AL East

Coming off a decent season with the Milwaukee Brewers, Andrew McCutchen is on the free-agent radar for two playoff contenders.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays have shown interest in the 2013 National League MVP.

There's been a slow-developing market for McCutchen, which isn't a surprise given the volume of high-end free agents teams will likely want to act quickly on.

The Dodgers have been connected to Aaron Judge, though it doesn't sound like they will be willing to give him a significant long-term contract.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Los Angeles is believed to want Judge on a "short-term, high-dollar deal."

In the same report, Rosenthal noted Judge will likely end up getting a nine-year deal from whatever team he ultimately signs with. The New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants are considered the favorites for the 2022 American League MVP.

McCutchen certainly isn't at Judge's level, but he would be better than a fallback plan for the Dodgers. He would also provide a boost to a Rays lineup that lacked thump last season.

The five-time All-Star only hit .237/.316/.384 in 2022, but his OPS+ of 99 was roughly league average. His 17 homers would have ranked third on the Rays in 2022 behind Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes (both hit 20).

The Rays and Dodgers both have openings in the outfield to offer McCutchen a potential starting spot. They can also rotate him in the designated-hitter spot to keep his bat in the lineup and take pressure off his legs over the course of the season.

If McCutchen, 36, wants to go to the best spot to win a World Series, the Dodgers could have a leg up coming off a 111-win regular season. They lost to the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series.

The Rays took a step back last season with an 86-76 record after winning 100 games in 2021, but they did make the playoffs as a wild-card team in the AL.

The New York Mets reportedly remain in the running to sign free-agent starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, even in the wake of signing Justin Verlander on Monday.

According to SNY's Andy Martino, the Mets tried to sign Taillon before finalizing a deal with Verlander, and they are "still in on" the former New York Yankees hurler.

Martino added that the Mets will "100 percent" add another starting pitcher through free agency or trade, and that the organization is "deep into conversations" with multiple free-agent pitchers.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday that the Mets and Verlander, the former Houston Astros ace, agreed to a two-year, $86.66 million contract with a vesting third-year option.

Verlander will essentially serve as the replacement for former Mets ace Jacob deGrom, who signed a five-year, $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers.

The signing of Verlander leaves the Mets with a de facto starting rotation of Verlander, Max Scherzer, Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson and Tylor Megill. In addition to deGrom leaving for Texas, 2022 rotation members Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker are both free agents.

In Taillon, the Mets would be signing a 31-year-old veteran with six years of MLB experience as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Yankees.

Taillon was originally the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft by the Pirates, and he appeared in four seasons for the team before getting traded to the Yanks.

He largely stayed healthy in his two seasons in the Bronx, which was a big step forward after missing all but seven starts in 2019 and the entire 2020 season due to surgery on his flexor tendon and UCL.

In his first season as a member of the Yankees in 2021, Taillon made 29 starts and went 8-6 with a 4.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 140 strikeouts over 144.1 innings.

Another year removed from his arm injury, Taillon was better last season, tying his career highs in starts (32) and wins (14). He also posted a 3.91 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, while striking out 151 in 177.1 innings pitched.

Taillon also saw the first playoff action of his career last season, appearing in one game out of the bullpen and starting another. He went 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA, although in his start he allowed just four hits and one earned run in 4.1 innings.

Overall, Taillon has made 143 regular-season starts during his career, registering a 51-35 record with a 3.84 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

Taillon has not developed into the ace the Pirates hoped they were getting when they drafted him second overall, but he is a solid mid-to-back-of-the-rotation starter who could fit in well with the Mets.

Slotting Taillon into the No. 4 spot behind Verlander, Scherzer and Carrasco would give the Mets plenty of rotation depth as they look to improve upon last season's result of falling in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

The Aaron Judge market is reportedly heating up.

Per Jon Morosi of MLB Network: "From what I can tell, piecing things together here, Aaron Judge's market is certainly above $300 million now, and potentially from two different teams, the Yankees and Giants. ... There are those in the industry who believe that he already has in hand that nine-year offer we've been talking about for a while, that his market is now over that line of $300 million-plus and nine years."

"There are those in the industry who believe that he already has in hand that nine-year offer we've been talking about for a while." 👀@jonmorosi has the latest news on Aaron Judge's market. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/WcCqJT0gRI

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 5, 2022

Morosi added that the wait for Judge's signature is likely, at least in part, to see the differences in the offers between the Yankees and Giants.

Although he did not provide any additional details, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Monday, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, that the team has made a "number of offers" to Judge this offseason.

"I do think for the Giants to get Judge, they're going to have to be the clear top bidder," Morosi added. "... Judge is going to have his choice, I believe, between two offers of $300 million-plus. And once you get to that neighborhood, the question really comes to what it is that you want to do."

If the offers are extremely similar, will Judge choose to remain with the team he's played for his entire career, or will he choose to depart for the team he grew up rooting for during his Northern California childhood?

It's the $300 million question, and the most intriguing decision of the MLB offseason.

His decision will have enormous ramifications for both franchises. Judge, 30, is the defending AL MVP after having a historically impactful season, hitting .311 with 62 homers, 131 RBI, 133 runs, 16 stolen bases and a mammoth 1.111 OPS. It was arguably the most impressive offensive season in the post-steroids era.

The four-time All-Star carried the Yankees offense for long stretches of the season, and with many of the top free agents on the market already off the board—Trea Turner to the Philadelphia Phillies, Justin Verlander to the New York Mets and Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers—the Yankees would struggle to replace Judge with the same level of splashy free agent they'd be losing.

While the Yankees have a number of intriguing shortstop prospects, ESPN's Buster Olney recently reported that they "would more seriously explore" the top veteran players at the position if Judge signed elsewhere, which now includes Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.

Giants pitcher Carlos Rodón could be another possibility.

For the Giants, Judge would be the elite slugger the team desperately needs. Joc Pederson led the team last season with 23 homers, while Wilmer Flores paced them with 71 RBI. San Francisco cobbled together a respectable offense but still went a disappointing 81-81 after winning 107 games the season prior.

Judge would be one of the biggest free-agent additions in franchise history. And he would give them the sort of firepower needed to keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the deep NL West.

Free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts is being pursued by multiple teams hoping to pry him away from the Boston Red Sox, and a National League franchise is reportedly pulling ahead of the other suitors.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Arizona Diamondbacks are considered to be "among the most serious" potential landing spots for the four-time All-Star. Morosi noted that Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen was a top executive with the Red Sox when Bogaerts made his MLB debut in 2013.

On Sunday, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reported that there are "eight to 11 teams with interest" in the 30-year-old shortstop, naming the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Abraham also stated that the Red Sox have not made a competitive offer to retain Bogaerts.

The Diamondbacks are looking for an upgrade after relying on Geraldo Perdomo, who did not make an offensive impact last season. Nick Ahmed played only 17 games because of a shoulder injury that required surgery. Arizona finished 74-88 and missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

The Phillies on Monday reportedly reached an agreement with Dodgers free-agent shortstop Trea Turner on an 11-year, $300 million deal, which all but rules them out on Bogaerts. The shortstop market has boomed recently, as Corey Seager's 10-year, $325 million deal with the Texas Rangers set the benchmark last offseason.

In addition to Bogaerts, there are multiple top-notch shortstops remaining on the open market, including Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Jose Iglesias.

A two-time World Series champion, Bogaerts has been one of the faces of the Red Sox franchise for the last 10 years. He earned his fifth Silver Slugger Award last season after hitting .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI. He was also a finalist for a Gold Glove Award for the second time in his career.

Wherever Bogaerts lands, he will undoubtedly be a difference-maker.

The Boston Red Sox have "been in touch" with the representatives for star slugger Aaron Judge, according to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

However, Cotillo cautioned that Boston "is not one of the most aggressive teams showing interest in the reigning American League MVP."

The New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants are considered to be at the top of Judge's list. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported Monday that "other teams remain on the periphery" and that "no prominent mystery team has emerged."

That doesn't mean Boston is out of the race.

But Cotillo's report came off as a sort of preemptive damage control so the Red Sox could say, "Hey, we tried," with the biggest MLB free agent. That's because a deal of the magnitude Judge will command would run counter to how the franchise has operated in recent years.

The Sox traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 instead of extending his contract, and the same thing might be happening with third baseman Rafael Devers. The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Nov. 9 that "there is plenty of work to do to complete a deal" with either Devers, who is due to hit the open market in 2024, or free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

Fans would be thrilled to see Judge prowling the Fenway Park outfield for 81 games a year, but they'd also be right to question why Boston would play hardball with Betts, Bogaerts and Devers and then turn around and meet Judge's massive asking price.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported last week that the Yankees offered Judge an eight-year contract worth around $300 million, and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported it will take a nine-year deal to get his signature.

As things stand, Boston is projected to open 2023 with a starting outfield of Alex Verdugo, Enrique Hernández and Rob Refsnyder. Judge would clearly offer a massive upgrade.

Under a different front office, there might have been a chance for that to become reality, but it's certainly not how chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has operated since replacing the free-spending Dave Dombrowski in October 2019.

The New York Yankees balked at adding a third year to its contract offer for Justin Verlander, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Monday that the New York Mets agreed to a two-year, $86.6 million contract with Verlander. Should the right-hander hit 140 innings pitched in 2024, there is a $35 million option in his contract that will vest for 2025.

In a vacuum, you can understand why a team would hesitate to commit up to three years to Verlander. He turns 40 in February and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020. Sooner or later, the three-time Cy Young Award winner will start to fall off, and it could be sooner rather than later.

However, this will be viewed by many as a missed opportunity for the Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers have the financial resources to not only sign Verlander but also insulate themselves from the consequences if he doesn't work out. They have a clear need to bolster the starting rotation, too.

There's no reason—other than the team ownership being too thrifty—for the franchise to not make this happen. Then you have the optics of the Yankees getting outgunned by the Mets, something that would've been unthinkable a generation ago.

https://twitter.com/richarddeitsch/status/1599818278947332096

The Yankees can afford literally any baseball player in all of creation yet they continue to be able to get away with comments like this with no pushback. https://t.co/SAxrKj0ml0

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) December 5, 2022

https://twitter.com/Marc_Normandin/status/1599824117833732096

The price for the next best starting pitcher on the market might even be too high for New York.

Kuty reported left-hander Carlos Rodón is hoping to sign a six-year pact that averages around $30 million annually, and it's unclear whether the Yanks are "in for around that kind of commitment."

Fans have been growing restless for some time at what they perceive to be a lack of ambition from the Steinbrenners. As long as the team remains one of the most valuable in sports, the owners don't seem to care much.

The New York Yankees are "very much" in on Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Mackey reported Saturday that Reynolds had requested a trade from the Pirates. MLB Network's Jon Heyman added that contract extension negotiations between the two sides had reached an "impasse," resulting in the trade request.

The Pirates released the following statement on Reynold's request, per MLB.com's Justice delos Santos:

"While it is disappointing, this will have zero impact on our decision-making this offseason or in the future. Our goal is to improve the Pirates for 2023 and beyond. With three years until he hits free agency, Bryan remains a key member of our team. We look forward to him having a great season for the Pirates."

Reynolds is not due to become an unrestricted free agent until 2026, so there's no desperation from the Pirates to move him. However, if they are overwhelmed by an offer, he could be on the move.

Reynold's trade request is somewhat of a surprise after he told reporters in October that he was looking forward to growing with a young Pittsburgh team.

"It's fun to have a consistent group that you're playing with," Reynolds said, per delos Santos. "Like I was saying with all the young guys, I think the future's bright, so obviously I'm looking forward to next year and the years after that. I think we're going to get better."

The 27-year-old has spent the first four years of his MLB career in Pittsburgh, bursting onto the scene in 2019 when he finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

During the 2022 campaign, Reynolds slashed .262/.345/.461 with 27 home runs, 62 RBI and seven stolen bases in 145 games. His best season came in 2021, when he hit .302/.390/.522 with 24 home runs, 90 RBI and five stolen bases in 159 games en route to his first-ever All-Star Game selection.

If the Yankees were to acquire Reynolds, he would take over in center field for Harrison Bader. However, he could also be a fallback plan for the club if it fails to re-sign superstar outfielder Aaron Judge this winter.

It's unclear what it would take for the Yankees—or any team—to acquire Reynolds. However, it would likely take at least multiple top prospects.

The Boston Red Sox have not made a "competitive offer" to Xander Bogaerts in free agency, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe.

Bogaerts "has been meeting with interested teams this weekend in person," Abraham added.

Additionally, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that Boston's offers to Bogaerts "haven't come close to enticing him to stay."

The news is somewhat surprising, especially after Sean McAdam of Boston Sports Journal reported in October that the Red Sox had met with the star shortstop to relay that retaining him was their "top priority."

Additionally, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said at the time that the club wanted to build around Bogaerts, per McAdam:

"That's no different than where we've been. Our position hasn't changed on that. I've said this before, but nothing I say really matters unless there's a deal. But our position has been the same—that we want to keep him here for a long time and we want him here on a deal that we're going to look back on and say, 'This was great for everybody.' ... We want to build around him and win."

Bogaerts, who has spent his entire 10-year career with the Red Sox, opted out of the final three seasons and $60 million on the remainder of his contract in November to become a free agent and search for a more lucrative deal.

Before the 2022 season, the Red Sox offered Bogaerts a contract that would have paid him $90 million over four years, which would have run through 2026. The $22.5 million per season on that offer was only slightly higher than the $20 million per year he was making.

In April, one of the shortstop's friends told Jon Heyman of the New York Post the offer was viewed as a "slap in the face."

Bogaerts became a key cog in the Red Sox lineup since making his major league debut in 2013. The 30-year-old has helped the club win two World Series titles, and he has won five Silver Slugger awards, in addition to being selected to the All-Star Game four times.

And while the BoSox had a tough 2022 campaign, finishing last in the AL East with a 78-84 record, Bogaerts was arguably the team's best and most consistent hitter, slashing .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs, 73 RBI and eight stolen bases in 150 games.

If Bogaerts walks in free agency, it's reasonable to believe the Red Sox will shift Trevor Story back to shortstop from second base in 2023. However, they would then have questions about who to deploy at second; at this point, it would likely be Christian Arroyo unless they add another second baseman on the open market.

Bogaerts is one of four premier free-agent shortstops available this offseason, joining Trea Turner, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson.

The Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are among the teams interested in Bogaerts, according to Abraham. The Cubs have Bogaerts as their "top priority," per Nightengale.

It's rare for the Tampa Bay Rays to win a free-agent bidding war against the Boston Red Sox, but Zach Eflin's preference to play close to his home was a deciding factor in the race for his signature.

Per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox were confident they had an agreement in place with Eflin for three years and $40 million.

Speier noted Eflin took that offer to the Rays, who were willing to match it. Joel Sherman of the New York Post and MLB Network first reported the right-hander agreed to a deal with Tampa.

Eflin was born in Orlando and continues to live in the area. The Athletic's Chad Jennings reported he wanted to give the Rays a chance to match Boston's offer so he could pitch close to home.

When the Rays decided to match, Eflin chose to take their deal.

ESPN's Jeff Passan noted this marks the largest free-agent contract the Rays have given out in franchise history.

The $40 million commitment to Eflin is also the fifth-largest deal in Rays history. Blake Snell (five years, $50 million), Kevin Kiermaier (six years, $53.5 million), Evan Longoria (six years, $100 million) and Wander Franco (11 years, $182 million) are the only players ahead of him.

Each of those four players were already with the Rays and signed extensions. Snell and Longoria were traded before the end of those deals.

Losing out on Eflin will only add to the frustration Red Sox fans have been feeling with the team's lack of free-agent activity in recent years. Some of it can be attributed to the residual effect of the front office's aggressive push when Dave Dombrowski was president of baseball operations.

The Red Sox still had the sixth-highest payroll in MLB at $225.7 million last season. But they have been "far apart" in extension talks with Rafael Devers this offseason, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Xander Bogaerts, who opted out of his deal in November to become a free agent, is still talking with the Red Sox. The four-time All-Star is also on the radar for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Losing out on Eflin to a division rival also hurts Boston's attempt to get back into playoff contention. The Red Sox finished last in the American League East in 2022 with a 78-84 record.

The Yankees, Rays and Toronto Blue Jays all made the playoffs in the division. The Baltimore Orioles are improving and were in playoff contention until the final week of the season. They finished with a winning record (83-79) for the first time since 2016.

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The Aaron Judge sweepstakes appears to be a two-horse race between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Giants are a "very realistic possibility" for Judge, and the odds for both teams are "very close to 50-50" (starts at 4:55 mark):

Update: Aaron Judge’s free agent decision could come within the week. We discussed the latest today on #MLBNHotStove. @MLB pic.twitter.com/YZXzeloO5E

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 1, 2022

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Wednesday that the Yankees have offered around eight years and $300 million for the 2022 American League MVP, but they could increase it.

The Giants' offer to Judge isn't known, though Morosi noted if they make an offer in the range of $40 million per season, they have a "legitimate chance" to sign him.

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout is the highest-paid player in MLB based on the total value of his contract ($426.5 million) and the highest-paid position player by average annual salary ($35.5 million).

While it doesn't sound like Judge will approach the total value of Trout's deal, he could pass his average annual salary. An eight-year, $300 million contract would pay $37.5 million per season.

Pitchers Max Scherzer ($43.3 million) and Gerrit Cole ($36.0 million) are the two highest-paid players in MLB by AAV.

The Giants have long been seen as the biggest threat to sign Judge away from the Yankees. One person who met with members of the team's ownership group told Randy Miller of NJ.com in October they "won't be underbid" for the four-time All-Star.

Judge met with Giants officials for two days in San Francisco last week. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reported the Giants connected Judge with representatives for Stephen Curry, hoping the Golden State Warriors superstar could help their free-agent pursuit.

The Yankees have remained confident since free agency began that they will re-sign their superstar slugger. It seems unlikely they will make any other significant moves before he makes a decision.

According to Passan, Judge could make his pick during the winter meetings that begin Sunday in San Diego.

Judge hit the market at the right time after a historic 2022 season. He set an AL record with 62 homers and led MLB in on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686) and total bases (391).