AL Central

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.

Shortstop Carlos Correa reportedly turned down an offer to return to the Minnesota Twins before signing with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Correa declined to sign a 10-year, $285 million deal with the Twins. Instead, he agreed to a 13-year, $350 million pact with the Giants, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

At $350 million, Correa's contract is the richest ever for a shortstop, surpassing the $341 million deal Francisco Lindor signed with the New York Mets in 2021.

Last year's free-agent market was unique since free agency was interrupted by a lockout, which forced some top free agents to take lesser deals than they typically would have.

Correa was among them, as he signed a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Houston Astros.

The contract included an opt-out clause after the first year, and rather than taking a $35 million salary for 2023 in Minnesota, Correa decided to test the market.

That decision paid off, as the 28-year-old star secured the long-term deal he was unable to get last offseason.

While his annual salary of nearly $27 million is less than what he was making in Minnesota, Correa now has long-term security and likely won't have to test the free-agent market again during his career.

The Twins' final offer, as reported by Heyman, would have paid Correa more per year than the Giants' as well, but the extra three years the Giants were willing to add conceivably helped to seal the deal.

In Correa, the Giants are getting a hugely accomplished shortstop who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft and went on to earn two All-Star nods, one Gold Glove Award and one World Series championship in his seven seasons with the Astros.

Correa remained productive in his only season with the Twins, hitting .291 with 22 home runs, 64 RBI and 70 runs scored, but Minnesota missed the playoffs with a 78-84 record.

The Twins have not been overly active in free agency with catcher Christian Vázquez being their only notable signing thus far. The only splashy signing still potentially available to them is likely that of shortstop Dansby Swanson.

Like Correa, Swanson was a No. 1 overall draft pick, and he went on to have a great run with the Atlanta Braves, securing one All-Star selection, one Gold Glove Award and one World Series win in seven seasons.

Swanson is coming off a career-best offensive season that saw him hit .277 with 25 homers, 96 RBI, 99 runs scored and 18 stolen bases, and he is the last of the big-name shortstops remaining in free agency.

Heyman noted that the Twins will "consider" signing Swanson, although they likely won't be the only team vying for his services.

Minnesota could potentially salvage its offseason by signing Swanson, but if he goes elsewhere, it will essentially be impossible to replace what Correa brought to the table.

Veteran catcher Christian Vázquez agreed to a three-year deal with the Minnesota Twins, according to the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham.

Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press reported the deal is worth $30 million.

A number of teams had shown interest in the 32-year-old.

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said the team was open to a reunion. Abraham included the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres in the mix.

Vázquez split the 2022 season with the Red Sox and Houston Astros. In 119 games between both stops, he hit .274 with nine home runs, 52 RBI and a .399 slugging percentage. He then posted a .551 OPS during the postseason as the Astros went on to win their second World Series title.

Offense hasn't historically been Vázquez's strength. For his career, he has an 85 OPS+, per Baseball Reference, and a .301 wOBA, per FanGraphs. Both peg him as a below-average hitter.

Vázquez's defense is a slightly different story. He ranked 24th in catcher framing runs at Baseball Savant and saw improvements in his pop time to second (1.94 seconds) and third base (1.5 seconds).

The Twins were in need of a veteran catcher with Gary Sánchez, who played in 128 games, hitting free agency.

The biggest domino, Willson Contreras, fell off the board when he signed a five-year, $87.5 million pact with the St. Louis Cardinals. Vázquez was one of the better alternatives still available, and he gives Minnesota a clear upgrade over Ryan Jeffers, who spelled Sánchez in 2022.

Source: Twins are signing free-agent catcher Christian Vázquez to a three-year deal.

Twins wanted to find a veteran to pair with Ryan Jeffers and made the 32-year-old Vázquez their top free-agent catcher target.

Average-ish hitter for the position, good defender, and durable.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) December 13, 2022

Vázquez probably won't provide the Twins with a ton of surplus value, but he offers a high floor for a franchise that wants to rebound after losing 84 games and finishing third in the American League Central.

Carlos Correa's market is starting to take shape.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins are among the teams interested in the 28-year-old shortstop.

ESPN's Buster Olney said on 95.7 The Game's Willard & Dibs on Friday that the New York Yankees could be in play for the best remaining free agent because "they're working on something big" after getting a commitment from Aaron Judge.

Once Judge decided to re-sign with the Yankees, the Giants became the most logical fit for Correa. They had an offer on the table for the reigning American League MVP of around $360 million in total value, per Heyman.

If the Giants offered that much for Judge, why not make the same proposal to Correa?

While Correa isn't the same level of superstar as Judge, at least by name recognition, there's a strong argument he would be a better free-agent investment. He's two-and-a-half years younger than Judge, plays a more important defensive position and has played it at a high level for most of his career.

The Giants have fallen behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the National League West hierarchy. The Padres show no signs of slowing their spending, having signed Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million deal.

Correa alone wouldn't make the Giants a playoff contender, but he would help them close the gap on the top two teams in their division.

The Cubs have put themselves in an interesting spot, even after losing Willson Contreras to the St. Louis Cardinals. They've spent money the past two offseasons to bring in Marcus Stroman, Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon, but they lack high-ceiling players who can get them back into playoff contention in 2023.

Chicago has reportedly been heavily involved in the shortstop market this offseason. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reported team brass met with Bogaerts earlier this month as well as Correa.

The Athletic's Patrick Mooney reported Thursday the Cubs have a "particular focus" on Dansby Swanson.

The Twins are familiar with Correa after he played for them last season. He was a standout in their lineup with a .291/.366/.467 slash line and 22 homers in 136 games.

The AL Central is wide-open every year because none of the teams spend exorbitant amounts of money to sign players. The Cleveland Guardians won the division last season with 92 wins and appear to have a bright future, but their biggest addition has been Josh Bell.

The Chicago White Sox finished .500 and have lost José Abreu in free agency. Their only meaningful addition has been Mike Clevinger.

The Twins have a path to win the AL Central in 2023. If they can bring back Correa, that path becomes easier.

The Boston Red Sox have a huge hole to fill after losing star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres. Fortunately, the team can pivot by pursuing one of the best free agents remaining on the market.

Carlos Correa, who spent the 2022 season with the Minnesota Twins after playing the first seven years of his major-league career with the Houston Astros, would be a more-than-suitable replacement for Bogaerts in Boston's infield. He also has a strong relationship with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was Houston's bench coach during its World Series championship run in 2017.

The only way I’m okay with letting Xander Bogaerts walk in free agency if I’m the Red Sox is if I give Rafael Devers a blank check to sign and bring in Carlos Correa.

Make it happen. pic.twitter.com/rfm729PQsN

— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) December 8, 2022

You have to think the Red Sox will pivot to Carlos Correa, who is extremely close with Alex Cora. https://t.co/Cz5cXCWW2x

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) December 8, 2022

As one of the more popular names in this year's free-agent class, Correa won't have a shortage of suitors. The Red Sox will face a ton of competition for the 28-year-old, and the team's recent spending habits indicate it's not looking to break the bank.

Bogaerts left for San Diego for a reported $280 million deal over 11 years. The four-time All-Star was considered the face of the franchise, but Boston deemed him too expensive and let him walk. Correa, who is younger and a better defender than Bogaerts, will likely command a similar price or higher.

If the Red Sox are looking for a cheaper option, they could turn to Atlanta Braves free-agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. The 28-year-old is coming off a career year in which he earned his first trip to the All-Star Game and first Gold Glove Award. Boston could look to offer him a short-term deal with a high average annual value in order to address other holes on its roster.

After shoring up their bullpen by signing closer Kenley Jansen on Wednesday, the Red Sox still need to add a reliable starting pitcher to its rotation. The team could look to bring back veteran Nathan Eovaldi, who is a free agent after spending the last four-plus years in Boston, but there are more attractive options on the open market.

Carlos Rodón is the best pitcher available and can be the ace of Boston's staff, but the question remains as to how much the team is willing to spend. Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt are both dependable starters and would be strong additions to any rotation. Veterans like Corey Kluber and Noah Syndergaard would be cheaper, but riskier, players to target.

The Red Sox have finished last in the AL East twice in the last three years, so this offseason will be crucial to bucking that trend. Boston's front office would be wise to loosen the reins on spending in order to land a big-name player this year. If it doesn't, it runs the risk of further disappointing an already restless fan base.

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 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.

Terry Francona of the Cleveland Guardians and Buck Showalter of the New York Mets took home top honors in the Manager of the Year voting announced on Tuesday.

Francona beat out Brandon Hyde of the Baltimore Orioles and Scott Servais of the Seattle Mariners for the American League award. It's the third time he's been named Manager of the Year with the Guardians (2013, 2016).

Oh, captain! Our captain!

Terry Francona has been named American League Manager of the Year for the 3rd time in his Hall of Fame career.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/AqinuSWyZF

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) November 15, 2022

Terry Francona has been Manager of the Year in 3 of his 10 seasons in Cleveland. That's 30% by my math.

— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) November 15, 2022

Francona received 17 of 30 first-place votes and 112 total points. Hyde, who led the Orioles to a surprise 83-79 record, finished second with 79 points (nine first-place votes). Servais finished third thanks to his second- and third-place votes that gave him 43 points.

Houston Astros skipper Dusty Baker finished ahead of Servais in first-place votes (three to one), but he was only named on a total of 13 ballots. Servais was named on 23 ballots.

Expectations were understandably muted for the Guardians coming into 2022. They were coming off an 80-82 record in 2021, had the youngest roster in MLB the third-lowest payroll this season.

The steady hand of Francona, as well as breakout seasons for some of those young players, resulted in Cleveland winning the AL Central for the first time since 2018. Andrés Giménez and Emmanuel Clase joined veteran superstar José Ramírez as All-Stars this year.

Steven Kwan finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting and won the AL Gold Glove award for his contributions in left field.

The Guardians' young roster included 16 rookies who made their big-league debut in 2022. Despite all of their inexperience, they rarely looked overmatched on the field. Their season came to an end with a five-game loss to the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series.

Francona led MLB's youngest team to 92 wins and the ALCS. He did it by investing/believing in his players and adapting his team's play style to his roster's strengths. He has already had a HOF career, but it may be his best managerial work yet.

He should win Manager of the Year.

— Guardians of The Land (@OurCLEGuardians) November 15, 2022

Francona did start talking about the end of his managerial career because of a series of health issues that kept him out of the dugout for most of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

"When the day comes that losses don't affect you," Francona told reporters shortly after Cleveland's season ended, "then it's probably time to hang it up. I'm not there."

The Guardians' success in 2022 and potential to keep improving next season appears to have given Francona a new lease on things. The AL's best manager will look to get his team over the hump in 2023.

Showalter joins Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox as the only managers in MLB history to win Manager of the Year four different times. He previously won in 1994 with the New York Yankees, in 2004 with the Texas Rangers and in 2014 with the Baltimore Orioles.

Your 2022 NL Manager of the Year! 👏 pic.twitter.com/d8Yvst8C9f

— New York Mets (@Mets) November 16, 2022

The first manager to win the award in 4 separate decades. The first Mets manager to win the award.

Congrats to Buck Showalter on being named 2022 NL Manager of the Year! 👏 pic.twitter.com/8eyvyctIWo

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) November 16, 2022

Brian Snitker of the Atlanta Braves and Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers were the other finalists from the senior circuit. All three managers came from teams that won at least 101 games during the regular season.

Voting was incredibly tight, with each of the top three finishers receiving at least seven first-place votes. Showalter pulled ahead with 10 second-place votes and seven third-place votes.

Roberts only had nine total second- and third-place votes. Snitker received five votes each for second and third place, but he had to settle for third place overall because Roberts had one more first-place vote (eight to seven).

Buck Showalter wins his first NL Manager of the Year award to go along with his three from the AL. As in the AL, no manager appeared on all 30 ballots. The full vote: pic.twitter.com/AVPVP7X5fb

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 16, 2022

This is the first time a Mets manager has ever been honored as the NL's top skipper.

As has been the case throughout his managerial career, Showalter immediately stepped in and turned around a franchise lacking a consistent organizational vision. He's only had eight losing seasons in 21 years as a manager.

"He loves to point out other teams messing up, I'll tell you that," Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt told The Athletic's Andy McCullough and Ken Rosenthal in May. "It's everything—rundowns, cutoffs, relays, everything. He's like, 'Listen, this wins and loses you ballgames. This is how we're going to do it. We're going to do it the right way.' Not always the easiest way. But he wants you busting your butt and doing everything the right way."

Showalter got the Mets to do things the right way. They were starting from a position of power with the highest payroll in MLB after signing Max Scherzer and Starling Marte.

But Mets fans saw in 2021 what can happen when there is a lack of direction and organizational philosophy when the team collapsed in the second half of 2021 under Luis Rojas.

Things got so bad at one point in 2021 that Mets players were mocking the home fans for how they reacted to the team's struggles.

Congrats to Buck Showalter, who has won NL Manager of the Year. Of all the moves the Mets made last off-season, the most critical one was putting Buck in charge. He changed so much about how the team played and operated. It’s hard to overstate the significance of the hire.

— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) November 16, 2022

Congratulations to Mets manager Buck Showalter on winning the 2022 NL Manager of the Year

He absolutely changed the culture here and led the Mets to only their 4th 100+ win season in team history. He also led them to a 24 win improvement from 2021

— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) November 16, 2022

With Showalter at the helm and better injury luck, the Mets led the NL East for most of the season and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Even though New York's season came to an early end with a loss to the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card series, Showalter's managerial expertise and owner Steve Cohen's deep pockets are going to keep the franchise close to the top of the NL standings in 2023 and beyond.

Chicago White Sox outfielder AJ Pollock has declined his $13 million contract option for the 2023 season and will become a free agent, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

Pollock will receive a $5 million buyout as a result.

The White Sox acquired Pollock from the Los Angeles Dodgers just six days before the 2022 campaign began in exchange for Craig Kimbrel.

His decision to decline the option on his contract comes as somewhat of a surprise given his performance in 2022. He slashed .245/.292/.389 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI in 138 games with the White Sox.

The 34-year-old began his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 and spent seven seasons with the franchise, earning his only All-Star selection in 2015 after slashing .315/.367/.498 with 20 home runs, 76 RBI and 39 stolen bases in 157 games. He also earned a Gold Glove that year.

After his stint with the Diamondbacks, Pollock joined the Dodgers for three seasons and helped the franchise claim a World Series title in 2020. His best season with the Blue Crew came in 2021, when he slashed .297/.355/.536 with 21 home runs, 69 RBI and nine stolen bases in 117 games.

Now that Pollock is set to become a free agent, the White Sox will have an additional $10 million to spend in free agency. However, it's unclear if they'll use that money to add another outfielder alongside Eloy Jiménez, Luis Robert Jr. and Adam Engel.

Aaron Judge is expected to be the most sought-after outfielder on the market, but players like Andrew Benintendi, Tommy Pham, Joey Gallo and Joc Pederson might be more reasonable targets for the White Sox.

The White Sox also need to focus on re-signing slugger José Abreu and pitcher Johnny Cueto, among others.