Cleveland Sports Forum

Braves Acquire Sean Murphy, Brewers Acquire William Contreras In Three-Team Trade
By Darragh McDonald | December 12, 2022 at 11:59pm CDT

The Braves, Brewers and A’s have agreed to a three-team blockbuster that will see each team get a new catcher with nine players involved in total. The full trade is as follows:

Braves get catcher Sean Murphy, giving up Kyle Muller, Royber Salinas, Justin Yeager, Freddy Tarnok, Manny Piña and William Contreras.

Brewers get William Contreras, Joel Payamps, Justin Yeager, giving up Esteury Ruiz.

A’s get Kyle Muller, Esteury Ruiz, Freddy Tarnok, Royber Salinas and Manny Piña, giving up Sean Murphy and Joel Payamps.

The deal is official, with the clubs all making announcements.

This move finally brings an end to a trade saga that has been going on for about a year now. After the 2021 season, the A’s leaned hard into a rebuild that saw them trade away Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt before Opening Day, with Frankie Montas getting flipped at the 2022 deadline.

Murphy was widely seen as the next to go for a number of reasons. Firstly, he just crossed three years of MLB service time in 2022 and will now be making higher salaries via arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected that Murphy will jump to $3.5MM in 2023 with two further bumps before reaching free agency after 2025. Secondly, the A’s received a highly-touted catching prospect from Atlanta in the Olson deal in Shea Langeliers. He had an excellent season in Triple-A and carried himself well in a 40-game debut in the majors. Given all those factors, it seemed more and more likely that the A’s would hand the job over to Langeliers and trade Murphy for improvements elsewhere on the roster.


By taking this path, the A’s are parting with one of the best catchers in the game. The 28-year-old Murphy has 330 games in the big leagues under his belt thus far and has performed well in just about every facet of the game. He’s hit 46 home runs and has a combined batting line of .236/.326/.429. That production leads to a wRC+ of 116, indicating he’s been 16% above the league average hitter and even further ahead of the average catcher, since they generally come in a bit lower than others. He also took a step forward at the plate in 2022, striking out in just 20.3% of his plate appearances after being above 25% in his career prior to that.

Defensively, Murphy gets rave reviews as well. Since the start of 2020, he’s posted 13 Defensive Runs Saved behind the plate, a number that places him in the top 10 in the league. FanGraphs’ framing metric gives him a 19.5 in that timeframe, the third-highest such tally. Those all-around contributions have allowed him to produce 10 wins above replacement in those three seasons, according to FanGraphs, second among all MLB catchers with only J.T. Realmuto ahead of him.

Taking all that into consideration, it’s hardly surprising that Murphy garnered plenty of interest around the league. The Diamondbacks, Astros, Cubs, Guardians, Twins, White Sox, Red Sox, Rays, and Cardinals were some of the teams connected to him at various points in recent months. It was reported about a week ago that the Braves were getting close to acquiring him but president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos shot down those reports, saying that he didn’t anticipate a trade. That was either a bluff or something drastically changed in the past week since Atlanta have now indeed closed the deal. This is now the third huge deal Anthopoulos has negotiated with the A’s, though David Forst has since taken over baseball operations from Billy Beane. He acquired Josh Donaldson when he was working for the Blue Jays and has now nabbed Olson and Murphy for the Braves.

Atlanta always seemed a curious fit for Murphy given that they already had three viable catchers on the roster in Contreras, Piña and Travis d’Arnaud. They have cleared out that logjam and acquired Murphy in one fell swoop by including two of those catchers in the deal. On the surface, it seems that the club was keen to swap out Contreras for Murphy as a way of improving behind the plate. However, since the A’s seem set to give Langeliers a shot, it’s possible they were less interested in Contreras, which necessitated Milwaukee’s involvement.


That’s not to say that Contreras isn’t an exciting young catcher in his own right. It’s just that, as mentioned, Murphy is one of the best in the game. Contreras will now join his older brother Willson Contreras, who recently signed with the Cardinals, in the NL Central. The younger Contreras has gotten into 153 games in his career so far, hitting 28 home runs and producing an overall batting line of .260/.338/.471 for a wRC+ of 121. His defensive work isn’t as highly rated as his bat, but he’s still quite young, turning 25 later this month. Even with subpar defense, he’s produced 2.5 fWAR in his brief career thus far, meaning any developments in that department would make him tremendously valuable. It had been recently reported that the Brewers were interested in catching upgrades, but since the club has been paring back a tight payroll, they never seemed like candidates for a big free agent splash. Instead, they’ve acquired a young backstop who has yet to reach arbitration eligibility and has five years of club control remaining. The club has also added a couple of depth arms in Payamps and Yeager.

For the A’s, it’s been reported that they have been prioritizing MLB-ready talent in their trade talks and they have achieved that here. Muller, 25, has appeared in each of the past two major league seasons, logging 49 innings so far. He has an unimpressive 5.14 ERA in that time, but he’s fared much better in the minors. He’s made 40 Triple-A starts in the past two years and has a 3.40 ERA, 28.4% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate. Baseball America recently ranked him the top prospect in Atlanta’s system.

Ruiz has spent most of his career in the Padres’ system but he went to the Brewers in the Josh Hader trade last year. He has some MLB experience, having played in 17 games this year between the two clubs. In 114 minor league games, he hit .332/.447/.526 while stealing 85 bases in 114 games. BA has not yet published their list of top Milwaukee prospects for this offseason, but Ben Badler of BA tweets that Ruiz was going to be in the #8 slot.

Tarnok also has very limited MLB experience, with 2/3 of an inning on the books so far. He threw 106 2/3 innings in the minors this year with a 4.05 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate. He ranked #9 on the BA list of top Atlanta prospects. Piña is a 35-year-old veteran who is likely to serve as insurance in case Langeliers struggles or needs some veteran guidance. He signed a two-year, $8MM deal with Atlanta but required season-ending wrist surgery in May. He’ll earn $4.5MM in 2023 with a $4MM club option for 2024 with no buyout.

The one prospect who isn’t likely to help the big league club immediately is Salinas. He turns 22 in April and split the most recent season between Single-A and High-A. He posted a 3.55 ERA over 25 starts with a huge 37.6% strikeout rate but a 13.5% walk rate. Baseball America recently placed him #7 on their list of Atlanta prospects.

The Braves were facing a challenge in the NL East despite having won the division in five straight seasons. The Mets and Phillies have been been spending wildly to upgrade for the coming season. The Mets have added Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, José Quintana and David Robertson, in addition to re-signing Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Díaz. The Phillies have signed Trea Turner, Taijuan Walker and Matt Strahm. The Braves were going to face a challenge in keeping up with that pace since they were nearing the luxury tax. As is his wont, Anthopoulos has turned to the trade market to make his upgrades. The club still has a question mark at shortstop, with Dansby Swanson having departed for free agency. They could always bring him back though they reportedly haven’t been talking much this offseason. After this trade, the club’s CBT figure is at $229MM, per Roster Resource, just shy of the $233MM luxury tax threshold for next year.

For the Brewers, they’ve parted with an outfield prospect they just acquired but have added an exciting young catcher, something they would be challenged to do in free agency with their payroll constraints. For the A’s, they have parted with yet another established major leaguer, adding to the list of quality players they’ve sent out the door. In exchange, they’ve brought in one veteran backstop and four young players that they hope can be a part of forming the next competitive core in Oakland.

Rosenthal: Inside the trade of Sean Murphy to Braves and the catalyst for the three-team deal


By Ken Rosenthal
Dec 13, 2022
52


The Oakland A’s wanted two major-league-ready position players for catcher Sean Murphy. The Braves weren’t about to trade Vaughn Grissom, whom they are grooming to potentially replace free agent Dansby Swanson at shortstop. And the A’s didn’t need William Contreras, not after acquiring another catcher from the Braves, Shea Langeliers, in the Matt Olson trade nine months ago.

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Effectively, the teams had no match. But on Tuesday, the Braves landed Murphy anyway, parting with six players in a three-team trade. Contreras and minor-league right-hander Justin Yeager went to the Brewers, along with reliever Joel Payamps from the A’s. Left-hander Kyle Muller, catcher Manny Piña, and minor-league righties Freddy Tarnok and Royber Salinas went to the A’s, with Muller substituting for the second position player Oakland was unable to acquire.

Two separate occurrences helped the deal come together, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The first was the Cardinals’ pivot away from Murphy to sign Contreras’ older brother, Willson Contreras, to a four-year, $87.5 million free-agent contract. The second was the Braves’ willingness to send William Contreras to the Brewers so they could access center fielder Esteury Ruiz, a player whom the A’s had identified to clubs as one they wanted for Murphy.

Ruiz, who turns 24 on Feb. 15, was part of the Brewers’ return for Josh Hader at the trade deadline. His arrival in Oakland could jeopardize the future of Cristian Pache, another player the A’s acquired in the Olson trade. Ruiz finished the season with a .447 on-base percentage in 541 plate appearances at Double A and Triple A. He also stole 85 bases in 99 attempts, and should benefit from the new rules baseball is introducing to enhance base stealing in 2023 — bigger bases, pickoff and step-off limits, a pitch clock.


Esteury Ruiz (Joe Camporeale / USA Today Sports)
Why would the Brewers trade such an athlete? Because in William Contreras, they are getting a different type of athlete, a 2022 All-Star they are confident their coaches can help improve defensively, even if the Braves viewed him more as a bat-first catcher. Why would the A’s value Ruiz so highly despite his lack of power? Because they love his speed and ability to play center. Because he improved his contact and walk rates last season. And because they never agreed on a trade with the Cardinals.

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The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, citing a source, reported the A’s sought a return from the Cardinals that included outfielder Lars Nootbaar, Gold Glove-winner Brendan Donovan and a power young pitcher like Gordon Graceffo. However, another source briefed on the talks said the A’s wanted Nootbaar or Donovan plus Graceffo. The Cardinals were unwilling to trade any of those players, and instead wanted the A’s to choose two from a group of four consisting of outfielder Dylan Carlson, second baseman Nolan Gorman, outfielder Alec Burleson and first baseman Juan Yepez.

When the teams could not reach agreement, the Cardinals signed Willson Contreras, forfeiting their second-highest pick in the 2023 draft and $500,000 from their international bonus pool, but keeping all of their young talent. The evaluation of the Murphy trade, then, will include an analysis of whether the Cardinals would have been better off trading for three years of Murphy, 28, than signing Contreras, who turns 31 on May 13, to the largest deal in club history to a free agent from another club. And the questions won’t end there.

Was this deal necessary for the Braves? Did they give up too much? The answers will not be apparent immediately, and might change if the Braves sign Murphy to one of their patented long-term extensions. Still, William Contreras, Piña and Travis d’Arnaud helped the team produce the highest OPS at catcher of any team last season. Contreras, who bats right-handed but produces opposite-field power like a left-handed slugger, is under club control for five more years.

One of the fascinating aspects of this deal is that the Braves set a high bar for their catchers defensively and view William Contreras as similar to Willson, merely adequate behind the plate. Brewers general manager Matt Arnold, on the other hand, noted that Piña, Yasmani Grandal and Omar Narváez became better defenders under the tutelage of Milwaukee’s staff, indicating he believes William can do the same.

The rest of the Brewers’ haul is less intriguing. Payamps, one of the two pitchers they acquired, was likely to be designated for assignment by the A’s, who need to clear 40-man roster spots. Yeager, the other pitching addition, was left unprotected by the Braves and did not get selected in the recent Rule 5 draft.

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Muller, Tarnok and Salinas, the pitchers who went from the Braves to the A’s, are more highly regarded. Muller was down on the Braves’ depth chart, and likely would have been out of options at the end of the season, but the A’s believe he has nothing left to prove at Triple A. Tarnok, too, was part of the Braves’ 40-man roster, and the A’s see him as a potential 100-mph reliever. Salinas, more of a lottery ticket, struck out 175 in 109 innings last season at two levels of A ball.

One executive with another team that wanted Murphy described the A’s return as, “meh,” saying the messaging from Oakland was, “never volume but two of your best.” As is always the case in baseball trades, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And for the A’s, so much will depend upon Ruiz.

If the A’s had wanted William Contreras, they could have made this deal straight-up with the Braves, without including the Brewers. But the A’s only began entertaining offers for Murphy at the trade deadline because they were dealing from a position of strength at catcher.

Langeliers is entering his first full season. Tyler Soderstrom, the A’s No. 1 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, was the team’s first-round pick in 2020, and could end up at first base rather than catcher. Daniel Susac, the team’s first-rounder in 2022 and No. 4 prospect, is further away from the majors, but likely to stay behind the plate.

Ruiz, meanwhile, could be the A’s long-term solution in center, another up-the-middle position. He appeared in only three games for the Brewers during a week-long call-up, but made a strong impression. “He’s really mature,” one Brewers person said. “Billy Hamilton fast with an aggressive swing and an idea at the plate. A 60 to 70 stolen-base type. Impressive in short stint. Unfazed by MLB.”

On Monday, he was the catalyst of a three-team, nine-player trade. The A’s think he can be the catalyst of much more.

Top 25 remaining MLB free agents: Which teams will land Correa, Rodón, Swanson?


By Jim Bowden
38m ago
30

Save Article
MLB teams have already spent more than $2.5 billion on free agents, but some clubs are just getting started. Nineteen of the top 25 free agents from my original ranking in early November have signed, but the new top 25 of remaining free agents will likely receive another billion dollars in this hot market.



Two of the elite free-agent shortstops have signed (Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts), but Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson are still on the board. Two of the top-tier starting pitchers have inked new deals (Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander), but Carlos Rodón is still available. Where will these stars and other noteworthy free agents end up?

Here is my updated ranking of the top 25 remaining free agents, along with my thoughts on these players and what I am hearing about their markets in conversations with major-league sources.

WAR statistics are according to Baseball Reference. WAR, OPS+, ERA and other stats are from the 2022 season unless otherwise noted. 2022 salaries include buyouts if applicable.

go-deeper
GO DEEPER

Midterm MLB offseason grades for all 30 teams: Bowden on signings, trades and what's next

1. Carlos Correa, SS
Age: 28
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 5.4 OPS+: 140
2022 salary: $35.1 million

Carlos Correa is the top position player left on the free-agent market and as many as six teams are interested in him, according to team sources. There have been indications the Twins and Cubs have the inside track, but it only takes one owner from another team to step up at the last minute to change the equation and pull off a deal. Correa would be a great fit with the Angels, Tigers, Braves, and Red Sox, who just lost Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency.

2. Carlos Rodón, LHP
Age: 30
WAR: 5.4 ERA: 2.88 IP: 178
2022 salary: $21.5 million

Carlos Rodón is the best starting pitcher left in free agency and teams are driving up his market to the point where he’ll likely get a six- or seven-year contract at close to $30 million per year. The Yankees, Dodgers, Giants and Red Sox are among the teams in the mix for the southpaw ace, according to major-league sources.


Dansby Swanson (Brett Davis / USA Today)
3. Dansby Swanson, SS
Age: 28
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 5.7 OPS+: 115
2022 salary: $10 million

The Braves put their “best offer” on the table before Dansby Swanson reached free agency, and although they’ve touched base with the All-Star shortstop in the offseason, they’re giving him space to test the market. The Cubs appear to be the most likely to sign Swanson, if they don’t get Carlos Correa. The Giants, Red Sox, Twins and Cardinals are other possible landing spots.

4. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP
Age: 32
WAR: 1.5 ERA: 3.87 IP: 109 1/3
2022 salary: $17 million

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Nathan Eovaldi would like to return to Boston, but as with most of their negotiations this winter, the Red Sox seem steadfast to stick at where they think his value is rather than increase to what the market is dictating. Eovaldi might need to wait for Rodón to sign before he receives his best deal.

5. Andrew Benintendi, LF
Age: 28
Bats: Left Throws: Left
WAR: 3.2 OPS+: 120
2022 salary: $8.5 million

The Yankees want to re-sign Andrew Benintendi because they need to add another left-handed bat and create more traffic on the bases at the top of their lineup. Benintendi would be an ideal fit for teams such as the Blue Jays, White Sox, Astros, Rays and Marlins that need a left-handed-hitting outfielder.

6. Michael Conforto, RF
Age: 29
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Did not play in 2022

Michael Conforto is my sleeper pick. He has hit more than 25 home runs three times in his career and will enter next season at only 30 years old. He missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing right shoulder surgery but has been medically cleared by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. I think Conforto will be the undervalued free-agent signing of this offseason. The White Sox, Nationals, Marlins, Rockies and Rays would be good fits.

7. Michael Wacha, RHP
Age: 31
WAR: 3.3 ERA: 3.32 IP: 127 1/3
2022 salary: $7 million

Last season, Michael Wacha posted the lowest ERA of his career since 2014. He’s pitched more than 124 innings in each of the past three full seasons. He has mastered his delivery to create a special downward plane. Opponents hit just .170 against his changeup, which he threw nearly 30 percent of the time this year.


Ross Stripling (Dan Hamilton / USA Today)
8. Ross Stripling, RHP
Age: 33
WAR: 2.7 ERA: 3.01 IP: 134 1/3
2022 salary: $3.79 million

Ross Stripling’s best quality is his chase rate, which ranked in the 93rd percentile among starting pitchers last season. He has really learned how to mix his pitches effectively; opponents hit .237 against his four-seamer, .203 against his changeup and .212 against his slider.

9. Noah Syndergaard, RHP
Age: 30
WAR: 1.8 ERA: 3.94 IP: 134 2/3
2022 salary: $21 million




Noah Syndergaard has reinvented himself: No longer a power pitcher, “Thor” has figured out how to pitch with the stuff he has. He’s now more of a sinker-slider type with a fastball that averages in the 93 to 94 mph range, although he was able to get it up to 96-97 mph at times in the postseason. I think there is upside here but Syndergaard will have to take a pay cut.

10. Michael Brantley, OF/DH
Age: 35
Bats: Left Throws: Left
WAR: 1.3 OPS+: 125
2022 salary: $16 million

Michael Brantley did not play after June 26 and underwent season-ending surgery on his right shoulder in August. Contending teams, including the Astros, Blue Jays, Guardians and Mariners, are lining up for his services because of his elite hitting ability but also his leadership and impact on young, developing players.

11. Trey Mancini, 1B/DH
Age: 30
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 1.4 OPS+: 101
2022 salary: $7.75 million

Trey Mancini has a career .330 on-base percentage and has averaged 27 home runs and 80 RBIs per 162 games over six years in the majors. His best position is probably DH; he’s adequate at first base and below average in left field. Mancini is only 30 years old and would be a great fit with the Mariners, Rays or Padres.

12. J.D. Martinez, DH
Age: 35
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 1.1 OPS+: 117
2022 salary: $19.35 million

J.D. Martinez is in decline at this point in his career, but he still reached base at a 34 percent clip and posted a 117 OPS+ this year. He hit more than 40 doubles in each of the past two seasons but his home runs dipped from 28 in 2021 to 16 in 2022. However, the five-time All-Star still has something left in the tank and would be a great addition for the Mariners or Rays.


Jurickson Profar (Kyle Ross / USA Today)
13. Jurickson Profar, INF/OF
Age: 29
Bats: Both Throws: Right
WAR: 3.1 OPS+: 111
2022 salary: $9 million

Jurickson Profar had a whopping 10 assists and committed just four errors while playing left field last season. He hit 36 doubles and 15 home runs and racked up 225 total bases. He brings high energy and enthusiasm to the park every day.

14. Elvis Andrus, SS
Age: 34
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 3.0 OPS+: 103
2022 salary: $14.25 million

Elvis Andrus had a surprisingly impressive year, hitting 32 doubles and 17 home runs, stealing 18 bases and playing an average shortstop. He will likely have to wait until Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson sign, but he could end up on a contending team such as the Twins or Angels.

15. Justin Turner, 3B
Age: 38
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 2.0 OPS+: 116
2022 salary: $22 million

Justin Turner would like to return to the Dodgers, who are willing to bring him back but only with a significant cut in salary and a reduced role. (Los Angeles declined a $16 million club option.) Despite a down year, Turner still logged a 123 wRC+ (23 percent above league average) and reached base at a 35 percent clip. In addition to the Dodgers, the Marlins and Brewers have shown interest in the 14-year veteran.

16. Brandon Drury, INF/OF
Age: 30
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 2.6 OPS+: 122
2022 salary: $700,000

Brandon Drury is coming off a career-best year in which he slashed .263/.320/.492 with 31 doubles, 28 home runs and 87 RBIs. His ability to play first base, third base and left field increases his free-agent value.


Jean Segura (Kyle Ross / USA Today)
17. Jean Segura, 2B
Age: 32
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 1.8 OPS+: 104
2022 salary: $15.85 million

Jean Segura had a decent season with the National League champion Phillies, slashing .277/.336/.387 with 10 home runs and 13 stolen bases. He missed two months of the season with a broken finger. He’s a solid defender and would be a short-term upgrade for the White Sox at second base.

18. Corey Kluber, RHP
Age: 36
WAR: 0.6 ERA: 4.34 IP: 164
2022 salary: $8 million

Corey Kluber gave the Rays 31 starts and 164 innings last season. He went 10-10 with a 4.34 ERA. He’s a solid back-of-the-rotation option for a contender, and you’re also getting a leader who will help your pitching staff.

19. Wil Myers, 1B/OF
Age: 32
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 1.2 OPS+: 108
2022 salary: $23.5 million

Wil Myers will have to take a massive pay cut after a disappointing season in which he posted a .315 OBP and hit seven home runs in 286 plate appearances. Myers is now more of a platoon type, but he still has 15-home run power if he gets 500 plate appearances. A change of scenery might help him.

20. Andrew McCutchen, OF
Age: 36
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 1.1 OPS+: 99
2022 salary: $11.5 million

Andrew McCutchen would be a perfect fit with the Mariners, who are looking for a right-handed-hitting outfielder/DH type. McCutchen’s leadership, by his words and actions, would be a positive influence on their young outfielders.

21. AJ Pollock, OF
Age: 35
Bats: Right Throws: Right
WAR: 0.4 OPS+: 91
2022 salary: $18 million

AJ Pollock is another player who will need to take a big pay cut, but he should land on a contending team. Pollock, too, would make sense for the Mariners.


David Peralta (Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today)
22. David Peralta, OF
Age: 35
Bats: Left Throws: Left
WAR: 0.7 OPS+: 109
2022 salary: $7.5 million

David Peralta is a solid fourth outfielder at this point in his career, but he did hit 30 doubles and 12 homers last season with the Diamondbacks and Rays.

23. Adam Frazier, 2B
Age: 30
Bats: Left Throws: Right
WAR: 0.9 OPS+: 80
2022 salary: $8 million

Adam Frazier was an All-Star in 2021 when he slashed .305/.368/.411 with 36 doubles and 10 stolen bases. He tailed off significantly in the second half that season and slipped further in 2022, batting .238 with a .301 OBP and 22 doubles in 602 plate appearances. Frazier has averaged a .273 BA, .336 OBP and 99 OPS+ per 162 games over seven years in the majors, so he should bounce back in 2023. The White Sox would be a good landing spot for him.

24. Tommy Pham, OF
Age: 34
Bats: Left Throws: Right
WAR: 0.4 OPS+: 87
2022 salary: $7.5 million

Tommy Pham posted a career-low .312 OBP last season with a combined 23 doubles, 17 home runs and 63 RBIs for the Reds and Red Sox.

25. Joey Gallo, 1B/OF
Age: 29
Bats: Left Throws: Right
WAR: 0.2 OPS+: 79
2022 salary: $10.275 million

Joey Gallo will benefit some from the new rules that ban the shift. He’s a plus defender at first base and in left field but remains all or nothing with home runs and strikeouts. (He ranked in the 94th percentile in hard-hit rate but in the 1st percentile in K% and Whiff%.) Gallo needs to go to a small- or mid-market team. The Rockies’ Coors Field is probably the best destination for him.

Big bat Joey Gallo is number 25. Not my kind of my player but I'm surprised he's that low.
Zunino of course did not make the top 25.

Zunino is coming off a subpar season and an injury. No surprise.

All you need to know is that he hit for real power with 31 homers just 2 seasons ago. Last season he was hurt.

And also you can believe they talked at length to Kevin Cash (former catcher) about Zunino. Tampa liked him a lot but had to move on since they were contending last year when he was hurt.

Cleveland has a chance with anyone that needs a 1 year contract to establish their worth. Front office is not afraid to offer a one year deal at market prices for free agents. Not going to offer multiple years. That is why you heard that the FO offered a contract to Rodon last year.

Is it common to return to sports after surgery for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Ronald Krauser
A Verified Doctoranswered
Rheumatology 53 years experience
Yes: Yes but it depends on the sport. Noncontact sports should be no problem.

Good thing Catcher is a noncontact position

So the Giants have just acquired a very high quality SS who they have to pay until he's 41. Correa will be a big help to them as long as he plays up to his recent level but not quite sure what a team does with a $29,000,000 a year aging SS

I read a story that explained why these long long contracts make sense for teams, but not to me.

Baseball

Mets set to shatter payroll records

Today 04:18 am JST 0 Comment

By RONALD BLUM

NEW YORK

Steve Cohen's New York Mets are on track to shatter spending records in his third season as owner, boosting payroll to about $350 million for purposes of the luxury tax and poised to pay a penalty of about $80 million.

New York added veteran starters Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana plus reliever David Robertson and Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga while re-signing center fielder Brandon Nimmo.

“Everybody’s talking about us and that’s fine,” Quintana said during a Zoom news conference Wednesday.

Coming off his third Cy Young Award, the 39-year-old Verlander became the second $43.33 million pitcher in New York's rotation, joining for a two-year deal that matched the average salary of 38-year-old Max Scherzer.

Quintana, a 33-year-old lefty, got a $26 million, two-year contract and Robertson, 37, a $10 million, one-year deal to serve as a setup man for All-Star closer Edwin Díaz, who stayed for a $102 million, five-year commitment. In addition, Nimmo received a $162 million, eight-year contract, the Mets acquired lefty reliever Brooks Raley in a trade with Tampa Bay and reached a $75 million, five-year deal with Senga, pending a successful physical. In all, the team committed $461.7 million to six free agents, including five pitchers.

“We have done a lot of lifting and we’ve had a very fortunate investment from Steve and Alex Cohen in this club,” general manager Billy Eppler said, referring to the owner and his wife. “The commitment is very evident here and the goals are very evident.”

New York already was on track to set a luxury tax payroll record for 2022, at $298.8 million, according to Aug. 31 projections by Major League Baseball, with final figures still being compiled. Mets spending for the tax payroll rose from $186 million during the last fully played season of the Wilpon and Katz family ownership in 2019 to $208 million in 2021, the first season after the pandemic. They will pay the tax for the first time this year.

MLB and the players' association agreed last March to a new fourth threshold dubbed the Cohen Tax — “It’s better than a bridge being named after you,” the owner quipped. The fourth threshold starts at $293 million next year and the Mets will pay a 90% rate as a second offender — a projected $50 million tab as of now.

They are set to blow by the threshold, including about $32 million still to be spent on arbitration-eligible players such as slugging first baseman Pete Alonso, $24 million owed to released second baseman Robinson Canó, $1.67 million for the new pre-arbitration bonus pool and about $18 million for benefits.

New York entered the offseason with dozen players becoming free agents. Ace Jacob deGrom and starter Taijuan Walker are among those who left.

“My perception of the Mets is really good right now,” Robertson said. “Going into this offseason, you see all the moves they’re making. I mean, they want to win. I want to win. I’m not getting any younger. I want to be on a team that wants to win. I want to be in a competitive city, in a good market, and that’s what the New York Mets have to offer. And I’ve always enjoyed playing at Citi Field, and it’s been a blast.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers paid a record tax of $43.6 million in 2015, when they had a $298 million payroll.

“It just shows that ownership wants to win,’” Robertson said. “Sometimes you have to put out a little bit more money to get the players that you want that you think are going to fit in. ... I think it just shows a lot about our owner, that he’s committed to it.”

New York finished with 101 wins, second-most in team history, and led the NL East for all but six days before finishing second to Atlanta. San Diego then knocked out the Mets in the new wild card round.

Eppler sprung to action last week with moves because he perceived “the market seemed to be really maturing.”

“Just getting into the dance, having the starting pitching and the bullpen is going to be critical for us to be able to kind of silence some of the other teams and the offenses that you face in the postseason,” Eppler said. "It’s like you’re trying to manage for two different seasons, right? We’re going to go play 162 games in 183 days or 4 or whatever. And if we do well there, you get an opportunity to get into the postseason, where you’re managing and utilizing personnel in a little different way."

Andrew Benintendi and the White Sox agreed to a five-year, $75 million deal, Major League sources told MLB.com on Friday. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers was first with the report, with no confirmation coming from the team. [seems to be a much more reasonable deal than $160M for 8 years of Nimmo. but the Mets have unlimited access to funds so it doesn't matter to them

Benintendi has been a White Sox target previously and was taken by Boston seventh overall in the 2015 Draft, which was one pick ahead of Chicago selecting right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer. The 28-year-old’s deal represents the largest guaranteed contract given out in franchise history, surpassing Yasmani Grandal’s $73 million over four years.

It’s also a deal that makes the White Sox a better overall team entering 2023. They were poor defensively during an underwhelming and disappointing 81-81 showing in ‘22, not to mention right-handed dominant throughout their lineup. The left-handed-hitting Benintendi, who won a Gold Glove in ’21, improves the squad in both of those areas.

Eloy Jiménez figures to see most of his time at designated hitter, after making 50 starts in that spot last season. Andrew Vaughn, who was drafted as a first baseman, will move from the outfield to first base with the departure of José Abreu to Houston via free agency. The White Sox simply will be better off with players starting at their natural defensive positions, as mentioned a few times by general manager Rick Hahn during this offseason.

Over stops with the Royals (93 games, 390 plate appearances) and Yankees (33 games, 131 plate appearances), Benintendi slashed .304/.373/.399 with five home runs, 51 RBIs, eight stolen bases and 54 runs scored in 2022. He was an American League All-Star in ’22 and has connections with current White Sox manager Pedro Grifol and Major League field coordinator Mike Tosar, who served as the Royals’ bench coach and special assignment hitting coach, respectively, last season.

The White Sox were not expected to spend a great deal this offseason, with 10 players already on multiyear deals, and Hahn had talked about the trade route being more likely at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas. To date, Chicago has added right-handed starter Mike Clevinger and Benintendi through free agency.

Second base remains an open spot for the White Sox, although they have in-house options via Lenyn Sosa, Romy Gonzalez and Leury Garcia, with Garcia viewed more as a utility component and not an everyday player. Chicago also could add in the catching area, with Grandal’s deal reaching its final year in 2023 and Seby Zavala and Carlos Pérez also in the picture.
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short term deal for Swanson

CHICAGO -- This was an offseason the Cubs could not let go to waste -- not with the quality of star shortstops available on the free-agent market. After a round of monetary musical chairs, the North Siders reeled in one of the game's elite infielders in Dansby Swanson.

On Saturday, multiple sources told MLB.com that the Cubs had reached an agreement with Swanson on a seven-year, $177 million contract that includes a full no-trade clause. The deal, which is pending physical, has not been officially confirmed by the Cubs.

Once the ink dries, Swanson's deal will mark the second-largest in terms of total value in Cubs history, trailing only the $184 million Jason Heyward made over an eight-year contract. Swanson, Heyward and Alfonso Soriano (eight-year, $136 million) have the only deals in team history lasting seven or more years.

Swanson represented the last of the four big-ticket shortstops who hit free agency this offseason, along with Carlos Correa, Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts. At various points this offseason, the Cubs were linked to all four players, but the marketplace erupted in extremely long, rich deals that forced Chicago to pivot to what became the most realistic option.

Swanson grew up in Atlanta and was acquired by the Braves in December 2016, just six months after the D-backs had taken him with the first overall pick in the MLB Draft. The 28-year-old veteran has served as Atlanta's starting shortstop since making his MLB debut on Aug. 17, 2016.

Swanson positioned himself for a hefty payday as he ranked second among all MLB shortstops with a 6.4 fWAR (FanGraphs' model) this year, trailing only the Mets’ Francisco Lindor (6.8). Swanson also ranked 11th among all MLB players with this mark.

As Swanson’s offensive game has improved over the past two years, he has established himself as one of the game’s top players. He hit a career-high 27 homers in 2021, and he ranked fourth among all shortstops with 25 homers this past season.

Swanson has produced a respectable .768 OPS over the past two seasons. But his glove remains his greatest asset, leading the NL with 21.4 defensive runs above average, per the FanGraph model this year. Lindor ranked second among all other shortstops with 16.1, while Hoerner (14.4) was fifth. While helping the Braves win five straight division crowns and the 2021 World Series title, he became the team’s leader. Rookies Michael Harris II and Vaughn Grissom revealed the shortstop is known as “The Sheriff” within the Atlanta clubhouse.

Swanson has also proven to be durable while playing all but just two games over the past three seasons. He missed both of those two games in 2021. He was the only MLB player to start 162 games this past season.

"Anytime you have a great player who's a free agent, those guys are hard to sign because they earned it, right?" Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said at the General Managers Meetings in November.

"Gold Glove, everything else, the work he's put in, he's become an amazing player. And definitely, in my mind, arguably the best defensive shortstop in the game. Really, the work that he's done is incredible."

Ohtani Watching Angels’ Offseason Moves from Afar

by Rafu Reports 12/17/2022

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN DIEGO.–Even though Shohei Ohtani is back in Japan for the offseason, he has been in frequent contact with Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian about the team’s offseason moves.

“We talk a lot. He’s asking me daily who we’re getting,” Minasian said during baseball’s winter meetings. “He’s into it. We have a lot of players like that. Mike (Trout) and Anthony (Rendon) are like that. I think it’s a very motivated group.

“They want to see activity. They want to see the organization making a commitment to making the team better. We’ll see how it shakes out when we get to spring training what exactly we have, but we’re going to continue to look for opportunities to improve,” he said.

Minasian also reiterated his support for Ohtani taking whatever role he deems best for Japan during the World Baseball Classic in March.

Ohtani said he is open to being a reliever.

The Angels’ offseason moves, their future owner and the team’s performance will all be under the microscope as the two-way Japanese superstar begins his final season before hitting free agency.

Eric Hosmer

Red Sox Designate Eric Hosmer For Assignment

By Steve Adams and Darragh McDonald | December 16, 2022 at 4:55pm CDT

The Red Sox have acquired right-hander Wyatt Mills from the Royals in exchange for minor league righty Jacob Wallace and opened a spot on the roster by designating first baseman Eric Hosmer for assignment, per a team announcement.

Hosmer came to the Sox in a deadline deal just a few months ago. The Padres signed him to an eight-year, $144MM contract going into 2018, a deal that most observers considered an overpay from the moment it was announced. Hosmer’s production dipped thereafter, which only added to the albatross nature of the deal.

In 2017, his last year with the Royals, Hosmer hit .318/.385/.498 for a wRC+ of 135, indicating that he was 35% better than league average. But in his first season as a Padre, he produced a line of .253/.322/.398 for a wRC+ of 95. Apart from a surge in the shortened 2020 campaign, he’s been around league average in each season and frequently mentioned in trade rumors with San Diego hoping to get rid of him. As the deadline approached this past summer, Hosmer was originally included in the blockbuster deal that was to send Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego. However, Hosmer had a limited no-trade clause that included the Nationals, allowing him to veto the deal. Instead, Luke Voit was sent to Washington in his place, but the Padres then quickly dealt Hosmer to the Red Sox, who were not on his no-trade list.

As part of that deal, the Red Sox would only have to pay Hosmer the league minimum salary, with the Padres remaining on the hook for the rest of it. With this move just a few months later, it seems the trade was more about the young players involved, as Boston sent pitching prospect Jay Groome to the Padres but received a couple prospects as well in Corey Rosier and Max Ferguson. It’s also possible that the club viewed Hosmer as a bit of a safety net at first base, where Bobby Dalbec had been struggling and prospect Triston Casas had yet to reach the majors. Casas was called up in September and launched five home runs down the stretch as well as walking in 20% of his plate appearances, leading to a batting line of .197/.358/.408, wRC+ of 120. Perhaps that debut gave them enough confidence to proceed without Hosmer.

Whatever the motivation, Hosmer’s time in Boston seems likely to end after just 14 games. The club will have one week to trade him or put him on waivers, though a trade will be difficult to arrange. As part of Hosmer’s contract, he gained a full no-trade clause after being dealt by the Padres. It’s also possible that a team might have interest in claiming Hosmer off release waivers, as his minimal salary would create a no-risk scenario for the claiming club. However, players on release waivers are allowed to reject claims and elect free agency, which likely means no team would bother putting in a claim. It seems the most likely scenario is that Hosmer ends up released and returns to the open market.

Though he hasn’t produced more than 0.8 fWAR in any season since 2017, it’s likely some teams that need help at first base or designated hitter would have some interest. The Padres are on the hook for the $39MM owed to Hosmer over the next three years and any team that signs him would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Padres pay.

Over the last three seasons, his batting line is .271/.335/.407 for a wRC+ of 107, or 7% above league average. That doesn’t lead to a lot of value overall as he is generally graded as a poor defender, but it’s possible he could find a bit of uptick at the plate next year. The upcoming rules on defensive shifts are expected to primarily benefit left-handed hitters like Hosmer, as teams stack the right side of the infield with defenders. Hosmer’s worst trait as a hitter is his incredibly high ground ball tendencies, as his career rate is 54.5%. For reference, this year’s league average as 42.9%.

Many of the top first baseman from this winter’s free agent class have already been signed, with José Abreu, Josh Bell and Anthony Rizzo off the board. For clubs still looking for upgrades there, Hosmer will likely join the remaining options, such as Trey Mancini, Brandon Drury, Matt Carpenter, Wil Myers and Brandon Belt.

As for the other players involved in today’s announcement, Mills, 28 next month, was designated for assignment by the Royals when they signed Ryan Yarbrough earlier this week. The Royals had only acquired him a few months earlier as part of the Carlos Santana trade. He tossed 29 1/3 innings for the Royals with a 4.60 ERA, but the Red Sox are likely more interested in his minor league numbers. In 33 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, he posted a 2.14 ERA while striking out 29.9% of batters faced, though he also walked 12.7% of them. He still has an option year remaining, giving them an intriguing depth option with roster flexibility.

Wallace, 24, was drafted by the Rockies but came to the Red Sox as the player to be named later in the Kevin Pillar trade. He spent this year in Double-A, tossing 56 2/3 innings with a 3.81 ERA and 30.4% strikeout rate, though a huge 19.6% walk rate.

Bradley Zimmer
Joins Dodgers on minor-league deal
OFLos Angeles Dodgers NRI
December 17, 2022
Zimmer agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Oklahoma City can use a good defensive center fielder who gets hit by pitches