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.
Bauer reduced to two finalists
The Mets are linked to the best starting pitcher, Trevor Bauer, throughout the off-season, and it is possible that things will reach the limit very soon. There is, of course, the virtual clock running before spring training begins in less than two weeks. There are also reports on the situation that suggest that this should be resolved soon. Jon Heyman of MLB Network Reports that Mets and Bauer are “engaged” in negotiations and on the Mets side expect to hear a response “in the next 24 hours”.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Mets are indeed involved with Bauer, but that the Dodgers are also involved in the bidding process. And then, at 4:12 pm Eastern Time, Bauer’s agent, Rachel Luba, tweeted “up to 2” without any additional information.
Bauer, 30, won NL Cy Young last season after going 5-4 with 1.73 ERA (a ridiculous 276 ERA +), 0.795 WHIP, 100 strikeouts, two complete games, two shutouts and just 16 unintended walks in 73 innings. He was also an All-Star and finished sixth in the AL Cy Young poll in 2018.
Landing Bauer would give the Mets a formidable rotation, as he would team up with two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, at the top with names like Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco and eventually Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery last spring ) filling things out.
The Dodgers already have a rotation loaded with Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Dustin May and David Price the way you want to rate them. This group does have question marks, however, and the Dodgers love to load positions in depth. In addition, adding Bauer means that no one else can have him and further solidifies his position in the title of best baseball team.
Cardinals, Phillies actively seeking rotation help
The Cardinals and Phillies are actively seeking free-kickers, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. St. Louis recently signed Adam Wainwright, but Carlos Martinez and Miles Mikolas are concerned about injuries. As for Philadelphia, even with Chase Anderson and Matt Moore recently signed, they could use another match to push Vince Velasquez into the bullpen.
Our list of the 60 best free agents includes four unsigned holders: Trevor Bauer (No. 3), James Paxton (No. 18), Jake Odorizzi (No. 27) and Taijuan Walker (No. 28). It seems unlikely that the Cardinals or Phillies would commit significant dollars to a free agent at this point, which could lead them to holders of unclassified free agents like Cole Hamels, Rick Porcello or Matt Shoemaker.
Blue Jays considering Paxton, Walker
The Blue Jays are still looking for rotating help and are considering free agents James Paxton and Taijuan Walker, report Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith. They add that Toronto seems to be focused on short-term additions, presumably taking them out of contention for guys like Trevor Bauer and Jake Odorizzi.
Our RJ Anderson ranked Paxton and Walker among the 18 and 28 free agents available, respectively. Paxton is coming out of a year marked by injuries, including a flexor strain that ended his season in August. Walker finished 2020 with the Blue Jays and shot well for them. A meeting makes sense given the uncertainty behind Hyun-Jin Ryu in the Toronto rotation.
Bradley looking for a meaningful contract
Field player Jackie Bradley Jr. is looking for a significant contract, perhaps four years, according to Mike Puma from New York Post. Puma adds that it is difficult to pinpoint where the Mets are in negotiations with Bradley. The two sides have been connected throughout the season, especially since George Springer signed with the Blue Jays.
Our RJ Anderson rated Bradley as the number 12 free agent available. Bradley, 31 in April, remains an elite quarterback, although he has been a below average league hitter for most of his career, and ideally he would be paired with a platoon partner due to his struggles against lefties. The Mets do not have a natural central defender, although their lineup is already projected to be heavy to the left.
Three teams interested in Hill
The Brewers, Mets and Rays have all shown significant interest in free agent Rich Hill, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The Red Sox had an interest in Hill earlier this winter, but have apparently retreated since signing Martin Perez and Garrett Richards. Our RJ Anderson did not rank Hill among his 60 best free agents this offseason.
Hill, 41 in March, spent 2020 with the twins and launched a one-year contract with a low base salary and a ton of incentives. A similar deal is on the cards this offseason given its age and long history of injuries. Hill won’t give you many tickets, but the ones he gives you will be very good. A smart team that limits its workload will have many benefits in 2021.