The biggest move of the trio was the acquisition of Ryon Healy from the A’s for Emilio Pagan and Alexander Campos, as the Mariners expect Healy to upgrade the team’s shaky first base mix.  The M’s also picked up right-hander Nick Rumbelow from the Yankees in exchange for two minor league pitchers, and dealt righty Thyago Vieira to the White Sox for $500K in international bonus pool funds.  The latter move could be particularly interesting, given that it gives Seattle a bit more financial ammunition to potentially lure Shohei Ohtani.

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Recapping the biggest stories from the past week at MLBTR…

The end of an era in the Bronx: The Brian Cashman-led Yankees chose not to re-sign manager Joe Girardi, which was quite surprising after the club came within one win of a World Series berth this season. Girardi’s 10-year run in New York’s dugout was a fruitful one, as the team went 910-710 during the regular season, made six playoff trips and won a World Series (2009).

Controversy mars the World Series: With Houston and Los Angeles even through four games, the Fall Classic has lived up to its name thus far, but Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel made headlines for the wrong reasons following Game 3. After hitting a second-inning home run off Dodgers starter Yu Darvish, Gurriel returned to the Astros’ dugout and made a racist gesture aimed at the right-hander. Gurriel was contrite after the game, but it still looked possible on Saturday that commissioner Rob Manfred would suspend him for at least one World Series contest. Instead, Manfred issued Gurriel a five-game ban to begin the 2018 season.

Washington elects a new leader: The Nationals moved quickly to replace manager Dusty Baker, whom they parted with Oct. 20, agreeing to a deal Sunday with Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez. Washington’s managerial job hasn’t been a stable one in recent years, as both Matt Williams and Baker were only at the helm for two seasons apiece, but it seems Martinez will have a longer leash. The Nationals gave the Joe Maddon disciple a three-year deal with a club option for 2021.

Dustin Pedroia goes under the knife: Boston’s star second baseman could miss the first two months of next season (and perhaps even more time) after undergoing left knee surgery this week. The procedure came on the heels of a campaign in which the 34-year-old franchise icon played in just 105 games – his third-lowest single-season total since his rookie year, 2007 – thanks in part to knee problems. With the offseason approaching in earnest, it’s worth noting that Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski doesn’t expect Pedroia’s absence to significantly affect the team’s plans this winter.

Milwaukee extends a core starter: Righty Chase Anderson broke out in 2017, his age-29 season, with a 2.74 ERA and 8.47 K/9 against 2.61 BB/9 across 141 1/3 innings. That was enough to convince the Brewers to award Anderson a two-year contract with club options for the 2020 and ’21 seasons. The pact could be worth up to $31.35MM for Anderson, who otherwise would have gone through arbitration for the second time this offseason. Milwaukee bought out one free agent year by extending Anderson.

Recapping the five biggest stories from the past week at MLBTR…

Nationals part ways with Dusty Baker: Yet another managerial change is coming in Washington as the Nats announced that Baker won’t return for a third season in the team’s dugout.  The lack of movement on a contract extension had been a curiosity all season long, though it still seemed as if the Nationals’ on-field success and a seemingly mutual desire for a reunion would lead to a new deal for the veteran skipper.  Instead, the Nats’ failure to advance past the NLDS resulted in the team looking for a fresh face in the dugout.  Baker’s tenure concludes in D.C. with an impressive 192-132 record and two NL East titles in two seasons.

Mets, Red Sox hire first-time managers: Running a team under the glare of the New York and Boston media spotlights is a tough task even for experienced managers, though the Mets and Red Sox decided on rookie skippers to respectively replace Terry Collins and John Farrell.  The Mets agreed to a deal with Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who helped develop the Tribe’s dominant staff over his five years with the club.  Callaway takes over a team with a lot of questions after a disastrous 2017 season, though the Mets still expect a quick return to contention. Alex Cora faces even more pressure in his new job as the Red Sox manager, as he’ll take over a team that has won consecutive AL East titles and now expects another step forward in pursuit of a championship.  Cora, who will continue in his capacity as the Astros’ bench coach until the World Series is over, has long been touted as a future manager during his long career as a player, broadcaster and GM in Puerto Rico.

Tigers hire Ron Gardenhire: Detroit went with a veteran voice to oversee its rebuild, hiring longtime former Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire as manager.  “Gardy” led the Twins to six division titles over his 13 seasons with the team, and most recently worked as the Diamondbacks’ bench coach in 2017.  He’ll now face a new challenge in managing a Tigers club that is beginning what could be an extensive rebuilding period; it’s possible the Tigers may not be ready to contend again by the time Gardenhire’s contract is up at the end of the 2020 season.

Michael Brantley undergoes ankle surgery: The injury-plagued Indians outfielder underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle, and will be prevented from any baseball-related activities for the next four-to-five months.  Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said the team is “still working through” the decision whether or not to exercise its $12MM club option on Brantley’s services for 2018.  Shoulder and ankle problems limited Brantley to just 101 games over the last two seasons, though he still been effective when he has been able to play; he was an All-Star just this season.  The Tribe already has some major payroll commitments for a smaller-market team, so it could make financial sense to decline Brantley’s option and spend on other needs.

Super Two cutoff determined: This year’s service time cutoff point for Super Two eligibility will be two years and 123 days, as reported by MLBTR’s own Tim Dierkes.  This is the lowest cutoff point since 2013 (2.122) and the player most impacted will be the Twins’ Eddie Rosario, who fell just shy of the mark.  Rosario was projected by MLBTR’s Matt Swartz to earn $3.5MM if he did qualify for an extra year of arbitration eligibility, though he’ll now have to settle for a league-minimum salary in 2018 and the standard three arb years.

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Here’s the recap of the top stories from the past week at MLBTR…

Red Sox fire John Farrell: Rumors have long swirled about Farrell’s job security, and the Red Sox decided to make a change in the dugout after they were eliminated from the ALDS for the second consecutive season.  President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will now get the chance to make his own choice about Boston’s manager, with such names as Brad Ausmus, Alex Cora, Ron Gardenhire, Sandy Alomar Jr. and others mentioned as potential candidates.  It isn’t known how long this search could take, as Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the Red Sox are already down to their “final three” contenders for the job, with Gardenhire one of the finalists.

Marlins planning to slash payroll: It’s deja vu for Miami baseball fans, another offseason of payroll reduction seems to be in store for the Marlins.  The club reportedly intends to trim payroll down to around the $90MM mark, which will only increase speculation that Giancarlo Stanton will be in another uniform come Opening Day 2018.

Twins extend Paul Molitor: The Hall-of-Famer concluded his first managerial contract in good negotiating position after leading the Twins on a surprise run to the AL wild card game.  The Twins’ success ended speculation that the Derek Falvey/Thad Levine front office would want to hire their own manager, and Molitor was rewarded with a three-year extension worth a reported $4MM.  The Twins have posted winning records in two of Molitor’s three years as manager, albeit sandwiched around a 103-loss season in 2016.

Greg Holland to test free agency: As expected, the Rockies closer will decline his $15MM player option in search of a longer-term deal on the open market.  Despite some shaky results over the last two months, Holland still performed very well after missing all of 2016 recovering from Tommy john surgery, and helped the Rox reach the NL wild card game.

Qualifying offer set at $17.4MM: As reported by MLBTR’s own Tim Dierkes, the price tag for this offseason’s qualifying offers will be $17.4MM.  If a pending free agent accepts the one-year QO, he’ll return to his team at that healthy salary for the 2018 season.  If the player rejects the qualifying offer, his former team can recoup some draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere, though the new collective bargaining agreement has greatly altered the previous QO rules.

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A recap of the top stories featured at MLBTR over the past week:

Chaos in Atlanta: A bombshell dropped Monday in Atlanta with the resignations of general manager John Coppolella, who stepped down after two years on the job, and special assistant Gordon Blakely. Coppolella and Blakeley were forced out amid an investigation from Major League Baseball into their international and domestic practices. The league’s investigation into Coppolella’s alleged violations on the international market is ongoing, and it could negate the Braves’ 2016 signing of high-end prospect Kevin Maitan. The 17-year-old Maitan will become a free agent again if MLB voids his contract with Atlanta, which inked the infielder to a $4.25MM bonus two summers ago. While they await word on Maitan’s future, the Braves are on the lookout for a new GM. President of baseball operations John Hart is filling that role for now.

Changes coming to Mets’ dugout: No one predicted Coppolella’s demise, but there was little doubt Terry Collins would be out as the NL East rival Mets’ manager after the season. The 68-year-old Collins ultimately stepped down on his own, shifting to the team’s front office after seven seasons as its skipper. The Collins-led Mets went 551-583 with two playoff berths, one of which ended with a five-game World Series loss to the Royals in 2015. Longtime pitching coach Dan Warthen is out, too, though he could join Collins in taking another job in the organization.

Security for other managers: Collins’ career as a manager is likely over, but former colleagues Brian Snitker (Braves) and Jeff Banister (Rangers) will continue in their current positions for at least a bit longer. The Braves’ front office is in flux, as mentioned, but there’s stability in the dugout with Snitker, who will be back next season after they exercised his 2018 option. Banister was already under contract for next year, but he’ll avoid lame-duck status – the Rangers picked up his 2019 option on Wednesday. Meanwhile, on the heels of a Cinderella season, the Twins are working to re-up Paul Molitor.

Derek Jeter in charge in Miami: Jeter and businessman Bruce Sherman agreed to purchase the Marlins for $1.2 billion in mid-August. Nearly two months later, they officially took the keys from the team’s previous owner, the beleaguered Jeffrey Loria. In the introductory press conference Jeter and Sherman held Tuesday, the former Yankees shortstop and future Hall of Famer acknowledged a need “to rebuild the organization,” adding that some “unpopular decisions” could be in the offing.

Rangers finally release Prince Fielder: The former first baseman announced in August 2016 that he wouldn’t play again on account of neck issues, but he didn’t officially retire because doing so would have cost him the remainder of his contract. As a result, the Rangers kept Fielder on their 40-man roster until Wednesday, when they released the 33-year-old after negotiating a deal with the insurer paying part of his salary. Fielder is owed $24MM per annum through 2020 on the nine-year, $214MM contract he signed with the Tigers in 2012.