Thread: Baseball

Starting pitchers Paul Skenes, Luis Gil win Rookie of the Year honors

Pittsburgh Pirates ace right-hander Paul Skenes capped his first major league campaign by being named winner of the National League Rookie of the Year on Monday night.

Skenes received 23 of 30 first-place votes for 136 points in balloting conducted by the Baseball Writers' Association of American.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill was second with seven first-place votes and 104 points. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (26) was third and Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (four) was fourth.

In the American League, New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil was the winner, edging Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser.

Gil received 15 first-place votes and 10 seconds for 106 points, while Cowser (101) got 13 firsts and 11 seconds.

Skenes' strong campaign opened eyes as he quickly handled major league hitters after being the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 out of LSU. He spent his first two college seasons at Air Force.

"I've surrounded myself with good people," Skenes told MLB Network of his success. "I've been super lucky to experience all the things that I have. I try to continue to stay present and enjoy the ride."

Skenes is the first starting pitcher to win the NL award since Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets in 2014. He is the first Pirate to win the honor since outfielder Jason Bay in 2004.

Dodgers Make First Signing of 2024 Offseason, Add Reliever

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed left-hander Joe Jacques to a minor league contract, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The deal includes an invitation to spring training in February 2025.

Jacques began his career in 2018 after playing baseball in college as a walk-on at Manhattan College, when the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in the 33rd round. He spent four years in the Pirates minor league system before the Boston Red Sox selected him in the Rule 5 Draft in Dec. 2022.

Jacques began his time in Boston with Triple-A Worchester, and made his major league debut later that season in June. In his debut, Jacques threw five pitches and did not allow an earned run or record an out. He later earned his first win and first save before getting sent back down to Triple-A. In his rookie season, Jacques appeared in 23 major league games with one start. He went 2-1 with a 5.06 ERA and 20 strikeouts.

Jacques returned to Triple-A for the start of the 2024 season, and made one major league appearance before the Red Sox designated him for assignment in April 2024. He was claimed off of waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jacques primarily spent the 2024 season in Triple-A, but also made one appearance for the Diamondbacks in the major leagues. Over 35 games with the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate, Jacques went 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA and 33 strikeouts.

Royals acquire Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer for Brady Singer

The Royals announced they have acquired infielder Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Wiemer from the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Brady Singer.

Rumors about this deal have been percolating for a week now, here’s what we wrote when they first surfaced.

India and Singer were teammates at the University of Florida and were each first round picks in 2018. India made his debut in 2021, a year after Singer and won Rookie of the Year by hitting .269/.376/.459 with 21 home runs. He has consistently been a solid on-base hitter in his four seasons, drawing a career-high 80 walks this year, tied for the fifth-most in all of baseball. His power his diminished a bit from his rookie year, but he still hit 15 home runs and 28 doubles, while hitting .248/.357/.392.

The 27-year-old has two years of club control left, just like Singer, and will earn $5 million next season under his contract. With the Reds and Royals both looking to contend next year, this trade make sense as a pure baseball move. The Reds have a crowded infield next year with the return of Matt McLain, and could use more pitching to pair with their young hitters. The Royals had the worst offensive numbers from the leadoff spot out of any team in baseball, and India could give them the table-setter they need in front of MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr.

India will almost certainly become the leadoff hitter for this team, the question now is where he plays on the field. He played third base in the minors, but has exclusively played second base in the big leagues and has a poor arm. He could move to the outfield, but he has never played the position at the pro level.

Joey Wiemer is an interesting kicker to the deal. A former top 100 prospect, he hit .204/.283/.362 in 410 plate appearances for the Brewers in 2023. He spent most of this season in the minors and really struggled, and was sent to the Reds in a deal for pitcher Frankie Montas. He’s a toolsy outfielder with great speed, great raw power, and a tremendous arm, but he has little to show for it in terms of results. The 25-year-old is a right-handed bat and could compete for a reserve outfield role.

Singer bounced back from a disastrous 2023 season to post a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts with 170 strikeouts in 179 2⁄3 innings. Since he made his debut in 2020, he has 10.5 fWAR, ranking 36th out of 173 starting pitchers in that time.

Royals acquire Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer for Brady Singer - Royals Review

Detroit Tigers Acquire LHP From Boston Red Sox

The Detroit Tigers have bolstered their bullpen by claiming left-handed reliever Bailey Horn off waivers from the Boston Red Sox.

Horn, who is 26, is a product of Auburn University and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft. After spending some time with the White Sox, Horn was traded to the Red Sox in April for cash considerations.

In his time with the Red Sox organization, Horn had a solid run at Triple-A Worcester, posting an impressive 2.15 ERA across 29 innings while striking out 35 batters. However, his major league performance in 2024 was inconsistent. In 18 innings with the Red Sox, Horn struggled with command, walking 10 batters and striking out just 13.

The Tigers are hoping that Horn can refine his control and find success in their bullpen, adding depth to a pitching staff that continues to undergo changes as they prepare for the 2025 season.

Seattle Mariners Sign Former Philly Prospect Adonis Medina to Minor League Deal

The Seattle Mariners had over 30 outgoing minor league free agents as of this past week. And one of their most notable free agents has joined an American League West rival.

Former Mariners minor league reliever Luis Curvelo signed with the Texas Rangers after reportedly being one of the most talked-about free agents during MLB General Manager meetings from Nov. 5-7 in San Antonio.

Seattle made up for the loss of one minor league reliever with major league potential by signing another one on Monday.

The Mariners came to terms with right-handed pitcher Adonis Medina on a one-year, $800,000 deal per a report from MLB insider Mike Rodriguez.

Latest On Rays' Stadium Situation

The Rays are in a precarious situation regarding both their long- and short-term future in the Tampa Bay area. Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field, leaving the club’s home ballpark unusable for at least the 2025 season. They’ve solved that obstacle by moving to nearby Steinbrenner Field, the Spring Training stadium of the Yankees, but that move helped to spur local officials to postpone the approval of bonds that would finance the development plan the Rays and Pinellas County had previously agreed upon that would construct a new stadium near the Trop in time for the 2028 season.

With the bond approval now postponed, the Rays’ long-term future in Tampa seems to be up in the air, with club owner Stu Sternberg having gone so far as to put the possibility of relocation back on the table. In addition to that renewed long-term instability, it now seems as though the club’s short-term future is even more up in the air than it was previously. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reported recently that while the city council of St. Pete initially voted to approve spending $24MM on repairs to the Trop, they reversed course shortly thereafter. The reversal from local officials in St. Pete comes in part thanks to the uncertainty surrounding around the previously agreed-upon stadium deal, with city councilwoman Brandi Gabbard telling Topkin that she wasn’t prepared to put tens of millions toward funding a project for “an entity we may never have a deal with again.”

That change in plans seems to have created uncertainty regarding whether the Rays would ever play at the Trop again, as Topkin adds that club president Brian Auld suggested that the Rays may be better off negotiating a settlement with the city of St. Pete regarding the final years of their lease than having the city repair the stadium because of uncertainty regarding whether the Trop would be repaired in time for Opening Day 2026. Per Auld, creating a contingency plan for the 2026 season that would only be used in the event that the Trop isn’t ready would cause more trouble for the Rays than simply ruling out a return to their home ballpark entirely.

Whether repairs for Tropicana Field will ultimately be approved and set into motion or if the sides will instead pursue a settlement remains to be seen, but the latest setback casts further doubt on the city’s ability to repair the Trop in time for the 2026 season. As Auld alludes to, reaching a settlement with the city could ultimately behoove the Rays in more ways than one. In addition to avoiding the costs associated with balancing contingency plans based on the Trop’s 2026 availability, Topkin notes that Auld added that receiving a settlement check from the city would “obviously” provide the club a financial boost amid the loss of revenue associated with the club’s temporary displacement.

While the city deciding to abandon the Trop could come with some advantages for the Rays, Topkin notes it could further jeopardize the team’s long- and short-term future in the greater Tampa area. The club’s current deal with the Yankees allowing them to use Steinbrenner Field in 2025 is expected to last for only the upcoming season, and Topkin suggests that if the club has to find a new home for the 2026 campaign as well that destination will “almost certainly” be outside of Florida as MLB looks to avoid scheduling complications caused by rainouts. A temporary move outside of Florida for the 2026 and ’27 seasons would seemingly make the threat of relocation all the more real as the club’s lease in St. Pete expires ahead of the 2028 season, though Auld suggested that the club’s “preference” would still be to remain in the greater Tampa area in a new stadium rather than explore relocation even if they were to temporarily move out of market.

Rays will play 19 of their first 22 games at home as MLB switches series to avoid summer rain

Major League Baseball switched a pair of series involving the Tampa Bay Rays to the first two months of the season in an attempt to avoid summer rain at open-air Steinbrenner Field, their temporary home following damage to Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay is scheduled to play 19 of its first 22 games at home and 37 of 54 through May 28, then play 64 of its last 108 games on the road. The Rays are home for eight games each in July and August.

A series scheduled at the Los Angeles Angels from April 7-9 will instead be played at Tampa, Florida, from April 8-10, MLB said Monday. The second series between the teams will be played at Anaheim, California, from Aug. 4-6 instead of at St. Petersburg, Florida, from Aug. 5-7.

Minnesota’s first series against the Rays will be played at Steinbrenner Field from May 26-28 and the Twins’ second will be at Target Field in Minneapolis from July 4-6.

Tampa Bay heads into the All-Star break with a 10-game trip to Minnesota, Detroit and Boston, and has a 12-game trip to the Angels, Seattle, Oakland and San Francisco from Aug. 4-17.

Tropicana Field, the Rays’ home since the team started play in 1998, was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, with most of its fabric roof shredded. The Rays cannot return to the Trop until 2026 at the earliest, if at all.

Tampa’s average monthly rainfall from 1991 to 2020 was 2.25 inches in April and 2.60 in May, according to the National Weather Service, then rose to 7.37 in June, 7.75 in July and 9.03 in August before falling to 6.09 in September.

The Class A Tampa Tarpons, the usual team at Steinbrenner Field, had six home postponements, two cancellations and four suspended games this year from June 21 through their season finale on Sept. 8.

The Rays are now scheduled to play their first six games at home against Colorado and Pittsburgh, go to Texas for a three-game series, then return for a 13-game homestand against the Angels, Atlanta, Boston and the New York Yankees.

The Tarpons will play their home games on a back field.

Blake Snell signs five-year, 2 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers | Flashscore.com
Blake Snell signs five-year, $182 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell (31) has signed a five-year, $182 million deal with the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Jeff Passan and Jose Castillo.

Snell will be receiving an immediate $52 million signing bonus as part of the deal, which doesn't contain any opt-out clause and will have deferred money. The deal will be completed if Snell passes his physical.

The former San Fransisco Giants starting pitcher won't have to head far to his new team as he joins the NL West division rival, marking the MLB's first big free-agent splash.

The newly acquired Dodgers pitcher even had a jersey swap ready to go for his Instagram account.

Snell is coming off a season where he went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA with 145 strikeouts and 65 hits in 104.0 innings pitched. His 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings was a career-high for him.

Over the course of his final 14 starts, he pitched a whopping 1.23 ERA with an opposition hitter's slash line of .123/.211/.171.

Despite having an extremely rough first half of the 2024 season which was also tainted by an injury, Snell returned to Cy Young form post All-Star break and finished the season strong for the Giants.

Snell opted out of his two-year, $62 million deal that he signed right before the 2024 season with the Giants and it looks like it became the smart move for the southpaw.

Blake Snell signs five-year, $182 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell (31) has signed a five-year, $182 million deal with the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Jeff Passan and Jose Castillo.

Snell will be receiving an immediate $52 million signing bonus as part of the deal, which doesn't contain any opt-out clause and will have deferred money. The deal will be completed if Snell passes his physical.

The former San Fransisco Giants starting pitcher won't have to head far to his new team as he joins the NL West division rival, marking the MLB's first big free-agent splash.

The newly acquired Dodgers pitcher even had a jersey swap ready to go for his Instagram account.

Snell is coming off a season where he went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA with 145 strikeouts and 65 hits in 104.0 innings pitched. His 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings was a career-high for him.

Over the course of his final 14 starts, he pitched a whopping 1.23 ERA with an opposition hitter's slash line of .123/.211/.171.

Despite having an extremely rough first half of the 2024 season which was also tainted by an injury, Snell returned to Cy Young form post All-Star break and finished the season strong for the Giants.

Snell opted out of his two-year, $62 million deal that he signed right before the 2024 season with the Giants and it looks like it became the smart move for the southpaw.

Flashscore.com

Blake Snell signs five-year, $182 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell (31) has signed a five-year, $182 million deal with the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Jeff Passan and Jose Castillo.

Snell will be receiving an immediate $52 million signing bonus as part of the deal, which doesn't contain any opt-out clause and will have deferred money. The deal will be completed if Snell passes his physical.

The former San Fransisco Giants starting pitcher won't have to head far to his new team as he joins the NL West division rival, marking the MLB's first big free-agent splash.

The newly acquired Dodgers pitcher even had a jersey swap ready to go for his Instagram account.

Snell is coming off a season where he went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA with 145 strikeouts and 65 hits in 104.0 innings pitched. His 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings was a career-high for him.

Over the course of his final 14 starts, he pitched a whopping 1.23 ERA with an opposition hitter's slash line of .123/.211/.171.

Despite having an extremely rough first half of the 2024 season which was also tainted by an injury, Snell returned to Cy Young form post All-Star break and finished the season strong for the Giants.

Snell opted out of his two-year, $62 million deal that he signed right before the 2024 season with the Giants and it looks like it became the smart move for the southpaw.

Blake Snell signs five-year, 2 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers | Flashscore.com

Juan Soto bidding reaches $600M, MLB sources say; process of eliminating teams underway

The floor for Juan Soto is $600 million.

The bidding for the free-agent MLB outfielder has surpassed that amount, according to two people briefed on the negotiations who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Agent Scott Boras said Tuesday at Dodger Stadium that Soto has started the process of eliminating potential landing spots, but did not specify which ones.

The clubs publicly known to be most serious about Soto are the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. The two people briefed on the negotiations said that all remaining contenders have made offers above $600 million.

The expectation within the industry is that Soto will make his decision by the end of the Winter Meetings, which begin in Dallas on Sunday, and possibly even before the meetings kick off. But Boras said he doesn’t expect an “imminent” decision.

“When you’re going through these things, he’s just got a lot of information to meld through,” Boras said Tuesday. “We’ve had meetings with a number of franchises. He’s begun the process of eliminating teams and doing things. Juan is a very methodical thinker, so we’ll see, but I don’t think anything is imminent in the near future.”

Soto, 26, is on the verge of a landmark contract for two reasons: He is young for a free agent, and teams consider him a once-in-a-generation offensive talent.

His deal is expected to be for at least 12 years, and its present-day value almost certainly will beat the record Shohei Ohtani set with the Dodgers last offseason when he signed a heavily deferred 10-year, $700 million contract. Ohtani’s deal was valued at $460 million for luxury tax purposes, and $438 million by the players’ union.

Soto, in his first season with the Yankees, batted .288 with a career high 41 homers. His .989 OPS ranked third in the majors behind Aaron Judge and Ohtani, and he finished third in American League MVP voting

The Mets are widely regarded as the favorite for Soto, with many in the industry believing the team’s owner, Steve Cohen, will top any rival bid. But the Yankees desperately want to keep Soto as a complement to Judge, and the Red Sox have emerged as a surprising force in the negotiations. The Blue Jays and Dodgers are considered longer shots, though the Jays were willing to match the Dodgers’ bid for Ohtani last offseason, and seem to be just as intently focused on Soto.

That said, Boras was at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday for the introduction of a different client, left-hander Blake Snell, who signed a five-year deal for $182 million. Snell settled for a short-term contract last offseason, which moved slower than this year’s.

“Clubs weren’t interested. They just didn’t call,” Boras said. “The market for free agents last year started maybe in the middle of February, it was that different. People like to register that it has something to do with me — I’m just a functionary of the system. We’ve signed six, seven players already this year. These are the processes of demand and when teams and ownerships choose to move in the marketplace.”

Boras said he wasn’t sure why teams were moving faster this year, but pointed to MLB’s future plans for local media rights as one reason.

“I wish I could answer those questions, I do,” Boras said. “I think a lot of it has to do with media certainty. … This streaming thing that they have going on is very viable, very profitable. I don’t think they like to say that, but obviously the markets indicate that there is a different attitude about what it is.

“Who’s in the market has a lot to do with things too. You have major-market franchises, you have a generational talent in the market (in Soto).”

The Dodgers’ payroll, including luxury tax projections, is around $310 million for 2025, per Cot’s Contracts. Boras was asked whether the Dodgers are attempting to buy championships, and he invoked the team Soto played for last season, the Yankees.

“I would say that, as George … Steinbrenner said, whatever you do to compete, the fact that I can compete in a different way than others, so be it,” Boras said. “I don’t think that has anything to do with the number of trophies that hang over your stadium, I don’t think fans remember that.”

Juan Soto bidding reaches $600M, MLB sources say; process of eliminating teams underway - The Athletic

Blue Jays add to infielder depth with new free agent signing

The Toronto Blue Jays were active in free agency on Wednesday, as they added to their infielder depth with a new signing.

According to MLB agent Nate Heisler, the Blue Jays have signed Michael Stefanic to a minor-league deal.

While he’s spent much of his career in the minor league, Stefanic adds some major league experience to a team in need of depth just about wherever they can get it.

Across 233 at-bats in 90 games over the last three seasons with the Angels, Stefanic had a .232 batting average, 54 hits, 14 RBIs, and 18 runs scored.

While his MLB resume might not be the most impressive, it’s hard to question the work ethic Stefanic has put in to even make it to the big leagues. After going undrafted in the 2018 draft after playing at Westmount College, Stefanic actually sent video of his play to all 30 MLB teams in hopes of being signed.

Stefanic joins a crowded organizational depth chart with plenty of incumbents, including Ernie Clement, Davis Schneider, Spencer Horwitz, and Addison Barger. Toronto is also likely to remain active in the free agent market over the coming months, though only time will tell if it lures any big names to Canada.

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Luis Severino reportedly agrees to 3-year, $67 million deal to join A's

Luis Severino is now a member of the A's pitching staff after reportedly agreeing to a three-year, $67 million deal on Thursday, according to Yahoo Sports' Russell Dorsey.

The deal is the largest guaranteed contract in franchise history and includes a $10 million signing bonus and an opt-out clause following the second season.

The 30-year-old right-hander spent last season with the New York Mets after beginning his major-league career with nine years pitching for the New York Yankees. Across 31 starts in 2024, he recorded a 3.91 ERA with 161 strikeouts in 182 innings pitched. He was ranked No. 13 on Yahoo Sports' list of this winter's top 50 free agents.

The Mets protected themselves in this situation by extending Severino a qualifying offer, which was a guaranteed one-year deal worth $21.05 million, that he rejected. Now that Severino has moved on, the Mets will get draft pick compensation.

The 2024 season was the first full healthy one for Severino since 2018, as he dealt with lat and oblique strains as well as missing the entire 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Severino was on a one-year deal with the Mets. He compiled an 11-7 record during the regular season and started three playoff games. He threw 182 innings over 31 starts — his most since 2018 — and posted a 3.91 ERA and 1.24 WHIP while striking out 21.2% of batters and walking 7.9% of hitters.

The A's will play in a 14,000-seat minor-league stadium in Sacramento for the next three seasons before they are expected to move into a brand-new ballpark in Las Vegas for the 2028 MLB season.

What to make of Severino's deal with the A's?
The first stunning signing of baseball’s offseason came Thursday, with reports that right-handed pitcher Luis Severino has agreed to a three-year, $67 million deal with the formerly-of-Oakland, soon-to-be-in-Sacramento, eventually-to-be-in-Las-Vegas Athletics. That Severino agreed to a deal early in December is not surprising, considering the recent uptick in activity in the starting pitching market that has seen five pitchers on our Top 50 free-agent rankings find new homes in recent weeks.

But that the A’s — in their transitional state and with baseball’s lowest payroll at the outset of the winter — were the team to outbid other aspiring contenders for Severino’s services? That’s a fairly big shock. After nearly a decade pitching in the league’s largest market in New York, Severino will pitch in Sacramento in 2025, as the A’s begin their multi-year transition to Las Vegas with an interim phase playing home games in a Triple-A ballpark.

Shane Bieber Signs One-Year Contract to Return to Guardians After Shortened 2024

As they attempt to build on their first ALCS appearance since 2016, it appears the Cleveland Guardians will once again have the services of one of their best pitchers.

The Guardians are re-signing pitcher Shane Bieber to a one-year contract with a player option for 2026, according to a Friday afternoon report from Jeff Passan of ESPN. Per Passan, the contract itself is worth $10 million and the player option is worth $16 million.

Bieber, 29, started just two games in 2024 before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery. He was outstanding in those two starts, striking out 20 in 12 innings with an 0.00 ERA; nonetheless, Cleveland won the AL Central without him.

Holmes heading crosstown to Mets -- to be a starter (source)

At least one former Yankee is switching boroughs to Queens.

The Mets have agreed to terms on a three-year, $38 million contract with right-hander Clay Holmes, the former Yankees closer, according to a source. But the Mets do not intend to use Holmes as a reliever. Instead, they will convert him to the rotation, banking on his ability to use a three-pitch mix multiple times through a batting order.

The Mets have not confirmed the deal, which includes an opt-out after the 2026 season, because it’s pending a physical.

Clay Holmes agrees with Mets on free-agent contract

Willy Adames heads to Giants on franchise-record 7-year, $182 million deal, per report

Willy Adames was a central component of a 2024 Milwaukee Brewers team that overcame significant personnel losses to win the NL Central. Now he, too, is leaving.

The former Brewers' shortstop agreed to a seven-year, $182 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The deal, which is pending a physical, reportedly includes a $22 million signing bonus.

The deal is the largest in franchise history by total value, surpassing Buster Posey's eight-year, $167 million contract signed in 2013. Posey recently became the Giants' president of baseball operations, putting him in a key position with this deal.

Juan Soto agrees to record-breaking deal with Mets. Biggest contracts in MLB history.

Superstar outfielder Juan Soto just landed the largest deal in professional sports history as Soto and the New York Mets agreed to a record-shattering 15-year, $765 million contract.

The total and current value of his contract exceeds that of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who signed a heavily-deferred 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers one year ago. Soto's $51 million average annual value is a record for a baseball player, as it contains no deferred money.

The deal includes an opt-out after five years. It has escalators that can reach above $800 million.

How his deal compares to MLB's biggest contracts, by total value:

Juan Soto, $765,000,000 (2025-39)
Shohei Ohtani, $700,000,000 (2024-33)
Mike Trout, $426,500,000 (2019-30) *includes total commitment
Mookie Betts, $365,000,000 (2021-32)
Aaron Judge, $360,000,000 (2023-31)
Manny Machado, $350,000,000 (2023-33)
Francisco Lindor, $341,000,000 (2022-31)
Fernando Tatis, $340,000,000 (2021-34)
Bryce Harper, $330,000,000 (2019-31)
Giancarlo Stanton, $325,000,000 (2015-27)

Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and Los Angeles Angels agree to a $63 million, 3-year contract

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $63 million, three-year contract, according to CBS Sports.

The 33-year-old Kikuchi gets $21 million annually during the contract, which raises his Major League Baseball earnings to $142 million over nine seasons.

An All-Star with Seattle in 2021, Kikuchi was 9-10 with a 4.05 ERA in 32 starts this year for Toronto and Houston, which acquired him on July 30 for 23-year-old right-hander Jake Bloss, rookie outfielder Joey Loperfido and minor league first baseman Will Wagner.

Kikuchi was 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts with the Astros, striking out 76 and walking 14 in 60 innings. His four-seam fastball averaged 95.5 mph this year, the highest of his big league career.

He is 41-47 with a 4.57 ERA in six seasons with Seattle (2019-21), Toronto (2022-24) and Houston.

Kikuchi signed with the Mariners ahead of the 2019 season when Seattle agreed to a contract that earned him $43 million over three years. The Mariners also paid a $10,275,000 posting fee to the Pacific League's Seibu Lions. He signed with Toronto in March 2022, agreeing to a $36 million, three-year contract.

The Angels have been the most aggressive team in baseball so far this offseason. Kikuchi joins a projected rotation that includes left-handers Tyler Anderson and Reid Detmers and right-handers José Soriano and Kyle Hendricks, who left the Chicago Cubs as a free agent and agreed to a $2.5 million, one-year contract.

Right-hander Griffin Canning was traded to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder and designated hitter Jorge Soler on Oct. 31. Los Angeles also reached a $12 million, two-year contract with catcher Travis d'Arnaud.

Left-hander Max Fried reportedly agrees to eight-year, $218 million contract with Yankees

Max Fried and the New York Yankees have agreed to a eight-year, $218 million contract, the largest deal for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

New York made the move two days after outfielder Juan Soto left for a pending 15-year, $765 million contract with the rival Mets.

Fried, who turns 31 in January, gets the fourth-highest contract among pitchers behind the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($325 million), the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole ($324 million) and Washington’s Stephen Strasburg ($245 million), who hasn’t pitched since 2022 and has retired. Fried broke the mark for lefties set by David Price at $217 million.

Fried joins a potential rotation that already included Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman.

All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet acquired by Red Sox from White Sox for prospects

Garrett Crochet was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the White Sox on Wednesday for four prospects, giving Chicago a better deal for the All-Star left-hander than available at the trade deadline in July.
For the Red Sox, who are still seeking more pitching, it was a quick pivot after losing out on free agent lefty Max Fried to the rival New York Yankees.

“Feel like we got a legitimate No. 1 starter in Garrett, left-handed, ton of swing and miss, you know, massive strikeouts and feel like the best is still in front of him,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said. “Adding him to the rotation, it adds depth, it adds quality."

Chicago got back catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth. right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez and outfielder Braden Montgomery in the trade announced during the winter meetings.

Crochet was 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts for a White Sox team that went 41-121, the most losses for any club since 1900. The 25-year-old was picked for the AL All-Star team in his first season as a starter.

“What he did this past season was nothing short of excellent,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz said. “But you look at, you know, the long-term health of the organization and to inject the type of talent that we just did in in this trade is really exciting for us.”

MLB free agency: Tyler O'Neill to join Orioles on three-year, $49.5 million dea

Free-agent outfielder/designated hitter Tyler O'Neill has agreed to a three-year, $49.5 million contract with the Orioles, the team announced Tuesday. The deal reportedly includes an opt-out after 2025.

O'Neill will ostensibly serve as fellow free agent Anthony Santander's replacement and join an outfield depth chart that includes Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser, and Heston Kjerstad. Entering the offseason, CBS Sports ranked O'Neill as the 31st best free agent available this winter, writing the following:

O'Neill has, over the course of his big-league career, garnered a reputation for being an underperformer. The reasoning for that perception is straightforward. He's always been blessed with plus physicality: the strength and bat speed to hit the ball hard, the quick-twitch fibers to run fast (though he's started to slow down as he nears his 30s), and so on. Unfortunately, he's rarely had the statistical output to match. There have been a few exceptions, however, including this most recent season, when O'Neill posted a 132 OPS+ by homering 31 times in 113 games. His hyper-pull approach isn't for everyone, and he often hits the ball at such lofty trajectories that he's a perpetual candidate to post a poor batting average. And yet, we think the biggest reservation teams might have with him concerns his durability: he's appeared in 100 or more games just twice in seven years. Players don't tend to get healthier as they age, suggesting he's always going to necessitate his employer having a satisfactory Plan B at the ready. Will that greatly impact his next deal? Maybe not, but it could impact where he falls on preference lists.

O'Neill, 29, is coming off a huge power season. In only 411 at-bats across 113 games with the Red Sox in 2024, he hit 31 home runs and slugged .511. Interestingly, this turned out to be a relatively one-dimensional season for O'Neill, as he hit .241 with a .336 on-base percentage while striking out 159 times against 53 walks. He only doubled 18 times and had 61 RBI and 74 runs, good for 2.7 WAR. The walk rate was actually decent, but most of his value was home runs.

Yankees acquire closer Devin Williams from Brewers

The New York Yankees acquired closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-hander Nestor Cortes, prospect Caleb Durbin and cash considerations, the teams announced Friday.

A two-time All-Star, Williams has established himself as one of the premier relievers in baseball over the past five seasons behind an elite changeup known as "The Airbender," posting a 1.83 ERA in 97 career relief appearances.

Williams is the second reliever the Yankees have acquired this week -- they agreed to terms to re-sign Jonathan Loaisiga, pending a physical, on Wednesday. Williams will slide into the back end of a Yankees bullpen that lost Clay Holmes to free agency, could lose free agent Tommy Kahnle and will feature Luke Weaver, a revelation in 2024.