MLB Rumors

Star shortstop Trevor Story declined an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the Colorado Rockies, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

Story will now hit MLB free agency. Should he sign elsewhere, the Rockies will receive a draft pick as compensation. Many expect the two-time All-Star to ply his trade elsewhere in 2022, so his decision to turn down the qualifying offer wasn't a surprise.

Colorado decided to keep Story through the 2021 MLB deadline, which was somewhat unexpected because the team clearly wasn't going to make the playoffs—the Rockies finished 74-87.

"I'm confused, and I don't have really anything good to say about the situation and how it unfolded," Story told reporters at the time.

General manager Bill Schmidt, however, made it pretty clear the franchise would be happy to watch the 29-year-old leave and collect the compensation pick, per MLB.com's Thomas Harding:

With the way the system is set up, there's a financial component to it. Depending where the pick is, it's probably a couple million dollars added to your [signing] pool money that you're able to use throughout the draft. So it's just not that player. It might be a couple other players.

“But with that pick, that was where Trevor was drafted. Nolan [Arenado] was in the vicinity, Ryan McMahon—we've had some success. We've had some misses, but we've had a lot of success in those areas.

Following the conclusion of the regular season, Story said he might still be willing to return to Denver. What he identified as a main focus in determining his next destination, however, effectively took the Rockies off the table. 

"Winning is at the top of the list, and that's something that has always meant the most to me," he told reporters. "I think this is a chance for me to kind of see where that's at."

One reason Story might have taken the qualifying offer was that it afforded a level of certainty at a time of volatility.

MLB owners and the MLB Players Association might be facing a work stoppage, which would put any normal offseason business on the back burner. And with free agency formally underway, Story is one of multiple prominent shortstops hitting the open market.

Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Javier Baez are all available to the highest bidder, so Story's representatives could have a hard time pinpointing their client's earning power right now.

The Texas native put together a solid 2021 season but was still a level or two below what he delivered in his back-to-back All-Star seasons in 2018 and 2019.

In 142 appearances, he had 24 home runs, 75 RBI and a .251/.329/.471 slash line. Per Baseball Savant, he had a .448 expected slugging percentage and .341 expected weighted on-base average. Those numbers both declined for the third straight year.

🚨 Trevor Story bat flip 🚨 pic.twitter.com/3LOro2yKqK

— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2021

Story's home and road splits will likely raise some concerns as well. He has a .972 OPS at Coors Field and a .752 everywhere else in MLB for his career, according to Baseball Reference.

Of course, the same questions surrounded Nolan Arenado, who had 34 home runs and a .494 slugging percentage in his first season with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Story should be able to find a new home before Opening Day, but he may not get the kind of payday that appeared to be headed his way a few seasons ago. Having said that, turning down the qualifying offer shouldn't wind up being a big mistake given both his earning power and the overall state of the Rockies.

Billy Eppler is finalizing a contract to become the next general manager of the New York Mets, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

That news comes after Andy Martino of SNY reported Eppler was expected to fill the vacancy.

Ken Rosenthal reported earlier Monday that the Mets had offered Eppler the job, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post added the two sides were discussing contract details. Per Martino, contract talks had reached a point where an agreement was viewed as "likely."

Martino previously reported the Mets had yet to confirm any progress in their GM search:

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1460366852341833731

Eppler served as the Los Angeles Angels' GM from 2015 until his firing in September 2020. Prior to that, he worked his way up the New York Yankees organization to become their assistant GM.

The Mets have drawn negative headlines as they pursue candidates.

While not as successful as its neighbor in the Big Apple, the franchise plays in one of the biggest markets in the world, which generally provides a benefit when attempting to land marquee stars.

Owner Steve Cohen also appears to be willing to spend. The Mets gave Francisco Lindor a 10-year, $341 million extension, and they had the third-biggest Opening Day payroll, per Cot's Baseball Contracts.

That's what made this comment Nov. 9 from team president Sandy Alderson somewhat puzzling: "I think it's mostly about New York, and not about, you know, Steve or the organization or what have you. It's a big stage and some people would just prefer to be elsewhere."

One could argue it's a troubling sign that Alderson had to deny the Mets' struggles to hire a GM are related to Cohen, given the perception that's growing around the team owner.

Hiring Eppler may work out, but his arrival would likely leave some fans underwhelmed.

The 46-year-old helped the Angels land Shohei Ohtani, and he was in charge when L.A. got Mike Trout to pledge his future to the franchise with a record-setting 12-year, $426.5 million extension. Eppler also did his best to overhaul a minor league system that was routinely in the bottom half of the league.

Having said that, the Angels failed to post a winning record in any of his five years as GM. Beyond signing Ohtani, there isn't much Eppler can point to in terms of personnel masterstrokes either.

If this is how the Mets' prolonged GM search ends, then their new-look front office will face skepticism right out of the gate.

The New York Yankees are reportedly exploring free-agent options for a left-handed first baseman, and that includes Atlanta Braves star Freddie Freeman.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that New York met with Freeman's representatives, even though the likelihood is that he remains with the Braves.

Heyman added that re-signing Anthony Rizzo or pursuing a possible trade candidate in Oakland A's first baseman Matt Olson would be more realistic options for the Yankees.

Freeman has spent his entire 12-year career with Atlanta. After leading the team to its first World Series title since 1995, it can be expected that he would want to finish his career where he started.

But the Braves failed to lock up Freeman with an extension before the offseason, so testing the open market opens up a wealth of possibilities for the lefty slugger. Freeman followed up his 2020 NL MVP season with 31 home runs and 83 RBI while batting .300 this past year.

Despite making the playoffs for the fifth straight year, the Yankees are coming off a disappointing season in which the team failed to find any consistency. One of the glaring issues was the need for left-handed hitters in a righty-dominant lineup.

New York acquired Rizzo and outfielder Joey Gallo at this year's trade deadline in deals with the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, respectively. Rizzo batted .249 and hit eight homers in 49 games in New York, while Gallo disappointed with a .160 average and 13 home runs in 58 games.

Freeman would fit nicely into the Yankees lineup, but he would likely require a big-money contract to pry him away from Atlanta. New York has multiple holes to fill in free agency, most notably at shortstop and in its starting pitching rotation.

Whether they land Freeman or not, the Yankees are poised to make a few splashes in free agency in hopes of setting themselves up to make their first World Series appearance since 2009.

The Miami Marlins are doing their due diligence in evaluating free-agent outfielders.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that Miami has met with Nick Castellanos' agent, Scott Boras, following the right fielder's standout season for the Cincinnati Reds.

Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson stated that the Marlins have also shown interest in Milwaukee Brewers free agent Avisail Garcia.

Castellanos will be one of the most coveted free agents this offseason after putting together the best season of his 10-year career. The 29-year-old recorded career highs in WAR (3.2), batting average (.309) and home runs (34) while adding 100 RBI.

Castellanos, who earned his first selection to the All-Star Game, was set to make a guaranteed $34 million over the next two seasons, but he opted out of the final two years of his contract. Cincinnati tagged him with an $18.4 million qualifying offer, but he declined it last week in favor of testing the open market.

Garcia opted out of his mutual contract option last week, and the 10-year veteran also could be in line for a big payday after coming off a career year. Garcia had career highs of 29 home runs and 86 RBI while hitting .262 in 135 games last season. Milwaukee chose not to give him a qualifying offer.

The Marlins went 67-95 last season, finishing in fourth place in the NL East and missing the playoffs. in 2020, Miami had advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2004, winning the NL Wild Card Series over the Chicago Cubs before getting swept in the NLDS by the Atlanta Braves.

The offensive production fell off a cliff for Miami last year. The Marlins finished 28th in MLB with a team batting average of .233 and 29th in runs scored with 623.

While adding Castellanos or Garcia would be a major boost to their lineup, the Marlins have multiple holes to fill and will have to spend their money wisely.

The Los Angeles Angels have their eyes on starting pitching this offseason.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Robbie Ray, Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard and Alex Wood are all seen as potential fits for the Angels in free agency.

Los Angeles finished last season with a 77-85 record while the team's 4.69 ERA ranked just 22nd in the majors. It meant a seventh straight year without a playoff appearance for the organization.

Shohei Ohtani will return as the ace of the staff, while Jose Suarez and Patrick Sandoval were serviceable in the rotation last season. The team still needs replacements for Alex Cobb and Dylan Bundy, who are free agents after poor 2021 seasons.

It's clear the squad needs more front-line starters to help compete in the American League West.

Ray would certainly be an upgrade after a Cy Young Award-worthy season for the Toronto Blue Jays. The left-hander had a 2.84 ERA, 1.045 WHIP and 248 strikeouts, all bests in the AL.

Consistency might be a concern after Ray produced a 6.62 ERA in 12 appearances during the shortened 2020 season, but his career 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings indicate he can succeed anywhere.

Wood is also coming off an impressive season with the San Francisco Giants, going 10-4 with a 3.83 ERA and 3.9 strikeouts per walk. The 30-year-old won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 and helped the Giants post the best record in the majors last year.

Stroman didn't play at all in 2020 after opting out but proved his ability this past season with a 3.02 ERA in 33 starts for the New York Mets.

Syndergaard is more of a question mark after Tommy John surgery cost him nearly two full seasons. The Mets right-hander returned in time to pitch two innings at the end of 2021, allowing two runs in this stretch.

It could be a significant risk for a player who hasn't been an All-Star since 2016.    

It might be a long offseason for Major League Baseball and its players.

With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire on Dec. 1, the league and the players association will have to negotiate a new one prior to the 2022 campaign if the season is going to happen on time. 

However, Jon Heyman of MLB Network cited a management source who said the negotiations are "as bad as I've ever seen it." The source also predicts "two-and-a-half months of pain" are ahead.

The last work stoppage for MLB happened in 1994 with a strike that prevented the World Series.

There were a number of contested negotiations surrounding the shortened 2020 campaign because of COVID-19, including the length of the season, whether players would receive prorated salaries, and health and safety protocols.

A work stoppage may be in store this time around, though. Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reported the league's ninth work stoppage "appears almost certain to start on Dec. 2" when the current system in place expires.

The looming reality will surely impact the free-agent market this offseason as notable players such as Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Freddie Freeman, Max Scherzer, Marcus Semien and Kris Bryant hit the open market.

From the teams' perspective, they may be more hesitant to grant pricey contracts without fully knowing what a potential luxury-tax threshold will be in 2022. From the players' perspective, having something like a payroll floor may encourage more teams to bid for players and drive up contract offers.

Blum noted the teams have proposed a lower luxury threshold and a payroll floor, although players have traditionally been against floors because they believe it will be a slippery slope toward an eventual salary cap.

Teams also proposed for the luxury-tax threshold to be lowered from $210 million to $180 million. Yet the players association pointed out that the average major league salary for 2021 is projected to be $3.9 million, which is lower than the $4.1 million figure in 2017.

It appears as if both sides remain quite far apart, which means the league's top free agents may be waiting for some time until they know where they will be taking the field in 2022.      

The New York Yankees are reportedly expected to be big players in free agency this season, especially at the shortstop position.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Wednesday that "some evaluators in the industry" believe the Yankees will pursue elite shortstops, including Corey Seager.

There has perhaps never been a more stacked group of free-agent shortstops in one offseason, as Seager, Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, Marcus Semien and Javier Baez are all set to be available on the open market.

While the Yankees reached the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season in 2021, it was considered a disappointing campaign for the franchise.

New York entered the season as the favorite to win the American League, but it could only muster a third-place finish in the AL East at 92-70, eight games behind the division-winning Tampa Bay Rays.

To make matters worse, the Yanks fell to the division runner-up Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Game, marking the first time they weren't among the final four teams standing in the American League since 2016, when they last missed the postseason.

Shortstop was a major problem area for the Yankees last season, as Gleyber Torres struggled both offensively and defensively before getting shifted to second base.

Torres played far better in all phases as a second baseman, so it stands to reason he will remain there in 2022.

New York's primary shortstop option with Torres at second was Gio Urshela, but he is much better and a more natural fit at third base. That should lead New York to go all-out to sign a high-end shortstop this offseason.

Seager was the one specifically mentioned by Olney, and it can be argued that he is the best shortstop and overall player on the market.

The 27-year-old is a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, plus he was named the National League Championship Series MVP and World Series MVP when the Los Angeles Dodgers won it all in 2020.

Seager is also a left-handed batter, which would play well at Yankee Stadium and give New York's lineup more balance.

Although Seager missed significant time last season because of a hand injury, he was highly productive when healthy, hitting .306 with 16 home runs, 57 RBI and 54 runs in 95 games.

Correa is another elite option after enjoying a career year with the Houston Astros, while Story and Semien are perhaps just a slight step down and then followed by Baez.

Amid rumblings that the Oakland Athletics are looking into reducing their payroll, several of their veteran players are reportedly available in trades. 

Chris Bassitt, Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are among the players that Oakland is willing to take offers on, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman. 

In a recent interview with John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, A's general manager David Forst indicated that ownership may look to reduce payroll before the 2022 season. 

"I think right now we’re in the middle of those conversations with [ownership],” said Forst. "We don’t have exact direction yet. But you look at our history, and we have three- or four-year runs and recognize where we are makes it necessary to step back. But we have not gotten to that point yet with ownership."

Oakland's 2021 payroll was $90.9 million, per Spotrac. That marked a $54.2 million increase from the previous season ($36.7 million). 

USA Today's Bob Nightengale cited two MLB executives who believe the Athletics are planning to go with a "major-league low $50 million (payroll) for the 2022 season."

The A's have several players who could be attractive trade candidates, including Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson. It's unclear if the team is going to make either of them available. 

Bassitt and Manaea both have one more year of team control before they can become free agents. Montas is under team control for two more seasons before hitting free agency after 2023. 

The combination of Montas' age (28) and team control would likely make him the most attractive trade chip for Oakland. He finished 2021 with a 3.37 ERA, setting career highs in starts (32), innings pitched (187) and strikeouts (207). 

Bassitt, 32, led the A's starters with a 3.15 ERA and was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career this season. 

Manaea, 29, had a career year in 2021 with a 3.91 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 179.1 innings over 32 starts. The southpaw tied for the MLB lead with two complete-game shutouts. 

Oakland finished the season with an 86-76 record but missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2017.    

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos and New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto were among the 14 free agents to receive an $18.4 million qualifying offer on Sunday, but they will reportedly test the open market.

ESPN insider Jeff Passan reports that Conforto plans to decline the offer and enter free agency. Reds beat writer Bobby Nightengale reports that Castellanos will do the same.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager also declined his qualifying offer, per L.A. Times reporter Jorge Castillo. The 27-year-old former World Series MVP is sure to command a ton of interest in free agency after hitting .306/.394/.521 with 16 home runs and 57 RBI in 2021.

Castellanos, who was guaranteed $34 million over the next two seasons, opted out of the final two years of his contract last week. The 29-year-old is coming off a career year in 2021 and could be in line for a big payday this offseason.

Castellanos posted career highs in WAR (3.3), batting average (.309) and home runs (34) while adding 100 RBI, his second 100-RBI season and first since 2017. He was named to the All-Star Game for the first time in his nine-year career.

While Castellanos isn't known for his defense, the expected implementation of the universal designated hitter is sure to increase his list of potential suitors.

Conforto is coming off a down year. He batted just .232 in 125 games, his lowest batting average since his second season in the majors in 2016. A strained hamstring kept him out for over a month during the season, but he managed to hit 14 home runs and drive in 55 runs. 

An All-Star selection in 2017, Conforto is still just 28 years old and will likely receive a lot of interest on the open market.

MLB teams are entitled to draft pick compensation if a player rejects the qualifying offer and signs elsewhere.

Free-agent pitcher Justin Verlander held a workout on Monday, and both New York teams reportedly had an eye on the former Houston Astros ace.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets sent two scouts to see Verlander. He added that an executive from another team said the two-time Cy Young Award winner "looked good."

Sherman also said that the New York Yankees had a scout in attendance as Verlander's workout was held at a facility owned by Eric Cressey, the team's director of player health and performance.

Verlander hasn't pitched a full season since 2019, the last time he won the Cy Young. He pitched one game in 2020 before being shut down because of a forearm strain. The 38-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in September of that year and he missed all of 2021 while recovering.

Verlander was reportedly among the 14 free agents to receive qualifying offers before Sunday night's deadline. The one-year qualifying contract would be worth $18.4 million. A team is entitled to draft pick compensation if a player rejects the offer and signs elsewhere.

When healthy, Verlander is one of the best pitchers in MLB. Two seasons ago, the right-hander led the league in innings pitched (223.0) and wins (21), had 300 strikeouts (12.2 per nine innings) and a 2.58 ERA. The eight-time All-Star helped lead the Astros to a World Series title in 2017, the first of his career, and another appearance in 2019.

A healthy Verlander would be a big boost to either New York team's pitching staff.

The Yankees lacked depth in their starting rotation last season. Gerrit Cole was the team's ace, but he fell apart late in the season, including in New York's loss to the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Game. Behind Cole, Yankees starters failed to perform consistently.

For the Mets, pairing Verlander with Jacob deGrom would give them one of the strongest duos in baseball. DeGrom was limited to 15 starts in 2021 because of elbow issues, but he had a 1.08 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 92 innings.