MLB

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres both had their 2022 seasons ended by the eventual NL champion Philadelphia Phillies in the postseason.

Now, both California-based teams may be looking to strengthen the depth of their rotation by way of New York Mets reliever Seth Lugo, as reported by Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

Lugo wants to start, and both the Dodgers and Padres should take the necessary steps to make that happen—especially as they try to keep pace with a Phils team brimming with hitters and an American League not bereft of them, either.

Bolstering the Rotation

Lugo is an interesting case in that he has experience as a starter but has not been one full-time since 2017 with the Mets. Since then, he has had spot starts and filled that role in seven of his 16 appearances in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.

While some would suggest it has been too long since Lugo has filled the role of starter to trust that he can come in and seamlessly resume it, the Dodgers are in a position where they can justify it.

Sure, they brought Clayton Kershaw back on a one-year deal and would seem to have a full rotation in place, Dustin May is still in the midst of a comeback following Tommy John surgery.

Rather than throwing him in the mix and expecting him to contribute quality starts, without any sort of insurance policy in case of a setback for the 25-year-old, the team has the opportunity to bring in Lugo and let him bridge the gap.

Lugo played in his most games since 2019 and recorded his most innings pitched since that same year last season. Better yet, he allowed his third-lowest ERA+ and continued his trend of allowing single-digit home runs.

While there is uncertainty as to what those numbers would look like spread out over the course of an entire season in a starter role, it would be better than the Dodgers putting all of their trust in the likes of Ryan Pepiot and Andre Jackson, both of whom are mostly unproven commodities.

Like the Dodgers, the Padres would be looking at Lugo to strengthen their rotation.

The team knows he is not an ace starter or someone who is going to shut down every opposing batter, but in a game that is and always has been reliant on good pitchers making smart decisions and setting their team up for victory, guys like Lugo can absolutely benefit a club pursuing a World Series title.

That the Padres face a number of questions in the 2023 offseason, including the futures of Yu Darvish and Blake Snell as they face free agency, bringing in someone like Lugo to provide stability behind Joe Musgrove will surely put some minds at ease in the clubhouse.

It is safe to say that, looking at the current situations facing the Dodgers and the Padres with their rotations and the lack of depth and experience within, there are far worse options than taking a chance on Lugo as a stater for at least a season.

If it works out and he can give them seven or eight wins, the Dodgers and Padres can be right back in the championship mix. If it does not and the decision has to be made to drop him into the bullpen, the teams have a veteran reliever who can influence the game that way.

It is a win-win scenario for two teams that are built to win now and need the pitching depth to do so.

Considering the intensity and emotion in the rivalry between the two teams in question, snagging the missing piece that catapults one past the other in pursuit of a world title would be icing on top of the proverbial cake and give one squad bragging rights while potentially being the difference between making a World Series appearance and sitting at home.

Free-agent third baseman Justin Turner has agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox, per ESPN's Joon Lee and Jeff Passan.

The 38-year-old is a two-time All-Star who has played 14 MLB seasons. His last nine have been with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which have won three National League pennants and one World Series with him at the hot corner.

Last year, Turner hit .278 (.788 OPS) with 13 home runs and 81 RBI. He has struck a career-high 27 home runs on three different occasions, including the 2021 season.

The Long Beach, California, native started his career with the Baltimore Orioles before the New York Mets claimed him off waivers in 2010. He primarily played second base for the Mets in 2011 before moving to a utility role in 2012.

Turner was in and out of the lineup for his three years in New York before he left in free agency for the Dodgers in 2014.

He immediately blossomed for L.A., hitting a career-high .340 in 2014 after entering the lineup because of injuries to Hanley Ramírez and Juan Uribe. He became a full-time fixture at third base in 2015 and stayed there throughout his Dodgers tenure. He finished in the top 15 in the NL MVP voting from 2016 to 2018 and earned his first All-Star honor in 2017.

Turner hit .296 (.865 OPS) with 156 home runs and 574 RBI while in L.A.

He received plenty of interest this offseason, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting that the Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins were among a half dozen teams interested in Turner.

His Dodgers career is now over, though, as Turner turns to a new chapter.

The world champion Houston Astros are reportedly bringing back one of their veterans for the 2023 season.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, free-agent outfielder Michael Brantley has agreed to re-sign with the Astros on a one-year, $12 million contract pending a physical.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported Brantley can earn an additional $4 million in incentives.

Brantley has spent the last four seasons with the Astros. The 35-year-old played the first 10 years of his career with the Cleveland Guardians before joining Houston.

A five-time All-Star, Brantley is a consistent hitter when healthy. He was limited to 64 games in 2022 before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in August, and he finished the year with five home runs and 26 RBI while slashing .288/.370/.416. In his 14-year career, he has a slash line of .298/.356/.439.

Re-signing Brantley is another solid move for Houston as it reloads for another run to the World Series. The Astros signed former Chicago White Sox slugger and 2020 American League MVP José Abreu to a three-year, $58.5 million contract in November. However, they lost reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who signed with the New York Mets in free agency.

Brantley provides Houston with added depth, as he can rotate in left field with Yordan Alvarez as well as at designated hitter. The veteran will look for a bounce-back performance in 2023.

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge's 62nd home run ball sold at auction for $1.5 million.

Goldin Auctions sold the ball on Saturday night, with six total bids coming in. The initial price tag was set at $1 million when the listing opened on Nov. 29, with each bid increasing by $50,000 before the winner was determined.

Judge broke Roger Maris' 61-year-old American League record with his final homer of the regular season on Oct. 4 in the second game of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers.

Corey Youmans, the fan who caught the ball, initially said he hadn't thought about what he would do with it.

Judge was asked about potentially getting the ball for his own personal collection after the game.

"I don't know where it's at, so we'll see what happens with that," the Yankees slugger told reporters. "It'd be great to get it back, but that's a souvenir for a fan, so, you know, they made a great catch out there, and they've got every right to it."

Even though Youmans did make out well in this auction, he may regret not selling the ball earlier. He told ESPN's Jeff Passan someone offered him $3 million for the piece of Major League Baseball history.

"It seems fair in the sense it gives anyone that is interested and has the means the opportunity to own it," Youmans explained to Passan. "As a fan, I'm curious to see what it's worth, who buys it and what they do with it."

Judge became the first MLB player to hit at least 60 homers in a season since Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa in 2001. The 30-year-old was named AL MVP for his historic performance in 2022.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping J.D. Martinez can add some pop to their lineup in 2023.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Martinez has agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the reigning National League West champs.

Despite being connected to many of the top free agents this offseason, the Dodgers have been fairly quiet when it comes to actually finalizing deals.

Los Angeles did re-sign Clayton Kershaw and brought in Noah Syndergaard, but Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Tyler Anderson, Andrew Heaney and Chris Martin are among the free agents who have signed with other teams.

The Dodgers had a projected payroll of $211.4 million next season prior to the addition of Martinez. Adding his $10 million salary to that total still leaves them approximately $11.6 million under the $233 million competitive balance tax.

Dodgers Projected Lineup

1. Mookie Betts, RF

2. Freddie Freeman, 1B

3. Will Smith, C

4. Max Muncy, 3B

5. Trayce Thompson, CF

6. J.D. Martinez, DH

7. Chris Taylor, 2B

8. Gavin Lux, SS

9. James Outman, LF

Winning 111 games during the regular season hid several problems the Dodgers had on their roster last season. Those flaws were exposed in the playoffs, as they lost to the San Diego Padres in four games in the National League Division Series.

Max Muncy and Chris Taylor dealt with injuries that significantly impacted their performance. Muncy hit .196/.329/.384 with 21 homers in 136 games. He had a .246/.371/.520 slash line and averaged 30 homers per season from 2018-21.

The Dodgers are clearly betting on 2022 being a blip on the radar for Muncy. They signed him to a one-year, $13.5 million extension in August that includes a $10 million team option for 2024.

Taylor posted a .221/.304/.373 slash line with 10 homers and 43 RBI in 118 games during the 2022 season. He hit .265/.343/.461 and averaged 16 homers and 10 stolen bases per season from 2017-21.

If Muncy and Taylor play closer to their pre-2022 levels next season, the Dodgers will have no problem replacing the offensive production they lost with Turner leaving.

Gavin Lux, who was a top-five prospect in MLB prior to the 2020 season, will likely move over to shortstop after primarily playing second base the previous two years. While his power has yet to show up, he took steps forward with the bat last season with a .276 average and .346 on-base percentage.

If the power arrives in 2023, Lux has All-Star upside.

Martinez is more of a luxury than a necessity for the Dodgers, but he does give manager Dave Roberts more lineup flexibility.

His final stat line from 2022 with the Boston Red Sox looks solid (.274/.341/.448), but Martinez's performance was a tale of two halves. The 35-year-old was named to the All-Star team after hitting .302/.368/.481 in 81 games in the first half.

After the All-Star break, however, Martinez struggled with a .233/.301/.400 slash line and seven homers in 58 games. If his decline was due to being an older player who hit a wall, the Dodgers should be careful to manage his playing time.

One encouraging sign for Martinez is he still destroyed left-handed pitching with a .319/.402/.597 slash line in 137 plate appearances against southpaws last season.

Martinez and Muncy, who is a left-handed hitter, could potentially platoon at DH. Muncy finished last season as the Dodgers' primary third baseman. He could return to that role in 2023, but Roberts could also give 23-year-old Miguel Vargas the keys to the hot corner.

Vargas only had 47 at-bats in the big leagues after being called up for the stretch run. Until he establishes himself, Roberts might be better off letting Muncy play third base and making Martinez the primary DH to start the season.

J.D. Martinez is on the move, as the five-time All-Star has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per Robert Murray of FanSided.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network added Martinez will sign a one-year, $10 million deal.

As the Red Sox endured a rough summer in which they fell to the bottom of the American League East standings, Martinez was a popular candidate to be traded before the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

When no deal materialized, Martinez played out the rest of the year with Boston and became a free agent.

Martinez is a DH-only player at this point in his career, but he remains an excellent hitter. He has been named to the AL All-Star team in each of the last two seasons, led the league in doubles (42) in 2021 and has a .345 on-base percentage in 287 games since the start of 2021.

There are some indications that Martinez isn't going to be as valuable with the bat as he has been. His power evaporated after the All-Star break with a .400 slugging percentage.

The Dodgers will be hoping that was just a blip on the radar and that a full offseason to prepare will get things back on track.

Considering Martinez was playing up to his full potential before the All-Star break (.302/.368/.481, 30 doubles in 81 games), there are reasons to be optimistic that he can be an impact bat in the middle of the order in 2023.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts can use Martinez in a platoon role. Even with his second-half struggles last season, Martinez finished with a .998 OPS against left-handed pitching in 119 at-bats.

After declining Justin Turner's option for the 2023 season, the Dodgers had an opening at designated hitter. They can certainly rotate some players already on the roster into that spot, but Martinez gives Roberts another option to choose from.

The Chicago Cubs have themselves a new shortstop.

The team reportedly signed free agent Dansby Swanson to a seven-year, $177 million deal Saturday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan and Bally Sports' Russell Dorsey.

Before the move, the Cubs had a projected tax payroll of $176.7 million, per Spotrac. Assuming an average annual value of $25.3 million on Swanson's contract, his signing should move that figure to an estimated $202 million.

It also will lock down the shortstop position for the foreseeable future and bolster the Cubs lineup. Here's a look at what that unit might look like in 2023:

1. Dansby Swanson, SS
2. Seiya Suzuki, RF
   
3. Cody Bellinger, CF
4. Patrick Wisdom, 3B
   
5. Nico Hoerner, 2B
6. Ian Happ, LF
7. Matt Mervis, 1B
8. Christopher Morel, DH
9. Yan Gomes, C
   

The additions of Bellinger and Swanson are huge for a Cubs team that lacked pop in 2022, finishing 17th in baseball in homers (159), 22nd in runs (657) and 19th in team batting average (.238).

That duo combined to hit 44 homers and added 164 RBI last season alone. Swanson has posted consecutive seasons with 25 or more homers, while Bellinger—the 2019 NL MVP and 2017 NL Rookie of the Year—has hit 25 or more homers three times in his career, though his power has diminished in recent seasons.

Perhaps a change in scenery will do him good. If it does, a Cubs lineup that was a question mark heading into the winter will look a whole lot better. At the very least, the excellent defense of Swanson is going to make the Cubs extremely steady up the middle.

In other words, Chicago got better Saturday.

The Minnesota Twins won big in free agency on Friday with the official signing of coveted catcher Christian Vázquez. They also reached an agreement with outfielder Joey Gallo.

Vázquez, who is fresh off his second World Series win, reached a three-year agreement with Minnesota earlier in the week.

Gallo is joining on a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Minnesota's new additions come in shortly after former Twins shortstop Carlos Correa agreed to join the San Francisco Giants.

According to The Athletic's Dan Hayes, Minnesota offered more in annual salary, but it wasn't enough for a franchise that hasn't won a playoff series since 2002.

What's next for the Twins as they look to return to contention in the American League? According to Hayes, Minnesota may turn to the trade market—with Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda and Luis Arraez drawing interest.

Per Hayes, Arraez is a player Minnesota would "consider dealing as part of a package for a prominent pitcher."

If Arraez is available, the New York Mets would be wise to make a run at him.

The Mets—who are loaded in the pitching rotation after adding Koudai Senga to a group that also includes Jose Quintana, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander—are reportedly looking to move a pitcher of their own.

"The Mets are listening to trade offers on Carlos Carrasco," Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote. "They believe the rise in free-agent prices, notably for starting pitchers, will make Carrasco an appealing piece at one year and $14 million for all of those shut out of the pricey market. Think teams such as the Twins, Royals and probably at least five or six more."

Would a package that includes Carrasco interest the Twins? That's debatable. Like Gray and Maeda, Carrasco is set to be a free agent next year, and the 35-year-old probably isn't considered a "prominent" pitcher.

However, Carrasco is a solid starter who went 15-7 last season. If the Twins believe they're building a strong playoff team, they could be interested. Carrasco's $14 million salary for 2023 is reasonable.

New York would undoubtedly have to include more in a trade offer for Arráez, who is under team control through 2025. but it's absolutely worth an exploratory inquiry. Arráez, the reigning AL batting champion, would be an ideal fit for the Mets.

New York favors an offense that plays for contact rather than power. The Mets ranked second in batting average last season (.259) but only 15th in home runs (171). Adding a combination of power and efficiency to the lineup would be ideal, which may be part of the reason why the Mets were also interested in Correa before he joined the Giants.

According to Hayes, Andy McCullough and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Mets' plan was to play Correa at third base.

Arraez, a utility infielder, could slot right in at third, and while he might not possess the power of Correa (only eight home runs in 2022 versus 22), he'd still provide a huge offensive boost.

En route to the batting title, Arraez hit .316 with 49 RBI. He was more efficient than Correa in both BA and on-base percentage (.375 versus .366).

Of course, the question isn't whether Arraez would be right for the Mets, it's whether they could possibly pry him from Minnesota. Carrasco could start the conversation.

According to Hayes, McCullough and Rosenthal, catcher James McCann and third baseman Eduardo Escobar could also be made available, and possibly others: "The Mets may also have to explore interest in top prospects like Brett Baty and Mark Vientos."

The Mets owe it to themselves to find out exactly what Arraez would cost. Franchise owner Steve Cohen has shown that he's unafraid to spend big on win-now moves, and adding Arraez is exactly the sort of deal that could help bring New York its first playoff series win since 2016.