MLB Rumors

The New York Yankees and Brett Gardner reached an agreement on a one-year, $4 million deal Friday, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand:

The Yankees and Brett Gardner have agreed to a one-year deal with a $4 million guarantee, per source. Deal includes player and team options for 2022.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 19, 2021

The two sides began discussions on a new contract in recent days to bring the team's longtime outfielder back to the Bronx in 2021. The 37-year-old has yet to wear another uniform during his MLB career. 

Gardner appeared in 49 games for the Yankees last season, slashing .223/.354/.392 with five home runs and 15 RBI. 

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Thursday the Yankees have a specific price range in mind for Gardner and would like to keep any deal around $3 million to avoid exceeding the $210 million competitive balance tax. 

According to Spotrac, New York's payroll sits at $192.2 million as spring training gets underway. 

Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media noted on Feb. 10 the two sides hadn't even begun negotiating yet with the Yankees still mulling over an initial offer:

"According to a baseball source who asked to remain anonymous, the Yankees haven't addressed Gardner's status since last Halloween. That's when the organization announced that it opted to pay Gardner a $2.5 million buyout instead of vesting a $10 million club option for 2021."

It's unclear how much playing time Gardner will receive New York, but given the Yankees' notorious injury problems over the last few years, the team can hardly afford to pass up on reliable depth. 

Clint Frazier is projected to start in left field with Aaron Hicks in center and Aaron Judge in right. Mike Tauchman, Greg Allen and Giancarlo Stanton are listed as backups on the depth chart. Gardner fits in nicely there, especially with Frazier yet to complete a full season in the majors. 

The New York Mets' trade talks with the Chicago Cubs about third baseman Kris Bryant reportedly didn't advance "past [the] first inning." 

SNY's Andy Martino reported Friday the discussions aren't currently active but it's possible the teams revisit the idea around the 2021 MLB trade deadline.

On Tuesday, Cubs president Jed Hoyer shot down rumors there were ongoing talks with the Mets about a potential Bryant blockbuster.

"Right now, we're not engaged in any trade talk and we haven't been for a bit," Hoyer told reporters.

Bryant, like numerous players around MLB, struggled during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season. He posted a career-low .644 OPS with four home runs across 36 appearances.

The 29-year-old Las Vegas native was previously one of the best hitters in the National League. He was named the NL MVP in 2016 and earned three All-Star selections across his first five seasons.

His WAR (27.9) between 2015 and 2019 ranked third among all MLB hitters behind only Mike Trout (43.9) and Mookie Betts (35.4), per FanGraphs.

In January, Bryant said on Red Line Radio (via Mollie Walker of the New York Post) that off-field factors like trade rumors had taken some of the fun out of the game.

"It really got to me sometimes," he said. "The stuff I was hearing—The first trade rumors [in 2018] that started to pop up really got to me. I find myself [thinking], 'Man, is this even fun anymore? Why did I start playing this game?' Because it was fun. There's a lot of other stuff involved. You make a ton of money and fame and all this. You have to get yourself back to why I started playing."

For now, it sounds like Bryant will open the campaign in Chicago but his future remains uncertain as he's set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021 season.

If the Cubs don't think it's possible to sign him to an extension, they'll likely look into trade offers around the deadline, which could land a lucrative return with several clubs, including the Mets, gearing up to make a serious championship charge this year.

Last week, SNY's Andy Martino reported that the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets had talked about a potential Kris Bryant trade earlier in the offseason before those discussions died out, but he added that "the Bryant talks have resumed since." 

However, on Tuesday, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer denied that any trade talks are taking place:

Jed Hoyer just now: “Right now we’re not engaged in any trade talk and we haven’t been for a bit.”

“So that Mets stuff was inaccurate?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Suggests team should look similar to now come opener.

— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) February 16, 2021

The #Cubs are not engaged in any current trade talks, or even had recent trade discussions,
Jed Hoyer says

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 16, 2021

Bryant, 29, hit just .206 with four homers and 11 RBI in 34 games last season, a disappointing showing. His 31 homers and 77 RBI in 2019 serve as a reminder that he remains one of the game's best power hitters at the third base position, however. 

While Hoyer is maintaining that Bryant talks aren't occurring, it wouldn't be shocking if the Cubs ultimately dealt him. They already moved on from Yu Darvish, Jon Lester, Kyle Schwarber, Victor Caratini and Albert Almora this offseason, among others. 

The Cubs may not be in a full firesale, but their lack of major additions has more than hinted that the team isn't exactly willing to break the bank to field a contender this season, either. 

It also wouldn't be surprising if the Mets were the team to land Bryant if he's dealt. While the Cubs have lacked ambition this offseason, the Mets have aggressively upgraded their roster, adding players like Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor May and James McCann.

They also appeared to be in the running for free-agent pitcher Trevor Bauer, though he ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

And third base is a major need for New York, with J.D. Davis currently the top option. He brings some pop to the hot corner—he hit 22 homers in 2019—but he's a liability in the field. A player like Bryant would be an upgrade both offensively and defensively.

For now, it would appear no deal is imminent. But it would hardly be shocking if Bryant ultimately ended up with the Mets. 

Free-agent third baseman Justin Turner reportedly holds multiyear offers from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. 

The New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves remain in the mix, with the Dodgers the favorite to retain their longtime infielder. Turner is one of the last marquee free agents on the open market and may be drumming up a bidding war only days before pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training. 

Spotrac pegs Turner's market value at $13.9 million per season, which would make him the 11th-highest paid third baseman in baseball. 

The 36-year-old World Series champion had a slash line  of .307/.400/.460 with 23 RBI in 42 regular-season games last season. He's finished with a batting average below .290 just once in the last seven years and provides solid defense at the hot corner. 

The remaining options at third drop off significantly after Turner, with Maikel Franco, Jake Lamb, Todd Frazier and Asdrubal Cabrera the next best available. 

That makes Turner's decision one that has a number of general managers holding their breaths.

The Southern California native has spent the last seven years with the Dodgers as one of their fan favorites.  

When asked if signing Bauer to a big contract put the Dodgers out of the running to bring back Turner, Los Angeles president Andrew Friedman was effusive in reiterating the team's desire to complete a deal with the infielder. He told reporters Thursday:

"Obviously it's difficult for me to comment on a specific free agent, but I think it's pretty well-documented what we think of JT and what he's meant to this organization. As far as how it's going to play out, we will see. But at every turn in the six-plus years that I've been here, ownership has been incredibly supportive to do everything we can to win and to reward the amazing fans that we have."

 

The New York Mets have reportedly restarted trade talks for Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant.

SNY's Andy Martino reported Thursday the conversations between the Mets and Cubs, which had cooled off in early January, have come back alive but it's "unclear how likely it is to happen." 

Martino added the Cubs do not appear to be "overly motivated" to deal Bryant and "would need to be convinced."

New York has already put together a blockbuster offseason following the arrival of billionaire owner Steve Cohen, who took over majority control of the franchise in early November.

The Mets acquired shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco in a trade with the Cleveland Indians, and they added catcher James McCann, relief pitcher Trevor May and some depth players to fortify their roster in free agency.

Adding Bryant, who would represent a sizable upgrade on J.D. Davis at third base, would give the club arguably the deepest lineup in the National League for 2021.

The 2016 NL MVP struggled last season with a career-low .644 OPS and four home runs in 36 appearances, though he was far from alone as players struggled to adjust to the coronavirus-shortened campaign.

He was previously one of the league's top hitters across his first five seasons with the Cubs. He compiled a .901 OPS with 138 homers in 706 games across that span.

Bryant, 29,  told the Red Line Radio podcast (via ESPN's Jesse Rogers) in January the off-field stuff, including trade rumors, had started to take away some of the joy he got from playing baseball.

"It really got to me sometimes. The stuff I was hearing," he said. "The first trade rumors [in 2018] that started to pop up really got to me. I find myself [thinking], 'Man, is this even fun anymore? Why did I start playing this game?' Because it was fun. There's a lot of other stuff involved. You make a ton of money and fame and all this. You have to get yourself back to why I started playing."

The Mets are preparing for a major battle atop the NL East with the two-time defending division winner Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals, who've all made major strides to upgrade their rosters during the offseason.

Bryant could be the late addition that helps push New York to the top of the division.

Having failed to land Trevor Bauer, the New York Mets reportedly are looking at some alternatives to bolster their starting rotation. 

According to SNY's Andy Martino, the Mets are looking at Jake Arrieta and James Paxton, though nothing is considered to be "close."

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1359540192563060736

As Martino alluded to, Paxton would be the stronger of the two additions based on recent performance. Over the last five years, Paxton is 10th in FIP (3.20) and 17th in strikeout rate (10.6 per nine innings), per FanGraphs.

Staying healthy for a full season has been a challenge for the southpaw, though. He has yet to hit 30 starts in a single year and saw his 2020 campaign end abruptly due to a strained left flexor tendon.

Although Arrieta has a better overall track record in terms of durability, he had a bone spur in his right elbow that knocked him out after 24 starts in 2019.

The 34-year-old proceeded to post the second-worst ERA (5.08) of his career. His opponent's expected batting average has also climbed with each year since Baseball Savant first started tracking it in 2015. His .292 XBA put him in the bottom eight percent of MLB in 2020.

The Athletic's Eno Sarris and Ken Rosenthal reported MLB is planning to alter the baseballs it uses for 2021 in order to lower the number of home runs. A deader ball could benefit Arrieta, who has rarely been a high-strikeout pitcher and likely won't be going forward.

The Mets don't need to pursue an ace. They still have two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman and acquired Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland. Given New York's depth, taking the chance on Paxton makes more sense if the two sides can make the money work. 

The San Francisco Giants continue to look at the free-agent market for starting pitchers.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Jake Odorizzi is among the starters San Francisco has shown interest in signing before spring training begins. 

The Giants have already made additions to their rotation this offseason, signing Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood to one-year contracts. However, both come with significant question marks.

DeSclafani had a career-high 7.22 ERA in nine appearances for the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, while Wood has been limited to 16 appearances over the past two seasons because of injuries.

Odorizzi also had a rough 2020 for the Minnesota Twins. The right-hander had a 6.59 ERA in just four starts and was placed on the injured list three different times.

Prior to last season, Odorizzi averaged 30 starts per year from 2014 to 2019, and the 30-year-old had a 3.88 ERA and 957 strikeouts in 991.2 innings during that six-season stretch.

The Giants are in a difficult position by virtue of playing in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. It will be hard for them to challenge for the National League West against those teams, but they could emerge as a wild-card contender in 2021.

Trevor Bauer's future may soon be decided, but at least for now, it appears as though he is still going through the decision-making process.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Bauer agreed to a contract with the New York Mets on Thursday night. Moments later, though, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported the two sides did not have an agreement.

Rachel Luba, Bauer's agent, appeared to confirm a decision had not been made:

Apparently this needs a Retweet 😂 https://t.co/k3jgoaL4Bn

— Rachel Luba (レイチェル・ルーバ) (@AgentRachelLuba) February 5, 2021

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported earlier Thursday the Mets had offered a three-year deal worth close to $100 million. Per Heyman, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain in the mix, with a decision expected to be made "within 24 hours."

Per Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Mets had grown "increasingly confident" about their odds of signing Bauer as of Thursday afternoon.

Heyman noted recent Mets acquisition Francisco Lindor vouched for Bauer, saying the pitcher was a "good teammate" in Cleveland.

This comes after Luba announced Bauer rejected the qualifying offer from the Reds in November but was still open to potentially returning to the team.

Bauer, whom the Reds acquired via trade from Cleveland during the 2019 season, was on the short list of the most sought-after free agents heading into this offseason following a brilliant 2020 campaign. Cincinnati could have traded him at the deadline and gotten something back in return before he potentially went elsewhere, but the right-hander helped lead the team into the playoffs.

The 30-year-old finished the 2020 season as the National League Cy Young Award winner behind a 1.73 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 73 innings.

He was part of a formidable starting pitching staff in Cincinnati alongside Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo, which is a major reason it reached the expanded playoffs in the shortened season.

Making the playoffs wasn't the only welcome development for Bauer in 2020.

The California native bounced back from a disappointing 2019 showing just in time for free agency, improving on the 4.48 ERA he posted while splitting time between Cincinnati and Cleveland. It was a far cry from the 2.21 mark he posted in 2018 and was particularly bad with the Reds, finishing his 10 starts with a 6.39 ERA.

It was fair to wonder if the 2018 campaign, which was the only one he had finished with a sub-4.00 ERA in his first seven seasons, was an anomaly given those struggles, but he proved otherwise in 2020.

Bauer also helped Cleveland reach the 2016 World Series, when they lost to the Chicago Cubs in a memorable seven-game battle.

Despite coming so close that year, he is missing a championship ring from his resume. That could change if he joins the Mets, who feature a formidable rotation that already includes Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman. Of course, signing with the Dodgers—the reigning World Series champs—could also help him pursue a ring.

If Bauer does sign with New York, it would not be difficult to envision those three taking over the playoffs and carrying the Mets to postseason success after they missed out on the playoffs the last four years.

The market for 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer appears to be down to the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Mets have offered Bauer a three-year deal worth close to $100 million.

That comes after Andy Martino of SNY reported the chatter around Major League Baseball is that the Mets are "quite serious" in their talks with Bauer. 

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1357436957647917068

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Mets are seen as the "current favorite" to sign Bauer. Morosi added the Mets are "increasingly confident" they will land the star pitcher. 

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com noted the Mets "continue to be engaged" with Bauer, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are still in the mix. Per Heyman, New York expects to get an answer from Bauer's camp—regardless of whether he accepts or rejects its offer—within the next 24 hours or so. 

The Dodgers are indeed the other team still vying for Trevor Bauer, via sources. They have the advantage of being his hometown team and also the World Series champion. Should be an interesting battle that’s expected to be settled within 24 hours.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 4, 2021

Rachel Luba, Bauer's agent, tweeted "down to two," presumably in reference to the number of her client's free-agent suitors. 

Bauer is the biggest free agent still on the market and could be in line for the biggest contract of the offseason. He's coming off the best season of his career with the Cincinnati Reds. 

It's unclear how much, if at all, the Mets have adjusted their offer to Bauer. Martino reported last week that the two sides were "far apart" in contract talks. 

The Dodgers seemed like a late entrant into the Bauer sweepstakes. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Jan. 20 that the reigning World Series champions were "monitoring" Bauer's market and "could be a player depending on the price."

The Mets have been connected to virtually every marquee free agent at some point this offseason. Their biggest move came via trade when they acquired Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland last month. 

Bauer led the NL with a 1.73 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in 11 starts. The 30-year-old also had 100 strikeouts in 73 innings to become the first Reds pitcher to win a Cy Young Award.

Less than two weeks from the scheduled start date for spring training, Jackie Bradley Jr. reportedly is seeking a significant contract in free agency.

Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, Bradley is believed to be seeking a deal "perhaps beyond four years."

Bradley hit free agency coming off arguably his best offensive season in 2020. The 30-year-old hit .283/.364/.450 with seven homers and 22 RBI in 55 games for the Boston Red Sox. 

ESPN's Buster Olney reported last week that the Red Sox are "unlikely" to re-sign Bradley because they are pushing up against the luxury-tax threshold. 

There are still several veteran outfielders available on the market, including Marcell Ozuna and Brett Gardner. Bradley is the safest bet in that group because of his defensive value in center field. He won a Gold Glove award in 2018 and ranks fifth among all center fielders with 33 defensive runs saved since 2015. 

Bradley has spent his entire career in the Red Sox organization after being selected in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft. He made his big-league debut in 2013, was named to the AL All-Star team in 2016 and won a World Series with the team in 2018.