2023-24 Top 50 Free Agents With Predictions
2023/11/2023-24-top-50-free-agents-with-predictions.htmlA contending club looking for a mid-rotation arm on a short-term deal could spring for a two-year deal for Maeda, betting that his standout K-BB profile will bring continued success. … A commitment of 11 or 12 years would entail injury risk, while there's still some amount of uncertainty until he matches up with major league hitters.
Astros Have Made Offer To Alex Bregman
2024/11/astros-have-made-offer-to-alex-bregman.htmlThey're also looking for help at first base and could try for a more affordable bullpen pickup if they deal Pressly. … That has been a longstanding speculative match with former Astros manager A.J.
MLB Mailbag: Braves, Padres, Red Sox, Rangers, Reds, Rizzo, Buehler
2024/11/mlb-mailbag-braves-padres-red-sox-rangers-reds-rizzo-buehler.htmlWith Joe Jimenez out for the year, he'll be looking to add a high-leverage reliever. … Could the Reds convince themselves that Arenado improves both their offense and defense? And could two division rivals match up…
Jim Crane: Astros “Have The Wherewithal To” Match 2024 Spending
2024/11/jim-crane-astros-have-the-wherewithal-to-match-2024-spending.htmlCrane acknowledged that the Astros were also looking at potential Plan B options if Bregman did sign elsewhere, though that…… Since the league suspended luxury tax payments for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, 2024 technically marked the first time that the Astros exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax threshold.
MLB Mailbag: Bohm, Mariners, Guardians, Pirates, Sasaki
2024/11/mlb-mailbag-bohm-mariners-guardians-pirates-sasaki.htmlI don't get the sense the Phillies are looking to spend over $150MM on Bregman/Adames, nor am I certain Suarez will be dealt. … Wade's top-ten OBP is definitely appealing, but doesn't match up with two years of Singer.
Why The Royals Should Be Primed For Another Big Offseason
2024/11/why-the-royals-should-be-primed-for-another-big-offseason.htmlBut the Royals are better positioned than many might realize, and if you're looking for dark-horse candidates to make a significant splash in free agency, they're among my favorite picks to do so. … a season where Aaron Judge didn't match him nearly blow for blow with his ludicrous production).
How Will The Market Value Pete Alonso?
2024/11/how-will-the-market-value-pete-alonso.htmlThe Nationals are looking for impact bats and could relish the chance to pull Alonso from a division rival. … They could each match Alonso on durability and had superior defensive reputations (especially Olson).
Dodgers Notes: Hernandez, Flaherty, Kershaw, Freeman
2024/11/dodgers-notes-hernandez-flaherty-kershaw-freeman.htmlBoth Hernandez and Flaherty were looking to bounce back after shaky 2024 seasons, and Flaherty likewise answered some critics by posting a 3.17 ERA across 162 combined regular-season innings with the Tigers and Dodgers. … This doesn't necessarily mean that Flaherty would give the Dodgers a hometown discount, though naturally playing close to home gives the Dodgers (and theoretically the Angels) an extra edge that other potential free-agent suitors can't match.
Braves, Angels Swap Jorge Soler For Griffin Canning
2024/10/braves-trade-jorge-soler-angels.htmlAdd in an arbitration class that could cost upwards of $31-32MM before any potential non-tenders (via Swartz's previously referenced projections), and the Halos are looking at a projected payroll around $168MM (via RosterResource) with the entire offseason ahead of them. … With the Angels, it's a more straightforward match.
Trade Candidate: Josh Naylor
2024/10/trade-candidate-josh-naylor.htmlBroadly looking at teams who have a clear or potential need at first base or DH, any of the Mets, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Astros, Brewers, Blue Jays, Reds, Nationals, Rays, Giants, or Padres (Naylor's former team) could join the Pirates and Mariners as potential suitors. … Finding the right match on a Naylor trade this winter might result in Cleveland getting back to the playoffs next…
2024-25 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
2024/11/2024-25-top-50-mlb-free-agents-with-predictions.htmlThe Mariners have never given out a contract of this magnitude under Jerry Dipoto but have been looking to reshape their offense and cut their strikeout rate for several years. … As is always the case, Bregman was one of the sport's toughest strikeouts, fanning in only 13.6% of his plate appearances -- practically a dead match for his career 13.4% mark.
Offseason Outlook: New York Yankees
2024/10/offseason-outlook-new-york-yankees-13.htmlLouis looking toward the future. … If they don't, his camp will probably feel confident they can match the three-year, $126MM term which Zack Wheeler got on an extension covering the same ages.
Top 35 Trade Candidates Of The 2024-25 MLB Offseason
2024/10/top-35-trade-candidates-mlb-offseason.htmlThe White Sox will continue their "anything that's not nailed down" approach to the trade market, and the Cardinals for the first time in recent history are taking a step back and adopting a more future-looking approach as they overhaul their player development department. … MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently speculated on a particularly fun match ...
Offseason Outlook: San Diego Padres
2024/10/offseason-outlook-san-diego-padres-15.htmlThere'll probably be some discussion of the Friars looking to offload the Jake Cronenworth contract again, but the $71MM remaining isn't going to be appealing to other clubs. … Few teams can rival the nucleus which the Padres have assembled, though, and there might be no executive who can…
Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates
2024/10/offseason-outlook-pittsburgh-pirates-14.htmlPaul Skenes lived up to the hype, wowing the baseball world with a 1.99 ERA over 133 innings and looking all the world like a franchise player. … Internal improvements from potential building blocks Ke'Bryan Hayes, Henry Davis, and Nick Gonzales would be critical to the Pirates' plans, while the Bucs hope that Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, and Joey Bart can at least match and ideally keep building upon their solid numbers.
Offseason Outlook: Arizona Diamondbacks
2024/10/offseason-outlook-arizona-diamondbacks-14.htmlLooking at the other players with options, the Diamondbacks will surely decline their end of Scott McGough's mutual option, and very likely exercise their club options on Kelly and Suarez. … While Kendrick stopped short of saying the Diamondbacks will match or exceed their 2024 spending levels, it at least doesn't appear as though the team will have any kind of drastic reduction in payroll.
Offseason Outlook: Toronto Blue Jays
2024/10/offseason-outlook-toronto-blue-jays-15.htmlAddison Barger didn't do much in his rookie season but he'll be in contention for playing time, and top prospect Orelvis Martinez is looking to get his career on track after an 80-game PED suspension in 2024. … If the Blue Jays do have a somewhat similar payroll in mind, that leaves a decent but not outsized chunk of spending space to match the approximate $225.3MM figure of their payroll from Opening Day 2024.
Justin Verlander Planning To Pitch In 2025
2024/10/justin-verlander-planning-to-pitch-in-2025.htmlWherever he ends up, Verlander will be looking to add to a body of work that already has him as a lock for the Hall of Fame. … That's a better platform year than what Verlander is current taking to free agency but Hill's overall resume can't match up to Verlander's.
Previewing The 2024-25 Free Agent Class: Right-Handed Relief
2024/10/previewing-the-2024-25-free-agent-class-right-handed-relief.htmlSoroka walked an alarming 13% of opponents out of the 'pen, so it wasn't without some concern, but he could've been a key deadline target for teams looking to add swing-and-miss to the late innings. … Kahnle's command can be a bit wobbly, but few pitchers match his combination of swing-and-miss and grounders.
Previewing The 2024-25 MLB Free Agent Class: Corner Outfield
2024/09/previewing-the-2024-25-mlb-free-agent-class-corner-outfield.htmlKepler is probably looking at a one-year deal as he tries to rebound -- potentially outside Minnesota for the first time in his career. … Few players can match his raw power, though.
Previewing The 2024-25 Free Agent Class: First Base
2024/09/previewing-the-2024-25-free-agent-class-first-base.htmlA quick note on eligibility: we're looking only at players who have appeared in the majors this season and are either primary first baseman or have logged 100+ innings at the position. … He won't match this year's $11.5MM salary but should have no trouble finding another big league deal.
Why The Nationals Could Pursue A Juan Soto Reunion
2024/09/juan-soto-rumors-nationals-reunion-free-agency.htmlSeveral potential ownership groups spoke to the current owners about the possibility, but two years later, managing principal owner Mark Lerner (the son of the late Ted Lerner, who passed away in 2023) publicly stated that his family is no longer looking to find a buyer. … He's ultra-durable, averaging 155 games per season from 2021-23, and will match or exceed that pace again in 2024, barring a late injury.
MLB Mailbag: Trout, Elly De La Cruz, Cubs, Baty
2024/09/mlb-mailbag-trout-elly-de-la-cruz-cubs-baty.htmlAssuming he is amenable to a trade, is this the offseason someone (here's looking at you, Dave Dombrowski) takes a chance on Mike Trout's still tremendous upside? His salary could be offset with a bad contract or two (hello Taijuan Walker). … A few weeks ago, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, "there have also been no indications of the Cubs shifting gears…
NL West Notes: Walker, Duran, Dodgers, Padres, Kikuchi
2024/07/nl-west-notes-walker-duran-dodgers-padres-kikuchi.htmlUnsurprisingly, Minnesota wanted a ton in exchange for a closer who is controlled through the 2027 season, and Hayes writes that the Twins are specifically looking for players who can help them win immediately. … The Dodgers inquired about Jhoan Duran's availability but couldn't find a match with the Twins, The Athletic's Dan Hayes reports (links to X).
Phillies Notes: Hays, Marsh, Green, Arozarena
2024/07/phillies-notes-hays-marsh-green-arozarena.htmlAddressing that need cost the Phils an experienced reliever in Dominguez, which was no small matter for a Philadelphia team that was already known to be looking for bullpen help prior to the trade. … It isn't too far removed from the 108 wRC+ Hays posted over 1677 PA with Baltimore from 2021-23, and his recent hot streak indicates that Hays could certainly still match or surpass that number over the rest of the 2024 campaign.
