MLB Hot Stove 2023-2024

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The Atlanta Braves and LHP Max Fried are in agreement on a $15 million contract for 2024 that avoids arbitration. This is Fried's last year of arbitration eligibility.

 

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Another pitcher who has been the subject of trade speculation through the offseason, RHP Shane (not Justin) Bieber, is in agreement with the Cleveland Guardians on a one-year, $13.125 million contract for 2024. His contract includes incentives based on Cy Young voting, a potential All-Star appearance and postseason awards voting. Bieber is a free agent after the 2024 season.

 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed infielder Brendon Davis and catcher Chris Okey to minor league deals. It is not clear whether the players will be invited to Spring Training that starts next month.

Davis was drafted by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, and was subsequently traded to the Rangers at the 2017 trade deadline as part of the package for Yu Darvish. Davis was part of the Rangers' organisation between 2017-2020 and made it to Double-A level in 2019 before COVID cancelled the minor league season in 2020. He was selected by the Angels in the minor league phase of the 2020 Rule 5 draft. He hit well for the Angels in the minor leagues but was put on waivers by the Angels in May 2022, and claimed by the Tigers. He made his MLB debut for Detroit in the late part of the 2022 season and collected two hits, a walk and a stolen base while striking out three times in 11 plate appearances. Davis was with the Tigers organisation through the 2023 season but was released in June after struggling at Triple-A level in the first half of the season.

Okey was a second round draft pick for the Reds in 2016 and made it to Triple-A in 2019. After taking the year off in 2020 thanks to COVID, he was respectable at Triple-A level before making his MLB debut for the Reds in June 2022. He played seven games and was designated for assignment by the Reds, ending back up in Triple-A for the remainder of the season. He elected minor league free agency at the end of the season and signed with the Angels on a minor-league deal for 2023. He played two games as an injury replacement for Logan O'Hoppe for the Angels and spent the remainder of his time in Triple-A.

 

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Paul Goldschmidt is entering the last season of the five year, $130 million extension he signed with St Louis in March 2019, so the star first baseman is set to hit free agency for the first time at age 37. The Cardinals' president of baseball operations told reporters that the Cardinals may not commence extension talks with Goldschmidt until after Opening Day.

 

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The Cincinnati Reds are in agreement with LHP Brent Suter on a one-year deal that takes the form of a $2.5 million salary in 2024 and a $500,000 buyout on a $3.5 million club option for 2025. The deal was made official over the weekend, with the Reds designating RHP Daniel Duarte for assignment to open the spot on the 40-man roster to enable Suter to be added. Duarte spent most of the 2022 season battling elbow problems but made his MLB debut with the Reds in 2022, pitching 2 2/3 innings across three appearances. He overcame his injury issues to pitch 31 2/3 innings for the Reds in the majors in 2023, with a 3.69 ERA in the majors. However, he has had problems with command, with an 14.7% walk rate at the major league level.

Suter has been a reliever over the past five years with the Brewers and Rockies, but may be in line to start some games for the Reds, depending on the health of their rotation.

 

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As noted above, the Giants have signed RHP Jordan Hicks to a four-year, $44 million contract. According to Susan Slusser at the San Francisco Chronicle, Hicks is line to earn an additional $2 million of annual incentives based on innings pitched, with the incentives kicking in at at the 100 inning mark.

Hicks has previously been a starting pitcher while in the minor leagues with the Cardinals. He debuted for St Louis as a reliever in the 2018 season, and there was a brief experiment putting Hicks in the starting rotation early in the 2022 campaign. It was unsuccessful, as he gave up 16 runs in 24 2/3 innings as a starter before the Cardinals put him back in the bullpen.

Hicks is the archetypal flamethrower, averaging 100.8 mph on his four seamer and 100.2 mph on his two-seamer. He has topped out at 105 mph on his fast ball. He also has a slider that sits at 86.5 mph average velocity and a changeup that he rarely throws which sits at 91.8 mph.

Hicks has never pitched more than 105 innings in a season either at the big leagues or in the minor leagues and he underwent Tommy John surgery back in 2019, had a 60-day IL stint due to elbow inflammation in 2021 and missed more than a month of the 2022 season thanks to a flexor strain.

 

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The Tampa Bay Rays announced the signing of RHP Jacob Waguespack to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. Waguespack has MLB experience with Toronto between 2019-2020, starting 13 of 18 appearances as a rookie, working to a 4.38 ERA over 78 innings. He was outrighted off the Toronto roster during the 2021 Spring Training. Waguespack also has pitched in the NPB with the Orix Buffaloes for two seasons.

 

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The Oakland Athletics have re-signed catcher Carlos Perez to a minor league deal. It is not clear whether Perez will receive an invitation to Spring Training. Perez was with Oakland in 2023 after not playing in the majors since 2018. Perez served as a backup catcher to Shea Langeliers for Oakland in 2023, playing in 63 games and hitting .226/.293/.357. Perez will likely compete with Tyler Soderstrom to back-up Langeliers, but Soderstrom has long faced questions about whether catcher is the right spot for him with many prospect evaluators suggesting that Soderstrom will eventually need to move away from catcher. Soderstrom also was mediocre at best in his first season in the majors, hitting .160/.232/.240 in his first 138 plate appearances in the majors.

The A's also recently signed Yohel Pozo to a minor league deal, meaning that they have a few catchers with major league experience providing non-roster depth. If Soderstrom is sent back to the minors to work on a few things or is transitioned to first base or designated hitter (the former is unlikely unless incumbent first baseman Ryan Noda does not keep up his 2023 form) then Perez could be in line to be promoted back to the majors to support Langeliers.

 

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The Chicago White Sox have signed RHP Joe Barlow to a minor league deal and has been assigned to Triple-A Charlotte. It is not clear whether Barlow will receive an invitation to Spring Training. Barlow debuted in 2021 with the Rangers, making 31 appearances and putting up an ERA of 1.55, thanks to a tiny .143 BABIP. In 2022, Barlow posted an ERA of 3.86 with 13 saves for the Rangers. Barlow was relegated to Triple-A by the Rangers for most of the season, only pitching 9 2/3 innings for the Rangers in the majors before going to the Royals in August on a waiver claim. Between the Rangers and Royals, he pitched 44 innings at Triple-A level with a 5.52 ERA. He was outrighted by the Royals off their roster in September and elected minor league free agency at the end of the season.

 

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The Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a minor league deal with shortstop Richie Martin. He was selected 20th overall by the A's in the 2015 draft from the University of Florida. He struggled at the plate early in his pro career, but seemingly broke out at Double-A in 2018, hitting .300/.368/.439 in 118 games at that level. However, the A's declined to protect Martin in the Rule 5 draft that winter and he was selected by the Orioles. Baltimore retained Martin on their active roster through the 2019 season and he played in 120 MLB games for the Orioles in the 2019 season, hitting .208/.260/.322 slash line. Martin fractured his wrist less than two weeks before the opening of the 2020 season and did not appear for the Orioles at all during that season. He returned to action in 2021 and spent most of the season in Triple-A, with only 138 plate appearances for the Orioles in 2021-2022.

After being designated for assignment by the Orioles in September 2022, Martin bounced around the league in 2023, first signing with the Reds, then going to the Nationals in April. He didn't reach the majors at all in 2023 and will look to revive his career with the Angels in 2024, competing with Kyren Paris and Michael Stefanic for a role on the Angels' bench as they head into the post-Shohei era with Ron Washington at the helm.

 

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Bad news for the Houston Astros after RHP Kendall Graveman was ruled out for the 2024 season following shoulder surgery last week. The team did not specify the nature of the procedure. Graveman, 33, missed the 2023 postseason with shoulder issues. It was recommended thta he go through a "rest and rehab" process to come back from the injury, and that proceeded well enough for Graveman to be able to begin throwing from flat ground as he ramped up for Spring Training. However, Graveman reportedly experienced renewed discomfort in his shoulder and has been put under the knife.

The Astros acquired Graveman from the Chicago White Sox at the 2023 trade deadline, and Graveman has previously pitched for the Astros (back in 2021) before signing a three-year, $24 million contract with the Southsiders. Graveman put up an ERA of 2.42 over 22 1/3 innings on his return to Houston, but he also allowed walks at a 16.7% rate following the trade, a career worst mark.

Graveman's absence from the Astros bullpen will be significant for Houston in 2024, as they are going to be without Hector Neris, Ryne Stanek and Phil Maton, all of whom departed from the Astros in free agency after the end of the season. The Astros will be relying on Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly to carry the bullpen, and will hope that veteran RHP Rafael Montero will have better results for the Astros in 2024 than he did last season, the first of his three-year, $34.5 million contract.

The Astros will have to carry Graveman's $8 million salary for the season despite not getting any production out of him, and the Astros are reportedly right up against the luxury tax threshold. With owner Jim Crane seemingly unwilling to cross the threshold, the capacity for the Astros to find bullpen help might be suppressed for the time being.

 

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The San Francisco Giants are officially hiring former manager Dusty Baker as a special assistant, according to USA Today. Baker will work with the president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and will also assist CEO Larry Baer on certain business operations. Baker indicated in December that he had been speaking to the Giants about the prospect of a non-coaching role within the organisation. Baker previously managed the Giants between 1993-2002, compiling a 840-715 record and leading them to the NL pennant in 2022.

 

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The international signing period opened on 15 January 2024 and a number of teams signed the top talent out of Latin America to contracts. Some of the top names that signed with MLB clubs over the past few days (ordered by signing bonus):

Player	Position	Team	Signing bonus	Notes
Jose Perdomo	SS	Braves	$5 million	A right-handed hitting infielder from Venezuela and ranked the third overall prospect in the group by MLB Pipeline. Regarded as a polished hitter with a good chance to play in the infield at the major league level.
Leodalis De Vries	SS	Padres	$4.2 million	Regarded as the most talented prospect in the group. De Vries is from the Dominican Republic and is a 6'1" switch hitter, drawing praise for a well-rounded offensive profile with power potential and the chance to stick at shortstop.
Fernando Cruz	SS	Cubs	$4 million	Also from the Dominican Republic, Cruz is a 5'11" infielder. Has an aggressive approach at the plate and there is some concern about the length of his swing. Regarded as the fourth overall prospect in the group.
Dawel Joseph	SS	Mariners	$3 million	Another prospect signed out of the Dominican Republic, this time by the Mariners. Joseph is a right handed hitter with a 6'2" frame. Has lost some of the elite speed he boasted as his body matured but still has a shot to play somewhere up the middle.
Yovanny Rodriguez	C	Mets	$2.85 million	From Venezuela and ranked the sixth overall prospect in the group
Victor Hurtado	OF	Nationals	$2.7-$2.8 million	From Dominican Republic and ranked the twentieth overall prospect. There are differing reports on the amount of the bonus he has received.
Adolfo Sanchez	OF	Reds	$2.7 million	Ranked the fifth overall prospect, from the Dominican Republic
Joswa Lugo	SS	Angels	$2.3 million	Ranked the 37th overall prospect out of the Dominican Republic
Yandel Ricardo	SS	Royals	Unreported	Ranked the 16th overall prospect
Emil Morales	SS	Dodgers	Unreported	Ranked the 14th overall prospect
Paulino Santana	OF	Rangers	$1.3 million	Native of the Dominican Republic. Ranked the second overall prospect by MLB Pipeline.

 

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The Washington Nationals announced that they have hired former Nationals and Athletics left handed reliever Sean Doolittle to the position of Pitching Strategist with the club. He will serve as a liaison between the club's analytics department and the pitching staff, and will also work with manager Davey Martinez, pitching coach Jim Hickey and bullpen coach Ricky Bones and assist with aspects of the job like pitching strategy, pitcher mechanics and mental preparation for the team's pitchers.

Doolittle spent parts of five seasons with the Nationals, including the 2023 campaign, but his comeback bid from elbow surgery ended last year before he was able to return to a big league mound. From 2012-2022, he pitched 450 2/3 innings in the regular seasons between the Athletics, the Nationals, the Reds and the Mariners, with a career 3.20 ERA. He also pitched 22 1/3 innings in the postseason of 2.42 ERA pitching in the postseason, including an outstanding run in the 2019 postseason where he was the go-to guy in the Nationals bullpen on their way to a World Series championship.

 

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The Texas Rangers have acquired RHP Daniel Duarte from the Cincinnati Reds according to announcements from both teams. Duarte was designated for assignment last week by the Reds, which will receive cash considerations from the Rangers in exchange for Duarte. The Rangers now have a full 40-man roster. Duarte made his MLB debut for the Reds in 2022, pitching 2 2/3 innings. He had a more sizeable time in the majors in 2023, pitching 31 2/3 innings. Between the two seasons, Duarte has a career ERA of 4.19.

 

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The Rangers also announced that they have signed RHP Jose Urena to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. Urena has previously pitched for the Marlins, the Brewers, the Rockies and the White Sox.

 

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The Seattle Mariners have signed RHP Joey Krehbiel to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Krehbiel has previously pitched for the Diamondbacks, the Rays and the Orioles, with 74 innings of big league experience between the three teams. For his career, he has an overall 3.65 ERA.

 

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The Toronto Blue Jays announced that they have claimed catcher Brian Serven off waivers from the Chicago Cubs after he was designated for assignment by the Cubs last week. This fills the last available spot on the Blue Jays 40-man roster. Serven had spent his entire career with the Rockies until earlier in January. The Cubs claimed Serven off waivers a couple of weeks ago before designating him for assignment last week. Serven played in 73 big league games for the Rockies between 2022 and 2023, hitting just .195/.248/.314 in 228 major league plate appearances.

 

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The New York Mets announced that they have signed infielder Yolmer Sanchez and catcher Austin Allen to minor league contracts with invitation to Spring Training as non-roster invitees. Sanchez won a Gold Glove with the White Sox in 2019 and was their regular second baseman from 2017-2019, batting a combined .253/.314/.368 in 1,751 plate appearances. However, he only has 65 plate appearances since the end of the 2019 season, batting just .170/.302/.283. He spent the 2023 season with the Braves' Triple-A affiliate and did not play in the majors.

Allen was a highly rated prospect with the Padres and the Athletics, but has only 127 big league plate appearances, batting .195/.252/.288 in that time. He spent the 2023 season with the Marlins in Triple-A.

 

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The Toronto Blue Jays have landed RHP Yariel Rodriguez on a four year, $32 million contract. The deal is not yet official as it is subject to a completed physical and there are immigration hurdles to be overcome. Rodriguez will complete his physical in the USA and is waiting on a visa that will allow him to enter the US from the Dominican Republic.

Rodriguez began his professional career as a starter in Cuba but transitioned to reliever when he went to pitch in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons. He was briefly the starter for Cuba in the 2023 WBC, and then did not return to his club in Japan. He eventually was granted his release and has been holding showcases for MLB clubs which attracted the attention of the Rays, the Red Sox, the Padres, the Astros, the Pirates, the Yankees and the Reds, as well as the Blue Jays.

Opinion about his role was apparently mixed between clubs, with some viewing him as a reliever while others were prepared to offer him the opportunity to start. It appears that the Blue Jays were in the latter camp, which pushed them to the front of the queue.

Fuentes: Toronto acuerda con pitcher cubano Yariel Rodríguez

Los Toronto Blue Jays llegaron a un acuerdo por cuatro años y $32 millones con el derecho cubano Yariel Rodríguez, informaron varios medios el miércoles.

espndeportes.espn.com

 

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The Seattle Mariners announced that they have signed RHP Austin Voth to a one-year major league deal. He takes the last available spot on the Mariners' 40-man roster. Voth will reportedly make $1.25 million guaranteed salary in 2024. Voth has previously pitched in the last six seasons with the Nationals and Orioles, putting up 4.90 ERA in 299 1/3 innings.

 

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The New York Yankees officially announced their signing of RHP Marcus Stroman overnight, designating OF Oscar Gonzalez for assignment in a corresponding move. Gonzalez had only been with the Yankees since December, when he was claimed off waivers from the Guardians. Gonzalez entered the league with some terrific results in his rookie season back in 2022, hitting .296/.327/.461 for a wRC+ of 125 and hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 15th inning of game 2 of the 2022 AL Wild Card series that broke a scoreless tie and clinched the series for the Guardians.

However, 2023 was a major step back for Gonzalez, as he hit just .214/.239/.312 in 180 major league plate appearances and he spent most of his time in Triple-A. Gonzalez doesn't offer much value on defence and doesn't steal many bases, so he needs to hit in order to provide value, and his 49.1% swinging strike rate at pitches outside the strike zone is the highest among MLB hitters with at least 550 plate appearances over the past two seasons. This poor plate discipline depressed his hitting in the major league in 2023.

The Guardians released Gonzalez and he was claimed by the Yankees off waivers. However, the Yankees then proceeded to reshape their outfield, trading for Juan Soto, Trent Grisham and Alex Verdugo, which obviously squeezed Gonzalez off the roster with Stroman now a Yankee. The Yankees have a week to trade Gonzalez or pass him through waivers. If he were to go unclaimed, then he could stick with the Yankees in a non-roster capacity.

 

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The Seattle Mariners are in agreement with RHP Ty Buttrey on a contract, according to a social media post from the player himself. The details of the deal have not been released, but it is presumably a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Buttrey has not played in the majors since the 2020 season, having previously pitched for the Angels between 2018-2020. Buttrey announced before the start of the 2021 season that he was stepping away from baseball. He did return before the start of the 2022 season but spent the season in Triple-A. He signed a minor league contract last offseason with the Astros for 2023. Houston released him at the start of August 2023.

 

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The San Francisco Giants have acquired catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel from the New York Mets in exchange for cash considerations, according to the Mets. The Giants will now have a full 40-man roster and must make a corresponding move when they make their signing of Jordan Hicks official. Hummel has received 227 major league plate appearances in his career so far, spending time with the Diamondbacks in 2022 and the Mariners in 2023. He walks at a 11% rate but also strikes out at a 32.2% rate, leading to a batting line of .166/.264/.286. In the majors, Hummel has split his time between catcher and left field, with some innings in right as well. Hummel has an option year remaining and can be kept in the minors if the Giants do not have a roster spot for him.