MLB

The Minnesota Twins agreed to a deal with one outfielder Friday and may ship another one out in a trade.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, there is a "lot of trade interest in Max Kepler" after the Twins signed Joey Gallo. Heyman previously reported Minnesota agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal with the veteran Gallo.

Minnesota is certainly taking a chance with the addition of Gallo.

While he is a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glover who drilled 38 home runs in 2021 after posting 41 homers in 2017 and 40 long balls in 2018. However, he was also abysmal during the 2022 campaign and slashed .160/.280/.357 with 19 home runs and 47 RBI while splitting time with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

If he bounces back and rediscovers his form, this will be a worthwhile chance for the Twins. If he doesn't, and the team trades Kepler, it won't be what they envisioned.

Kepler, 29, is in somewhat of a similar position as Gallo.

He was excellent as recently as 2019 when he slashed .252/.336/.519 with 36 home runs and 90 RBI during the 2019 season while finishing 20th in American League MVP voting. Yet Kepler looked nothing like that version of himself in 2022.

In fact, he slashed .227/.318/.348 with nine home runs and 43 RBI in 115 games for the Twins last season. Losing someone like that wouldn't be difficult to overcome, although the chance that Kepler could return to form could convince some team to trade for him.

Both players will be looking to bounce back from disappointing efforts in 2023, although it remains to be seen whether they will both be in Twins uniforms.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are "actively pursuing trades for a center fielder," according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Cody Bellinger played 144 games in center field for the Dodgers in 2022, but he was non-tendered this offseason before agreeing to a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Los Angeles is searching for a replacement, with Rosenthal listing the Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks' Alek Thomas, St. Louis Cardinals' Dylan Carlson and Seattle Mariners' Jarred Kelenic among the options.

Reynolds is by far the most proven candidate after earning an All-Star selection in 2021. He finished last season with 27 home runs, seven stolen bases, a .262 batting average and an .807 OPS.

In 2021, his .912 OPS ranked 11th in the majors.

The 27-year-old also requested a trade earlier this month, making him a quality fit for the Dodgers. His past production will create a high trade cost, but it might be worth it for Los Angeles as it tries to win a World Series.

The other potential options struggled offensively last season, although the Dodgers could get a steal with a high-upside player.

Kelenic was one of the top prospects in baseball heading into the 2021 season and has crushed it in the minors (.302 average in Triple-A), but he's hit just .168 across two seasons in the majors.

Carlson hit just .236 with eight home runs last year after he was a Rookie of the Year finalist in 2021.

Thomas had a .231 average and .619 OPS, although he is a plus defender who had six defensive runs saved last year, per FanGraphs.

With a lineup that's already loaded after winning 111 games last season, Los Angeles can afford to take a risk in center field.

If the Dodgers choose not to make a trade, Chris Taylor and Trayce Thompson are among the internal candidates available after playing the position last year. There are few impact options available in free agency after Brandon Nimmo re-signed with the New York Mets and Andrew Benintendi joined the Chicago White Sox.

Free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto is drawing interest from the Texas Rangers, New York Mets and Houston Astros, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

The Miami Marlins have also shown interest in the former Met, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Conforto missed all of the 2022 season while recovering from a shoulder injury that required surgery.

The 29-year-old spent the first seven years of his career with the Mets and is considered one of the best lefty bats in baseball. His best season came in 2017, when he slashed .279/.384/.555 with 27 home runs and 68 RBI in 109 games en route to his first-ever All-Star Game selection.

Before missing the 2022 campaign, Conforto hit .232/.344/.384 with 14 home runs and 55 RBI in 125 games.

While he's been productive for much of his career, there are still questions about how Conforto will perform in 2023 after being sidelined for an extended period of time. There's really no way of telling until someone takes a chance on him.

That said, Conforto's agent, Scott Boras, recently told reporters that the outfielder is "back to full health, hitting great and we're talking to a number of teams about him right now."

The Rangers have done a lot of work over the last two offseasons to upgrade their roster in order to compete in the AL West. But while they have added the likes of Jacob deGrom, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, it's clear they could still use an outfielder bat or two.

Entering 2023, the Rangers are expected to deploy an outfield that includes Bubba Thompson, Leody Taveras and Adolis García. Conforto can play any outfield position, but he has spent much of his time playing in left and right field.

García currently occupies right field for the Rangers, so it's possible Conforto would play in left field if signed by the Rangers.

Conforto's impact on the Mets is pretty self explanatory considering he has spent his entire career in Queens up to this point. If he returns, he'll join an outfield group that includes Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte.

The Astros, meanwhile, are short a corner outfielder entering the 2023 campaign. Kyle Tucker is expected to be Houston's rightfielder, and Chas McCormick will likely play in center, but they could use Conforto in left field.

Adding Conforto to a lineup that already includes Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and José Abreu would help push the Astros closer to repeating as World Series champions next season.

In Miami, the Marlins are desperate for any offensive help they can get, and Conforto would join an outfield unit that includes J.J. Bleday, Bryan De La Cruz and Avisaíl García. However, the potential addition of Conforto alone likely wouldn't do much to vault Miami into playoff contention.

Veteran outfielder Andrew Benintendi has agreed to a five-year, $75 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers first reported the deal.

The 28-year-old played four months with the Kansas City Royals last season before the New York Yankees acquired him July 27. His performance at the plate yielded a mixed bag.

In 126 games, Benintendi hit five home runs —a career low over a full 162-game season —and saw his isolated power fall from .166 in 2021 to .095, per FanGraphs.

While the power production wasn't present, he set personal bests for batting average (.304) and on-base percentage (.373) while posting a wOBA (.342) above his career average (.337).

Although Benintendi made the All-Star team for the first time, it reflected the dearth of alternatives on the Royals rather than his value on the field.

He set the bar high when he got his start in MLB with the Boston Red Sox. He was the runner-up to Aaron Judge in 2017 American League Rookie of the Year voting and followed up by posting a .290/366/.465 slash line while playing plus defense in 2018. His 4.9 WAR ranked 18th among position players, per FanGraphs.

The 2015 first-round pick has since failed to match that level, and he may struggle to carry his numbers from 2022 over to 2023.

He outperformed his expected batting average (.273), per Baseball Savant, and his .352 BABIP was the seventh-highest among hitters with at least 500 plate appearances, according to FanGraphs.

However, Benintendi owed his success partially to a change in his mindset in the batter's box. He explained to The Athletic's Eno Sarris and Zach Buchanan how he learned to play to his strengths:

"My approach right now is realizing I'm not going to hit 35 homers. It's getting on base, be a tough out, see pitches, use the whole field. This year, it's finally come together. Playing in Kauffman Stadium, too, it's not easy to hit a ball out of there. Just spraying the ball all over the field. It was more just approach, trying to go straight right field, and then you're susceptible to an off-speed pitch. I'm trying to go straight up the middle and if you're early, you're early. If you're late, you've still got the left field line."

He struck out at his lowest rate ever (14.8 percent) and altered where he was depositing the ball off the bat. He had his fewest percentage of balls in play to right field (30.5 percent) and his highest percentage to center field (41.0 percent).

Although Benintendi will probably never hit the elite tier it seemed he might approach after 2018, he has adapted to become a steady hitter who capably patrols the outfield.

His addition won't transform Chicago's offense, but it addresses a clear need.

Benintendi will replace AJ Pollock, the 35-year-old who played most of the season in left field before hitting free agency. The White Sox add a younger option at the position and a solid hitter to help fill the void left by José Abreu.

The Minnesota Twins and outfielder Joey Gallo agreed to a one-year, $11 million contract on Friday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Gallo split last season with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. Once among the game's premier power hitters, Gallo embarked on an abysmal 2022 campaign that saw him get essentially run out of New York before his midseason trade to the Dodgers.

"It makes me feel like a piece of s--t, honestly," Gallo said of Yankee fan reaction, per Randy Miller of NJ.com. "I remember playing here with the Rangers, watching [Yankees] get booed off the field and thinking, ‘Holy s--t! I feel bad for that guy.’ Now it’s me. I do appreciate people reaching out, but it makes me feel like I’m a problem."

Gallo finished the 2022 season batting .160/.280/.357 with 19 home runs and 47 runs batted in. It was by far the worst full-season performance of his eight-year career.

The 28-year-old had hit at least 38 home runs in every season when he's played at least 100 games before this year.

The Twins will hope Gallo's power is reawakened next season after he failed to rebound after joining the Dodgers.

It's worth noting that his average exit velocity and sweet-spot percentage have been dipping in recent seasons. There is a legitimate possibility the left-handed slugger never returns to the All-Star form he exhibited in Texas.

That said, Gallo still ranked among the league leaders in hard-hit percentage and draws a ton of walks. He's an all-or-nothing player and will almost certainly always be one.

But unless Gallo's approaching 40 home runs in a season, he's not worth the whiffs and mediocre defense.

The New York Mets are reportedly shopping starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco and catcher James McCann, according to Andy Martino of SNY.

The Mets have added depth in both areas, which has made the two veterans expendable heading into 2023.

New York has signed starting pitchers Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and José Quintana already this offseason alongside ace Max Scherzer and young options like Tylor Megill and David Peterson.

At catcher, the Mets recently signed Omar Narváez with McCann and Tomás Nido already on the roster. Francisco Álvarez is also the No. 1 prospect in baseball, per MLB.com.

Álvarez appeared in just five major-league games last season, but his 27 home runs in 112 minor league games show he could contribute soon for the Mets. He could also spend time at designated hitter in 2023 while he improves defensively.

Even without Álvarez, there is still a logjam at catcher while McCann remains on the roster.

The 32-year-old signed a four-year deal in 2021 after two productive seasons with the Chicago White Sox, but he has struggled since coming to New York. After hitting .276 with a .808 OPS in Chicago, he has just a .220 average and .610 OPS with the Mets.

In 61 games in 2022, McCann hit .195 with three home runs while missing significant time because of hand and oblique injuries.

With $12.15 million owed in each of 2023 and 2024, there likely won't be a busy market for McCann. However, he is just three years removed from an All-Star selection and could be acquired for cheap as the Mets try to clear roster space.

There should be more teams interested in Carrasco, who went 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA last season. The 35-year-old had been limited by injuries over the past three years, but he returned to form while showing the skill set that made him a Cy Young candidate in 2017.

With $14 million owed in 2023, the veteran could be a reliable addition for teams seeking pitching depth.

Considering the Mets have the highest payroll in baseball at $282 million, per Spotrac, it makes sense for the organization to shed some high salaries.

The San Diego Padres denied rumors of a potential Fernando Tatis Jr. trade, saying it was "total BS" that the New York Yankees were calling about the shortstop, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Thursday.

ESPN's Buster Olney began the speculation Dec. 9 when he said on 95.7 The Game that the Yankees were "working on something big," apparently in reference to free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa.

On Monday, WFAN's Tiki and Tierney brought up the idea of Tatis joining the Yankees in a trade.

Last week, San Diego added another big-time shortstop in Xander Boegarts on an 11-year, $280 million deal, fueling the buzz that Tatis could be on his way out. The Padres, however, reportedly plan to keep the 2021 National League All-Star on their roster.

Jack Curry of YES Network also reported a Tatis trade was not ever considered by the Yankees:

The Yankees would certainly love to add someone of Tatis' ability as they try to get over the top as a World Series contender.

Tatis finished in the top five of NL MVP voting in 2020 and 2021 and earned a Silver Slugger Award both years. In 2021, he led the NL with 42 home runs to go with 25 stolen bases and a .975 OPS.

He would be a significant upgrade over Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who hit four home runs with a .642 OPS last season.

Even with his talent, San Diego could look to move on from Tatis after he missed 2022. The 23-year-old suffered a broken wrist in the offseason and then was suspended 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Several teammates voiced their displeasure with Tatis following the suspension.

The addition of Bogaerts could give the team a replacement at the position if it deals Tatis.

However, it seems the Padres want to stick with the young star and build a lasting contender.

The San Diego Padres reportedly expect star third baseman Manny Machado to opt out of his contract following the 2023 MLB season.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Padres anticipate Machado will test the free-agent market, which may be why they have been so aggressive this offseason.

Heyman noted the Padres missed out on shortstop Trea Turner and outfielder Aaron Judge despite offers of $342 million and $414 million, respectively, before signing shortstop Xander Bogaerts away from the Boston Red Sox on an 11-year, $280 million deal.

San Diego signed Machado to a 10-year, $300 million contract in 2019, and the move has paid dividends for both sides.

In four seasons with the Padres, the 30-year-old is a two-time All-Star and one-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He finished third in National League MVP voting in 2020 and second in the voting in 2022.

Last season was Machado's best in San Diego, as he hit .298 with 32 home runs, 102 RBI and 100 runs scored.

In seven seasons before joining the Padres (six-and-a-half years with the Baltimore Orioles and half a season with the Los Angeles Dodgers), Machado was a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

As good as he was in Baltimore, Machado hasn't experienced much drop-off during his time with the Padres. He has played in 519 games with San Diego and slashed .280/.352/.504 with 108 homers, 340 RBI and 317 runs.

Machado has also helped the Padres enjoy their most extensive playoff success in years. They upset the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card Series and the Dodgers in the NL Division Series in the 2022 postseason en route to the National League Championship Series.

While Machado signed a 10-year deal with the Padres, it would likely behoove him to opt out after next season if he enjoys another big statistical campaign.

Machado's average annual salary of $30 million is tied for the 15th-highest in MLB, and he arguably deserves to be higher on the list.

Judge, New York Mets starting pitcher Justin Verlander and Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom have all signed contracts this offseason that exceed Machado's average annual salary.

The Padres are equipped to remain strong offensively if Machado signs elsewhere thanks to the presence of Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto.

Still, Machado would be a massive loss, and his potential impending free agency may give the Padres more urgency to win a World Series next season.