Welcome to 2021. The New Year has arrived and we are still waiting for one of the best free agents in this off-season to sign. Only 10 of our 60 top free agents have signed, including only one of the top 14 and none of the top four. Here are the most recent rumors about hot stoves on the first day of the year.
In his latest social media video, Trevor Bauer confirmed that he had a (virtual) meeting with the Blue Jays scheduled for Thursday. “I got a call with the Blue Jays. I’m going to check with them and talk to their pitching coach (Pete Walker) and high performance coach (Angus Mugford) and see what they have to offer,” said Bauer. Our RJ Anderson classified Bauer as the free agent # 3.
The Blue Jays have been connected to all the great free agents (Bauer, DJ LeMahieu, JT Realmuto, George Springer) in the past few weeks and they are one of the few teams that must spend a lot this winter. The current projected rotation includes Hyun-Jin Ryu, Robbie Ray, Tanner Roark, Nate Pearson and Ross Stripling. Stripling could go back to the bullpen or Pearson could go to Triple-A to accommodate a Bauer signature.
Tanaka may return to Japan
A source close to Masahiro Tanaka told Randy Miller of NJ.com that there is a “good chance” that the right-hander will return to Rakuten Golden Eagles, his former team in Japan, if he doesn’t get a new deal with the Yankees. Jason Coskrey’s Japan Times notes Tanaka said the chances of returning to Japan “are not zero” during a recent television appearance.
Our RJ Anderson ranked Tanaka as the free agent # 10 this season. Tanaka played seven years with the Golden Eagles before joining the Yankees, including 24-0 with an ERA of 1.27 in 27 games in 2013, his last year in Japan. The Yankees need another starting pitcher, and a meeting does sense. In any case, it seems that Tanaka does not want to spend the next few years jumping from MLB team to MLB team.
Priests talking to Profar, Yates
After adding Yu Darvish and Blake Snell (and Ha-Seong Kim), the Fathers are now in negotiations with the powerful Kirby Yates and superuser Jurickson Profar about possible meetings, reports Kevin Acee of San Diego Union-Tribune. Yates missed much of 2020 with a spur to his elbow and is looking at a one-year contract. Acee says San Diego is talking to other guys closer to him as well.
The Fathers don’t have much left on their off-season task list, although they could use another reliever and another bank player, so Yates and Profar are obvious adjustments. At 28, it would make sense for Profar to look for a starting job elsewhere instead of accepting a bank or part-time role with the Fathers. San Diego has a complete indoor field and its current outdoor field includes Trent Grisham, Wil Myers and Tommy Pham.
Astros, puppies interested in Castro
Astros and Cubs are interested in catcher Jason Castro, according to MLB reporter Robert Murray and Patrick Mooney from Atlético. A return to Houston, where Fidel began his career, seems less likely than a few weeks ago, notes Murray. Our RJ Anderson did not rank Castro among his 60 best free agents. The left-handed swinger stands out more for its glove than for its stick.
The Cubs sent Victor Caratini to the Fathers in the Darvish trade, so at the very least, they need to bring reinforcements behind Willson Contreras. Contreras, of course, is in the commercial block himself, so Chicago may be looking for two new collectors before all is said and done. The Astros are committed to the strong defensive Martin Maldonado, although they also need reinforcement.