[Cross]

I'd be surprised if the Cubs started Hendricks and Davies back to back as they are essentially the same pitcher.

Have you seen Alec Mills pitch?? Alzolay will be the only SP breaking 90mph this year, lol.

[EmpireMaker]

• The Mets will send scouts to Corey Kluber’s showcase on January 13, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (Twitter link) and the club also had evaluators watching James Paxton when Paxton threw for teams two weeks ago. Both free agent pitchers are looking to bounce back from injury-shortened 2020 seasons, and Kluber also barely pitched (35 2/3 innings) in 2019. If healthy and effective, either pitcher would give the Mets another major arm to join Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman atop the rotation. Lots of other teams, of course, would have similar hopes of installing Kluber or Paxton as a rebound candidate, though it is unclear how this interest will manifest itself in terms of a contract given both pitchers’ health concerns. The Mets have deeper pockets than most clubs this offseason, however, and New York could conceivably sign Kluber or Paxton as something of a lottery ticket for the back end of the rotation while still targeting a higher-tier arm (such as a Trevor Bauer).
• The Mets announced their full coaching staff, including official confirmation of new hires Dave Jauss (as bench coach) and Tony Tarasco (as first base coach and an outfielders/baserunning coach). Ricky Meinhold will also join the staff as an assistant pitching coach, while retaining his prior job as a minor league pitching coordinator. Brian Schneider returns to the staff with a new assignment, moving from quality control coach to Major League field coordinator and catching coach.
• In case you missed some noteworthy Mets news from yesterday, the Amazins are reportedly no longer bidding on Tomoyuki Sugano, but they are interested in former Indians closer Brad Hand.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Have you seen Alec Mills pitch?? Alzolay will be the only SP breaking 90mph this year, lol.

No, can't say that I have. He must be a soft throwing "crafty" pitcher as well?

[Otters27]

Dodgers always get picked to win it all every year... before the season starts.

They might win again. Such a potent line up with pitching

[Stallion]

As long as its not The Yankees.

[jrgum3]

As long as its not The Yankees.

Being an NL fan I say the same thing about the Dodgers. I hate the Dodgers more than any team in the league including the Yankees whom I don't really hate I just respect for them winning more than any orginization.

[EmpireMaker]

Count the White Sox and Dodgers among the suitors for closer Brad Hand, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman (Twitter links). Along with the Blue Jays and Mets, Hand now has a decent cadre of clubs interested in his services.
The price point for Hand’s eventual contract figures to be of unique interest after all 30 clubs surprisingly passed on claiming his one-year, $10MM option. As MLBTR’s Connor Byrne wrote just yesterday, “…the 30-year-old is a three-time All-Star who remained one of baseball’s most effective relievers a season ago. While Hand’s average fastball did drop from 92.7 mph to 91.4, he still recorded a 2.05 ERA with a 33.7 percent strikeout rate and a 4.7 percent walk rate over 22 innings. Hand also converted all 16 of his save opportunities.”
The White Sox make for a natural suitor as they continue to wrench open their window of contention. They know Hand well from his time in their division, and incumbent closer Alex Colomé is also a free agent. Tony La Russa’s club is well-stocked in southpaws with fast-rising rookie Garrett Crochet coming off a very impressive initial Major League showing, as well as Aaron Bummer, who might be the premier wormkiller in the game. Jace Fry has also been a productive southpaw for the ChiSox with a 4.07 FIP, 29.6 percent strikeout rate, 13.7 percent walk rate, and 51.2 percent groundball rate over the past three seasons. To add Hand to that group may seem gluttonous, but slotting him in as the closer would allow Chicago to continue to use Fry and Bummer situationally while protecting Crochet’s usage.
The Dodgers have secured quite a bit of help in their bullpen recently with the signing of Tommy Kahnle and the re-signing of Blake Treinen. Of course, Kahnle is unlikely to pitch much – if at all – in 2021, and Treinen was part of the group last year. Besides, if there’s a question mark for the champs heading into the 2021 season, it centers on the longevity of incumbent closer Kenley Jansen. Hand would give the Dodgers a plethora of options in yet another facet of the ballgame.

[Otters27]

Being an NL fan I say the same thing about the Dodgers. I hate the Dodgers more than any team in the league including the Yankees whom I don't really hate I just respect for them winning more than any orginization.

A lot of people hate both. Especially small market fans

[jrgum3]

A lot of people hate both. Especially small market fans

I'm a Giants fan so I've hated the Dodgers ever since my first Giants game which happened to be against Tommy Lasorda's Dodgers. Still believe Giants/Dodgers is the best rivalry in baseball but East coast people will always say BoSox/Yankees.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Very excited to watch this Padres team the next few years. This kid we signed from Korea, Kim, could be a real steal.

[Cross]

Are the Giants going to be competitive this year.

[koz-man]

New York Mets acquire Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland Indians in blockbuster deal


CLEVELAND -- Francisco Lindor is moving to a new city and team that is willing to meet his salary demands.

The four-time All-Star shortstop -- and one of baseball's best all-around players -- was traded Thursday by the Cleveland Indians along with pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets, who have a new owner willing to spend at baseball's highest levels.

"They did not come cheaply,'' Mets president Sandy Alderson said. "What we're trying to do is create a new reality rather than deal with perception."

The cash-strapped Indians sent Lindor and Carrasco to the Mets for infielders Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, right-hander Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene -- a move Cleveland hopes will keep it competitive and capable of ending baseball's longest World Series title drought.

[BigSpoon]

New York Mets acquire Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland Indians in blockbuster deal


CLEVELAND -- Francisco Lindor is moving to a new city and team that is willing to meet his salary demands.

The four-time All-Star shortstop -- and one of baseball's best all-around players -- was traded Thursday by the Cleveland Indians along with pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets, who have a new owner willing to spend at baseball's highest levels.

"They did not come cheaply,'' Mets president Sandy Alderson said. "What we're trying to do is create a new reality rather than deal with perception."

The cash-strapped Indians sent Lindor and Carrasco to the Mets for infielders Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, right-hander Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene -- a move Cleveland hopes will keep it competitive and capable of ending baseball's longest World Series title drought.

Huge deal, wouldn't have happened without the new owner willing to spend.

[batt33]

New York Mets acquire Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland Indians in blockbuster deal


CLEVELAND -- Francisco Lindor is moving to a new city and team that is willing to meet his salary demands.

The four-time All-Star shortstop -- and one of baseball's best all-around players -- was traded Thursday by the Cleveland Indians along with pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets, who have a new owner willing to spend at baseball's highest levels.

"They did not come cheaply,'' Mets president Sandy Alderson said. "What we're trying to do is create a new reality rather than deal with perception."

The cash-strapped Indians sent Lindor and Carrasco to the Mets for infielders Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, right-hander Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene -- a move Cleveland hopes will keep it competitive and capable of ending baseball's longest World Series title drought.

New york dodgers??

[Cross]

NL East and NL West stacked at the top. NL Central going to be weak.

[jrgum3]

Are the Giants going to be competitive this year.

Since they didn't make a big splash yet in free agency I think the best the Giants can hope for is third this season. The Dodgers and Padres will battle for first with the 2nd place team likely earning a Wild Card berth. Giants, Diamondbacks and Rockies will be afterthoughts in the West I think but you never know teams surprise every year.

[jrgum3]

NL East and NL West stacked at the top. NL Central going to be weak.

With this big trade I think the Mets will make some noise in the NL East but ultimately its the Braves that will win the Division.

[EmpireMaker]

8:03pm: Sugano has re-signed with Yomiuri on a four-year, $40MM contract, per Rosenthal. The deal includes three opt-out chances, so Sugano will have future opportunities to become a major leaguer.
4:05pm: Nippon Professional Baseball right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano did not reach an agreement with a major league team before his 5 p.m. ET posting deadline Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. That means Sugano will remain in Japan in 2021, though he will be eligible to come to MLB as a free agent next winter.
NPB’s Yomiuri Giants posted the 31-year-old Sugano for major league clubs a month ago, and with the likes of Kevin Gausman and Marcus Stroman off the free-agent board, Sugano looked like one of the most appealing starters available on the open market. As a result, several teams – including the Padres, Giants, Mets, Blue Jays, Rangers and Red Sox – vied for Sugano in recent weeks. The Padres were even in negotiations with Sugano on Thursday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. In the end, though, neither they nor any other big league club could pry him from his homeland.
Sugano will remain a member of the Yomiuri Giants, with whom he has dominated since making his pro debut in 2013. Sugano owns a stellar 2.34 ERA over 1,362 innings with the Giants, and he has won two MVPs and a pair of Pitcher of the Year awards in Japan. He’ll make around $8MM with the Giants in 2021, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic relays. With another excellent season, though, Sugano could wind up in a major league uniform before the 2022 campaign.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Since they didn't make a big splash yet in free agency I think the best the Giants can hope for is third this season. The Dodgers and Padres will battle for first with the 2nd place team likely earning a Wild Card berth. Giants, Diamondbacks and Rockies will be afterthoughts in the West I think but you never know teams surprise every year.

Giants are a scrappy bunch but no chance of finishing ahead of LA or SD unless either have a ton of key injuries. Even then, I'm not so sure. The talent disparity is pretty big.

[batt33]

Tommy Lasorda Passed away RIP 93 years old...

[Stallion]

The Blue Jays have dissapointed me this off season.

[BigSpoon]

The Blue Jays have dissapointed me this off season.

Same, lots of rumors but no action.

[jrgum3]

Tommy Lasorda Passed away RIP 93 years old...

Sad day for the Dodgers. I didn't like Lasorda because he was a Dodger but I respected him because he loved baseball and he embraced the Giants/Dodger rivalry. May he rest in peace.

[EmpireMaker]

The Mets won the Francisco Lindor sweepstakes when they acquired the star shortstop from Cleveland in a blockbuster trade earlier this week. It turns out that the Blue Jays finished second in the derby, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports. While Castrovince isn’t sure which other players were involved in the teams’ trade talks, the Blue Jays offered “what is probably a higher ceiling,” he writes. The problem for Toronto is that the prospects it put on the table weren’t that close to being ready for the majors, so Cleveland accepted an offer that it expects to be beneficial in both the short and long term.

• The Red Sox and third baseman Rafael Devers have not discussed a multiyear contract to this point, agent Nelson Montes de Oca told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. For now, the focus is on agreeing to a salary for 2021 by next Friday’s deadline to file figures. The Red Sox renewed Devers for a near-minimum $692,500 heading into last year, even though he was coming off a tremendous campaign. The 24-year-old is now eligible for arbitration, where he’s projected to collect anywhere from $3.4MM to $6.3MM. Unfortunately for Devers, he’s going into the process off a down season in which he slashed .263/.310/.483 with 11 home runs in 248 plate appearances. Barring an extension, Devers won’t be eligible for free agency until after 2023.
• Back to the Mets, who seem primed to move right-hander Seth Lugo back to the bullpen in 2021, Jon Heyman of MLB Network relays. Lugo has been highly successful as a reliever in the past, but he had a tough time last year after the Mets moved him into their rotation. They’re now largely set there with Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Marcus Stroman and David Peterson in line to comprise their top four when next season opens. They’ll also get righty Noah Syndergaard back from his Tommy John surgery sometime during the summer.
• The Blue Jays have signed hitting coach Guillermo Martinez to a two-year contract extension, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet relays. Martinez has been on the job since 2018. The Blue Jays’ offense finished seventh in the majors in runs and 11th in wRC+ under his tutelage last season.

[jrgum3]

Giants are a scrappy bunch but no chance of finishing ahead of LA or SD unless either have a ton of key injuries. Even then, I'm not so sure. The talent disparity is pretty big.

It's weird that I think their offense will win them some games like it did last year but sadly they don't have the pitching to compete with the likes of the Dodgers and Padres. Too bad too because last year they showed they were a capable offense for a change and won some games solely because of their hitting which is different from the championship teams under Bochy which leaned on pitching and defense.

[BigSpoon]

The Mets won the Francisco Lindor sweepstakes when they acquired the star shortstop from Cleveland in a blockbuster trade earlier this week. It turns out that the Blue Jays finished second in the derby, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports. While Castrovince isn’t sure which other players were involved in the teams’ trade talks, the Blue Jays offered “what is probably a higher ceiling,” he writes. The problem for Toronto is that the prospects it put on the table weren’t that close to being ready for the majors, so Cleveland accepted an offer that it expects to be beneficial in both the short and long term.

No prize for finishing 2nd in that 'sweepstakes'. Need to get one of Bauer, Springer or Realmuto or the offseason will be a fail for Toronto.

[Otters27]

Who remembers Otis Nixon and his huge chews

[Cross]

I remember Otis Nixon looking like he had some cocaine for lunch before games.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

No prize for finishing 2nd in that 'sweepstakes'. Need to get one of Bauer, Springer or Realmuto or the offseason will be a fail for Toronto.

The package Cleveland received from the Mets did not look that great either.

[batt33]

It's weird that I think their offense will win them some games like it did last year but sadly they don't have the pitching to compete with the likes of the Dodgers and Padres. Too bad too because last year they showed they were a capable offense for a change and won some games solely because of their hitting which is different from the championship teams under Bochy which leaned on pitching and defense.

The Giants already have re-signed Kevin Gausman this offseason and added former Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, but they still have a hole in their rotation. Sugano was thought to be the second-best starter available. The best is Trevor Bauer, who remains unsigned, but sources have said in recent weeks that the Giants do not appear to be one of Bauer's top suitors. I beleive they were going after a Japanese pitcher but that didn't work out

[cincinnatikid513]

nobody spending

[Cross]

Schwarbombs in DC this summer.

[Stallion]

The package Cleveland received from the Mets did not look that great either.

The Jays just didn't want to give up alot of prospects and ruin the farm system

[EmpireMaker]

At the outset of the offseason, Nelson Cruz was said to be seeking a two-year deal, in theory from the Minnesota Twins. Not much has changed on that front, though as time wears on, it seems less and less likely the Twins will meet his demand. Coming off back-to-back silver slugger awards as the Twins’ designated hitter, it would seem a given that Minnesota would do whatever necessary to bring back Cruz, even as he enters his age-40 season. He’s a team leader, a fan favorite, and a standout citizen, evidenced by being the Twins’ Roberto Clemente Award nominee in 2020 and in winning the Marvin Miller Man Of The Year Award for being the player who has earned the “most respect based on his leadership on the field and in the community,” as explained the Star Tribune’s La Velle E. Neal III back in October.
Under a different context, the opportunity to add a 163 wRC+ hitter for two years at $14MM per season would be almost too good to believe. Under the current context, however, the Twins have yet to sign Cruz, nor even has there been much in the way of dialogue, per Neal’s newest piece for the Star Tribune. Neal consulted with multiple sources to provide a timeline of Cruz’s negotiation with the Twins so far this winter.

The Twins made a one-year offer during the opening weeks of free agency, then pulled it off the table after a couple of weeks. A second contract offer was made during the holidays that went nowhere as Cruz’s camp waited for word on the NL. There hasn’t been a lot of back-and-forth negotiating between the sides.

The assumption is there will be no designated hitter in the National League in 2021, which limits the field of potential Cruz suitors, but if the Twins wait long enough, it’s hard to imagine there won’t be more opportunities for Cruz. Interestingly, Neal names the Padres as one NL team that would be interested in Cruz were there to be a DH in the NL. Adding Cruz to any lineup ought to be a boon for that team, though putting him on a Padres roster with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado could very well make the Friars one of the more highly anticipated rosters MLB has seen in some time. Over the past two seasons, Cruz slashed .308/.394/.626 with a monstrous .318 ISO, 11 percent walk rate, 25.7 percent strikeout rate, 163 wRC+, and 6.2 fWAR over 735 plate appearances.

[jrgum3]

The package Cleveland received from the Mets did not look that great either.

Yeah it seems Cleveland didn't really care what they got for Lindor as long as they were able to trade him away. Sucks for Indians fans although maybe they will be able to rebuild quicker than I think. I just think anytime you give away a superstar like Lindor it'll take some a few years before you're good again.