The Opener

With the start of Spring Training just one week away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Decisions on recent arbitration hearings loom:

According to the Associated Press, two arbitration hearings have been completed, with decisions pending: the case between the Rays and right-hander Ryan Thompson, and the case between the Angels and outfielder Hunter Renfroe. While Thompson’s hearing was just yesterday, Renfroe’s hearing was over a week ago, with no decision announced as of yet despite more recent hearings having decisions handed down. Thompson followed up an excellent 2021 campaign where he posted a 2.38 ERA (3.11 FIP) with a more pedestrian 2022 where he posted a roughly league average ERA of 3.80 (3.42 FIP). His career mark is a 3.50 ERA with a nearly identical 3.55 FIP across 103 innings. Thompson’s camp filed for arbitration at a figure of $1.2MM, while the Rays countered with a figure of $1MM. Colin Poche, Jason Adam, and Harold Ramirez all also have unsettled arbitration salaries with the Rays.

As for Renfroe, he was traded in November by the Brewers to the Angels, who become his fifth club in as many seasons. Renfroe’s .255/.315/.492 (124 wRC+) line in 2022 was his best in any full season. Following the trade, Renfroe’s camp filed at a figure of $11.9MM, while the Angels countered at $11.25MM.

2. Sano working out for teams today

Today, former Twins first baseman Miguel Sano is set to participate in a showcase for clubs after an injury-plagued season where he struggled to a line of just .083/.211/.133 (9 wRC+) in 20 games before a knee injury ended his season. If the showcase goes well, Sano represents an interesting alternative to Luke Voit and Yuli Gurriel for clubs looking for a right-handed hitter to man first base. Voit’s 102 wRC+ was the only above average season line among the trio last year, making him perhaps the safest bet for any club looking to make an addition, while Sano and Gurriel both come with their own separate risks; Sano’s prodigious power has frequently been undercut by his staggering penchant for strikeouts, while Gurriel is looking for a rebound from one of his worst seasons as he heads into his age-39 campaign.

3. MLBTR Chat Today

Do you have any questions regarding your favorite team or the larger baseball world as the 30 clubs gear up for Spring Training and make their last minute offseason moves? MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be fielding questions from readers today during a live chat at 1pm CT. If you would like to ask questions in advance, you can do so here. That same link will also take you to the chat when it begins if you would like to participate live.

With Spring Training set to begin next week, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Coonrod DFA to be resolved:

The Phillies decision to designate right-hander Sam Coonrod for assignment last week will reach a conclusion today. Coonrod, who was designated in order to make room for Josh Harrison on the 40-man roster, struggled to the tune of a 7.82 ERA (4.61 FIP) over 12 2/3 innings in a 2022 season that was mostly wiped out by a shoulder strain. That said, Coonrod was a useful middle reliever as recently as 2021, when he posted a 4.04 ERA (3.71 FIP) over 42 1/3 innings. If he goes through waivers unclaimed, Coonrod does have enough service time to reject an outright assignment. However, given his $775K arbitration salary for 2023 would be lost in doing so, it’s possible he could accept the outright assignment anyway rather than test free agency.

2. Are more extensions on the way?

The run-up to Spring Training is frequently seen as a time for teams and players to discuss extensions, with most of the heavy lifting done in terms of transactions and baseball activities not yet started up. This past weekend saw the Dodgers announce an extension with shortstop Miguel Rojas that will keep him in L.A. through at least the 2024 season, with a club option for 2025 as well. Rojas joins a handful of players such as Jeff McNeil and Yandy Diaz who have inked extensions recently, and it’s possible more deals could be on the way. Giants ace Logan Webb has reportedly discussed an extension with San Francisco’s front office. It was also recently reported that the Royals front office is looking into extensions for the team’s young core as well.

3. Player Chat today at 10am CT:

MLBTR’s Player Chat series will continue this week, and we’re excited to welcome former big league right-hander and longtime MLB scout Tim Fortugno to host a chat with readers today. Fortugno pitched in parts of three MLB seasons from 1992-95, suiting up for the Angels, Reds and White Sox along the way. He pitched a total of 12 seasons in the minors, three in the majors and another in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League. Fortugno has since spent more than 20 years in Major League scouting departments, working for the Rangers, Mets and Rays, who’ve employed him since 2019. Tune in at 10am CT today to ask any questions you have and to read about Fortugno’s wide array of experiences in baseball!

As the return of baseball continues to grow closer, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Dodgers FanFest is tomorrow

For the first time since the the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, Dodgers FanFest is set to return to Dodger Stadium. The free fan event will take place from 10am to 4pm local time on Saturday. In addition to interviews with players, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and manager Dave Roberts both typically make themselves available to media at the event. The FanFest returns after an unusually quiet offseason for the Dodgers, who spent most of the offseason appearing to operate with the goal of ducking under the luxury tax this year to reset their penalties. The club weathered losses such as Trea Turner, Justin Turner, and Tyler Anderson, but Trevor Bauer’s reinstatement from suspension threw a wrench in those tax-reset plans, with Friedman saying he doesn’t expect to deal salaried players to get back under the tax for 2023.

2. Could more arbitration results be on the way?

Both of the past two days, we’ve heard the results of an arbitration hearing. Diego Castillo lost his case against the Mariners on Wednesday, while yesterday Luis Arraez won his case against the Marlins. More arbitration case results will trickle in throughout the next few days, including such big names like Bo Bichette and Max Fried, still waiting to finalize their 2023 contracts. Up until the last minute, teams and players are always free to agree to a deal to avoid arbitration, whether it’s on a one-year contract or on a multi-year extension — we’ve also seen such players as Jeff McNeil, Dylan Moore, and Yandy Diaz all sign extensions in recent days.

3. Will the Greinke deal be made official at last?

Ever since Zack Greinke re-signed with the Royals on a one-year deal, the wait has been on for the contract to become official. MLB.com’s Anne Rogers has said the signing can be expected to be made official this week, and whenever the move is made, the Royals will need to make a corresponding transaction to clear 40-man roster space. The Royals hope Greinke will help stabilize the rotation, as the veteran returns to pitch his ninth season in Kansas City and the 20th overall season of his excellent career. Though durability is a concern at Greinke’s age (39) and over 3247 innings of mileage on his arm, the right-hander has still delivered solid production. He posted ERA+ of 111 in 2022, marking his seventeenth consecutive season with an above-average mark in that metric.

With less than eight weeks remaining until Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Hernandez DFA comes due:

Lefty reliever Darwinzon Hernandez was designated for assignment by the Orioles last week, and the conclusion to that is expected sometime today. Hernandez was DFA’d to make room for Cole Irvin on the 40-man roster following his acquisition by Baltimore from the A’s. Hernandez was a rather successful reliever for the Red Sox from 2019-2021, posting a 3.66 ERA (131 ERA+) and 3.85 FIP over 78 2/3 innings, despite walking 17% of his opponents along the way. The lack of command caught up to him in 2022, however, as he walked 18% of his opponents, yielded four long balls and served up 16 runs in just 6 2/3 innings (21.60 ERA).

Those struggles led to the Red Sox DFA Hernandez earlier this offseason, at which point he was claimed off waivers by the Orioles, who now hope to pass Hernandez through waivers themselves. If Hernandez makes it through waivers, Baltimore will be able to assign him outright to Triple-A, where he can serve as bullpen depth for them in 2023.

2. Arbitration for Mariners, Hernandez looms:

Yesterday, the Mariners sorted out two of their three outstanding arbitration cases, with the club winning its arbitration case against righty reliever Diego Castillo in the afternoon before going on to ink utilityman Dylan Moore to a three-year extension in the evening. That leaves one unresolved arbitration case for Seattle, and it’s perhaps the most important one: right fielder Teoscar Hernandez, whom the Mariners acquired from the Blue Jays via trade earlier this offseason. Of players and clubs who exchanged arbitration figures this offseason, Hernandez and Seattle have the largest gap between their asks: $2MM, with Hernandez filing for $16MM and the Mariners countering at $14MM. Hernandez is set to become a free agent following the 2023 season.

3. MLBTR Player Chat today:

MLBTR is excited to continue our player live chat series by welcoming right-hander Scott Feldman, who pitched in 13 MLB seasons. The best years of his career came from 2013-2015, when he pitched to a 3.83 ERA (4.13 FIP) across 77 starts and 470 1/3 innings for the Cubs, Orioles, and Astros. In swapping uniforms from the Cubs to the Orioles ahead of the 2013 trade deadline, Feldman was packaged with Steve Clevenger in exchange for Pedro Strop and future NL Cy Young award winner Jake Arrieta. Overall, Feldman pitched to a 4.43 ERA with an identical 4.43 FIP across 1386 1/3 innings and suited up for the Rangers, Cubs, Orioles, Astros, and Reds throughout his time in the big leagues. Be sure to tune in at noon CST** today for Feldman’s live chat, where he will field questions from MLBTR readers!

**We initially mistakenly listed Scott’s chat at 10am CST. It will be held at noon CST. Apologies for the error.

As the calendar flips to February, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Orioles face decision on Camden Yards lease:

The Baltimore Orioles face a deadline today to pick up a one-time option that would extend the club’s lease at Camden Yards for five more years. Currently, the organization’s lease is set to expire on December 31st of this year. Orioles ownership, Commissioner Rob Manfred, and Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott have declared that the Orioles will remain in Baltimore long term, regardless of the uncertainty surrounding the club’s stadium situation going forward. Another temporary extension that pushes back the option, as the Orioles agreed to in 2021 when their extended their lease through 2023, would be an alternative that preserves the five-year option safety net. While shorter-term options abound for the Orioles organization, Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun notes that a longer-term lease would allow the Orioles to take advantage of a 2022 state law that would allow $600MM to be borrowed to make improvements to Camden Yards.

2. MLB celebrates National Girls & Women in Sports Day:

MLB Youth Academies across the country will be hosting events and activities today in celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, with events taking place in Cincinnati, Compton, Kansas City, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Events previously scheduled to take place in Houston and Dallas will be postponed until February 15th due to weather concerns. In addition to these events, the Commissioner’s office will be hosting a networking event and panel discussion that includes a tour of the MLB offices in Manhattan.

3. Signings to be made official:

Despite reports to the contrary, the Royals did not make their one-year agreement with future Hall of Famer Zack Greinke official yesterday. MLB.com’s Anne Rogers reports that the Greinke signing can be expected to be made official later this week, most likely on Thursday. Whenever the deal is made official, Kansas City will have to clear a 40-man roster spot to make room for Greinke. Another reported signing that has been left outstanding to this point is the deal between catcher Roberto Perez and the Giants. If that also proves to be a big league deal, the Giants will need to make a 40-man move as well.

With just two weeks to go until Spring Training, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Greinke signing expected to be made official today:

The Royals agreed to re-sign future Hall of Famer Zack Greinke yesterday to a one-year deal, and Greinke’s return will reportedly be announced officially sometime this afternoon. A corresponding move will be required to make the Greinke deal official, as the Royals have a full 40-man roster at the moment. Even in his age-39 season, Greinke will be a valuable, stabilizing presence in a Kansas City rotation which only featured one other above-average starter by measure of ERA+ last year: Brady Singer. By re-signing Greinke, the Royals have claimed one of the last quality starting pitching options on the free-agent market, leaving Michael Wacha as the last remaining starter who turned in an above average season in 2022.

2. Saucedo’s DFA comes due:

Mets lefty Tayler Saucedo was designated for assignment last week to make room for Tommy Pham on the 40-man roster, and that DFA is set to come due today. Saucedo only got 2 2/3 innings of big league playing time in 2022 as a member of the Blue Jays, though in 19 innings for Triple-A Buffalo he posted an impressive 2.37 ERA. Overall, he has posted a 5.40 ERA and 5.04 FIP across 28 1/3 innings in the big leagues. Saucedo was claimed off waivers by the Mets earlier this offseason, and could be claimed by another club today, as lefty relief options are always desirable assets. If Saucedo does pass through waivers successfully, he does not have enough service time to reject an outright assignment, meaning the Mets will be able to keep him in the organization for the foreseeable future.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

Do you have any questions regarding your favorite team or the larger baseball world as the offseason enters the home stretch? MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be fielding questions from readers today during a live chat at 1pm CT. If you would like to ask questions in advance, you can do so here. That same link will also take you to the chat when it begins if you would like to participate live.

With two months left until Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Could more extensions be on the way?

With Spring Training just a couple of weeks away and arbitration hearings quickly approaching for players and clubs who were unable to reach an agreement before the filing deadline earlier this month, it’s a natural time for teams to discuss possible extensions with their players. This weekend saw a flurry of activity on that front, with the Rays extending three players (Jeffrey Springs, Pete Fairbanks, and Yandy Diaz) while the Mets agreed to terms with Jeff McNeil on a four-year contract. The Rays have already announced the deals with Springs and Fairbanks, and announcements regarding Diaz and McNeil should be expected in the coming days.

It’s possible that more extensions could be hammered out in the run-up to Spring Training. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rays continue their attempts to lock up the remaining unsigned players in their arbitration class, and the Cubs are known to have interest in signing Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to long-term extensions this offseason following their one-year arbitration agreements earlier this month.

2. Middle Infield Market Update

The White Sox and Red Sox could yet look into the middle infield market. Although Chicago seems to be considering going into Spring Training with only internal options at second base (e.g. Romy Gonzalez, Lenyn Sosa, Leury Garcia), they’ve also shown trade interest in Royals infielder Nicky Lopez. Boston recently acquired Adalberto Mondesi from Kansas City to shore up their own situation, but Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said his team is still interested in adding more talent to their middle infield mix. As always, it’s possible that other clubs without clear-cut needs could still look to improve their bench depth, as the Phillies did by signing Josh Harrison yesterday.

Elvis Andrus stands atop of the market for teams interested in making an addition the middle. In trade, the Athletics would surely listen on second baseman Tony Kemp after trading Cole Irvin and Sean Murphy, while the Yankees have a glut of infielders at their disposal including Gleyber Torres and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The Cubs don’t appear to have much room for former top prospect Nick Madrigal in the lineup following the addition of Dansby Swanson, which pushed Hoerner to second base. The Cardinals would likely welcome the opportunity to get out from some of the $11MM still owed to displaced shortstop Paul DeJong.

3. MLBTR Player Chat Today

Later today, MLBTR will be kicking off this week’s group of Player Chats. Last week, we welcomed pitcher Cory Wade, catcher Michael McKenry, pitcher Jacob Turner, and knuckleballer Mickey Jannis. Today, we’re excited to have former MLB pitcher Collin Balester chat with readers. Balester pitched for the Nationals, Tigers, and Reds across six seasons in the big leagues, tallying 200 2/3 innings for his career across 88 appearances (22 starts). His best season came with the Nationals in 2010, when he posted a 2.57 ERA (159 ERA+) with a 3.51 FIP in 21 innings in his first season as a reliever. Be sure to tune in at 3pm CST today for Balester’s live chat with readers.

As the final weeks of the offseason continue their slow creep towards Spring Training, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Royals, Chapman deal to be made official soon?

Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports that Aroldis Chapman’s physical with the Royals is expected to be completed this week. If it hasn’t already happened, it could be conducted as soon as today, and Chapman’s one-year contract with the Royals could be made official any day now. Chapman, who had been among the best closers in baseball for over a decade, has suffered a steep decline in recent years, culminating in a 2022 season that was his first below average year by ERA+. Kansas City is hoping for a return to form for the lefty flamethrower, whose fastball still played in the upper 90s with 81st percentile spin rate last season despite the diminished results.

2. After dealing Irvin, who remains for the A’s to shop?

Yesterday, the A’s dealt Cole Irvin to the Orioles, reinforcing the fact that virtually no one on the big league roster in Oakland is unavailable. With Irvin and catcher Sean Murphy both out the door, are there other moves left to make? The most obvious trade candidate would be Ramon Laureano, but the club is reportedly not pursuing a trade of their most established outfielder after a difficult 2022 season, perhaps in hopes that he can build his value back up during the 2023 campaign.

Right-hander Paul Blackburn and second baseman/outfielder Tony Kemp are the only two other arbitration-level players left on the roster, making each of them at least speculative candidates to be moved. Kemp, in particular, is set to become a free agent after the 2023 and could be interesting to clubs in need of middle infield help ahead of Opening Day. Looking elsewhere on the roster, both Seth Brown and A.J. Puk could make sense as trade candidates. Both players are set to be eligible for arbitration next offseason, as Irvin was, and each is coming off a strong season in 2022.

3. The rest of the Rays’ arb class

The Rays have more arbitration work left to do than any team in the league, as they exchanged figures with a whopping seven players two weeks ago. Most teams employ a “file and trial” approach, meaning that once figures are exchanged, talks on one-year contracts cease. Those clubs will typically remain open to discussing multi-year arrangements, however, which is what happened with the Rays and lefty Jeffrey Springs earlier this week. Spring agreed to a four-year, $31MM contract that buys out a pair of free-agent seasons.

That still leaves six pending cases for the Rays. Infielder Yandy Diaz (requested $6.3MM to the Rays’ $5.5MM), first baseman/outfielder Harold Ramirez ($2.2MM vs. $1.9MM), lefty Colin Poche ($1.3MM vs. $1.175MM), righty Pete Fairbanks ($1.9MM vs. $1.5MM), righty Ryan Thompson ($1.2MM vs. $1MM) and righty Jason Adam ($1.775MM vs. $1.55MM) all have unresolved arbitration situations. Arbitration hearings typically begin in February, so there’s still a bit of time for Tampa Bay to hammer out multi-year deals for any of these six. To be clear, that doesn’t necessarily mean a long-term extension like the one signed by Springs, either. It’s commonplace for teams and players to agree to contracts that buy out multiple arbitration seasons but don’t extend team control. We’ve already seen a few such instances this offseason, with Tomas Nido inking a two-year deal with the Mets and Austin Voth signing a for a year plus an option with the Orioles just yesterday.

As the offseason continues to plug along toward the start of Spring Training in a few weeks, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Unresolved DFAs come due

A pair of lefties who were designated for assignment last week are due for a conclusion today. Daniel Castano was DFA’d last week by the Marlins to make room for Johnny Cueto on the 40-man roster, while Justus Sheffield was designated by the Mariners to open a spot for Tommy La Stella. Castano has pitched to a 3.89 ERA (4.86 FIP) in 85 2/3 innings across 27 games (22 starts) with the Marlins spanning 2020-2022, making him an intriguing option for clubs looking to add starting depth.

Sheffield, on the other hand, has struggled mightily to this point in the big leagues and recently at Triple-A as well, with a career 5.47 ERA (4.77 FIP) in 186 big league innings for his career. As a former top prospect, however, it wouldn’t be a surprise if another organization wanted to try their hand at righting the ship for Sheffield. Unlike Castano, Sheffield also has a minor league option remaining, making him easier for interested clubs to stash in the minors.

2. Are more moves on the horizon for the Twins?

The Twins have been active on the trade market recently, adding Pablo Lopez and two prospects in a blockbuster that sent Luis Arraez to the Marlins while also landing Michael A. Taylor in a separate deal with the Royals. That’s already a considerable amount of action over the past week, but it seems possible Minnesota is still not quite done. Earlier this offseason, rumors frequently percolated regarding outfielder Max Kepler, and the Taylor trade gives Derek Falvey’s front office even more outfield depth. The Twins are particularly deep in lefty-hitting corner outfielders, with Kepler, offseason signee Joey Gallo, Trevor Larnach, Nick Gordon and Matt Wallner all on the roster. Righty Gilberto Celestino, meanwhile, is pushed further down the depth chart by the Taylor acquisition.

Furthermore, with Alex Kirilloff (another lefty-hitting corner outfield option) now primed to take on the lion’s share of playing time at first base, the Twins have looked into veteran complements for the former top prospect. The rumor mill has linked Yuli Gurriel to Minnesota recently, and Miami’s decision to step back from their pursuit of Gurriel could help the odds of a deal getting done.

3. MLBTR Player Chat Today

For our final player chat of the week, MLBTR is excited to welcome former Dodgers and Yankees reliever Cory Wade. Wade’s best season with the Dodgers came in 2008, when he posted a 2.27 ERA (3.78 FIP), good for a 184 ERA+ in 71 1/3 innings. With the Yankees, Wade had is best year in 2011, when he posted a 2.04 ERA (3.76 FIP), good for a 212 ERA+ in 39 2/3 innings. For his career, Wade finished with a 3.65 ERA (115 ERA+) with a 4.03 FIP in 177 2/3 innings of work in the majors. You can tune in at 10am CST today to participate in the live chat, and if you missed yesterday’s live chat with former Rockies and Pirates catcher (and current Pirates TV analyst) Michael McKenry, you can find the transcript here.

With Scott Rolen now the 19th third basemen to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Is a Greinke deal close?

Future Hall of Famer Zack Greinke is arguably the best starting pitcher still available on the free agent market at this point, even heading into his age-39 season. Rumors have long percolated about a possible reunion between Greinke and the Royals, who he started his career with and returned to for the 2022 campaign. The Royals are optimistic about their chances of re-signing Greinke, and after shedding more than $6MM via their trades of Michael A. Taylor and Adalberto Mondesi, they could potentially increase their prior offer. The Orioles have reportedly checked in on Greinke as well.

2. Is the Astros’ GM search nearing a conclusion?

Ever since the Astros surprisingly parted ways with GM James Click shortly after the club won the 2022 World Series, Houston’s baseball operations department has been without a GM. That could be on the verge of changing, however. Dana Brown, Bobby Evans, James Harris, and Brad Ausmus are now among the reported finalists after Michael Hill reported removed himself from consideration for the position. Astros owner Jim Crane remains interested in bringing now-former Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns back to Houston, but he’s still under contract with the Brewers as an advisor, placing him more on the periphery of this search.

3. MLBTR Player Chat Today

As we have for the past few days, we’ll be hosting a live chat at 10am CST with a former MLB player in addition to our usual 5pm CST Wednesday chat with MLBTR’s Anthony Franco. Today, we’re excited to welcome former big league catcher Michael McKenry, who played parts of seven Major League seasons as a member of the Rockies, Pirates, and Cardinals. His best seasons came in 2012, when he got into a career-high 88 games for the Pirates and slashed .233/.320/.442 (109 wRC+), and in 2014, when he slashed an impressive .315/.398/.512 (140 wRC+) for the Rockies across 57 games. If you missed yesterday’s chat with right-hander Jacob Turner, you can read the transcript here.