The Major League Baseball hot stove is heating up ahead of an impending work stoppage. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires Wednesday night, and free-agent activity will be halted until the players’ union and the league can come to a new agreement — a process that could take months.
Many players and teams are getting deals in place before the lockout, and it’s led to a free-agent frenzy in the last two days. As of Tuesday morning, six of our top 10 free agents have signed:
- SS Carlos Correa
- SS Corey Seager: 10 years, $325 million with Rangers
- 3B/OF Kris Bryant
- IF Marcus Semien: 7 years, $175 million with Rangers
- 1B Freddie Freeman
- LHP Robbie Ray: 5 years, $115 million with Mariners
- RHP Max Scherzer: 3 years, $130 million with Mets
- RHP Kevin Gausman: 5 years, $110 million with Blue Jays
- RHP Marcus Stroman
- OF Starling Marte: 4 years, $78 million with Mets
The Rangers and Mets have been the most active teams in free agency and it’s not particularly close either. In addition to Seager and Semien, Texas also signed righty John Gray and outfielder Kole Calhoun. The Mets signed infielder Eduardo Escobar and outfield Mark Canha in addition to Scherzer and Marte. The two clubs have committed over $800 million to free agents.
Although free agency has been very active the last few days, the trade market has mostly gone cold, at least for the time being. The Pirates sent catcher Jacob Stallings to the Marlins for three players on Tuesday, and that’s about it as far as notable trades go. My guess is teams will focus on free agency before the CBA expires, and worry about trades later.
For what it’s worth, Tuesday will serve as a “soft” deadline for free agent signings because teams and players will need time to work out the contract details and review medical information prior to the CBA’s expiration. The two sides can’t agree to a deal at the last minute and put pen to paper. Here’s a look at the notable free agent deals to happen since Sunday night.
Notable hot stove deals
- Corey Seager and the Rangers have agreed to a 10-year, $325 million pact (full story here).
- Max Scherzer and the Mets have finalized a three-year, $130 million deal (full story here).
- Robbie Ray agreed to a five-year, $115 million deal with the Mariners (full story here).
- The Marlins acquired catcher Jacob Stallings in a four-player deal with the Pirates, the teams announced.
- Marcus Semien agreed to a seven-year, $175 million deal with the Rangers (full story here).
- Javier Báez agreed to a six-year, $140 million contract with the Tigers (full story here).
- The Marlins and Avisaíl García agreed to a four-year, $53 million deal (full story here).
- Kevin Gausman and the Blue Jays agreed to a five-year, $110 million deal (full story here).
- Jon Gray and the Rangers agreed to a four-year, $56 million deal (full story here).
- Leury Garcia signed a three-year deal with the White Sox, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
- Corey Kluber signed a one-year deal with the Rays after spending 2021 with the Yankees (full story here).
- Reliever Kirby Yates signed a two-year, $8.25 million deal with the Braves, the team announced.
- Reliever Daniel Hudson is nearing a one-year, $7 million deal with the Dodgers, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
- Catcher Yan Gomes agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal, reports Craig Mish.
We’ll be providing live updates throughout Tuesday as teams push to get more deals done. Follow along below.
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Angels bring back Iglesias on four-year deal
The Angels are bringing back dominant closer Raisel Iglesias on a four-year, $58 million deal, per multiple reports. Full story here.
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Nationals add César Hernández
The Nationals have signed free agent second baseman César Hernández, the club announced Tuesday night. Hernández, 31, hit .232/.308/.386 (89 OPS+) with 21 doubles, two triples, 21 homers, 62 RBI and 84 runs last season. He was traded from Cleveland to the White Sox just in front of the deadline in July and really lost his power stroke. Of course, he had already reached a career high in home runs before 100 games, so that was bound to happen anyway. Right now, he’d be slotted as the Nats’ everyday starter at second.
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Orioles close to deal for Odor
The Orioles are close to adding infielder Rougned Odor, reports Dan Connolly of The Athletic.
Odor, 27, spent the first seven years of his career with the Rangers and then last season played 102 games for the Yankees. He hit .202/.286/.379 (82 OPS+) with 15 homers. He shouldn’t be an everyday starter, but at this point in their rebuild, the Orioles just need big-league players to fill out the roster. Odor’s competition to start at second base appears to be Jorge Mateo.
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Cubs sign Gomes
The Cubs have agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with catcher Yan Gomes, reports Craig Mish. Gomes was the best available catcher in a very thin free agent market, and the signing will certainly lead to speculation that Willson Contreras could be traded this offseason. Contreras is one year away from free agency and the front office has indicated he would be moved if the two sides are unable to work out a contract extension.
Gomes, 34, hit .252/.301/.421 with 14 homers between the Nationals and Athletics this past season.
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Marlins acquire Wendle from Rays
The Marlins have grabbed All-Star infielder Joey Wendle from the Rays in exchange for Double-A outfielder Kameron Misner. Full story here.
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Most still believe Braves frontrunner for Freeman, but …
Freddie Freeman seemed like the biggest no-brainer signing heading into free agency, with nearly everyone assuming he and the Braves would come to an agreement for him to stay put (maybe as a Brave for life) after the World Series championship. And yet, a lot of the big-name free agents have reportedly signed in the last few days and there is nothing going so far RE: Braves and Freeman.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network notes that Freeman’s asking price is six years and $180 million. The Braves should be able to comfortably afford that coming off the title, especially with the below-market deals Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña, Jr. are playing out.
The general consensus is that most teams who would be interested in Freeman still believe he’ll go back to the Braves. In the meantime, the Dodgers have been connected to Freeman and Heyman also mentions the Yankees.
Will the Braves really risk this?
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Several teams in on Chris Taylor
Utility man Chris Taylor is coming off his first All-Star berth and now hits free agency in pretty good shape. There seems to be great interest in signing him, including from the Mariners, Blue Jays, Angels, Nationals and Dodgers, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
Taylor hit .254/.344/.438 (110 OPS+) with 25 doubles, four triples, 20 homers, 73 RBI, 92 runs, 13 steals and 2.6 WAR last season for the Dodgers. He filled in all over the diamond, including at shortstop when Corey Seager was hurt. As such it makes sense that teams with varying needs would be interested in signing him.
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Braves bring back Arcia
The Braves have re-signed shortstop Orlando Arcia on a two-year, $3 million deal, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Arcia was years ago a top-10 prospect coming up through the Brewers’ system but his bat never came around. He’s become more of a utility backup, but he’s also capable of providing good defense at short if Dansby Swanson gets hurt.
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Cruz drawing NL interest (as DH?)
Last year, in his age-40 season, Nelson Cruz hit .265/.334/.497 with 34 homers. He’ll slow down at some point, but he’s homered once every 13.76 at-bats in the past eight seasons for 292 total homers in that time. It’s hard to bet against him being an above-average power hitter again next season and maybe it’ll be as an NL DH? Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that NL teams are showing interest in Cruz as a DH, with the expectation that the league will permanently add that position as part of the new CBA.
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Cubs nearing one-year deal with Frazier
The Cubs are closing in on a one-year contract with free agent outfielder Clint Frazier, who was recently released by the Yankees. Full story here.
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