MLB Hot Stove 2023-2024

[Dixie Flatline]

The San Francisco Giants officially announced their signing of 3B Matt Chapman, including the terms of the contract. According to the Giants, Chapman will receive a $2 million signing bonus and a $16 million salary for 2024, plus a $2 million buyout on a $17 million player option for 2025. If Chapman stays with the Giants through to the end of the 2025 season, he has an $18 million player option for 2026, with a $3 million buyout. If he remains with the Giants through the three seasons, there is a mutual option worth $20 million for 2027, with a $1 million buyout if either party declines their side of the option.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

To create roster space for Chapman, the Giants put RHP Tristan Beck on the 60-day IL. Beck is set to undergo vascular surgery tonight at Stanford to correct an aneurysm suffered in his pitching arm. There is no timetable yet for his return post-surgery.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

It was previously reported that the Yankees had made a contract offer to LHP Blake Snell, while the Giants were connected with the reigning NL Cy Young winner over the weekend. Now, it appears that the Philadelphia Phillies might join the fray, but only on a short-term deal. According to reports, the Phillies would be "open to bringing Snell into" their club but only on a one year contract, or a contract that contains opt-outs at the end of each season.

Diamondbacks veteran was 'blindsided' getting cut before Arizona's World Series run

Nick Ahmed, now with the Giants, re-lives the pain of being released by the Diamondbacks with just three weeks remaining in the 2023 season.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Former Oakland Athletic, Toronto Blue Jay, Guardian, Brave, Twin, New York Yankee and Milwaukee Brewer Josh Donaldson has announced his retirement. This reverses his decision from November 2023 where he indicated that he was willing to play another season, albeit under the right circumstances.

Donaldson played third base in high school and then learned how to play catcher while playing at Auburn University. He was actually drafted as a catcher by the Cubs with the 48th pick in the 2007 draft. The Cubs then traded Donaldson to the Athletics in 2008 in exchange for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin.

The Athletics gave him his MLB debut in 2010, but Donaldson struggled at the plate, hitting just .156/.206/.281 in his first 34 plate appearances. The A's kept him in the minors in 2011 and then he bounced between the Show and the minors in 2012, as the A's started to transition back to his initial position of third base. Donaldson broke out in 2013, playing 158 games as the A's every day third baseman, hitting 24 homeruns, walking 11.4% of the time and striking out at 16.5% of the time. He hit .301/.384/.499 in 2013, translating to a wRC+ of 147. He finished fourth in the AL MVP voting.

Donaldson followed up with another strong season in 2014 as the A's reached the postseason for the third straight year, but couldn't get through the first round. The A's traded Donaldson to the Blue Jays in the 2014 offseason. He raked in his first year in Toronto, hitting 41 homeruns and hitting .297/.371/.568 for a WRC+ of 154. The Jays won the AL East that season and Donaldson helped the Blue Jays reach the ALCS, as he won the AL MVP ahead of Mike Trout.

Donaldson had another strong season with Toronto in 2016, hitting 37 home runs as the Blue Jays got to the ALCS again. However, injuries started affecting Donaldson in 2017. While he hit .270/.385/.559 (including 33 homeruns) in 2017, he only managed to play 113 games in 2017 thanks to a lingering calf strain. Donaldson and the Blue Jays agreed to a $23 million salary for 2018, his final year of arbitration control. However, 2018 was a lost season for Donaldson, as he spent most of the time on the IL thanks to shoulder and calf issues. The Blue Jays slumped in 2018 and with playoffs not on the agenda for them, they traded Donaldson to Cleveland in August in exchange for RHP Julian Merryweather. Donaldson only played 16 games for the Guardians as he continued to battle injuries.

Donaldson became a free agent for the first time in his career after the 2018 season and he ended up signing a one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves for the 2019 season. He recovered fully and played 155 games for the Braves, hitting .259/.379/.521 for a 131 wRC+, reminding everyone of his talent. He naturally turned down a qualifying offer from the Braves at the end of the season and signed a four-year, $92 million contract with the Minnesota Twins after the 2019 season. His first season only resulted in 28 games played as COVID and calf issues again conspired to keep him from playing too many games. However, he bounced back in 2021, hitting 26 homeruns in 135 games. The Twins traded Donaldson to the Yankees (together with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt in exchange for Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez). Donaldson played 132 games in pinstrips in 2022, but his bat finally started to let him down, hitting just .222/.308/.374. He spent most of 2023 injured and the Yankees released him at the end of August. He signed with the Brewers to help their push to the postseason before becoming a free agent again at the end of the season.

Donaldson retires from the game having played 1,384 games with 1,310 hits (including 287 doubles, 12 triples and 279 home runs). Donaldson managed 816 runs and 816 runs batted in. He was an MVP, as well as a three-time All-Star and Silver Slugger twice.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Super agent Scott Boras has told reporters that a number of clubs remain interested in LHP Blake Snell and LHP Jordan Montgomery as Spring Training continues. The Giants and Yankees have been connected with Blake Snell while the Red Sox have reportedly been the primary suitor for Montgomery, but Boras says that the number of clubs interested in signing them is higher than that reported.

Snell entered the offseason as the reigning NL Cy Young award winner while Montgomery was fresh from being the anchor in the world series winning Rangers rotation. However, as the offseason progressed, it seemed that the market for both Snell and Montgomery had cooled on them, and they seem more ready to accept a deal similar to those signed by fellow Boras clients Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger, with a short-term deal containing yearly opt-outs or player options.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired INF Andre Lipcius from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash considerations. The Tigers designated Lipcius for assignment lsat week. The Dodgers opened a roster spot for Lipcius by putting LHP Clayton Kershaw on the 60-day IL.

Lipcius joins a new organisation for the first time in his career, having been drafted by the Tigers in 2019 and having been added to their 40-man roster in November 2022. Lipcius has played 13 MLB games, hitting .286/.342/.400 in 38 plate appearances, all in 2023.

Lipcius is likely to serve as depth for the Dodgers in the minors as he still has a couple of options under his belt. The Dodgers are set to roll with Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman as their every-day infielders, with Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez as bench depth. Lipcius joins Miguel Vargas and Andy Pages as optionable depth pieces on the Dodgers' roster.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Los Angeles Angels have announced that they have released INF Richie Martin from his contract. Martin had been with the Angels on a minor league contract and in camp as a non-roster invitee. Martin played 170 games for the Orioles between 2019-2022 after he was selected by Baltimore with the first pick in the 2018 Rule 5 draft. Martin was a first round draft selection by Oakland in the 2015 draft.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Philadelphia Phillies have locked up RHP Zach Wheeler until the end of the 2027 season after they announced they have signed their ace pitcher to a three-year extension. Wheeler is reportedly guaranteed $126 million on the contract and there are no options or opt-outs included in the contract terms.

The extension takes effect from next season, which means that he continues to play under the five year, $118 million contract he previously signed with the Phillies. This keeps his CBT hit at $23.6 million for 2024, before it jumps in 2025 to $42 million.

Wheeler already has more than 10 years of major league service time, and he hits five years service time with the Phillies after the 2024 season. By rule, this gives him "10-and-5" rights, granting him automatically the power to veto any potential trade over the term of his contract with the Phillies.

The Phillies are just about set with their starting rotation for the foreseeable future, barring injuries or unexpected loss of form. The Phillies will rely on Wheeler, RHP Aaron Nola (re-signed for another seven seasons), LHP Ranger Suarez, RHP Cristopher Sanchez and RHP Taijuan Walker. All of these pitchers are signed for multiple additional seasons. Suarez is arbitration-eligible through the 2026 season, Walker is signed to the end of 2027 and Sanchez is controllable by the Phillies until the end of 2028.

Zack Wheeler, Phillies agree to 3-year, $126 million contract extension: Sources

The Phillies have now locked their two best starters, Wheeler and Aaron Nola, into the rotation for the foreseeable future.

theathletic.com

 

[Noofa Murphy]

Sorry not the right topic for this forum, but is anyone else having issues with the MLB app and watching games ? Streaming thru the samsung tv no issues but the app it keeps coming up with no feeds available. My subsricption has been paid for this season and was working fine for the first few days of spring games.

Also, the date of the game schedule is out by a day and seems to forward to tomorrows date instead of ESTD time and date eg todays games are sitting as scheduled for the 6/3/24

Over the last week I have been back and forth with MLB app tech support and still no resolution.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The San Diego Padres have signed utility player Brad Miller to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Miller has only played 108 MLB games over the last two seasons (including just 27 in 2023) for the Rangers mostly due to time on the sidelines thanks to injury. He hit .214/.328/.339 in 2023 and .212/.270/.320 in 2022.

Miller played for the Guardians, Phillies and Cardinals between 2019-2021, hitting 40 homeruns in those three seasons. He hit a combined .236/.331/.480 over that period, good enough for a wRC+ of 114.

Miller has experience at all four infield positions, as well as all three outfield positions, though he has not really played shortstop since 2016, has not played centre field since 2015 and his last appearance at second base was in 2021. However, the Padres are still looking for help at the outfield, as well as depth at third and first bases, so there is potentially a role for Miller if he's good enough.

The Padres traded away Juan Soto early in the off-season, and brought in pitchers to help offset the departures of Blake Snell, Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo from their starting rotation. However, the Padres are thin at the outfield, with only Fernando Tatis Jr a solid lock to play right field. Jurickson Profar and Jose Azocare are pencilled in for the other outfield spots at this stage, while non-roster invitees such as Jackson Merrill, Jakob Marsee, Calvin Mitchell and Oscar Mercado are also in the mix.

The Padres currently only have 37 players on their 40-man roster so they do have some flexibility. The Padres are also likely to put Tucupita Marcano on the 60-day IL as he is currently rehabbing a torn ACL that will likely keep him out of action until the All-Star break at the earliest.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

While the focus remains fixed on free agent LHP Blake Snell, there is at least one other experienced pitcher sitting out there as a free agent. RHP Michael Lorenzen is looking for a new club. According to reports, Lorenzen is seeking a two-year contract and is continuing to focus his efforts on landing a multi-year contract. Lorenzen had a long run with the Cincinnati Reds as a reliever, but transitioned to a starter in 2022 when the Angels signed him for $6.75 million. He then signed with the Tigers last off-season on a contract worth $8.5 million before being traded to the Phillies at the deadline. The early return with the Phillies was superlative, as he pitched 40 2/3 innings between 6 July and 9 August 2023 for a 1.11 ERA and 31 strikeouts (versus 12 walks). In his first start at Citizens Bank Park, he had a 124 pitch no-hitter against the Nationals.

However, that was the high point of his season and as it continued, Lorenzen's form slipped dramatically. Over the next 26 1/3 innings, Lorenzen gave up 27 earned runs, and the Phillies demoted him to the bullpen in September.

Rosenthal: Corbin Burnes eyes the pitching market, inside Matt Chapman's deal and more

The Orioles ace isn't worried about the free-agent landscape next offseason, plus more notes from spring training.

theathletic.com

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Red Sox signed RHP Lucas Giolito early in the offseason and then traded LHP Chris Sale to the Braves in exchange for 2B Vaughn Grissom. Unfortunately, it appears that the Red Sox are likely to miss Giolito for the majority of the season, with manager Alex Cora telling the media overnight that Giolito experienced discomfort in his pitching elbow. He will undergo additional testing but it appears that the initial diagnosis is a partially torn UCL and a flexor strain. A determination on the treatment will not be made until he receives additional opinions, but it would now seem that Giolito is in line to undergo Tommy John surgery which would end his 2024 season before it begins.

Giolito signed a two-year, $38.5 million contract that allows him to opt out after the 2024 campaign. Assuming that Giolito is forced to undergo Tommy John surgery, it will all but guarantee that Giolito exercises his option to stay with the Red Sox at $19 million. If he does exercise that option, the Red Sox would then be granted a $14 million club option over Giolito for 2026 which converts to a mutual option if Giolito pitches 140+ innings in 2025.

If Giolito is out of the starting rotation for the season, it would likely increase the possibility of the Red Sox making a play to sign LHP Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery's wife is currently doing a medical residency in Boston and is unsigned despite helping to anchor the Rangers' World Series run in 2023. The Red Sox have reportedly spoken to Montgomery and his agents but have not yet been willing to meet his contractual demands. The Red Sox may also look at signing a cheaper free agent veteran pitcher such as RHP Michael Lorenzen or RHP Mike Clevinger, both of whom are still available.

 

[Teagueeee15]

Sorry not the right topic for this forum, but is anyone else having issues with the MLB app and watching games ? Streaming thru the samsung tv no issues but the app it keeps coming up with no feeds available. My subsricption has been paid for this season and was working fine for the first few days of spring games.

Also, the date of the game schedule is out by a day and seems to forward to tomorrows date instead of ESTD time and date eg todays games are sitting as scheduled for the 6/3/24

Over the last week I have been back and forth with MLB app tech support and still no resolution.

I can’t help you with resolving it, but I’m having the same issue with the MLB app on my iPad

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Former Tampa Bay Ray, Seattle Mariner and Cleveland Guardian catcher Mike Zunino has decided to retire, according to an Instagram post his agents made overnight.

Zunino was selected third overall in the 2012 draft by the Seattle Mariners behind Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton. He received a $4 million signing bonus from the Mariners and was ranked the top Mariners prospect and seventeenth overall by Baseball America heading into the 2013 season. The Mariners called up Zunino in June 2013 and he played in 52 games in his first season in the big leagues, hitting .214/.290/.329.

He played his first full season in 2014 and had somewhat mixed results. Although he mashed 22 homeruns, he hit just .199 and his OBP was just .254. Zunino bounced between the majors and minors with the Mariners for the next few seasons, and the Mariners ended up trading Zunino to the Rays in 2019. His first season in Tampa Bay was limited by injury, as he played just 90 games thanks to a quad strain and an oblique strain costing him significant time, and he hit a paltry .165/.232/.312. Injuries continued to plague him in 2020, and he struck out at a high 44% of the time in his 84 plate appearances in 28 games in the COVID-shortened season. However, the Rays looked past his struggles at the plate to value his defence as catcher and brought him back on a one-year deal with a club option for 2022.

Zunino had the best season of his career to date in 2021, as he slugged 33 homeruns in 109 games and was named an American League All-Star for the first time. He lowered his strikeout rate to a (still high) 35.2% rate and walked at 9.1% of the time. He hit .216/.301/.559 for a wRC+ of 133 and he tallied 4.5 fWAR. The Rays exercised their option to keep him for 2022, but as quickly as his form turned around it dipped again and he just .148/.195/.304 in 36 games in 2022 before going on the IL to undergo surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.

Zunino signed a contract with the Guardians for 2023, but he hit just .177/.271/.306 when he was released in June. He wasn't picked up by another club, even on a minor league deal.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Former Twin, Guardian and Brave, Eddie Rosario, has signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals with an invitation to Spring Training. Rosario is set to earn a base salary of $2 million with another $2 million in incentives available. Rosario has played in nine MLB seasons between the Twins, the Guardians and the Braves. Rosario played in 142 games for Atlanta last season, batting .255/.305/.450 with 21 homeruns, 24 doubles, three triples, three steals, and a 23.6% strikeout rate in 516 plate appearances. Rosario won the NLCS MVP in 2021 while with the Braves.

 

[Constantgin]

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Former Milwaukee Brewer, LHP Eric Lauer has joined the Pittsburgh Pirates on a minor league contract. Presumably he will join the Brewers' Spring Training.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly in agreement with RHP Brayan Bello on a six year, $55 million contract extension that commences this season and gives the Red Sox an extra two years of control over the pitcher. Bello had previously been tied to the Red Sox until the end of the 2028 season, but the Red Sox have effectively extended his contract for another season and obtained a club option over Bello for the 2030 season that is said to be valued at $21 million.

Bello was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic for a bonus of $28,000. He made his MLB debut for the Red Sox in 2022, pitching 57 1/3 innings in the majors for a 4.71 ERA, although that seemed to be inflated with a .404 BABIP. He begun 2023 on the IL with elbow inflammation but returned in mid-April. He was sent back to the minors until the Red Sox recalled him to replace an injured Garrett Whitlock at the end of April 2023. Between his recall and the end of August 2023, Bello made 21 starts for the Red Sox, posting a 3.20 ERA.

Red Sox are deep in talks with Brayan Bello about a long-term extension - The Boston Globe

The deal would keep the 24-year-old with the team beyond 2028, when he would first be eligible for free agency.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Cincinnati Red infielder Noelvi Marte has been suspended for 80 games by the MLB after returning a positive test for Boldenone, a banned performance enhancing substance. In a statement, the Reds indicated that they fully support the MLB's drug policy and its penalties and that they have no further comment. Marte is placed on the restricted list until the first 80 games of the regular season are played.

The Reds acquired Marte from the Mariners in 2022 as part of the return for RHP Luis Castillo. Marte hit .279/.358/.454 in the minor leagues last year, and was called up to the majors in August. He hit .316/.366/.456 in his first 123 plate appearances in the show, while playing shortstop and third base.

Noelvi Marte suspended 80 games for PED violation

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Infielder Noelvi Marte, who is rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 1 prospect in the Reds’ system and No. 21 in all of MLB, received an 80-game suspension without pay Friday after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance, and violating MLB’s Joint Drug...

www.mlb.com

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Miami Marlins have had discussions with free agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez. According to reports, Martinez has been seeking a two year contract. The Marlins have been planning to rotate players through their designated hitter position, including Josh Bell and Jake Burger. The reports suggest that a contract between the two is not yet close, possibly as a result of the asking price of Martinez.

Martinez is coming off a good season for the Dodgers. In 2023, he hit .271/.321/.572 with 33 homeruns, but he walked at a career low rate of 7.1% and struck out at a career high rate of 31.1%. However, his average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate were all in the 98th percentile of all MLB hitters, suggesting that when Martinez made contact with the ball, he is still capable of hitting it a long way.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The long and storied career of first baseman Joey Votto seems set to continue for another year, after he agreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Votto would earn a salary of $2 million if he makes the majors, and could earn up to another $2 million in incentives.

Votto grew up in the city of Etobicoke, which was amalgamated into the city of Toronto in 1998. For most of the last 20 years, Votto has been hitting dingers for the Cincinnati Reds and became a fan favourite.

In 2012, Votto signed a 10-year contract extension with the Reds that tied him to Cincinnati until the end of 2023. That contract expired at the end of the 2023 season after the Reds declined their club option in favour of a growing youth movement that has crowded the infield (even after Marte's suspension).

Votto will fill a need in the Blue Jays' line up. He is in line to replace the departed Brandon Belt, who mostly played as a designated hitter.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Giants have placed 3B J.D. Davis on waivers. Davis' role in the infield was supplanted by new Giants' third baseman, Matt Chapman, who signed with San Francisco last week to reunite with former manager Bob Melvin. The Giants also signed Jorge Soler to play as their every-day designated hitter, while Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr are likely to split time at first base. Davis is set to earn a $6.9 million salary in 2024, after arbitration hearing in the off-season ruled in his favour. Davis hit .248/.325/.413 with 18 homeruns in 546 plate appearances for the Giants in 2023, with an extended slump in the middle being rescued by a hot start to the season and a strong finish.

Davis has been generally regarded as a sub-par defender at third base and only an average defender at first, and the Giants were looking to improve their infield defence to support their pitchers who specialise in keeping the ball on the ground.

As Davis' salary was set by arbitration, he is affected by a quirk in the CBA. Ordinarily, Davis could sign for the veteran minimum and have the Giants pay the remainder of his salary once Davis elects free agency. However, the Giants now have the opportunity of paying only a pro-rated portion of his contract as termination pay. Davis' salary is not fully guaranteed under the current CBA.

Source: Giants place Davis on waivers following Chapman signing

The Giants placed third baseman J.D. Davis on waivers, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area.

www.nbcsportsbayarea.com

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Toronto Blue Jays have officially announced the signing of first baseman Joey Votto to a minor league contract.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

As noted yesterday, the MLB suspended infielder Noelvi Marte for the first 80 games of the season after he tested positive to a performance enhancing substance. It has been reported that the Reds were planning for Marte to play between six to nine of every 10 games by the Reds in 2024. Accordingly, the Reds were expecting Marte to start between 50-70 games in the first half of the season. It is expected that Jeimer Candelario will mostly play third base for the Reds, while Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jonathan India are likely to split time at first base. Manager David Bell has also indicated that Elly de la Cruz and Matt McLain will be settled at shortstop and second base respectively.

How Noelvi Marte's suspension will impact the Reds' lineup

Without Noelvi Marte, Jeimer Candelario will be the Reds' regular third baseman. But there won't be any major position changes.

www.cincinnati.com

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Texas Rangers announced that they have claimed INF Jose Berrero off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. The Rangers put RHP Carson Coleman on the 60-day IL as he will miss at least half the season after having Tommy John surgery last year. Berrero was formerly regarded as a prospect of the Reds but his struggles in the minor leagues saw him bypassed by other prospects at Cincinnati. He hit only .186/.242/.255 over 447 plate appearances in the majors, although he did hit .258/.333/.540 slash line with Triple-A Lousville in 2023.