2023-24 MLB free-agent signing tracker, grades: Shōta Imanaga nearing deal with Cubs
MLB free agency is in full swing!
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who checked in as FOX Sports’ No. 1 free agent this offseason, was the top prize on the market before announcing that he’s signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a record 10 years and $700 million, with $680 million deferred until the end of the contract.
There are still several other star players, notable names and valuable contributors on the open market. Here’s a look at the notable moves made so far this offseason, signing grades from the MLB on FOX staff, and the players still available.
2023 stats: .261/.309/.463, 24 home runs, 82 RBI, 108 OPS+
Reported terms:Three years, $42 million
Previous team: Diamondbacks
Having already added externally in a big way with the signing of Eduardo Rodríguez and the trade acquisition of Eugenio Suárez, Arizona chose to run it back with a familiar face by re-signing Gurriel to occupy left field. In a shallow position-player market, Gurriel stood out as one of the more reliable bets to produce at a league-average level or better on both sides of the ball moving forward, leaving many to wonder if another team could lure him away from the desert with a sizable offer.
In the end, Gurriel took a deal in line with expectations with a team he’s clearly comfortable with, and it addresses another obvious need for the Snakes as they look to maintain momentum from their surprise pennant run. Should Arizona continue to add, bringing in the right full-time DH would go a long way toward deepening this lineup even further. In a broader sense, let’s see if this Gurriel signing loosens up a position-player market that has been awfully quiet thus far. — Jordan Shusterman (Grade: A-)
2023 stats: 13-9, 3.30 ERA, 143 strikeouts, 1.153 WHIP, 152.2 IP
Reported terms: Four years, $80 million
Previous team:Tigers
All throughout their magical October jaunt, it was clear the Diamondbacks desperately needed another starting pitcher. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly were leaned upon as expected and rookie Brandon Pfaadt emerged as a legitimate option. But behind that trio was a carousel of nothingness — a hope, a prayer and a gaping hole. The Arizona bullpen performed admirably, but was so obviously outmanned.
Enter Rodríguez, who opted out of the remaining three years and roughly $46 million on his deal with Detroit on the back of a strong 2023 season. In 26 starts, the Venezuelan lefty delivered a 3.30 ERA and 152 2/3 innings. The underlying numbers suggest that ERA was a tad lucky — E-Rod’s strikeout and batted ball numbers were more pedestrian than fantastic — but the soon-to-be 31-year-old is the epitome of a mid-rotation arm.
For the Diamondbacks, this move was a no-brainer. The rest of their projected 2023 rotation — Gallen, Kelly, Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson — were right-handers. Rodríguez gives that group a different look, a particularly key dynamic in a playoff series. The signing is an indicator that Arizona intends on keeping the momentum from its phenomenal National League-winning season going. There were rumors that the uncertainty surrounding the D-backs’ television deal might limit their ability to spend. Those rumors have proved untrue, as this signing pushes the 2024 payroll approximately $10 million beyond last year’s mark. Good for the D-backs, the snakes stay alive. — Jake Mintz (Grade: A-)
LHP Chris Sale (extension)
2023 stats: 6-5, 4.30 ERA, 125 strikeouts, 1.130 WHIP, 102.2 innings pitched, 20 starts
Reported terms: Two years, $38 million with $18 million club option for 2026
Previous team: Red Sox
RHP Reynaldo López
2023 stats: 3-7, 3.27 ERA, 83 strikeouts, 1.273 WHIP, 68 appearances, 66 innings
Reported terms: Three years, $30 million
Previous team: Guardians
A few days after acquiring lefty groundball machine Aaron Bummer, Atlanta bolstered its bullpen further with the signing of Bummer’s former White Sox teammate in López. López is a traditional late-inning flamethrower who is coming off a career year racking up punchouts at a career-high 30% clip, which positioned him as one of the top relievers on the market. Early reports that the Braves are considering having López stretched out as a starter are curious to say the least, but securing a pitcher of his caliber this early in the offseason is a nifty move regardless of the role he ultimately settles into. — Shusterman (Grade: A-)
INF David Fletcher and C Max Stassi
2023 stats: Fletcher.247/.302/.329, two home runs, 12 RBIs, 72 OPS+; Stassi missed 2023 season because of a hip injury and personal issue
Trade return: first baseman Evan White and left-handed relief pitcher Tyler Thomas
Previous team: Angels
RHP Craig Kimbrel
2023 stats: 71 appearances, 23 saves, 3.26 ERA, 94 strikeouts, 1.043 WHIP, 69 innings
Reported terms: One year, $13 million
Previous team:Phillies
The 36-year-old Kimbrel is arguably one of the five best closers in baseball history. He’s eighth on the all-time saves list with the second-highest strikeout rate ever, though his effectiveness has understandably tailed off in his mid-30s.
At this point in his career, Kimbrel is more capable than dominant. He was the Phillies’ ninth-inning option for much of last year, but was never close to being the club’s most effective reliever. This past October, he blew back-to-back games in the NLCS against Arizona, as he looked completely rattled, overmatched and up the creek without a paddle. Thus, he remains the primary scapegoat in Philadelphia following its devastating playoff exit. The City of Brotherly Love is happy to see him gone.
But the Orioles, who agreed to a one-year deal with Kimbrel worth $13 million, believe that Kimbrel can still provide value during the regular season. Baltimore will be without Félix Bautista for all of 2024 after the shutdown closer tore his UCL near the end of last season. Kimbrel will not come close to filling that void, but he does give skipper Brandon Hyde a relatively reliable option in a hazy bullpen.
Kimbrel has a chance to be useful, but is far from a lockdown ninth-inning playoff soul-snatcher. The moment has gotten to the stocky flamethrower during the playoffs throughout his impressive career, and there’s no real reason to think that will change.
How this fits into Baltimore’s offseason as a whole is the more interesting dynamic. The $13 million given to Kimbrel is the biggest free-agent contact the Orioles have handed out since the four-year, $57 million deal they gave Alex Cobb in March 2018. If Kimbrel is the totality of the offseason, it will be a disastrous winter. If Kimbrel is simply a supplementary feature of a grander, more active strategy, that’s a different story. The ebbs and flows of an offseason are all about chronology. Kimbrel makes the Orioles better than they were yesterday but cannot single-handedly ensure the O’s repeat their 101-win success of last year. — Mintz(Grade: B-)
2023 stats: .231/.321/.403, nine home runs, 21 RBIs, 94 OPS+
Trade return: RHP Nick Robertson and Victor Santos
Previous team: Cardinals
RHP Cooper Criswell
2023 stats: 10 appearances, 5.73 ERA, 33 IP, 27 strikeouts, 4 walks, 1.545 WHIP
Reported terms: One year, $1 million
Previous team:Rays
RHP Lucas Giolito
2023 stats: 33 appearances, 4.88 ERA, 204 strikeouts, 1.313 WHIP, 184.1 innings
Reported terms: Two years, $38.5 million
Previous team:Guardians
Boston has not been shy about communicating their intentions to be aggressive this winter, but this is their first such move that has reflected said goals. After a seemingly distant finish in the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes, the Red Sox have pivoted swiftly with this deal for Giolito. The simple version of the Giolito story: He followed three straight seasons of receiving down-ballot Cy Young votes with back-to-back campaigns with ERAs closer to 5, the most recent of which featured serious struggles amid a highly uncommon sequence of midseason movement bouncing between three different losing teams. What Giolito has sustained throughout, however, is durability and a proclivity to pile up strikeouts. Over the past five seasons, the right-hander ranks sixth in starts, seventh in innings pitched and fourth in strikeouts among all big-league starters.
Combined with his relative youth for a free-agent pitcher (he doesn’t turn 30 until next July), Giolito offers Boston a combination of upside and reliability that is exactly what its rotation chock-full of question marks sorely needed. With hitter-friendly Fenway Park his new home, Giolito will need to iron out the issues that made him particularly homer-prone in recent years. But with the incentive of an opt-out looming for Giolito to re-enter the market after a stronger season than the previous two, both player and team will be highly motivated to make the right tweaks to ensure they get the most of the big righty’s time in Boston. There’s more work to be done to get this roster to the point where it can be considered viable postseason contenders, but this is a step in the right direction. — Shusterman(Grade: B)
LHP Shōta Imanaga
2023 stats: 7-4, 2.80 ERA, 174 strikeouts, 1.054 WHIP, 148 innings
Reported terms: Deal pending medical
Previous team: Yokohama Bay Stars
RHP Erick Feede
2023 stats (KBO): 20-6, 2.00 ERA, 209 strikeouts, 0.95 WHIP, 180.3 innings
Reported terms: Two-years, $15 million
Previous team: NC Dinos (Korean Baseball Organization)
SS Paul DeJong
2023 stats: .207 batting average, .258 on-base percentage, .355 slugging percentage, 14 home runs, 38 RBIs, four stolen bases
Reported terms: One-year deal
Previous team: Cardinals
2023 stats: .191/.258/.348, 15 home runs, 36 RBIs, 66 OPS+
Reported terms:One-year deal plus team option
Previous team:Astros
3B/1B Jeimer Candelario
2023 stats: .251/.336/.471, 22 home runs, 70 RBIs, 119 OPS+
Reported terms: Three years, $45 million
Previous team: Cubs
When canvassing Candelario’s market entering the winter, the Reds didn’t exactly stand out as a team in need of another infielder. But this is a prime example of a team looking to get better in any meaningful way and not worrying too much about an obvious fit. Candelario is a perfect high-floor addition that will find ABs at both corner infield spots and DH and serves as valuable insurance in the lineup for any amount of incoming regression from Cincinnati’s tremendously deep group of young players.
I understand the assumption that this move will lead to a Jonathan India trade, but I’m still not convinced that’s GM Nick Krall’s preferred strategy moving forward this offseason. While it might seem like an overly crowded positional group, manager David Bell has proven adept at moving guys around and establishing rotations that ensure consistent at-bats for more than just eight traditional starters. There’s a lot to like about this offensive group, but Cincinnati should remain aggressive in pursuing starting pitching — more likely via trade than free agency — in a continued effort to build off a promising 2023. — Shusterman (Grade: B+)
RHP Nick Martinez
2023 stats: 6-4, 3.43 ERA, 106 strikeouts, 1.260 WHIP, 110 innings
Reported terms: Two years, $26 million
Previous team:Padres
By the end of last season, the Reds’ pitching rotation was essentially Andrew Abbott, Brandon Williamson, me, you and Mr. Magoo. Injuries to arms like Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene turned out to be the difference between an October on the big stage and an October on the beach. Remember, the Reds finished just two games behind the D-backs!
A promising and controllable young offensive core means Cincy’s front office can focus on acquiring more proven arms this winter and Martinez is their first prize. The 33-year-old has had a fascinating career arc — from 18th-round pick to mediocre big-leaguer to dominant Japanese League soul-snatcher and back — and opted out of the final two years of his Padres contract in search of a bigger payday. That’s exactly what he got.
Martinez had two years and $16 million left on that deal, and last time I checked, 16 is a smaller number than 26. The Pads had him bouncing back and forth between the bullpen and the rotation over the last few years and there’s no doubt Martinez himself firmly believes he can start. He’ll get that opportunity and the Reds will get a low-cost hurler who, with less role-related yo-yoing, could emerge as a legitimate mid-rotation guy. — Mintz
RHP Emilio Pagán
2023 stats: 5-2, 2.99 ERA, 65 strikeouts, 0.952 WHIP, 66 appearances (one start), 69.1 innings
Reported terms: Two years, $16 million
Previous team: Twins
2023 stats: .284/.380/.565, 28 home runs, 78 RBIs, 25 stolen bases (in 101 Triple-A games)
Trade return: Cody Morris
Previous team: Yankees
2023 stats:
RHP Jack Flaherty
2023 stats: 8-9, 4.99 ERA, 148 strikeouts, 1.580 WHIP, 144.1 innings
Reported terms:One year, $14 million
Previous team: Orioles
RHP Kenta Maeda
2023 stats: 6-8, 4.23 ERA, 117 strikeouts, 1.169 WHIP, 21 appearances (20 starts), 104.1 innings
Reported teams: Two years, $24 million
Previous team: Twins
Maeda’s return from Tommy John surgery was derailed in April by a triceps strain that put him back on the shelf for a month, but he was highly reliable in his final 17 outings for Minnesota after coming off the IL in late June (3.36 ERA, .680 OPS against). Maeda should be an excellent veteran complement to an otherwise young yet promising Detroit rotation led by lefty Tarik Skubal. This is exactly the kind of floor-raising move the Tigers should be pursuing aggressively this winter, even if the soon-to-be 36-year-old Maeda doesn’t offer the same kind of upside he once did. — Shusterman (Grade: A-)
2023 stats: .259/.327/.383, seven home runs, 25 RBIs, 95 OPS+
Reported terms: Two years, $12 million
Previous team: Brewers
RHP Michael Wacha
2023 stats: 14-4, 3.22 ERA, 124 strikeouts, 1.16 WHIP, 134.1 innings
Reported terms: Two years, $32 million
Previous team:Padres
How about Kansas City? It seems another 100-loss season (106, to be exact) was enough of a breaking point to spur some legitimately aggressive maneuvering this hot stove season. Wacha — along with outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who also agreed to terms with K.C., brings the club’s guaranteed commitments to free agents this winter to over $100 million. That’s more than every team besides the Dodgers (duh), the Phillies and the Giants. This isn’t just a strong effort toward re-establishing a competent on-field product, but also a bet that with the right collection of veterans and steps forward from younger players, it’s not entirely inconceivable that a team like the Royals could actually stay in the mix in the notoriously weak American League Central.
As for Wacha, this will remarkably be his sixth different team in six seasons, a stunning amount of movement juxtaposed with the stability he experienced early in his career. Occasional injuries have limited his contributions at his various stops, but in terms of performance, Wacha’s been steady as a mid-rotation starter and now follows his 2023 Padres teammate Seth Lugo to a young Royals team in dire need of some veteran stability on the pitching staff. It’s a nice duo to bring in for Kansas City, and for Wacha, a fully healthy season pitching in spacious Kauffman Stadium could prime him for an even bigger payday via opt-out next winter. — Shusterman (Grade: B+)
OF Hunter Renfroe
2023 combined stats: .233/.297/.416, 20 home runs, 60 RBIs, 91 OPS+
Reported terms: Two years, $13 million
Previous team:Reds
RHP Seth Lugo
2023 stats: 8-7, 3.57 ERA, 240 strikeouts, 1.203 WHIP, 146.1 innings
Reported terms: Three years, $45 million
Previous team: Padres
Beyond the revelation that is Cole Ragans, Kansas City’s pitching staff in 2023 ranged from disappointing to downright disastrous in both the rotation and the bullpen. The offense was certainly bad, but it was the widespread ineffectiveness on the mound that torpedoed the Royals to 106 losses, as they took a concerning step in the wrong direction amid their lengthy rebuild.
Though his track record as a starter consists of just this past season, Lugo impressed me enough to rank him atop the third tier of free-agent starting pitchers alongside new AL Central foe Kenta Maeda. Along with the additions of veteran relievers Will Smith and Chris Stratton, it’s nice to see K.C. put resources toward fortifying such a weak part of the roster. — Shusterman
LHP Will Smith
2023 stats: 60 appearances, 4.40 ERA, 55 strikeouts, 1.064 WHIP, 57.1 innings
Reported terms: One year, $5 million
Previous team: Rangers
2023 stats: 17-6, 1.42 ERA, 176 strikeouts, 0.860 WHIP, 171 innings pitched
Reported terms: 12 years, $325 million
Previous team: Orix Buffaloes (Nippon Professional Baseball)
RHP Tyler Glasnow
2023 stats: 10-7, 3.53 ERA, 162 strikeouts, 1.083 WHIP, 120 innings
Reported terms:Five years, $135 million
Previous team: Rays
Already owed $25 million for 2024, this adds four years and $110 million to Glasnow’s contract that would take him through his age-34 season in 2027. The most basic question to ask when a player signs an extension like this is, would Glasnow do better than 4/110 on the open market next winter? That’s highly dependent on how he pitches in 2024, of course, but it’s an especially intriguing proposition for a pitcher in Glasnow who has been so good when available but simply not on the mound nearly as much as the front-end arms he’s often compared to. Should he clear 150 innings for the first time in his career next year and maintain a similar or better level of performance than he’s shown in relatively shorter spurts thus far, a $27 million AAV (average annual value) might end up seeming a tad light. But considering the risk baked in, this appears to be a reasonable compromise on both sides. And for Glasnow, there are far worse places and teams to commit to than the Dodgers for fairly obvious reasons, regardless of how much money he might have left on the table pending his future performance.
For the Dodgers, landing Glasnow improves the team now, while extending him helps clarify their rotation outlook further down the line. Referring to a pitcher who carries substantial durability question marks of his own as insurance is admittedly somewhat counterintuitive, but securing Glasnow for several years beyond 2024 could prove especially prudent with Walker Buehler slated to hit free agency after this upcoming season and even Dustin May on track to hit the open market after 2025. Having dealt away a likely rotation candidate in Ryan Pepiot to land Glasnow, the Dodgers are still motivated to add another arm this winter to fortify their rotation for both the short and long term. — Shusterman
Reported terms: Tampa Bay will send RHP Glasnow and OF Manuel Margot (.264/.310/.376, four home runs, 38 RBIs, 91 OPS+) to Los Angeles in exchange for RHP Pepiot (2.14 ERA, 0.762 WHIP, 42 innings) and OF Jonny Deluca.
In the aftermath of Ohtani’s unprecedented contract, the Dodgers needed to find ways to upgrade their rotation. They didn’t wait long. Glasnow provides as much upside as any pitcher available, though given their abundance of arms throughout the farm system, it was a bit of a surprise to see them add one member to the starting rotation only to lose another. Pepiot is under team control for another five years, so it makes sense that the Dodgers would want assurance from Glasnow that this partnership will last beyond 2023 for them to move forward.
When healthy, few can miss bats the way Glasnow does. The first part of that sentence, however, is doing a lot of work. Glasnow threw 120 innings last year, and that represented a career high for the eight-year veteran who has struggled to remain on the field but thrived when available. Spencer Strider was the only starter in baseball last year (min. 100 innings pitched) with a higher strikeout rate than Glasnow, who immediately upgrades the top end of a Dodgers rotation that includes very little proven production. Margot gives the Dodgers corner outfield depth that they also needed, though it wouldn’t be a shock to see them try to bolster the outfield even further.
Glasnow replaces a young starter in Pepiot who dealt with his own injury history. Pepiot was expected to crack the Dodgers’ Opening Day rotation last season before an oblique injury sidelined him for the season’s first half. He looked terrific in his return. The questions surrounding Pepiot after his debut season in 2022 were less about his stuff and more about his command. In eight appearances last season, Pepiot posted a 2.14 ERA while cutting his walk rate from 16.9% down to 3.1%. — Rowan Kavner (Dodgers’ Grade: A-; Rays’ Grade: B+)
RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani
2023 stats: .304/.412/.654, 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, 3.14 ERA, 167 strikeouts and 55 walks across 132.0 innings
Reported terms: Ten years, $700 million
Previous team:Angels
Los Angeles will sends LHP Victor Gonzalez and 2B/3B Jorbit Vivas for SS prospect Trey Sweeney
Gonzalez’s 2023 stats: 34 appearances,3-3, 4.01 ERA, 30 strikeouts, 1.099 WHIP, 33.2 innings pitched
Vivas’ 2023 stats: .269/.381/.407 slash line, 13 home runs, 63 RBIs (Double-A and Triple-A)
Sweeney’s 2023 stats: .252/.367/.411 slash line, 13 home runs, 49 RBIs (Double-A)
2023 stats: .269/.340/.473 slash line, 15 home runs, 40 RBIs, two stolen bases, 117 OPS+
Reported terms: One-year deal
Previous team: Dodgers
2023 stats: .287/.305/.435, 26 home runs, 93 RBI, 106 OPS+
Reported terms: One-year, $23.5 million
Previous team: Mariners
The Dodgers wanted another right-handed corner outfield bat to combat lefties. After already committing more than $1 billion to free agents this offseason, they decided to get the best one still available. Hernández does not fit the mold of most Dodgers hitters. He chases, strikes out at a high clip and doesn’t walk much, but he also sports a career .887 OPS against lefties. Even in a down year offensively last season in Seattle, he mashed left-handers (.817), launched 26 homers and hit slightly above league average. He is perfectly capable of starting against right-handers, too.
If Hernández more closely resembles his previous few years in Toronto, the Dodgers will have added an All-Star-level impact bat to a lineup that already includes one of the top trios in baseball history. If he doesn’t, he still removes some of the short-term uncertainty in the corner outfield next season with Mookie Betts now primarily playing second base. Pushing even further beyond the luxury tax, the Dodgers continued demonstrating to Shohei Ohtani that the money they saved on his deferred contract will be put to use — and to the rest of the baseball world that they’re the team to beat. — Kavner(Grade: A)
LHP Wade Miley
2023 stats: 9-4, 3.14 ERA, 79 strikeouts, 1.139 WHIP, 120.1 innings
Reported terms: One year, $8.5 million
RHP Josh Staumont
2023 stats: 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 24 strikeouts, 1.450 WHIP, 20.0 innings
Reported terms: One-year deal
RHP Cody Morris
2023 stats: 2-1, 3.23 ERA, 1.256 WHIP, 45 strikeouts, 39 innings pitched, 21 games (time split between Double-A, Triple-A and majors)
Trade return: Estevan Florial
Previous team: Guardians
OF Juan Soto
2023 stats: .275/.410/.519, 35 home runs, 109 RBIs, 158 OPS+
Trade return: RHPs Michael King and Jhony Brito, minor-league RHPs Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez, C Kyle Higashioka to Padres.The Yankees are also getting OF Trent Grisham in the deal.
Previous team: Padres
[Related: Juan Soto trade analysis: Are the aggressive Yankees back? What’s next for Padres?; Why the Yankees still have work to do after trading for Juan Soto]
OF Alex Verdugo
2023 stats: .264/.324/.421 slash line, 13 home runs, 54 RBIs, 100 OPS+
Trade return: RHPs Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice
Previous team:Red Sox
[Related: Yankees fill void with Alex Verdugo trade; Red Sox gain flexibility and promise]
2023 stats: .232/.274/.348, seven home runs, 40 RBIs, 69 OPS+, 20 stolen bases
Reported terms: One year, $10.5 million
Previous team: Reds
RHP Jorge López
2023 stats: 61 appearances, 5.95 ERA, 49 strikeouts, 1.508 WHIP, 59 innings
Reported terms: One year, $2 million
Previous team:Orioles
RHP Luis Severino
2023 stats: 4-8, 6.65 ERA, 79 strikeouts, 1.646 WHIP, 19 appearances (18 starts), 89.1 innings
Reported terms: One year, $13 million
Previous team: Yankees
There’s a long winter ahead that will help fully crystalize the degree to which the Mets intend to compete in 2024, but how they choose to address the glaring rotation needs will tell us a lot. Severino is an intriguing upside gamble that could pay dividends for the Mets regardless of what direction their 2024 goes. Maybe the former Yankee is a key member of a rebuilt rotation, maybe he’s a great piece to flip for a prospect or two at the deadline. I’d be more concerned about Severino’s recent struggles to stay on the field more than his atrocious 2023 stat line. He’s still throwing hard enough to rack up a lot of whiffs with the right tweaks to his arsenal, but none of it’l matter if he can’t stay on the mound. I’d expect the next arm New York acquires to be one with a fair bit more certainty of delivering 25-plus starts in 2024. — Shusterman (Grade: B)
RHP Aaron Nola
2023 stats: 12-9, 4.46 ERA, 202 strikeouts, 1.151 WHIP, 32 starts, 193.2 innings
Reported terms: Seven years, $172 million
Previous team: Phillies
Can’t spell Aaron Nola without three A’s. Nola and the Phillies were canyons apart when they discussed an extension in spring training, but compromise won the day. Nola got the seventh year he wanted, while the Phillies kept the average annual value in a reasonable range. The Phillies needed a pitcher and went with the one they knew intimately, one whose work ethic and makeup they love and one they believe will age well into his late thirties. — Mintz
LHP Martín Pérez
2023 stats: 10-4, 4.45 ERA, 93 strikeouts, 1.405 WHIP, 141.2 innings pitched, 35 appearances (20 starts)
Reported terms: One year, $8 million
Previous team: Rangers
2023 stats: .256/.378/.397, 12 home runs, 43 RBI, 113 OPS+
Reported terms:One year, $5 million
Previous team:Pirates
RHP Marco Gonzales
2023 stats (with Mariners): 4-1, 5.22 ERA, 34 strikeouts, 1.460 WHIP, 50 innings pitched
Trade return: Cash considerations for Braves
Previous team:Braves
LHP Yuki Matsui
Reported terms:Five years, $28 million
It was going to take more than just the Soto trade haul to replace the mountain of innings that have waltzed out the door this winter, and adding Matsui — No. 27 on my free-agent pitcher rankings — should help in those efforts. Though just 5-foot-8, Matsui has been one of the most dominant relievers in Japan for nearly a decade, piling up saves with a low-90s heater, gnarly splutter and, most importantly, exceptional command.
Matsui projects more in the seventh or eighth inning in MLB than the closer role he occupied in NPB, especially with a healthy Robert Suarez slated to headline the Padres’ bullpen. It’s rare to see relievers land three-, let alone four-year deals in free agency, but with Matsui entering only his age-28 season and the AAV at just over $5 million per year, this could prove to be an entirely reasonable, if not straight up savvy investment. Look for San Diego to continue to pursue pitching as the winter rolls on. — Shusterman (Grade: B+)
RHP Woo Suk Go
2023 stats: 3-8, 3.68 ERA, 59 strikeouts, 1.364 WHIP, 40.0 innings
Reported teams: Two years, $4.5 million
Previous team: LG Twins (KBO)
LHP Robbie Ray
2023 stats: (made one start before having Tommy John surgery)
Trade return: OF Mitch Haniger, RHP Anthony DeSclafani
Previous team: Mariners
2023 stats: .290/.335/.538, 8 HR, 17 RBI, 142 OPS+
Reported terms:Two years, $8 million
Previous team:Mariners
CF Jung Hoo Lee
2023 stats (KBO): .318/.406/.455, six home runs, 45 RBIs, six stolen bases
Reported terms: Six years, $113 million
Previous team: Kiwoon Heroes (KBO)
I was about as bullish as could be on Lee as one of this winter’s most underrated free agents, and even I am fairly stunned by the size of the deal he was able to secure here. It’s no secret how aggressive the Giants have been in free agency in recent years without anything in the form of star players to show for it, so it was only a matter of time before they landed one of their top targets.
Lee was reportedly high on their priority list for a while and this significant commitment reflects that. An $18 million average annual value for a center fielder with Lee’s precocious contact ability is entirely reasonable for a team with money to spend like San Francisco, but this is a massive bet on Lee’s bat not only translating to the majors but developing meaningful (or at least respectable) power.
That was going to be a gradual process as is, and now Lee will be tasked with succeeding in a ballpark in Oracle Park that has historically been rather unkind to left-handed hitters not named Barry Lamar Bonds. I’m still a big believer in Lee and don’t want to panic too hard based on the landing spot, but he cannot be the Giants’ only major addition this winter if they want to push themselves back into the playoff picture. For now, good on San Francisco for finally reeling in a significant talent. — Shusterman (Grade: B-)
OF Luke Raley
2023 stats: 249/.333/.490 slash line, 19 home runs, 49 RBIs
Trade return: INF José Caballero
Previous team: Rays
OF Mitch Haniger, RHP Anthony DeSclafani
Haniger’s 2023 stats: .209/.266/.365 slash line, six home runs, 28 RBIs (played in 61 games)
DeSclafani’s 2023 stats: 4-8, 4.88 ERA, 79 strikeouts, 1.254 WHIP, 99.2 IP
Trade return: LHP Robbie Ray
Previous team: Giants
C/DH Mitch Garver
2023 stats: .270/.370/.500, 19 HR, 50 RBI, 134 OPS+
Reported terms:Two years, $24 million
Previous team:Rangers
This would look even better had it not required an ugly prelude of salary-dump swaps to clear enough payroll to spend even a modest amount in free agency. But credit Seattle for jumping on one of the higher-upside hitters in an awfully shallow free-agent market for bats. His contract looks to be a reflection of the market’s view of him as a primary DH moving forward rather than a viable catcher, though it’s likely the Mariners are hoping that less time behind the plate (if any) can help mitigate his other primary red flag involving inconsistent durability.
Garver appears slated to be the Mariners’ first full-time DH since Nelson Cruz. That plugs one massive hole, but their attention must now turn to filling out a highly questionable outfield surrounding superstar Julio Rodríguez in center field. Their scrutinized (and still unclear) budget will likely influence whether their next addition will come via trade or free agency. — Shusterman(Grade: B+)
RHP Sonny Gray
2023 stats: 8-8, 2.79 ERA, 183 strikeouts, 1.147 WHIP, 32 starts, 184 innings
Reported teams: Three years, $75 million
Previous team: Twins
Fresh off a runner-up finish in the AL Cy Young race, Gray lands a hefty multiyear deal with a team in serious need of top-end starting pitching. The pre-Thanksgiving signings of Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson make a lot more sense in the context of this Gray addition, as the Cardinals have swiftly added three veteran arms before the calendar flipped to December. Gray is the key, though — a rotation filled with strictly innings-eaters of Lynn and Gibson’s ilk likely won’t hold up especially well come postseason time. There are elements of Gray’s sensational 2023 that will be tough to repeat — namely his elite home run suppression — but he’s still someone you’d feel great about giving the ball to in October. That caliber of pitcher didn’t exist on the Cardinals roster until this move. Now, the question is, will St. Louis pursue another front-end starter via trade, or does the focus shift to the bullpen? — Shusterman
RHP Kyle Gibson
2023 stats: 15-9, 4.73 ERA, 157 strikeouts, 1.32 WHIP, 33 starts, 192.0 innings
Reported terms: One year, $12 million
Previous team: Orioles
RHP Lance Lynn
2023 stats: 13-11, 5.73 ERA, 191 strikeouts, 1.394 WHIP, 32 starts, 183.2 innings
Reported terms: One year, $10 million
Previous team: Dodgers
INF José Caballero
2023 stats: .221/.343/.320 slash line, four home runs, 26 RBIs
Trade return: OF Luke Raley
Previous team: Mariners
OF/INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa
2023 stats: .242/.306/.340, six homers, 37 RBIs, 78 OPS+, 14 stolen bases
Reported terms: Two years, $15 million
Previous team: Yankees
2023 stats: .265/.322/.419, eight home runs, 36 RBIs, 104 OPS+, 14 stolen bases, Gold Glove winner
Reported terms: One year, $10 million
It’s hard not to love Kiermaier, a master of his craft as a defender in center field whose bat experienced something of a resurgence in his first year north of the border at age 33 after nearly a decade as a divisional foe in Tampa Bay. But while there’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal, this reunion — combined with the two-year deal given to utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa — does little to address Toronto’s glaring need for a more reliable source of offensive firepower. There’s nothing wrong with bringing Kiermaier back, per se, but the production vacated by fellow free agents Matt Chapman and Brandon Belt would appear to be far more urgent areas to address as the winter rolls along.
I don’t sense that Kiermaier’s return completely rules out a run at Cody Bellinger, but the fit would at least seem somewhat narrower. The Blue Jays’ offseason surely isn’t done, of course, but these first two moves feel like ones that should round out a winter of additions rather than kickstart at. With plenty of external options still available, we’ll be patient — but Toronto is one of several teams (Cubs, Giants, Red Sox) feeling the heat to make a real splash after how its 2023 season ended. These moves don’t ease that pressure at all. — Shusterman(Grade: C+)
RHP Tyler Mahle
2023 stats: 1-2 (5 starts), 3.16 ERA, 25.2 IP, 28 strikeouts, five walks, 1.052 WHIP
Reported terms:Two years, $22 million
Previous team:Twins
OF/3B Nick Senzel
2023 stats: .236/.297/.399, 13 home runs, 42 RBIs, 85 OPS+, six stolen bases
Reported terms: One year, $2 million
Previous team: Reds
Top free agents still available:
Blake Snell
Brandon Belt
Clayton Kershaw
Cody Bellinger
J.D. Martinez
Joc Pederson
Jordan Hicks
Jordan Montgomery
Jorge Soler
Josh Hader
Justin Turner
Kenta Maeda
Marcus Stroman
Matt Chapman
Rhys Hoskins
Yariel Rodríguez
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