by With the holidays just around the corner, Major League Baseball’s off-season is probably about to enter a recession. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any action next week as players and teams try to complete their work before the slowdown period. Below, CBS Sports will keep up with all the rumors, news and action from Thursday.
Orioles adds Frazier
The Orioles have signed a one-year deal worth $8 million with second baseman Adam Frazier. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. CBS Sports ranked Frazier as the top 50 free agent entering the winter, writing::
Major League Baseball is a copycat league. If a strategy works well for a team, it’s only a matter of time before others adopt it. (This especially true for money-saving strategies and Only not true for strategies that cost money.) Some teams will look at what the Cleveland Guardians have been up to all summer, blast line rides, slap sighted blinders and pop duck farts, and decide this is The New Thing. The same team can thank their lucky star for Frazier to be available. He prefers the shooting chock over his driver, so to speak, and has a good enough track record to envision him doubling the way to a smooth output in a single, hasty way. It should also come relatively cheap, as it’s been a tough fight since the 2021 All-Star Game.
Puppies signed with Boxberger
The Cubs have reached a settlement with their senior vice president, Brad Boxberger. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal will pay him $2.8 million, or just under the $3 million club option rejected by Brewers earlier this summer. (It’s worth noting that Boxberger went through disclaimers at this point, claiming the Cubs had saved $200,000.)
CBS Sports recently highlighted Boxberger as a potential sign of value. That was part of our reasoning.:
We will admit that Boxberger used an unusual and dangerous formula for success. Last season alone, it was in the 40 percent tranche for olfaction; the third percentile in follow-up; and the 20th percentile in walking rate. English: He’s not a big batsman or space expander and tends to give his fair share of free passes. Still, it maintained a bright ERA by suppressing contact quality with a three-step mix: low ’90s heater, shift and shifter.
It’s not the sexiest or the most trustworthy profile, and it’s one that could well fall apart. But Boxberger has been a huge hit in his last 146 hits, and it should come as no surprise that he’s proven to be worth more than $3 million in 2023.
Orioles interested in wacha
The Orioles show continued interest in free agent right-hander Michael Wacha. According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Now that Noah Syndergaard and other shooters of similar value are holding onto new clubs, Wacha’s market can move fast.
Wacha, 31, made 23 appearances for the Red Sox last season. He amassed 3.32 ERA (127 ERA +) and a 3.35 hit-to-walk ratio in 127 hits. CBS Sports ranked him as the top 32.0 freebies available this winter, writing:
Wacha has become a nomad behind the rotation, pitching for a different team each of the last four seasons. He could make it five-on-five after his strongest effort since 2018. The Wacha’s arsenal remains vertically centered, as you might expect relative to the arm slot. For our money, the most interesting part of his season was that he embraced a “platinum”. Quotation marks are necessary because this is not your standard lead aimed at disrupting both worms and ant colonies. Wacha finished fifth on Induced Vertical Break, behind Kenley Jansen, Drew Smyly, Josh Hader, and Bailey Falter, or the number 1, 2, 3, and 7 sinkers most likely to be shot in mid-air. In other words, Wacha’s sinker will have an above-average “rise” for a four-stitch fastball, meaning it won’t turn into Framber Valdez or Logan Webb anytime soon. (It would be great if he did, though; scientists would have enjoyed it a lot.) We won’t go so far as to suggest either, for the year that Wacha experienced his odd platinum (it threw only 13 percent of the time). It will change your career. We just think it’s clean.
The Orioles have added another veteran starting player to their roster this winter and have signed a $10 million one-year deal with Kyle Gibson.
Twins weighing movements after Correa
According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, the Gemini are now considering what to do after Carlos Correa signed with the Giants. While Minnesota’s interest in Dansby Swanson and Carlos Rodón is known, Hayes adds that the Gemini has received calls regarding various former players, including outfielder Max Kepler, starting players Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda, and infielder Luis Arraez. .
Arraez, 25, could be a surprising turnout. He posted 120 OPS+ for his career, reaching .316/.375/.420, earning the American League batting title. Don’t worry, demand is high. Hayes, “team officials, [Arraez] as part of a package for a leading shooter.”
It’s unclear if the twins can move any of the others. Kepler seems likely to go from a practical standpoint. Not only do the Twins have other outfielders to replace him, they also trade Kepler and his $8.5 million salary, freeing up additional funds for other pursuits.
The Nationals bring back Ramírez
Erasmo Ramírez had a productive 2022 with the National Champions, building a 2.92 ERA in 86 innings. They rewarded him for his service on Thursday and re-signed him to a one-year deal of up to $2 million. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Ramírez, 32, will take the field in his 12th major league season.
