We are less than two weeks away from spring training and 24 of our top 60 free agents remain without a contract, including three of the top seven. Here are the noises from the hot stove of the day.
Dodgers adds Bauer
Right-handed Trevor Bauer and the Dodgers agreed to a three-year contract on Friday, which contains opt-outs after the first and second seasons. The contract will pay Bauer $ 102 million if he is in office during the period. You can read more about it by clicking here.
Bauer entered the off-season rated by CBS Sports as the third best free agent available. Here’s what we were writing at the time:
Going into the 2020 season, Bauer’s career numbers maintained an incredible resemblance to those posted by AJ Burnett during the same period of his career. He created the split this season, accumulating an ERA of 1.73 and a 5.88 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11 matches and 73 innings. Bauer has long had the material and, according to his press clippings, the intelligence to be a frontline holder. He has now gathered the results that support this idea in two of the past three seasons. Can he continue? This is one of the few questions that teams will have to answer, starting with how he improved his rotation rate just a few years after suggesting that this was only possible through substance use. Another is whether it is compatible in a long-term business. Bauer has fallen from grace in both Arizona and Cleveland, and has not always covered himself with glory on social media. Time changes mood with the same certainty that Sturgill changes words; if Bauer wants to follow suit, turning his perception into a team leader in every sense of the term, then he will need to do more than continue to pitch well.
The Mets were considered the only other suitor to Bauer.
Giants join Odorizzi search
The Giants had an eventful winter from the point of view of the pitching team. They signed or exchanged for Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood and Matt Wisler. San Francisco may also not have added pitching. According to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, the Giants remained interested in acquiring more pitches and showed interest in the right-handed Jake Odorizzi.
Odorizzi entered the off-season classified by CBS Sports as the 27th best free agent available. Here’s what we were writing at the time:
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 distension, a bruised 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 half-spin initiator with the strength of his fast ball and divider. He should be able to find work as someone’s third or fourth holder, hoping to have a good enough season to close a multi-year deal around this time in 2021.
Odorizzi has compiled an ERA + index of 107 and an elimination rate for walking of 2.79 in the past three seasons. The Cardinals and Phillies are among the other teams believed to be interested in their services.
Brewers remain interested in Turner
Earlier this week, the Brewers signed a multi-year agreement with Kolten Wong. That doesn’t stop Milwaukee from showing continued interest in third baseman free agent Justin Turner, by Robert Murray of FanSided.
Turner was ranked by CBS Sports as the seventh best free agent entering the winter. Here’s what we wrote about it at the time:
It is a pity that Turner made the irresponsible and potentially damaging decision to return to the field after learning that he had tested positive for COVID-19 during Game 6 of the World Series, because this was as good an opportunity as any for him to receive your flowers for an impressive seven-year run in the west. He hits the ball hard, commands the zone and has hit at least 20 goals in three of the last five seasons. He is an All-Star caliber player with a lovely backstory. In due course, your mistake will become a footnote; for now, it’s too recent to ignore. The teams will not care, of course, but they may care about the weather – it is at least possible that he is suspended to start the 2021 season.
The Brewers seem unlikely to get Turner due to the competition they are facing for their services (the Dodgers and the Braves are both involved), but stranger things have happened.