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MLB Mailbag: Braves, Red Sox, Cubs, Mariners, Torkelson, Alonso, Bregman

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Welcome to the first mailbag of 2025!  In this one we get into what the Braves, Red Sox, Cubs, and Mariners might do, the future of first basemen Spencer Torkelson and Pete Alonso, outfield options for the Astros, various Alex Bregman destinations, and much more.

John asks:

Braves fan here wondering if the Braves will re-sign AJ Minter?

Bill asks:

With market choices dwindling whom might Atlanta pursue in the pitcher/outfield categories? Or will they rely on young pitching hopes and current outfield options?

Phillip asks:

What do you see the Atlanta Braves doing? We need another outfielder, starting pitcher, and 2 relief pitchers. Are we going to be thrifty or are we going for quality?

Bruce asks:

Can you predict what the usually unpredictable Alex Anthopolous will acquire to play LF and SS and SP down the 2025 Atlanta Braves?

In attempting to guess how the rest of the Braves' offseason will go, it may be helpful to first project their payroll.  President of baseball operations and GM Alex Anthopoulos said in October payroll would be going up.

The Braves' actions thus far this offseason do not match those of a team planning to increase payroll: declining Travis d'Arnaud's option, dumping Jorge Soler, moving money around with the Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer extensions (though not in a way that helps their CBT payroll), non-tendering Ramon Laureano, and most importantly, failing to sign any notable free agents.  It's also true that Anthopoulos' October comments came before the Braves learned more information about the timelines of Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider, and Joe Jimenez.  I could see how that would affect payroll allocation, but not why it would affect the total payroll.

The Braves appear to have a $220MM CBT payroll at present, and on December 11th David O'Brien of The Athletic wrote that the Braves "don’t seem inclined to go too far above that $241 million [luxury tax] threshold."  That's after running a $276MM CBT payroll in 2024.  Perhaps in his October "payroll is going up" comments, Anthopoulos was threading a needle where the team's 26-man Opening Day actual payroll will increase, but their CBT payroll will not.  Last year's Opening Day actual payroll was $222MM and the team is at $197MM at present.  It's also likely the team would like to keep powder dry for midseason additions.

Given O'Brien's comment, we probably shouldn't project much more than $25MM in additional AAV to be added this offseason.  The second tax threshold of $261MM could be a ceiling on the CBT payroll.  So how might Anthopoulos improve the team with many major names now off the board?

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Marc Narducci: My Hall Of Fame Ballot

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Marc Narducci spent 37 years covering all sports for The Philadelphia Inquirer before retiring in July 2021. He covered everything from high school sports to the Phillies winning the World Series and the Eagles winning the Super Bowl. A lifelong southern New Jersey resident, he remains a freelance writer and broadcaster. Once again, Marc reached out to see if MLB Trade Rumors would be interested in publishing his Hall of Fame ballot. I am happy to do it and hope it can be an interesting topic of debate for our readers. Here’s Marc…

It’s always an honor to be published by MLBTradeRumors.com, among the most respected baseball publications around. For those who haven’t read the previous years, just a little housekeeping. I don’t vote for those associated with steroids, which means Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, don’t receive my vote.

I have also not voted for Carlos Beltran who admittedly was the mastermind of the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal, which altered the perception of that World Series winning team. Those actions cost him his job as a manager and for now, this vote. I don’t feel all the Astros should be punished, but as stated before, that’s a story for another day.

I never criticize how a fellow voter votes. That doesn’t mean our votes aren’t subject to criticism, including mine. Each voter has to do what he or she feels is best.

And now, here is this year’s ballot, which includes five names.

The Holdovers

There are three holdovers I voted for last year and again got my vote this year.

Chase Utley

There is no question injuries slowed down Utley’s career and many feel he didn’t have the counting stats to get in, but he was a six-time All-Star and only four HOF second basemen have more home runs than Utley’s 259. Those four are Rogers Hornsby (301), Craig Biggio (291), Ryne Sandberg (282) and Joe Morgan (268). I’m big on second basemen who show great power, which is why I voted for Jeff Kent (377 career home runs) when he was on the ballot. Also, we tend to look at excellence, even if it is shorter-term. As mentioned last year, from 2005-2009, Utley’s slash line was .301/.388/535 and he averaged 29.2 home runs, 110. Runs. 101.4 RBI, 151 games and 675 plate appearances. His BWAR during that time was 7.7. Just nine HOF second basemen have a higher career B-War than Utley (64.5).

Utley won a World Series in 2008 with the Philadelphia Phillies and the next year hit five home runs in the 2009 World Series against the Yankees, tying an MLB record with Reggie Jackson in 1977 and George Springer in 2017. He was a career 275/.358/.465 hitter with an 823 OPS and 117 OPS+. Utley also won four Silver Slugger awards. Will it be enough? Last year in his first season on the ballot, Utley received 28.8% of the vote, so he has a long way to go.

Billy Wagner

This is Wagner’s 10th and final season on the ballot after coming close last year by earning 73.8% of the vote, missing by five votes. Those who don’t feel Wagner is a HOF player point to his low number of appearances and World Series statistics. Both are valid.

Wagner pitched just 903 innings. His postseason production, even though it only consisted of 11 1/3 innings over 14 appearances, was poor to say the least. He had a 10.03 ERA.

The reason for voting for Wagner was his excellence. According to the Baseball Hall of Fame, his career WHIP of 0.998 is the lowest among all retired relievers with at least 700 innings pitched, and his career 2.31 ERA is lowest among retired left-handed pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched in the live ball era. His ERA+ of 187 is second all-time to only Mariano Rivera.

According to HOF expert Jay Jaffe, Wagner’s 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings (minimum of 900 innings pitched) is the best in MLB history. There are now others ahead of him, but they have pitched fewer than 900 innings.

Wagner finished with 422 saves, second highest among left-handed relievers and eighth overall. According to MLB.com, he converted 422 of 476 save opportunities (.887).

He was a seven-time All-Star and played on teams that advanced to the postseason seven times.

David Wright

Wright falls in the Utley category of not having the counting stats due to injury. This is his second year on the ballot, and he only received 6.2 percent of the vote last year. Still, Wright was a dominant force when healthy. Wright was a seven-time All-Star during a nine-year period from 2005-2013. During that time, his slash line was .302/384/.505 with a 138 OPS+. He averaged 23 home runs, 90 runs and 93 RBI while also winning two Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards. Wright finished in the Top 10 for MVP voting four times. During that nine-year period, he was among the best players not only at his position, but in baseball.

According to the Baseball HOF, Wright is one of our four third basemen in history (along with Hall of Famers George Brett, Chipper Jones and Mike Schmidt) who retired with at least 350 doubles, 200 home runs and 150 stolen bases. He ended with 390 doubles, 242 home runs and 196 stolen bases.

He was a career .296/376/.491 hitter with a 133 OPS+. Only seven HOF third baseman have a higher OPS+ than Wright. Due to injuries, he was never a full-time player past his age 31 season.

The Newcomers

CC Sabathia

This is one player who is sure to create some debate. Among his biggest selling points were his career wins (251) and winning percentage (.609) in an era where wins aren’t valued the way they used to be. He is tied for 47th all-time in career wins.

Some would use his 3.74 ERA against Sabathia, which is fair. His career ERA+ was 116, solid but not spectacular.

On the positive side, he was the ace for the three teams that he played for (Cleveland, Milwaukee and the NY Yankees) and led all three to the postseason. (Later In his career he wasn’t the best pitcher on the Yankees, but for the first five years in New York, he was the ace).

The lefthander was a six-time all-star and the 2007 Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland. He finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting four other times. He was a workhorse, having made 30 or more starts 12 times. Sabathia helped lead the Yankees to the 2009 World Series championship during his first year with the club. During that year he was the ALCS MVP, going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two starts against the Los Angeles Angels. In 10 of his 19 seasons he played on playoff teams and has a career 10-7 record and 4.28 ERA in 26 postseason games. Sabathia is one of three left-handers with at least 3,000 strikeouts. He recorded 3,093 strikeouts, which is 18th all-time.

Ichiro Suzuki

Just as Adrian Beltre was a slam-dunk first-ballot selection last year, so is Ichiro this year. He has the credentials to be a unanimous selection. Probably the best stat is that Ichiro had 200 or more hits and won a Gold Glove in each of his first 10 seasons with Seattle. In 2001 he became the second player to win both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player award in the same season. What’s more impressive is that he didn’t make his MLB debut until the age of 27. In those first 10 seasons, he his slash line was .331/.376/.430. Before coming to play with the Seattle Mariners, he had 1,278 hits while playing in Japan. He finished with 3,089 career MLB hits and a .311/.355/.402 slash line. Ichiro won two batting tiles when he hit .350 in 2001 and .372 in 2004. He also stole 509 bases in 626 attempts (83%) in his career and was a 10-time All-Star, all coming in his first 10 seasons. In 86 postseason plate appearances, he hit .346/.400/.436. Mainly a right-fielder, Ichiro played 1,970 career games in right, 322 in center and 117 in left. He also had great durability, playing 150 or more games 13 times and 160 or more on nine occasions.

The Largest Contracts In MLB History

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Below is our list of the 24 largest contracts in MLB history.  Please note that if a player was already under contract and signed an extension, only the new money counts.

1. Juan Soto, Mets: 15 years, $765MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2024

2. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: 10 years, $700MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2023.  97.1% of the total is deferred and will be paid from 2034-43.  For luxury tax purposes, MLB calculated the value of the contract to be $460,767,685.  The MLBPA’s calculation is $437,830,563.

3. Mookie Betts, Dodgers: 12 years, $365MM.  Extension signed July 2020.  Present-day value due to deferrals: $306,657,882

t-4. Mike Trout, Angels: 10 years, $360MM.  Extension signed March 2019

t-4.  Aaron Judge, Yankees: 9 years, $360MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2022

6.  Francisco Lindor, Mets: 10 years, $341MM.  Extension signed March 2021.  Present-day value due to deferrals: $332,394,479

7.  Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres: 14 years, $340MM.  Extension signed February 2021

8.  Bryce Harper, Phillies: 13 years, $330MM.  Free agent contract signed March 2019

t-9.  Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers: 12 years, $325MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2023

t-9.  Corey Seager, Rangers: 10 years, $325MM.  Free agent contract signed November 2021

t-9. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins: 13 years, $325MM.  Extension signed November 2014

12. Gerrit Cole, Yankees: 9 years, $324MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2019

13.  Rafael Devers, Red Sox: 10 years, $313.5MM.  Extension signed January 2023

t-14.  Manny Machado, Padres: 10 years, $300MM.  Free agent contract signed February 2019

t-14.  Trea Turner, Phillies: 11 years, $300MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2022

16.  Bobby Witt Jr., Royals: 11 years, $288,777,777.  Extension signed February 2024

17.  Xander Bogaerts, Padres: 11 years, $280MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2022

18.  Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: 10 years, $275MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2007

19.  Alex Rodriguez, Rangers: 10 years, $252MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2000

20. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: 8 years, $248MM.  Extension signed March 2014

t-21. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: 7 years, $245MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2019.  Present-day value due to deferrals: $228.9MM

t-21.  Anthony Rendon, Angels: 7 years, $245MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2019

t-23.  Albert Pujols, Angels: 10 years, $240MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2011

t-23.  Robinson Cano, Mariners: 10 years, $240MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2013

The Largest MLB Contracts By AAV

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Below is our list of the 31 largest contracts in MLB history by average annual value (AAV). Please note that if a player was already under contract and signed an extension, only the new money counts.  For our list of the largest contracts in total dollars, click here.

1.  Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers: $70,000,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2023.  97.1% of the total is deferred from 2034-43.  As a result, for luxury tax purposes, MLB calculated the AAV at $46.06MM.  The MLBPA calculated the AAV at $43,783,056.30.

2.  Juan Soto, Mets: $51,000,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2024.  Given the lack of deferred money, this should be treated as the true AAV record.

3.  Max Scherzer, Mets: $43,333,333.33.  Free agent contract signed November 2021

4.  Justin Verlander, Mets: $43,330,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2022

5.  Zack Wheeler, Phillies: $42,000,000.  Extension signed March 2024

6.  Aaron Judge, Yankees: $40,000,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2022

7.  Jacob deGrom, Rangers: $37,000,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2022

8.  Blake Snell, Dodgers: $36,400,000.  Free agent contract signed November 2024.  Considering deferrals, the MLBPA calculated the AAV as $31,735,498

t-9.  Mike Trout, Angels: $36,000,000.  Extension signed March 2019

t-9.  Gerrit Cole, Yankees: $36,000,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2019

11.  Carlos Correa, Twins: $35,100,000.  Free agent contract signed March 2022

t-12.  Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: $35,000,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2019

t-12.  Anthony Rendon, Angels: $35,000,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2019

t-12.  Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks: $35,000,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2024

15.  Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks: $34,416,667.  Free agent contract signed December 2015

16.  Francisco Lindor, Mets: $34.1MM.  Extension signed March 2021

17.  Trevor Bauer, Dodgers: $34,000,000.  Free agent contract signed February 2021

18.  Nolan Arenado, Rockies: $33,428,571.  Extension signed February 2019

19.  Carlos Correa, Twins: $33,333,333.33.  Free agent contract signed January 2023

20.  Justin Verlander, Astros: $33,000,000.  Extension signed March 2019

21.  Corey Seager, Rangers: $32,500,000.  Free agent contract signed November 2021

22.  Rafael Devers, Red Sox: $31,350,000.  Extension signed January 2023

t-23.  Blake Snell, Giants: $31,000,000.  Free agent contract signed March 2024.  Considering deferrals, the MLBPA calculated the AAV as $29,698,347

t-23.  Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: $31,000,000.  Extension signed March 2014

t-23.  David Price, Red Sox: $31,000,000.  Free agent contract signed December 2015

t-23.  Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: $31,000,000.  Extension signed November 2018

27.  Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: $30,714,286.  Extension signed January 2014

28.  Mookie Betts, Dodgers: $30,416,667.  Extension signed July 2020

29.  Jacob deGrom, Mets: $30,125,000.  Extension signed March 2019

t-30.  Manny Machado, Padres: $30,000,000.  Free agent contract signed February 2019

t-30.  Max Scherzer, Nationals: $30,000,000.  Free agent contract signed January 2015.  Counted as $28,689,376 for purposes of luxury tax.

Largest Contract In Franchise History For Each MLB Team

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Here’s our list of the largest contract each of the 30 MLB teams has ever signed. Each contract is linked to its MLBTR post, with the exception of those that predate the site’s existence.  The amounts denote the amount of new money guaranteed to the player, which is why they might differ from what you’ve seen in public reports.

2025-26 MLB Free Agents

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The following players project to become free agents after the 2025 season.  We’ve providing this list for those who would like to look ahead to the free agent market one year from now.  For the list of current free agents, click here.

Updated 12-30-24

Catchers

Austin Barnes (36)
Tucker Barnhart (35)
Christian Bethancourt (34)
Victor Caratini (32)
Austin Hedges (33)
Danny Jansen (31) – mutual option
Tom Murphy (35) – $4MM club option with a $250K buyout
Salvador Perez (36) – $13.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout
J.T. Realmuto (35)
Gary Sanchez (33)
Jacob Stallings (36) – $2MM mutual option with a $500K buyout
Max Stassi (35)
Jose Trevino (33)
Christian Vazquez (35)

First Basemen

Luis Arraez (29)
Josh Bell (33)
Yandy Diaz (34) – $12MM club option (no buyout)
Wilmer Flores (34)
Paul Goldschmidt (38)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27)
Rhys Hoskins (33)
Josh Naylor (29)
Ryan O’Hearn (32)
Salvador Perez (36) – $13.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Carlos Santana (40)
LaMonte Wade Jr. (32)

Second Basemen

Ozzie Albies (29) – $7MM club option with a $4MM buyout
Kyle Farmer (34) – $4MM mutual option with a $750K buyout
Brandon Lowe (31) – $11.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Jorge Mateo (31)
Luis Rengifo (29)
Gleyber Torres (29)

Shortstops

Orlando Arcia (31) – $2MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Bo Bichette (28)
Willi Castro (29)
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (31)
Dylan Moore (33)
Kevin Newman (32)
Miguel Rojas (37)
Trevor Story (33) – can opt out of remaining two years and $55MM

Third Basemen

Max Muncy (35) – $10MM club option
Luis Rengifo (29)
Eugenio Suarez (34)
Gio Urshela (34)
Ildemaro Vargas (34)
Tyler Wade (31)

Left Fielders

Miguel Andujar (31)
Michael Conforto (33)
Tyler O’Neill (31) – can opt out
Rob Refsnyder (35)
Chris Taylor (35) – $12MM club option with a $4MM buyout

Center Fielders

Trent Grisham (29)
Cedric Mullins (31)
Luis Robert Jr. (28) – $20MM club option with a $2MM buyout

Right Fielders

Cody Bellinger (30) – $25MM player option with a $5MM buyout
Mitch Haniger (35)
Max Kepler (33)
Starling Marte (37)
Tyler O’Neill (31) – can opt out
Hunter Renfroe (34)
Austin Slater (33)
Lane Thomas (30)
Kyle Tucker (29)
Mike Yastrzemski (35)

Designated Hitters

Mitch Garver (35) – $12MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout
Rhys Hoskins (33)
Eloy Jimenez (29)
Andrew McCutchen (39)
Ryan O’Hearn (32)
Marcell Ozuna (35)
Joc Pederson (34) – can opt out
Kyle Schwarber (33)

Starting Pitchers

Tyler Anderson (36)
Chris Bassitt (37)
Shane Bieber (31) – $16MM player option with a $4MM buyout
Paul Blackburn (32)
JT Brubaker (32)
Walker Buehler (31)
Griffin Canning (30)
Dylan Cease (30)
Aaron Civale (31)
Alex Cobb (38)
Nestor Cortes (31)
Zach Eflin (32)
Erick Fedde (33)
Zac Gallen (30)
Lucas Giolito (30) – $14MM club option (becomes $19MM mutual option with a $1.5MM buyout if he pitches 140 innings in 2025)
Austin Gomber (32)
Jon Gray (34)
Kyle Hendricks (36)
Dakota Hudson (31)
Shota Imanaga (32) – $57MM club option for 2026-28 or $15MM player option for 2026
Merrill Kelly (37)
Michael King (31)
Zack Littell (30)
Joey Lucchesi (33)
Seth Lugo (36) – $15MM player option
Kenta Maeda (38)
Tyler Mahle (31)
German Marquez (31)
Nick Martinez (35)
Steven Matz (35)
Dustin May (28)
Miles Mikolas (37)
Frankie Montas (33) – can opt out of remaining one year and $17MM
Jordan Montgomery (33)
Chris Paddack (30)
Freddy Peralta (30) – $8MM club option with no buyout
Chris Sale (37) – $18MM club option
Michael Soroka (28)
Marcus Stroman (35) – $18MM player option with 140 innings pitched
Ranger Suarez (30)
Tomoyuki Sugano (36)
Framber Valdez (32)
Brandon Woodruff (32) – $20MM mutual option with a $10MM buyout

Right-Handed Relievers

Austin Adams (35)
Tejay Antone (32)
Shawn Armstrong (35)
Ryan Brasier (38)
Edwin Diaz (32) – $18.5MM player option
Seranthony Dominguez (31)
Pete Fairbanks (32) – $7MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Kyle Finnegan (34)
Giovanny Gallegos (34)
Chad Green (35)
Hunter Harvey (31)
Ryan Helsley (31)
Liam Hendriks (36) – $12MM mutual option with a $2MM buyout
Adrian Houser (33)
Raisel Iglesias (36)
Pierce Johnson (35) – $7MM club option with a $250K buyout
Tyler Kinley (35) – $5MM club option with a $750K buyout
Michael Kopech (30)
Derek Law (35)
Jonathan Loaisiga (31) – club option
Nick Martinez (35)
Andres Muñoz (27) – $6MM club option
Emilio Pagan (35)
Ryan Pressly (37)
Tanner Rainey (33)
Tyler Rogers (35)
Jordan Romano (33)
Joe Ross (33)
Chris Stratton (35)
Robert Suarez (35) – two-year, $16MM player option for 2026-27
Erik Swanson (32)
Luke Weaver (32)
Devin Williams (31)

Left-Handed Relievers

Tyler Alexander (31)
Jose Alvarado (31) – $9MM club option with a $500K buyout
Genesis Cabrera (29)
Aroldis Chapman (38)
T.J. McFarland (37)
Hoby Milner (35)
Wandy Peralta (34) – $4.45MM player option
Taylor Rogers (35)
Gregory Soto (31)
Matt Strahm (34) – $4.5MM club option
Brent Suter (36) – $3MM club option
Justin Wilson (38)

Note: any player who signs a one-year deal during the 2024-25 offseason will be added to this list.

2024-25 MLB Free Agents

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The following players are currently eligible for free agency.  Each player’s 2025 age is in parentheses.  Generally, our cutoff for this list is 50 plate appearances or 20 innings pitched in the Majors in 2024.

Updated 1-1-25

Catchers

Curt Casali (36)
Elias Diaz (34)
Yan Gomes (37)
Yasmani Grandal (36)
Andrew Knizner (30)
Luke Maile (34)
Martin Maldonado (38)
James McCann (35)
Reese McGuire (30)
Omar Narvaez (33)
Tomas Nido (31)

First Basemen

Jose Abreu (38)
Pete Alonso (30) – declined qualifying offer
Mark Canha (36)
Garrett Cooper (34)
Bobby Dalbec (30)
J.D. Davis (32)
Ty France (30)
Joey Gallo (31)
Yuli Gurriel (41)
Connor Joe (32)
Anthony Rizzo (35)
Gavin Sheets (29)
Dominic Smith (30)
Rowdy Tellez (30)
Justin Turner (40)
Jared Walsh (31)

Second Basemen

Cavan Biggio (30)
Brandon Drury (32)
Adam Frazier (33)
Jose Iglesias (35)
Nicky Lopez (30)
Nick Madrigal (28)
Whit Merrifield (36)
Jorge Polanco (31)
Brendan Rodgers (28)
Amed Rosario (29)

Shortstops

Nick Ahmed (35)
Tim Anderson (32)
Paul DeJong (31)
Ha-Seong Kim (29)

Third Basemen

Jon Berti (35)
Alex Bregman (31) – declined qualifying offer
Paul DeJong (31)
Brandon Drury (32)
Enrique Hernandez (33)
Danny Mendick (31)
Yoan Moncada (30)
Josh Rojas (31)
Miguel Sano (32)
Nick Senzel (30)
Donovan Solano (37)
Abraham Toro (28)
Cole Tucker (28)
Luis Urias (28)

Left Fielders

Mark Canha (36)
Dylan Carlson (26)
David Dahl (31)
Adam Duvall (36)
Nick Gordon (27)
Robbie Grossman (35)
Austin Hays (29)
Ramon Laureano (30)
Manuel Margot (30)
Nick Martini (35)
Whit Merrifield (36)
Tommy Pham (37)
Jurickson Profar (32)
Eddie Rosario (33)
Alex Verdugo (29)
Jesse Winker (31)

Center Fielders

Harrison Bader (31)
Garrett Hampson (30)
Aaron Hicks (35)
Travis Jankowski (34)
Manuel Margot (30)
Kevin Pillar (36)
Michael A. Taylor (34)

Right Fielders

Dylan Carlson (26)
Adam Duvall (36)
Adam Frazier (33)
Ben Gamel (33)
Avisail Garcia (34)
Randal Grichuk (33)
Jason Heyward (35)
Connor Joe (32)
Bryce Johnson (29)
Ramon Laureano (30)
Manuel Margot (30)
Whit Merrifield (36)
David Peralta (37)
Tommy Pham (37)
Amed Rosario (29)
Eddie Rosario (33)
Anthony Santander (30) – declined qualifying offer
Gavin Sheets (29)

Designated Hitters

Willie Calhoun (30)
Mark Canha (36)
Matt Carpenter (39)
Garrett Cooper (34)
Robbie Grossman (35)
J.D. Martinez (37)
Anthony Santander (30) – declined qualifying offer
Gavin Sheets (29)
Justin Turner (40)
Daniel Vogelbach (32)
Jesse Winker (31)

Starting Pitchers

Ty Blach (34)
Aaron Brooks (35)
Carlos Carrasco (38)
Mike Clevinger (34)
Patrick Corbin (35)
Anthony DeSclafani (35)
Jack Flaherty (29)
Chris Flexen (30)
Domingo German (32)
Kyle Gibson (37)
Marco Gonzales (33)
Andrew Heaney (34)
Jakob Junis (32)
Clayton Kershaw (37)
Michael Lorenzen (33)
Jordan Lyles (34)
Lance Lynn (38)
Wade Miley (38)
John Means (32)
Charlie Morton (41)
Martin Perez (34)
Nick Pivetta (32) – declined qualifying offer
Cal Quantrill (30)
Jose Quintana (36)
Colin Rea (34)
Sixto Sanchez (26)
Max Scherzer (40)
Ross Stripling (35)
Spencer Turnbull (32)
Jose Ureña (33)
Jose Urquidy (30)
Justin Verlander (42)
Alex Wood (34)
Jake Woodford (28)

Right-Handed Relievers

Adbert Alzolay (30)
Chase Anderson (37)
Daniel Bard (40)
Scott Barlow (32)
Brandon Bielak (29)
John Brebbia (35)
Miguel Castro (30)
JT Chargois (34)
Jesse Chavez (41)
Adam Cimber (34)
Jose Cisnero (36)
Chris Devenski (34)
Carlos Estevez (32)
Buck Farmer (34)
Kyle Finnegan (33)
Dylan Floro (34)
Luis Garcia (38)
Domingo German (32)
Kendall Graveman (34)
Jonathan Hernandez (28)
Jeff Hoffman (32)
Brent Honeywell Jr. (30)
Jay Jackson (37)
Luke Jackson (31)
Kenley Jansen (37)
Dany Jimenez (31)
Jakob Junis (32)
Tommy Kahnle (34)
Brad Keller (29)
Joe Kelly (37)
Craig Kimbrel (37)
Andrew Kittredge (35)
Chad Kuhl (32)
Jose Leclerc (31)
Jorge Lopez (32)
Chris Martin (39)
Phil Maton (32)
Scott McGough (35)
Keynan Middleton (31)
Shelby Miller (34)
Hector Neris (36)
Adam Ottavino (39)
Erasmo Ramirez (35)
Trevor Richards (32)
David Robertson (40)
Ryder Ryan (30)
Paul Sewald (35)
Lucas Sims (31)
Burch Smith (35)
Drew Smith (31)
Ryne Stanek (33)
Josh Staumont (31)
Hunter Strickland (36)
Ross Stripling (35)
Dillon Tate (31)
Touki Toussaint (29)
Lou Trivino (33)
Spencer Turnbull (32)
Jose Ureña (33)
Austin Voth (33)
Kirby Yates (38)

Left-Handed Relievers

Scott Alexander (35)
Tyler Alexander (30)
Jalen Beeks (31)
Ty Blach (34)
Andrew Chafin (35)
Danny Coulombe (35)
Jake Diekman (38)
Caleb Ferguson (28)
Victor Gonzalez (29)
Tim Hill (35)
Richard Lovelady (29)
Tim Mayza (33)
A.J. Minter (31)
Matt Moore (36)
Colin Poche (31)
Brooks Raley (37)
Tanner Scott (30)
Will Smith (35)
Drew Smyly (36)
Caleb Thielbar (38)
Ryan Yarbrough (33)

Notifications Fixed For Trade Rumors Android App

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As you may know, we have a free Trade Rumors app for both iOS and Android.  The app allows you to set up custom feeds and notifications for any combination of sports, teams, and players across MLB Trade Rumors, Hoops Rumors, Pro Football Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors.

Just to be clear, the app is something you download from Apple or Google’s app store and it puts an icon on your phone, similar to how you might have the Uber or Instagram apps on your phone.  But we also have a good mobile website, for the many people who simply type mlbtraderumors.com into their phone’s browser (such as Safari).  The mobile website is easier for our developers to update, which is why it has steadily progressed over the last ten years.

Anyway, back to the apps.  A few months ago, notifications somehow broke on the Android app.  Today, we put out an update that fixes that.  If you’re an Android app user, please download that update from the Google Play store.  I want to give a shoutout to Dan B. and the many other Android power users who have written in about this issue and responded to my emails to verify notifications are now working!

Aside from the notifications, the app allows for easy scrolling and swiping between articles.  You can create a multi-sport experience tailored to your specific interests, or you can limit your app entirely to one sport by removing the others.

Seeing as how we initially released this app a decade ago, it’s time for a revamp.  A lot of that has to do with the coding and is beyond my understanding.  We’ll also spruce up the graphics and make other improvements.

Our developers are in the process of putting together a quote for this project, and all I can say for a projected timeline is that we expect it to be finished in 2025.

It’s been ten years since we came up with the basics of this app.  If you’ve used it and have ideas that you’d like to see implemented, they’re welcome in the comments!

MLB Mailbag: Burnes, Soto, Brewers, Dodgers, A’s, Astros

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Today's mailbag gets into where Corbin Burnes might go, why we write about players' salaries, whether Juan Soto will opt out, how the Brewers might sort out their outfield, chances of the Dodgers signing various free agents, and what's next for the A's.

Please note that this mailbag was initially published shortly before news of the Cody Bellinger trade broke.  I'm sure we'll get into that trade in the next mailbag, but since some of the Bellinger material in the mailbag was usurped by the trade, I've added several bonus Astros questions and answers to the end.

Joel asks:

Why is there not even a shred of a suggestion anywhere that the Mets have interest in Corbin Burnes? If they were willing to pay dinosaurs like Scherzer and Verlander, why not pay Burnes? Otherwise, they'll lose a lot of games 7-5.

Tony asks:

Corbin Burnes will sign with ?

Bud asks:

As a Giant fan it’s a little concerning hearing the rumors of Corbin Burns nearing a deal with the team and then a week or more of quiet. I was hoping for more moves…

Neil asks:

Will Giants sign Burnes or will it be another pitcher?

David Stearns was the GM of the Brewers when the team drafted Burnes in the fourth round out of Saint Mary's College of California in 2016.  With the Mets needing three starters this winter, it was natural to expect Stearns to be interested.  While it's true Stearns topped out at $15.5MM for a free agent starter with the Brewers (Jhoulys Chacin in 2016), it's also true that the Mets have way more money than the Brewers.

Even a comparison to Stearns' 2023-24 offseason would not be fair, because that was, as my colleague Darragh McDonald wrote, "a sort of bridge year."  Hence the relatively affordable additions of Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, and Adrian Houser.

To date, the Mets have made the ownership-driven decision to sign Juan Soto to a record-shattering contract, while Stearns has added Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas on two-year deals (if Holmes uses his opt-out) to help fill out the rotation.  Kodai Senga barely pitched this year, and David Peterson's 21 starts matched a career high.  Paul Blackburn is a back of the rotation type who has battled injuries, including October back surgery.  The rotation lacks reliability, which would likely be solved by Burnes.

Stearns seems more interested in the trade market of late, showing interest in Garrett Crochet and Luis Castillo this month.  Speculatively, they could go after Dylan Cease as well.  On December 7th, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote that the Mets had interest in Manaea, Nathan Eovaldi, Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty, and Nick Pivetta.  Around that time, Tim Healey of Newsday wrote that the Mets were not in on Max Fried and are not expected to land Burnes.  It would seem that Stearns simply does not like the return on investment of huge pitching contracts (at least for the players available this winter) and does not want to spend $250MM+ on Burnes.

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Finlete Offers Fans The Opportunity To Acquire A Piece Of Emmanuel Clase’s MLB Salary (Sponsored)

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The following is a sponsored post from Finlete.

As anyone who watched the Cleveland Guardians this past season can attest to, entrusting the ninth inning to a lights-out closer like Emmanuel Clase is about as good as it gets. For the Guardians, it’s a competitive edge that few other teams can match. For fans, it’s a reason to rise from your seat. For Clase, it further solidifies his surging trajectory as one of the best closers of all-time – a fact that leaves him well-positioned to become one of the highest paid relievers in the game.

Finlete, a new sports investment platform, has partnered with Clase to offer fans the chance to invest in his career and get a piece of his MLB salary in exchange. Investors will receive their first dividend in the middle of the 2025 MLB season.

Clase represents the second athlete and first active Major Leaguer to sign a future earnings contract with Finlete, following Marlins prospect Echedry Vargas earlier this year. The company expects to launch several more athletes in 2025. Fans can currently get in on the ground floor of this exciting, SEC-compliant platform.

You may be asking yourself, what’s in it for Emmanuel? Well, the answers are clear. For starters, Finlete is raising capital for Clase, which he can spend on his family, offseason training, and his own investment goals. He also benefits from Finlete by forging a connection with a rapidly growing community of fan-investors who are first and foremost fans of his, regardless of what team he plays for. Those who invest have every incentive to support his career from both an emotional and financial standpoint every step of the way. Game in, game out. Season in, season out. Through Finlete, Clase is building a devoted fanbase of uniquely invested supporters.

Let’s look back at the major milestones notched by Clase during the 2024 MLB season:

  • 3-time AL Reliever of the Month
  • 3rd straight All-Star appearance
  • 3rd straight year leading AL in Saves
  • 2nd All-MLB 1st Team honors
  • 2nd Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year Award
  • 1st reliever to finish top 3 in Cy Young voting since 2008
  • 5th lowest single-season ERA in MLB history (0.61)
  • Became Cleveland’s all-time Saves leader (157)
  • Set a Cleveland record for Saves in a season (47)
  • Converted 34 Saves in a row

All in all, it was a banner season for the 26-year old, and one of the most dominating ever recorded in MLB history.

Now let’s talk finances. Currently, Clase is locked into a team-friendly contract extension with Cleveland that he signed in 2022. Over the remainder of the contract, he’s set to receive base salaries of:

  • 2024: $2.9 million
  • 2025: $4.9 million
  • 2026: $6.4 million
  • 2027: $10 million (club option)
  • 2028: $10 million (club option)

The contract also includes the following clauses:

  • 2027 club option includes a $2M buyout
  • 2028 club option includes a $1M buyout
  • Cy Young Award Bonus Structure
    • 1st Place: $250K
    • 2nd or 3rd Place: $150K
    • 4th or 5th Place: $75K
  • Mariano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award: $100K
  • All-Star: $100K
  • ALCS MVP: $50K
  • World Series MVP: $100K
  • $500,000 for 200 innings pitched or 200 appearances from 2022-2026
  • Trade Assignment Bonus: $1M

Thanks to his excellence at the back end of the Cleveland bullpen, it should come as no surprise that Clase has earned nearly every major possible incentive in his contract.

Given that he’s now entering the prime of his career age-wise, barring health issues or a sudden drop in effectiveness, he should be in a strong position to become one of the highest-paid relief pitchers when he reaches free agency in 2029 (assuming his 2027 and 2028 club options are picked up).

Those who invest in Clase’s career through Finlete will get a piece of his earnings for the rest of his career. That starts with the $30+ million he currently has left on his contract and gets even more exciting once he reaches free agency. The greater his success on the field between now and then, the greater the size of his next contract will likely be, and the greater the potential return for investors.

The minimum investment is under $400 and Finlete is currently offering up to 25% bonus shares when you invest today. Additionally, investors are eligible to receive exclusive bonus perks such as a baseball or baseball card signed by Clase and a special baseball trip package during the upcoming MLB season.

The world of sports investing is changing rapidly, that much is clear. The line between fan and investor is blurring, and Finlete is at the forefront of it all. This is your chance to join a superstar athlete on their journey in a meaningful and potentially lucrative way. See the game from a totally new perspective and own a tangible piece of the action.

Welcome to the future. Welcome to Finlete. To learn more about this new sports investment platform, visit finlete.com today.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

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