AL East

The Boston Red Sox and Rafael Devers have made "zero progress" in negotiations over a long-term extension, according to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

Spotrac estimates Devers will earn $10.8 million in 2022, and he has one more year of arbitration before hitting free agency in 2024.

The two sides still have time to strike an agreement, but it may not be as much time as one would think.

NBC Sports Boston's John Tomase argued Devers could serve as a bellwether for whether ownership is willing to pony up and pay market value for star players:

So what's the holdup? It's possible that Devers is intent on reaching free agency, though if that's the case, he hasn't been nearly as explicit about it as Betts was before being traded to the Dodgers in 2020. Betts felt comfortable going year to year and setting records in arbitration, at least until signing a massive $365 million extension that will keep him in Dodgers Blue through 2032.

We're less clear on what Devers wants, but the choice for the Red Sox should be easy. Better to pay him $200 million at age 25 than $300 million on the open market at age 27. The fact that the two sides haven't come close to a long-term agreement to this point should be a giant red flag for fans worried that ownership believes it can win with a mid-market model despite large-market resources.

The Red Sox and Mookie Betts were unable to hammer out a new contract heading into the 2020 season. Boston traded Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers rather than seeing out the final year of his deal.

It stands to reason the front office would be willing to do the same with Devers if the 25-year-old digs in his heels like Betts did.

Re-signing players before they hit free agency is a way for a team to potentially save money down the road. That's not to say Devers is likely to provide Boston with a hometown discount.

He finished with 38 home runs, 113 RBI and a .279/.352/.538 slash line en route to earning his first All-Star nod and winning a Silver Slugger. His 4.7 WAR trailed only Jose Ramirez among third basemen on FanGraphs.

The Red Sox typically had one of MLB's highest payrolls in recent years. Per Cot's Baseball Contracts, they were in the top five on Opening Day every season from 2004 to 2020.

Trading Betts followed a concerted effort from ownership to lower its financial burden. What the franchise does with Devers and Xander Bogaerts, who can opt out in 2023, will likely show if that cost-conscious approach was only a blip or a more permanent strategy.

Robbie Ray might be headed out the door, but Kevin Gausman is on his way north of the border.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Gausman agreed to a five-year, $110 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Ray remains unsigned. Even if the 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner winds up elsewhere, Toronto has a pretty formidable starting rotation with Gausman in tow:

• Jose Berrios 
• Kevin Gausman 
• Hyun Jim Ryu 
• Alek Manoah 
• Ross Stripling

Prior to signing Gausman, the Blue Jays were on track to have $111.3 million in total payroll commitments, per Spotrac, which put them 12th in MLB. If his salary is spread evenly over the five years ($22 million), Toronto would climb to 10th in terms of payroll.

Gausman's contract is the fourth-biggest in franchise history, and a telling fact is that three of the top four have now come within the last two offseasons.

Blue Jays fans watched the team reach the American League Championship Series in 2015 and 2016, only to turn around and post back-to-back losing seasons. Heading into 2019, there was at least some optimism about a farm system headlined by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette and what it could achieve in the future.

The organization turned a corner by making the playoffs in 2020 and while it missed out on the postseason in 2021, it had a higher winning percentage (91-71, .562) than the year before (32-28, .533).

Landing George Springer last winter and handing a seven-year, $131 million extension to Jose Berrios were both signs that ownership is willing to pony up in order to capitalize on a window for contention.

Passan reported Marcus Semien, who finished third in the AL MVP voting, agreed to a seven-year, $175 million deal with the Texas Rangers. There's also the uncertainty surrounding Ray. Their departures would obviously deal a blow to Toronto's hopes of claiming an AL East title in 2022.

On the whole, the offseason is still shaping up nicely for the Jays.

The Tampa Bay Rays and starting pitcher Corey Kluber reached an agreement Sunday on a one-year deal ahead of the 2022 MLB season, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Kluber put together a solid bounce-back season with the New York Yankees in 2021. He compiled a 3.83 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 82 strikeouts in 80 innings across 16 starts. His best stretch came in May, when he threw a no-hitter and compiled a 2.27 ERA in five outings.

Injuries have become a major factor for the 35-year-old right-hander in recent years, though.

The Alabama native was limited to seven starts in 2019 because of arm and abdominal injuries, and he made only one appearance in 2020 because of a shoulder ailment.

Then, just as he was starting to settle in with the Yanks, he suffered a shoulder injury in late May that kept him on the injured list until late August.

"Whether you've had any [injuries] before or not, I think it's still something that no player wants to go through," Kluber said in July. "You want to be out there on the team. You wanna be out there on the field with your team. You want to be competing with your teammates, not watching with a kind of helpless feeling."

Kluber was previously one of MLB's top pitchers during a nine-year stay with Cleveland. He earned three All-Star nods (2016-18) and won the AL Cy Young Award twice (2014 and 2017).

During that impressive run of starts in May, Kluber showed that he can still perform at that level. He might have a few more years of productive pitching in his right arm since he's never relied on an overpowering fastball to get hitters out.

With that said, staying healthy will be the most important factor in his effort to put together a late-career resurgence.

Expectations should be kept within reason as he arrives to Tampa, but it's a free-agent signing with definite upside in terms of adding to the club's rotation depth.

It would provide a major boost to the Rays if he can provide upward of 25 starts in 2022.

Clint Frazier is officially a free agent after the New York Yankees released the 27-year-old outfielder.

New York designated Frazier for assignment last week, which effectively signaled the end of his run in the Bronx. Manager Aaron Boone said his public goodbye Monday.

Frazier arrived in July 2016 as a centerpiece of the Andrew Miller trade. He ended that season as the 27th-best prospect on MLB.com after finishing with 16 home runs and 55 RBI across Double-A and Triple-A.

But the Georgia native has since become an example of how top prospects are never a guarantee in terms of achieving stardom in the majors.

In 228 MLB games, Frazier has a .239/.327/.434 slash line. He had double digits in homers just once, finishing with 12 in 2019.

It looked like the 2013 first-round pick turned a corner in 2020, when he slugged .511 and had a .394 on-base percentage over the pandemic-shortened campaign. Instead, the Yankees placed him on the injured list with vertigo on July 2, and he never returned to the field for the remainder of 2021.

Frazier suffered a concussion during spring training in 2018, and he experienced lingering effects across that season. He later admitted his depth perception had been affected when he was playing in the outfield.

Looking ahead to 2022, Frazier's health is an obvious question mark. Still, his minor league profile and 2020 performance make him a clear target for a rebuilding team or one looking to contend on the cheap.

And a fresh start—away from the pressure that comes with playing in New York—might be what he needs to rediscover his stride in MLB.

Wander Franco and the Tampa Bay Rays have reportedly agreed to a 12-year, $223 million contract extension.

Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital reported the news after Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times said the two sides were "moving close" to a long-term deal.

Jeff Passan of ESPN shared more specifics on Franco's deal with the Rays:

Franco has played just 70 games in the majors, producing a .288 batting average, .347 on-base percentage, seven home runs and 39 RBI in that time.

Despite the limited time in the majors, baseball experts have been expecting big things from Franco for several years after excelling at every stage of the minors. He was rated the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball in each of the past two years by Baseball America.

The 20-year-old lived up to expectations once he reached the big leagues.

"I think you could make the argument that he's the most impactful player on any team in baseball," Rays manager Kevin Cash said in October, per Adam Berry of MLB.com.

"He is a game-changing player," Cash added. "It's going to be fun to watch for a long time."

Franco excelled both offensively and defensively and was key in helping the Rays finish 100-62 in 2021, good for first place in the AL East.

Tampa Bay now locks down the emerging superstar for more than a decade, even getting a relative discount compared to Fernando Tatis Jr. and his 14-year, $330 million deal with the San Diego Padres.

Without the contract, Franco would have had two more seasons on his rookie deal before three years of arbitration, potentially hitting free agency for the first time after the 2027 season. The new deal secures the player's future with guaranteed money regardless of performance going forward.    

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey were named the American and National League Comeback Players of the Year on Monday:

Mancini's story was one of the most inspiring in the entire sports world in 2021, as he returned to the field after missing the 2020 campaign because of Stage 3 colon cancer. Posey also missed the 2020 season after choosing to step away from the game because of concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Orioles called Mancini winning this award "inevitable from the moment he took the field on Opening Day" and shared a story of his comeback:

As Andrew Golden of the Washington Post detailed, Mancini was diagnosed in March 2020 and underwent chemotherapy until September of that year. He also underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor.

Orioles fans gave him an emotional standing ovation for his first at-bat at Camden Yards of the season.

"It was 25 percent capacity at the time, but it felt like a full stadium," Mancini said, per Golden. "The city really rallied around me last year and was so supportive. For it to come full circle and for me to be back in a game … it was really special."

He did more than just return, though, and was a key part of Baltimore's lineup. Mancini slashed .255/.326/.432 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI while appearing in 147 games and notably advanced to the championship round of the 2021 Home Run Derby at Coors Field in Colorado before falling to Pete Alonso.

As for Posey, he helped lead the Giants to the best record in the league at 107-55, which was quite the improvement from their 29-31 mark during the shortened 2020 campaign without him.

The catcher slashed .304/.390/.499 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI while making his seventh career All-Star Game and taking home his fifth Silver Slugger. He now has the 2021 Comeback Player of the Year to add to an illustrious resume that includes an NL MVP, three World Series titles, a Gold Glove and a batting title.

Posey won't be adding to that on-field resume any longer after electing to retire this offseason.         

The New York Yankees announced Monday that they traded utility player Tyler Wade to the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be named later or cash considerations. 

The move didn't come as much of a surprise after the Yankees designated him for assignment last week along with Clint Frazier and Rougned Odor. 

That meant Wade could be claimed off waivers by another team. Instead, the Yankees came to terms with the Angels on a deal. 

Wade hit .268 with five RBI, 31 runs and 17 stolen bases in 103 games, posting a .677 OPS. He played every position for the Yankees last season except for first base, catcher and pitcher. 

While the Yankees will likely look to upgrade the utility role this winter—Wade is just a career .212 hitter—he nonetheless proved to be an important depth piece for the team in 2021. His .354 on-base percentage was a career high. 

The Angels will be hoping he can build on that this upcoming season. At just 26, he still may have untapped potential. At the least, they've acquired a versatile depth piece. 

Wade is not as big of an offseason addition as the signing of starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard to a one-year, $21 million deal. But the Angels clearly aren't resting on their laurels as they attempt to build a contender around Mike Trout, reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon and return to the postseason for the first time since 2014. 

The Boston Red Sox announced Monday they have exercised their option on manager Alex Cora to keep him under contract through the 2024 season.

Cora's contract signed before last season was a two-year deal with a two-year option for 2023 and 2024, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.

After leading the Red Sox to the American League Championship Series, the manager earned two more guaranteed years.

Cora initially joined the Red Sox in 2018, leading the squad to 108 wins and a World Series title in his first season.

After Boston missed the playoffs in 2019, Cora and the team parted ways in the offseason because of his involvement in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. The former infielder was the bench coach in 2017 for the Astros, who illegally used technology to steal opposing signs on their way to a World Series title. MLB suspended Cora for the 2020 season.

Boston fell to last place in the AL East during the shortened 2020 campaign under manager Ron Roenicke, paving the way for Cora's return last November. 

The Red Sox improved immediately, going 92-70 during the 2021 regular season to earn a wild-card spot. After defeating the rival New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game, Boston beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS before falling to Houston in the ALCS.

Boston will look to remain in title contention behind Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and others in one of the top lineups in the majors.     

Former New York Yankees shortstop and current Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter refrained from providing any extensive remarks after free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa said that the Hall of Famer didn't deserve any of his Gold Glove Awards.

"I didn't think much about it. I don't know how my name came up. My Spanish is not that good. I still haven't seen it. I don't know how my name was brought up, but it doesn't even warrant a response," Jeter told Craig Mish of Sports Grid on Friday (via Mike Cugno of CBS Miami). "I mean, I can go a lot of directions, but I won't."

Correa initially made his comments on Me Gustan Los Deportes (via Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital):

Jeter is a five-time Gold Glove winner, claiming the award in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010.

Correa, who played for the Houston Astros from 2015 to 2021 before entering free agency, won a Gold Glove and a Platinum Glove after his work this year.