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With less than a month before the pitchers and catchers report, the hot stove begins to heat up. George Springer, the top free agent entering this winter, signed Tuesday. Another top 10 talent, Michael Brantley, returns to Houston. Who else could sign in the next few days? Here are the last rumblings of the hot stove.
Dodgers surveying the Bauer market
The Dodgers haven’t made a splash this winter yet, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of ideas. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Los Angeles is “watching” the market for right-handed starter Trevor Bauer.
Bauer, the reigning Cy Young Award winner, appears to have lost his top two potential contenders this winter, in the Mets and the Blue Jays. It’s unclear what other teams are involved at this point in the process, although a reunion with the Reds seems unlikely. Here’s what we wrote after ranking Bauer as the best starter available this winter:
As the 2020 season approached, Bauer’s career numbers looked suspiciously similar to those released by AJ Burnett during the same period of his career. He’s created the split this season, amassing a 1.73 ERA and 5.88 put-out-to-put-out ratio in 11 starts and 73 innings. Bauer has long had the gimmick and, according to his newspaper clippings, the intelligence to be a frontline starter. He has now collated the results supporting that notion over two of the past three seasons. Can he continue? That’s one of the few questions teams will need to answer, starting with how he improved his turnover rate just a few years after suggesting it was only possible through substance use. Another question is whether it is compatible with a long-term agreement. Bauer has fallen out of favor in both Arizona and Cleveland, and he hasn’t always covered himself in social media glory. Time changes moods as surely as Sturgill changes words; if Bauer is to follow suit, change his perception into a team leader in every sense of the word, then he will have to do more than continue to present well.
In the past, Bauer has declared his preference for a one-year contract. He seems softened on that stance, but that idea might have a fan in Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman, who could reduce the risk by limiting the term.
The Blue Jays have an offer at their fingertips
The Blue Jays added Springer and a pair of relievers this week (Kirby Yates and Tyler Chatwood), but that doesn’t mean they’re done. In addition to rumors linking them to Michael Brantley, the Blue Jays have an offer to former Cleveland close friend Brad Hand, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Hand saw his $ 10 million option turned down by Cleveland early in the start. Nonetheless, CBS Sports ranked him as the second best reliever available this winter, writing the following:
Cleveland declined the $ 10 million option held on hand, which was once considered a good deal. He doesn’t throw as hard as before; his throws generated fewer jumps and misses than usual in 2020; and his batted ball profile went from the ground to the airfield. Having said that, have you looked at its status? There has been no noticeable slippage or obvious drop in its performance. On the contrary, Hand posted the best ERA + and the best strikethrough / step ratio of his career. Someone will give it an important leverage role; they could also get a good deal.
The Mets have also been linked with Hand in recent weeks. Do you know who else was tied in the hand? The great revelation …
Angels are also interested in Hand
Yes, add the angels to the list of potential suitors:
They are working to build a competitive pitching team around their core of Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, and to that end this offseason they have added Jose Quintana to the rotation and Raisel Iglesias and Alex Claudio to the bullpen. Hand’s merits are noted above, and with the Angels he immediately became left-handed Joe Maddon and a possible tandem closer to Iglesias.
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