Mega Thread 2024-2025 MLB Hot Stove

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The Los Angeles Angels are in agreement with free agent LHP Kyle Hendricks on a one-year, $2.5 million contract. The Angels have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move when the deal becomes official. It will be the first time in his major league career that Hendricks has pitched for a team other than the Cubs. Although drafted by the Rangers in 2011, he did not play in the majors until he was traded to the Cubs about a year after being drafted.

 

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The San Diego Padres have announced that they have extended the contract of manager Mike Schildt to run through the end of the 2027 season. Schildt replaced Bob Melvin at the end of the 2023 season and signed a two-year contract that would have expired at the end of the 2025 season.

Padres, manager Mike Shildt nearing agreement on contract extension

Mike Shildt will receive extension, raise after team won 93 games, advanced to NLDS in 2024

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

 

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The San Francisco Giants have signed catcher Logan Porter on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Porter was with the Giants in 2024 after being traded to San Francisco by the Royals in June. He opted out of his contract with the Giants in July and signed with the Mets, but didn't make an appearance at the major league level before being designated for assignment and later outrighted off their 40-man roster. Porter had 38 plate appearances at the major league level for the Royals in 2023, hitting .194/.324/.323.

 

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Speculation was rife that the Blue Jays might trade away shortstop Bo Bichette after a disappointing season for the Blue Jays and for Bichette himself. At the GM meetings, Ross Atkins made it clear that the Blue Jays would not be trading Bichette. Bichette had a terrible season this year, hitting .225/.277/.322 in 336 plate appearances and having three separate stints on the IL. Bichette underwent postseason surgery to repair a fracture in his middle finger on his right hand. Bichette is under contract for $16.5 million in 2025, being the last season of a three year contract that he signed with the Blue Jays to buy out arbitration.

 

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RHP Nathan Eovaldi recently declined his player option (worth $20 million) with the Texas Rangers and is a free agent. According to reporters, the Braves are one club that has interest in signing the veteran pitcher to try to replace either Charlie Morton or Max Fried, both of whom are now free agents.

Braves show interest in free-agent starter Eovaldi (source)

ATLANTA -- Nathan Eovaldi ranks near the top of the Braves’ wish list, according to an industry source. Eovaldi became a free agent when he declined his $20 million option to stick with the Rangers through the 2025 season. The 34-year-old right-hander can now pursue a multiyear deal that would

www.mlb.com

 

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The Houston Astros have sent RHP Jose Urquidy through outright waivers and he is now a free agent. Urquidy pitched 405 innings for the Astros through his career, with a 3.98 ERA. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024 and is therefore unlikely to pitch at all in 2025. The Astros had the opportunity to retain Urquidy through arbitration, but clearly decided that it was not worth paying Urquidy a salary in 2025 for him to not pitch.

 

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As already noted in this thread, RHP Gerrit Cole remains a Yankee despite triggering an opt-out in his contract with New York that he signed in 2020. Cole stays with the Yankee for four guaranteed years with $144 million in salary due, but the parties are talking about extending that contract.

 

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The New York Mets have issued qualifying offers to RHP Luis Severino and LHP Sean Manaea. Both are expected to reject their qualifying offers, with players receiving qualifying offers from their teams having until 19 November to decide whether or not to accept the offer. Manaea pitched a career high 181 2/3 innings for the Mets in 2024, with a 25% strikeout rate and an ERA of 3.47. After adjusting his arm slot during the season, Manaea had a fantastic end to his season which dovetailed nicely with his run through free agency. Manaea enters his age-33 season, so it is not likely that he will receive a long-term offer, but he should expect to easily meet or exceed the AAV of the qualifying offer for a three year contract.

Severino crossed over from the Yankees to the Mets as a free agent last offseason and had a bounceback season after struggling in his final year in the Bronx. Severino only struck out batters at a 21.2% rate, but managed to increase his groundball rate to 46%, and finished the season with a 3.91 ERA in 31 starts and 182 innings.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Houston Astros have had internal discussions about the possibility of trading former closer and current set-up man RHP Ryan Pressly, according to reports. Pressly has a full no-trade provision in his contract that he would need to agree to waive in order to be traded. Pressly has played more than 10 years in the Show and has five-plus years in Houston, so he is automatically granted full no-trade protection under the terms of the CBA between the players and the league.

The Astros are looking to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman, who is a free agent, but they are running up tight against the luxury tax salary number without Bregman's salary included. Cleary Pressly off the books would help open up salary cap space for the Astros to take a run at re-signing Bregman as well as improving the roster in other spots, with Pressly trigggering a vesting option worth $14 million for his age-36 season, particularly steep for a player that lost his closer role to Hader last off-season.

What we’re hearing about Astros at GM meetings: Ryan Pressly, a hitting summit and more

Plus do the Astros have leverage when Alex Bregman has created “a market that the Astros are very aware is very healthy for him?"

www.nytimes.com