MLB Rumors: Mets Still On George Springer After Adding Francisco Lindor; Dodgers watch Kirby Yates



[ad_1]

It’s 2021, but we’re still waiting for the first significant signing of the offseason free agents. Only 12 of our top 60 free agents have signed, including only five of 25. There have been some notable exchanges, however, including the biggest move of the offseason so far Thursday. Here is the latest hot stove buzz.

The Mets acquire Lindor

head image

The New York Mets closed their biggest contract of the Steve Cohen era with a six-man trade with Cleveland on Thursday afternoon. The Mets acquired All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and right-handed starter Carlos Carrasco, and sent major Leaguers Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez to Cleveland.

Here are the full details of the trade:

As Cleveland sought to reduce its payroll, a Lindor trade had loomed large for some time. Lindor, 27, is expected to make $ 20 million this winter in his final year of officiating. To learn more about this successful trade, here are three things you need to know with deal winners and losers.

Always put on Springer, with Jays

Even after adding Lindor and Carrasco, the Mets cannot be counted in the draw for All-Star free agent outfielder George Springer, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports. They aren’t alone, however, as Heyman also mentions that the Blue Jays are a prominent Springer contender.

Springer, 31, hit .265 / .359 / .540 (140 OPS +) with 13 home runs in 222 plate games last season for the Astros. Although the injury limited him to 122 games, 2019 was the best year of his career in several ways, setting career highs in Average, OBP, Slugging, OPS +, WAR, Home runs and RBI.

With Brandon Nimmo in the lead and center, flanked by Michael Conforto in right field and Dominic Smith in left, the Mets do not have to add Springer, although he is a clear improvement over Nimmo. By moving Rosario into the Lindor trade, the Mets have shown that they are not shy about moving pieces to make room for a better player.

The Blue Jays are in a similar situation with a full outfield and Randal Grichuk being the center-back Springer would replace. They do have a DH spot to play with, however.

Sugano will stay in Japan

Tomoyuki Sugano, the 31-year-old Japanese right-hander, faced a deadline Thursday at 5 p.m. ET to sign with an MLB team or decide to return to Japan. Sugano, who was posted by the Yomiuri Giants a month ago, had previously been offered a four-year contract with three Yomiuri Giants churns. The pitcher has also reportedly received offers from MLB teams, with higher prices.

The deadline came and went with Sugano deciding to stay at NPB with Yomiuri. He is, however, eligible to become a Major League Baseball free agent in the next offseason.

Sugano is coming off a dynamic season in the Japan Central League, where he had a 14-2 win-loss record, 1.97 ERA, 0.888 WHIP and 131 strikeouts in 25 marches in 137 1 / 3 of sleeves. He has been the best starting pitcher for Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan since Masahiro Tanaka left for MLB in 2014.

He is a two-time Sawamura Award winner (the Japanese equivalent of Cy Young) and a former league MVP, and he has a playoff scorer to his name.

The Dodgers have already signed relievers Corey Knebel and Blake Treinen to strengthen their field for next season, but they may not be done adding. While interest in top free agent Liam Hendriks has “recently waned,” according to an LA Times report, the Dodgers have “a significant interest” in free agent reliever Kirby Yates.

Yates’ 2020 season was cut short due to bone chips in his right elbow. He underwent surgery at the end of August and the schedule for a return would be six to eight weeks, so there is no reason to believe he would be embarrassed at all during the 2021 season.

In 2019, Yates’ last healthy season, he saved 41 games on 44 occasions for the Padres with a 1.19 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 101 strikeouts against 12 unintended walks in 60 2/3 innings. .

The report said the Dodgers were planning to enter the season with Kenley Jansen as their closest, but Blake Treinen is a good fallback option and the addition of Yates would make the reliever box even more formidable.

Yankees pick up Allen in trade

head image

The New York Yankees traded for outfielder Greg Allen, the club announced Thursday. Allen, who turns 28 in March, was nominated for an assignment last week by the San Diego Padres. New York sends left-handed relief pitcher James Reeves in exchange for Allen.

Allen didn’t generate much on-set production during the shortened 2020 season, finishing with a .154 / .281 / .308 slash in 32 appearances, but he’s got good speed, scoring 32 stolen bases in 221 career matches. Last year, Allen played just 16 games for Cleveland and San Diego, spending the majority of the 60 games on alternative club venues. Allen is unlikely to be in the lineup for the Yankees on a regular basis, so he will serve as a depth of field for the ball club in 2021.



[ad_2]

Source link