Hot Stove rumblings: Swanson, Mets catchers, more
With Correa, Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts signing free-agent offers price a mixed $930 million, Dansby Swanson stands to money in when he turns into the fourth star shortstop to signal a deal this offseason.
Swanson is the lone unsigned participant from this 12 months’s four-man shortstop sweepstakes, and with no fewer than six groups nonetheless out there for a marquee participant on the place, he has left himself in an enviable place.
The Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Twins and Cardinals all stay within the shortstop market, whereas the Braves can’t be counted out with regards to retaining Swanson.
Swanson isn’t anticipated to strategy the contracts signed by the opposite three, however the concept of him matching and even exceeding the seven years and $175 million Marcus Semien signed for with the Rangers final 12 months is definitely in play.
“I would have said no a month ago,” one American League govt mentioned. “But with the money out there, who knows?”
“I think I would lean Swanson slightly,” one other AL govt mentioned. “Aging curve factors in and he is younger [than Semien was when he signed].”
Add a National League govt: “He’ll probably get more because he’s the last one standing.”
On the transfer?
The Mets’ signing of Omar Narváez leaves New York with a glut of catching, opening the door for a commerce between now and Opening Day.
Álvarez, who turned 21 final month, might start 2023 because the Mets’ designated hitter, although it appears extra seemingly that he’ll open the season at Triple-A to get extra time behind the plate.
Narváez offers the Mets their greatest offensive choice at catcher, as McCann — who signed a four-year, $40.6 million deal two years in the past — struggled on the plate in 2021 (.643 OPS in 121 video games) and hit even much less (.538) whereas taking part in in solely 61 video games in 2022.
According to a supply, the Mets might make McCann accessible to different groups, although with two years and $24 million remaining on his contract — $2 million extra yearly than Christian Vázquez simply signed for with Minnesota — New York would seemingly must pay down a part of the contract to commerce him. The Mets might attempt attaching a prospect to McCann with the intention to transfer him.
Nido doesn’t have any Minor League choices remaining, so the Mets can be pressured to hold all three catchers or designate both McCann or Nido for task in the event that they don’t transfer one among them between now and Opening Day.
Hot range rumblings
• The Blue Jays had been open to buying and selling catcher Danny Jansen for a beginning pitcher previous to their signing of Chris Bassitt, however now that’s not a certainty, in accordance with a supply.
With the highest free-agent catchers off the market and Sean Murphy dealt to Atlanta, Toronto is the best commerce companion for a catching-needy group. But the Blue Jays aren’t more likely to pressure a deal for the sake of creating one.
Toronto might carry Jansen, Gabriel Moreno and Alejandro Kirk on the roster, giving Kirk plenty of at-bats because the DH. Moreno may begin the season at Triple-A if the Blue Jays don’t discover a deal to their liking.
• The Rangers proceed to seek for a left-handed-hitting left fielder, with Michael Conforto a possible match.
