Spring training is in two weeks and the stove is as hot as any time in the off-season. Nolan Arenado’s trade blockbuster is pending and 27 of our 60 top free agents remain unsigned. Here are the noises from the hot Monday stove.
Angels acquire Cobb in trade with Orioles
The Los Angeles Angels acquired right-handed veteran Alex Cobb in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, according to Dan Connolly and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. All details of the trade remain unclear at this time. Cobb, 33, is entering the last year of his four-year contract, $ 57 million, and owes $ 15 million.
The Angels are sending infidelder Jahmai Jones to the Orioles in trade, adds Rosenthal. Jones, 23, was chosen for the second round of the Angels in 2015. He went from field player to second base in 2018 and is ranked as the 11th best chance in Los Angeles, according to Baseball America.
The Angels have a full rotation for the next season, but the uncertainty remains. Right-handed, bidirectional player Shohei Ohtani is expected to be part of the six non-standard Angels men’s rotation in 2021, but the bidirectional phenomenon played only 53 1/3 innings in his three years MLB career due to injuries (Tommy John, forearm strain , stretching of the elbow flexors) and subsequent setbacks. The remaining holders will be Dylan Bundy, Andrew Heaney, Griffin Canning and Jose Quintana.
Throughout his three seasons with the Orioles, Cobb ended with an ERA 5.10 (5.22 FIP), 1.42 WHIP and 6.1 K / 9 in 41 matches. During this stretch, he lost time due to injuries, but he fought effectively when he returned to the hill. Cobb had more success on the hill while pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays to start his career. From 2011 to 17, Cobb posted an ERA of 3.50 in 115 matches.
Mets trade with Marlins for righties
The New York Mets acquired the right-handed Jordan Yamamoto in an exchange with the Miami Marlins, the teams announced on Monday. In exchange for Yamamoto, the Marlins received secondary league player Federico Polanco. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the Mets appointed infielder Robel Garcia for the assignment.
Yamamoto, 24, was assigned to a mission by the Marlins after a difficult season in 2020. There is potential after a decent 2019 season (4-5, 4.46 ERA, 82 eliminations, 15 starts), but he gave up 23 races won in just 11 1/3 working innings during the abbreviated campaign. Most notably, Yamamoto was one of the former Milwaukee candidates included in the Christian Yelich trade in 2018 who sent the All-Star to the Brewers.
Polanco, 19, is a field player whose highest level so far is the Rookie League. He can play shortstop, second and / or third, but he probably fits better as second base in the long run. In two seasons in the minor leagues, Polanco reached 0.244 / 0.318 / 0.324 with 20 doubles and 50 RBI.
Several teams interested in Jake Odorizzi
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports on market development for right-handed agent Jake Odorizzi:
Odorizzi, who turns 31 at the end of March, suffered several injuries last season (though none on his arm) and was ineffective in shooting. That said, he has a successful track record that, as Morosi notes, makes him interesting for many aspiring candidates.
In the off-season, we ranked Odorizzi in 27th place among the free agents available. Here’s what our RJ Anderson wrote:
“Odorizzi accepted the qualification offer a year ago, delaying his arrival on the open market for a winter. Unfortunately, he will probably have to settle for another year-long pact after making trips to the injured list because of an intercostal strain. , a bruise on the chest and a blister. (at least none of them were related to the arm?) Odorizzi has never had problems with durability in the past and has demonstrated that he can be an effective medium rotation initiator with the strength of his fast ball and divider. “
Odorizzi is nobody’s ace, but it is a reasonable solution as a third or fourth starter. He may not land until Trevor Bauer signs, as suggested above, and it is possible, given last year’s difficulties, he may not be able to close a multi-year contract.