Thread: Major League Baseball 2024 Season

• Mookie Betts will be Dodgers' everyday second baseman in 2024

Roberts: 'Safe to say' Betts is everyday second baseman

Mookie Betts made a strong National League Most Valuable Player case in 2023 by ably making what had seemed a part-time and perhaps temporary move to the middle infield to accommodate others in the Dodgers’ outfield.

Turns out, it was an arrangement good enough to last.

Though the Dodgers had not made any major transactions at the Winter Meetings, manager Dave Roberts did make news Monday at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center by announcing -- first on MLB Network’s “High Heat” and then separately with reporters -- that Betts will be a full-time second baseman in 2024.

“It’s one of those things where he’s a Gold Glover out in right field,” Roberts said. “But I think when you’re talking about putting together a roster and someone who can be so offensive at second base, you can get more games out of him if he is playing second base. And obviously with the signing of Jason Heyward, to put him out there in right field to go out there and play right-handed pitching and to play a Gold Glove right field, it just makes our club better.”

• Yankees make rare Red Sox trade for Alex Verdugo, reportedly remain in Juan Soto sweepstakes

The New York Yankees made a historic trade Tuesday, but not the one their fans have been waiting for.

The Yankees acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitchers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice, the team announced.

Fitts is the Yankees' No. 12 prospect on MLB Pipeline, while Judice, the team's eighth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, isn't ranked in the team's top 30. Weissert made his MLB debut in 2022 and holds a 4.60 ERA in the big leagues.

The trade is a rare deal between the two sides of MLB's premier rivalry. Going off MLB.com's count, it is only the eighth Yankees-Red Sox trade in MLB's divisional era (since 1969). That said, the pace has picked up recently, as this is also the third time the teams have made a trade since 2021.

The most recent Yankees-Red Sox trade came in January, an exchange of Diego Hernandez and Greg Allen. The Yankees also sent Frank Herman and Adam Ottavino to Boston in 2021.

Verdugo has mostly been a popular player in Boston in his four years with the team, alternating between average and above-average at the plate while serving as a boisterous clubhouse presence. He remains most notable among Red Sox fans as the crown jewel of the team's return from the Mookie Betts trade, which obviously hasn't worked out for the team, but Verdugo isn't the one primarily at fault for that.

What does this mean for the Yankees and Juan Soto?

The bigger question is what the arrival of Verdugo means for the Yankees, who at last glance were engaged in the bidding for San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto.

Soto is the premier trade candidate in this year's offseason, between his pending free agency and the Padres' reportedly looking to reduce payroll. The Yankees loomed as an obvious fit, but Verdugo could be seen as a way to cover the corner outfield hole opposite Aaron Judge that Soto was supposed to fill.

• Three MLB Teams Back Out of Shohei Ohtani Sweepstakes in Free Agency, per Report

The biggest mystery of the 2024 MLB offseason is Shohei Ohtani’s next destination.

All 30 teams want Ohtani, but only a few can afford to pay what is expected to be the most lucrative free-agent contract in North American sports history.

Three teams who were in contention to sign Ohtani heading into the offseason—the Rangers, Red Sox and Mets—“have turned their attention to other players,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Friday.

• Yankees reach agreement on Juan Soto trade with Padres

Action was severely lacking at the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville this week, but business finally picked up on Wednesday night with the news that Juan Soto is headed to the Yankees as part of a blockbuster trade with the Padres.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the deal is finally done, with an official announcement expected shortly. Per multiple reports, Soto is headed to the Bronx in exchange for right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vásquez, top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, and catcher Kyle Higashioka. Trent Grisham will also go to New York as part of the deal.

The Yankees were reportedly resistant on including King in previous conversations with the Padres, but talks apparently progressed once the club changed their stance. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported earlier tonight that there was a delay as San Diego was reviewing medicals, but apparently everything has been ironed out. It’s a steep price to pay on the part of the Yankees, but Soto is a special — if not generational — hitter with the potential to transform an offense.

It’s no secret that the Yankees needed help for their lineup after finishing 24th in MLB with a .701 OPS last season. Meanwhile, only the Athletics were worse than New York’s .227 batting average. Soto, 25, should help on that end after slashing .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs and 109 RBI in 162 games last season. He also led the majors in walks for the third straight season. A lefty slugger in Yankee Stadium is a veritable slam dunk, but Soto’s power plays to all fields.

Soto is going into his final year of team control and is projected to make around $33 million via arbitration. The Padres were willing to make the swap with those factors in mind, but this is a move the Yankees absolutely had to make even with his long-term future in question.

The Yankees also acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Red Sox on Tuesday, so this likely puts Aaron Judge in center field on most days. It might not be pretty defensively, but it’s an understatement to say that the lineup is already in much better shape. Soto and Aaron Judge hitting back-to-back in the Yankees’ lineup is a scary proposition, indeed.

• Victor Caratini agrees to deal with Astros

Astros agree to deal with Caratini, bolster catching depth

The Astros found their backup catcher by reaching an agreement with switch-hitter Victor Caratini on a two-year deal, the club announced on Thursday. The deal is expected to be worth $12 million, per a source, though the Astros did not disclose the terms.

Caratini, a veteran of seven Major League seasons, spent the past two years with the Brewers after stints with the Cubs and Padres. As the primary backup to William Contreras in Milwaukee in 2023, the 30-year-old Puerto Rican hit .259 with seven home runs, 25 RBIs and a .711 OPS. According to Statcast metrics, he was an above-average pitch framer for the Brewers last season.

“I like the fact that he had a lot of [service] time, he's a switch-hitter, he can really frame and block and there's some upside with the bat,” Astros general manager Dana Brown said. “I thought that this would complement [Yainer] Diaz very well. On days we want to we want to give Diaz a breather, we can do that and feel good about it.”

Caratini was the personal catcher of Brewers ace Corbin Burnes for most of last season until the Brewers opted to use Contreras behind the plate in Burnes’ starts because they needed his bat.

The Astros are turning to Diaz to be their starting catcher in 2024. He hit .282 with 23 homers and 60 RBIs last season and finished fifth in American League in Rookie of the Year voting. He spent the year as the backup for Martín Maldonado, whose time in Houston has come to an end.

• Red Sox acquire Tyler O'Neill from Cardinals

Red Sox trade for 2-time Gold Glove OF O'Neill from Cards

The Red Sox filled a key area of need on Friday night, adding the right-handed bat of Tyler O'Neill to their outfield via a trade with the Cardinals.

In exchange for O’Neill, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, the Sox traded a pair of depth arms in Nick Robertson and Minor League righty Victor Santos.

TRADE DETAILS
Red Sox receive: OF Tyler O'Neill
Cardinals receive: RHP Nick Robertson, RHP Victor Santos

Robertson, a righty, came to the Sox last July in the deal that sent Kiké Hernández back to the Dodgers. Santos didn’t pitch last year as he recovered from an elbow injury.

With O’Neill, the Red Sox balance out an outfield that has three left-handed hitters in Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu. O’Neill joins Rob Refsnyder as right-handed-hitting outfielders who manager Alex Cora will have at his disposal.

• Rumor!

Shohei Ohtani To Reportedly Leave Angels, Sign With Toronto Blue Jays

Shohei Ohtani's Blue Jays contract has yet to be announced. J.P. Hoornstra of Dodgers Nation reported that Ohtani made his decision on December 8, 2023.

10 years worth a total of $700 million

• Shohei Ohtani signing with Los Angeles Dodgers

The wait is over and baseball’s most impactful star has a new team — Shohei Ohtani is a Los Angeles Dodger.

According to the reigning American League MVP himself, Ohtani has played his last game as a member of the Los Angeles Angels and plans to sign with the crosstown rivals for what is said to be a record-shattering deal.

Ohtani broke the news himself on Instagram.

“To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision. I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team,” the slugger said in his post.

ESPN reporter Jeff Passan announced that the deal is for 10 years worth a total of $700 million. It’s the largest guaranteed contract in sports history, Passan said.

It also includes certain deferrals that will allow the Dodgers to build a more competitive team around him, he said.

The decision comes after weeks of speculation, covert meetings and around-the-clock media coverage in what is arguably the biggest free agent decision in American sports since NBA star LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers and signed with the Miami Heat.

Like James, Ohtani has been better than advertised since making his debut in the world’s top league, making three All-Star Game appearances, four All-MLB honors, being named the AL Rookie of the Year and a two-time AL MVP, including in the most recent season.

A two-way star, Ohtani led the league in home runs this past season while also notching 10 wins against a 3.14 ERA as a starting pitcher. Since joining the team in 2018, the Angels won more than two-thirds of his starts in which he earned a decision.

But the Japanese phenom’s dominance on the mound was cut short this past season after he suffered a torn UCL in his throwing shoulder, leading to a surgery that will likely keep him from pitching through at least next season.

Still, despite half of his game-breaking skillset being put on hold, Major League Baseball’s most valuable and successful teams were in on the Shohei lottery, including the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and, of course, the Dodgers.

There were also whispers that the slugger might have interest in returning to Anaheim and giving it another go with fellow future Hall-of-Famer Mike Trout. But those hopes, just like the promise of postseason success, never materialized for the Angels.

In six seasons with Ohtani on the roster, the Angels not only failed to make the playoffs, but they never achieved a winning record.

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In his free agency announcement post, Ohtani thanked the Angels organization and their fans for being the team that introduced him to the Bigs and welcomed him with open arms.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process,” he wrote. “Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.”

The announcement on Saturday comes following reports the previous day that he intended on signing with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Following that report, which turned out to be inaccurate, baseball fans began tracking a private plane that took off from Orange County and was apparently headed to Toronto, assuming Ohtani was among the passengers.

That plane touched down around 3 p.m. Pacific Time, but Ohtani, apparently, wasn’t on board. Who was? Canadian businessman Robert Herjavec of “Shark Tank” fame, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

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With Ohtani’s decision now in the rearview, significant movement on the MLB free agent market is expected to begin with many teams biding their time in anticipation of that proverbial shoe to drop before making their own deals.

The Dodgers will now be able to field three former league MVPs in Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

After another inauspicious dismissal from the most recent National League playoffs, the Dodgers were determined to add more offensive firepower to the lineup, and Ohtani’s eventual return to the mound will also be a welcome boost for a team that struggled to find reliable pitching in the starting lineup.

As for the Angels, they’ve said they are committed to building a contender around Trout, despite some clamoring from fans to tear the team down to the studs and start over.

Losing Ohtani for nothing instead of trading him at his highest value has left many fans concerned that the same future could play out again in the coming years, this time with their beloved homegrown star Trout.

• KC finalizing 1-year deal with reliever Smith (source)

A former Royal is close to making his return to Kansas City to help stabilize the bullpen for 2024.

The Royals are close to finalizing a deal with lefty reliever Will Smith, a source told MLB.com on Sunday. It would be a one-year deal worth $5 million, along with performance bonuses.

The team has not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical. The Royals will have to make a 40-man roster move once the signing becomes official.

Smith, 34, made his debut with the Royals in 2012, making 16 starts, then moved to the bullpen in ‘13 before being traded to the Brewers for Nori Aoki that offseason. Smith went on to five other teams across his 11-year career so far, and the last three seasons have made Smith somewhat of an historic player.

He’s been a member of each of the past three World Series winners: the 2021 Braves, the ‘22 Astros and this year’s Rangers. Smith became the first player in MLB history to be on the World Series roster with three different teams in three consecutive years and win it all each time.

• Jung Hoo Lee signs with Giants: Korean outfielder inks six-year, $113 million deal to join MLB

The San Francisco Giants have finally landed a big-name free agent. The Giants and South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee have agreed to a six-year contract worth $113 million, CBS Sports HQ's Jim Bowden confirmed. The contract includes an opt out after four years, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. The team has not yet confirmed the signing.

Lee, 25, spent the last seven seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization and is one of the greatest players in league history. For his career, he owns a .340/.407/.491 batting line with 65 home runs, 69 stolen bases, and more walks than strikeouts. Lee slashed .318/.406/.455 in 86 games this past season before an ankle injury ended his season in August.

In 2022, Lee was named KBO MVP thanks to a .349/.421/.575 line and a career high 23 home runs. He also has elite bloodlines. Lee's father, Jong Beom, is a former KBO MVP himself, and he still holds the league's single-season stolen base record (84 in 124 games in 1994). Jung Hoo became the first player to skip the minors and jump straight from high school to KBO.

• Andrew Chafin, Tigers agree to deal

Chafin returning to Tigers on 1-year deal (source)

The Tigers are filling a void in their bullpen by turning to a familiar, distinctive face. Andrew Chafin, whose combination of versatile relief and quirky personality made him a fan favorite in Detroit in 2022, is returning on a one-year, $4.75 million contract that includes a club option for 2025, a source told MLB.com.

Under the agreement, Chafin will make $4.25 million in 2024 with a buyout worth $500,000 for the '25 team option. The Tigers have not yet confirmed the deal, which is expected to be announced in the next couple days. The Detroit Free Press first reported the agreement.

The 33-year-old Chafin was one of the Tigers’ bright spots of 2022, posting a 2-3 record with three saves, 19 holds and a 2.83 ERA in 64 games out of Detroit’s bullpen. He had joined the Tigers on a two-year, $13 million deal just as Spring Training was beginning that year, but the contract included an opt-out. Though he made it clear he enjoyed Detroit, he opted out of the deal and signed a one-year deal plus a club option with the D-backs.

Chafin posted a 3-4 record with eight saves and a 4.73 ERA in 63 games between Arizona and Milwaukee, having been dealt at the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline. He struggled to a 5.82 ERA in 20 appearances with the Brewers, who did not pick up his option for 2024.

• White Sox trade for Max Stassi from Atlanta Braves

The White Sox announced they traded for catcher Max Stassi from the Atlanta Braves for cash or a player to be named later. Stassi was traded to the Braves on Thursday, one day before being traded to the White Sox.

Stassi, 32, missed the entirety of the 2023 season to deal with a serious family issue. He also left the team during spring training to deal with a hip injury.

He spent the first six seasons of his career on the Houston Astros. Between 2019-22, Stassi played for the Los Angeles Angels. In 2022, Stassi played 102 games, hitting .180 with a .571 OPS.

He's a wall behind the plate. Stassi saved 10 defensive runs in 2021, keeping up a positive value over his career in that category.

The White Sox are without Yasmani Grandal, who plans to explore his options in free agency. They called up Korey Lee, who they acquired from the Houston Astros in exchange for Kendall Graveman.

• Austin Adams, Mets agree to deal

Mets add Austin Adams to 'pen mix on 1-yr deal

A day after beginning the process of filling out their rotation, the Mets started to do the same with their bullpen. The team has come to agreement on a one-year deal with right-handed reliever Austin Adams, the Mets announced on Thursday, adding another arm to a mix that includes Edwin Díaz and Brooks Raley.

Adams, 32, is a seven-year veteran who most recently posted a 5.71 ERA over 24 appearances for the D-backs. That action was his first since a strained right forearm and resulting flexor tendon surgery limited him to two appearances in 2022.

When healthy, Adams has ranked among the league's best at limiting hard contact. In recent seasons, he has relied almost exclusively on his slider, throwing that pitch around 90% of the time. The Mets are plenty familiar with him from his time in Washington from 2017-19. Adams has also played for the Mariners and Padres.
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• Cleveland Guardians sign Gulf Breeze native Ben Lively to one-year contracti

Ben Lively is getting a chance to pitch for his fourth Major League team, the latest being the team which originally drafted him in 2010 after his senior year at Gulf Breeze.

The Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday signed Lively, 31, to a Major League Baseball contract, adding him to their 40-man roster. It provides a performance opportunity for Lively during spring training to be part of Cleveland’s Opening Day roster for the 2024 season.

The club provided a one-year contract that gives Lively the chance to compete for a spot in the Guardian’s starting rotation. It was more than 13 years ago when Cleveland made Lively a 26th round pick, after his final high school season with the Gulf Breeze Dolphins.

• Lourdes Gurriel Jr., D-backs agree to deal (source)

In case you haven’t noticed by now, the D-backs are not fooling around this offseason.

Fresh off their first World Series appearance since 2001, the D-backs have aggressively added players with the latest coming Sunday when they agreed with outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a three-year, $42 million deal that includes a $14 million club option for 2027 and an opt-out after 2024, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

The team has not confirmed the news.

In addition to re-signing Gurriel this offseason, the D-backs have signed left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to a four-year, $80 million contract and traded for third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who is owed $11 million in 2024 with a club option for 2025 at $15 million or a $2 million buyout.

At last week’s press conference to announce the Rodriguez signing, D-backs managing general partner Ken Kendrick said the club was going to have the highest Opening Day payroll in team history.

• Tom Murphy agrees to two-year deal with Giants

The Giants and free-agent catcher Tom Murphy have agreed to a two-year deal with an option for a third year, a source told MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi. The club has not confirmed the move, which was first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on Monday.

Murphy will earn $8 million over the two years, but the deal also includes a $4 million club option for 2026 ($250,000 buyout), guaranteeing him at least $8.25 million total, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

Murphy, 32, would give the Giants an experienced veteran to back up Patrick Bailey, who has emerged as the club’s catcher of the future following his impressive rookie campaign in 2023. The right-handed-hitting Murphy hit .290 with an .873 OPS and eight home runs over 47 games with Seattle this past season, though he missed the final six weeks of the year due to a thumb injury.

• Martin Perez to sign with Pirates (source)

The Pirates bolstered their biggest area of concern on Monday, agreeing to a one-year deal with left-hander Martín Pérez worth $8 million, a source told MLB.com. The club has not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical.

Pérez -- like Marco Gonzales, whom Pittsburgh acquired from the Braves earlier in the offseason -- is the type of starting pitcher who fits the Pirates' needs right now as a veteran presence with a positive clubhouse influence and an ability to deliver 30 or more starts in a season.

Pérez is only one year removed from his lone All-Star season, 2022, when he put up numbers that arguably should have garnered him an American League Cy Young Award vote. He went 12-8 on a Rangers team that finished 68-94, a far cry from its World Series title run in 2023. Pérez's 196 1/3 innings in '22 were the fifth most in the American League, and his 2.89 ERA was the eighth lowest in the AL.

• Yuki Matsui, Padres close to free-agent deal (source)

The Padres are close to a multi-year agreement with Japanese reliever Yuki Matsui, a source told MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi. The club has not confirmed the talks. San Diego has prioritized adding pitching this offseason, bringing in four young arms in the blockbuster deal with the Yankees for Juan Soto, and Matsui could join that list of acquisitions.

Matsui would represent the first free-agent signing for the Padres this winter. They’ve made it clear that adding to their bullpen is a priority, with Josh Hader, Nick Martinez, Luis García and Tim Hill having reached free agency and Scott Barlow traded to Cleveland. As things stand, Robert Suarez would slot into the closer role vacated by Hader. It’s unclear how Matsui would fit into the picture, but he’d likely be given high-leverage innings.

Matsui would arrive in the Majors following nearly a decade as an elite closer for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He recorded a 2.40 ERA across 659 2/3 innings in 10 seasons, but if you omit his age-18 debut season in 2014, which contained Matsui’s first and only 17 starts to date, his ERA drops to 2.10.

Matsui, 28, was a multi-inning reliever for the majority of his NPB career, but he operated as a one-inning pitcher for the past three seasons. That change coincided with an extremely dominant stretch as he registered a 1.42 ERA and 214 strikeouts across 152 innings pitched. Matsui notched a career-high 39 saves last season, his sixth since 2015 with at least 30 saves.

An undersized left-hander at just 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, Matsui misses bats mostly with his plus splitter. His fastball sits between 92-94 mph and tops out at 96, and Matsui also offers a slider. He struck out 32.4% of the batters he faced last season and owns a 31.9% career K rate.

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• Yankees claim Jeter Downs off waivers

Yanks add former top prospect named after Jeter, traded for Betts

Baseball’s meandering path provided an odd twist for Jeter Downs in 2022, when the shortstop named after a Hall of Fame predecessor joined the Red Sox and collected his first Major League hit, run, RBI and homer against the Yankees.

Now, Downs has an opportunity to wear pinstripes, just as his namesake Derek Jeter did.

The Yankees announced that they claimed Downs on waivers from the Nationals on Tuesday, a move that – along with their trade for Alex Verdugo earlier this month – gives the Bombers two main pieces from Boston’s February 2020 trade of Mookie Betts to the Dodgers.

Though Downs does not have a lot of Major League experience, he already has something of a history with the Yankees – beyond just his name. The first home run of his career came in the Bronx, and he recorded his first big league hit and RBI against the Yanks in the 10th inning of a July 9 game with the Red Sox. He then came around to score the winning run on a knock by – guess who – Verdugo.

• Andrew McCutchen, Pirates agree to deal

Andrew McCutchen's return to Pittsburgh in 2023 began the way everyone hoped it would. He was playing every day, reaching new milestones and providing one of the most productive at-bats on the team. But the way it ended didn’t sit right with anyone.

So let’s run it back.

McCutchen and the Pirates on Wednesday finalized a one-year deal that, according to a source, is worth $5 million. The club hinted at the news Tuesday in a cryptic post on X -- without any text -- of McCutchen walking down a player tunnel at PNC Park.

The Pirates’ plan to bring back McCutchen was the worst kept secret. GM Ben Cherington had said all along that there was a desire to do so.

• Adrian Houser and Tyrone Taylor traded to Mets

The Mets continued adding to their stockpile of pitching options on Wednesday, acquiring right-hander Adrian Houser and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the Brewers for pitching prospect Coleman Crow.

Houser, 30, is a seven-year veteran entering his final season under team control. He’s coming off a season that saw him post a 4.12 ERA over 21 starts and two relief appearances, missing time for groin and elbow injuries along the way. At his best, Houser is an expert at avoiding hard contact, though he struggled in that regard in 2023. His career league-adjusted ERA+ rates a shade above average, at 106.

President of baseball operations David Stearns has acquired Houser twice, trading for him while with the Brewers in 2015 before reacquiring him with the Mets. The sinkerballer will be due a raise over the $3.6 million he made this season, giving the Brewers incentive to find a cheaper option. The Mets, with a much larger budget, had no such issues.

In New York, Houser joins Tylor Megill and Joey Lucchesi as potential back-end rotation options behind Kodai Senga, José Quintana and Luis Severino. (One key piece of that depth, David Peterson, will miss the start of the season recovering from a torn labrum in his left hip.) The Mets continue to search for additional starters, with free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the top of their list.

Taylor, 29, profiles as a right-handed bench candidate for a Mets team that still has only three full-time, Major League outfielders on its 40-man roster. Known for his power, Taylor has slugged 41 homers over 331 career games -- 13 of them against left-handed pitchers, though his lifetime platoon splits are not extreme. Arbitration-eligible for the first time, Taylor could become the righty complement to left-hander DJ Stewart on the Mets’ bench.

In exchange for those two players, the Mets gave up a prospect who will not pitch at all next season. Crow, 22, spent less than six months in the Mets' organization, after arriving in the team’s trade of Eduardo Escobar to the Angels in June. He never wound up pitching for his new employer due to an elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in August.

_________

• Nationals agree to deals with Nick Senzel, Dylan Floro

Nationals add Senzel to play 3B, sign reliever Floro

he Nationals addressed two key areas of need for next season on Tuesday, agreeing to one-year deals with third baseman Nick Senzel and righty reliever Dylan Floro.

The Nationals have had success in recent years identifying non-tendered players with the potential for a bounce-back season, and they will look to yield the same results with 2016 No. 2 overall pick Senzel, whose deal is expected to be worth $2 million.

Senzel, 28, was non-tendered by the Reds in November. He played in 104 games for Cincinnati in 2023, hitting .236 with a .696 OPS, 13 home runs, six steals and 42 RBIs. Senzel, selected by the Reds in the 2016 Draft, owns a career .239/.302/.369 slash line.

“Washington was kind of on my radar right after I got non-tendered by Cincinnati,” Senzel said in a video conference call on Wednesday. “Obviously playing them, knowing that there was opportunity to be able to compete for a job there ... I was able to talk to [manager Dave Martinez] and some of the coaches, and they expect me to play third base every day. In-game, I can move to second base and the outfield.”

Although he has played the majority of his big league career in center field, Senzel was drafted out of Tennessee as a third baseman, and he logged 1,738 innings at the position in the Minor Leagues. Senzel was lauded for his defense at third base during his time in Cincinnati, including 40 starts last season.

The Nationals have been in the market for a starting third baseman since trading Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs last season. Before the Nats had a deal with Senzel, Candelario agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract with the Reds that includes a $15 million club option for 2027.

“I really like the reactionary part of [third base] -- how everything happens so fast and the ball is on you and you have to make quick decisions and be pretty reactionary to it,” Senzel said. “I feel like -- and you can ask any baseball player, probably -- the less time you have to think, the better off you are just to react. ... I play the ball on the run pretty well, so I do take to the angle at third base well.”

Senzel will be greeted by a very familiar face when he joins the Nationals in Spring Training -- one of his childhood best friends is Lane Thomas.

“We grew up playing together [in Knoxville, Tenn.],” Senzel said. “This opportunity that was brought to me, an opportunity to be able to play every day and get a new start in a historic franchise, was just kind of a no-brainer for me. And just having Lane, one of my best buddies I grew up with, playing right field, it's really insane to be honest.”

Floro, whose deal is for $2.25 million plus incentives, can fill an important role in the bullpen. General manager Mike Rizzo said at the Winter Meetings that the Nationals were looking for “good, capable Major League relievers that we could count on and not have such a split with our ‘A’ group and our ‘B’ group.” Floro owns a career 3.60 ERA in the seventh through ninth innings.

“I’m pretty flexible,” Floro said Wednesday on a video conference call. “... Yeah, I want to pitch in the back end of the game, late innings. I like that, it’s the competitor in me. But sometimes it’s going to be a situation where I might not pitch in that situation, because it’s going to be better for the team to get a ‘W,’ and I’ve done that before in the past, too.”

• Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers agree to free-agent deal

Another day, another historic free-agent deal for the Dodgers this winter.

Los Angeles has agreed to a 12-year, $325 million deal with coveted Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Thursday night. The Dodgers are also on the hook for a posting fee of around $50 million to Yamamoto's former Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Orix Buffaloes.

The team has not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical.

The deal, which includes a $50 million signing bonus, has no deferrals, per a source. Yamamoto will receive the most guaranteed dollars ever given to a pitcher, surpassing Gerrit Cole by $1 million -- though in his current nine-year, $324 million deal with the Yankees, Cole holds the edge in average annual value over Yamamoto’s $27 million per year.

It's also the longest free-agent deal for a full-time pitcher (two-way stars not included) since Wayne Garland signed with Cleveland for 10 years and $2.3 million in 1977. He was released five years later.

The blockbuster for Yamamoto comes after the Dodgers had already won the offseason by inking Shohei Ohtani to an eye-popping 10-year, $700 million pact with unprecedented deferrals, then traded for and extended right-hander Tyler Glasnow in order to fortify their rotation.

The trio of Ohtani, Yamamoto and Glasnow represents more than $1.1 billion in deals Los Angeles has agreed to this offseason, and the unprecedented deferrals in Ohtani's contract were in large part what allowed them to make all of these moves together.

• MLB rule changes for 2024 amend pitch clock, runner's lane and more

MLB's competition committee voted to approve multiple rule changes for 2024, the league announced Thursday.

Those updates include subtraction of two seconds from the pitch clock when there are men on base, cutting the time from 20 to 18 seconds. Nothing will change for scenarios in which the bases are empty, as pitchers will still have 15 seconds to begin their delivery. In 2023, the average delivery began with 7.3 seconds remaining on the 20-second timer, per the league.

A wider runner's lane to first base will also debut next season. Previously, batters had to run in the dirt space between the foul line and the 3-foot line in hopes of avoiding being called out for interference. In 2024, the lane will instead extend to the edge of the infield grass. There will be an 18-to 24-inch space between the foul line and the infield grass in each park, with exceptions for certain fields that would be harder to update.

The pitch clock and runner's lane amendments will likely be the most noticeable. The rest of the changes for next season are intended to further address the game's pace.

Other rules intended to shorten games include:

• Pitching changes: When a new pitcher arrives on the warning track with less than two minutes left on the inning break clock, it will reset to two minutes, instead of 2:15. Broadcasters are guaranteed two minutes worth of commercials, but inning breaks featuring a pitching change averaged 35 seconds more than that in 2023.
• Fewer mound visits: Rather than five mound visits, clubs will be limited to four. An exception will be granted in the ninth inning if a defensive team is out of visits at the end of the eighth. Clubs averaged 2.3 mound visits per game last season. Those are part of fans' most disliked aspects of the sport, surveys show.
• Signaling visits: Defensive players won't be required to visit the mound to signal for a mound visit anymore. MLB hopes this will prevent teams from using mound visits to kill time.
• Batter requirement for pitchers: In addition to requirements under the three-batter-minimum rule, pitchers sent to warm up for an inning will be mandated to face at least one batter. MLB's review found 24 instances last season of pitchers warming up between innings and being replaced before throwing a pitch, with two of those occurring during the World Series.
• Circumvention: The pitch clock operator or "field timing coordinator" will restart the clock after a dead ball as soon as the pitcher has the ball. Pitchers won't be required to be on the mound, thereby eliminating their ability to delay the start of the clock by walking around the edge of the mound after a foul ball.

• Tigers sign Shelby Miller

The Tigers’ holiday shopping for pitching continued Friday with a last-minute deal. The team signed veteran right-hander Shelby Miller to a one-year, $3 million contract with a $4.25 million club option for 2025.

The contract includes up to $1,175,000 in performance bonuses for 2024 and 2025: $100,000 each for 50, 55 and 60 games pitched, $150,000 for 70 games pitched and $150,000 each for 40, 45, 50 and 55 games finished. Miller can also boost his 2025 base salary by up to $1.4 million in performance incentives in 2024: $100,000 each for 50, 55 and 60 games pitched, $150,000 each for 65 and 70 games pitched and $200,000 each for 40, 45, 50 and 55 games finished.

“Detroit was one of the teams that was kind of after me from the beginning, showed some of the most interest,” Miller said. “I like what they’re doing over here as a team and as a group. And honestly, my wife’s from this area, so it was kind of an easy choice. We’re all excited to come over here.”

The 33-year-old Miller, a former first-round pick in 2009 and starter with the Cardinals, Braves, D-backs and Rangers, enjoyed a career renaissance of sorts last season out of the Dodgers bullpen, allowing just 19 hits over 42 innings with a 3-0 record, one save and a 1.71 ERA.

• MLB Hot Stove Lowdown: Mariners Sign Mitch Garver

Mariners add power bat with Mitch Garver

The Mariners have been searching for a slugger to add to the middle of their lineup. They might have found their man over the weekend. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Seattle agreed to terms on a two-year, $24 million contract with catcher Mitch Garver. The 32-year-old slugger slashed an impressive .270/.370/.500 with 19 homers and 50 RBI across 344 plate appearances with the Rangers last season. Garver is known more for his bat than his glove, starting over twice as many games as designated hitter than catcher over the last two seasons with the Rangers. Part of that has been to keep him healthy. Garver’s injury history is a lengthy one. He missed nearly two months with a sprained knee last season. And a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm ended his 2022 season in July. Groin and back injuries limited Garver to 68 games in 2021. Still, there are few backstops that possess his power at the plate.

Garver’s .870 OPS led all catchers with at least 300 plate appearances. His .500 slugging percentage trailed only Yainer Díaz. He produced a 12.6 percent barrel rate that ranked fourth and paired his slugging ability with a solid contact rate, posting a 23.8 percent strikeout rate. While Garver should get the occasional start at catcher, backing up Cal Raleigh, he should be in the lineup most days as the designated hitter. And as the roster is currently constructed, he’ll be batting in the heart of the order. There is a 20-plus home run and 60-plus RBI upside. Getting everyday volume, with health, could make Garver one of the more valuable catchers going in early NFBC drafts with an average pick of 203.

• Tyler Mahle signs 2-year deal with Rangers

The Rangers needed rotation depth, and on Thursday, they made their first attempt to flesh it out when they announced the signing of right-hander Tyler Mahle to a two-year, $22 million deal.

Mahle is set to earn $5.5 million in 2024 and $16.5 million in 2025, per source.

The 29-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in May, which means a midsummer return in 2024 is likely the best-case scenario. His right elbow issues cut short a promising '23 campaign with the Twins, as he had posted a 3.16 ERA with 28 strikeouts to five walks over his first five starts.

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• Seth Lugo steps into Royals' rotation

The Royals’ interest in Seth Lugo dates back to last offseason, when he first became a free agent after seven seasons with the Mets -- the final five primarily as a reliever. In free agency, Lugo stated his intention to be a starter, even though that came with uncertainty about how his stuff and body would transition back in that role.

Ultimately, Lugo bet on himself and signed a one-year deal with the Padres. The Royals kept their eye on the right-hander -- and all he did was prove he could be a valuable starter.

Come this winter, there was little doubt Lugo was at the top of the Royals’ targets for starting pitchers once he declined his player option with the Padres.

On Thursday, the 34-year-old curveball specialist officially became a Royal, inking a two-year deal with a player option for 2026. Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the club, but Lugo will make $15 million the next two seasons and has the player option worth $15 million in '26, a source told MLB.com. In a corresponding 40-man roster move, the Royals traded reliever Taylor Clarke to the Brewers for two Minor Leaguers.

“He’s got exceptional command,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “We know he’s got one of the best curveballs in the game. He’s always been able to spin the breaking ball, and it’s a pretty special gift. You combine that with his other pitches and command, and it’s a really nice addition to our rotation.”

• White Sox agree to deal with Tim Hill

The White Sox continued to retool their roster on Thursday, agreeing to a one-year, $1.8 million deal with veteran left-handed reliever Tim Hill, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinstand. The team has not confirmed the deal.

Hill, 33, spent the past four seasons with the Padres, where he posted a 4.18 ERA in 170 innings with one save. He’s coming off the worst statistical season of his career, when he tallied a 5.48 ERA in 44 1/3 innings before undergoing season-ending finger surgery at the end of September. The Padres non-tendered him at the end of the season. The left-hander has held lefty batters to a .223 average in his career, and has thrown five scoreless postseason innings. He opened his career by tossing 45 2/3 innings with the Royals in 2018.