MLB

Josh Bell's stay with the San Diego Padres was a brief one. The veteran first baseman agreed to a two-year, $33 million deal with the Cleveland Guardians, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The deal reportedly includes an opt-out.

Many expected Bell to be moved as the 2022 MLB trade deadline approached. The Washington Nationals were mired in last place, so it made little sense to keep an experienced first baseman who was headed to free agency in the offseason.

Bell's inclusion in the Juan Soto deal came as a surprise, though. Not only were the Padres getting a generational talent with Soto, but they also managed to strengthen another area of weakness. San Diego made a clear offensive upgrade over Eric Hosmer, and it was merely a footnote in a historic swap.

Bell's raw power numbers across the 2022 season reflect the larger trend across MLB, but the advanced stats show he has remained an above-average slugger.

In 156 games between the Nationals and Padres, the 30-year-old had 17 home runs, 71 RBI and a .266/.362/.422 slash line. Per FanGraphs, he also boasted a .344 wOBA and 123 wRC+, as he put together one of the best seasons of his career.

Bell certainly picked a good time to rake at the plate as free agency loomed on the horizon, though his performance wasn't a significant outlier. He has slugged .459 with a .810 OPS and 120 OPS+ in seven seasons.

The 2020 campaign appears to be the one outlier. He had a .226/.305/.364 slash line that year, which can be attributed partially to the shortened season and general difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While he wasn't the most prized free agent on the market, Bell figured to be in a nice position to cash in. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter pegged his value at $60 million over four years in June.

In Bell, Cleveland landed a piece that should help the lineup in a big way.

The San Francisco Giants have held face-to-face meetings with agent Scott Boras regarding free-agent clients Carlos Correa and Brandon Nimmo, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Neither player has visited the Giants' home stadium, Oracle Park, as of yet.

Correa hit .291 (.834 OPS) with 22 home runs and 64 RBI for the Minnesota Twins last year. The 28-year-old shortstop is a two-time All-Star who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Houston Astros.

Nimmo hit .274 (.800 OPS) with 16 home runs, 64 RBI and an NL-high seven triples for the New York Mets in 2022. The outfielder, who turns 30 years old in March, has played all seven of his MLB campaigns with the Mets.

The Giants are clearly searching for big names in this year's free-agent market after a disappointing 81-81 season, which followed a 107-win campaign in 2021 that ended with a National League Division Series defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Giants are believed to have offered reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge a $360 million contract.

Correa is one of the top players remaining, especially after shortstop Trea Turner agreed to a $300 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Chicago Cubs are in on Correa, though, with Jon Morosi of MLB Network reporting that the two sides met Monday.

A host of teams are also chasing after Nimmo, per Heyman.

Ultimately, the Giants need to improve a lineup that posted a mediocre .705 OPS (eighth in the National League) with a .234 batting average (12th).

Correa and/or Nimmo would certainly help improve their order, and we could soon find out how everything will shake out with the winter meetings already underway.

Major League Baseball teams looking for outfield help this offseason reportedly have another option to choose from in free agency.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Japanese star Masataka Yoshida will be posted Wednesday by the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball, meaning he can sign with an MLB team through Jan. 20. "Teams see Yoshida as a plug-and-play left-field option with elite bat-to-ball skills," Passan wrote.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi previously reported the New York Yankees were interested.

MLB's posting system means the Buffaloes, for whom Yoshida played last year, would receive compensation based on his contract.

Per Passan, the Buffaloes would get $5 million for the first $25 million of his contract, $4.375 million of the next $25 million and 15 percent of anything after $50 million. Teams interested in signing him will need to consider that cost, especially since it will come on top of the contract it pays to add him to the lineup.

Still, Yoshida figures to be an impact player from the moment he arrives stateside.

He is in his prime at 29 years old and slashed .335/.447/.551 with 21 home runs, 88 RBI and 80 walks for Orix last season. He topped NPB in OPS in each of the last two campaigns and helped lead the Buffaloes to a Japan Series championship last season.

Yoshida has slashed .327/.421/.539 over his seven-year tenure with the team.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked him as the 22nd-best available player going into winter meetings.

He should command a notable contract given the combination of his talent and the lack of outfield depth in this year's free-agency class. While Aaron Judge is the headliner, Brandon Nimmo is the only other top-10 free agent who plays the outfield on Reuter's list.

And he was No. 10.

Yoshida won't command the attention that players like Judge do this offseason, but he can impact the game in a number of ways and could hit better than .300 at the major league level.

The San Francisco Giants mean business in their quest to sign Aaron Judge.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Giants' current offer to the reigning American League MVP is believed to be in the range of $360 million.

Heyman noted the belief among rival teams is the New York Yankees remain the favorite to re-sign Judge, but they are still unsure of where things stand with their franchise player.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported last week the Yankees have an offer on the table worth around $300 million over eight years, but they could increase it depending on how far the Giants are willing to push the market.

It's been expected the Giants would be New York's main competition to sign Judge. Randy Miller of NJ.com reported in October they have the 30-year-old at the top of their wish list and "won’t be underbid" by any other team.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, it's "increasingly likely" that Judge's eventual contract will be for nine guaranteed years.

Rosenthal did note the Los Angeles Dodgers are hovering around, but they would prefer to sign Judge to a short-term deal with a high average annual salary.

The Giants have been rolling out the red carpet to let Judge know how much they want him. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry met with the four-time All-Star during his visit with San Francisco last month, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Judge is from California and was drafted out of high school by the Oakland Athletics in the 31st round in 2010. He elected to go to college at Fresno State and developed into a first-round pick by the Yankees three years later.

Since making his big league debut in 2016, Judge ranks second in MLB in homers (220), second in weighted on-base average (.407), fourth in slugging percentage (.583) and seventh in FanGraphs' wins above replacement (36.1).

Judge set an AL record with 62 homers during the 2022 season. He also led MLB in on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686) and total bases (391).

After winning 107 games in 2021, the Giants came back to earth with an 81-81 record last season. They have missed the playoffs five times in the past six seasons.

Aaron Judge would've preferred to keep his contract negotiations with the New York Yankees behind closed doors ahead of the 2022 MLB season.

"We kind of said, 'Hey, let's keep this between us,'" he said to Time's Sean Gregory regarding his conversations with the team. "I was a little upset that the numbers came out. I understand it's a negotiation tactic. Put pressure on me. Turn the fans against me, turn the media on me. That part of it I didn't like."

In April, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed the team offered the star slugger a deal that would've paid him $213.5 million in new money over seven years.

Judge's comments now echo his reaction shortly after the negotiations became public. He told reporters the situation was "something I felt like was private between my team and the Yankees."

"I'm just disappointed because I think I’ve been vocal about wanting to be a Yankee for life," he said. "I want to bring a championship back to New York. I want to do it for the fans here. … Not getting that done right now, it stings. But I got a job to do on the field and I gotta shift my focus to that now and go play some ball."

Any frustration he felt toward the Yankees front office didn't bleed into his performance. The four-time All-Star had a contract year for the ages, hitting an American League-record 62 home runs and winning the AL's Most Valuable Player award.

Judge's feelings in the spring haven't precluded him from working with Cashman again toward a new contract that would bring him back to the Big Apple. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the Yankees "have an offer on the table in the neighborhood of eight years and $300 million and could increase it."

For now, the San Francisco Giants are the Bronx Bombers' only competition. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported Monday that "no prominent mystery team has emerged."

The Chicago White Sox reportedly have no plans of trading shortstop Tim Anderson this offseason.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the White Sox plan to keep Anderson as they maintain a "short-term focus" on success.

Anderson is under team control through the 2024 season and is owed just $26.5 million for the remainder of his contract, so there's understandably no urgency to make a move. It's Anderson will remain in Chicago beyond his current contract with Colson Montgomery rising up the minor league ranks, but the 2021 first-round pick is not ready to make his MLB debut.

Retaining Anderson for the 2023 season and then revisiting his status heading into 2024 makes a ton more sense—particularly given the front office's desire to make the playoffs.

Anderson missed 83 games to injury last season but was stellar when in the lineup, hitting .301/.339/.395 with six home runs and 25 runs batted in. He was on pace for the best season of his career in April and May before suffering a groin strain that seemed to sap the power out of his swing and limit his effectiveness on the basepaths.

The White Sox eventually shut him down for the season in August after he suffered a torn finger ligament.

“I kind of understood the process,” Anderson told reporters in September. “I kept working, tried to get in the best position to get back healthy. But just couldn't quite get there.

“[I'm just going to] try to get healthy, for the most part, and just continue to keep building. Hopefully, [I] can continue to get better.”

Anderson has been an All-Star representative for the White Sox each of the last two seasons.

The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly hope to make a run at Los Angeles Angels superstar pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani in free agency next year.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Ohtani is the "player they truly want," which could lead the Dodgers to be less aggressive in free agency than usual this offseason.

While Rosenthal noted the Dodgers could make a run at shortstop Carlos Correa on a short-term deal after losing Trea Turner to the Philadelphia Phillies, they may also be content with value signings like bringing back third baseman Justin Turner and adding outfielder Kevin Kiermaier in anticipation of going after Ohtani.

Ohtani was one of the biggest free agents to ever come out of Japan, and the Angels beat out several suitors to sign him ahead of the 2018 season.

In October, the Angels signed him to a one-year, $30 million contract to avoid arbitration, marking the largest one-year deal ever given to an arbitration-eligible player in MLB history.

They have yet to reach a long-term extension, however, and he could hit the open market next year.

Ohtani has been every bit as good as advertised as a two-way player, especially over the past two seasons.

In 2021, Ohtani made the All-Star team for the first time and won the American League MVP award by virtue of hitting .257 with 46 home runs, 100 RBI, 103 runs scored and 26 stolen bases. If that wasn't enough, he started 23 games as a pitcher as well, going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings.

If New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge didn't break the single-season AL record with 62 home runs, Ohtani likely would have won a second consecutive MVP award in 2022.

His offensive numbers were down slightly, as he hit .273 with 34 homers, 95 RBI, 90 runs and 11 steals, but he turned into a bona fide ace pitcher.

The Japanese star set career highs in starts (28), wins (15), innings (166) and strikeouts (219). His 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP were career bests as well.

Ohtani earned an All-Star selection for the second time, and he finished second in MVP voting and fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting, putting a bow on one of the most remarkable seasons in MLB history.

For as great as Ohtani and teammate Mike Trout have been, the Angels have not reached the playoffs since 2014. That could lead Ohtani to test the market and could push the Angels to rebuild.

If any of that happens, the Dodgers may be an ideal landing spot for Ohtani, as he wouldn't have to go far.

The Dodgers have been a model of consistency, reaching the playoffs in 10 straight seasons, including World Series appearances in 2017, 2018 and 2020 and a World Series win in 2020.

The Dodgers are stacked enough in pitching and offense to be World Series contenders in 2023 without a big-name signing, but the arrival of Ohtani for the 2024 season might make them clear-cut favorites again.

The New York Yankees are reuniting with reliever Tommy Kahnle after agreeing to a two-year, $11.5 million contract, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Kahnle spent the 2022 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out 14 batters and earning one save over 12.2 innings of work. Before that, he was a member of the Yankees for three and a half years.

The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2020, which was why his usage this past year was so limited. Before that, he had been an effective option out of New York's bullpen. Over 129 appearances, he had a 3.23 FIP and averaged 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Bronx Bombers obviously saw enough from Kahnle to believe he can continue to be a consistent contributor moving forward.

Aroldis Chapman left as a free agent this offseason, and while letting him walk was an understandable decision, he's one fewer reliever New York will have in 2023. Scott Effross is out of the picture, too, after getting Tommy John surgery, while Michael King is continuing to recover from his fractured elbow.

Even assuming Clay Holmes will remain the full-time closer, there was a clear need to fortify the bullpen. Given the post-Tommy John questions still surrounding Kahnle, you have to wonder whether further reinforcements will be coming to the Big Apple.

Former National League MVP Cody Bellinger will likely be with a new team in 2023.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, a reunion between Bellinger and the Los Angeles Dodgers appears "unlikely" now, with multiple teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, interested in the two-time All-Star.

Coming off two disappointing seasons, the Dodgers decided to non-tender Bellinger rather than pay more than $20 million he likely would have been owed through arbitration in 2023.

The move made Bellinger one of the most intriguing free agents available, though one with significant risk. It's been three years since he was named NL MVP and two years since he was even a league-average hitter.

Since the start of 2021, though, Bellinger has been the sixth-worst outfielder in Major League Baseball by FanGraphs' wins above replacement with a minimum of 900 plate appearances (0.7). He has the second-worst offensive value among all outfielders during that span (minus-27.8).

Bellinger has a .193/.256/.355 slash line with 29 homers in 239 games over the past two seasons.

Injuries have hindered Bellinger during this two-year down period. He had surgery in November 2020 after he dislocated his shoulder celebrating a homer in Game 7 of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves.

Bellinger was ready for the start of the 2021 season, but he played in four games before suffering a hairline fracture in his left tibia when Oakland Athletics reliever Reymin Guduan accidentally cleated him on a close play at first base.

There were no known injury issues for Bellinger last season. He played in 144 games, but the problems from the previous year may have impacted his swing mechanics.

This is the story that interested teams should be telling themselves. Bellinger's agent, Scott Boras, told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal they have received multiyear offers but will most likely take a one-year deal with the hope of rebuilding his value to hit the market again in 2023.

Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post previously reported that the Colorado Rockies have an interest in Bellinger on a one-year deal.

It's a calculated risk by Bellinger and Boras, but one with the potential to pay off hugely if he gets back to peak form. He hit .278/.369/.559 and averaged 37 homers per season from 2017 to 2019.

The Blue Jays created an opening in their lineup by trading Teoscar Hernández to the Seattle Mariners. Bellinger could be a natural replacement for him, especially for a team looking to overtake the New York Yankees atop the American League East.