MLB Rumors

The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are interested in free-agent utility man Marwin Gonzalez, who played his last two seasons with the Minnesota Twins. 

Jon Heyman of MLB Network and WFAN Sports Radio reported the Phillies' interest while also noting that Philadelphia has looked into outfielder Shin Soo-Choo and infielder Brad Miller.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com broke the news of the Mets' interest.

Gonzalez, who turns 32 in March, had a down year in 2020 with five home runs, 22 RBI and a career-low .211 batting average and .606 OPS in 53 games.

That season was an anomaly given his recent production: He averaged 16 home runs and 62 RBI while hitting .255 (.734 OPS) over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Gonzalez amassed the homer and RBI figures despite missing 65 games.

Gonzalez joined the big leagues in 2012 with the Houston Astros. He played in Houston for seven seasons, with his best year occurring for the 2017 World Series champions when he had 23 homers, 90 RBI, a .303 batting average and .907 OPS. 

Chris Archer is going back to his first Major League Baseball team.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the right-hander and Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a one-year, $6.5 million contract pending a physical. Archer pitched for the Rays from 2012 until 2018, when they traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Archer, who missed the 2020 campaign after undergoing surgery for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, was at his best when he was in Tampa Bay.

He was an All-Star in 2015 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 252 strikeouts in 212 innings and made his second career All-Star Game in 2017 when he finished with a 4.07 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 249 strikeouts in 201 innings.

He also finished with an ERA below 3.40 three straight years from 2013 through 2015 and was one of the best pitchers in a daunting American League East.

The Rays could use production like that again as they look to defend their American League pennant. They traded Blake Snell to the San Diego Padres this offseason, leaving a glaring need for a top-notch starting pitcher in 2021.

It may be too much to ask of Archer for him to perform like he did in his prime considering he missed last season and posted a 5.19 ERA in 2019 for the Pirates, but he is familiar with the organization and is still just 32 years old.

He also won't have the pressure of being the staff ace with Tyler Glasnow on the team. Ironically, Tampa Bay originally acquired Glasnow in the trade that sent Archer to the Pirates.

If the Milwaukee Brewers want to trade Josh Hader, there are reportedly two World Series contenders who are at least showing interest in the All-Star closer.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays are among the potential suitors for Hader. 

It's unclear if either team has made an offer to the Brewers, but Passan did note both teams have the means to create an attractive trade proposal:

"While spending big money on relievers isn't the Rays' style—and Hader could cost more than $30 million for the next three seasons—they have the deepest farm system in baseball and a manager in Kevin Cash who has proved deft with his bullpen touch. (Save the Game 6 cracks. It's true.) San Diego, on the other hand, could use a traditional closer, and general manager A.J. Preller could dip into his rotation depth to land a reliever of Hader's caliber."

The Brewers have been shopping Hader at various points in each of the past two years, though nothing has come of them possibly because of a high asking price by the team. 

Things don't appear to be any different at this point. Robert Murray of FanSided reported on Tuesday that Milwaukee's asking price is said to be "overwhelming," because the team believes him to be "the best left-handed reliever in baseball."

Hader will earn $6.675 million in 2021 and has two more years of arbitration remaining. 

The Rays are among the most creative teams in Major League Baseball with how they manage their pitching staff. Their relievers lead MLB with 1,041.2 innings pitched over the past two seasons. Their 3.62 ERA during that span ranks third in the league. 

Tampa's formula worked in 2020, with the team advancing to the World Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. 

The Padres are building a potential superteam after acquiring Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to anchor their starting rotation. Their bullpen tied for 13th in MLB last season with a 4.38 ERA.

San Diego had a breakout season in 2020. The franchise made the postseason for the first time in 14 years with a 37-23 record, but were swept in the National League Division Series by the Dodgers. 

Last season was the worst year of Hader's career, though it came in a limited sample size of just 19 innings. The 26-year-old posted a 3.79 ERA with 31 strikeouts and eight hits allowed in 21 appearances. He did lead the National League with 13 saves in 15 opportunities. 

The Atlanta Braves have reportedly "checked in" with the Colorado Rockies about a potential blockbuster trade for third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported Friday that the Braves are a "long shot" in the Arenado sweepstakes after Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted Thursday the St. Louis Cardinals are in active discussions with the Rockies about the five-time All-Star.

Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos is under pressure to bolster the club's lineup after outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall, who combined to hit 34 home runs during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, both entered free agency.

Ozuna, who finished sixth in National League MVP voting last year, is still available, but the Braves may be hesitant to invest heavily in him with MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association so far unable to agree on whether the NL will keep the designated hitter in 2021 and beyond.

The team did improve its starting rotation with the additions of Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly, but that power-hitting void must be filled to remain atop the highly competitive NL East for a third straight season.

Atlanta watched as the rival New York Mets (Francisco Lindor, James McCann, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor May) and Washington Nationals (Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester and Brad Hand) made significant improvements to their rosters during the offseason.

While the Philadelphia Phillies haven't made that same type of splash, they've worked to overhaul their bullpen, a major weakness in 2020, with the acquisitions of Archie Bradley, Jose Alvarado and Sam Coonrod.

A trade for Arenado would be the type of move that would solidify the Braves as the team to beat in the division once again in 2021. He would take over at third base with Austin Riley moving to left field, a major upgrade over current projected starter Ender Inciarte in the corner outfield.

The question isn't the fit but the financial aspect, with the eight-time Gold Glove Award winner set to make $35 million next season as part of his eight-year, $260 million contract. The deal runs through 2026, but he can opt out to become a free agent after 2021.

Given the Braves non-tendered Duvall because of concerns he could receive up to $7.1 million in arbitration, finding a way to make $35 million fit within their salary structure could be difficult; Heyman noted the Rockies don't want to absorb much of that money in order to trade him.

So it's easy to see why Atlanta is labeled as a long shot amid the talks, but there's little doubt he's exactly the type of player the club needs with its NL East rivals preparing to make a serious run.

The New York Mets have reportedly made an offer to pitcher Trevor Bauer worth less than the record annual value of $36 million and only for three or four years, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

The reported offer could also feature opt-outs.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today previously reported a deal for Bauer could "approach" the average salary record set by Gerrit Cole last offseason when he signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the New York Yankees.

Heyman added the battle for Bauer could come down to the Mets versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Los Angeles Angels were also considered in the running but the chances of them signing Bauer are now "practically zero," according to Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times. 

On Tuesday, Nightengale called the Mets the "favorites" to land Bauer.

The 30-year-old is coming off a huge season, winning the NL Cy Young Award after leading league with a 1.73 ERA and 0.795 WHIP. This is likely enough to lead to a high annual salary in his next deal.

Teams would still be smart to limit the years for a pitcher who has been inconsistent in his career.

Bauer's success in 2020 came in just 11 starts during a shortened season, while he has produced an ERA below four in only one other season. The right-hander has a 3.90 career ERA while he has allowed 7.9 hits per nine innings overall, much worse than his league-leading mark of 5.1 last year.

However, Heyman reported Bauer could be seeking a longer deal, which could be enough for opposing organizations to outbid the Mets.

The New York Mets reportedly added a left-handed arm to their bullpen on Wednesday.

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the National League East team reached an agreement with Aaron Loup, pending a physical. Jon Heyman of MLB Network noted it will be a one-year contract.

DiComo noted Loup is "the type of left-handed stalwart" New York still wanted after it missed out on signing Brad Hand, who went to the Washington Nationals.

The report pointed out Jerry Blevins is on a minor league deal and both Daniel Zamora and Stephen Tarpley "possess checkered recent histories," leaving the Mets with a glaring need for left-handed stability in the bullpen if they are going to parlay a busy offseason into a playoff spot in the National League.

Loup has been at the major league level since 2012 and pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays.

His 2020 campaign with Tampa Bay was an important bounce-back effort after he missed significant time in 2019 with an elbow injury. He finished with a 2.52 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 25 innings and helped lead the Rays to the World Series, where they ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York was a lackluster 18th in bullpen ERA last season, so someone like Loup with that postseason experience figures to be key to much-needed improvement.

He also doesn't have to be limited as just a left-handed specialist considering he is versatile enough to pitch entire innings with fairly even splits. In 2020, he held left-handed hitters to a .212/.278/.303 slash line with zero home runs and two RBI while holding right-handed hitters to a .192/.246/.423 slash line with three home runs and nine RBI.

Replicating that performance would provide a significant boost for the Mets.

The New York Yankees have added to their bullpen by reportedly agreeing to a deal with Darren O'Day. 

Lindsay Adler of The Athletic first reported O'Day had an agreement in place with the Yankees. MLB Network's Jon Heyman added O'Day is guaranteed $2.5 million in 2021 and there's a mutual option for 2022.

The reported addition of O'Day comes after the Yankees traded Adam Ottavino to the Boston Red Sox on Monday. 

Relief pitching is an area of strength for New York heading into 2021. O'Day is joining a group that already includes closer Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Chad Green, Luis Cessa and Jonathan Loaisiga. 

Building a deep bullpen can help ease some of the burden on a starting rotation that seems to lack depth right now. Gerrit Cole is locked in as the Yankees' ace, but there are questions about who will follow him.

Corey Kluber is hoping for a rebound year in 2021 after throwing one inning last year with the Texas Rangers because of a shoulder injury. Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton are still free agents. J.A. Happ left the Yankees to sign with the Minnesota Twins. Jordan Montgomery and Deivi Garcia combined to allow 44 earned runs in 78.1 innings last season. 

O'Day has been a steady reliever since making his big league debut in 2008 with the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander owns a 2.51 ERA in 604 career appearances for five different teams. He posted a 1.25 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 21.2 innings over the past two seasons with the Atlanta Braves. 

With the shortstop market dwindling after Marcus Semien and Andrelton Simmons agreed to deals with the Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins, the market for Didi Gregorius appears to be heating up.

Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies are "focusing" on adding the nine-year veteran. 

Gregorius is a free agent for the second straight offseason. He spent last year with the Phillies after signing a one-year contract in December 2019. The 30-year-old is reportedly seeking a two-year, $30 million deal this offseason, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

Thus far, the top available shortstops have all taken one-year deals. Semien is joining the Blue Jays on a one-year deal worth $18 million, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Passan also reported the Twins will make Simmons their starting shortstop after the two sides agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million contract. The Baltimore Orioles also announced Monday they signed Freddy Galvis, who spent last year with the Reds, to a one-year deal.

Philadelphia and Cincinnati are both trying to find a starting shortstop with spring training scheduled to begin in February, and both franchises are familiar with Gregorius.

He spent five years with the Reds organization after signing as an international free agent in 2007, and he is coming off a strong 2020 season with the Phillies. He hit .284/.339/.488 with 10 homers and 40 RBI in 60 games.

Justin Turner has narrowed down his free agency to four teams, and the Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly one of the teams on the list. 

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported that the Brewers were in contention to land the infielder, a day after he said the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers were among the finalists.

The fourth team in the chase has not been named.

Turner hit .307/.400/.460 through 42 games for the Dodgers last season.

The Dodgers are confident in their pursuit of the star, who has played with the defending World Series champions since 2014. Per Heyman, the Dodgers "remain optimistic" that they will be able to ink a new deal with the 36-year-old.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, who already made a big free agency move by signing George Springer to a six-year, franchise-record deal, could work Turner's veteran leadership into a young infield that includes Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 

A Brewers squad that finished 29-31 and fell to the Dodgers in the NL Wild Card would benefit from the addition of Turner.

Eric Sogard, who appeared in 30 games at the hot corner last season, is a free agent, while Luis Urias, who split time there since joining the Brewers from the San Diego Padres last season, struggled offensively. The 23-year-old hit .239/.308/.294 last season, so Turner's power and experience would be an upgrade.

In terms of what it will take, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reported Turner is looking for a four-year deal in what he knows may be his "final" contract, per Heyman, so any team hoping to make use of service should be prepared to shell out. 

Even though the Chicago Cubs elected to sign Kris Bryant to a one-year, $19.5 million deal this offseason, there are still rumors that he could be moved out of the city where he has spent the entirety of his six-year career. 

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, one Cubs official thinks the third baseman could head to the New York Mets or the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Mets have been in conversation with the Cubs about the 29-year-old, while the Blue Jays are rumored to have discussed a move that would have brought Bryant and Kyle Hendricks north of the border. 

Both teams have already made major moves this offseason. The Blue Jays signed outfielder George Springer to a six-year deal, while the Mets—who have been directed by new owner Steve Cohen to spend like "a major-market team," added former Cleveland star Francisco Lindor.

As for what Bryant wants, it's mostly for the speculation to end. He said last week that he was struggling to have fun amid constant rumors about his future. 

"It really got to me sometimes," he said on the Red Line Radio podcast (h/t Jesse Rogers of ESPN). "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."

Bryant struggled last year, hitting just .203 amid injuries, but he has consistently proven himself to be one of the best players in whatever league he's played in. Per Rogers, he is the only player to win college player of the year, minor league player of the year, Rookie of the Year and MVP in four straight seasons. 

Amid uncertainty in his production and his future, perhaps a move out of Chicago is the best thing for Bryant heading into his seventh year in the league.