As the dust continues to settle after a week in which Juan Soto was traded to the Yankees and Shohei Ohtani signed a huge – perhaps an understatement – free agent deal with the Dodgers, there is still a lot to resolve in the MLB offseason . Seven of the top 10 free agents are still unsigned and there are a number of high-level players, particularly starting pitchers, who are believed to be in the trade.
We hope to have an exciting few days here sooner rather than later. In the meantime, back to the rumor mill.
Yamamoto's free agency tour continues
The best starting pitcher in free agency is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He has already met with the Yankees, Mets and Giants and will meet with the Red Sox very soon. according to MLB.comwith the Blue Jays and at least two other teams still in the mix. Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies and Dodgers are there too.
The 25-year-old Yamamoto had a 1.16 ERA in 24 starts last season in the Japanese NPB, winning his third consecutive MVP title. CBS Sports' RJ Anderson has reported that Yamamoto is expected to get a $300 million deal and outlined why that is.
It makes sense that every MLB team with deep financial resources would be involved in the pursuit. Remember, Yamamoto has a deadline. He must sign a contract by January 4 at 5 p.m. ET or return to Japan for the 2024 season.
Extension for Goldschmidt?
Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was the 2022 NL MVP but had a down year in 2023. His five-year, $130 million contract runs through 2024, so he's entering a contract year. The Cardinals would apparently like to sign him to a contract extension. Via the very engaging Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
The Cardinals will reach out to Paul Goldschmidt at some point this offseason and hope to have an extension conversation — which could lead to negotiations closer to spring training and then a deal that happens before the season begins. If that doesn't happen, the Cardinals will leave the door open for these discussions during the season and try to do so around the All-Star break, or perhaps after the trade deadline or, if that happens, the final weekend of the season the regular season. They prefer to do this before the start of the season, as they did with Mikolas and others. They do not assume that there will be a controversial negotiation. Neither side does. The Cardinals believe they will find a way to extend Goldschmidt through his final season, and Goldschmidt has said he doesn't plan on playing into his 40s like Pujols and Molina did.
Goldschmidt, 36, hit .268/.363/.447 (120 OPS+) with 31 doubles, 25 home runs, 80 RBI, 89 runs, 11 steals and 3.4 WAR last season. Given his age, it's possible he went straight from his MVP season to decline. It sounds like the plan is just to play for a few more years and that both sides are looking forward to reaching a mutually beneficial deal. It's also worth watching as things progress, as things can change quickly.
Royals make two pitcher deals
The Royals and starting pitcher Seth Lugo are close to signing a three-year contract. reports MLB.com. Heyman reports It's for $45 million and Mark Feinsand says Lugo could exit after 2025. Over and beyond Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports The Royals are also finalizing a deal for backup Chris Stratton.
Lugo spent the first seven years of his career with the Mets and was mostly a backup in the last five years, but last season he started all 26 of his appearances with the Padres and performed well. He was 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP and 140 strikeouts against 36 walks in 146 1/3 innings. He is an adequate mid-rotation starter.
The Royals had a standout season with Cole Ragans after acquiring him from the Rangers in the Aroldis Chapman trade, and he is considered an Opening Day starter. As things stand, Lugo appears to be their No. 2, while the Royals are hoping Brady Singer can bounce back from a terrible 2023 that followed his breakout 2022 and give them a good 1-3 finish bestowed.
Stratton is a 33-year-old right winger who won a World Series ring with the Rangers last season. He played 42 games for the Cardinals before moving to Texas, appearing in 22 regular season games and four playoff games. In his 64 regular-season games, he had a 3.92 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 81 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings.
Guardians add depth to pitching
The Guardians announced Tuesday that they have signed free-agent pitcher Ben Lively to a one-year contract. Lively was 4-7 for the Reds last season at age 31 with a 5.38 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 79 strikeouts against 25 walks in 88 2/3 innings. He started in 12 games and appeared as a substitute seven times. The Guardians don't appear to have an open rotation spot at the moment, but the depth is always good and there's still a chance Shane Bieber gets traded.
Giants land Lee
The Giants have reportedly agreed to a six-year, $113 million contract with Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee. The contract includes an opt-out after the fourth year. Lee, 25 and a former MVP in Korea, hit .318/.406/.455 in 86 games last season before an ankle injury ended his season in July. The Giants paid a premium to get Lee, even though they've had a hard time luring star free agents to San Francisco in recent years, so they did what they had to do to get the player they wanted.
The Pirates have reportedly signed free agent first baseman Rowdy Tellez to a one-year contract worth $3 million Fan sided and MLB.com. Incentives could push the total value to $4 million. Tellez, 28, struggled in 2023, slashing .215/.291/.376 with 13 home runs in 105 games for the NL Central rival Brewers. However, he is a year removed from a 35-homer season, and for a guy with so much power, Tellez has posted surprisingly high contact rates in his six-year MLB career.