We are rapidly approaching the start of spring training, and almost all major free agents are committed. That said, it is still the off-season, and that means rumors can be found. We found them and rounded them up for Monday. Here they are:
Yankees heading for a deal with Wilson
The Yankees are making progress on a contract with left-handed reliever Justin Wilson, by Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Wilson, 33, has spent the past two seasons at the Mets. In 68 appearances in Queens, he posted an ERA of 2.91 (143 ERA +) and a strike-to-walk ratio of 2.39. Wilson mainly has two pitches: a mid-90s quickball and a cutter, a combination that has allowed him to suppress quality contact in recent years.
Wilson would be the second notable addition the Yankees made to their bullpen recently, joining right-handed Darren O’Day, which the Yankees signed after transferring Adam Ottavino in a trade with the Red Sox.
The Fathers have one of the majors’ most busy off-season. This continued on Monday, with San Diego hiring veteran reliever Keone Kela for a one-year contract, by Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Kela, 28 in mid-April, did not rank among the 60 best free agents for CBS Sports in the main companies that entered the winter. The reasons for his exclusion were straightforward: he was limited by COVID-19 and injured to just two entries in 2020, and was involved in many incidents off the field in 2019 to merit inclusion.
However, Kela has been an effective reliever when she is strong and healthy. In 231 major league appearances in his career, he posted 139 ERA + and a 3.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Kela’s arsenal consisted largely of just two pitches: a mid-90s fastball and a broken swinging and failing ball.
Kela is the second veteran reliever the Padres added last week, joining former Braves player Mark Melancon.
The Rockies announced on Monday that they had hired first base veteran CJ Cron for a lower league pact.
Cron, 31, entered the winter ranked as the 43rd best free agent available. Here is what we wrote at the time;
Cron played in just 13 games before needing knee surgery at the end of the season. He is still one of the first grassroots players on the market, a statement that says more about the scarcity of good options available than about him. Cron is a maintenance option, remember, that it can deliver more than 20 homers and an OPS + in the range of 100-110. Unfortunately, the first “useful” base players tend to change their uniforms frequently. Cron for sure, as he has played with four teams in the past four years. Expect it to become five out of five soon, and then six out of six, and then ….
Cron wants to compete with another recent signing, Greg Bird, for playing time at first base.
The Brewers made a potential addition to their bullpen on Sunday, signing Brad Boxberger’s former All-Star for a minor league deal, by ESPN.
Boxberger, 33 in May, appeared in 23 games with the Marlins last season, accumulating 151 ERA + and a walkout ratio of 2.25 out of 18 entries. The weather hasn’t been very kind to Boxberger since he made the All-Star Game 2015: even including his success in 2020, he has compiled an ERA of 4.27 and more than five walks over nine in his last 151 innings.
Brewers have a largely flexible bullpen, as only Ray Black lacks options. That said, Milwaukee will certainly carry Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Brent Suter and Freddy Peralta if he is healthy. Boxberger may then be competing with Justin Topa and / or JP Feyereisen for a spot on the Opening Day pen.