The lockout-delayed Major League Baseball offseason continues to rapidly catch up as spring training camps reopen. This means we need to catch up when it comes to rumors. Let’s do just that with Tuesday’s delivery of free will and trade hype.
Shortstop Carlos Correa, our top free agent of the 2021/22 off-season, remains on the market. The Astros lifelong player has been expected to sign elsewhere this winter for some time, but that may have been a hasty conclusion:
The Astros won the pennant last season, which means their World Series ambition is still alive. Those aspirations would be much more alive if they could be repeated with Correa, who hits like an All-Star first baseman and also provides great defense in the premium shortstop position. The Astros had previously tried to sign Correa for an extension last spring, but their offer wasn’t particularly strong. As long as they appreciate the current stakes for a player of Correa’s skill level and relative youth, the Astros look to have an edge over everyone else.
The Braves’ recent trade for Matt Olson means franchise legend Freddie Freeman will be playing elsewhere next season. The Dodgers, Yankees, Blue Jays and Race are already known to be showing interest, and now you can add the Red Sox to the growing list:
The Red Sox have Bobby Dulbeck at first base, and he’s been making progress last season. However, Freeman would be a significant upgrade. Yes, he is 32 years old but he is still performing at a high level as he finishes the 2021 season in which he posted an OPS+ of 133 and a WAR of 4.7. It looks like Freeman is counting on a six-year contract. Will the Sox be willing to meet these current bets? Signing companies like Freeman will push them into luxury tax territory, but they obviously have the resources to handle it with ease.
The Yankees are still in touch with Anthony Rizzo
The Yankees would very much like a bat at first base, preferably a left-hander, which explains why they were associated with Freeman. But, John Heyman of MLB Network reports that the Yankees consider Freeman’s signing unlikely, which would explain why they might be interested in reuniting Anthony Rizzo.
The Yankees acquired Rizzo from the Cubs last season before the trade deadline, and in 49 games for them, he posted 110 OPS+ points with eight home runs. Like Freeman, he is 32 years old but has shown signs of a more significant offensive slump in recent seasons. However, Rizzo will cost a lot less than Freeman.
Slugger Nick Castellanos, a native of Davie, Florida, appears to be quite interested in signing with his hometown Miami Marlins, but it’s not certain that the interest will be mutual:
The Marlins finished 13th in the NL in home runs last season, so they could certainly capitalize on the popularity of Castellanos, who has averaged 35 home runs in 162 games since the start of the 2019 season. In addition, the implementation of the universal DH also means that the NL club does not have to live with Castellanos’ below-par fielding defense. Plus, the Marlins aren’t very attractive to free agents, at least not in recent years, so you’d think they would welcome the opportunity.
However, as Derek Jeter’s recent departure from the front office shows, there may not be enough intent to invest in the roster at a sufficient level. There is still time to change this narrative.