MLB Hot Stove 2023-2024

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The Detroit Tigers announced overnight that they have claimed RHP Devin Sweet off waivers from the Giants and opened a spot on their 40-man roster by designating infielder Tyler Nevin for assignment.

Detroit will be Sweet's fourth club in four months. He went from the Mariners to the Athletics in early September, from the Athletics to the Giants in December and now joins the Tigers, all via waiver claims. The Giants had not previously indicated that Sweet had been designated for assignment, but they needed to clear a roster spot to enable them to add Jordan Hicks and Cooper Hummel to their 40-man roster.
 
The New York Yankees have signed utility player Jose Rojas to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Rojas will be paid $750,000 if he makes the majors and will earn $180,000 if he remains in the minors. Rojas played in Korea in 2023 and hit .253/.345/.474 for the Doosan Bears, with 19 homeruns.



 
The Los Angeles Angels are in agreement with infielder Hunter Dozier on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Dozier was released by the Royals in May 2023 during the third season of a four year contract. The Royals are on the hook for his $9 million salary for the 2024 season, plus a $1 million buyout on a 2025 option. Therefore, the Angels only owe Dozier the prorated league minimum for any time spent on their MLB roster, with that amount being subtracted from the contracted amounts owed to Dozier.

Dozier was selected eighth overall by the Royals back in the 2013 draft and it took until 2016 before he hit his straps in the minor leagues and it wasn't until 2019 that he broke out in the majors, hitting .279/.348/.522 with 26 homeruns. His batting slashline took a step back in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, as he hit .228/.344/.392, but the two seasons of work with the Royals persuaded Kansas City to give him a four year, $25 million extension with a fifth year option. Dozier's ability at the plate continued to regress, however, as he managed an overall .222/.286/.384 in 1,134 plate appearances after signing the extension with the Royals. He did not sign with another club in 2023 after being released by the Royals.

 

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The Atlanta Braves have signed OF Jordan Luplow to a minor league deal. It is not known whether Luplow will receive an invitation to Spring Training. Luplow signed with the Braves last offseason as well, but was designated for assignment before playing a MLB game for the Braves. He spent the rest of 2023 with the Blue Jays and Twins. He began his career with the Pirates, being selected in the third round of the 2014 draft. After making his MLB debut for the Pirates in 2017 and playing for them through 2018, he was traded three times in three years, first to the Guardians, then to the Rays and finally to the Diamondbacks. Arizona designated Luplow for assignment in November 2022, and he elected free agency. He signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Braves, but was cut five days into the season. He was taken off waivers by the Blue Jays, but only managed seven MLB games for Toronto before being designated for assignment before the trade deadline. The Twins picked him up off waivers and he played in 32 MLB games for the Twins before the end of the regular season. However, Luplow was omitted from the Twins' postseason roster.
 
The Houston Astros are reportedly in agreement on a five-year, $95 million contract with LHP Josh Hader. The deal reportedly has no deferrals, making it the largest contract ever given to a relief pitcher in terms of present-day value. Last off-season, the Mets re-signed RHP Edwin Diaz to a $102 million contract, but that contract contains some deferred money that dropped the present-day value to approximately $93 million.

Hader will earn $19 million annually through the end of the 2028 season. The contract will also provide for an additional $1 million bonus annually if Hader wins the Reliever of the Year Award, something Hader has already done three times. The deal contains a full no-trade clause and no options.

Since the Padres gave Hader a qualify8ing offer at the start of the off-season (which Hader rejected), the Astros will lose their second-highest pick in the upcoming draft, together with $500,000 in international bonus pool money.

The contract given to Hader is the largest contract the Astros have given to a free agent since Jim Crane acquired the Astros 12 years ago. However, Hader is being brought in to replicate the form he has shown with the Brewers and Padres. Across seven seasons with Milwaukee and San Diego, Hader has a 2.50 ERA and 165 saves in 190 chances. Since his debut in 2017, no pitcher has struck out batters at a higher rate than Hader. In 2023, he struck out 85 batters in 56 1/3 innings.

Hader joins a bullpen that features RHP Ryan Pressly (who has previously served as the Astros' closer) and RHP Bryan Abreu. The Astros have lost Phil Maton, Hector Neris and Ryne Stanek, which combined for 1.4 Wins Above Replacement last season. Hader on his own was worth 1.7 WAR for the Padres last season, and has averaged 1.94 WAR per 60 games through his career.







 
The St Louis Cardinals are in agreement with DH Matt Carpenter on a one-year deal. He was under contract for 2024 but was released by the Braves last month, meaning that the Cardinals only owe Carpenter the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Braves owe Carpenter. The Cardinals now have a full 40-man roster.

Carpenter now returns to the club where he spent the majority of his career and had the best years. The Cardinals drafted Carpenter in 2009, and he made it to the big leagues in 2011, where he stayed until 2021 with the Cardinals. He played 1,329 games through that period, hitting 155 homeruns and hitting .262/.368/.449. He was named an All-Star three times and won a Silver Slugger award.

However, in 2021, Carpenter hit just .169/.305/.275, leading the Cardinals to decline an $18.5 million club option for 2022, paying him a buyout of $2 million instead. Carpenter worked on revising his swing, but signed a minor league contract with the Rangers in the 2021-2022 offseason. Although he hit well in the minor leagues with the Rangers, he was not promoted to their big league team and ended up being released. He signed a big league deal with the Yankees for the back end of the 2022 season and hit a purple patch, slashing .305/.412/.727 in 47 games for the Yankees during the regular season. Unfortunately, he fouled a ball off his foot in August 2022 and fractured his foot.

The Padres rolled the dice on Carpenter retaining his late season form, signing him to a two-year, $12 million contract last offseason, with an opt-out after the first season. However, Carpenter's form fell away, and he hit .176/.322/.319 with the Padres.

With that production and a lack of plate appearances in the back end of the 2023 season, Carpenter exercised his player option to remain with the Padres for 2024. However, the Padres traded him and LHP Ray Kerr to the Braves early in the offseason, and the Braves promptly released him.
 
Dixie Flatline said:
The Houston Astros are reportedly in agreement on a five-year, $95 million contract with LHP Josh Hader. The deal reportedly has no deferrals, making it the largest contract ever given to a relief pitcher in terms of present-day value. Last off-season, the Mets re-signed RHP Edwin Diaz to a $102 million contract, but that contract contains some deferred money that dropped the present-day value to approximately $93 million.

Hader will earn $19 million annually through the end of the 2028 season. The contract will also provide for an additional $1 million bonus annually if Hader wins the Reliever of the Year Award, something Hader has already done three times. The deal contains a full no-trade clause and no options.

Since the Padres gave Hader a qualify8ing offer at the start of the off-season (which Hader rejected), the Astros will lose their second-highest pick in the upcoming draft, together with $500,000 in international bonus pool money.

The contract given to Hader is the largest contract the Astros have given to a free agent since Jim Crane acquired the Astros 12 years ago. However, Hader is being brought in to replicate the form he has shown with the Brewers and Padres. Across seven seasons with Milwaukee and San Diego, Hader has a 2.50 ERA and 165 saves in 190 chances. Since his debut in 2017, no pitcher has struck out batters at a higher rate than Hader. In 2023, he struck out 85 batters in 56 1/3 innings.

Hader joins a bullpen that features RHP Ryan Pressly (who has previously served as the Astros' closer) and RHP Bryan Abreu. The Astros have lost Phil Maton, Hector Neris and Ryne Stanek, which combined for 1.4 Wins Above Replacement last season. Hader on his own was worth 1.7 WAR for the Padres last season, and has averaged 1.94 WAR per 60 games through his career.







Click to expand...


Will be fun when Houston beat LA in the World Series but this time for real.
 
The Chicago White Sox have signed RHP John Brebbia to a one-year contract. According to reports, Brebbia will earn a $4 million base salary in 2024, and there is a $6 million option for 2025 that includes a $1.5 million buyout. Up to $1 million in incentive bonuses are also available each season, and Brebbia starts earning those bonuses if and when he hits the 45 appearance threshold.









Brebbia most recently pitched for the Giants, and he worked as an opener, a middle reliever and as a set up man in San Francisco. He owns a career 3.83 ERA over 134 appearances and 124 2/3 innings pitched with the Giants.

Brebbia was drafted by the Yankees in the 2011 draft and it took him six years to reach the majors, as a member of the Cardinals. The Cardinals chose to non-tender Brebbia after the 2020 season before being picked up by the Giants.

Between the Cardinals and Giants, Brebbia has a career 3.42 ERA over 299 2/3 innings.
 
The Los Angeles Angels are in agreement with RHP Robert Stephenson on a three year contract with an option for 2027. Stephenson is set to earn a guaranteed $33 million with the Angels. The deal is pending a physical. The Angels have a full 40-man roster so will need to make a corresponding move once the deal is signed.

Stephenson was probably the top remaining free agent reliever once Hader signed with the Astros and it only took him a few hours to find a contract to his liking. Stephenson parlayed a strong season with the Rays into a long-term deal. He was a former first-round draft pick and highly regarded prospect for the Cincinnati Reds, but he struggled early in his career as a starter and moved to the bullpen full-time in 2019.

Stephenson had good years in 2019 and 2022, but hit choppy waters in 2022. Playing with the Rockies and Pirates that year, he turned in a 5.43 ERA in 2022 through 58 innings. He started the 2023 season with the Pirates but allowed nine earned runs in 14 innings with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Rays for infielder Alika Williams.

As usual, the Rays worked their magic on Stephenson and he pitched 38 1/3 innings for a 2.34 ERA, with a 42.9% strikeout rate and a walk rate under 6%. Stephenson allowed an astonishing 49.3% contact rate, which is almost 10% lower than anyone else over that stretch. Aroldis Chapman allowed contact on 59% of swings against him as the second lowest contact rate.



theathletic.com

Angels sign RHP Robert Stephenson: Source

Stephenson was one of the game's most effective relief pitchers last season after the Pirates traded him to the Rays.
theathletic.com theathletic.com
 
ESPN has published a lengthy article detailing the allegations from Dominican Republic prosecutors against Rays shortstop Wander Franco.

www.espn.com

Details emerge in Dominican Republic's investigation into Wander Franco

Court documents and interviews reveal more about the accusations against Rays shortstop Franco, who faces years in prison for the charges against him.
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The New York Yankees officially announced their signing of RHP Luke Weaver and have designated OF Bubba Thompson for assignment to create roster space for Weaver. Thompson was designated for assignment by the Rangers in August, and has since gone to the Royals, Reds and Yankees via waiver claims.

Thompson offers good defence with elite speed but does not offer much production at the plate. The Yankees have a week to try to trade Thompson or pass him through waivers. If he gets through waivers unclaimed, he could stick with the Yankees as non-roster depth.
 
According to reports, the Tigers and RHP Casey Mize have avoided arbitration. Mize, who missed all of 2023 thanks to injury, will make $840,000 in 2024 with a $3.1 million club option for 2025. According to reports, the 2024 salary comprises a base salary of $830,000 with a $10,000 buyout on the option.

Mize missed the season to recover from Tommy John and back surgeries, but even when healthy has arguably not lived up to the potential the Tigers saw in him when he was drafted first overall. He has pitched 188 2/3 innings in the majors with a 4.29 ERA, a 18.7% strikeout rate, a 7.1% walk rate and a 45.8% ground ball rate. After pitching just 10 innings in 2022 and none in 2023, he will likely face a pitch count for 2024.



 

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The New York Yankees have claimed utility player Diego Castillo (not to be confused with the reliever by the same name) off waivers from the New York Mets and have designated infielder Jeter Downs for assignment. Castillo returns to his original organization, after the Yankees signed him as an international amateur out of Venezuela and then traded him to the Pirates in 2021 for Clay Holmes. The Pirates ended up cutting Castillo and the other trade piece, Hoy Park, while Holmes has earned the closer role with the Yankees.

Castillo hit .206/.251/.382 in 96 games with the Pirates in 2022 and was then traded to the Diamondbacks. Arizona mostly kept him in the farm system, giving him one game at the major league level.

Jeter Downs was originally drafted by the Dodgers and was one of the prospects the Dodgers traded to the Red Sox as part of the Mookie Betts deal. Though he was once a top-100 prospect, he has not come close to living up to that potential. He struggled to establish himself with the Red Sox and has since gone to the Nationals and Yankees on waiver claims. Between the Red Sox and the Nationals, Downs has played 20 career MLB games for a slashline of .182/.260/.273. The Yankees have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers.
 
The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a minor league deal with RHP Naoyuki Uwasawa. Uwasawa will earn $225,000 while in the minors and $2.5 million for his time on the Rays' big league roster. He receives a $25,000 signing bonus up front, and may earn up to $1 million in incentives based on innings pitched in the majors. He receives $100,000 if he pitches 70 innings for the Rays, and then an additional $100,000 for each additional ten innings pitched up to the 160 inning threshold.

The Rays owe Uwasawa's former club, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the NPB a posting fee though the exact total of the posting fee is yet to be determined given the largely non-guaranteed nature of Uwasawa's contract with the Rays. For now, the Fighters will receive the equivalent of one-quarter of Uwasawa's signing bonus and then will eventually be paid 15% of whatever Uwasawa earns during the 2024 season.

Interestingly, Uwasawa reportedly has an opt-out clause in his contract with the Rays that he can trigger by the end of Spring Training.

Uwasawa has a career 3.19 ERA over 1,118 1/3 innings with the Fighters, and has pitched at least 160 innings in each of the last five full NPB seasons. His career strikeout rate is under 20% and his fastball is not particularly quick, averaging less than 91mph last season, so the issue is whether he has the stuff to fool MLB batters.

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Breaking down Rays' intriguing deal with Japanese righty

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry’s Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. ST. PETERSBURG -- Non-roster deals don’t typically get a lot of headlines in the offseason, but the Rays made a potentially intriguing move last
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Rays have similar expectations despite different — and younger — faces

Tales | With spring training approaching, a group of younger players, some returnees and a handful of new acquisitions are in line to get an opportunity to show they are ready.
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The St Louis Cardinals and utility player Tommy Edman are in agreement on a two-year contract that avoids arbitration. The financials of the deal have not yet been publicly reported. Edman filed at $6.95 million and the Cardinals at $6.5 million, so one presumes that the deal is worth somewhere between those two numbers. The deal buys out Edman's final two years of arbitration, so he will be set for free agency once the deal is done.

 
The Houstan Astros have officially announced the signing of LHP Josh Hader. To make room on their 40-man roster, the Astros designated LHP Matt Gage for assignment. He was claimed by the Astros off waivers from Toronto in February 2023. He made five appearances in the majors for the Astros in 2023, with a 2.70 ERA. The Astros will now have a week to trade Gage or try to pass him through waivers.

 
The Baltimore Orioles announced overnight that they have avoided arbitration with LHP Cionel Perez, with the parties having agreed to a one year contract for 2024 with a club option for 2025. Since Perez is under team control for three more years, Perez would remain an Oriole (and be arbitration-eligible again) even if the Orioles decline the club option for 2025. Perez had filed at $1.4 million for 2024, with the Orioles filing at $1.1 million. Presumably, the value of the contract in 2024 will be somewhere between the two numbers.

Perez has been with the Orioles since November 2021, having been claimed by the Orioles off waivers from the Reds at that time. He has made 131 appearances for Baltimore since the start of the 2022 season and has posted a 2.43 ERA in 111 innings, with four saves and 35 holds. His results took a step back in 2023, as he posted a 3.54 ERA in 2023 compared to an ERA of 1.40 in 2022, while his strikeout rate dropped from 2022 to 2023 and his walk rate climbed from 2022 to 2023.
 
RHP Collin McHugh announced his retirement from the game overnight. The veteran reliever pitched in parts of 11 major league seasons from 2012-2023 and accrued more than nine years of service time.

McHugh made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2012 and was hit around, posting a 7.59 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. He was traded by the Mets to the Rockies in the 2013 season for OF Eric Young Jr, who had been designated for assignment by Colorado. McHugh didn't find success as a Rockie either, giving up 21 runs in 19 innings as a Rockie. Colorado removed him from their 40-man roster and he was claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros, who saw something thanks to their investment in analytics in McHugh. In 2014, he stepped into the Astros' starting rotation and made 25 starts with a 2.74 ERA over 154 2/3 innings. In 2015, he pitched 203 2/3 innings for a 3.89 ERA in 32 starts. McHugh finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting during 2014 and finished eighth in Cy Young voting in 2015.

McHugh made another 33 starts for the Astros in 2016, but suffered a shoulder injury that kept him to just 12 starts in 2017. He came back as a reliever in 2018 and took to the transition well, posting an ERA of 1.99 in 72 1/3 innings.

McHugh signed with the Red Sox in free agency in 2020 in a move that didn't turn out well for him, and then joined the Rays in 2021, posting a 1.55 ERA in 64 innings. McHugh signed with the Braves and pitched 128 innings in 2022-2023 for a 3.38 ERA.

McHugh won a World Series in 2017 while with the Astros.

 
The Los Angeles Dodgers are working on a deal to sign LHP James Paxton. If it is agreed to, Paxton is set to earn $12 million in guaranteed salary in 2024. The deal would also come with performance bonuses, based on the number of games started by Paxton.





 
Dixie Flatline said:
World Series winner LHP Aroldis Chapman has reportedly agreed to a one year, $10.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.



Click to expand...

i read a pisser response to this on insta
‘ Aroldis has been passed around more than Riley Reid’ lol
 
Last edited:
As noted yesterday, the Orioles avoided an arbitration hearing with LHP Cionel Perez. According to updated reports, Perez is due to make $1.2 million in 2024 with a 2025 club option that will come with a base salary of $2.2 million, which can be increased through escalators. It would increase by $25,000 for 55, 60, 65, and 70 innings pitched, $50,000 for 20 and 25 games finished, $100,000 for 30 and 35 games finished, $150,000 for 40 and 45 games finished, and $200,000 for 50 games finished.

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MLB Insider: What I’m hearing about Michael Lorenzen, Noah Syndergaard, Aroldis Chapman, Josh Hader, more

Free-agent pitchers Michael Lorenzen and Noah Syndergaard threw bullpen sessions for about 16 MLB teams in California on Tuesday, sources say. Both players impr
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MLB Hot Stove 2023-2024

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