Crowded House in New York

The Yankees raised some eyebrows on Friday, when Jack Curry of the YES Network reported that the team was closing in on a two-year contract with longtime Rockies’ second baseman D.J. LeMahieu.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic followed shortly thereafter and reported that the deal would be for $24 million over two seasons. Curry noted that the Yankees plan to use LeMahieu in a utility role, where he’ll see time at second base, third base and first base.

The Yankees already have stud sophomores Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres installed at third base and second base respectively, and a combination of Greg Bird and Luke Voit at first base. That’s in addition to the signing of Troy Tulowitzki to play shortstop and Didi Gregorius who will return from Tommy John surgery around midseason.

Perhaps another deal is in the works, as there have been rumblings that the team could be willing to include Andujar in a deal for a top starting pitcher, such as Corey Kluber or Noah Syndergaard.

In the meantime though, it’s a nice landing spot for LeMahieu. The 30-year-old was always going to see his offensive numbers clipped with the move away from Coors Field, but Yankee Stadium is perhaps the best possible landing spot for him outside of Colorado.

A career .298/.350/.406 hitter, LeMahieu’s fantasy value will ultimately depend on where he winds up slotting in the Yankees’ lineup. If he hits first or second, he could be a candidate to lead the league in runs scored, providing his work all over the diamond leads to full-time at-bats. That though, would require some sort of trade or injury to open up the door.

LeMahieu’s ADP currently sits at 232, which is probably a bit high given the uncertainty around his playing time projection. If the Yankees do wind up dealing Andujar though and LeMahieu is locked into full-time at-bats, expect that draft stock to soar well within the top 200 players overall.

Focusing on Machado

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Sunday that the White Sox "have focused their attention this past month" on Manny Machado.

Nightengale says the White Sox have made an offer to Machado "for about $200 million," and they've also tried for a couple trump cards by trading for his brother-in-law Yonder Alonso and signing his longtime childhood friend Jon Jay.  The three workout together in Miami every offseason.

Jeff Passan of ESPN added late Sunday that the reported offer to Machado is for eight years. The White Sox have been steadfast in their reluctance to go to 10 years on the contract, and reportedly they're nowhere near the $300 million threshold that Machado had been hoping for. 

Unless a vaunted mystery team comes into play, or the Yankees jump back into the mix, it looks like the battle for Machado will come down to the White Sox and Phillies. Keep in mind that the Phillies are currently seen as the favorites to land Bryce Harper, and it's unclear if they have a desire to sign both of the free agent superstars.

Feeling the Phillies?

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported on Sunday that the meeting between the Phillies’ brass and Bryce Harper went so well on Saturday that the team “might be shifting their focus from Manny Machado to Harper”.

Zolecki adds that the Phillies were "remarkably impressed with Harper and his wife" when the two parties met in Las Vegas. It's essentially backing up a previous report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale, which said the Phillies "have emerged as the clear-cut favorite" to sign Harper.

Philadelphia looks like a shoo-in to sign one of the two mega free agents, and it's sounding like Harper might be the likelier of the two at this point. Per Nightengale, the Phillies are expected to make a formal offer to Harper this week.

Russell Reunion

Russell Martin was drafted by the Dodgers in the 17th round of the 2002 draft. He eventually cracked the big leagues with the club in 2006, where he finished ninth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.

The following season, he was one of the top catchers in all of baseball, earning his first All-Star nod, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award. He made another All-Star team the following season, starring as the Dodgers backstop for five years before he joined the Yankees prior to the 2011 season.

Now, he’s heading back to Los Angeles.

On Friday, the Dodgers sent minor leaguers Andrew Sopko and Ronny Brito to the Blue Jays in exchange for the 35-year-old backstop. The Dodgers are also paying the majority of the $20 million that’s owed to Martin for the 2018 season.

His days of being relevant from a fantasy perspective are long gone, as he slashed an anemic .194/.338/.325 with 10 homers, 25 RBI and no stolen bases in 352 plate appearances with the Jays in 2018.

What he does bring though, is experience, still above-average defense, leadership and versatility. With the ability to play anywhere on the infield, as well as the corner outfield spots, he and Dodgers’ starting backstop Austin Barnes give manager Dave Roberts a measure of flexibility that no other team in the National League has.

Heading to the NFL?

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that an Athletics front office contingent led by president of baseball operations Billy Beane will have a meeting with first-rounder Kyler Murray on Sunday.

The word is that Murray is leaning toward picking football over baseball, but Beane and the A's will try to convince the Heisman Trophy winner to forego the NFL Draft and proceed with a career on the diamond.

This news is a complete turnaround after Murray's agent Scott Boras said a month ago that his client would be reporting to Athletics camp this spring.

Murray would have to pay back the $4.66 million bonus Oakland gave him when they selected him ninth overall in last June's Draft, but he would be in line for more money than that if he's a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, which is expected.

Giving some hope to the A’s, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that Major League Baseball could waive a rule that prevents teams from giving major league contracts to recently drafted players, if the Athletics can strike a deal with Kyler Murray that has him choose baseball over football. To be clear, MLB is not letting the Athletics circumvent the rules, they're merely allowing them to sign a major league deal, allowing them to add Murray to the 40-man roster, so long as they feel it wasn't initially discussed or promised prior to drafting him.

In addition to the Athletics' front office representatives that met with Kyler Murray on Sunday, Major League Baseball sent marketing executives to discuss Murray's potential off-field earning potential.

It doesn't sound like Murray's motivations toward entering the NFL draft are completely financially motivated, but it doesn't hurt the A's chances of keeping the ninth overall pick from last June's draft if they can give him a major league deal right out of the gate. Expect this situation to gain clarity when Murray makes his decision on Monday.

Arbitration Bonanza

With the flurry of contract activity on Friday with the deadline for players and teams to agree to contracts before heading to arbitration, here’s a quick summary of all of the results, as well as the 15 players who will reportedly head to arbitration hearings -- including Nolan Arenado who is requesting a record $30M from the Rockies. Even the Rockies’ offer of $24M would give him the highest contract ever through arbitration.

Angels

Tyler Skaggs - $3.7 million

Andrew Heaney - $3.4 million

J.C. Ramirez - $1.901 million

Cam Bedrosian - $1.75 million

Luis Garcia - $1.675 million

Hansel Robles - $1.4 million

Tommy La Stella - $1.35 million\

Nick Tropeano - $1.075 million

Astros

Roberto Osuna - $6.5 million

Collin McHugh - $5.8 million

Will Harris - $4.225 million

Lance McCullers Jr. - $4.10 million

Brad Peacock - $3.11 million

Ryan Pressly - $2.90 million

Jake Marisnick - $2.2125 million

Gerrit Cole - Heading to Arbitration (Cole $13.5M, Astros $11.425M)

Carlos Correa - Heading to Arbitration (Correa $5M, Astros $4.25M)

Chris Devenski - Heading to Arbitration (Devenski $1.65M, Astros $1.4M)

Athletics

Khris Davis - $16.5 million

Marcus Semien - $5.9 million

Jurickson Profar - $3.6 million

Sean Manaea - $3.15 million

Liam Hendriks - $2.15 million

Mark Canha - $2.05 million

Ryan Buchter - $1.4 million

Josh Phegley - $1.075 million

Ryan Dull - $860,000

Blake Treinen - Heading to Arbitration (Treinen $6.4M, Athletics $5.6M)

Blue Jays

Marcus Stroman - $7.4 million

Ken Giles - $6.3 million

Kevin Pillar - $5.8 million

Randal Grichuk - $5.0 million

Aaron Sanchez - $3.9 million

Devon Travis - $1.925 million

Brandon Drury - $1.3 million

Joe Biagini - $900,000

Ryan Tepera - Heading to Arbitration (Tepera $1.8M, Blue Jays $1.525M)

Braves

Kevin Gausman - $9.35 million

Michael Foltynewicz - $5.475 million

Arodys Vizcaino - $4.8 million

Adam Duvall - $2.875 million

Jonny Venters - $2.25 million

Daniel Winkler - $1.61 million

Charlie Culberson - $1.395 million

Sam Freeman - $1.375 million

Brewers

Corey Knebel - $5.125 million

Travis Shaw - $4.675 million

Jimmy Nelson - $3.7 million

Zach Davies - $2.6 million

Hernan Perez - $2.5 million

Junior Guerra - $2.25 million

Manny Pina - $1.6 million

Alex Claudio - $1.275 million

Erik Kratz - $1.2 million

Tyler Saladino - $887,500

Cardinals

Marcell Ozuna - $12.25 million

Michael Wacha - $6.35 million

Dominic Leone - $1.26 million

Chasen Shreve - $900,000

Cubs

Kris Bryant - $12.9 million

Kyle Hendricks - $7.405 million

Javier Baez - $5.2 million

Addison Russell - $3.4 million

Kyle Schwarber - $3.39 million

Mike Montgomery - $2.44 million

Carl Edwards Jr. - $1.5 million

Diamondbacks

David Peralta - $7.0 million

Robbie Ray - $6.05 million

Taijuan Walker - $5.025 million

Jake Lamb - $4.825 million

Steven Souza Jr. - $4.125 million

Nick Ahmed - $3.6625 million

Andrew Chafin - $1.945 million

Archie Bradley - $1.83 million

Matt Andriese - $920,000

John Ryan Murphy - $900,000

T.J. McFarland - Heading to Arbitration (McFarland $1.675M, Diamondbacks $1.275M)

Dodgers

Joc Pederson - $5.0 million

Corey Seager - $4.0 million

Chris Taylor - $3.5 million

Josh Fields - $2.85 million

Tony Cingrani - $2.65 million

Enrique Hernandez - Terms not disclosed

Pedro Baez - Terms not disclosed

Yimi Garcia - Terms not disclosed

Giants

Sam Dyson - $5.0 million

Will Smith - $4.225 million

Joe Panik - $3.8 million

Indians

Francisco Lindor - $10.85 million

Danny Salazar - $4.5 million

Leonys Martin - $3.0 million

Kevin Plawecki - $1.137 million

Neil Ramirez - $1.0 million

Nick Goody - $675,000

Cody Anderson - $641,500

Trevor Bauer - heading to Arbitration (Bauer $13M, Indians $11M)

Mariners

Domingo Santana - $1.95 million

Roenis Elias - $910,000

Marlins

J.T. Realmuto - $5.9 million

Dan Straily - $5.0 million

Jose Urena - $3.2 million

Miguel Rojas - $3.155 million

Adam Conley - $1.125 million

Mets

Jacob deGrom - $17.0 million

Noah Syndergaard - $6.0 million

Zack Wheeler - $5.975 million

Michael Conforto - $4.025 million

Travis d’Arnaud - $3.515 million

Steven Matz - $2.625 million

Nationals

Anthony Rendon - $18.8 million

Trea Turner - $3.725 million

Joe Ross - $1.0 million

Sammy Solis - $850,000

Michael Taylor - Heading to Arbitration - (Taylor $3.5M, Nationals $3.25M)

Kyle Barraclough - Heading to Arbitration (Barraclough $2.0M, Nationals $1.725M)

Orioles

Jonathan Villar - $4.825 million

Dylan Bundy - $2.8 million

Mychal Givens - $2.15 million

Padres

Kirby Yates - $3.062 million

Austin Hedges - $2.06 million

Robbie Erlin - $1.45 million

Travis Jankowski - $1.165 million

Greg Garcia - $910,000

Bryan Mitchell - $900,000

Phillies

Cesar Hernandez - $7.75 million

Maikel Franco - $5.2 million

Vince Velasquez - $2.249 million

Jose Alvarez - $1.925 million

Hector Neris - $1.8 million

Aaron Altherr - $1.35 million

Adam Morgan - $1.1 million

Jerad Eickhoff - $975,000

Aaron Nola - Heading to Arbitration (Nola $6.7M, Phillies $4.5M)

Pirates

Corey Dickerson - $8.5 million

Keone Kela - $3.175 million

Michael Feliz - $850,000

Rangers

Nomar Mazara - $3.3 million

Delino DeShields Jr. - $1.4 million

Rays

Mike Zunino - $4.412 million

Matt Duffy - $2.675 million

Chaz Roe - $1.275 million

Tommy Pham - Heading to Arbitration (Pham $4.1M, Rays $3.5M)

Red Sox

Mookie Betts - $20.0 million

Xander Bogaerts - $12 million

Jackie Bradley Jr. - $8.55 million

Eduardo Rodriguez - $4.3 million

Brock Holt - $3.575 million

Sandy Leon - $2.475 million

Tyler Thornburg - $1.75 million

Matt Barnes - $1.6 million

Steven Wright - $1.375 million

Heath Hembree - $1.312 million

Brandon Workman - $1.15 million

Blake Swihart - $910,000

Reds

Tanner Roark - $10.0 million

Scooter Gennett - $9.775 million

Yasiel Puig - $9.7 million

Jose Peraza - $2.775 million

Anthony DeSclafani - $2.125 million

Michael Lorenzen - $1.95 million

Curt Casali - $950,000

Alex Wood - Heading to Arbitration (Wood $9.65M, Reds $8.7M)

Rockies

Trevor Story - $5 million

Chad Bettis - $3.35 million

Jon Gray - $2.925 million

Tyler Anderson - $2.625 million

Chris Rusin - $1.6875 million

Scott Oberg - $1.3 million

Tony Wolters - $960,000

Nolan Arenado - Heading to Arbitration (Arenado $30M, Rockies $24M)

Royals

Brian Flynn - $800,000

Jesse Hahn - $800,000

Tigers

Nicholas Castellanos - $9.95 million

Shane Greene - $4 million

Matt Boyd - $2.6 million

Blaine Hardy - $1.3 million

Daniel Norris - $1.275 million

Michael Fulmer - Heading to Arbitration (Fulmer $3.4M, Tigers $2.8M)

Twins

Jake Odorizzi - $9.5 million

Kyle Gibson - $8.125 million

C.J. Cron - $4.8 million

Eddie Rosario - $4.19 million

Max Kepler - $3.125 million

Miguel Sano - $2.65 million

Byron Buxton - $1.75 million

Taylor Rogers - $1.525 million

Ehire Adrianza - $1.3 million

Trevor May - $900,000

White Sox

Jose Abreu - $16.0 million

Alex Colome - $7.325 million

Yolmer Sanchez - $4.625 million

Carlos Rodon - $4.2 million

Leury Garcia - $1.55 million

Yankees

Didi Gregorius - $11.75 million

James Paxton - $8.575 million

Sonny Gray - $7.5 million

Dellin Betances - $7.125 million

Aaron Hicks - $6.0 million

Austin Romine - $1.8 million

Tommy Kahnle - $1.3875 million

Greg Bird - $1.2 million

Luis Severino - Heading to Arbitration (Severino $5.25M, Yankees $4.4M)

Quick Hits: A source tells Matt Breen of Philly.com that the Phillies "remain optimistic that they will end the offseason with either (Bryce) Harper or (Manny) Machado on their roster."... The Nationals officially announced their one-year, $9 million deal with Brian Dozier, designating Matt Reynolds for assignment in the process… Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic hears the Rays are considering free agent Matt Davidson as a "potential two-way addition."... Dustin Pedroia is ready to run and test his surgically-repaired left knee…. Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com reports the Indians and Padres have remained in discussions on a potential trade involving Corey Kluber. The Indians have interest in Padres top prospect Adrian Morejon in a potential deal for the right-hander…. 35-year-old free agent hurler John Axford indicated that he’s hoping to sign with his native Blue Jays… Luis Urias (hamstring) is expected to be fully healthy for the start of spring training… Wil Myers is expected to return to the outfield full-time for the upcoming 2019 season… Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants are not actively trying to trade ace starter Madison Bumgarner… Reds top prospect Nick Senzel took his first swings since undergoing elbow surgery in October… The Indians claimed A.J. Cole off of waivers from the Yankees… The Phillies signed Andrew Romine to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training… The Yankees signed Drew Hutchison to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training… The Blue Jays officially signed David Phelps to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with an option for 2020.

Chicago pulls up it's Sox

White Sox Bolster Bullpen

The White Sox and Kelvin Herrera have come to terms on a two-year, $18 million contract with a vesting option for 2021. The flame-throwing reliever registered a 2.44 ERA with 17 saves for the Royals and Nationals last year. He struck out 38 batters in 44 1/3 innings and saw his season end early when he suffered a severe foot injury on August 26th. He had surgery to repair a torn Lisfranc ligament in his left foot and even now has not yet been cleared for full baseball activity. He did pass his physical though before this trade was made official and surely the White Sox wouldn't have shelled out this much money if they thought he might not be ready for the start of the season. The White Sox have needs all over the diamond, but so far their two biggest investments this offseason have been in acquiring Herrera and Alex Colome to fortify the bullpen. The 29-year-old right-hander will probably open the 2019 season in a setup role for the White Sox, with fellow newcomer Colome handling the bulk of save opportunities. But nothing is set in stone yet on those roles, and Herrera has been dominant in the past when healthy. Herrera has 60 career saves compared to 96 for Colome.

Jay + Alonso = Machado?

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the White Sox have agreed to terms with Jon Jay, pending a physical. It will be a one-year, $4 million contract. Jay, who will turn 34 in March, batted .268/.330/.347 with three homers in 586 plate appearances for the Royals and Diamondbacks last season. Jay could get a lot of playing time in the White Sox' depleted outfield rotation but he has been in the major leagues for nine years and has a grand total of 36 home runs to show for it. He has a solid .285 career batting average and that is his only good fantasy category. But hey, every fantasy baseball team owner knows that Jon Jay is not much of an asset in any league format, so why is he being featured in this column? Because the speculation is that the White Sox have an ulterior motive for signing him: Jay, Yonder Alonso and Manny Machado all train together in their hometown of Miami and have been friends since they were kids, so perhaps this would be another way for the White Sox to help recruit Machado to Chicago. Alonso was also acquired by Chicago earlier this offseason. Now they've added Jay. Coincidence? Probably not. Will it be enough to convince Machado to choose the White Sox over the Phillies and Yankees? Doubtful -- unless they offer him significantly more money. It does show just how badly they want Machado and the lengths to which they are willing to go in order to reel him in.

 


Phillies Still Trying to Get Someone to Take Their Stupid Money

The Phillies' general manager said they were willing to spend stupidly this offseason and they have their sights set on both of the superstar free agents available this winter. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Phillies will meet with free agent outfielder Bryce Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, in Las Vegas on Saturday. The Phillies are clearly one of the finalists in Harper's job search but there haven't been any leaks regarding any potential offer on the table. The Dodgers are another finalist after they cleared salary space by unloading Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood in a deal with the Reds last month. The White Sox also want Harper badly, but there hasn't been much indication that Harper wants to play for them. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic says the Cubs are likely out of the running because they are in a bind financially and "would need to clear money to sign even a modestly priced reliever." The Yankees are lurking in the corner as well and can't be ruled out, but right now it seems the Nationals are Harper's most likely landing place. Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently reported that the Nationals offered him "much more" than the $300 million that was originally reported. Are Harper and Boras using the Phillies to put pressure on the Nationals to increase their offer even higher? Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports that the Phillies are expected to make another offer to shortstop Manny Machado. The details of the Phillies' preliminary offer are unclear, but it appears they will bump it up this week. While Philadelphia has a meeting with Bryce Harper scheduled for this Saturday, Salisbury says they "remain primarily interested" in Machado among the two mega free agents. Machado also has an offer in hand from the White Sox and the Yankees are very interested in the infielder, as well.

Around the League

** According to MLB.com's Jon Morosi, the White Sox and Phillies are monitoring the Mike Moustakas market. The veteran third baseman could be a fallback option for any team that loses out on the Manny Machado sweepstakes. Moustakas batted .251/.315/.459 with 28 home runs and 95 RBI in 162 games last year between the Royals and Brewers.

** Jon Morosi of MLB Network believes the Brewers are the most likely landing spot in a trade for the Giants' Madison Bumgarner. The 29-year-old posted a 3.26 ERA last year, but he was limited to just 129 2/3 innings because of a fractured left pinkie a year after throwing only 111 innings in 2017. Morosi says the Brewers would have to include a young starting pitcher to make the deal work. He lists Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta as possible names that could intrigue the San Francisco front office. Bumgarner is set to become a free agent next offseason. His trade value isn't as high as it once was despite his excellent 3.26 ERA, which somewhat masked the fact that his strikeout rate fell to 7.57 K/9 and his xFIP climbed to 4.32 -- both were career worsts by a wide margin. Fantasy owners would be wise to avoid drafting him as early as he was taken in previous seasons, especially if he moves from pitcher-friendly San Francisco to hitter-friendly Milwaukee.

** According to Craig Mish of SiriusXM, the Braves and Marlins "have talked again" about a J.T. Realmuto trade. Mish writes that the Braves "appear to be waiting [the] Marlins out" while adding that the Rays "remain a possibility." There is also known to be some level of interest from the Dodgers, Padres, Astros, and Reds. Realmuto seems certain to be dealt before spring training gets underway, but it's hard to identify a frontrunner for his services at this point. Miami still wants a massive return for the 27-year-old catcher, who batted .277/.340/.484 with 21 home runs and 74 RBI over 125 games last season. He is under contractual control through 2020. There has been lots of smoke surrounding Realmuto trade talks for the past two years but never any real fire. It seems like every team in the league has contacted the Marlins to ask about Realmuto and then they've all run away when the Marlins tell them what they demand in return.

** Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic writes that the Angels "have been in constant contact" with the Giants about relievers Will Smith and Tony Watson. Both of them are among the top left-handed setup men in the league. The Giants went 73-89 last year and need to upgrade their roster at many positions, so their two elite relievers seem like an unnecessary luxury at this stage of their rebuild cycle. Smith posted a 2.55 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 53 innings last year. Watson registered a 2.59 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 66 innings and owns a 2.67 ERA in 546 career games. Both are entering the last season of their contracts.

** CC Sabathia (heart) underwent a follow-up stress test on Tuesday and checked out fine. Sabathia has been cleared to resume his offseason workout program after successfully recuperating from a December 11 angioplasty procedure. The veteran left-hander should be fully healthy for the opening of Yankees camp in February. He was re-signed to a one-year, $8 million free agent contract in early November coming off a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts last season. Sabathia's 246 career wins rank him second among all active pitchers, one win behind Bartolo Colon.

** Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Padres remain interested in acquiring Sonny Gray. The Yankees had been shopping Gray all offseason until recently. They took him off the market briefly due to uncertainty surrounding CC Sabathia's heart condition, but the big lefty has checked out fine so Gray is once again likely to be moved.

** While he's not yet completely recovered, Joe Musgrove expects to be ready for spring training after surgery in October to repair his abdominal wall. Musgrove went 6-9 with a 4.06 ERA in 19 starts during his first season with the Pirates. He was acquired from the Astros along with third baseman Colin Moran in exchange for Gerrit Cole last offseason.

** Gregory Polanco, who resumed swinging off a tee today, thinks he'll return from surgery prior to June. Perhaps it's wishful thinking on his part, but that estimate is more optimistic than original reports at the time of his surgery to repair a torn labrum and dislocated left shoulder. The outfielder batted .254/.340/.499 with 23 home runs, 81 RBI and 12 steals in 130 games last year. It was the best all-around season of his career, although it got cut short when he injured his knee and shoulder on an awkward slide into second base on September 7th.

** Mets released 3B David Wright. Wright's playing days are officially over. He will remain in the organization in a part-time role as a special advisor to COO Jeff Wilpon and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. He is still owed $27 million, although the Mets are expected to recoup some of that in an insurance settlement. Wright finishes his career with a .296/.376/.491 batting line and 242 home runs. He made seven All-Star teams and won two Gold Gloves.

** Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that Blake Parker and the Twins are finalizing a one-year contract worth slightly more than $3 million. The money is roughly the same as he would have gotten via arbitration if the Angels hadn't surprisingly cut him loose last month. The reliever will be arbitration-eligible again in 2020, so the Twins will actually have him under control for two years. As it stands right now, Parker looks like the favorite to close in Minnesota. He has posted a 2.90 ERA and 156/35 K/BB ratio over 133 2/3 innings while notching 22 saves across the last two seasons. He has been very inconsistent but has been dominant at times. He started last season as the Angels' closer but quickly lost the role after a bout with gopheritis.

** Still in need of a backup shortstop, the Mets have talked to reps for Asdrubal Cabrera, Freddy Galvis and Alcides Escobar. Escobar is the only one of that bunch that would be likely to accept a role as a backup. Cabrera is familiar with the Mets, but he's probably holding out for a starting job at second or third somewhere, and Galvis still seems likely to be some team's primary shortstop next year.

** According to Fancred's Jon Heyman, the Mets have had recent talks with free agent Brian Dozier even though they don't seem to need a second baseman. They recently traded for Robinson Cano and they also have Jeff McNeil, who put up one of the bigger breakouts of the 2018 season.

** Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Braves could turn to Adam Duvall as the starting left fielder if they're unable to acquire an outfielder. Duvall had a dismal 2018 season but had some strong seasons when he was with the Reds.

** Angel Luis Mercedes of El Nuevo Diario reports that Hunter Pence has "several" offers. He struggled to a .226/.258/.332 line last year in 248 plate appearances, so it's likely he's looking at a one-year deal that wouldn't offer much in terms of guaranteed money or playing time. It would be an upset if he was a viable fantasy player in 2019.

** Reds signed RHP Odrisamer Despaigne to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The deal will pay out a salary of $875,000 if Despaigne cracks the major league roster in Cincinnati. The 31-year-old right-hander posted an ugly 6.69 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, and 35/19 K/BB ratio in 39 major league innings (five starts, 14 relief appearances) between the Marlins and Angels last season.

Quick Hits: Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that teams are interested in trading for Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud. ... Rangers signed RHP Michael Tonkin to a minor league contract. Tonkin spent the 2018 season in Japan, posting a 3.71 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 33/23 K/BB ratio over 51 innings of relief with the Nippon Ham Fighters. ... Orioles signed C Carlos Perez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. ... Sean Burnett, who spent part of last season in the Marlins' system, has hired an agent and hopes to pitch in 2019. Burnett made 10 appearances with the Nationals in 2016, but he's now seven years removed from his last full season in the majors. He had a 5.49 ERA and a 23/5 K/BB ratio in 19 2/3 innings for Triple-A New Orleans last season. ... White Sox designated LHP Ian Clarkin for assignment. A former supplemental first-round pick, Clarkin holds a 3.55 ERA in 349 2/3 career minor league innings. ... Dodgers acquired RHP Jaime Schultz from the Rays for RHP Caleb Sampen... Brewers signed RHP Jake Petricka to a minor league contract. Petricka owns a rough 5.54 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 71 1/3 innings since the beginning of the 2017 season. ... Orioles signed RHP Gregory Infante to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Infante, 31, posted a 3.82 ERA over 62 relief appearances across the last two seasons for the White Sox.

All Hail Britton

Bringing Back Britton

The market for relief pitching continues to be very active. Just days after the Phillies signed former Yankees’ reliever David Robertson to a two-year, $23 million contract, the Bombers’ locked up one of their own, inking Zach Britton to a three-year, $39 million deal.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Saturday evening that the two sides were progressing toward a deal, and within an hour an agreement had been reached.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the deal will include an opt-out clause after the 2020 season that Britton can invoke if the Yankees have yet to exercise their $13 million option for the 2022 season. That means that the southpaw will spend at least the next two seasons in New York, but could be there for as many as four years on this deal, in which he’d make up to $52 million.

The dominant left-handed reliever spent the first seven and a half years of his career with the Orioles before being acquired by the Yankees prior to last season’s trade deadline. Britton registered a 2.88 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 21/11 K/BB ratio over 25 innings with the Yankees. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, Britton’s 1.82 ERA is the best among all major league pitchers who have thrown at least 200 innings.

The owner of 142 saves in his big league career, Britton’s fantasy value would have been much higher had he landed elsewhere. He’d be considered the top option for saves in many bullpens around the league, but that’s not the case in New York where the Yankees already boast Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances.

By retaining Britton, the Yankees will once again boast one of the top bullpen units in all of baseball. The Yankees’ bullpen combined for a 3.38 ERA during the 2018 campaign, the fourth best mark in all of baseball.

He’ll be used in plenty of high-leverage situations, and should net himself a handful of saves over the course of the season, but he shouldn’t be counted on to shoulder a full closer’s workload.

The Angels were once again left out in the cold here, as they were considered one of the finalists to land Britton. They were in the same position earlier in the week when Robertson spurned them and signed with the Phillies. Either of the them would have likely stepped into the closer’s gig in Los Angeles and seen their fantasy value soar. Barring an outside addition, the battle for saves in the Halos’ bullpen looks to be wide open, with Cam Bedrosian, Ty Buttrey and Justin Anderson all believed to be in the mix.

Mets Making Deals

Mets’ new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has been extremely active in his first offseason on the job, and he made another savvy under-the-radar move on Saturday, acquiring outfielder Keon Broxton from the Brewers.

In return, the Brewers will receive a pair of promising bullpen arms. Bobby Wahl, who was acquired from the Athletics in the Jeurys Familia trade, has struggled in his short time at the big league level but posted a 2.20 ERA and 0.87 WHIP with 73 strikeouts in 45 innings at Triple-A last season. He should compete for a spot in the Brewers’ Opening Day bullpen.

The Brewers also land right-hander Adam Hill, who was the Mets’ fourth-round selection from the 2018 draft. The 21-year-old compiled a 2.35 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 26/7 K/BB ratio in 15 ⅓ innings at Low-A Brooklyn in his first taste of professional baseball last season.

In addition to the two arms, the Brewers also receive minor league infielder Felix Valerio. The toolsy 18-year-old slashed .319/.409/.433 with three homers, 22 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 67 games last season in the Dominican Summer League.

The real winner here though from a fantasy perspective, is Broxton. The 28-year-old is a tremendously skilled defender, which should provide him the opportunity to secure everyday at-bats as the club’s starting center fielder, provided he can supplant Juan Lagares.

Lagares is well-known for his defensive chops as well, but what should give Broxton the edge is with his ability at the plate. During his breakout 2017 season, he clubbed 20 homers and swiped 21 bases in only 463 plate appearances. Despite his strong finish to the 2017 season, the Brewers went out and acquired Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich prior to the start of the 2018 season, which relegated Broxton back to Triple-A. He only saw 89 sporadic plate appearances with the big league club over the course of the season. At Triple-A, he slashed .254/.323/.421 with 10 homers, 37 RBI and 27 stolen bases in only 82 games.

Sure, he swings and misses too much and is likely to hit for a poor batting average, but his combination of power and speed make him very relevant from a mixed league perspective. Prior to the deal, Broxton’s ADP sat outside the top 625 players overall. With this news, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him surge into the top 400, if not higher.

Broxton wasn’t the only major acquisition for Van Wagenen and company over the weekend though. On Sunday, the Mets swung a deal with the Houston Astros, picking up J.D. Davis and minor league infielder Cody Bohanek  in exchange for minor leaguers OF Ross Adolph, 2B Luis Santana and C Scott Manea.

Davis, 25, is a former top prospect who bashed his way through the minors before struggling to adapt to the majors. Davis can play third base, first base and corner outfield. He was blocked at all of his natural positions in Houston and will presumably have a better shot at playing time with the Mets. He owns a career line of .194/.260/.321 with five home runs and 12 RBI in 181 major league plate appearances. His career minor league slash line is .292/.362/.521 with 105 home runs in four seasons.

Van Wagenen wasn’t finished though. Shortly after the Davis deal was announced, news broke that the Mets had shipped third catcher Kevin Plawecki to the Indians in exchange for right-hander Walker Lockett and minor league infielder Sam Haggerty.

Plawecki became the odd-man out in New York after signing Wilson Ramos in December, but he should compete with Roberto Perez for the starting gig in Cleveland. A career .218/.308/.330 hitter at the big league level, Plawecki won’t be a very attractive fantasy commodity in Cleveland, even if he does wind up with the lion’s share of the playing time behind the dish.

As far as Lockett goes, this is the second time this winter that he has been dealt. He was traded from the Padres to the Indians for minor league right-hander Ignacio Feliz in November and now is on the move to the Mets.

Lockett made his major league debut with the Padres last year and it did not go well at all -- he went 0-3 with a 9.60 ERA in four games (three starts). He struck out 12 batters, walked 10 and gave up four home runs in just 15 innings. He spent most of the last three years with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas and registered a 4.62 ERA in 36 starts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. The 24-year-old right-hander will battle for a slot at the back of the Mets' rotation in spring training but is likely to start the season back in the minors.

Quick Hits: Jon Heyman of Fancred notes that the free agent market is “starting to heat up” for Brian Dozier. The Rockies are one team that has interest, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, but only on a short-term deal...The Giants acquired infielder Breyvic Valera from the Orioles for cash considerations...Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Mets are considering signing veteran right-hander Josh Tomlin. He also notes they’re considering left-hander Derek Holland as well as they scrape the bottom of the barrel for rotation depth… Jon Heyman of Fancred notes that Troy Tulowitzki’s one-year deal with the Yankees includes a full no-trade clause… Heyman also notes that the Rangers are considering making a run at former Rockies’ reliever Adam Ottavino to bolster their bullpen… The Mets signed veteran left-hander Hector Santiago to a minor league contract which will presumably include an invitation to big league camp… The Yankees signed speedster Billy Burns to a minor league deal… Mariners’ general manager Jerry Dipoto confirmed that Ichiro Suzuki will be on the club’s roster for their March 20-21 series in Japan versus the Athletics as long as he is healthy. Those games are likely to be the final games in Suzuki’s Hall of Fame career, and will also push his eventual induction into the Hall back an additional year… According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Avisail Garcia remains “in the picture” for the White Sox… Indians’ skipper Terry Francona admitted that Danny Salazar (shoulder) will not be ready for the start of the regular season… The Royals’ re-signed Kyle Zimmer to a one-year contract. The former top prospect is expected to work out of the team’s bullpen and he’ll earn $555,000 if on the big league roster… The Dodgers added some minor league outfield depth, picking up Paulo Orlando and Cameron Perkins… The Brewers officially announced their one-year, $1.2 million deal with Cory Spangenberg… Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Friday that CC Sabathia's heart surgery last month slowed trade talks involving Sonny Gray… The Rays acquired Oliver Drake from the Blue Jays for cash considerations… Brian McTaggart of MLB.com says the Astros could have interest in acquiring Blue Jays’ right-hander Marcus Stroman.

How do spell RELIEF ?

Robertson Brings Relief

The Phillies quickly became major players in the relief pitcher market on Thursday. Shortly after Fancred’s Jon Heyman reported that the club was “getting close” on a deal with free agent right-hander David Robertson, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com confirmed that they had indeed signed the 33-year-old hurler to a two-year, $23 million contract.

He'll earn $10 million in 2019, $11 million in 2020, and there is a $12 million club option (or $2 million buyout) for 2021. Jon Heyman of Fancred also reports that Robertson can earn multiple $50,000 to $100,000 bonuses, and that one percent of his salary will go to the team's charity.

Robertson drew reported interest this winter from the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels, but the Phillies apparently made the best offer.

Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News writes that Robertson "will be used as another late-inning, high-leverage arm and not as a traditional closer." Phillies manager Gabe Kapler apparently won't use a designated ninth-inning man in 2019, though Robertson and Seranthony Dominguez figure to carry the most amount of fantasy value among the Philadelphia relief corps.

Robertson registered a 3.23 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 91/26 K/BB ratio over 69 2/3 innings with the Yankees in 2018, earning five saves and 21 holds. A move to the National League, and away from the hitter-friendly confines of Yankee Stadium, should only boost his fantasy appeal.

His draft stock will certainly rise based on this news. Prior to the announcement, Robertson was being drafted just outside the top 300 players overall and outside the top 30 relief pitchers. Given the uncertainty of role with Dominguez likely to share chances, expect him to settle in somewhere around 20th at the position and around 200th overall.

The fantasy stock for Dominguez should also slide based on this news. He was being drafted as the 16th closer off the board and around pick 180 overall. He should slide down to that same projected range that Robertson will now go off the board in.

If either one winds up with the full-time gig there, there will be substantial room for profit. It’s a difficult situation for fantasy owners though, as it’ll be very difficult to acquire both of them given the high draft capital it would take to do so, so it isn’t a situation that you’re likely to be able to handcuff. It looks to me like a high-risk, moderate-reward situation, and one that I’ll probably avoid personally, as I prefer to pay up for certainty at the position.

No Love for Kimbrel?

Long considered one of the truly elite closers in all of baseball, Craig Kimbrel finished the 2018 season on top of the world, helping to pitch the Boston Red Sox to a World Series title.

The 30-year-old right-hander was named to his seventh All-Star team in the past eight seasons earlier in the year and had posted a stellar 2.74 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 96/31 K/BB ratio across 62 ⅓ innings while racking up 42 saves.

It looked as though he was set to cash in big on the free agent market, but so far interest has been lukewarm at best.

Evan Drellich of NBC Sports reported Thursday that an anonymous American League executive told him that interest in Kimbrel has been “crazy low” and that"The support that you have [in organizations] to pay people is getting worse. Feels like a war coming if the sight lines don't change for the better."

There were reports that the 30-year-old was looking for something along the lines of a six-year, $100 million deal, but based on what Drellich is hearing, he may have to settle for something considerably lower than that.

If he’s forced to lower his asking price, or reduce the number of years that he’s looking for, it could conceivably open the door for a return to the Red Sox, which would be a tremendous boon to his fantasy value as it would be a terrific spot to once again rack up plenty of saves.

Rob Bradford of WEEI believes that the market for Kimbrel is down to the Red Sox, Phillies and possibly the Braves. With the Phillies in play as a possible suitor, Kimbrel may have to wait for the Bryce Harper and Manny Machado sweepstakes’ to play out before eventually finding a place to settle down.

Making an Offer

USA Today's Bob Nightengale confirmed Thursday that the White Sox have made a formal contract offer to free agent superstar Manny Machado.

The 26-year-old infielder is said to be looking for a 10-year contract worth north of $300 million, and Bruce Levine of 670 The Score in Chicago reported Wednesday that the White Sox are not comfortable offering more than seven years, no matter the player.

The White Sox have yet to comment publicly on the report, which Nightengale characterized as “closer to $200 million than $300 million.”

Machado met with the White Sox on the Monday following the Winter Meetings and has also met with the Yankees and Phillies. All three clubs that are vying for his services have also expressed interest in Bryce Harper. It’s starting to look likely that at least one of those clubs is going to wind up left out in the cold after the winter’s two biggest free agents finally settle down.

Quick Hits: According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Yankees have "been in discussions" with free agent reliever Zach Britton… Phillies general manager Matt Klentak told reporters on Thursday that they're hoping to meet with Bryce Harper soon…. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the chances of the Indians trading Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer "seem to diminish by the day."... The White Sox picked up former Diamondbacks’ right-hander Randall Delgado on a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training… The Mets signed a couple of former top prospects -- Arismendy Alcantara and Rymer Liriano -- to minor league contracts with invitations to big league camp… Jerad Eickhoff (carpal tunnel) is expected to be 100 percent ready for spring training after undergoing surgery in October… Chris Cotillo of Mass Live reports that free agent right-hander Adam Warren has a "robust" market… The Mariners admitted Thursday that they plan to limit the workload on Yusei Kikuchi in his first season stateside… Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that the Brewers "like" free agent second baseman Brian Dozier.

Seattle secures a big fish

The Mariners appear to have reeled in one of the biggest fish left on the pitching market. Jon Heyman of Fancred reports that starter Yusei Kikuchi will make $43 million over three years in his reported agreement with the Mariners. After three years, the club can extend Kikuchi for four more years at $66 million. If they don't, Kikuchi can either opt into free agency at age 30 or exercise an option for a fourth year at $13 million.

 He could max out at $109 million if the Mariners extend him. The 27-year-old lefthander was posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions last month and faced a deadline of January 2 at 5 p.m. ET to sign with an MLB team. His signing will keep alive the Mariners' streak of having at least one Japanese player on their roster every year since 1998, when they signed future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki. With Hisashi Iwakuma leaving the team this offseason to go back to Japan the streak was in danger of being broken. I'm sure that doesn't have anything to do with why they signed Kikuchi but it is an interesting note. The club was owned by the Japanese company Nintendo for 25 years until they sold it in 2016.

Kikuchi played eight seasons for the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball, compiling a career 2.81 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 158 starts and five relief appearances. He has career rates of 8.0 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and 0.7 HR/9 in NPB, which is a slightly more pitcher-friendly league than MLB. The league-wide ERA in NPB was 3.91 in 2018 compared to an average 4.14 ERA in MLB (including starters and relievers). His best season came in 2017 when he went 16-4 with a 1.97 ERA and 217 strikeouts in 187 2/3 innings. He came in second in the voting for the Sawamura Award that year, which is the Japanese version of the Cy Young Award (see more about the Sawamura Award below). His numbers took a step backward in 2018, when he went 14-4 with a 3.08 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings. Some of the downturn can be explained by a reoccurence of a nagging shoulder issue that has plagued him at times throughout his career. He is believed to be fully healthy now and should be ready to go for the upcoming season. Kikuchi struggled with the walk early in his career but has tamed his wildness over the past couple of seasons. One unpleasant side effect of throwing more strikes is that it led to more home runs -- he allowed 16 home runs in each of the last two seasons after having never allowed more than nine in any previous season. His home run rate is still low by MLB standards though, so it will be interesting to see if he is homer-prone when he joins the Mariners.

He will likely slot in at the top of the Mariners' rotation in front of Marco Gonzales, Mike Leake, Wade LeBlanc and either Felix Hernandez or Justus Sheffield. The Mariners play their first two games of the season in Tokyo against the Athletics and Kikuchi will have the amazing opportunity to make his first start in the major leagues in his home country.

Most American observers have pegged Kikuchi to become a mid-range starting pitcher in MLB. The southpaw is primarily a fastball-slider pitcher whose velocity will be roughly average in his new league. His fastball averaged 91.5 MPH last year in Japan but he is capable of reaching up to 95 on occasion. He has a completely different repertoire compared to some of the other Japanese pitchers who have come to the States, most of whom are known for having large pitch selections with a variety of breaking balls -- for example Yu Darvish has claimed he throws nine different pitches.

For comparison's sake, here are the career ERAs for several pitchers who made the transition from Japan to the majors in recent seasons:

Yu Darvish -- 1.99 ERA in Japan, 3.49 ERA in MLB
Masahiro Tanaka -- 2.30 ERA in Japan, 3.59 ERA in MLB
Shohei Ohtani -- 2.52 ERA in Japan, 3.31 ERA in MLB
Kenta Maeda -- 2.39 ERA in Japan, 3.80 ERA in MLB
Hisashi Iwakuma -- 3.25 ERA in Japan, 3.42 ERA in MLB
Miles Mikolas -- 2.18 ERA in Japan, 2.83 ERA in 2018 in MLB, 3.61 career ERA in MLB
Koji Uehara -- 3.02 ERA in Japan, 2.66 ERA in MLB
Yoshihisa Hirano -- 3.10 ERA in Japan, 2.44 ERA in MLB

This is definitely not a scientific comparison but perhaps it can be a bit informative. All of the pitchers in the list above were dominant in Japan and remained quite successful in the States. Most of them saw their ERAs jump by about a run on average. Uehara was a starter in Japan and became a reliever in MLB and that likely explains why he actually improved his ERA after the transition and we are seeing a similar effect from Hirano after his first season stateside. If Kikuchi enjoys a transition similar to these players, he may wind up with an ERA near 4.00 or maybe a bit better. That jives nicely with what the scouts are predicting -- a 4.00 ERA is roughly what we would expect from a number three starter in the majors. Sean Newcomb, Kevin Gausman, Julio Teheran, Jake Arrieta, Marco Gonzales and Jose Quintana all had ERAs very close to 4.00 in 2018. When draft day comes we expect Kikuchi to be selected well before all of those guys. Kikuchi is the shiny new toy on the market this year, and given how successful the pitchers on the list above have been it is expected that Kikuchi will be drafted very early in most leagues -- perhaps earlier than he should be. That being said, he may very well be worth the price as it's hard to argue with the results most of the highly-touted Japanese imports have delivered in recent years.

The Mariners certainly think he is worth the price. They obviously believe he is going to be good because they have essentially guaranteed him at least $56 million. That values him as either the third or fourth best pitcher on the free agent market this winter. Patrick Corbin got six years and $140 million from the Nationals. Nathan Eovaldi got four years and $68 million from the Red Sox. Dallas Keuchel hasn't signed yet but is likely to get more than $56 million from his new team. Some good pitchers who settled for less money than Kikuchi: J.A. Happ $34 million, Charlie Morton $30 million, Lance Lynn $30 million, Anibal Sanchez $19 million, Hyun-Jin Ryu $18 million, Garrett Richards $15 million, Matt Harvey $11 million, Trevor Cahill $9 million and CC Sabathia $8 million. That gives a good market-based indication of where Kikuchi might fall on the league's starting pitching hierarchy. Kikuchi's contract is a lot more lucrative than the two-year, $15 million deal Mikolas got last offseason after dominating the Japanese league for three years.

A pitcher named Tomoyuki Sugano won the Sawamura Award in both 2017 and 2018. We may start hearing about Sugano potentially coming to Major League Baseball someday soon as well. He is 29 years old and has a career 2.17 ERA in 154 starts for the Yomiuri Giants. Yomiuri has a policy of not posting players, so Sugano likely won't be eligible to make the move to North America until 2021 when he becomes an international free agent. If he stays healthy and effective until that time, he will probably be the next high-profile Japanese import. The list of prior winners of the Sawamura Award include several names that our readers will be familiar with. Current major leaguers Kenta Maeda (twice), Masahiro Tanaka (twice), Yu Darvish and Koji Uehara (twice) all won the award as Japan's best pitcher. Former major leaguers Hisashi Iwakuma, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideo Nomo also won the award before coming to the States.

Around the League

** Now that Kikuchi has found a home Dallas Keuchel is the only high-grade starting pitcher left on the free agent market. He has been linked to the Phillies, Rangers, Angels, Brewers and Padres in recent weeks but several other teams are believed to be interested if his price falls a bit. He is looking for a five-year deal but no team has been willing to go that far with him. Yesterday was his 31st birthday. The 2015 Cy Young winner wasn't at his best in 2018 but he can still be counted upon to keep the ball on the ground and out of the stands. He went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA and 18 home runs allowed in 34 starts for the Astros this past season.

** Every move Bryce Harper makes sparks a new rumor about his destination. The free agent outfielder made news last week by liking an Instagram post about the Dodgers. He made news again this week by spending New Years Eve on a double date with Kris Bryant and his wife in Las Vegas. The spin machine points to that as an indication he wants to play for the Cubs. Harper and Bryant have been friends for many years though so this probably doesn't mean a thing. The Cubs are interested in potentially signing Harper -- they asked his agent Scott Boras to not accept an offer from another team without checking back in with them first.

** The market for free agent infielder Manny Machado seems to be narrowing down. The Yankees, Phillies and White Sox all want him badly and are willing to pay up for the huge contract he demands. The Yankees are believed to be the big favorite at this point. Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reported that Machado made waves by liking the Yankees' YES Network on Instagram on Monday. He then unliked it a few hours later. It doesn't take much to cause a commotion these days.

** ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that Troy Tulowitzki has agreed to a one-year deal with the Yankees, pending a physical. Passing a physical is no sure thing for the chronically injured shortstop. He'll make the major league minimum, with the Blue Jays footing the bill for the remainder of his $20 million salary in 2019. He's due another $14 million from Toronto in 2020, and there was a $4 million buyout on his option for 2021. Tulo was released by the Jays last month after missing the entire 2018 season following surgery to address bone spurs in both of his heels. He also appeared in just 66 games in 2017 and posted a weak .249/.300/.378 batting line when healthy.

** The Tigers are likely to trade outfielder Nicholas Castellanos this offseason but they want to wait until after Bryce Harper signs somewhere according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. Castellanos would then be the top outfielder available on the market. He will be a free agent after the upcoming season. He is the Tigers' top trading chip as they look to rebuild.

** Left-handed starter Derek Holland said on MLB Network Radio that the Reds have been in contact with him this offseason. Holland is from Newark, Ohio and has said that he would prefer to pitch in the National League. A return to the Giants remains a possibility while the Rangers have also reached out about a reunion, though that would mean moving back to the American League. Holland, 32, enjoyed a nice resurgence in 2018 with a 3.57 ERA and 169/67 K/BB ratio over 171 1/3 innings. However potential suitors will remember Holland's dismal 2017 season when he went 7-14 with a 6.20 ERA in 26 starts and three relief appearances for the White Sox.

** The Reds signed RHP Anthony Bass to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Bass posted a 2.93 ERA and 14/3 K/BB ratio over 15 1/3 innings for the Cubs last season. He will compete for a spot in the Reds' bullpen.

** The Rockies signed OF Michael Saunders to a minor league contract. Saunders batted just .158/.273/.248 with two home runs in 154 plate appearances last season between the Triple-A affiliates of the Orioles and White Sox.

** The Pirates signed LHP Tyler Lyons to a minor league contract. Lyons struggled through back and elbow injuries in 2018 and posted a brutal 8.64 ERA over 27 relief appearances with the Cardinals, but he was excellent in 2017 and could be a bounce-back candidate in Pittsburgh, assuming better health.