MLB Hot Stove 2023-2024

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No rest for the wicked with the World Series concluded as teams now move into the off-season mode, with decisions on option exercises and qualifying offers to come, as well as trades and of course free agent signings. The biggest free agent on the market is undoubtedly Shohei Ohtani, who will be showered with offers from most of the teams in the MLB. Where he ends up could well shape the rest of the market, even accounting for the fact that he will be solely a designated hitter in 2024 after recovering from Tommy John surgery performed late in the 2023 season.

Other coveted free agents include RHP Yoshinubu Yamamoto (many Australian baseball fans will be familiar with Yamamoto after he tore through Team Australia at the WBC), as well as World Series winner LHP Jordan Montgomery, RHP Aaron Snell and LHP Blake Snell (one of the contenders for the Cy Young in the National League).

The free agent class for position players is weaker this year than the free agent class for pitchers, with OF/1B Cody Bellinger (Cubs) and 3B Matt Chapman (Blue Jays) being the top of the class.

Other top free agents include:

• Josh Hader (LHP)
• Clayton Kershaw (LHP)
• Sonny Gray (RHP)
• Eduardo Rodriguez (LHP) - has to opt out of his contract with the Tigers to become a free agent
• Michael Wacha (RHP)
• Lucas Giolito (RHP)
• Marcus Stroman (RHP) - has a player option for 2024 with the Cubs
• Seth Lugo (RHP)
• J.D. Martinez (DH)
• Lourdes Gurriel Jr (OF) - has a player opt-out provision after the season.
• Teoscar Hernandez (RF)
• Jorge Soler (RF/DH) - has a player opt-out provision in his contract
• Whit Merrifield (2B/OF) - has a mutual option in his contract worth $18 million with a $500,000 buyout
• Rhys Hoskins (1B)
• Shota Imanaga (LHP)
• Aroldis Chapman (LHP)
• Mitch Garver (C/DH)
• Carlos Santana (1B/DH)
• Justin Turner (1B/3B/DH)
• Jeimer Candelario (1B/3B)
• Tommy Pham (LF/DH)
• Kyle Hendricks (RHP)
• Jordan Hicks (RHP)

 

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It didn't take long for Omar Narvaez to exercise his player option with the Mets. He will return to the Mets on a $7 million salary for 2024.



The New York Yankees have put six players on outright waivers: RHP Domingo German, RHP Ryan Weber, RHP Jimmy Cordero, RHP Matt Bowman, and outfielders Franchy Cordero and Billy McKinney. All six players have the requisite service time to become free agents if they go unclaimed. German, of course, pitched a perfect game for the Yankees against the Oakland Athletics on 28 June, but then ended the season on the restricted list after an incident occurred in the Yankees clubhouse which he had entered intoxicated.

 

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Jorge Soler has informed the Marlins that he is declining his $13 million player option for 2024. He therefore becomes a free agent and is able to negotiate with teams on Monday. Soler slashed .250/.341/.512 batting line in 2023, with 36 homeruns. He walked at 11.4% rate and struck out at 24.3% of the time. Soler was signed to a three-year, $36 million salary during the 2021-2022 offseason and decided to return to the Marlins for another season.

The Marlins now have the option of extending Soler a qualifying offer (worth $20.325 million). If they do so, Soler would have a week to test the market before deciding whether to accept the offer or not.

 

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RPH Seth Lugo has declined his player option with the San Diego Padres, worth $7.5 million. He becomes a free agent and will be entitled to negotiate with other teams from Monday. Lugo signs a two-year, $15 million contract in the last off season with the Padres for an opportunity to demonstrate his ability as a starting pitcher, having previously pitched for the Mets as a reliever. The Padres have an option of sending Lugo a qualifying offer.

 

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The Cincinnati Reds have announced that they have re-signed RHP Tony Santillan to a minor-league contract, with an invitation to 2024 Spring Training. Santillan was designated for assignment by the Reds in August and outrighted off their roster in September.

 

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The Toronto Blue Jays have announced that second baseman Whit Merrifield and the Blue Jays have each declined their option over the 2024 season, thus making Merrifield a free agent. Merrifield will receive a $500,000 buyout from the Blue Jays and, despite being 35 in January, hits free agency for the first time in his career.

 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced that they have signed infielder Max Muncy to a two-year, $24 million extension, with a $10 million club option for 2026. This contract replaces a $14 million option that the Dodgers held over Muncy for 2024. Muncy will receive a $5 million signing bonus, with a $7 million salary for 2024 and $12 million for 2025, while there are additional bonuses depending on plate appearances.

 

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The Minnesota Twins have told reporters that they will exercise club options on outfielder Max Kepler and infielder Jorge Polanco. Kepler will make $10 million in 2024, while Polanco is set to earn $10.5 million.

 

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Nelson Cruz has announced on a podcast that he plans to retire after he completes a stint in the Dominican Winter League. Cruz will retire having played in 2,055 regular season games, with 464 home runs, and a career slash line of .274/.343/.513. He made seven All-Star teams, won four Silver Sluggers, a Roberto Clemente award and other honours. He represented the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic on four separate occasions, and was part of the team that won the Classic in 2013.

 

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The Oakland Athletics will decline a $5 million club option on RHP Drew Rucinski. He was signed by the Athletics to a $3 million guarantee last off-season, after Rucinski spent some time in Korea. However, Rucinski never got his season going, having suffered injuries throughout the 2023 season. Rucinski was only able to make four starts, allowing 22 runs (18 earned) across 18 innings. He walked 14 batters while striking out just six. He landed on the IL in mid-May 2023, and underwent surgery in July for a degenerative back condition, and never returned to the active roster.

 

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Marcus Stroman has opted out. This has provided the club payroll flexibility to add a long-term piece.

 

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Lot of news to catch up on over the weekend.

The Houston Astros' GM Dana Brown spoke with reporters over the weekend about the Astros' priorities for their roster entering the offseason. Brown confirmed that catcher Yainer Diaz will be the "main guy" in 2024, so the Astros are looking for a backup catcher to help out with Diaz, with Martin Maldonado essentially confirmed as no longer being part of the Astros' plans with his contract expiring at the end of the season. The second priority is help for the bullpen, with Phil Marton, Ryne Stanek and Hector Neris all free agents. Neris has a player option to stick with the Astros and there hasn't been any word yet on whether Neris will stay in Houston.

 

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The San Diego Padres have signed LHP Ryan Carpenter to a minor league deal, although it has not been confirmed whether Carpenter will receive an invitation to Spring Training. Carpenter pitched in the majors with the Tigers in 2018-2019, posting 15 appearances for 63 innings, but with an ERA of 8.57. He has not been featured in the majors since then. He has played professional baseball in Taiwan and Korea, but his time in Korea came to an abrupt end in 2022, when he was released amid reports of elbow soreness. He did not pitch professionally anywhere in 2023.

 

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The New York mets have confirmed that they will exercise their club option on LHP Brooks Raley, guaranteeing him a salary of $6.5 million for 2024, rather than buy him out for $1.25 millioin. Raley posted an ERA of 2.80 across 66 appearances for the Mets in their disappointing 2023 campaign.

 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have declined their player option on RHP Lance Lynn, paying him a $1 million buyout instead rather than retain him on an $18 million salary for 2024. Lance was acquired by the Dodgers at the trade deadline from the White Sox, but had his worst season as a professional pitcher, allowing 44 home runs in 32 starts between the White Sox and Dodgers. He gave up four home runs in his last start for the Dodgers, in game 3 of the NLDS against the Diamondbacks, who swept the Dodgers on their way to a world series appearance.

Lance turns 37 in May 2024, but might still find appeal among clubs prepared to overlook his poor 2023 and give him a second opportunity based on his career ERA of 3.74 since 2011.

 

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With Brewers manager Craig Counsell now officially a free agent, it appears that he will be offered the opportunity to earn the most money among MLB managers for the moment, with at least three clubs interested in hiring him (the Mets, the Brewers and the Guardians). The Astros also had interest in Counsell, but it appears that they want to take a more considered approach to their hiring process, which will likely rule out Counsell to Houston given the heightened interest in him. It is suggested that the Mets will offer Counsell the most money, but he will likely give Milwaukee an opportunity to match whatever contract offer he receives from the Mets.

According to reporters, Counsell was paid $3.5 million to manage the Brewers in 2023, and he is looking for an offer that will at least double that amount in 2024. Steve Cohen is likely to give Counsell what he wants, but the speculation is that Counsell will take the Mets offer back to the Brewers and give them an opportunity to match it. If they are prepared to do so, then he would "almost certainly" stay in Milwaukee, though Counsell apparently is not yet prepared to offer a hometown discount to the Brewers.

A decision on Counsell's managerial future is expected no later than the end of the GM meetings, which run from Wednesday (Australian time) for the next three days.

Craig Counsell continues on his free-agency tour. Where do the Brewers stand?

Here's a full look at everything we know about Craig Counsell's free agency situation

www.jsonline.com

Mets managerial candidate Craig Counsell close to decision

The Mets are close to naming a new manager because top candidate Craig Counsell is expected to choose a team within the next few days, a league source with direct knowledge of the process said Sunday morning.

sny.tv

 

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The Mets have identified Counsell as their top target to replace Buck Showalter, but in case Counsell returns to Milwaukee or signs with the Guardians, the Mets have apparently identified Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their second priority for the role, according to beat reporters.

The Cleveland Guardians have also identified Mendoza as a candidate for their vacant manager role, with Stephen Vogt (currently of the Mariners) also in the running.

If the Mets miss out on both Counsell and Mendoza, then the thinking is that the Mets will look to appoint either Cubs bench coach (and former Padres skipper) Andy Green or current Athletics manager Mark Kotsay (yes, for the love of all that's good and holy, I hope the Mets sign Kotsay as manager; he's rubbish).

Mets managerial candidate Craig Counsell close to decision

The Mets are close to naming a new manager because top candidate Craig Counsell is expected to choose a team within the next few days, a league source with direct knowledge of the process said Sunday morning.

sny.tv

If Guardians don’t hire Craig Counsell, here are the favorites: The week in baseball

If Craig Counsell signs elsewhere, Stephen Vogt or Carlos Mendoza could be the Guardians' new manager.

www.cleveland.com

 

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As noted above, it has been reported that the Astros want to take their time about who shall replace Dusty Baker in the dugout. Reports suggest that GM Dana Brown is advocating for a promotion from within for bench coach Joe Espada, but the Astros are likely to leave the final call up to owner Jim Crane and special adviser Jeff Bagwell. Former Tigers and Angels manager Brad Asumas, together with third base coach, Omar Lopez, are some of the other contenders for the role.

Who are the top candidates to replace Dusty Baker as Astros manager?

With Baker heading into retirement, who will replace him as Astros manager? Looking at 12 names who could be in play.

theathletic.com

 

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In a case of "what might have been", reports out of San Diego now indicate that before the Padres hired Bob Melvin to be their manager, A.J. Preller met with current Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy twice about the potential for Bochy to manage the Padres. However, the reports also suggest that Bochy was apparently not that interested in returning to San Diego, which is why the Padres pivoted to Bob Melvin. Bochy then signed on to manage the Rangers before the start of the 2023 season, taking them to their first ever World Series.

Tom Krasovic: Padres' AJ Preller visited Bruce Bochy before choosing Bob Melvin

Padres boss twice went to Nashville to meet with World Series champion manager. Though he didn't heed Ron Fowler's recommendation to hire Bochy, the Padres' top baseball exec did his homework.

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

 

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The Chicago White Sox are declining their club option on RHP Liam Hendriks. Instead of retaining Hendriks for 2024 on $15 million salary, the White Sox will instead pay $15 million, but over the next 10 years in annual instalments of $1.5 million per year. Hendriks is set to miss the majority of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August. Hendriks, 35 in February, signed with the White Sox in 2021 after resurrecting his career as a closer with the Oakland Athletics. Hendriks' performances for the White Sox suggested that the deal was well worth the money paid by the White Sox to the Australian, but he had to undergo treatment for cancer in the offseason and then had his season cut short by elbow inflammation that put him on the IL in May.

 

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The Los Angeles Angels have announced that they have declined their club options on LHP Aaron Loup and infielder Eduardo Escobar. Both will now become free agents. Loup will receive a $2.5 million buyout from the Angels, while Escobar receives a $500,000 buyout.

 

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Infielder Matt Carpenter has exercised the $5.5 million player option in his contract with the Padres for 2024. Carpenter struggled in 2023 with the Padres, hitting .176/.322/.319 with five homeruns across 276 plate appearances during the season.

 

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The San Diego Padres have thrown their cap in the ring for Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza, interviewing him for their vacant manager role over the weekend. Mendoza is the fourth candidate to meet with the Padres' front office, after internal candidates Ryan Flaherty and Mike Shildt, and Angels infield coordinator Benji Gil.

Padres to interview Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza for manager; Matt Carpenter exercises player option

Fourth candidate to replace Bob Melvin set to meet with A.J. Preller, others at Petco Park

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

 

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The Chicago White Sox have sent outfielders Trayce Thompson and Clint Frazier through outright waivers, according to the team. They are eligible to elect free agency, though the White Sox have not confirmed whether they have done so. Both players would have qualified for arbitration.

 

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The Boston Red Sox have announced that infielder Justin Turner has declined his $13.4 million player option in favour of a $6.7 million buyout, while the Red Sox declined their $11 million club option on RHP Corey Kluber. After a long career with the Dodgers, Turner signed with the Red Sox last offseason, signing a two-year, $21.7 million contract with the Red Sox that looked structured to send him back to free agency after a year, provided he produced in his first season with the Red Sox. He hit .276/.345/.455 with 23 homeruns in 626 plate appearances for the Red Sox, so he is likely to get more than $6.7 million on the open market, which means that he will almost certainly come out ahead.