The annual MLB Winter Meetings are less than a week away. The offseason has been pretty slow to date, but the Winter Meetings are typically the four busiest days of the offseason, and this year will be no different. Until then, here are Wednesday’s hot stove rumours.
Mets meet with Rodón
The Mets met with free agent southpaw Carlos Rodón on Tuesday, according to the New York Post. They met over Zoom rather than in-person. The club had previously met with Justin Verlander (Zoom) and Kodai Senga (in-person) this offseason. Obviously New York is casting a wide net as the team looks to rebuild its rotation behind Max Scherzer.
Of course, it is likely the Mets view Rodón & Co. as contingency plans in case erstwhile ace Jacob deGrom signs elsewhere as a free agent. The only locks for New York’s starting staff right now are Scherzer and Carlos Carrasco, with Tylor Megill and David Peterson candidates for the back of the rotation. Our RJ Anderson ranked Rodón the eighth-best available free agent.
Phillies poised to land a top shortstop
All indications are the Phillies will land one of the top free agent shortstops: Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson, or Trea Turner. MLB.com’s Jon Morosi speculates the Phillies are zeroing in on Turner, although president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has connections to Bogaerts dating back to his time running the Red Sox.
Rookie Bryson Stott performed admirably at short last season, particularly once Rob Thomson took over as manager, although he is viewed as a long-term second baseman. Philadelphia has the financial power to afford another big contract and can easily slide Stott over to second to accommodate a difference-making shortstop. Our RJ Anderson ranked the four big name shortstops among his top nine free agents.
Rays have spoken to deGrom
The small-market Rays are among the teams to check in on free agent righty Jacob deGrom, reports SNY. Given the money likely to be involved, it’s unlikely Tampa will land deGrom, although the Rays have a history of checking in on top-tier free agents. Last offseason they offered Freddie Freeman north of $100 million, and they dabbled in the Bryce Harper race a few years ago.
The Rays opened 2022 with a franchise-record $83 million payroll. To afford deGrom, at least one of three things would need to happen: Tampa raises payroll significantly, deGrom takes a large discount, or deGrom’s contract includes massive deferrals that make it more palatable in the short-term. Our RJ Anderson ranked deGrom the second-best available free agent
The Dodgers have signed righty Shelby Miller to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million, according to ESPN. The deal also includes performance bonuses. Miller, now 32, spent most of last season in Triple-A with the Yankees and Giants, where he reshaped his arsenal and worked exclusively in relief. He struck out 14 of the 30 batters he faced during a late-season cameo with San Francisco. The Dodgers are giving Miller him a small, low-risk contract to see whether that strikeout ability is real.