MLB Rumors

The San Francisco Giants have yet to shut the door on a reunion with starting pitcher Carlos Rodón, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser.

The Giants sealed an agreement with Sean Manaea on a two-year, $25 million deal Sunday, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman. However, Slusser reported that deal doesn't preclude the team from continuing to pursue Rodón.

NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic reported on Nov. 30 the Giants "do not expect Rodón to return" because the cost to sign him figures to be so high.

Heyman reported Rodón was looking to get at least $30 million annually over six years, while Slusser reported he's "seeking a minimum of seven years on a $100 million-plus deal."

Given how this offseason has unfolded, the fanbase might feel even more pessimistic about the two-time All-Star coming back to the Bay Area.

While San Francisco was a finalist for American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge, it looks like the franchise was little more than a stalking horse.

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1600541396397703188

The Giants also showed some interest in Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga, only to watch him reportedly agree to a five-year, $75 million pact with the New York Mets. Mike Puma of the New York Post reported they made a formal offer to Brandon Nimmo as well before he re-signed with the Mets.

It's impossible to ignore the narrative that's taking shape.

Judge and Nimmo not taking the Giants’ offers is understandable. They went back to the only organizations they’d ever know. It’s where they felt comfortable.

Correa will go to the Giants if they have the strongest offer. This one you can judge, pun somewhat intended https://t.co/OslVHDstWv

— Grant Brisbee (@GrantBrisbee) December 10, 2022

I *know* I'm going to eat it when they sign Carlos Correa next week, but the Giants sure are the "bridesmaids, not the bride" of the offseason so far. https://t.co/GANthkNfB9

— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) December 11, 2022

Although Manaea feels like a replacement for Rodón, the need to sign another starter is still there with Anthony DeSclafani tentatively penciled in for the starting rotation. DeSclafani was limited to five starts in 2022, allowing 14 earned runs over 19 innings, before undergoing season-ending ankle surgery in June.

Getting a contract done with Rodón would also go a long way toward countering the current perception of San Francisco. That might require him to significantly lower his demands, though.

The longer the offseason goes, the less leverage the southpaw will have. For now, he and his agent, Scott Boras, probably aren't panicking about the lack of a new deal.

The New York Yankees entered the offseason with one goal in mind beyond re-signing Aaron Judge and keeping him in pinstripes forever: bolster a bullpen that was obliterated by the Houston Astros in the ALCS.

They appear poised to do that in the form of an offer to San Francisco Giants lefty Carlos Rodón, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

It would mark the second time the Yankees have been in a battle with the Giants over a free agent, the first being the aforementioned Judge. Is it worth getting into a front-office battle with the across-country team over a lefty with just two distinct pitches?

The short answer: is yes, but the Yankees should know that Rodón is not the solution to the problem.

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Pitching Depth, Injury History

The Yankees bullpen gave up a combined ERA of 3.97 per game, 30 hits and 18 runs, 15 of which were earned. Yankees pitchers were roughed up by Houston's offense en route to a nine-run differential across the four-game series.

Rodon had a very good 2022, going 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA while striking out 237 hitters and establishing a 1.03 WHIP. All while leaning on the fastball and slider, proving variance in pitching is not necessary if you can do two things very well.

In a marketplace set by the monstrous deals for Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom, he is going to do very well financially, perhaps even with the Yankees. But it will not be the solution to New York's problems.

The team ranked fourth in innings pitch in 2022, according to MLB.com, with 79.2. Gerritt Cole (200.2), Nestor Cortes (158.1) and Jameson Taillon (177.1) were well north of 150 innings themselves.

Rodón is already 30 years old and has an injury history. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and even before that, had a history of arm fatigue earlier in his career. As late as 2021, there were very real questions about his future in the Majors.

Add that to an already exhausted bullpen with an innings and strikeouts deficiency to boot, and a $30 million AAV and there is reason to be cautious on the Yankees part. Especially considering they rank second in overall payroll and will be subject to a Competitive Balance Tax.

There are other pitchers, such as Chris Bassitt, Nathan Eovaldi and Noah Syndergaard, available who could be acquired to do the same thing for a more sensible financial burden. Bassitt turned down a $19 million option to remain with the Mets, but the Yankees would be able to acquire him for far less than the AAV Rodón is expected to demand.

Ditto Syndergaard, who can likely be acquired on a shorter, more cost prohibitive deal if his 2022 deal with the Angels is any indication.

The Yankees are not so far into the offseason and free agency that it cannot acquire multiple pieces to help strengthen its rotation rather than riskily overspending for Rodón without a guarantee of a World Series berth.

This is one instance where playing the waiting game and not jumping at the first big-name free agent at a position of need should benefit the Yankees in the long run.

What else do the New York Yankees have up their sleeve?

It appears the team isn't done making moves after re-signing superstar and reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge to a nine-year, $360 million contract.

"They are in on Carlos Rodon, but then I heard that there's something even bigger that they're working on," Michael Kay said on his show Friday.

The assumption will be that if the Yankees are pursuing a bigger fish than Rodon left on the market, it will be star shortstop Carlos Correa.

ESPN's Buster Olney hinted as much, saying on 95.7 The Game's Willard and Dibs that he's "definitely picking up a lot of vibes" the Yankees are "working on something big" in regards to Correa.

The Yankees already have Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop and a pair of highly regarded prospects at the position in Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, so it hasn't appeared to be the team's biggest need this offseason.

There's no doubt that Correa would be an immediate upgrade, however.

The 28-year-old, a two-time All-Star, hit .291 with 22 homers, 64 RBI, 70 runs and a .834 OPS. It was his sixth season with at least 20 home runs, excellent production for a player at a defensively-key position.

Retaining Judge and landing Correa in the same offseason would be a huge splash for the Yankees, even if it's arguable that adding a left-fielder is a more pressing need and stockpiling starting pitchers on Rodon's level is never a bad idea.

Regardless of how the Yankees continue to approach free agency, it doesn't appear as though the Judge signing will slow them down this winter.

"We have a lot of aspects of the roster that we need to address," Cashman told reporters on Wednesday. "There's other aspects of the roster we're trying to address and we'll continue to do so. We're on the clock. We'll obviously give [manager Aaron Boone] the best players so he can have the best team and he can do with it what he wants when spring training starts."

The Boston Red Sox raised some eyebrows on Wednesday when they signed outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million contract, and many are still confused by the deal.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel spoke to "10 sources" who all "thought the Red Sox overpaid by a hefty margin." One executive went as far as to say, "We thought he was worth less than half of what they paid."

Yoshida played seven seasons with the Orix Buffaloes, the reigning Japan Series champions. This past season, he hit .335/.447/.561 with 21 home runs, 80 walks and 41 strikeouts in 508 plate appearances. In his career, he's hit .326/.419/.538 with just 307 strikeouts in 3,251 plate appearances.

However, there are many around the league that believe Yoshida is simply not worth the price Boston paid, which included a $15.4 million posting fee to the Buffaloes. He will turn 30 in July and projects to be limited defensively. McDaniel stated that he played 79 games as a designated hitter against just 40 games in the outfield.

While there are question marks about his ability to be an every day outfielder, Yoshida's impressive hitting ability could make up for any defensive woes.

McDaniel stated: "Everyone I spoke with likes his swing and thinks he has average raw power, which if tapped into would translate to the 18-20 homer area that he has already demonstrated. A rival exec with a rosier projection put it this way: 'Our evals think he can really hit ... a little rich but not totally out of bounds if you're REALLY buying into the bat.'"

The Red Sox are known for their tight spending habits, so the fact that they broke the bank for Yoshida is telling of their belief in him. Only time will tell if Boston's gamble pays off.

The New York Yankees are reuniting with reliever Tommy Kahnle after agreeing to a two-year, $11.5 million contract, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Kahnle spent the 2022 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out 14 batters and earning one save over 12.2 innings of work. Before that, he was a member of the Yankees for three and a half years.

The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2020, which was why his usage this past year was so limited. Before that, he had been an effective option out of New York's bullpen. Over 129 appearances, he had a 3.23 FIP and averaged 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Bronx Bombers obviously saw enough from Kahnle to believe he can continue to be a consistent contributor moving forward.

Aroldis Chapman left as a free agent this offseason, and while letting him walk was an understandable decision, he's one fewer reliever New York will have in 2023. Scott Effross is out of the picture, too, after getting Tommy John surgery, while Michael King is continuing to recover from his fractured elbow.

Even assuming Clay Holmes will remain the full-time closer, there was a clear need to fortify the bullpen. Given the post-Tommy John questions still surrounding Kahnle, you have to wonder whether further reinforcements will be coming to the Big Apple.

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.

The Philadelphia Phillies may not be the only National League team who signs an impact shortstop this offseason.

After Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Phillies agreed to an 11-year, $300 million deal with a no-trade clause with Trea Turner, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the Cardinals are also involved in the shortstop market and are interested in Dansby Swanson.

Signing Swanson could help St. Louis in multiple ways, as Morosi suggested such a move could also help the front office use another position player to land a catcher in a trade. He mentioned Sean Murphy of the Oakland Athletics or Danny Jansen of the Toronto Blue Jays as possible targets.

With Yadier Molina retiring after the 2022 campaign, the National League Central team could use a backstop.

As for Swanson, he would bolster an already formidable infield that includes Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.

The free-agent shortstop is in the middle of his prime at 28 years old and coming off a season that saw him earn his first Gold Glove and All-Star selection. He slashed .277/.329/.447 with 25 home runs, 96 RBI and 18 stolen bases all while playing excellent defense, underscoring his ability to impact the game in a number of ways.

He was also responsible for nine defensive runs saved above average, per FanGraphs.

It is a testament to the shortstop market this offseason that Swanson, who has played for the Atlanta Braves his entire career, is likely the fourth-best option in a free agency class that also features Carlos Correa, Turner and Xander Bogaerts.

Yet he is a difference-maker in the field and at the plate, which is surely what a Cardinals team looking to take the next step after three straight losses in the National League Wild Card round is pursuing this offseason.

The Boston Red Sox have not made a "competitive offer" to Xander Bogaerts in free agency, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe.

Bogaerts "has been meeting with interested teams this weekend in person," Abraham added.

Additionally, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that Boston's offers to Bogaerts "haven't come close to enticing him to stay."

The news is somewhat surprising, especially after Sean McAdam of Boston Sports Journal reported in October that the Red Sox had met with the star shortstop to relay that retaining him was their "top priority."

Additionally, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said at the time that the club wanted to build around Bogaerts, per McAdam:

"That's no different than where we've been. Our position hasn't changed on that. I've said this before, but nothing I say really matters unless there's a deal. But our position has been the same—that we want to keep him here for a long time and we want him here on a deal that we're going to look back on and say, 'This was great for everybody.' ... We want to build around him and win."

Bogaerts, who has spent his entire 10-year career with the Red Sox, opted out of the final three seasons and $60 million on the remainder of his contract in November to become a free agent and search for a more lucrative deal.

Before the 2022 season, the Red Sox offered Bogaerts a contract that would have paid him $90 million over four years, which would have run through 2026. The $22.5 million per season on that offer was only slightly higher than the $20 million per year he was making.

In April, one of the shortstop's friends told Jon Heyman of the New York Post the offer was viewed as a "slap in the face."

Bogaerts became a key cog in the Red Sox lineup since making his major league debut in 2013. The 30-year-old has helped the club win two World Series titles, and he has won five Silver Slugger awards, in addition to being selected to the All-Star Game four times.

And while the BoSox had a tough 2022 campaign, finishing last in the AL East with a 78-84 record, Bogaerts was arguably the team's best and most consistent hitter, slashing .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs, 73 RBI and eight stolen bases in 150 games.

If Bogaerts walks in free agency, it's reasonable to believe the Red Sox will shift Trevor Story back to shortstop from second base in 2023. However, they would then have questions about who to deploy at second; at this point, it would likely be Christian Arroyo unless they add another second baseman on the open market.

Bogaerts is one of four premier free-agent shortstops available this offseason, joining Trea Turner, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson.

The Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are among the teams interested in Bogaerts, according to Abraham. The Cubs have Bogaerts as their "top priority," per Nightengale.

The Milwaukee Brewers have made Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Willy Adames unavailable in trade discussions, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

The news comes after ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Brewers have traded second baseman Kolten Wong to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Jesse Winker and infielder Abraham Toro.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Thursday that the Brewers had been receiving calls on the availability of Burnes, Woodruff and Adames. He added that Milwaukee would be more likely to move one or more of those players at the 2023 season's trade deadline.

Burnes, Woodruff and Adames are all under team control through the 2024 campaign.

After finishing the 2022 season with an 86-76 record and missing the playoffs, the Brewers may not be entering a rebuild, but they could be entering a reset, meaning that certain players will undoubtedly be made available for trade.

Burnes, who began his MLB career in 2018, has emerged as one of Milwaukee's best starters. During the 2022 season, he went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 243 strikeouts in 202 innings across 33 starts.

Woodruff began his major-league career in 2017, and he has also emerged as one of the team's top pitchers. He went 13-4 in 2022 with a 3.05 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 190 strikeouts in 153.1 innings across 27 starts.

Adames, while not one of baseball's premier shortstops, is still very good. Last season, he slashed .238/.298/.458 with 31 home runs, 98 RBI and eight stolen bases in 139 games. Further, the Brewers likely can't afford nor make a run at one of the league's top free-agent shortstops, such as Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson.

It's unclear if the Brewers have any intentions of trading other players. Wong was the team's top player made available in trade discussions.

At least one Major League Baseball executive can't imagine Aaron Judge leaving the opportunity to hit home runs in New York for the chance to play in San Francisco.

"He's going to leave the greatest market to go across the country to a team where it's hard to hit homers? Come on," the executive said, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Statcast shows Yankee Stadium was the eighth-most favorable ballpark in the league for park effects leading to more home runs in 2022. By comparison, the Giants' Oracle Park was a mere 27th and is better known for knocking down potential homers.

Considering Judge just set the American League record with 62 long balls while winning the MVP and also led the league with 52 home runs as the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year, it is a valid point.

Power is the defining feature of his game, and joining the Giants could hamper that as he plays into his 30s.

Yet that is far from the only factor.

As Heyman noted, San Francisco is about two hours from Judge's parents hometown of Linden, California. The free agent also grew up cheering for the Giants and could even still be upset about Yankees fans booing him during the playoffs.

Heyman reported it is essentially coming down to the Giants and Yankees since the Los Angeles Dodgers are more focused on pitching and shortstop, but that likely won't stop Judge from making $300 million or more on his next deal.

The question now is whether he will continue his Yankee legacy and the chase for his first championship or join the National League for the first time and play closer to home for his childhood favorite team.

If he is worried about how the respective ballparks will impact his power, the choice may be clear.