AL East

The New York Yankees reportedly have made a big offer to 2022 American League MVP Aaron Judge with the hope of getting him to re-sign.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Yankees "have an offer on the table" in the range of eight years and $300 million.

Passan did note the team "could increase" the offer if another suitor makes a serious play.

The San Francisco Giants have been viewed as Judge's most likely destination if he leaves New York. It's unclear at this point if the Giants have made a formal offer, but they did host the four-time All-Star on a visit last week.

According to Passan, Judge will likely make his decision during the winter meetings that begin on Sunday in San Diego.

If the deal Judge signs is for $300 million over eight years, it will be the richest average annual deal for a position player in Major League Baseball history. Mike Trout currently holds the title with a $35.5 million average salary from the Los Angeles Angels.

Max Scherzer ($43.3 million) and Gerrit Cole ($36 million) are the top two players in MLB by average annual salary.

The newly reported offer from the Yankees is a significant increase over what they proposed to Judge before the start of the 2022 season.

General manager Brian Cashman told reporters on April 8 that Judge turned down an offer of $17 million for 2022 plus $213.5 million over seven years. The average value of the deal over eight years would have been $28.8 million.

Judge significantly increased his value with a historic performance last season. He set a new American League record with 62 homers and became the first player since Barry Bonds in 2004 with at least 11 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs.

The Yankees went 99-63 during the regular season and won the American League East for the first time since 2019. They defeated the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS, but were swept out of the playoffs by the Houston Astros in the ALCS.

As is often the case during the offseason, some MLB teams might be in a holding pattern until the biggest fish in free agency gets reeled in.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Wednesday that "the high-end market could move, perhaps quickly" once Aaron Judge agrees to a contract.

According to Passan, the New York Yankees are prepared to offer around $300 million over eight years and might go higher depending on any competing bids.

Because of his asking price, Judge has a limited pool of suitors. In addition to the Yankees, the San Francisco Giants have met with the American League MVP. The Los Angeles Dodgers could make a run, too.

Even assuming those are the only three teams that are looking to sign the native of Sacramento, California, his decision will carry big implications.

The Giants could set their sights on one of the next best outfielders. Brandon Nimmo, Mitch Haniger and Andrew Benintendi are all available, while Cody Bellinger and Michael Conforto are both intriguing free agents.

Passan speculated the Yankees could take the money they earmarked for Judge and put it toward one of the top-end shortstops on the market, with Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson all likely to get nine-figure offers.

San Francisco could adopt the same approach if it wants to flex its financial muscle after missing out on Judge.

Wherever the 30-year-old winds up, some of the free agents might be waiting to see the final terms of his new contract.

Eight years and $300 million would give the four-time All-Star an annual salary of $37.5 million, eclipsing Mike Trout's $35.5 million average salary and setting a record for a position player.

You wouldn't expect another player to get a bigger contract than Judge, but a record-setting pact could help shape what the likes of Turner, Correa, Bogaerts, Swanson, Jacob deGrom, Carlos Rodón and Justin Verlander demand.

The Boston Red Sox missed out on their top choice in free agency when José Abreu chose to sign with the Houston Astros.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the 2020 American League MVP was Boston's "No. 1 outside target" and the team met with him as soon as free agency opened on Nov. 10.

The Astros announced Monday they signed Abreu to a three-year contract. Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle added the deal is expected to be worth around $60 million.

Abreu is also believed to have thought highly of the Red Sox when the free-agent process began.

Bruce Levine of 670 The Score (h/t Adam London of NESN) reported on Nov. 15 that Boston was "high on the list" of potential landing spots for Abreu. The Astros, Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins were also mentioned.

It's unclear what Boston's plan is this offseason coming off a 78-84 record and last-place finish in the AL East in 2022.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal noted Red Sox ownership has indicated "a strong willingness" to spend. Team president and CEO Sam Kennedy recently told Michael Silverman of the Boston Globe they made an offer to Xander Bogaerts and have engaged in extension talks with Rafael Devers.

If the Red Sox had been avoiding spending in free agency recently to avoid the luxury tax, that shouldn't be a problem this offseason. Their payroll is currently $64.5 million, down from $225.7 million last season.

Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, their two highest-paid players in 2022, are both free agents. They made a combined $39.35 million.

Abreu would have been a natural replacement for Martinez at designated hitter, though he's also capable of playing first base. The 35-year-old hit .304/.378/.446 with 15 homers, 40 doubles and 75 RBI in 157 games with the Chicago White Sox last season.

Boston's designated hitters collectively hit .264/.331/.432 with 19 homers and 70 RBI.

Offense wasn't the problem in Boston last season. The team ranked in the top 10 in MLB in batting average (.258), on-base percentage (.321), slugging percentage (.409) and runs scored (735).

Re-signing Bogaerts would go a long way toward helping Boston stay at that level in 2023. The front office needs to find pitching to make the team a playoff contender. The pitching staff had the sixth-worst ERA in the league (4.53) and Nick Pivetta was the only starter who threw more than 130 innings.

YES Network is open to adding Derek Jeter and Don Mattingly to its New York Yankees broadcasts for the 2023 MLB season.

"You don’t say no to Derek Jeter and Don Mattingly; if there is a place for them in your universe, you find a way to make it work," said John Filippelli, YES president of programming and production, to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. "We haven’t had any in-depth discussion with either. If they are A) available and B) interested, you probably at least have to have a conversation."

Marchand reported Jeter "has shown no penchant for broadcasting" and is thus an unlikely candidate at this stage. Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy reported in February that ESPN was looking to bring him in, but not much came from that. The legendary shortstop reunited with former teammate Alex Rodriguez for an episode of the "KayRod Cast" in August.

Mattingly, meanwhile, told Marchand he "[has] something else burning fairly hot right now." The 61-year-old left his role as manager of the Miami Marlins earlier this fall and may continue to harbor a desire to coach in MLB.

David Cone has been a fixture in the booth for years, but the five-time All-Star joined ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball team in 2022, which limited how many games he could work for YES Network.

Marchand wrote how YES "delved into free agency with mixed results" for its broadcasts.

Jeter and Mattingly obvious have the requisite qualifications as players. The former is a five-time World Series champion and the defining figure for the Yankees' dynasty across the 1990s. The latter was a six-time All-Star and the 1985 American League MVP during his 14 years in pinstripes.

Excelling in a given sport doesn't mean somebody can succeed when talking about it for a living. Jeter in particular would be an odd fit since he went out of his way to be mostly uninteresting when he played in the Big Apple.

Based on Marchand's report, the idea might be a nonstarter anyway.

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will face more pressure to stay healthy and carry the club's offense if Aaron Judge departs in free agency.

The Yanks can only wait as Judge, who set the American League record with 62 home runs this year, goes through his free-agent process. Nothing indicates he's leaning toward leaving the Bronx, but tension will remain until he announces his decision.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Thursday the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants remain the "biggest threats" to lure away the superstar outfielder, though the Yankees continue to hold the edge in the high-profile pursuit.

While New York appears to remain in a strong position to retain Judge, the question of what happens if he leaves is still part of the equation.

Some additions, either via trade or free agency, would be necessary to fill the massive void, but a healthy year from Stanton would also provide a massive boost.

The 33-year-old five-time All-Star made 158 appearances during his first season with the Yankees in 2018 but hasn't reached that number over the subsequent four years:

• 2019: 18 games played
• 2020: 23 (60-game season)
• 2021: 139
• 2022: 110

That equates to 53.1 percent of the Yanks' games since 2019.

Stanton's power numbers were strong in 2022. His 31 home runs equate to a 45.7-homer pace over a full 162-game campaign. His other numbers were underwhelming, however, including a career-low .297 on-base percentage.

It'll be important for the 2017 National League MVP to post an OBP closer to his career average (.354) should he slide up the order, likely to the No. 3 spot, if Judge exits. Paired with continued pop, that would help the Yankees offense remain afloat.

New York ranked second in runs scored (807) and fourth in OPS (.751) in 2022.

The Yanks would have no way to directly replace Judge if he lands in L.A., San Francisco or elsewhere. It'd require a team effort to make up for his MVP-level production. That effort would start with a monster campaign from Stanton.

The Yankees will hope it's a storyline they never have to explore and that Judge is back in pinstripes to open the 2023 season.

Toronto Blue Jays star Alek Manoah called out Gerrit Cole in a video published Monday, reviving accusations of cheating during the latter's career.

Appearing on Serge Ibaka's How Hungry Are You? (starts at 11:19 mark), Manoah named the New York Yankees ace for his alleged use of sticky substances in response to a question about "the worst cheater" in Major League Baseball history.

"He cheated," Manoah said. "He used a lot of, like, sticky stuff to make his pitches better. And he kinda got called out on it."

This isn't the first time a fellow player has accused Cole of using sticky substances to improve his arsenal.

Josh Donaldson, who is now Cole's teammate, threw out an accusation while speaking to The Athletic's Dan Hayes in June 2021.

"Is it coincidence that Gerrit Cole's spin rate numbers went down [Thursday] after four minor leaguers got suspended for 10 games?" Donaldson said. "Is that possible? I don't know. Maybe. At the same time, with this situation, they've let guys do it."

Donaldson was referencing four minor league pitchers who were suspended for using foreign substances during games.

In response to the accusation, Cole didn't deny that he had used something on the grounds of "customs and practices that have been passed down from older players to younger players."

here's gerrit cole's response when asked point blank if he has ever used spider tack, one of the sticky substances baseball is looking to crack down on pic.twitter.com/rKFOksIDoW

— Matthew Roberson (@mroberson22) June 8, 2021

Midway through the 2021 season, MLB did increase its efforts to crack down on pitchers' use of substances during games. Umpires now check a pitcher in between innings or if they get removed from a game to make sure they are on the up and up. Starting pitchers usually get checked multiple times per game.

Per Baseball Savant, the spin rates on Cole's fastball, curveball and changeup have decreased in each of the past three seasons. His fastball went from a peak of 2,530 rpm in 2019 to 2,505 in 2020, 2,452 in 2021 and 2,428 in 2022.

Cole's slider did tick up from 2,582 rpm in 2020 to 2,600 in 2021, but it dropped to 2,569 last season.

Of course, declining spin rates don't necessarily mean Cole was using a substance and stopped when MLB began enforcing its rules. It could be a natural function of aging and arm speed, as he's now 32 years old.

If nothing else, Manoah's comments will add fuel to the Blue Jays-Yankees rivalry as the two teams prepare to fight it out in the American League East next season.

Free-agent pitcher Corey Kluber indicated his interest in signing with the Boston Red Sox this offseason after already having some contact with the team, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.

"I think they're well aware of how I feel," Kluber told Speier (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive).

The 36-year-old lives in Winchester, Mass. during the offseason and could enjoy remaining close to home during the regular season.

Boston also showed interest in each of the last two offseasons, although the pitcher ended up with AL East rivals New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.

Kluber, who was limited to eight starts between 2019 and 2020 because of injuries, showed signs of a rebound during the early stages of the 2021 season with the Yankees. The highlight was a no-hitter he threw against the Texas Rangers last May.

The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner finished his first year in New York with a 3.83 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 80 innings.

Kluber signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Rays last year and came through with a 4.34 ERA in 164 innings. The durability was the most important factor, with 31 starts being his most since 2018.

It could make him a valuable part of the rotation for the Red Sox if he signs this offseason.

Anthony Rizzo is hopeful of Aaron Judge returning to the New York Yankees for more reasons than one.

Fresh off re-signing with the Bronx Bombers, Rizzo would obviously love to continue playing alongside one of MLB's best players. In his mind, Judge's fate carries a larger importance, too.

"I hope Judge stays just for the sake of the game," he told reporters. "Because you see a lot of franchise icons not getting what they deserve for the team that they have done so much for."

As perhaps the most prestigious MLB franchise in the country's biggest sports market, there typically isn't much concern about one of the Yankees' top stars flying the coop.

And while team chairman Hal Steinbrenner isn't quite as free-spending as his father, signing Gerrit Cole to a nine-year, $324 million contract in 2020 showed ownership is still willing to go above and beyond for elite talent.

Judge could be an exception, though.

The Yankees made a final offer of seven years and $213.5 million to the four-time All-Star before the season got underway. He proceeded to hit an American League record 62 home runs and finish with a 1.111 OPS.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected Judge to get a nine-year, $324 million deal this winter.

Despite how much his value has skyrocketed, you still assume New York to be his likeliest landing spot.

The Yankees can't afford to lose him, with their American League Championship Series exit exposing how dependent upon the 6'7" slugger they had become. They're also one of the few teams that can give him the money he wants.

It would be ironic if Judge weren't in pinstripes in 2023.

To Rizzo's point, the Yankees are usually the ones benefiting when a team doesn't properly value a homegrown star.

The MLB Players Association reportedly requested a league investigation to determine whether there was "improper communication" between the New York Yankees and New York Mets regarding the potential free-agent pursuit of outfielder Aaron Judge.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Wednesday the union referenced a Nov. 3 article by SNY's Andy Martino, which said the Mets wouldn't engage in a "high-profile bidding war" with the Yankees because of a "mutually respectful relationship" between team owners Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner.

"The only way people involved can see the Mets changing course and pursuing Judge would be if the Yankees somehow declared themselves out of the bidding," Martino wrote.

If the Players Association can prove the Mets' reluctance to bid directly against the Yanks damaged Judge's free-agent market, it would be a violation of MLB's collective bargaining agreement, per Rosenthal.

The Mets have emerged as one of the league's biggest spenders since Cohen purchased majority control of the franchise in November 2020. Their current projected payroll for 2023 ($184.7 million) is the highest figure in MLB by more than $20 million, per Spotrac.

So it's important for top-tier free agents like Judge to at least have the threat of a Mets bid as part of the process to maximize their leverage. If the New York teams aren't willing to battle each other, it limits the upside of the slugger's likely nine-figure contract.

Judge, who set the new American League record with 62 home runs in 2022, hasn't shed much light on his free-agent foray throughout the year.

"That's all going to run through my agent," Judge told reporters in October after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs. "I haven't even thought about the next step yet. But like I said, we've got time to figure it out. I've never been in this spot before."

Along with the Yankees and Mets, Jim Bowden of The Athletic listed the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox as the other potential suitors, saying it's hard to see any of the other 25 teams having a "legitimate chance" in the sweepstakes.

If there's only five clubs seriously involved, taking the Mets out of the equation represents a 20 percent drop in interest for Judge's representatives to work with on the market.

Should a formal grievance be filed by the Players Association, an arbitrator would hear the case, and Judge could be awarded "triple damages" if collusion is proved, per Rosenthal.

The Judge situation will likely make or break the Yankees' offseason. He carried the team's offense for extended stretches during the 2022 campaign, and there's no option, internal or external, who can replace his production barring a massive blockbuster trade.

So there's a strong chance Steinbrenner's club was likely to match any offer given to the 30-year-old four-time All-Star regardless of the surrounding circumstances, but more limited competition could prove quite valuable in terms the final contract cost.

It makes the collusion case an interesting subplot to what's already one of the winter's top stories.

The Seattle Mariners are banking on a bounce-back season from 2021 All-Star Teoscar Hernandez.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Mariners have acquired the 30-year-old outfielder from the Toronto Blue Jays. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported the Mariners will deal relief pitcher Erik Swanson and pitching prospect Adam Macko in exchange for Hernandez.

Swanson will provide a boost to Toronto's bullpen. The right-hander was excellent with a 1.68 ERA, 70 strikeouts and just three homers allowed over 53.2 innings in 57 appearances last season.

FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen ranked Macko as the 10th-best prospect in Seattle's farm system last season. The 21-year-old left-hander was a seventh-round draft pick in 2019. He struck out 60 with a 3.99 ERA in 38.1 innings in High-A but didn't pitch after May 21 with an unspecified injury.

The 2022 season was disappointing for Hernandez. He hit .267/.316/.491 with 25 homers and 77 RBI in 131 games. His 127 OPS+ was the third-highest mark of his career in a full season, but it was a step down from the previous two years.

In 193 games in 2020 and 2021, Hernandez had a .295/.345/.538 slash line with 84 extra-base hits. He made the American League All-Star team in 2021 and set career highs in homers (32) and RBI (116).

While he's coming off a down year, it's surprising to see a Blue Jays team with playoff aspirations move on from Hernandez without an obvious replacement in place. He is entering the final season of arbitration with a projected salary of $14.5 million, per Spotrac.

Adding Hernandez allows the Mariners to tinker with their outfield and designated hitter rotations. Newly minted AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez will continue to handle center field.

Jesse Winker in left field has been a below-average defender throughout their career. Winker had the ninth-worst defensive value rating among qualified players in 2022 (minus-12.8), per FanGraphs.

Mitch Haniger, who was Seattle's primary starter in right field, is a free agent. The acquisition of Hernandez would seem to indicate the Mariners are moving on from Haniger.

Hernandez can play both corner outfield spots, though he's also been below-average with the glove for most of his career. He has been an above-average hitter over the past five seasons with the Blue Jays. This is a great buy-low acquisition for a Mariners team looking to build after ending a 21-year playoff drought last season.