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Royals Sign Cavan Biggio To Minor League Contract

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The Royals announced that utilityman Cavan Biggio has been signed to a minor league contract.  While no mention was made in the team’s official announcement, it can be assumed that Biggio received an invitation to Kansas City’s big league Spring Training camp.

K.C. is Biggio’s fifth different organization within the last seven months.  Biggio had spent his entire pro career with the Blue Jays until Toronto traded him to the Dodgers in June, and Los Angeles released him two months later.  The Giants then picked Biggio up on another minors contract in August but he didn’t see any big league time with San Francisco before he was traded to the Braves in August.  Biggio appeared in four games with Atlanta and was then outrighted off the 40-man roster at season’s end, with Biggio opting for free agency.

Though all the moves, Biggio hit .197/.314/.303 over 224 total plate appearances with the Jays, Dodgers, and Braves in 2024.  Initially viewed as a potential cornerstone piece for the Blue Jays when he posted strong numbers in the 2019-20 seasons, Biggio hasn’t really been the same since his injury-riddled 2021 campaign, hitting only .216/.325/.349 over 1159 PA since Opening Day 2021.

The Blue Jays were short enough on left-handed batters that they kept looking for ways for Biggio to stick in the lineup in at least a platoon capacity, and he had some bursts of effectiveness in 2023 before falling back to earth last season.  While not a defensive standout at any position, Biggio has played first base, second base, third base, and both corner outfield slots during his career.  At the plate, Biggio has been able to draw walks pretty consistently, but this ability to get on base has been undermined by a lack of power and a lack of hard contact.

If Biggio makes the Royals’ roster, he projects as a left-handed hitting complement to Hunter Renfroe in right field or possibly Maikel Garcia at third base, though Biggio’s third-base glovework was far below par during his time at the position in Toronto.  Biggio’s general versatility could help him win a job on the K.C. roster, or he could act as minor league depth if he doesn’t opt out of his contract to seek out an opportunity on yet another new team.

How AL Teams Have Addressed Their Weakest Positions Of 2024

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We’re still over a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, and the 2025 season won’t begin until the Dodgers and Cubs play in Tokyo on March 18 (and the rest of baseball gets underway on March 27).  So, while there is still tons of time for clubs to keep shoring up their rosters, let’s take a look at how all 30 teams have thus far tried to fix their biggest weak points from last season.  Baseball Reference’s position-by-position bWAR ranking identifies each how each team fared at every position in 2024, so let’s start by focusing on the American League’s 15 clubs…

Angels (Second base, -0.9 bWAR): This was the least production any team received from the second base position in 2024, as nine different players saw action at the Los Angeles keystone with little success.  The Angels made a push to sign Gleyber Torres before he joined the Tigers, and the club added to its infield mix by acquiring Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery.  This additional depth might allow the Halos to just install super-utilityman Luis Rengifo as the regular starter at second base, but they might want to keep bouncing Rengifo around the infield to fill other holes.  Shortstop Zach Neto’s shoulder surgery might keep him from making the Opening Day lineup, while Anthony Rendon’s lack of results has left the Halos looking for third base help.

Astros (First base, -1.0 bWAR): Jose Abreu’s continued struggles led the Astros to release him before even the midway point of the three-year, $58.5MM deal he signed in the 2022-23 offseason, and while Jon Singleton had a 105 wRC+ in 405 plate appearances, Singleton also finished the year with replacement-level production.  Houston responded to its glaring first base problem in a big way, inking Christian Walker to a three-year, $60MM contract.  Walker and Isaac Paredes now look to be the Astros’ new corner infield combination, with Paredes stepping in at third base in the likely event that Alex Bregman signs elsewhere.

Athletics (Third base, -0.6 bWAR): The issues at the hot corner narrowly edged out first base (-0.5 bWAR) as the Athletics’ biggest problem position, and the A’s are hoping Tyler Soderstrom’s continued development can help shore things up at first base.  As for the other corner infield slot, Gio Urshela was signed to a one-year, $2.15MM to add at least a bit of veteran stability at third base.  Darell Hernaiz also figures to get some at-bats at third base if and when Urshela spells Soderstrom against some left-handed pitchers.

Blue Jays (Bullpen, -3.9 bWAR): This was far and away the lowest bWAR for any team at any single position, which isn’t too surprising given how injuries and ineffectiveness torpedoed the Blue Jays’ bullpen last year.  Toronto started the overhaul from the top down, non-tendering former closer Jordan Romano after he missed most of the 2024 season due to elbow problems.  Old friend Yimi Garcia was re-signed to a two-year, $15MM contract, and Nick Sandlin was acquired from the Guardians as perhaps the overlooked part of the Andres Gimenez trade, but the Jays figure to add at least a couple more relievers before Opening Day rolls around.

Guardians (Catcher, 0.2 bWAR): Bo Naylor hit only .201/.264/.350 in 389 plate appearances during his first full Major League season, though his glovework was excellent.  Defensive specialist Austin Hedges was re-signed to again act as Naylor’s backup, so if nothing else, Cleveland might well have the best defensive catching tandem in baseball.  The Guardians are surely hoping for Naylor to contribute a lot more at the plate now that he has more experience against big league pitchers, and they’ll need the younger Naylor brother to pick up some of the overall offensive slack now that big brother Josh Naylor has been traded.

Mariners (First base, 1.1 bWAR): Luke Raley and trade deadline pickup Justin Turner helped stabilize the first base position later in the season, and the left-handed hitting Raley in particular did enough to have earned himself at least a platoon role on the 2025 team.  Re-signing Turner is still a possibility if the Mariners wanted to simply run it back, and some other first basemen linked to Seattle this winter — Carlos Santana, Paul Goldschmidt, Christian Walker, Josh Naylor — landed elsewhere. Rumors persist that Triston Casas might end up in Seattle if the Mariners and Red Sox can finally line up on a pitching-for-hitting trade, but for now, Raley appears to be the top option.  If another first baseman is indeed brought in, Raley could also get some at-bats at the DH spot, as the M’s only got 1.3 bWAR from their designated hitter group in 2025.

Orioles (Bullpen, 1.8 bWAR): Losing Felix Bautista to Tommy John rehab for the season understandably took a bite out of the Orioles’ relief corps, and Bautista’s expected return will alone help bolster the pen.  Apart from signing Matt Bowman to a minors deal, the O’s haven’t done much else to address their bullpen, and in fact subtracted from last year’s group when Jacob Webb was non-tendered and Baltimore declined its $4MM club option on Danny Coulombe.  However, it looks like Albert Suarez could be returning to the relief ranks now that Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano have been signed to join the rotation.  (We’re cheating the post’s premise a bit with this entry, as the Orioles’ 1.4 bWAR for pinch-hitters is technically their lowest of the positions listed by Baseball Reference.  However, since that 1.4 number is one of the better totals of any pinch-hitting group in baseball, the bullpen can more accurately be described as the weakest of the two positions.)

Rangers (Catcher, -0.1 bWAR): Jonah Heim was a big part of Texas’ 2023 championship team, but he had a rough season in 2024.  The Rangers are primarily counting on Heim to bounce back, but since he played in 279 regular-season and postseason games over the last two seasons, the addition of Kyle Higashioka should allow Heim to get more rest.  Higashioka signed a two-year deal worth $13.5MM in guaranteed money, which indicates that he and Heim will probably split the playing time in something closer to a timeshare rather than Higashioka acting strictly as a backup.  To add even more depth behind the plate, Texas also signed former two-time Gold Glover Tucker Barnhart to a minor league contract.

Rays (Catcher, 0.2 bWAR): Death, taxes, and the Rays trying to find an everyday catcher….some things never change.  Tampa Bay was aggressive in trying to obtain a one-year fix by signing Danny Jansen to a deal worth $8.5MM in guaranteed money, in the hopes that Jansen can rebound from a rough 2024 campaign.  Jansen generally posted strong numbers for the Blue Jays when he was able to avoid the injured list, but it seemed like the injuries caught up to him last year, particularly after he suffered a fracture in his wrist during Spring Training.  The Rays will happily welcome Jansen getting back to anything close to his old form, and Ben Rortvedt (last year’s most regular backstop) remains on the roster as the backup.

Red Sox (First base, -0.1 bWAR): The aforementioned Triston Casas played in only 63 games last season due to torn cartilage in his ribcage, and while he hit well over his 236 PA as a first baseman, it wasn’t enough to drag Boston’s first base corps over the replacement-level threshold.  Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been insistent that the Sox aren’t looking to move Casas, and that Rafael Devers will remain at third base rather than shifted over to first base (perhaps to make room for a third base upgrade like Alex Bregman).  For the moment, the first base spot looks solid enough just by dint of Casas having a healthy and productive 2025 campaign, but things could be shaken up quickly if a trade does indeed happen.

Royals (Left field, -0.7 bWAR): The Royals also received -0.1 bWAR from the right field position, and only three teams got less from their outfielders than Kansas City’s collective 1.0 outfield bWAR in 2024.  Former top prospect and incumbent left fielder MJ Melendez has yet to break out after three MLB seasons, plus veteran Hunter Renfroe is back in right field after exercising his $7.5MM player option for the 2025 season.  It wouldn’t be a surprise if either is moved to bench duty now since the corner outfield is a natural spot for the Royals to add a big hitter.  Some left field help might come from an unusual source, as both new acquisition Jonathan India and Michael Massey are apparently willing to move from second base to left field if it’ll help the team (and garner them more regular playing time).  Stay tuned to this situation, as now that K.C. is firmly back in playoff contention, the Royals should be more aggressive in shoring up the lineup to try and make a deeper October run.

Tigers (Shortstop, -0.3 bWAR): No team got less from the shortstop position than the Tigers, as Javier Baez endured a brutal season before undergoing a hip surgery in August.  With three years and $73MM still remaining on Baez’s contract, Detroit can only hope that improved health for Baez can salvage that has been a bust of a signing over the first three seasons of that deal, but the Tigers have already eyed ways to reduce Baez’s playing time.  Trey Sweeney might well end up getting the majority of shortstop time in 2025, but Ha-Seong Kim is also on Detroit’s radar as a possible shortstop candidate.

Twins (Second base, -0.1 bWAR): There’s plenty of fluidity around Minnesota’s infield, as any of Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Edouard Julien, or utilityman Willi Castro could be slotted in at second base next season, depending on how the Twins might address first base now that Carlos Santana has signed with Cleveland.  A healthy breakout year from Lewis or Lee at any position would be a massive help for a Twins club in a payroll crunch, as it doesn’t look like Minnesota will have much of anything to spend on new upgrades.

White Sox (Catcher, -1.8 bWAR): Korey Lee, Martin Maldonado, and Chuckie Robinson combined to give Chicago the least production of any catching corps in baseball.  Matt Thaiss was acquired from the Cubs to pair with Lee as the catching tandem for now, but highly-touted prospects Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel should both make their big league debuts at some point in 2025.  It will not surprise you to learn that a 121-loss team had plenty of weak links, as the White Sox got negative bWAR totals from the DH, left field, right field, second base, and third base positions.  To give you an idea of how little the Sox got from their position players in 2024, consider that the Marlins’ 2.1 bWAR from non-pitchers ranked Miami 29th of 30 teams.  The Sox were 30th, with a stunning -6.7 bWAR.

Yankees (First base, -0.1 bWAR): After Anthony Rizzo’s club option was declined, the Yankees checked in several first base candidates and technically came away with two, as Cody Bellinger was first acquired in a trade with the Cubs.  Signing Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5MM deal will now push Bellinger into outfield duty, and the Yankees are hoping that a change of scenery allows both former NL MVPs to rediscover some of their old form.  Focusing on Goldschmidt, the 37-year-old was hampered by a very rough first half that resulted in the worst overall season of his 14-year career, but his stronger second half and overall impressive hard-contact numbers hint that Goldschmidt has more to offer.  New York doesn’t even need prime Goldschmidt, as even getting a repeat of his solid 2023 numbers (122 wRC+ over 687 PA with the Cardinals) would be a substantial upgrade.

Giants Declined To Include Bryce Eldridge In Tucker/Crochet Trade Offers

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The Giants were known to have had interest in Kyle Tucker before the Astros traded the outfielder to the Cubs, and The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly shared some details on that pursuit plus the new information that the Giants were one of the many teams who talked to the White Sox about Garrett Crochet.  San Francisco “made legitimate offers” for both Tucker and Crochet, Baggarly writes, “to the point that [the Giants] were said to feel a bit uncomfortable with the players they were willing to sacrifice.”  However, neither offer included top prospect Bryce Eldridge, and thus no trades materialized since the Astros and Sox each viewed Eldridge’s inclusion as “a prerequisite.”

Eldridge was the 16th overall pick of the 2023 draft, and he has already hit .292/.379/.514 with 29 home runs over 649 plate appearances in the minors even before he turned 20 years old last October.  This hot hitting saw Eldridge moved up the ladder to four different affiliates during the 2024 season, though it is worth noting that his numbers dropped off (in small sample sizes) as he played higher levels of minor league ball.  Eldridge had a more modest .785 OPS in 40 PA with Double-A Richmond and then a .601 OPS in 35 PA with Triple-A Sacramento.

Since he has already reached Triple-A, it isn’t out of the question that Eldridge’s MLB debut could come during the 2025 season, especially given how San Francisco was already aggressive with his early promotions.  LaMonte Wade Jr. is a free agent next winter and has been the subject of trade speculation even this offseason, so the path should soon be clear for Eldridge as the Bay Area’s first baseman of the future.  While the Giants will naturally want to see him post better numbers in the upper minors before calling him to the Show, it is easy to see the potential in the 6’7″, 223-pound first baseman.

Eldridge fits the mold of a classic left-handed slugger, and scouting reports from both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America praise his huge power and his mature approach at the plate.  Pipeline and BA each place Eldridge 35th in the most recent editions of their league-wide top-100 prospects rankings.  He is the only Giants minor leaguer in Baseball America’s rankings, while Pipeline also has James Tibbs III (the 13th overall pick of the 2024 draft) 88th on their list.

In either case, Eldridge is certainly the top prospect in a San Francisco farm system that is considered to be relatively thin, so it isn’t surprising that the Giants aren’t eager to move him in any trades.  Obviously this is a big roadblock in negotiations, since as Baggarly notes, “any team dangling a solid-average everyday player or better is going to start by asking for Eldridge — and not likely to move off that position.”

The White Sox were known to be focusing on young position players in exchange for Crochet, and indeed three of the four prospects Chicago received from the Red Sox in the trade package were position players.  As per Pipeline’s rankings of San Francisco’s farm system, the Giants are slightly deeper in position players than pitchers, though not to the level of Boston’s depth.  Likewise, the Cubs still have a wealth of position players in their minor league system even after moving Cam Smith as part of the Tucker trade.

Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey and GM Zack Minasian have yet to complete a trade in their limited time leading the San Francisco front office, though in the view of rival executives, Baggarly hears the Giants have been “hyperactive in attempting to generate trade dialogue.”  Since questions remain about how much ownership is willing to commit to the payroll this season, the trade market could therefore be the Giants’ best method of adding talent to the roster, though that creates another layer of complication if other teams are chiefly focused on Eldridge among the minor league prospects.  As Baggarly frames the situation, some other front offices have been trying to see if they can get Posey or Minasian to bite on an unfavorable trade out of sheer inexperience, which has “led to a few opening offers…that have amounted to non-starters and time wasters.”

In terms of other trade candidates, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle details some of the players the Giants could still look to pry away from rival teams, and reports that the Giants “had some interest” in Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner earlier this winter.  The past-tense phrasing, however, indicates that San Francisco moved on after signing Willy Adames as the new everyday shortstop, so Tyler Fitzgerald now looks to move from shortstop to second base.

Justin Verlander Drawing Interest From “Multiple Teams”

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There hasn’t been much public buzz about Justin Verlander’s market as the three-time Cy Young Award winner prepares for his 20th Major League season, yet business may be starting to pick up.  MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (video link) reports that “multiple teams [are] interested in” the right-hander, and that Verlander and former teammate Max Scherzer are in pretty similar situations as veteran stars looking for one-year contracts as they look to rebound from injury-shortened 2024 seasons.

Verlander tossed only 90 1/3 innings last season, and he didn’t make his 2024 debut until April 19 after a shoulder problem limited him during Spring Training.  That relatively minor issue was overshadowed by a neck injury in June that ended up sidelining him for over two and a half months, and Verlander then struggled to an 8.10 ERA in 33 1/3 frames after being activated from the injured list in August.  Discussing his health situation with reporters in late September, Verlander said “I think I came back from the neck injury a little fast….I want to be an asset for this team.  And to do that, I needed to be able to pitch and find out where I’m at.  Obviously, the results have not been good.  But there’s nothing you can do besides trying to pitch.”

The good news is that Verlander is now “in great shape,” according to Morosi, as the future Hall-of-Famer heads into his age-42 season.  Verlander has a well-earned reputation as a workhorse over his outstanding career, yet inevitably, more health issues have developed as he has gotten older.  Verlander missed virtually all of the 2020-21 seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery, he missed a couple of weeks during the 2022 season due to a calf injury, and a teres major strain kept him on the shelf for over the first month of the 2023 season.

The latter two of those injuries, to be fair, didn’t keep Verlander from tossing 337 1/3 total innings in 2022-23, plus 38 1/3 more frames in the playoffs.  His 2022 season in particular saw the righty deliver one of his best seasons, as he posted a 1.75 ERA while leading Houston to a World Series championship.  Verlander took a slight step backwards in 2023 but still had a 3.22 ERA in 162 1/3 combined innings with the Mets and Astros.

Even at age 42, Verlander has plenty of upside, as he has shown that he can still be an effective arm as long as he is healthy.  Obviously his health status is more of a question mark considering what happened in 2024, yet on paper, even serious neck soreness probably isn’t as big of a red flag to teams as something like an elbow or shoulder injury.  It probably isn’t a surprise that Verlander’s market has started to heat up as we get later into the offseason, and teams have had more time to both evaluate his medicals and to monitor the pitching market as a whole after several other free agents and trade targets have come off the board.

Morosi didn’t cite any specific teams that were considering Verlander, though any number of clubs could be a fit due to the ever-present need for pitching.  It can be assumed that Verlander is prioritizing joining contending teams, and Morosi’s suggestion that Baltimore could be a fit might no longer apply, as Morosi’s report was filed before the Orioles announced their one-year deal with Charlie Morton.  The Astros are the only team known to have interest in Verlander’s services, as GM Dana Brown said in November that he’d “had conversations” with Verlander’s agent.

Blue Jays Make Contract Offer To Anthony Santander

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The Blue Jays’ interest in Anthony Santander is well-known, with Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press even listing the Jays and Angels “as the frontrunners” to sign the All-Star outfielder in a report last week.  Toronto has formalized its pursuit of Santander by making an official contract offer, according to KPRC’s Ari Alexander, though the size and length of the offer isn’t known.

MLB Trade Rumors ranked Santander ninth on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, and projected the longtime Orioles outfielder for a four-year, $80MM deal.  Santander and his reps at the Beverly Hills Sports Council have been looking to top that number, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported last month that Santander is looking for a five-year contract worth at least $100MM.

Given how many other notable free agents have landed bigger deals than expected this winter, it isn’t surprising that Santander is aiming high, and he might have some leverage since so many other big bats have already signed elsewhere.  Beyond the Blue Jays and Angels, the Tigers, Red Sox, and Yankees have also been publicly linked to Santander, and it is possible another club or two might be lurking to see how his market develops.

One team that doesn’t appear to be in the running for Santander is Houston, as Alexander notes that the Astros are “very unlikely” to dole out the type of contract that would basically ensure that the team stays over the luxury tax threshold.  RosterResource’s current estimate of a $244MM tax number for the Astros already puts them over the $241MM threshold, and there has been speculation that Houston might look to move a contract in order to duck under the line and reset its tax status.  Because the Astros were tax payors in 2024, they also have to give up two 2025 draft picks and $1MM in international bonus pool money for signing any free agent that rejects a qualifying offer, and Houston already paid those extra penalties to sign Christian Walker.

Adding a powerful switch-hitter like Santander would cover multiple needs for the Jays, whose largely right-handed hitting lineup finished 26th in the majors last year in home runs.  Putting Santander behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (who contributed 30 of the Jays’ 156 homers in 2024) in the lineup would give Guerrero some valuable protection, and there’s a ready-made defensive position for Santander in left field.  Since the Blue Jays don’t have a set designated hitter, Santander could get a good chunk of at-bats from the DH spot, which also works since Santander’s outfield defense is average at best.

It has been a pretty quiet offseason for the Blue Jays, though not for lack of effort, as the team has been linked to almost every major free agent on the market.  Toronto made aggressive bids for both the top hitter (Juan Soto) and pitcher (Corbin Burnes) available, and reports indicated that the Jays may have outbid the Diamondbacks’ $210MM contract with Burnes, but the right-hander took less money in order to pitch closer to his home in Arizona.  For all of the Jays’ free agent dealings, their only noteworthy deal has been a two-year pact with old friend Yimi Garcia.  Toronto’s other big offseason move to date was a trade with the Guardians that brought second baseman Andres Gimenez and reliever Nick Sandlin into the fold, but Gimenez’s subpar hitting numbers over the last two seasons offers no promise that he’ll help the Blue Jays’ lackluster offense.

Signing Santander would at least quiet the narrative that the Jays are unable to land top free agents, even if the heat on GM Ross Atkins and team president Mark Shapiro won’t really let up unless the Blue Jays turn things around on the field in 2025.  Arguably no team in baseball faces as much short-term pressure as the Jays, since Guerrero and Bo Bichette are both free agents next winter and there isn’t any indication that the club is making any headway in extension talks.  Bringing in Santander on a long-term deal could be viewed as a move to lock a big bat into the lineup even if Guerrero does leave, similar to how the Gimenez trade could be interpreted as a move to shore up the shortstop position if Bichette departs.

Mutual Interest Between Orioles, Jack Flaherty

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Jack Flaherty’s first stint in an Orioles uniform didn’t go well, as the right-hander struggled to a 6.75 ERA in 34 2/3 innings after Baltimore acquired him from the Cardinals at the 2023 trade deadline.  However, it doesn’t appear that any hard feelings exist between Flaherty and the O’s, as The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Katie Woo write that “both sides would be open to a reunion after Flaherty’s bounce-back season.”

Injuries marred Flaherty’s 2020-22 seasons, and his 2023 numbers are okay but unspectacular (4.43 ERA in 109 2/3 innings) even before his production cratered by the trade to Baltimore.  He signed a one-year, $14MM deal with the Tigers last offseason with the goal of re-establishing his value for another quick trip into free agency, and that plan paid off in spades.  Flaherty posted a 3.17 ERA over 162 innings for the Tigers and Dodgers, and another deadline deal that sent him to Los Angeles saw Flaherty capture a World Series ring with his hometown team.

Flaherty’s 29.9% strikeout rate, 32.1% whiff rate, and 5.9% walk rate were all excellent, while his hard-contact and chase rates were both well above the league average.  Batters were able to square up Flaherty when they did make good contract (24 homers allowed, 7.7% barrel rate) and his fastball averaged only 93.3mph, but his modest four-seamer was mostly a setup pitch for Flaherty’s devastating curveball.

This isn’t the first time Flaherty has been linked to the Orioles this winter, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote a few weeks ago that the O’s viewed Flaherty as a potential backup plan if the team was unable to re-sign Corbin Burnes.  Now that Burnes has officially signed with the Diamondbacks, it therefore isn’t surprising that Sammon and Woo write that the Orioles “recently inquired about Flaherty,” as well as other starters they might have on their target list.

How many free agents are on that target list isn’t clear, as Flaherty stands out as the top starter available now that Burnes is off the board.  Flaherty is perhaps the only pitcher remaining who has clear-cut upside as a No. 1 starter, which is what the Orioles need for a rotation that is solid but lacking in a true ace.  Of course, Flaherty’s inconsistent track record prior to 2024 isn’t exactly evidence that the 29-year-old is that kind of frontline pitcher, but it might speak to his talent that the O’s are still interested signing him even in the wake of the 2023 letdown.

Such pitchers as the Padres’ Dylan Cease and the Mariners’ Luis Castillo have been linked to the Orioles on the trade front, but acquiring those hurlers would cost the O’s in both prospects and (in Castillo’s case) some significant money.  Signing Flaherty would cost Baltimore “only” money, and perhaps importantly, no draft picks since Flaherty wasn’t eligible for a qualifying offer.  Nick Pivetta is the last pitcher remaining who rejected a qualifying offer, and signing Pivetta would cost the Orioles their third-highest pick in the 2025 draft — a concession Baltimore was reportedly wary about giving up for Pivetta or any other qualified pitcher besides Burnes (who wouldn’t have cost the Orioles any extra compensation since he was their own free agent).

Orioles Sign Nick Gordon To Minors Contract

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The Orioles announced that utilityman Nick Gordon has been signed to a minor league contract.  Gordon hit the open market after electing to become a minor league free agent after the season, following an outright off the Marlins’ roster in August.

Injuries and some struggles in the upper minors kept Gordon from making his MLB debut until 2021 and his age-25 season, but as recently as the 2022 season, Gordon hit .272/.316/.427 with nine homers over 443 plate appearances and 136 games with the Twins.  While not the heights expected of Gordon as the fifth overall pick of the 2014 draft, it seemed like he’d found a nice niche for himself as a multi-positional weapon, as he saw a lot of playing time in left field, center field, and both middle infield spots that season.

In 2023, however, Gordon got off to a slow start and then fractured his shin on a foul ball in May.  He played in a few Triple-A games in September but the injury ended his Major League season after 34 games and a .503 OPS over 93 PA.

This ended up also being the end of Gordon’s tenure in Minnesota, as the Twins dealt him to the Marlins last February for lefty Steven Okert.  The change of scenery didn’t help Gordon, as he hit .227/.258/.369 over 275 PA and 95 games, playing primarily in left field with some time in center and at second base.  With the Marlins wanting to give more playing time to younger players down the stretch, Gordon was designated for assignment and then outrighted in August.

The Orioles might also have some interest in seeing if Gordon can be a late bloomer at age 29, similar to how the O’s struck gold in revitalizing Ryan O’Hearn’s career in 2023.  However, it is more likely Baltimore views Gordon as more of a depth signing to add some veteran experience to the minor league ranks, as the Orioles are already deep in left-handed hitting outfielders and middle infielders.

Cubs Sign Caleb Thielbar

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The Cubs announced that left-hander Caleb Thielbar has been signed to a one-year, Major League contract.  Thielbar (who turns 38 in January) is represented by ISE. Thielbar’s deal guarantees him $2.75MM, according to a report from Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

Chicago is the seventh different MLB team Thielbar has been a part of since his pro career began as an 18th-round pick for the Brewers in the 2009 draft.  Despite this journeyman resume, all Thielbar’s 320 big league innings over eight seasons have come with the Twins, in two separate stints from 2013-15 and then 2020-24.  That second stretch with Minnesota revived Thielbar’s career entirely, as he had taken on a coaching job in college following the 2019 season before he was lured back with another minor league deal from the Twins.

Thielbar’s second act saw him emerge as a quietly effective weapon out of Minnesota’s bullpen.  He posted a 3.21 ERA, 30.2% strikeout rate, and 7.4% walk rate over 174 innings from 2020-23, inducing a lot of soft contact along with those missed bats and limited free passes.  Over his career, Thielbar has limited left-handed batters to a meager .213/.265/.328 slash line over 553 plate appearances, and his splits against righty-swingers (.240/.310/.401 in 773 PA) is also very respectable, even though right-handed bats have hit Thielbar harder over the last two seasons.

2024 was a much more difficult season, as Thielbar struggled to a 5.32 ERA and his walk rate shot upwards to 11.1%.  The southpaw’s strikeout rate was still above the league average but it also sharply dropped off to 24.5%.  An early-season hamstring strain might have been partially responsible, as Thielbar had an 8.04 ERA in his first 15 2/3 innings of the season before somewhat stabilizing to a 3.98 in his remaining 31 2/3 frames.

Thielbar’s short-term, cost-efficient contract fits Jed Hoyer’s preferred model for reliever contracts during Hoyer’s four-year tenure as Chicago’s president of baseball operations.  The Cubs were thin on left-handed bullpen candidates, and Thielbar now joins a list of options that includes Rob Zastryzny, Luke Little, and potentially Jordan Wicks unless the Cubs want to keep Wicks stretched out for starter duty.  Chicago figures to augment this group with at least one more southpaw before the season opens, whether on another guaranteed deal like Thielbar or in the form of trades or minor league signings.

Multiple Teams Showing Interest In Kyle Hart

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The Astros, Brewers, Orioles, Twins, and Yankees are among the teams that have shown interest in free agent southpaw Kyle Hart, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Katie Woo.  Earlier this month, FanSided’s Robert Murray indicated that a whopping 18 teams had at least checked in on Hart’s services as he looks to return to North American baseball after a tremendous year with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization.

Hart posted a 2.69 ERA, 28.8% strikeout rate, and six percent walk rate over 157 innings and 26 starts with the Dinos, winning the Dong-won Choi Award (the KBO League’s answer to the Cy Young Award).  Hart’s best pitch is his slider, but according to Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, Hart used that slider less as a primary offering and more as a chase pitch to put batters away.  Longenhagen isn’t sure how Hart’s arsenal of this plus slider but only a 90mph fastball and an okay changeup will translate back in the big leagues, and thus Hart is projected as a fifth or sixth starter even if Fangraphs ranked him 48th on their list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents.

A somewhat limited repertoire might be less of an issue if Hart is working out of the bullpen, of course, and Sammon and Woo note that some interested MLB teams have considered Hart as a multi-inning reliever.  Whether working as a starter, long reliever, or perhaps both in a swingman role, there’s plenty of upside if the 32-year-old Hart can carry over even some of his KBO success back to the big leagues.

It isn’t known if Hart is specifically looking for a starting opportunity in the majors or if he’s willing to take on any role, though the five teams cited as suitors would seem to slot him as a reliever or swingman, in lieu of future injuries or trades to the incumbent rotation.  The Twins and Yankees are particularly thin on left-handed bullpen options, which could make Hart particularly appealing to those clubs.

Hart’s previous Major League experience consists of just four appearances and 11 innings with the Red Sox in 2020, when he was hit hard for a 15.55 ERA over his few cups of coffee in the Show.  A 19th-round pick for Boston in the 2016 draft, Hart pitched pretty well in his first taste of Triple-A ball in 2019, but has since struggled at the top minor league level, with an overall 4.36 ERA to show for 334 2/3 career Triple-A frames.  Hart spent his entire career with the Red Sox before pitching with the Mariners’ and Phillies’ Triple-A affiliates in 2023, and then jumping to the Dinos.

Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts

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Several teams don’t publicize contract details for their top front office executives or even for their managers, so this list of skipper and execs (any head of a baseball operations department, whether titled as a president of baseball ops, general manager, chief baseball officer, etc.) entering the final year of their deals may not be entirely complete or accurate.  Still, since MLBTR so often focuses on players entering their “contract year,” this post provides a rough outline of which notable team personnel may be feeling some extra pressure as their own deals may be close to expiring.

It is quite possible some of these names may have already quietly signed extensions weeks or months ago, or will sign new deals during Spring Training once clubs turn their attention away from offseason roster-building.  A shorter-term extension may not necessarily indicate much extra job security, as some teams tack an extra year (or at least a club option) onto an executive or managerial contract just to avoid the appearance of that person entering a lame-duck year.  Of course, even a longer contract is no guarantee of job security, as a rough season can instantly put a manager or a front office on the hot seat.

As always, thanks to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for reference information on some of these contract terms.

Angels: Ron Washington is already heading into the final season under contract, as he signed only a two-year deal to manage the Halos in November 2023.  While the Angels were only 63-99 last season, it could hardly be considered Washington’s fault given the subpar state of the roster.  Expectations will be higher in 2025 since the team has been aggressing in adding talent this winter, and since GM Perry Minasian got a contract extension last August, Los Angeles might also look to add a year onto Washington’s deal to at least keep him on line with the guaranteed portion of Minasian’s new contract.  It should be noted that Washington turns 73 this coming April, so he might also prefer to just take things year-to-year if he has any thoughts about retirement.

Astros: Dana Brown is entering his third season as Houston’s GM, and the terms of his contract weren’t made public when he was hired in January 2023.  It is possible Brown might only be working on a three-year deal since his predecessor James Click also received just a three-year commitment, though Click was hired in the singular aftermath of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.  This probably isn’t a situation to monitor too closely since the Astros have kept winning during Brown’s tenure, with the caveat that owner Jim Crane and his advisors are known to weigh heavily on baseball operations decisions.  Click was let go within days of winning a World Series due to reported acrimony with Crane, but there hasn’t been any indication of any heat between Crane and Brown.

Athletics: Mark Kotsay’s initial contract covered the 2022-24 seasons, and the A’s picked up Kotsay’s 2025 club option over a year ago.  GM David Forst said in October that “there’s no one I would rather have managing this team,” and that Kotsay “wants to be here,” though there hasn’t been any public word about any extension talks.  As comfortable as Kotsay seems with the organization, it is possible he might be willing to let the season play out and then explore his options, if he has any uncertainty over continuing to manage the A’s through their stint in West Sacramento before their planned move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season.  While no public details were revealed about Forst’s latest contract, the GM has obviously signed some kind of extension since his last deal expired after the 2023 season, and said in November that “I’ve been here for 25 years.  There’s not a thought that I wouldn’t be in this for the long run.”

Blue Jays: Manager John Schneider is entering the last guaranteed season of his three-year contract, as the Blue Jays hold a club option on Schneider for 2026.  It is fair to guess that the Jays might not exercise that option too far in advance, as there is widespread speculation that another disappointing season (or even a slow start) will cost Schneider his job.  The same could be true of general manager Ross Atkins, even though Atkins is under contract through 2026.  Team president Mark Shapiro is also entering the final season of his five-year contract, and while Shapiro’s focus has been more towards bigger-picture projects like Rogers Centre’s renovations, his possible departure might also trigger a larger overhaul unless the Jays turn things around on the field in 2025.

Braves: Manager Brian Snitker is entering the last year of his contract, so the Braves might well look to tack at least one more season onto Snitker’s deal this spring.  Snitker has led Atlanta to the postseason in each of the last seven seasons, highlighted by the team’s World Series victory in 2021.  He has stuck to just shorter-term deals and extensions during his tenure, which is probably due more to his age (Snitker turned 69 in October) than any dissatisfaction on the organization’s part, so no change seems imminent in the Braves dugout.

Cardinals: John Mozeliak’s exit plan is already in place.  The longtime head of the St. Louis front office is stepping down after the 2025 season, with Chaim Bloom already inked to a long-term contract to become the Cardinals’ next president of baseball operations.

Cubs: The Cubs have posted 83-79 records in each of the last two seasons, but they still haven’t reached the postseason during Jed Hoyer’s four-year tenure as president of baseball operations.  2025 is the last year of Hoyer’s original five-year contract, and acquiring Kyle Tucker (who is a free agent next winter) in a big-ticket trade might indicate that Hoyer is feeling some heat to win as soon as possible.  It can be argued that Hoyer has been somewhat hamstrung by ownership’s reluctance to spend at the top of the market, but that might also indicate that ownership could be considering hiring a PBO with more experience in building contenders on limited budgets.

Dodgers: Reports surfaced earlier today that the Dodgers are planning to work out an extension with Dave Roberts, as the skipper is entering the last season of his last three-year extension with the club.  It comes as no surprise that L.A. wants to retain Roberts in the wake of the team’s second World Series title during his tenure, and it stands to reason that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is also a candidate for a new deal, perhaps regardless of the terms of his last agreement.  Friedman came to the Dodgers on a five-year deal in October 2014, then signed an extension of an unknown length in November 2019.  If that next contract was another five-year pact, Friedman is a technically free agent right now, but there has no zero indication that Friedman (who has been as busy as ever in bolstering the Dodgers roster this winter) is going anywhere.

Guardians: This is a speculative entry since it has been well over a decade since Chris Antonetti’s contract terms were publicly reported.  Even if he is approaching the end of his current deal, there hasn’t been any sense that the Guardians are planning a front office change, especially not in the wake of another AL Central crown and a trip to the ALCS.  Antonetti has been a member of Cleveland’s front office since 1999, and in his current role as president of baseball operations since October 2015.

Mariners: Jerry Dipoto has been extended twice since the M’s first hired him in September 2015, and his last extension in September 2021 was a multi-year deal of unspecified length.  It is therefore possible this could be Dipoto’s final season under contract as Seattle’s president of baseball operations, unless another extension has been signed in the last three-plus years.  Despite four straight seasons of 85 or more wins, the Mariners reached the playoffs just once in that span, as a lack of hitting has hampered the team over the last two years in particular.  It remains to be seen if ownership is okay with just being competitive (or, as Dipoto infamously put it, winning “54 percent of the time“) or if any impatience is growing over the Mariners’ difficulty in truly breaking through as a contender.  The Mariners were sparked to a 21-13 record down the stretch after manager Dan Wilson was hired last August, so it could be that the managerial change (and a change of hitting coaches) is what was needed to get the M’s back on track, but Dipoto and Wilson could both face pressure if Seattle again falls short of postseason baseball.

Orioles: Mike Elias has been Baltimore’s GM for six seasons, though his contract terms haven’t been made public at any point during his tenure.  Manager Brandon Hyde signed a three-year deal when first hired prior to the 2019 season, and he has signed at least one or perhaps two extensions since, leaving his contract status a bit of a mystery.  This is another situation where job security probably isn’t an issue, as the Orioles have come out of their rebuild to reach the playoffs in back-to-back years, even if the club has yet to record even a single postseason win in that span.  New owner David Rubenstein is eager to win but hasn’t shown any inclination to changing the leadership structure since he bought the Orioles earlier this year.

Pirates: Ben Cherington has now completed five full seasons as the Buccos’ general manager, so he either signed a somewhat unusually long contract when first hired, or he has already inked one extension that has escaped public attention.  Pittsburgh fans are impatiently waiting for the first winning season of Cherington’s tenure, as the team has flirted with contention in each of the last two years before finishing with identical 76-86 records.  Paul Skenes has at least emerged as the crown jewel of the Pirates’ lengthy rebuild process, so regardless of Cherington’s contract terms, it doesn’t appear as though he is in any danger of being fired.

Rangers: Bruce Bochy’s return to managing saw him sign a three-year contract with Texas, so 2025 represents the final year of that deal.  Bochy turns 70 in April but didn’t give any hints about retiring when speaking to reporters at the end of the season.  A second straight losing season might change the equation either on Bochy’s end or on the front office’s end, but the Rangers’ 2023 World Series title (to say nothing of Bochy’s three previous rings as the Giants’ manager) has naturally brought him a lot of leeway within the organization.  Both sides might prefer to go year-to-year just to maintain flexibility, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Bochy soon gets another year added to his contract.

Rockies: Bud Black has signed three straight one-year extensions to remain as Colorado’s manager, and past reports have indicated that Black is on something of an unofficial year-to-year rolling contract with the organization.  It is perhaps notable that Black’s most recent deal wasn’t finalized until this past October, whereas his previous two extensions were completed prior to the start of the seasons.  This might indicate that ownership and/or Black himself are starting to think harder about continuing the relationship in the wake of six straight losing seasons, even despite the Rockies’ well-known penchant for staying loyal to long-term employees.  The same logic could extend to GM Bill Schmidt, though Schmidt’s contract terms haven’t been known since he was elevated to the full-time general manager position in October 2021.

Royals: Matt Quatraro is entering the final guaranteed year of his initial three-year contract as manager, though the Royals have a club option on his services for the 2026 season.  J.J. Picollo has also completed two full seasons as the team’s general manager since being elevated to top of Kansas City’s baseball ops ladder in September 2022, though his contract status in the wake of that promotion wasn’t known.  Regardless, it doesn’t seem like either is going anywhere, and extensions could be in order since the Royals enjoyed an 86-win season and a return to the playoffs last year, including a wild card series win over the Orioles.

Tigers: Likewise, Detroit is also coming off a playoff appearance and a wild card series victory, as a magical late-season surge left the Tigers just one game short of the ALCS.  It is therefore safe to assume that president of baseball operations Scott Harris has plenty of job security, and while his contract terms aren’t known, it is probably safe to assume Harris received more than a three-year guarantee when he was hired in September 2022.

Twins: Some larger-scale changes could be afoot in Minnesota since the Pohlad family is exploring selling the Twins, and some shuffling in the front office has already taken place, with president of baseball ops Derek Falvey also becoming the president of business operations and Jeremy Zoll replacing Thad Levine as general manager.  Falvey’s previous deal was up after the 2024 season so obviously he signed an extension, but while manager Rocco Baldelli’s previous extension is known to have run through at least the end of the 2025 campaign, it is unclear if the coming season is the final year of that deal.  If Baldelli is indeed heading into a lame-duck year, the ownership situation might prevent the skipper from getting at least another season added to his deal, just so a new owner could potentially have a clean slate in evaluating things once they take over the team.

White Sox: This is more of a speculative entry, just because Chris Getz’s contract terms weren’t released when he was named Chicago’s general manager in August 2023.  A GM wouldn’t normally be considered to be on the hot seat so soon after being hired, nor are immediate results expected since the White Sox are quite obviously going through a hefty rebuild.  While nobody expected the Sox to contend in 2024, however, there’s a difference between just being a losing team and having a league-record 121 losses.  Another embarrassment of a season might give owner Jerry Reinsdorf second thoughts about Getz’s stewardship of the rebuild effort, or the possibility exists that Reinsdorf could sell the team, which should shake the organization up entirely.

Yankees: Aaron Boone quieted some of his critics when the Yankees both returned to the postseason, and captured the first AL pennant of Boone’s seven-year stint as the Bronx manager.  This result led the Yankees to exercise their club option on Boone’s services for 2025, and while no negotiations had taken place about a longer-term deal as of early November, it stands to reason that some talks will take place before Opening Day.  Then again, Boone’s current deal wasn’t signed until after he’d already completed the final season his previous contract, so it could be that the Yankees will again play wait-and-see.  There isn’t much sense that Boone is in jeopardy, and while expectations are always high in New York, ownership’s loyalty to Boone through some relative lean years would make it unusual if he was let go so soon after a World Series appearance.

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