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Wednesday MLB Free Agents/Trades/Rumors Wrap-up
The moves came early and fast on Wednesday. The Philadelphia Phillies finally signed the player they've been waiting all offseason to get their hands on. Then the snowball started rolling.
According to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Phillies came to an agreement with Kyle Schwarber. Per Jon Heyman of Audacy Sports, Schwarber's contract is worth $79 million over four years.
After being non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs following a mediocre 2020, Schwarber reinvented his career with the Washington Nationals and hitting coach Kevin Long, who's now also employed by the Phillies.
In 2021 with the Nationals and Boston Red Sox, Schwarber slashed .266/.374/.554 with 32 home runs in just 471 plate appearances.
While Schwarber's deal was reported early in the morning at 9:30am, baseball's most anticipated deal of the day was reported at 12:05am Thursday.
According to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, Freddie Freeman is headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers for $162 million over six-years.
The 12 year Atlanta Braves veteran finally won a World Series last year. In the Fall Classic Freeman hit two home runs and slashed .318/.360/.636. For his postseason career, Freeman has an OPS of .916 in 183 plate appearances, experience the Dodgers will surely count on come October.
While Freeman may have been MLB's most anticipated signing, the highest monetary value of the day fell to Kris Bryant and the Colorado Rockies, according to Heyman.
His deal far eclipses the contract the Phillies extended to Schwarber. Seven-years/$182 million is an AAV the Phillies simply couldn't shoulder on their current budget.
The Rockies though, freed from paying Trevor Story, found their Nolan Arenado replacement at third base in Bryant, who slashed .265/.353/.481 in 2021 between the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs.
While the Cubs lost fan favorites Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javy Báez and Kyle Schwarber all within the last two season, perhaps they gained a new one today in Seiya Suzuki, per David Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago.
That deal will last five-years for a sum of $70 million.
For his Nippon Professional Baseball career, Suzuki hit 182 home runs and slashed .315/.414/.570 from age-18 through age-26.
While many of the most exciting moves of the day were free agent signings, the Toronto Blue made their splash via trade.
They acquire multi-Platinum Glove winner Matt Chapman from the Oakland Athletics for RHP Gunnar Hoglund, SS Kevin Smith, LHP Zach Logue and LHP Kirby Snead, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Former Oakland third baseman celebrates in A's dugout.
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While Chapman has been an above-average offensive player for most of his career, he's a beacon of consistency on defense at third base. Since his debut in 2017, Chapman has averaged nearly 16 defensive runs saved per year.
Elsewhere in trade news, the Kansas City Royals announced they swapped left handed starter Mike Minor with Cincinnati Reds reliever Amir Garrett.
34-year-old Minor is due $10 million this year on the second season in a two year deal that hasn't gone well thus far. In 2021 Minor pitched to a 5.05 ERA in 158.2 innings.
Over in Cincinnati, Garrett is still not set to test the free agent market for another two season, but following a promising 2018 through 2020, he regressed in 2021, pitching only 47.2 innings for a 6.04 ERA.
The Royals weren't done for the day after that though. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, former Cy Young winner Zack Grienke is returned to Kansas City where he started his career in 2004.
The 38-year-old is one of baseball's longest tenured players. After a 2021 in which Grienke had a 4.16 ERA in 171 innings for the Houston Astros, he'll make $20 million in 2022 for the Royals.
Another unexpected deal Wednesday was the San Diego Padres acquisition of Nick Martinez for four-years/$20 million, with opt-outs after after both the first and second year. according to Passan.
Martinez spent the last few seasons since 2018 pitching in Japan for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks where he had a 1.60 ERA in 149.2 innings last year.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers made their free agent reliever splash today too. Acquiring Andrew Chafin in free agency for two-years/$13 million, according to Rosenthal.
Chafin was dominant last year for the Cubs and A's with a 1.83 ERA over 68.2 innings for the best season of his career.
Other free agent relievers finding clubs include former-Phillie David Robertson, who signed with the Cubs for $3.5 million for 2022, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Robertson caught on with the Tampa Bay Rays at the tail end of 2022, marking his first MLB action since 2019. There he pitched just 12 innings for a 4.50 ERA, he also made three postseason appearances across 4 innings, allowing no runs.
Out west, the San Francisco Giants added a cheap veteran in Joc Pederson for $6 million in 2022, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
Pederson hasn't excelled since 2019 and certainley never lived up to his rookie billing, but was excellent in the 2021 postseason for the Braves, knocking three home runs in 15 games.
Unable to bring back Freeman or Pederson, the Braves did manage to sign 2021 World Series hero Eddie Rosario. That deal will last two years for $18 million, it also includes a club option for 2024.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Eddie Rosario makes a leaping play during 2021 World Series.
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Rosario had an otherworldly 1.647 OPS in the NLCS last year, taking home MVP honors for the six game series. His .903 OPS for the Braves in the regular wasn't too shabby either.
Though the Reds have shed salary, dumping Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez for relative pennies, their acquisition of Mike Minor was a strange signal from today. They also added free agent Donovan Solano for $4.5 million, according to Heyman.
While there were no other moves of significance Wednesday, rumors continued to swirl. The most significant being the Baltimore Orioles contract offer to shortstop Carlos Correa.
Raul Ramos of Con Las Bases Llenas reports that this deal would be worth $300 million over 10 season, what would easily be the most lavish deal in Orioles franchise history.
Staying the AL East, the Blue Jays and Cleveland Guardians have begun discussion on a trade involving Jose Ramirez, according to Rosenthal.
Ramirez is 29, but under contract for two more years with the Guardians. They've committed to a full rebuild but would stand to gain the most value out of their star player trading him right now.
Since acquiring Matt Chapman however, its unclear if the Blue Jays are still pursuing the Guardians superstar.
Finally wrapping up Phillies news, cross state rivals Pittsburgh Pirates claimed Adonis Medina off waivers from the Phillies.
Once MLB's #77 prospect pre-2019, Medina struggled mightily in 2021 with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, making 17 starts with an ERA of 5.05.
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