MLB

On the heels of his historic season, Time magazine named New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge its athlete of the year for 2022 on Tuesday.

Judge smashed 62 home runs for the Bronx Bombers, breaking the single-season American League record of 61 set by Yankees outfielder Roger Maris in 1961.

By virtue of his 62 homers, 131 RBI, 133 runs scored and .311 batting average, Judge was named AL MVP for the first time, and he is now in line to land one of the biggest contracts in MLB history in free agency.

With Judge leading the way, the Yankees won their first AL East title since 2019 with a 99-63 record, and they defeated the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series of the playoffs.

That marked the Yanks' deepest playoff run since 2019, although they were swept out of the American League Championship Series by the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros.

Judge turned down a contract offer from the Yankees prior to the start of the 2022 season, and that proved to be one of the best decisions of his career, as the 6'7" slugger had a year for the ages.

In an interview with Time, Judge divulged that he wasn't a fan of the fact that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told the media that he turned down a seven-year, $213 million offer.

"We kind of said, 'Hey, let's keep this between us,' Judge said. "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."

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees and San Francisco Giants are believed to be the top two suitors for Judge. The Giants are reportedly being "ultra-aggressive" in their pursuit of Judge, but the Yankees remain in talks with him as well.

SNY's Andy Martino reported that the Yankees are aware it will likely take a nine-year offer to retain the 30-year-old Judge.

It was previously reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan that the Yankees made Judge an offer "in the neighborhood" of $300 million over eight years.

The Yankees have a lot of offensive talent coming up through their prospect pipeline in Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza and Jasson Dominguez, but they can ill afford to lose Judge.

He is a four-time All-Star and arguably the most feared hitter in the game, which in turn makes the rest of the Yankee lineup that much more dangerous.

Judge is a franchise-altering player, and given what he accomplished in 2022, there is little doubt he deserves to be recognized as the athlete of the year.

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.

St. Louis Cardinals television broadcaster Dan McLaughlin has been arrested on a DWI charge for at least the third time since 2010.

Per Gabe Lacques of USA Today, McLaughlin was charged with a felony count of persistent DWI after police arrested him Sunday following multiple calls about a "vehicle driving erratically in traffic" in Creve Coeur, Missouri.

According to the police report (h/t Lacques), McLaughlin's official charge was "persistent offender of driving while intoxicated," and he was transferred to St. Louis County Justice Center where he is being held on $25,000 bond.

"We are very disappointed to hear this, and are working to gather additional information before offering further comment," Bally Sports Midwest said in a statement about the situation.

"No excuses," McLaughlin wrote in a text message to Taylor Tiamoyo Harris of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I'm dealing with this and seeking the treatment that I need. I ask for your privacy for me and my family."

According to Harris, McLaughlin had two DWI charges in a 13-month span in 2010 and 2011. He received two years' probation for the first charge.

In a 2011 interview with Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, McLaughlin discussed his struggles with alcohol use.

"I'm an alcoholic, and I'm not ashamed to say that because I needed help in a bad way," he said. "Through what's happened, it's turning my life around. That's the truth."

Fox Sports Midwest indefinitely suspended McLaughlin after his second arrest. He was reinstated in February 2012.

McLaughlin, 48, has been the play-by-play voice for Cardinals television games since 2000.

The Philadelphia Phillies' initial, aggressive offseason push to land Trea Turner paid off on Monday, though he actually turned down a bigger offer from another club.

The San Diego Padres offered Turner a $342 million contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The Athletic's Matt Gelb previously reported San Diego had offered Turner more in "total guaranteed dollars" than the $300 million he agreed to with the reigning National League Champions, with ESPN's Buster Olney adding San Diego's offer would have made Turner the highest-paid shortstop in baseball.

ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel reported the 11-year, $300 million agreement between Philadelphia and Turner.

Gelb noted the Padres' had "legitimate interest" in bringing back Turner, who was their first-round draft pick in 2014. Members of the organization met with the two-time All-Star twice before the winter meetings.

The Padres traded Turner to the Washington Nationals six months after he was drafted as part of a three-team deal that included the Tampa Bay Rays.

Olney added with Turner now off the board, the Padres have pivoted their interest to Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Xander Bogaerts.

Almost as soon as the World Series ended, there were rumblings that Turner and the Phillies had strong mutual interest. The Athletic's Jayson Stark told 97.5 The Fanatic on Nov. 9 there were "some interesting rumblings" the 29-year-old wanted to be in Philadelphia.

According to Gelb, the Phillies' pitch to Turner included meetings in Florida with the president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, general manager Sam Fuld and manager Rob Thompson before Thanksgiving to meet members of his family.

Gelb also noted Bryce Harper, who previously advocated strongly for the Phillies to re-sign J.T. Realmuto, began lobbying team officials to pursue Turner during the regular season.

It's not specified what San Diego's offer was for Turner, but general manager A.J. Preller has been as aggressive as any executive over the past two years. He has traded for Yu Darvish, Mike Clevinger, Josh Hader, Juan Soto and Blake Snell since 2021.

The Padres have also spent big money to sign Manny Machado as a free agent (10 years, $300 million) and extend Fernando Tatis Jr. (14 years, $340 million). They have made the postseason in two of the last three years, including losing to the Phillies in the 2022 NLCS.

As aggressive as Preller has been recently, Dombrowski has been the king of aggressive moves dating back to his time with the Detroit Tigers. His desire to add superstar talent paid off in a big way, with Turner set to join a Phillies team coming off a World Series appearance.

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 Chicago Cubs are reportedly in the market for a season-altering shortstop.

Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reported the North Siders met with free agent Carlos Correa in San Diego on Monday. Jon Morosi of MLB Network confirmed the news.

Chicago's interest in Correa is not new, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted it pursued him last offseason before he joined the Minnesota Twins. Nightengale also pointed out that the Cubs' "top priority" is Xander Bogaerts, underscoring the team's desire to add a shortstop.

Morosi suggested the Cubs are also a potential landing spot for Dansby Swanson.

Interestingly, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported the Cubs could ultimately sign two of the three star shortstops remaining on the market, with Bogaerts and Swanson as the likely combination:

The shortstop market is under the spotlight Monday after ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan reported the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to an 11-year, $300 million deal with Trea Turner.

Perhaps that sets the market, but it isn't a stretch to suggest Correa is the better player.

The former Houston Astros and Twins star is in the middle of his prime at 28 years old and features a resume that includes a World Series crown, Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove and two All-Star selections.

Correa slashed .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI last season for Minnesota while being responsible for three defensive runs saved above average, per FanGraphs. That was a dropoff from the head-turning 20 DRS he posted in 2021 that earned him a Platinum Glove, but it's still a solid number.

He is an ideal fit in Chicago for more than just his talent, though, as it would allow the team to move Nico Hoerner to second base and maximize the defense up the middle of the diamond.

Correa could also be the face of the next contending Cubs team after missing the playoffs the last two seasons. Chicago went to three straight National League Championship Series from 2015 through 2017 and won a World Series crown in 2016 but has taken a step back of late despite playing in a major market.

Nightengale noted the front office has "boldly said they plan to build a contender, significantly raising their payroll," and Correa would be quite the starting point.

The Chicago White Sox reportedly could trade closer Liam Hendriks.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the right-hander's "name has come up in trade talks with other clubs" even though he has a limited no-trade clause on his contract that would let him veto a move to five specific teams.

Hendriks would be a major addition to any team in need of bullpen help.

His resume includes three All-Star selections and two Rivera Reliever Awards, and he was still effective this past season even though he may be slightly past his prime and turning 34 years old in February.

The White Sox closer finished with a 2.81 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 37 saves and 85 strikeouts in 57.2 innings last year after leading the league with 38 saves in 2021. He was an All-Star both seasons he pitched for Chicago and also earned the distinction in 2018 as a member of the Oakland Athletics.

In all, he has played for the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Athletics and White Sox since the 2011 campaign.

It may be somewhat surprising to see the White Sox exploring a potential trade with one of their impact players considering they are coming off two playoff appearances in the last three years and surely have hopes of competing for an American League Central crown in 2023.

However, Chicago could land quite the return in a trade for Hendriks, especially since he wouldn't be a rental player given he is under team control until after the 2024 season.

For now, his name is just part of the rumor mill, but he is someone who could help the White Sox retool depending on the return all while anchoring the bullpen for whichever team traded for him.

A pair of AL East rivals could be facing off for All-Star Bryan Reynolds.

According to multiple reports, the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees both have interest in trading for the veteran outfielder:

Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic added that the Miami Marlins and Boston Red Sox are also "known to have interest."

Reynolds became one of the offseason's most intriguing targets when he requested a trade ahead of MLB's winter meetings.

"While it is disappointing, this will have zero impact on our decision-making this offseason or in the future," the Pittsburgh Pirates said in a statement on Saturday. "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."

So it's entirely possible Reynolds remains in Pittsburgh next season. But if the team does field offers, it should be able to bring back an attractive trade package.

Reynolds, 27, hit .262 with 27 homers, 62 RBI, 74 runs and a .807 OPS in 145 games. It was a solid season, though a bit of a step back after his 2021 All-Star campaign (.302 with 24 homers, 90 RBI, 93 runs and a .912 OPS).

For teams in need of an upgrade in the outfield, Reynolds—who has largely been a center fielder in his career but has some playing time in the corner outfield spots as well—would be a logical target.

Reynolds could allow Toronto to move George Springer to right field while giving the team more lineup balance as a switch-hitter. After trading former right fielder Teoscar Hernández to the Seattle Mariners, the Blue Jays have a need in the outfield. Reynolds would check a lot of boxes.

For the Yankees, meanwhile, Reynolds is a potential contingency plan if they lose Aaron Judge in free agency, ostensibly to his favorite team from childhood, the San Francisco Giants. The Yankees could also look to make a splashy move in free agency if Judge departs, though those options are dwindling with players like Trea Turner, Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom already off the market.

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."

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.