Mega Thread 2024-2025 MLB Hot Stove

[Dixie Flatline]

The Los Angeles Dodgers are exercising their $5 million club option over shortstop Miguel Rojas for the 2025 season. The option came with a $1 million buyout.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

RHP David Robertson has declined his side of a mutual option with the Texas Rangers. Robertson gives up a $7 million salary in 2025 in exchange for a $1.5 million buyout and the right to test free agency. Robertson served as the top set-up man in Arlington for closer Kirby Yates, and put up 72 innings of work with a 3.00 ERA and a 2.65 FIP.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have exercised their club option over back-up catcher Austin Barnes for the 2025 season. Barnes will make $3.5 million in 2025.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

LHP Robbie Ray has declined his opt-out provision in his contract with the Giants, meaning that he will be pitching for San Francisco in both the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Ray will be paid $25 million in each season.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Milwaukee Brewers have declind their side of a mutual option over catcher Gary Sanchez worth $11 million. Sanchez will receive a $4 million buyout and returns to free agency for the fourth time in the last two years.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim has declined his side of a mutual $8 million option with the San Diego Padres and receives a $2 million buyout as he enters free agency. LHP Wandy Peralta declines to exercise his opt-out provision and remains in San Diego for at least another season.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Colorado Rockies have acquired infielder Owen Miller from the Brewers in exchange for cash considerations. Miller made the majors with the Guardians in 2021 and was then sent to the Brewers in 2023. After he played 280 games for the Guardians and the Brewers between 2021-2023, he played in just 14 games in 2024 and was designated for assignment and outrighted off the Brewers' 40 man roster in July.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Brewers have also put RHP Colin Rea on waivers and is available for any club to claim. Rea has a $5.5 million club option for the 2025 season with a $1 million buyout. Waiver priority is based on the reverse standings from the 2024 season and is not league-specific. Therefore, the White Sox have the first opportunity to claim him, followed by the Rockies, Marlins, Angels, Athletics, etc.

 

[JLC]

The Kansas City Royals announced that they have signed RHP Michael Wacha to a three year contract with a club option for 2028. Wacha will make $51 million over the guaranteed three years and could max out at $72 million if the option is exercised and Wacha meets his incentives during the 2027 season. The club option comes with a $1 million buyout.

The Royals will pay Wacha $18 million in 2025, $18 million in 2026 and between $14-$18 million in 2027, depending on whether he meets incentives.

When the Royals signed Wacha last off-season, they gave him a player option worth $16 million that Wacha was likely to decline to exercise given his strong 2024. This new deal replaces the player option and extends his time in Kansas City.

Yankees should get him, just so he doesn't pitch to Judge.

 

[flamethrower]

Reports out of New York that Gerrit Cole and the Yankees are negotiating a contract extension to keep Cole in pinstripes.

Not sure where this was covered first, but it sure wasn't by Gerrit.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that DH/SP Shohei Ohtani underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder that resulted from the dislocation that he suffered while sliding in a stolen base attempt during the World Series. The Dodgers expect him to be fully recovered in time for Spring Training.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The 2023 World Champions, the Texas Rangers, have hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior advisor to president of baseball operations Chris Young. It also appears that the Rangers will employ Luis Urueta, who was the bench coach under Schumaker at Miami, in the equivalent role with the Rangers. It is not clear how the Rangers will handle their existing bench coach, Donnie Ecker, and there is nothing to suggest that he is leaving the Rangers. It is possible that Ecker will be moved into the associate manager role to replace Will Venable, who had that role before being hired to manage the White Sox earlier this off-season.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Speaking to reporters at the GM Meetings, Athletics GM David Forst categorically ruled out a trade of DH Brent Rooker. The 2023 All-Star and nominee for a 2024 Silver Slugger award, Rooker is under team control for another three seasons after this season, meaning that the Athletics can afford to be picky when it comes to a possible trade for Rooker, who has gone from waiver fodder to one of the premier sluggers in the space of two seasons. The Minnesota Twins drafted Rooker with the 35th overall pick in the 2017 draft, gave him his MLB debut in 2020, and then traded him to the Padres. Rooker had seven plate appearances with the Padres before being flipped to the Royals, where he was waived three months later and claimed by the Athletics. Rooker hit .246/.329/.488 and 30 homeruns in 2023, with the bulk of that production coming in April, July and September 2023. In 2024, he took his game to the next level and was an All-Star snub, hitting .293/.365/.562 for the season, including 39 homeruns.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

RHP Camilo Doval is drawing trade interest from multiple clubs according to reporters. Doval has just over three years of service time under his belt in 2024, qualifying him for arbitration for the first time and putting him on course to hit free agency after the 2027 season. Doval had a poor season in 2024, but in 2021-2023, he pitched 166 times for the Giants for a 2.77 ERA, 30.2% strikeout rate, a 9.6% walk rate and 53.4% ground ball rate. However, the 2024 season was poor by his previous standards, as he allowed his ERA to balloon to 4.88 in 59 pitched innings, and saw his walk rate jump to 14.4%.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Free agent second baseman Jorge Polanco (Seattle Mariners) underwent surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee after the season. His agent told reporters that it is expected that Polanco will be able to resume full baseball activities in January 2025. The Mariners declined a $12 million club option on Polanco last week, paying him $750,000 instead, after he hit .213/.298/.355 as the Mariners' primary second baseman in 2024.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The new president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, spoke with members of the media and told the reporters that the Giants are looking for a shortstop.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Cubs are expected to be chasing starting pitchers, relievers and catchers to upgrade their roster in the off-season. It is likely that the Cubs will have Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad locked into the starting rotation, but the fifth spot in the rotation is up for grabs at the moment.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5899464/2024/11/05/cubs-nico-hoerner-injury-matt-shaw/

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Free agent first baseman (Minnesota Twins) Carlos Santana turns 39 next April, but his agent has told reporters that his client would like to play another three or four seasons before he considers retirement. Santana signed a one-year contract with the Twins last off-season and had his best season at the plate since 2019, hitting .238/.328.420 including 23 home runs and 26 doubles in 594 plate appearances during the season. He also won his first career Gold Glove at first base, being credited with 8 Defensive Runs Saved and 14 Outs Above Average at the position.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

DH Mitch Haniger declined to exercise his opt out with the Mariners and will come back to Seattle on a $15.5 million salary for 2025. It was unsurprising that Haniger decided to stick with the Mariners for 2025 after he hit a poor .208/.286/.334 across 423 plate appearances for Seattle in 2024.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

RHP Joe Jimenez will likely miss all of the 2025 season after undergoing a left knee surgery to fix cartilage damage in his knee. According to the reports, Jimenez will likely miss 8-12 months.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The MLB Players Association announced that LHP Clayton Kershaw has become a free agent, indicating that he has declined his $10 million player option with the Dodgers. It is highly likely that this is a manouevre to allow the Dodgers and Kershaw to agree terms on a new contract, with Kershaw previously stating that he would like to be a Dodger for life.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Washington Nationals have announced that first baseman Joey Meneses, utility player Ildemaro Vargas and RHP Michael Rucker have all cleared waivers and elected free agency after being outrighted off the Nationals' 40-man roster. Meneses was eligible for minor league free agency, while Vargas (due to service time) and Rucker (a previous outright assignment) were eligible to elect free agency and chose to exercise that right. The move clears space for the Nationals to reinstate Josiah Gray, Cade Cavalli, Mason Thompson and Joan Adon to the 40-man roster from the 60-day IL.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes spoke to the media at the GM meetings overnight. Gomes told reporters that the Dodgers are likely to put Mookie Betts back at second base or at shortstop for 2025. Betts came up with Boston as an infielder but moved into the outfield. When he was traded to the Dodgers, he was given brief opportunities to play at second base from 2020-2022. The Dodgers then played him there full-time in 2023, giving him 485 innings at second base and 98 innings at shortstop, although that was partly due to the fact that Gavin Lux tore his ACL in Spring Training in 2023 and missed the entire season after being pencilled in as the Dodgers' starting shortstop that season, while the Dodgers also farewelled Corey Seager (after the 2021 season) and Trea Turner (after the 2022 season) who left in free agency.

The Dodgers expected Betts to play as the primary second baseman for the Dodgers in 2024, but with Lux struggling to rehab from his ACL in Spring Training, the Dodgers moved Betts to shortstop for the season and Lux switched to second base. Betts needed time to adjust to the demands of his new full-time position, putting up -4 on OOA but +3 on DRS. It didn't affect his hitting, as he slashed .304/.405/.488 (153 wRC+) from the start of the season through to the end of June, but then fractured his hand after being hit by a pitch. When he returned from that injury, the Dodgers put him back in right field, where he remained for the rest of the season.

With the Dodgers open about their intention to play Betts as an infielder in 2025, it could kick start speculation about the Dodgers' plans in free agency. The Dodgers would almost certainly be able to match any offer made by another club for OF Juan Soto (a natural right fielder), but the Dodgers may also look to bring back OF Teoscar Hernandez, and/or sign one (or more) of Anthony Santander, Jurickson Profar, Tyler O'Neill or Michael Conforto, all of whom are free agents.

The free agent market for infielders is not as strong this time around. Alex Bregman is the leading free agent infielder, but he plays third base only and the Dodgers have Max Muncy ensconced in that position (and can rely on Kike Hernandez or Miguel Rojas to spot start as required). Gleyber Torres is the top option at second base, while Ha-Seong Kim is another option, albeit one that carries a half-season on the shelf due to shoulder surgery.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Cleveland Guardians announced that they have signed catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year contract. According to reports, he will be paid $4 million for the season. Hedges offers virtually nothing with the bat, with a career .186/.243/.315 in 2,359 career plate appearances, for a wRC+ of 50 (meaning that he is 50% worse than league average as a hitter). But Hedges is also credited with 91 Defensive Runs Saved over the last 10 years, the best for any catcher over that span, with the next two on that list being Roberto Perez and Buster Posey (and Posey hasn't played in years).

 

[Dixie Flatline]

According to reports, free agent shortstop Willy Adames is willing to entertain a club shifting him off shortstop. It appears that the Mets have expressed interest in signing Adames and playing him at third base, while other (unnamed) clubs have considered moving Adames to second base.

Adames was credited with 10 fielding errors in 2024, more than seven he had in the previous two seasons combined. He was given a -16 grade on DRS, while he earned a 0 on OOA in 2024.

Adames did have a productive season at the plate, hitting .251/.331/.462 for a 119 wRC+ in 2024, which is slightly higher than his career batting line of .248/.322/.444.

While the Mets are unlikely to shift Francisco Lindor off shortstop, they do have needs elsewhere in the infield. Mark Vientos had a breakout season at the plate but is limited defensively at third base, while Jeff McNeil has had a rollercoaster career at second base. There is suggestion that the Mets may move Vientos to first base if Pete Alonso does not return, which would obviously open a position at third base (it appears that Brett Baty is not an option for the Mets at this stage).

The Brewers did extend a qualifying offer to Adames, which he will almost certainly turn down. There are associated penalties with signing a player that has rejected a qualifying offer, depending on whether the club is a revenue sharing recipient (Diamondbacks, Rockies, Reds, Brewers, Pirates, Marlins, Athletics, Mariners, Tigers, Royals, Twins, Guardians, Orioles and Rays), clubs that neither receive revenue share nor pay competitive balance tax (Padres, Cardinals, Nationals, Angels, White Sox and Red Sox), clubs in limbo (Blue Jays and Cubs) and clubs that pay the competitive balance tax (Dodgers, Giants, Mets, Phillies, Braves, Astros, Rangers and Yankees).

The Giants have been open about their desire for a shortstop, but they may shy away from signing Adames given that their penalty would be to give up $1 million in international bonus money, as well as two draft picks (their second and fifth highest selections in the 2025 draft).

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5902015/2024/11/05/mlb-gm-meetings-bobby-witt-willy-adames/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mlbtw&source=mlbtw

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5902363/2024/11/06/sf-giants-buster-posey-leadership-focus/?source=emp_shared_article