MLB Rumors

After being traded by the Chicago Cubs midway through the 2021 season, Anthony Rizzo could return to the club as a free agent this offseason.

Per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Cubs have had "internal conversations" about pursuing Rizzo when Major League Baseball's lockout comes to an end.

As the Cubs were in the midst of finishing 71-91 last season, the front office decided to look toward the future by dealing Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant prior to the July 30 trade deadline.

Rizzo was moved to the New York Yankees for prospects Alexander Vizcaino and Kevin Alcantara.

Frank Schwindel was fantastic as the Cubs' primary first baseman after Rizzo was traded last season, hitting .342/.389/.613 with 13 homers in 56 games. But he was also a 29-year-old rookie who had no extended MLB experience prior to 2021.

A three-time All-Star, Rizzo turned in a solid 2021 campaign between the Cubs and Yankees, hitting .248/.344/.440 with 22 homers and 61 RBI in 496 at-bats over 141 games. 

The Yankees could end up slotting Luke Voit back in at first base if they want to move on from Rizzo. Injuries limited Voit to 68 games last season, but he still managed a .764 OPS and 11 homers in 213 at-bats.

The Cubs are in an interesting spot because they made one notable move prior to the lockout that seems to indicate they want to contend in 2022, signing Marcus Stroman to a three-year, $71 million deal on Dec. 1 with an opt out after the second season.

If Chicago's front office believes the roster has the talent to contend, signing a player like Rizzo makes sense. He's only 32 and doesn't figure to cost a ton as a free agent.    

Major League Baseball reportedly stopped testing players for steroids after baseball's drug agreement between the league and MLBPA expired on Dec. 1, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. 

It's the first time in nearly 20 years that MLBPA players aren't being drug tested and comes as a result of the ongoing lockout. 

"It should be a major concern to all those who value fair play,” the chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, told the AP.

"If it's just a simple matter of agreeing to it, you would have hoped [the MLB and MLBPA] would have been able to get that figured out, so that when the game does restart, you don't have questions hanging over individual players based on size, speed, batting percentage, home run numbers, whatever it may be, that people are going to call into question again," he added.

The league and its players agreed to drug testing in 2002 amid the sport's steroids scandal, adding urine testing for performance-enhancing drugs and penalties for failed tests in 2004, testing for banned amphetamines in 2006 and blood testing for human growth hormone (HGH) in 2012. 

The MLB and MLBPA remain at odds on a new collective bargaining agreement, with the owners instituting a lockout in December. The standoff has even caught the attention of politicians in Washington, D.C. 

"I have spoken to both the MLBPA and MLB about the ongoing contract negotiations and encourage both sides to continue engagement," United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh said via a spokesperson, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. "Like any contract negotiation in any industry, I stand ready to help facilitate productive conversations that result in the best outcome for workers and employers."

Per that report, the players are not interested in negotiating through a third party such as Walsh or the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service at this time. 

U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is willing to wade into the ongoing negotiations between MLB and the MLB Players Association over a new collective bargaining agreement, according to Politico's Jonathan Lemire.

Walsh was the mayor of Boston prior to joining President Joe Biden's administration in March 2021. He also has extensive labor experience, getting elected to serve as president of Laborers International Union Local 223 in 2005.

"I have spoken to both the MLBPA and MLB about the ongoing contract negotiations and encourage both sides to continue engagement," a spokesperson for Walsh said to The Athletic's Evan Drellich. "Like any contract negotiation in any industry, I stand ready to help facilitate productive conversations that result in the best outcome for workers and employers."

Given the long-simmering friction between team owners and the MLBPA, CBA negotiations have gone about as well as fans expected when the owners locked the players out in December.

A report from ESPN's Jeff Passan on Jan. 25 summed up how the appearance of any progress is effectively nullified by a wide gulf between what the respective parties still want.

As one example, MLB reportedly agreed to funding a pre-arbitration pool of money for the top 30 players by WAR. However, the league was looking to make only $10 million available, well below the $105 million sought by the MLBPA.

On Feb. 4, MLB requested the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to help expedite negotiations. The MLBPA denied the offer, citing what it believed to be a level of obstinacy among the league's representatives:

New York Mets ace Max Scherzer, who serves as a representative for the MLBPA, also commented on the situation:

Given his experience in labor battles, Walsh might be able to provide valuable guidance for MLB and the MLBPA to achieve a resolution. Drellich noted, though, his role "could be less formal" compared to what federal mediators would've provided.

Either way, it seems doubtful that Walsh's insertion into negotiations would be able to preclude a delay to spring training. The first games are scheduled to begin Feb. 26.

Don't expect spring training to start on time.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday's meeting between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association ended with "little progress" and that "a delay feels inevitable."

Passan added: "The on-time opening of spring training at this point is in grave danger and, frankly, would take a miraculous deal coming together to rescue."

Jon Heyman of MLB Network echoed those sentiments, reporting both sides are "disappointed" after the union offered "small" concessions such as decreasing the bonus pool from $105 million to $100 million compared to the league's suggested total of $10 million.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post used a football analogy to illustrate the situation:

He also reported the union is looking for more money for players with zero to three years of service time, less punishment for those teams that go into the luxury-tax territory and higher thresholds for luxury taxes.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the two sides are still "far apart" on bonus pool and service-time issues. What's more, Tuesday's meeting did nothing to decrease the differences in propositions for minimum salary ($775,000 to $615,000) and luxury tax ($245 million to $214 million).

ESPN's Jesse Rogers ran through a timeline of when various dates will be in jeopardy and noted a deal will likely need to be reached by Feb. 19 for the scheduled Feb. 26 spring training games to begin.

He said that Opening Day on March 31 will be at risk if there isn't a deal in place by March 3.

The lockout has no end in sight. The players have rejected multiple proposals from the league and made some counterproposals, while the league apparently isn't pleased with how Tuesday's discussions unfolded.

The two sides will need to come together soon if the season is going to unfold as scheduled, especially since offseason tasks such as signing free agents still need to be completed.

MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association are making small steps toward agreeing on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Monday's meeting was "contentious" and that there's a lot of work left to do, but the two sides agreed to meet again Tuesday. After meeting just once in nearly two months since the initial lockout on Dec. 2, the continued dialogue is progress.

The MLBPA also made significant concessions on Monday, dropping key parts from its previous proposal, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. The biggest one was the plan for an age-based free-agency system.

The players have tried to reduce the six years of major league service time required to reach free agency, but it has seemingly been a nonstarter from the owners' perspective. In the initial plan, players would reach free agency after five seasons if they were at least 30.5 years old.

The union has also suggested arbitration starting after two years instead of three, which remains in the latest proposal. Per Drellich, this is one of the two major hurdles to a new deal along with potential changes to revenue sharing. 

Monday's proposal from the MLBPA did alter its plans for revenue sharing between the teams, although the league would still have to agree.

The two sides already discussed noncore economic issues at a Dec. 17 meeting, per ESPN's Jesse Rogers. This included scheduling and potential changes to the drug and domestic violence policies.

That could lead to a resolution if the two sides can get over the other obstacles.

Spring training is currently scheduled to begin Feb. 26 with the regular season starting on March 31, creating urgency if both sides want to avoid losing games.    

Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki is expected to be pursued by 10-12 MLB teams once the lockout concludes.

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported Suzuki has met with around a dozen teams via Zoom, with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants among the known suitors.

Suzuki was posted by his Japanese club, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, in November. He's expected to draw one of the highest contracts for a Japanese player coming to the States in MLB history. 

One estimate has Suzuki commanding a five-year contract worth around $60 million. 

The 27-year-old is a five-time Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star and five-time Central League Golden Glove winner since joining the Carp in 2013. He won the Central League batting title in 2019 and is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he hit .317/.433/.636 with a career-high 38 home runs and 88 runs batted in.

While the power may not translate perfectly to MLB, Suzuki is an excellent hitter with a keen eye at the plate and defensive range who could top 20 home runs on a regular basis. He should plug in immediately as an everyday player wherever he lands, though there has been no indication of where he is leaning. 

No MLB team can sign Suzuki or conduct any other business until the lockout ends. 

Juan Soto reportedly won't be the only member of his family in the Washington Nationals organization.

According to The Athletic, the Nationals will bring in Soto's younger brother, Elian, when he is eligible to sign with the team. While the timeline could change depending on the rules in a new collective bargaining agreement, currently, the 15-year-old Soto is not eligible to sign with the Nationals until January 2023.

This contradicts previous reports suggesting Soto would sign with the division rival New York Mets.

On Wednesday, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post noted Elian Soto posted a video on Instagram wearing Mets gear with a caption reading "Are you ready for what’s coming this year?"

Davidoff also cited another team official that said many around the league expected Soto, who, like his brother, is being advised by Scott Boras, to sign with the Mets for a bonus of approximately $50,000.

Alas, family ties may have won out here, although it remains to be seen whether the older Soto will even be on the Nationals when his younger brother is ready for the major leagues.

The 23-year-old outfielder is under contract through the 2024 campaign and would likely be a headliner in free agency if he were to hit the open market. After all, he is one of the league's best players with a resume that includes a World Series title, two Silver Sluggers, a batting title and an All-Star selection in just four seasons.

He slashed .313/.465/.534 with 29 home runs and 95 RBI in 151 games last season for the Nationals.

If the younger Soto ends up being anywhere close to the same type of player his brother is, Washington will have another star on its hands.           

For the first time since the start of the Major League Baseball lockout on Dec. 1, the league and MLB Players Association reportedly met Thursday.

According to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, the two sides discussed "non-core economic issues" including "scheduling, grievance procedures, special events, and/or the drug and domestic violence policies."

Rogers added that negotiations related to the major sticking points between the sides will not occur until after the start of the new year.

Among the main issues that need to be worked out between the MLB and MLBPA are revenue sharing, arbitration and how many years of service players must accrue before becoming free agents.

After the previous collective bargaining agreement expired on Dec. 1, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the situation with the media and explained the rationale behind a lockout.

Manfred suggested that the primary motivation behind a lockout was avoiding an in-season work stoppage, saying: "If you play without an agreement you're vulnerable to a strike at any point in time."

That was in reference to the 1994 MLB season, which resulted in a midseason strike and no World Series being played.

Manfred also acknowledged that a lockout is "bad for business," but expressed optimism regarding a new CBA getting done before the 2022 season, saying: "I don't feel frustrated. I'm disappointed we didn't get to an agreement. I'm optimistic we are going to get a deal."

While strikes have resulted in missed games three times throughout MLB history, a lockout has never led to games getting canceled.

In hopes of similar results this time around, the league is in a holding pattern, which has made for a unique situation.

Just before the lockout began, there was a flurry of major free-agent signings such as Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to the Texas Rangers, Javier Baez to the Detroit Tigers, Kevin Gausman to the Toronto Blue Jays, Robbie Ray to the Seattle Mariners and both Max Scherzer and Starling Marte to the New York Mets.

Because the lockout interrupted free agency, big names such as first baseman Freddie Freeman, third baseman Kris Bryant, shortstops Carlos Correa and Trevor Story and pitchers Carlos Rodon and Clayton Kershaw remain unsigned.

With no immediate end in sight to the lockout, it could be some time before those players find new homes.

Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren will reportedly interview for the New York Mets managerial vacancy, according to Andy Martino of SNY and Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Martino added that Brad Ausmus, Joe Espada, Buck Showalter, Matt Quatraro and Don Kelly are other candidates for the job. 

Geren, 60, served as the Oakland Athletics manager from 2007 to 2011, posting a 334-376 record. The team never made the postseason on his watch. He also served as a bench coach with Oakland (2003-06) and held that position with the Mets (2012-15) and the Dodgers (2016-present). 

He'll be plenty familiar with Mets president Sandy Alderson, who hired him to be the team's bench coach in 2012 under manager Terry Collins when Alderson was the team's general manager. 

Geren also played for the New York Yankees (1988-91) and San Diego Padres (1993) as a catcher, designated hitter, first baseman and third baseman. He hit .233 in his career with 22 homers and 76 RBI across 307 games.

The Mets have new leadership under team owner Steve Cohen and Alderson, with Billy Eppler hired to be the team's general manager after Jared Porter was fired in January 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment and interim general manager Zack Scott was fired in November after he was arrested for DWI.

Alongside hitting free agency hard—Eppler already signed starting pitcher Max Scherzer, outfielder Starling Marte and third baseman Eduardo Escobar before MLB owners locked out the players following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement earlier this month—finding a new manager is a top priority for these Mets. 

Geren would bring plenty of experience to the post and a familiarity with the Mets, though his track record as the head honcho isn't great. He wouldn't be the sort of high-profile hire that the Big Apple papers love, but he's reportedly very much in the running for the gig.

The Miami Marlins have reportedly acquired infielder Joey Wendle in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, according to Craig Mish of MLB Network.

The Rays reportedly will receive outfield prospect Kameron Misner in return, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Wendle earned his first All-Star selection last season, finishing the year with a .265 average and .319 on-base percentage with 11 home runs, 73 runs and 54 RBI. He primarily played third base in 2021 but also spent time at second base and shortstop.

The versatility could be especially valuable for a Marlins team with a lot of holes after going 67-95 last season.

Consistency is the biggest question mark for Wendle, who produced a .786 on-base plus slugging in the first half of 2021 but a .687 mark in the second half. The 31-year-old was a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2018 when he hit .300 in 139 games, but he has averaged just .260 at the plate over the past three seasons.

It was enough for the Rays to move on from a key contributor to last year's 100-62 record.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic also previously reported Tampa Bay needed a trade to clear a roster spot for Corey Kluber. 

The Rays also receive the Marlins' No. 21 prospect in the deal, according to MLB.com.

Misner was a first-round draft pick in 2019 and has displayed a wide skill set in the professional ranks. The 23-year-old hit .253 with a .355 on-base percentage in 102 games across Single-A and Double-A last season, adding 12 home runs and 26 stolen bases.