MLB Hot Stove 2023-2024

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The St Louis Cardinals are in agreement with RHP Keynan Middleton. The deal is not official as it is pending a physical, and the terms have not been disclosed. The Cardinals' roster is currently full, so a move will need to be made once the deal is announced. Middleton started the 2023 season with the White Sox and then was traded mid-season to the Yankees. He has previously played for the Angels, Mariners and Diamondbacks, and only signed a minor league deal with the White Sox last January. It took him a couple of weeks to be called up to the majors by Chicago.

During his time on the South Side, Middleton achieved a 3.96 ERA across 36 1/3 innings, with a strikeout rate north of 30%. With the White Sox out of contention and Middleton heading back to free agency, Chicago traded him to New York for a prospect on 1 August. He had a few choice words about the White Sox clubhous culture, which was backed up by former teammate Lance Lynn (who had been traded to the Dodgers).

The Yankees didn't get much out of Middleton, as he went on the IL in early September with shoulder inflammation. He only made 12 appearances for the Yankees, striking out 17 appearances and allowing three runs in 14 1/3 innings.

 

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The Baltimore Orioles have announced that they have acquired 2021 NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for rookie infielder Joey Ortiz, LHP DL Hall and their 2024 Competitive Balance Round A draft pick (pick #34 overall). The Brewers designated LHP Ethan Small for assignment to clear the spot for Hall.

Barring something unforeseen, it is likely that the Orioles will only have Burnes for a season, given that he will hit free agency next offseason and could expect a contract that exceeds eight years and $250 million on the open market. Although the Orioles are now under new ownership, Burnes has previously indicated that he wants to test his value on the open market and is represented by the Boras Corporation. Asked in December about the possibility of signing an extension if he was traded, Burnes said that the offer would have to be something that would "absolutely blow you away to get you away from testing the free agent market".

Burnes had come to an agreement with the Brewers on a $15.637 million contract to avoid arbitration and the Orioles inherit that commitment, making him their highest paid player and pushing their projected payroll to approximately $96 million. This will be the Orioles' highest Opening Day payroll since 2018 and is 50% higher than the approximate $60 million payroll the Orioles ran in 2023.

Ortiz and hall are highly regarded players but were ranked in the back half of Baltimore's top 10 prospects at Baseball America. Ortiz was a fourth round draft pick in 2019 out of New Mexico State and has drawn praise for his defensive work dating back to his time in college. He has been more productive at the plate in the minor leagues than anticipated and made his MLB debut for the Orioles back in April 2023. However, he spent most of the season in Triple-A and has just 15 big league contests under his belt. He was squeezed out of Baltimore by Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson.

The Brewers have a need for someone like Ortiz. Incumbent shortstop Willy Adames is a free agent next offseason and it would seem unlikely that he would sign a new deal with Milwaukee. In the short term, Ortiz would likely battle Andruw Monasterio and Owen Miller for playing time at third base or he could slide over to second base.

Hall was a first round draft pick out of a Georgia high school in 2018. The lefty has overpowering pitches but also problems with command. He made his MLB debut in 2022 and has 33 MLB innings over the last two seasons for a 4.36 ERA with a 29% strikeout rate, while working as a reliever.

With Burnes out of the picture and Brandon Woodruff non-tendered after he injured his shoulder at the end of 2023, there is an opportunity for Hall to solidify himself as a starter, or he could be put in the bullpen behind closer Devin Williams.

 

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The Oakland Athletics announced overnight that they had acquired RHP Ross Stripling and cash considerations from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor league prospect Jonah Cox. In order to create room for Stripling on the 40-man roster, the Athletics designated infielder Jonah Bride for assignment.

Oakland also confirmed the signing of LHP Alex Wood and confirmed that LHP Francisco Perez had been outrighted to Triple-A.



Stripling had joined the Giants on a two-year, $25 million contract after pitching in Toronto before 2023. Stripling suffered the worse season in his career, opening the season with 32 1/3 innings of 7.24 baseball before being put on the IL with a back strain for six weeks.

Once back from the IL, his results improved and he put up a 4.29 ERA over his final 56 2/3 innings with the Giants. Stripling only struck out batters at a 18.7% rate, but kept walks to the bare minimum, with a 2.6% walk rate. That was more consistent with his previous numbers while with the Dodgers and Blue Jays.

The Giants are sending $3.25 million in cash to Oakland to partly pay the salary of Stripling, who is owed $12.5 million after declining to exercise his opt-out at the end of the 2023 season. At $9.25 million, he becomes the most expensive player on the Oakland roster.

Stripling and Wood are expected at this stage to anchor the Oakland starting rotation, with a number of young arms acquire by the A's in their sell-off over the past 18 months yet to establish themselves as big league pitchers.

In exchange for Stripling, the A's sent their sixth round draft selection from the 2023 draft across the Bay. Cox appeared in games at the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Low-A in 2023 after being drafted, hitting .287/.366/.403 with a 28.3% strikeout rate and 6.2% walk rate in 145 plate appearances.

Baseball America ranked Cox 29th in the Athletics' farm system heading into the 2024 season, pegging him as a speedy guy who can play centre field. However, Cox is and remains a lottery ticket who is still some years away from breaking into the big leagues, if at all.

Although the lottery ticket is nice from the Giants' perspective, shipping out Stripling drops the Giants' payroll to a projected $154 million for Opening Day and they are now just under $200 million in luxury tax obligations. That will provide the Giants with some spending money to sign free agents, with the Giants mostly linked to free agent third baseman Matt Chapman. The Giants reportedly made a late offer to Rhys Hoskins before he signed with the Brewers, so it would seem that the Giants are still looking to add some pop to their lineup.

The subtraction of Stripling and Wood from their starting rotation does leave the Giants' cupboard a little bare in terms of starting pitching behind staff ace RHP Logan Webb. The Giants intend to turn reliever Jordan Hicks into a starter, but it does appear that the Giants will need to look to the free agent market to find at least one starting pitcher.

 

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As noted just now, Oakland also announced that they had signed LHP Alex Wood to a one-year contract. Reportedly, Wood will receive a guaranteed $8.5 million and can earn up to an additional $1 million in performance incentives.

Wood was a second round draft selection for the Braves in the 2012 draft and spent the first everal years of his career as a quality mid-rotation pitcher for the Braves and Giants between 2013 and 2018. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds and struggled in the NL Central, putting up a 5.96 ERA across 48 1/3 innings between 2019-2020.

He signed as a free agent with the Giants in 2021, and spent three seasons with the Giants before signing the free agent deal with Oakland.

 

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The defending World Series champions, the Texass Rangers, have signed DJ Peters to a minor league contract. After beginning his professional career as an outfielder, Peters has converted to pitching, and he pitched 21 2/3 innings for the Detroit Tigers' Florida Complex League team last season. Peters played in 70 MLB games between the Dodgers and Rangers in 2021, hitting .197/.242/.422 with 13 homeruns and 82 strikeouts over 240 plate appearances. Peters spent 2022 in the KBO, though he did return to the US, signing a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals in late 2022. He then spent 2023 with the Tigers on another minor league contract.

Peters will not be invited to Spring Training.

Rangers re-sign outfielder DJ Peters, but he’s a pitcher now

Peters had brief spin with the Rangers in 2021, went to Korea in 2022 and became a pitcher last year.

www.dallasnews.com

 

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The Dodgers have spent a massive amount of money upgrading their roster, led by the signing of two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani as well as signing RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and trading for (then extending) Tyler Glasnow from the Rays. The Dodgers also completed a deal for LHP James Paxton recently. However, according to reports, the Dodgers did explore the possibility of executing trades with either the Brewers or the Marlins for RHP Corbin Burnes, RHP Shane Bieber (of the Guardians), RHP Dylan Cease (of the White Sox) or LHP Jesus Luzardo (of the Marlins) after the Dodgers signed Yamamoto and traded for Glasnow. Of course, Burnes was acquired by the Orioles last week, while Dylan Cease seems set to stay with the White Sox for the short term, despite continuous rumours of Cease being available in a trade.

How does Big Maple fit into the Dodgers' mix?

This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio's Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

www.mlb.com

 

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Free agent third baseman Evan Longoria is still "weighing his options" concerning his playing future ahead of the 2024 season, according to reports. Longoria most recently played for the Diamondbacks.

Orioles, Red Sox moves may make AL East life harder for Rays

Tales | A sale to a deep-pocketed ownership group in Baltimore, and the builder of Series-winning teams returning in Boston, don’t bode well.

www.tampabay.com

 

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The Atlanta Braves are in agreement with RHP Jake Walsh on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Walsh was drafted by the Cardinals in 2017 and began his career as a starter before being moved into the bullpen in 2021. Walsh got his first taste of MLB time in May 2022, when he played three games with the Cardinals. He allowed four runs on three hits and also gave up two walks.

Unfortunately for Walsh, he did not find success in the minor league in 2023, pitching 30 2/3 innings for 5.28 ERA in Triple-A. He was put on the IL by the Cardinals and then granted unconditional release in July 2023. Walsh remained a free agent for the remainder of the 2023 season but now joins the Braves with an opportunity to join their major league roster.

Jake Walsh Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News

Jake Walsh Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News

www.mlb.com

 

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The Washington Nationals have signed RHP Adonis Medina to a minor league contract. He is a former top-100 prospect and made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2020. Over two seasons with Philadelphia, Medina pitched 11 2/3 innings with a 3.86 ERA across five appearances (including two starts). Unfortunately, Medina could not replicate that success at the minor league level, pitching to a 5.05 ERA in 17 starts. He was put on waivers by the Phillies and claimed by the Pirates, before being traded to the Mets. He couldn't sustain success in the Mets' organisation and ended up pitching in the KBO during 2023 with the Kia Tigers. Unfortunately for him, he put up a 6.05 ERA in 58 innings across 12 starts and was released in July 2023 by the Tigers. He went to the Dominican Winter League recently and pitched a 2.93 ERA in 15 1/3 innings across nine appearances.

Adonis Medina Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News

Adonis Medina Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News

www.mlb.com

 

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The Seattle Mariners have signed RHP Heath Hembree to a minor league contract. Hembree turned 35 in January and has played in 11 major league seasons after being drafted by the Giants in 2010. The Giants traded Hembree to the Red Sox in exchange for Jake Peavy, and Hembree was part of the Red Sox for the next season seasons, making 251 appearances and pitching to a 3.70 ERA. The Red Sox traded Hembree to the Phillies in exchange for Nick Pivetta just ahead of the trade deadline in the shortened 2020 season. Since then, Hembree has played for seven different clubs, putting up a combined 100 1/3 innings of 6.55 ERA since then.

Heath Hembree Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News

Heath Hembree Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News

www.mlb.com

 

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The Seattle Mariners have acquired RHP Gregory Santos from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for RHP Prelander Berroa, OF Zach DeLoach and their 2024 competitive balance round B draft pick (pick #69 overall) according to reports and subsequently confirmed by the clubs. To make room for their acquisitions from Seattle, the White Sox announced that they have designed RHP Lane Ramsey for assignment.

Santos entered the 2023 campaign with just 5 2/3 innings under his belt but posted a strong 3.39 ERA in 66 1/3 innings out of the White Sox bullpen across 60 appearances.

In exchange for trading away Santos, the White Sox receive a pair of rookie-eligible youngsters as well as a high draft pick in the upcoming rookie draft. Berroa was acquired by the Mariners from the Giants back in May 2023 and was listed as the 15th best prospect in the Seattle farm system last season. He was converted into a reliever by the Mariners in 2023 and put up strong strikeout numbers in the minor leagues, although he has had issues with command. He is yet to appear in Triple-A but already has some MLB experience, having pitched 1 2/3 innings in the majors across two appearances for Seattle.

DeLoach was the Mariners' second round draft pick in the 2020 draft. In 2023, his batting took a step forward, as he hit .286/.387/.481 in 623 plate appearances in Triple-A. While that translates to a wRC+ of 111 in the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League, he did hit 23 bombs, suggesting that he has worked on adding a slugging element that had been missing from his batting early in his pro career.

 

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The Philadelphia Phillies have claimed utility player Diego Castillo off waivers from the New York Yankees, per announcements from both teams. The Bronx Bombers had designated Castillo for assignment last week. He takes the last open spot on the Phillies' 40-man roster. Castillo spent 2023 with the Diamondbacks but has bounced between teams so far this off-season, going from the Diamondbacks to the Mets, the Yankees and now to the Phillies.

 

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With pitchers and catchers reporting next week, teams are beginning to look for players to fill holes on their rosters. The Miami Marlins are in particular looking to fill a need at shortstop and have been linked to names such as Tim Anderson, Amed Rosario, Nick Ahmed and Adalberto Mondesi, all of whom are free agents.

Rosenthal: Zack Greinke’s 2024 plans, 2 players happy to be in Oakland and more

The Padres, Marlins and Brewers are looking for answers at different positions and there's a big second baseman in Detroit.

theathletic.com

 

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The Cincinnati Reds have added some veteran depth to their organisation, signing utility man Josh Harrison to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. According to reports, Harrison would be in line to earn $1.5 million for 2024 should he make the club's major league roster and has an opt-out opportunity on 21 March if he is not promoted to the major league roster by that stage.

Harrison has been somewhat of a Swiss army knife for his previous teams, having played at third base, second base and the corner outfield spots in 2023. He also has experience playing shortstop, first base and in centre field. Barring an injury, it is highly unlikely that Harrison will crack the Opening Day roster of the Reds, as they have a surfeit of talented and young players in the infield but he would be a valuable depth piece in Triple-A should he decide to stick with the Reds for the season.

Harrison had a reasonably successful season with the White Sox back in 2022, posting a 97 wRC+ and a 1.4 WAR in 119 games for the White Sox. But he regressed significantly in 2023 with the Phillies, putting up -0.6 fWAR in 41 games and was released by the Phillies shortly after the trade deadline. He signed with the Rangers on a minor league deal, he was not promoted to the major league roster and opted out of his contract at the end of August.

 

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As posted above, Bobby Witt Jr has signed an 11-year, $288.8 million extension with the Kansas City Royals. According to reports, the contract can be extended to 14 years through a three-year option worth $89 million, bringing the total value of the deal to 14 years and $377.8 million if triggered. Witt has opt-outs after the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth year of the deal.

Witt receives a signing bonus worth $7,777,777, and is set to earn $2 million in salary in 2024, followed by $7 million (2025), $13 million (2026), $19 million (2027) and $30 million per season (2028). From 2029 onwards, Witt would earn $35 million per season, assuming he does not trigger an opt-out that begin after 2030. The three year option breaks down as $33 million in 2035 and $28 million per season in 2036 and 2037.

The extension given to Witt more than triples the previous franchise record for the Royals, which was the $82 million extension Salvador Perez signed in March 2021.

 

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The Detroit Tigers have claimed LHP Kolton Ingram off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels, according to announcements from both teams. In a corresponding move, the Tigers have designated INF Nick Maton for assignment. The Tigers also announced that RHP Devin Sweet has cleared waivers and has been sent outright to Triple-A Toledo.

It's a return home for Ingram, who was drafted by the Tigers in the 37th round of the 2019 draft, but was released in July 2020, having made just 15 appearances in the Gulf Coast League. Ingram signed a minor league contract with the Angels ahead of the 2021 season and made his MLB debut for the Angels in 2023, pitching 5 1/3 innings across three separate stints with the Angels, recording an 8.44 ERA in that time period.

Maton was acquired by the Tigers from the Phillies as part of the return for the trade of LHP Gregory Soto last off-season. In his only season with Detroit, Maton played in 93 games, mostly at third base but also at second base and shortstop. Maton struggled to contribute offensively, hitting just .173/.288/.305, equating to a 67 wRC+.

Devin Sweet made his MLB debut for the Mariners in 2023 and was designated for assignment a few weeks later. Picked up by Oakland, he finished the 2023 season in the Athletics bullpen before being released at the end of the season. Sweet went to the Giants in December on waivers, and then was claimed by the Tigers on waivers last month. He was designated for assignment last week to make room for Colt Keith after the latter signed a six-year extension with the Tigers.

 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have re-signed RHP Ryan Brasier to a two year, $9 million contract. Brasier could earn up to $13 million if he hits his incentives. Brasier opened the 2023 season as part of the Red Sox but was destroyed by hitters to the tune of 7.29 ERA in his first 20 games. He was released by the Red Sox in May and signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers. After being promoted back to the major league roster, he made 39 appearances for Los Angeles, with an ERA of 0.70.

 

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The New York Yankees are acquiring LHP Caleb Ferguson from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for two prospects including LHP Matt Gage, who was claimed by the Yankees off waivers last week. The other prospect being traded by the Yankees to the Dodgers is RHP Christian Zazueta.

This is the first time Ferguson has moved between organisations in his MLB career, having been drafted by the Dodgers in 2014 and making his MLB debut for them in 2018. After starting his first three MLB games, he was moved to the bullpen where he has remained since. Ferguson is in his final season of team control, and is set to hit free agency after the 2024 season. He will earn $2.4 million for 2024.

 

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Over the weekend, the Minnesota Twins reportedly reached agreement with first baseman Carlos Santana on a one-year, $5.25 million contract, which also includes performance incentives. Minnesota will need to make a corresponding 40-man move once the deal is finalised. The value of the contract eats up the salary savings the Twins realised by trading Jorge Polanco to the Mariners last week.





The Twins also signed veteran reliever Jay Jackson to a major league contract. The deal becomes official once Jackson passes a physical. Jackson pitched in 2023 with the Blue Jays, putting up a 2.12 ERA over 29 2/3 innings. If and when he joins the Twins, Jackson becomes a member of the 10-team club, having previously been with the Marlins, the Pirates, Padres, Brewers, the Reds, Giants, Braves, Blue Jays and for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and the Chiba Lotte Marines in the NPB.

 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement with LHP Clayton Kershaw on a new contract. While the financials of the deal have not yet been made public, the deal does reportedly include a player option for 2025. Kershaw will undergo a physical on Thursday, as a prerequisite for making the deal official. Kershaw underwent shoulder surgery in November and is not expected to be available to pitch until after the All-Star break. This coming Thursday is the first day teams can put players on the 60-day IL, so once the deal is official, it is likely that Kershaw will be placed on the 60-day IL, together with other injured Dodger pitchers Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May.

Kershaw has been a lifelong Dodger, having been drafted by Los Angeles with the seventh pick in the 2006 draft. Kershaw has not made 30 starts in a season since 2015, having averaged 32 starts per year between 2009-2015. He is a triple Cy Young Award winner and won four straight ERA titles during that timeframe.

Kershaw was clearly affected by his problems in his shoulder for most of the 2023 season, including a horrific start against the Diamondbacks in game 1 of the NLDS, where he didn't even make it through the first inning.

As the deal is not yet official, the Dodgers are yet to put any timeframe on when Kershaw might return to pitching, though this will probably be top of the agenda once Kershaw has officially signed. He will join RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP Walker Buehler and LHP James Paxton in the starting rotation for the Dodgers, who also hope to get Gonsolin and May back for the second half of the season.

Kershaw's Dodgers deal has player option, could pitch alongside Ohtani in 2025

Kershaw could decide to return for the 2025 season and share the rotation with Shohei Ohtani.

theathletic.com

 

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LHP DL Hall was one of the players acquired by the Brewers from Baltimore as part of the exchange for RHP Corbin Burnes, who was traded to the Orioles last week. Speaking to the media in Milwaukee for the first time since the trade, Hall indicated that he expects to be a starting pitcher in 2024.

 

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The Seattle Mariners have claimed RHP Collin Snider off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, per announcements from both clubs. The Diamondbacks had designated Snider for assignment last week. Snider takes the last available spot on the Mariners' 40-man roster. Snider was drafted by the Royals in 2018 and appeared in 62 MLB games for them over the two most recent seasons, pitching a combined 54 2/3 innings while putting up a 5.93 ERA. The Royals placed him on waivers in December and the Diamondbacks claimed him. However, he did not stick long with the Snakes, having in turn been designated for assignment in order to make room for Joc Pederson.

 

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RHP Ryan Jensen went unclaimed on waivers after the Twins designated him for assignment. He will remain with the Twins but has been sent outright to Triple-A St. Paul and no longer occupies a spot on the Twins' 40-man roster. He will attend Twins spring training as a non-roster invitee.