The Opener

As MLB’s offseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Could the Orioles reach a lease agreement today?

Earlier this year, the Orioles and Maryland governor Wes Moore initially reported that they had reached an agreement that would keep the Orioles in Baltimore for at least 30 years. That deal was later revealed to be a non-binding “memorandum of understanding,” and no deal has come together in the months since. That could change today according to an announcement late last week from Moore’s office that a long-term lease agreement between the Orioles and the Maryland Stadium Authority will be voted on by Maryland state officials today. The agreement is expected to go before both the stadium authority and the state’s Board of Public Works this afternoon. Time is running out on an agreement, as the club’s lease at Camden Yards expires at the end of the calendar year.

2. Is the outfield market heating up?

The positional market has lagged behind the pitching market for the most part this offseason, and while infielder Jeimer Candelario and DH Shohei Ohtani have both signed in recent weeks, the outfield market was falling even further behind in free agency with a focus on trades of players like Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, Tyler O’Neill, and Jarred Kelenic. Fortunately, the outfield market has begun to heat up over the past week as KBO star Jung Hoo Lee landed in San Francisco on a six-year deal.

Since then, the rest of the outfield market has begun to catch up as Hunter Renfroe reached an agreement on a two-year pact with the Royals. Just yesterday, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and the Diamondbacks came together on a multi-year contract that will keep the reigning NL championship club’s left fielder in town for the next two to four seasons. It’s possible that the recent movement on the outfield market could spur movement involving a corner outfield class led by Teoscar Hernandez that also features noteworthy names such as Tommy Pham, Joc Pederson, and Jorge Soler.

3. What’s next for the Padres?

The Padres kicked off their offseason earlier this month by trading away Soto and center fielder Trent Grisham to the Yankees in exchange for a package of five players headlined by right-hander Michael King and top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe. While the club was initially believed to be motivated to move Soto by a desire to open up budget space to repair a pitching staff that had lost four starting pitchers (including reigning NL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell) and star closer Josh Hader to free agency, reporting from this past weekend indicates that San Diego may have less room in the budget to work with than initially believed even after dealing away Soto.

The Padres are reportedly considering attempting to duck under the luxury tax threshold this offseason, a strategy that could leave them with just $30MM to spend as they look to add multiple arms to both the rotation and bullpen while also filling out their recently-vacated outfield alongside franchise cornerstone Fernando Tatis Jr. Given the club’s complicated financial situation and the number of holes left on the roster, the club’s path back into contention seems likely to remain unclear until president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and his front office make their next move.

As MLB’s offseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Glasnow deal appears imminent:

Reports yesterday indicated that the Dodgers and Rays have agreed upon a trade that would send right-hander Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot to the Dodgers in exchange for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny Deluca. The deal hinges on an extension being finalized between the Dodgers and Glasnow. A deal is expected to come together, with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggesting it could occur as soon as today. When completed, the deal will begin to address L.A.’s massive vacancies in the rotation, where Glasnow will join Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler as surefire starting options. Emmet Sheehan and Ryan Yarbrough are among the club’s depth options for the rotation, though the Dodgers figure to continue looking to reinforce the group after posting a 4.57 ERA that was 11th-worst in all of baseball last year.

2. Royals 40-man roster move incoming?

Yesterday, the Royals cleared space on their 40-man roster for right-hander Seth Lugo by trading right-hander Taylor Clarke to the Brewers in exchange for right-hander Ryan Brady and infielder Cam Devanney, neither of whom are on the 40-man. Lugo isn’t the only free agent signing the club will need to make room for on their roster, however, as Kansas City also got together on a deal with right-hander Chris Stratton earlier this week. The Royals, of course, could simply designate a player on their 40-man for assignment to make room for Stratton, though it’s fair to wonder if the club hopes to work out another minor trade to clear roster space as it did with Milwaukee yesterday.

3. SP market heating up?

In addition to the aforementioned agreement on a Glasnow trade, the starting pitching market lost a pair of free agents yesterday as right-handers Jack Flaherty and Tyler Mahle signed on with the Tigers and Rangers, respectively. The deals further heat up a middle-to-back of the rotation market that has seen plenty of deals come together so far this offseason. The upper tiers of the market have lagged behind in comparison, with Eduardo Rodriguez agreeing to a contract this month after quick-strike deals came together for Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray in November. Generally, it seems as though the top-of-the-rotation market is being held up by the Yoshinobu Yamamoto bidding. Yamamoto visited with the Phillies, adding a new team to the widely-known field of contenders for his services that already included the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Giants, Red Sox, and Blue Jays.

As MLB’s offseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Glasnow trade buzz:

News broke recently that the Dodgers and Rays were discussing a deal that would send Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot to L.A. in exchange for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny Deluca. No deal ultimately got done yesterday, and there have been reports of the Rays discussing Glasnow deals at a similar level of seriousness with other clubs. Could a deal come together soon? The 6’8” right-hander has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career but would be a major addition to the front of any would-be contender’s rotation; dating back to the 2019 season, Glasnow owns a 3.03 ERA and 2.89 FIP across 60 starts (332 2/3 innings).

2. Lee to undergo physical:

Star KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee recently agreed to terms with the Giants for six years and $113MM ahead of what should be his stateside debut. The final step in Lee’s move to MLB is expected to occur today as he undergoes a physical. That step in the process is usually a formality, though Giants fans will of course remember the Carlos Correa saga last offseason that saw him initially agree to a contract with San Francisco before the club backed out due to issues with Correa’s ankle. Lee, 25, underwent season-ending surgery in late July after sustaining a fractured ankle just this past season, though of course the Giants were well aware of that fact before engaging with the young outfielder.

3. Ohtani’s introductory presser:

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is a Dodger, on a contract that shook the baseball world with its significant deferrals and unique conditional opt-out clause. Ohtani’s time in Dodger blue is expected to officially begin at 5:00pm CT this evening with an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium, where both Ohtani himself and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman will be available to the media. It will be Ohtani’s first media appearance since his 2023 season came to an end back in September. Ohtani underwent elbow surgery shortly thereafter, though specifics regarding the procedure have not been made available since.

With 60 days remaining until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today…

1. Yamamoto meeting with teams:

Yesterday, the Dodgers met with NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the 25-year-old hurler continues meeting with clubs interested in his services this offseason. L.A. joins the Giants, Mets, and Yankees among clubs publicly known to have met with Yamamoto this offseason. It was reported yesterday that both the Red Sox and Blue Jays figure to join that quarter in the coming days. A report last week indicated that the field for Yamamoto’s services had thinned to seven teams, with every team that has met with Yamamoto to this point except for Boston named alongside two “mystery teams.”

2. Is Bellinger’s market crystalizing?

The Giants shocked the baseball world by landing star KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee on a six-year deal worth $113MM. The signing of Lee takes another top left-handed bat off of the market following Shohei Ohtani’s decision to sign with the Dodgers and the swap that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees. Both the Giants and Yankees were considered top suitors for center fielder Cody Bellinger prior to their additions of Soto and Lee. It’s possible that the recent run on left-handed bats has left Bellinger with only a handful of potential destinations left.

Remaining suitors for Bellinger could include the Blue Jays, Cubs, and Mariners. Toronto and Chicago, the latter of whom Bellinger bounced back with in 2023, were among the final bidders on Ohtani before he landed in L.A. The Mariners, meanwhile, have little certainty in their outfield beyond Julio Rodriguez and would benefit from Bellinger’s 15.6% strikeout rate last year as they look to create a more contact-oriented lineup. It’s also at least plausible that the Giants have the wherewithal necessary to land both Bellinger and Lee, though given the club’s logjam in the outfield they may be better suited toward spending in other areas at this point.

3. Greinke joins the market:

After months of uncertainty regarding the plans of future Hall of Famer Zack Greinke, the veteran right-hander is reportedly planning to continue his career in 2024. The news puts Greinke in line to become the 20th pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 career strikeouts, a milestone he sits just 21 punchouts away from. Beyond the potential history a 21st big league season from Greinke figures to involve, the update also adds another quality back-of-the-rotation starter to a market ravenous for starting pitching options. While Greinke struggled to the first below-average ERA+ of his career since 2005 last season, it’s easy to see a club taking a chance on Greinke given the solid deals back-end starters like Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson have received so far this offseason.

In the recent past, Greinke hasn’t had much impact on the wider free agent market as he’s seemingly limited himself to pitching in Kansas City. However, the news of Greinke’s decision to continue pitching comes on the heels of the Royals committing to Seth Lugo on a three-year pact, leaving open the possibility that Greinke will need to look elsewhere to continue his career. If Greinke hopes to stick with familiar clubs, both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks could use rotation fortifications, even after Arizona landed Eduardo Rodriguez earlier in the month.

As the offseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Press conference in Arizona:

At 2:00pm CT this afternoon, the Diamondbacks will be holding a press conference to introduce newly-signed left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to the press. Both Rodriguez himself and GM Mike Hazen will be in attendance. Rodriguez, who signed a four-year, $80MM contract as the Winter Meetings were coming to a close last week, is the largest free agent signing by the D-backs since the ill-fated Madison Bumgarner deal signed prior to the 2020 season. The press conference could shed some light on Arizona’s payroll flexibility going forward this offseason, as the reigning NL champs are into uncharted territory with regards to their payroll. RosterResource projects them for a $127MM payroll in 2024, a figure that comes in just below the club’s all-time high payroll of $131MM back in 2018 (per Cot’s Baseball Contracts). That would seemingly leave little room in the budget for further additions, but Arizona has nonetheless been connected to bats at the top of the DH market such as J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler.

2. Contracts yet to be made official:

Yesterday saw the Royals make their one-year agreement with left-hander Will Smith official, designating right-hander Collin Snider for assignment to make room for Smith on the club’s 40-man roster. With Smith now officially on the roster in Kansas City, it’s possible that two other signings that were agreed upon over the weekend could be made official in the near future as well: fellow southpaw Andrew Chafin’s $4.75MM deal with the Tigers, and catcher Austin Hedges’s $4MM pact with the Guardians. Cleveland already cleared a spot for Hedges on their 40-man roster by shipping catcher Christian Bethancourt to the Marlins the day of their agreement with Hedges, while the Tigers currently have just 38 players on their 40-man, leaving them room on the roster for another addition even after Chafin’s deal is made official.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

With the Winter Meetings now in the rearview mirror and baseball’s biggest free agent off the board, are there any questions burning in your mind about the offseason? Are you wondering what’s next for your favorite team, or perhaps curious about what the market for a particular free agent looks like? If so, tune in this afternoon when MLBTR’s Steve Adams hosts a live chat with readers at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after its completed.

On the heels of baseball’s $700MM man making his decision, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Fallout of Ohtani’s decision:

Shohei Ohtani is set to become a Dodger on a record-shattering $700MM deal. With the biggest question of the offseason answered, there’s plenty of ripple effects that will impact the remainder of the offseason. It’s not yet clear whether Ohtani has undergone a physical and his contract with the Dodgers has been finalized, and L.A. will need to clear a spot on its 40-man roster to accommodate the addition of Ohtani once those final steps have happened. Looking beyond the Dodgers, the teams that missed out on Ohtani — the Blue Jays, Angels, Cubs, and Giants are among the teams that were involved in the bidding process — will need to look elsewhere as they attempt to improve ahead of next season. That could allow the markets for other top players, such as center fielder Cody Bellinger, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and left-hander Blake Snell, to come into focus over the coming days.

2. When will the rumored Dodgers-Yankees deal be completed?

An unusual report surfaced yesterday, with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal indicating that the Dodgers and Yankees were working on a trade that would send two players on L.A.’s 40-man roster to the Yankees in exchange for a prospect in the Yankees organization who is not on the 40-man. The deal would clear the aforementioned roster spot needed to finalize Ohtani’s contract while also making room for right-hander Joe Kelly. Joel Sherman of the New York Post heard the same, adding that the Yankees will pick up an “end of roster pitcher” who could provide depth lost by the inclusion of depth arms Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito in the Juan Soto trade while also adding an additional prospect. It seems likely that the specifics of the deal should be available in the near future.

3. Could the relief market be picking up?

Yesterday saw a pair of veteran free agent southpaws come off the board as left-hander Andrew Chafin reunited with the Tigers in Detroit while Will Smith rejoined the team for whom he made his major league debut in Kansas City. With those two arms off the board, will the relief market continue to heat up? Closer Josh Hader headlines the class, while flamethrowing 27-year-old Jordan Hicks, breakout righty Robert Stephenson and NPB relief ace Yuki Matsui are among the other notable names who’ve yet to sign. The Cubs, Cardinals, Astros, and Rangers are among the many teams known to be searching for relief help at this point in the offseason.

With the Winter Meetings now in the rear view mirror, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Will the Orioles change hands?

The Orioles are coming off a sensational season that saw them post an AL-best record of 101-61 as the core of young talent cultivated by GM Mike Elias and his front office in recent years finally came to fruition. While the club seems sure to once again be a force to be reckoned with in 2024, recent news created some off-the-field uncertainty for the Orioles’ regarding their future. Reporting indicated yesterday afternoon that David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group, was in talks to acquire the Orioles from the Angelos family. It’s unknown at what level those talks are occurring, but a change in ownership as the Orioles enter their competitive window could be a game changer for a club that (according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts) has posted a bottom-five payroll in the majors each of the past five seasons.

2. How much do the Diamondbacks have left to spend?

After reportedly agreeing to a four-year, $80MM contract with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to shore up the club’s rotation, the Diamondbacks have dipped their toes into uncharted territory with regards to their payroll. The reigning NL champions have never posted a payroll higher than $131MM (per Cot’s) and yet RosterResource now projects the club for a $133MM payroll in 2023 as things currently stand. Will GM Mike Hazen and his front office have more room to spend as they follow up on last year’s deep postseason run? If there is additional payroll space in Arizona, the club is reportedly interested in offensive additions, including at DH.

3. Contracts waiting to be finalized:

Several contracts from the winter meetings have not yet been finalized and formally announced by their clubs at this point. Of particular noted are the pending one-year deal between utilityman Nick Senzel and the Nationals as well as the reported three-year agreement between infielder Jeimer Candelario and the Reds, as the deals would leave Washington and Cincinnati without any remaining space on their 40-man roster. That’ll force them to make corresponding moves for future additions to the 40-man this offseason. Other deals that have not yet been made official include the one between Arizona and Rodriguez as well as yesterday’s pact between the Mets and right-hander Jorge Lopez.

On the heels of last night’s blockbuster trade and a pair of notable free-agent signings, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on today…

1. What’s next for the Yankees?

The Yankees hearkened back to their Evil Empire days with yesterday’s blockbuster acquisition of Juan Soto, who came to the Bronx alongside Trent Grisham in a trade sending five players back to the Padres. The Yanks now have a projected $278MM payroll and an even heftier $290MM worth of luxury-tax obligations, but it doesn’t seem they’re done. Because the Yankees traded four pitchers — current starter Michael King, depth arms Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez, and top prospect Drew Thorpe — in order to add Soto, further maneuvering to bring some starting pitching into the fold seems likely. That could even be a high-end arm. Yoshinobu Yamamoto remains a free agent, and he’s slated to meet with the Yankees on Monday. They’ve also been tied to a (much) lower-cost reunion with rebound candidate Frankie Montas after an injury-ruined Yankees tenure.

2.  Will the Reds move an infielder for pitching help?

There’d been plenty of talk about the Reds possibly trading Jonathan India even before last night — though president of baseball operations Nick Krall has worked to downplay it. Cincinnati already had a wealth of infield talent in the form of India, Spencer Steer, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, Elly De La Cruz and Christian Encarnacion-Strand all having reached the big leagues. Wednesday evening’s surprise addition of Jeimer Candelario on a three-year deal likely pushes Steer into left field on a full-time basis. Even still, that leaves the Reds with six infielders for four spots — five if you include a potential rotational usage of the designated hitter spots.

There’s plenty of versatility among the bunch. Candelario can play both corners. De La Cruz can play third and short, as can Marte. McLain can play both middle infield spots. Krall spoke just yesterday about India possibly moving around the infield in a utility capacity. And, of course, injuries are a near inevitability for any big league club. Still, as the Reds look to bolster their rotation, it’s hard not to wonder whether that infield depth will be used to facilitate a trade. They’ve balked at the price for Dylan Cease thus far and might be loath to part with a controllable infielder for one year of either Shane Bieber or Tyler Glasnow, but there could yet be other creative opportunities for Cincinnati to explore. The Marlins are again listening on their bevy of arms, for instance, and with so much infield talent to peddle, Krall might be able to convince another team that’s not an obvious seller of starting pitching to part with an unexpected arm.

3. All eyes (still) on Shohei:

Shohei Ohtani continues to hold up the top end of the free-agent and trade markets, to varying extents. However, he’s ostensibly met with the majority (if not all) of his suitors by now, and MLB.com’s Jon Morosi suggested yesterday that Ohtani is “expected” to make a decision on his free agent destination before the conclusion of this weekend. The Dodgers, Blue Jays, Giants and Angels are believed to be finalists, and Cubs president Jed Hoyer earlier this week denied reports that his club has become pessimistic in its quest to sign the two-way star.

As the Winter Meetings continue, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Will the Yankees land Soto?

The Yankees came into the offseason with a clear need for a left-handed bat to add to their outfield, and they filled that hole last night by acquiring Alex Verdugo from the Red Sox. Even after landing an outfielder from their arch-rivals, however, the club still appears to be in on superstar Juan Soto. While talks between the Bronx and San Diego appeared to stall out last week, there’s been plenty of indications that the sides would continue talking during the Winter Meetings this week. According to Andy Martino of SNY, the sides were engaged in discussions as recently as late last night. There was no deal ultimately reported overnight, but could Soto be on the move before the Winter Meetings come to a close tomorrow morning?

2. What are the Cubs’ plans?

Yesterday was a strange day for Cubs fans, as reports early in the afternoon indicated that the club was losing optimism regarding its hopes of landing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Later in the evening, however, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer refuted the report, leaving the club’s plans going forward uncertain. What’s more, Ohtani is far from the only impact player the Cubs have been connected to in recent days. Rumors of Chicago’s interest in Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow resurfaced yesterday, while reports connecting first baseman Rhys Hoskins and third baseman Matt Chapman to the club could suggest some alternative hitters of interest should Chicago indeed miss out on Ohtani.

3. The Rule 5 Draft is today:

As part of the final day of the Winter Meetings, the annual Rule 5 Draft will take place at 1pm CT this afternoon. International players and high school draft picks who signed in 2019 and college draft picks signed in 2020 who have not yet been added to their club’s 40-man roster are vulnerable in today’s draft, where any club can select them for a $100K fee. If the player does not stick on their new club’s 26-man roster for the entire season, he must be offered back to his original club for $50K. Teams must have open space on their 40-man roster to select a player in the draft, meaning the Rays, Rockies, and Royals would each need to clear space on their 40-man roster before the draft begins in order to participate.

Players selected in the Rule 5 draft occasionally go on to impact their team in the future, with Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander and Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock among the most prominent recent examples. Giants catcher Blake Sabol and A’s first baseman Ryan Noda highlighted last season’s class of Rule 5 picks who remained in their new organizations permanently. Sabol slashed .235/.301/.394 across 110 games with San Francisco last year, while Noda posted a .229/.364/.406 slash line as the starting first baseman for the A’s.