Much of the baseball world this Sunday heads to Dallas for the annual winter conferences. The largest splash is the anticipated signing of 26-year-old celebrity Juan Soto, which is hopefully coming very quickly. In the meantime, there are many different free brokers on the market and we’ll additionally see loads of commerce rumors. Let’s collect every little thing right here.
Dodgers land Conforto
The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to phrases with veteran outfielder Michael Conforto on a free-agent contract, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand studies. ESPN’s Alden González pegs Conforto’s Dodgers contract at one 12 months and $17 million. Conforto, who turns 32 in early March, is coming off a 2024 season for the Giants through which he slashed .237/.309/.450 (116 OPS+) with 20 house runs and 27 doubles in 130 video games. That slash line, nonetheless, hides much better highway splits: .253/.323/.530 away from Oracle Park, good for a 122 OPS+. For his profession, the lefty batsman owns an OPS+ of 120 throughout elements of 9 major-league seasons.
Despite, it will appear, the addition of Conforto, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal studies that the Dodgers stay interested by bringing again power-hitting outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
The Red Sox are recognized to be one of many prime suitors for Soto (as effectively they need to be), however each crew pursuing Soto ought to have a number of irons within the proverbial hearth. On the Red Sox, they’ve had discussions with frontline starters Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, based on the Boston Globe.
Fried, a 30-year-old lefty, was 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA final season. He completed second in Cy Young voting in 2022, has three Gold Gloves and was the ace of the 2021 World Series champion Braves.
Burnes, a 30-year-old righty, was 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA final season, ending fifth in AL Cy Young voting. He received the NL Cy Young in 2021 and led the league in strikeouts in 2022.
As issues stand, the Red Sox’s rotation options Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello, Richard Fitts and Cooper Criswell.
Teo likes Boston?
Free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández would like to stay with the Dodgers, however “has lengthy been intrigued” by enjoying in Fenway Park for the Red Sox, based on the Boston Globe.
The Red Sox “intend to pursue” Hernández in the event that they lose out on the Soto bidding, based on Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, who signifies they’d relatively have Hernández than fellow free-agent slugger Anthony Santander. Feinsand additional studies that the Blue Jays are additionally Hernández, although they like Santander.
Hernández, 32, hit .272/.339/.501 (137 OPS+) with 33 homers and 99 RBI final season for the World Series champion Dodgers. He’ll possible wait to signal till after Soto is off the board.
D-backs requested Cubs about Montgomery-Bellinger swap
The Diamondbacks “tried to get the Cubs ” in a commerce that may ship Jordan Montgomery to Chicago in alternate for Cody Bellinger, based on USA Today. It sounds prefer it did not work, not less than not but, however it’s notable because of the names concerned.
Montgomery is due $22.5 million in 2025 after posting -1.4 WAR in 2024. He had a 6.23 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 117 innings.
Bellinger is making $27.5 million subsequent season. Last 12 months, he hit .266/.325/.426 (111 OPS+) with 2.2 WAR in 130 video games.
Orioles thought-about Grichuk as Plan B
The Orioles have reportedly agreed to signal right-handed slugger Tyler O’Neill to a three-year deal. They have been Randal Grichuk earlier than the signing, studies MLB.com. This is notable in that’s illustrates that Grichuk is a little bit of a fallback choice for any groups that have been discussing O’Neill.
Grichuk, 33, hit .291/.348/.528 (140 OPS+) with 12 homers in 279 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks final season. Like O’Neill, he destroys lefties. Last season, Grichuk hit .319/.386/.528 in opposition to southpaws.
