NL West

The San Francisco Giants might have missed out on Aaron Judge, but they still have plenty of chances to make this a consequential offseason.

Judge is returning to the New York Yankees after agreeing to a nine-year, $360 million contract, per multiple reports.

After failing to reel in the biggest fish on the market, the Giants seem poised to look toward one of the best shortstops available.

The next step for the Giants is to dive into the shortstop market, with Carlos Correa at the top of their list. They've pushed hard for another starting pitcher in recent days and still want one more outfielder.

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) December 7, 2022

The dominos will start toppling now that Judge had made his decision. Giants will pivot to the shortstop market and cause action there. Red Sox have slow-played their hand on Bogaerts so far. Will ownership now step up? No doors have closed.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 7, 2022

Trea Turner is off the board after reportedly agreeing to an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, but that still leaves Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.

Correa is not only the best of the three, but he would also carry the most symbolism for San Francisco.

The Giants targeted Bryce Harper before he landed in Philadelphia. They were linked last offseason with Marcus Semien, who signed with the Texas Rangers. If they're unable to seal the deal with both Judge and Correa, then it would further the perception the franchise simply isn't a marquee destination for free agents.

Losing out on Judge stings, but adding a two-time All-Star who hit 22 home runs with a .291/.366/.467 slash line in 2022 would be a great consolation prize.

Bogaerts, meanwhile, has been one of the most consistent shortstops in baseball over the last few years. Since 2018, he has an .880 OPS and a 133 OPS+, per Baseball Reference. His 22.4 WAR over that span also ranks fourth at the position on FanGraphs.

San Francisco agreed to a three-year, $43.5 million deal with Mitch Haniger, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Assuming the front office is still looking for another outfielder, it could look toward Andrew Benintendi or Brandon Nimmo.

Benintendi set career highs in batting average (.304) and on-base percentage (.373) in 2022, explaining to The Athletic's Eno Sarris and Zach Buchanan how he changed his approach at the plate.

"My approach right now is realizing I’m not going to hit 35 homers," he said. "It’s getting on base, be a tough out, see pitches, use the whole field. This year, it’s finally come together."

Nimmo would offer more power—16 homers in 2022 and a .441 career slugging percentage—but he has made 100-plus appearances just twice since becoming a full-time regular in 2017.

Benintendi might be the safer of the two options, albeit with a lower ceiling.

Looking to the pitching staff, the Giants need to replace their ace, with NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic reporting they "do not expect" to re-sign Carlos Rodón.

Although Rodón remains unsigned, the starter market is quickly drying up. Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Bassitt are two of the best still available, and neither projects as a true No. 1 option. Corey Kluber, likewise, bounced back nicely in 2021 and 2022 but will be 37 in April.

Noah Syndergaard is a bit of a buyer beware signing, too. The 2016 All-Star had a 3.94 ERA with the Phillies and Los Angeles Angels but averaged just 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery.

Sean Manaea would give the Giants another lefty in the rotation, and you can reasonably assume his 4.96 ERA in 2022—a full run higher than his ERA in six years with the Oakland Athletics (3.86) was a bit of an outlier.

Whatever happens with the Giants from here, one thing is clear from their pursuit of Judge: Ownership gave the front office the green light to spend.

The San Francisco Giants have reportedly agreed to a three-year, $43.5 million deal with veteran outfielder Mitch Haniger, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

According to that report, "Signing Haniger does not take the Giants out of the running for Aaron Judge. They have been pursuing both throughout free agency."

Haniger, 31, will give the Giants an instant dose of power. While he only played in 57 games last year due to back and ankle injuries and a bout with COVID-19, he still managed 11 homers and 34 RBI for the Seattle Mariners.

A healthy Haniger was excellent in 2021, hitting .253 with 39 dingers, 100 RBI, 110 runs and a .804 OPS in 157 contests. The 2018 All-Star has dealt with serious injury issues in his career, however, as a ruptured testicle and sports hernia cost him half the 2019 season and the full 2020 campaign.

But the 2021 version of Haniger, alongside the potential addition of Judge, would immediately give the Giants a ton of pop in the middle of the order. Last season, Joc Pederson led the team in both homers (23) and slugging percentage (.521), while Wilmer Flores topped the club in RBI (71).

For the moment, the reporting surrounding Judge is that he'll choose between the only team he's played for in his MLB career, the New York Yankees, and his favorite team from his childhood, the Giants.

Giants are in with a big offer to Judge — believed to be $360M neighborhood — but the assumption/belief among rivals is that the Yankees remain favorites. Yankees are hopeful but say they still don’t know.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 6, 2022

The Giants still, of course, are trying to sign Aaron Judge, just like the #Yankees.
Both teams insist that no decision has been made. https://t.co/nCIkX1SrE2

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 7, 2022

"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." 👀@jonmorosi has the latest news on Aaron Judge's market. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/WcCqJT0gRI

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 5, 2022

Judge, 30, is the crown jewel of free agency after an AL MVP season that saw him hit .311 with 62 homers, 131 RBI, 133 runs and an eye-popping 1.111 OPS. He basically willed the Yankees into the postseason, and his loss would be devastating for New York.

His addition would be franchise-altering for the Giants, a team that won three World Series titles between the 2010-14 seasons but has made the playoffs just twice since.

One domino has fallen for San Francisco in its efforts to improve the lineup. All eyes now turn to Judge.

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.

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.

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.

Coming off four consecutive losing seasons, the Colorado Rockies are trying to find answers for a quick turnaround in 2023.

Per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, the Rockies are interested in former National League MVP Cody Bellinger on a one-year deal.

Scott Boras, Bellinger's agent, told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal earlier this week that his client has already received multiyear offers, but "most likely, because of his age," they will seek a one-year deal to help him rebuild his value and hit the market again after the 2023 season.

Bellinger became a free agent on Nov. 18 when the Los Angeles Dodgers declined to tender him a contract. The move came after a three-season stretch from 2020-22 in which he .203/.272/.376 in 295 games.

Prior to the 2020 season, Bellinger looked like he was going to be one of the best players in Major League Baseball and a foundation piece for the Dodgers for years to come. He was named NL Rookie of the Year in 2017 after hitting .267/.352/.581 with 39 homers in 132 games.

The 2019 season was the apex of Bellinger's career. He was named NL MVP after posting a .305/.406/.629 slash line and 47 homers in 156 games.

Bellinger is one of the most intriguing free-agent options because of his upside. He's only 27 years old and has played through injuries recently. He had offseason shoulder surgery before the 2021 campaign, suffered a hairline fracture in his leg early in the regular season and had a hamstring issue.

All of those problems combined to limit Bellinger to 95 games in 2021. He played 144 games last season but was bothered by a left adductor strain in the first half.

The Rockies have been caught between trying to compete in the NL West and rebuild. They paid Kris Bryant $182 million over seven years last offseason, but he only played in 42 games last season because of injuries.

Colorado finished last in the NL West in 2022 with a 68-94 record. The team hasn't made the postseason since getting swept in the NLDS by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly "showing interest" in Japanese starting pitcher Koudai Senga, a three-time Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star.

Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported Friday that Senga, 29, is "now eligible" to enter free-agent contract talks with MLB teams after opting out of his contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Since Senga is a traditional free agent—he's not part of the posting system typically involved with Japanese players making the switch to MLB—the team that signs the right-hander won't incur any additional fees beyond the contract's value.

The five-time Japan Series champion is coming off a 2022 season with the Hawks where he posted a 1.94 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 156 strikeouts in 144 innings. His career ERA across 11 years of Japanese pro baseball stands at 2.42.

In October, Senga said making the move to MLB is the end of a long-term plan.

"I'm absolutely going to file for free agency," Senga told reporters. "I've been saying I'm going to do it for the past six years, so this represents nothing new for me."

The Dodgers will face plenty of competition for him in free agency.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Tuesday the San Diego Padres were interested along with "virtually every other MLB team."

The Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays are among the other clubs publicly linked to Senga so far, per Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors.

MLB sources told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Senga features a fastball that can reach triple digits and an elite splitter, but there are concerns about his lack of a polished breaking ball and some nagging elbow injuries over the years.

"[Senga] is one of the most talented, physically gifted players I've ever played with," Fukuoka teammate Colin Rea told Sherman. "His competitiveness on the mound is second to none and he works his butt off in between starts. He throws 100 and has a split that no one can touch. He's constantly trying to improve every day. His English also is improving. He could be a star in MLB."

Regardless of where he signs, he'll likely open his U.S. career as a mid-rotation starter in 2023. Any team signing him to become an ace-level contributor would be taking a risk.

Clayton Kershaw is reportedly returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers for his 16th season.

According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, Kershaw has agreed to a new one-year deal that will approach $20 million for the 2023 season.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the three-time National League Cy Young winner was "nearing" an agreement on a one-year deal with the Dodgers.

It's not a surprise that Kershaw decided to remain in Los Angeles. The 34-year-old has spent his entire career with the franchise and doesn't seem like he's ever come close to leaving. They drafted him No. 7 overall in the 2006 MLB draft, and he made his big-league debut as a 20-year-old midway through the 2008 season.

If there was a moment when it seemed like Kershaw could play elsewhere, it was last offseason when the Dodgers opted not to give him a qualifying offer. He wound up re-signing with the team on a one-year, $17 million contract, though.

Even though injuries and missed time have to be factored in when accounting for Kershaw's value at this point in his career, the 2014 NL MVP remains dominant in the games he does play.

Kershaw finished the 2022 campaign with a 2.28 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 137 strikeouts in 126.1 innings over 22 starts. He has missed time every year since 2016, with the exception of the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.

The Dodgers have had no problems accommodating Kershaw when he does have to go on the injured list. They have had the best roster in Major League Baseball for several years and show no signs of slowing down.

A rotation that could feature Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Julio Urías and Tony Gonsolin is formidable. They may have to find ways to replace Andrew Heaney and Tyler Anderson, but the Dodgers front office hasn't been shy about spending money if the right players are available.

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Thursday they've declined the $16 million club option in the contract of third baseman Justin Turner for the 2023 MLB season.

However, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the Dodgers are still interested in Turner returning in 2023 on a lower salary.

Turner has played for the Dodgers since 2014 when he signed as a free agent following previous stops with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets.

The 37-year-old California native has been a key cog in the L.A. lineup ever since, highlighted by two All-Star selections and helping lead the team to the 2020 World Series title. He also claimed this year's Roberto Clemente Award, which combines a player's on- and off-field accomplishments.

His offensive numbers dipped a bit in 2022 as his OPS dropped to .788, his lowest mark since 2013 with the Mets, but the team didn't miss a beat thanks to its remarkable depth.

Turner previously tested free agency ahead of the 2021 season before re-signing with Los Angeles.

"It was definitely flattering to be courted like that from other teams," he said at the time. "But at the end of the day, it all worked out how it was supposed to and I'm back in Dodger blue, like I was supposed to be."

For his career, Turner has compiled a .289/.366/.466 slash line with 164 home runs and 41 stolen bases in 1,393 appearances across 14 years.

The veteran infielder's age and fading numbers suggest his career may be entering its latter stages, so the Dodgers decided against taking a $16 million risk. It wouldn't be a surprise if he eventually re-signs with L.A. on a more team-friendly deal.

Turner should also have suitors on the free-agent market if leaving Los Angeles is a consideration. Even if he's not the middle-of-the-order force he was during his peak seasons, he can still be a solid complementary contributor at this stage.

If he does sign elsewhere, the Dodgers will likely look to free agency or a trade to pick up a designated hitter with Max Muncy taking over at third on a full-time basis.

The San Diego Padres were aggressive at the trade deadline with Juan Soto as their primary addition. The question now is whether they will engage in contract extension discussions with the star outfielder, and his agent has what he believes is the answer.

"I don't think it's a question of 'if' they'll do that," Scott Boras told reporters. "I think the question is how they do that. I'm sure before they traded for him, they had a lot of that in mind."

Boras was also asked how open to those discussions Soto, who is not scheduled for free agency until after the 2024 season, would be this offseason.

"The great thing is he had time to acclimate himself there," the agent said. "It's not exactly a difficult market to adjust to. I think he's enjoyed his time there and has certainly enjoyed the competitiveness of the team, being in the playoffs."

San Diego landed Soto, Josh Hader, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury in a flurry of trade deadline moves and parlayed the aggression into a National League Championship Series appearance.

While the Padres lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, it isn't difficult to envision more deep playoff runs next year and beyond with the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. to a core that now features one of the best players in baseball in the 24-year-old Soto.

His resume already includes a World Series title from his time on the Washington Nationals, a batting title, two All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger awards and a Home Run Derby crown.

Yet he got off to a slow start with the Padres and ended up slashing .236/.388/.390 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 52 games following the trade.

It may have taken some time to get acclimated, as Boras highlighted, but Soto's track record suggests he will return to his position as one of the league's best in the coming seasons. The Padres will likely have to pay him accordingly, though, to keep him.

After all, the two-time All-Star rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension offer from the Nationals in July, which started the process that ended with him being traded to the Padres.

Whether it will take more than that for San Diego to keep him aboard remains to be seen, but it will surely take quite the offer. Given Soto's age, production and star power, there will likely be other teams more than happy to pay such high numbers if the Padres can't come to an agreement.