AL West

The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers will be under the national spotlight during the first week of the 2023 Major League Baseball season.

ESPN announced its Sunday Night Baseball schedule, and the Phillies will travel to face the Rangers for the first broadcast April 2. That means fans will get a first look at the reigning National League champions and a Rangers squad hoping to compete in the American League West.

This will be the 34th straight year for Sunday Night Baseball, and play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech will be joined by David Cone and Eduardo Perez in the booth. ESPN's Buster Olney will also be included in the broadcasts.

That the Phillies will be highlighted comes as no surprise.

They went to the World Series last season behind a daunting lineup that included Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos, among others. They also agreed to an 11-year, $300 million deal with shortstop Trea Turner this offseason, adding even more pop to their offense.

Turner is a World Series champion, two-time All-Star, Silver Slugger and batting title winner who is still in his prime at 29 years old.

As for Texas, it made waves this offseason as well when it brought in pitcher Jacob deGrom on a five-year, $185 million deal with a sixth-year option that could bring the value to $222 million. While deGrom comes with injury risk, he is also one of the best pitchers in the entire league when healthy.

His resume includes two Cy Young awards, four All-Star selections, Rookie of the Year honors and an ERA title.

Philadelphia will be plenty familiar with deGrom if he pitches in the Sunday night game considering he spent the first nine years of his career on the NL East rival New York Mets.

There will be no shortage of star power in that matchup as both teams attempt to get off to an ideal start in the 2023 season.

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.

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.

Superstar pitcher Jacob deGrom left the New York Mets in free agency, signing a five-year, $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers, and he opened up about his decision during a press conference Thursday.

"The Rangers did a great job with constant communication and making me feel like they really wanted me here," deGrom said, per ESPN. "The vision was the same: Build something great and win year in and year out."

DeGrom added that Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, who agreed to significant deals with the Rangers last offseason, played a large role in his decision to join the club.

The right-hander, who has been beset by injuries over the last several years, spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Mets, winning two Cy Young Awards and an ERA title. He was also named to the All-Star Game four times.

In search of a more lucrative deal this winter, deGrom opted out of the final guaranteed year of his pact with the Mets, which was worth $30.5 million (New York held a $32.5 million club option for '24). During his tenure with the club, he went 82-57 with a 2.52 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 1,607 strikeouts in 1,326 innings across 209 starts.

DeGrom's best season came in 2018 when he went 10-9 with a 1.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 269 strikeouts in 217 innings across 32 starts.

Last season, he went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 64.1 innings across 11 starts. He didn't make his season debut until August because of a stress reaction in his right scapula.

The Rangers hope deGrom can stay healthy and headline their rotation for years to come. He joins a group that includes Jon Gray, Jake Odorizzi, Martín Pérez and the newly signed Andrew Heaney.

If all goes to plan, the Rangers could make a postseason appearance in 2023 for the first time since 2016.

The Houston Astros have been at the center of free agency this winter, signing José Abreu and losing Justin Verlander to the New York Mets.

Expect them to remain at the center of baseball's offseason happenings.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Astros "continue to look at free agents Andrew Benintendi, Michael Brantley and Michael Conforto as options for their outfield. After losing out on Willson Contreras, they might even explore signing two of the three."

All three would give the Astros a boost in their outfield, as only right fielder Kyle Tucker is a surefire starter.

Benintendi, 28, was a first-time All-Star in 2022 and hit .304 with five homers, 51 RBI, 54 runs and a .772 OPS in 126 games between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees last season.

While he doesn't offer a ton of pop, he does hit for average (.279 for his career) and would be a defensive upgrade in left field.

Brantley, 35, is a five-time All-Star and still hits for average (.288 in 64 games last season), though his power numbers have diminished in recent years, as he managed just eight homers in 121 games during the 2021 campaign.

Shoulder surgery cut his 2022 campaign short. If Brantley re-signs, it would likely be on a one-year deal, but he's been a fixture for this Astros team since 2019.

Finally, the 29-year-old Conforto would offer the most power of the bunch, as he posted three straight seasons of 27 or more homers from 2017 to 2019. He didn't hit that mark in 125 games in 2021, however, hitting .232 with 14 homers, 55 RBI, 52 runs and a .729 OPS for the New York Mets.

Offseason shoulder surgery and a rejected qualifying offer followed, and Conforto sat out the entire 2022 season. Signing him would come with the calculated gamble that some of his pop will return.

Should he hit the open market after the 2023 season, Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani will be on the radar for just about every team that can afford to sign him, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"I don't want to say he's going to the Dodgers next year because every team...listen, the Yankees are gonna be on him," Passan said Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show. "Steve Cohen, the Mets owner, the Mets are gonna be in on him. The Cubs are gonna be in on him. The Pirates are not gonna be in. ... Yeah, Red Sox will be on him."

Ohtani is a truly generational two-way talent who followed up his 2021 Most Valuable Player season by being nearly just as good in 2022.

The 28-year-old had 34 home runs, 95 RBI and a .273/.356/.519 slash line at the plate. On the mound, he went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 166 innings. He was runner-up to Aaron Judge in the MVP voting and placed fourth on the Cy Young ballot.

If he reaches free agency, then every single team in MLB should at least make overtures his way. Of course, his price tag will limit that pool substantially because The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported in June he might eclipse Max Scherzer's record-setting $43.3 million average salary.

There's still the chance Ohtani doesn't reach free agency.

General manager Perry Minasian told reporters in November the Angels have every intention of keeping him on the roster by Opening Day, and this is the same franchise that signed Mike Trout to the biggest contract in MLB history (12 years, $426.5 million).

Team owner Arte Moreno's exploration of a sale presents an obvious variable. But if he does truly intend to sell the Angels within the next few years, then he won't be the one paying Ohtani for a majority of the deal. And you'd think having Ohtani on the roster is something a new owner would prefer rather than trading him or letting him walk as a free agent.

In the event Ohtani plays out his final year with the Angels and doesn't agree to an extension, it could set off a bidding war for the ages next winter.

The Los Angeles Angels are hoping to have new ownership in place by the start of the 2023 season.

"The point at which people actually see financial information is an important step forward in the process," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters on Tuesday at the winter meetings. "My understanding is that the club would like to have the sale resolved before Opening Day. Whether that happens I think depends in part on the bidding process and how quickly you can get documents done."

In August, longtime owner Arte Moreno and the franchise announced that he was investigating a possible sale of the team:

Today, Angels Baseball announced that the Organization has initiated a formal process to evaluate strategic alternatives including a possible sale of the team. pic.twitter.com/ZdQb34V4Ns

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 23, 2022

Moreno, 76, has owned the Angels since 2003. Under his watch, the team has reached the postseason six times and won just two playoff series. They have now gone eight straight seasons without a postseason berth despite having one of the game's biggest stars, Mike Trout, and more recently, 2021 AL MVP Shohei Ohtani.

His ownership has been marked by several controversies and some ill-advised, high-profile signings that failed to pan out. It has also been marked by seven straight losing seasons after a promising start to his ownership, which included five AL West divisional titles in seven years.

Moreno, to his credit, wasn't shy about spending money. The players he's given the green light to spend that money on have largely been the issue.

"The infrastructure needs to be improved. There's a lot of things that need to be improved there," former manager Joe Maddon told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times in August regarding the Angels' organization. "[Trout and Ohtani] can't do it alone, obviously. It's the non-sexy stuff that has to get better. It's not just bright, shiny objects—they have that."

"They need to do the infrastructure better in order to get to where we had been in the past," he continued. "That was my goal, to get the Angels back to where we had been in the past. That was it. Nothing but pure intentions. I was an Angel. They had every ounce of me. And now that's done."

Perhaps by Opening Day, the Moreno era will be done as well.

The New York Mets are going to need a new ace.

Star pitcher Jacob deGrom has agreed to a five-year deal with the Texas Rangers, the club announced Friday. The deal is worth $185 million and has a sixth-year option that could make it worth $222 million in total, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The Mets never made a final offer to deGrom, per Mike Puma of the New York Post.

DeGrom, in search of a more lucrative deal, became a free agent this winter after opting out of the final two years and $53 million on his five-year contract with the Mets. He had spent the first nine years of his career in New York, emerging as one of the best arms in baseball despite a string of injuries.

In his nine seasons with the Mets, the two-time Cy Young winner and four-time All-Star went 82-57 with a 2.52 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 1,607 strikeouts in 1,326 innings across 209 starts.

DeGrom's best season came in 2018 when he went 10-9 with a 1.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 269 strikeouts in 217 innings across 32 starts en route to his first-ever Cy Young award. He also won the Cy Young in 2019.

However, things got rough for deGrom after winning back-to-back Cy Youngs. He was limited to just 15 starts in 2021 because of an elbow injury and made just 11 starts in 2022 because of a shoulder ailment.

That said, he was still effective in each of those seasons when he did pitch. In 26 starts across 2021 and 2022, the 34-year-old posted a 12-6 record, 1.90 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 248 strikeouts in 156.1 innings.

Despite the injuries, the Rangers are still getting one heck of an arm for their rotation. So, here's three instant reactions from Texas' blockbuster signing.

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Rangers Prove They're Ready to Contend in 2023

Despite the additions of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, the Rangers finished fourth in the American League West in 2022 with a 68-94 record and missed the postseason for the sixth straight year.

While the signing of deGrom may not truly make the Rangers contenders in the division alongside the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners, the club has at least proven it is sick of being a cellar-dweller and is ready to contend.

The Rangers were in desperate need of an ace on the mound following a disappointing 2022 campaign from its starters, and they did more than just address that need in signing deGrom.

Last season, the Rangers starting pitching ranked 25th in MLB with a 4.63 ERA. The only teams that were worse were the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals.

In 2023, deGrom will anchor a Texas rotation that includes Jon Gray, Jake Odorizzi and Martín Pérez, who was one of the team's best arms last season, posting a 12-8 record with a 2.89 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 32 starts.

The signing of deGrom proves the Rangers are willing to spend in order to improve, and they should at the very least post more wins in 2023 than they did in 2022. Even if they don't, they're ready to build their rotation around deGrom in the years to come.

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How Will Mets Replace DeGrom?

Let's be clear, there's no replacing deGrom. However, the Mets will need to at least attempt to address the hole his departure left in the rotation.

As it stands, Max Scherzer will serve as the team's No. 1 in 2023, and while the three-time Cy Young winner had a solid 2022 campaign, there's no question he's past his prime at 38. He posted a 11-5 record last season with a 2.29 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 173 strikeouts in 145.1 innings across 23 starts.

Beyond Scherzer, the Mets' rotation is filled out by Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson and Tylor Megill. With some top-tier talent still available on the market, it's hard to believe the club won't add another arm this winter.

Even before deGrom's exit, the Mets have sought out some of the top available free agent pitchers this winter, including Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jameson Taillon and Carlos Rodón.

Of course, all are being pursued by many, but with deGrom's contract off the books, the Mets should be making some interesting offers to some of the top arms available, especially after locking up superstar closer Edwin Díaz to a five-year, $102 million deal.

It's unclear which of those arms, if any, are New York's top target following deGrom's exit. However, Verlander should at least be very high on the list.

The 39-year-old is coming off arguably his best season in 2022, posting an 18-4 record, 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 175 innings across 28 starts. He also won the Cy Young award, the third of his career.

What's even more impressive is that Verlander accomplished the feat after missing all but one game in 2020 and the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

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Will DeGrom Be Worth the Money?

$185 million—and potentially up to $222 million—is a lot of money to commit to deGrom. One of the biggest questions following this signing is: Will deGrom be worth the money?

The simple answer is that it all comes down to health.

If deGrom remains mostly healthy throughout his five-year career, then it's reasonable to believe he will be more than worth the $185 million the Rangers committed to him. But if he's constantly out of the lineup with injuries, then there's a problem.

DeGrom hasn't made more than 15 starts in a season since he made 32 starts and won the Cy Young in 2019. While that was just four years ago, he has endured a significant amount of injuries since then, including elbow inflammation, a stress reaction in his scapula and forearm tightness.

However, the Rangers will likely keep a close eye on deGrom throughout his tenure knowing that he has been injury-prone over the last few seasons. Managing his starts will be key to keeping him healthy through the duration of his contract.

There should be optimism about deGrom entering 2023, but fans will undoubtedly be concerned if he misses a significant amount of time next season.

The Texas Rangers have signed former New York Mets ace pitcher Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185 million contract, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner now leads a rotation that includes Jon Gray, Martín Pérez, Jake Odorizzi and Dane Dunning, per FanGraphs, which also projects Texas for a $177 million payroll in 2023 (ninth in MLB).

Texas has a top-heavy payroll with deGrom, shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien leading the way. Texas signed Seager to a 10-year, $325 million contract, and Semien inked a seven-season, $175 million deal.

The Rangers struggled last year despite the addition of their two middle infielders, finishing fourth in the American League West with a 68-94 record.

Texas struggled offensively (ninth in the AL in OPS) and on the mound (12th in the AL in ERA). DeGrom should at least serve as the bona fide ace of a rotation that looks solid on paper, especially after the Rangers traded for Odorizzi to strengthen the back end.

The four-time All-Star has played his entire nine-year career with the Mets, going 82-57 with a 2.52 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 10.9 K/9 rate.

When healthy, he's been the best pitcher in baseball of late. Unfortunately, injuries kept him out for large chunks of the season in 2021 (elbow, forearm ailments) and 2022 (stress reaction on his right scapula). He made only 27 starts over the past two years.

That, in turn, presents a big risk for the Rangers as they look to return to relevance. However, a healthy deGrom could dominate the American League and significantly strengthen a rotation in need of help.

The Texas Rangers have added a big piece to their roster with the signing of Jacob deGrom.

The starting pitcher has agreed to a five-year deal with the Rangers, the club announced Friday. It is worth $185 million and has a sixth-year option that could make the total deal worth $222 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

DeGrom had $53 million remaining on his initial five-year contract with the New York Mets, but he decided to opt out of the final two seasons in search of a better deal.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reported the Mets never made a final offer to the starter.

The two-time Cy Young winner will now get a fresh start after spending the nine years of his career with the Mets.

A shoulder issue limited deGrom to just 11 starts in 2022, finishing the year 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA and 0.746 WHIP. He added 102 strikeouts in just 64.1 innings. Though effective on the mound, the missed time is a significant issue after an elbow injury held the starter to just 15 starts in 2021.

He still thrived when healthy with a 7-2 record, 1.08 ERA and 146 strikeouts. His 0.554 WHIP would be the best in MLB history if he had enough innings to qualify.

Even before this historic production, the 34-year-old finished 2020 with a 4-2 record and 2.38 ERA, leading the league with 104 strikeouts in just 68 innings. It was enough to finish third in Cy Young voting after winning the award the previous two seasons.

From 2018-21, the right-hander had a 1.94 ERA in 91 starts with a 0.88 WHIP and 12 strikeouts per nine innings.

It only added to deGrom's resume after he won the 2014 Rookie of the Year award and helped the Mets reach the World Series in 2016.

The continued production shows he can be a difference-maker for his new team at the top of the rotation, putting the Rangers one step closer to playoff contention.

Texas was just 68-94 last season, marking the sixth straight year without a postseason appearance. The team should still improve with the addition of a true ace, turning around a pitching staff that ranked 12th in the American League in ERA last season.

New York still has Max Scherzer under contract to help handle the loss of deGrom, but the rotation should take a step back after last year's success.