We are rapidly approaching the beginning of spring training, and almost all major free agents are committed. That said, it’s still off-season, and that means rumors can be found. We found them and rounded them up to Thursday. Here they are, those rumors we talked about earlier …
Kershaw unsure about the future with Dodgers
Left-handed Dodgers, legend of the franchise and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is eligible for free agency in the next off-season, meaning that 2021 will be a year of walking for him. He will be 34 next month and has experienced some level of decline since the peak. That said, Kershaw’s deep repertoire and exceptional command allowed him to handle the loss of speed very well, and he remains a high-quality starting pitcher at least in the near to mid-range. So, for sure the Dodgers life will end their career in LA, right? Hearing Kershaw himself tell, maybe not. Here is this excerpt from a longer play on Kershaw by Jorge Castillo de The Los Angeles Times:
This will be the first time that Kershaw has entered a season with a free agency approaching. He said he did not discuss an extension of the contract with the Dodgers. Does he want one?
“I don’t know,” he said. “Honestly, I wish I had an answer.”
Kershaw is entering the final year of his three-year $ 93 million pact, which he signed after using an opt-out in his previous contract. As Castillo notes, Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, confirms that the two sides still need to talk about a new contract, but Friedman also noted the obvious reality that Kershaw in an ideal world would end his career as Dodger. Speaking of which, retirement is a possibility for Kershaw, as he and his wife Ellen have three school-age children, so he is signing with a team closer to his Dallas home. Whatever the end result, uncertainty now reigns when it comes to Kershaw’s future with the Dodgers.
Mets do not close the doors to Kris Bryant’s trade
The Cubs in this off-season have already negotiated with Yu Darvish and non-contested Kyle Schwarber on the self-destructing payroll name, and it is entirely possible that one or more veteran contributors will be traded before Opening Day. One of them is third baseman / outfielder Kris Bryant, who may still be of interest to the Mets:
Apparently, nothing is imminent, and the most likely result may be that nothing happens from there. Still, given the Mets’ previous projects on George Springer and / or DJ LeMahieu, putting Bryant as a consolation prize would make sense on several levels.
Bryant, 29, is coming out of a disappointing 2020 season, in which he presented an OPS + of 70 out of 34 games for the Cubs. These figures, however, are easily discarded due to the small size of the sample involved and given that the season was disputed amid a global pandemic. Overall, Bryant has a career OPS + of 134 in parts of six major league seasons with three All-Star appearances and the NL MVP award in 2016. During that period, Bryant averaged 31 home runs for 162 games played with significant time spent on third base and the outer field corners. Bryant has proven to be somewhat injury-prone in recent seasons, and that remains a concern in the future. Bryant is eligible for third year arbitration for 2021, which means he will have a substantial increase over his $ 18.6 million non-prorated 2020 salary. He is scheduled for a free agency after the next season.
As for the Cubs, they have real potential for recovery in the attack in 2021, but dealing with Bryant would severely cut that recovery potential and may even represent a deeper collapse. Likewise, dealing with such an important member of the Cubs’ strife series in 2015-2020 would certainly not work well among fans who already have many reasons for frustration. On the Mets side, however, Bryant could move the needle for them in what appears to be a highly competitive NL East.
The Cubs reached an agreement with veteran Jake Marisnick, MLB Network Jon Morosi reports. Marisnick, who turns 30 at the end of March, is coming out of a 2020 season with the Mets, in which he countered 0.333 / 0.353 / 0.606, although in just 16 games. For her career, Marisnick has an OPS + of 81 in parts of MLB’s eight seasons, six of which came with the Astros. He can play all three field positions and has some speed at the bases. In Chicago, Marisnick’s right hand could pair well with Joc Pederson on the left, and he could occasionally spell Jason Heyward against tough lefties and support Ian Happ in the center.
Red Sox, most likely JBJ meeting after the negotiation
The current Red Sox seems to be the favorite to catch fly hunter Jackie Bradley Jr.:
It is true that “rival executives” do not know Boston’s thinking, but yes, it follows. Andrew Benintendi’s exchange with the Royals leaves a gap in the field, and Bradley could fill it deftly. Bradley, who remains a defensive asset at the center, is coming out of a 2020 season in which he placed an OPS + of 118 in 55 games. For his career, he has an OPS + of 94 in parts of eight seasons in major leagues. Bradley turns 31 in April and has spent his entire professional career with the Red Sox. Needless to say, his return would appeal to a Red Sox fan base that is unhappy with the franchise’s recent cost cuts.
According to several reports, Toronto hired a veteran right-handed veteran David Phelps on a one-year contract that will pay him $ 1.75 million for the 2021 season. Phelps, 34, fought overall last season, but it was in a sample only 20 2/3 entries. For his career, he achieved 102 ERA + with a K / BB ratio of 2.47 in parts of eight major league seasons. He has worked exclusively as a reliever since 2017.
Pirates signed veteran catcher Tony Wolters into a minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training, the team announced. Wolters, 28, has a career cut line of .238 / .323 / .319 over five major league seasons, despite playing all his home games at Coors Field. With the Pirates, he will likely fight Michael Perez for the right to serve as a reserve for Jacob Stallings this season.