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Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval hasn’t lived up to the expectations of his big contract and could be on the move because of that, with his former team the San Francisco Giants being rumored as a potential suitor.

Continue for updates.

Evans Comments on Sandoval Rumors

Saturday, Nov. 26

“I am not aware of any consideration of a reunion,” Giants general manager Bobby Evans said, per Chris Haft of MLB.com, “but we’ll never forget all that he meant to the Giants organization.”

Sandoval, Giants Reunion Being Considered

Friday, Nov. 25

According to Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald on Friday, the San Francisco Giants have “considered a reunion” with Sandoval. 

However, Drellich added that dealing Sandoval would be “a long shot,” even though current Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski was not the man to bring him to Boston.

Sandoval Has Been Major Disappointment with Red Sox

Sandoval is preparing for his third year with the Red Sox after signing a five-year, $95 million deal before the 2015 season, via Spotrac. 

In those first two years, Sandoval appeared in just 129 games and hit .242 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI. 

It’s a far cry from a player who batted .294 over a seven-year stretch with the Giants, which included two All-Star appearances and a 2012 World Series MVP award. 

Physical issues have played a major role in Sandoval’s inability to produce, though. He was limited to just three games in 2016 after he suffered a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. 

Sandoval also dealt with weight issues, which the team tried to address last season in an attempt to slim him down. While it didn’t work before the 2016 season, it looked like the long layoff did him wonders, as seen during his visit to watch FC Barcelona train:

With the retirement of David Ortiz, the Red Sox will be looking for another productive bat to support Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia. If Sandoval plays like he did in San Francisco, then he would be worth holding on to in Boston. 

But if the Red Sox are set on dealing him, it would probably take a big-market organization to pick up his deal and eat most of that salary.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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With the MLB offseason in full swing, the hot stove seemingly provides us with a handful of new rumors to discuss on a daily basis.

At this point in the offseason, prior to the winter meetings, the bulk of the rumors revolve around players who could potentially be available on the trade market as opposed to free agents and where they might wind up signing.

That will all change in a little over a week when the league converges on National Harbor, Maryland, for the annual four-day circus that is the winter meetings. But for now, we have plenty to discuss from the early stages of the offseason.

All of that said, what follows is a look at one notable rumor currently out there for each MLB team and my odds on whether that rumor will turn out to be true (in a few cases, the most notable speculation will be covered).

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The hot-stove rumor mill has made it clear that the Detroit Tigers have all their star players on the table. Miguel Cabrera. Justin Verlander. J.D. and Victor Martinez.

And then there’s arguably their most attractive trade chip: Ian Kinsler.

Kinsler, 34, has racked up more wins above replacement over the last three seasons than every second baseman except Jose Altuve. And counting his 2018 option, he’s owed just $21 million over the next two seasons.

There is one string attached to Kinsler’s trade value. As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported, he has a 10-team no-trade clause that he wouldn’t waive unless his new team agreed to extend him.

“If one of the 10 teams happens to call and wants to talk about it, we’re open to talking about it,” said his agent, Jay Franklin. “(But) they’re going to have to extend him for us to waive the no-trade.”

Further complicating matters is how, as Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors noted, there’s a “relative dearth of demand” for second basemen right now. Second base was one of the most star-studded positions in the majors in 2016, after all.

However, none of this can stop the more imaginative among us from speculating about possible suitors and trade packages for Kinsler. So let’s get to it.

Los Angeles Dodgers

You knew this was coming, for you also saw that one report from Jon Morosi of MLB Network: 

After posting an .823 OPS with 28 homers and playing Gold Glove defense in 2016, Kinsler would be a considerable upgrade for a second base spot in Los Angeles that produced just a .723 OPS without great defense. With Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick out of the picture, said position is also wide-open.

We don’t have to speculate too hard about what the Tigers would take in a trade. Morosi claims they have their eye on a particular Dodgers prospect:

Cody Bellinger is just the kind of blue-chipper the Tigers need to be targeting as they seek to satisfy general manager Al Avila’s vision (via MLB.com’s Jason Beck) for a “younger” and “leaner” team. 

Bellinger put himself on the map with an .873 OPS and 30 homers at High-A in 2015, and he kept it up with an .872 OPS and 26 homers at Double-A and Triple-A in 2016. Baseball America ranked him as the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect midway through 2016 and as the No. 24 prospect overall.

Per numbers crunched by Kevin Creagh and Steve DiMiceli at The Point of Pittsburgh, that kind of ranking equates to $62 million in surplus value, defined as the “amount of value that a team places on that asset when discussing him in potential trades.”

That comes close to matching up with Kinsler’s value. In light of his strong track record and cheap contract, Rob Rogacki of SB Nation’s Bless You Boys put the “conservative” estimate for Kinsler’s surplus value at $50 million. A straight-up Kinsler-for-Bellinger swap may be a fair enough deal.

But since the Dodgers are one of the 10 teams on Kinsler’s no-trade list, a trade between the two sides would more likely involve Kinsler and cash going to Los Angeles to offset any difference in surplus value and help pay for his new extension.

Or, the Tigers could do business with the…

Pittsburgh Pirates

I’m not aware of any rumors linking the Pirates to Kinsler, but Mike Axisa of CBSSports.com has the right idea in seeing them as a suitor. Kinsler would provide an upgrade at second base and free up Josh Harrison to go back to a super-utility role.

Several of the Pirates’ best young players would probably be untouchable in trade talks. Their lack of starting pitching depth behooves them to hold on to Tyler Glasnow. Andrew McCutchen’s fading star power puts them in the same boat with Austin Meadows. Josh Bell is already penciled in as their everyday first baseman.

Instead, the Pirates and Tigers would have to center a deal around Kevin Newman.

Newman’s a 23-year-old infielder who hit .320 across Single-A and Double-A in 2016. And while he’s a shortstop now, the popular wisdom appears to be that he’s ticketed for a job at second base.

The one problem: Newman landed at No. 51 in Baseball America‘s midseason top 100. That equates to $22.4 million in prospect value. Give him the benefit of the doubt and put him in the top 50, and it only improves to $38.2 million. Still not enough for Kinsler.

Ke’Bryan Hayes would do the trick of evening things out. He landed at No. 72 for Baseball America, giving him $22.4 million in prospect value. But since he’s a 19-year-old third baseman who hasn’t quite put it together yet, he also strikes a balance between an expendable piece for Pittsburgh and an upside play for Detroit.

Or, the Tigers could set their sights on a deal with the…

Atlanta Braves

The Braves have been linked to big-name starting pitchers this winter, most notably Chris Sale. That could just be them throwing a bone to fans who have had to abide two straight terrible seasons.

Or, they could be serious about getting better in 2017 and beyond.

If so, second base would be another good position to upgrade. Jace Peterson, who hit .254 with a .350 on-base percentage in 2016, isn’t bad. But without standout power or defense, he’s not great, either.

Even if Dansby Swanson, now Atlanta’s everyday shortstop, is taken off the table, the Braves still have prospects galore. But there’s one in particular who would stand out to the Tigers in trade talks: Ozzie Albies.

Albies is still only 19, but he owns a .310 average in a minor league career that’s already advanced as far as Triple-A. And while the Braves have him on a path to play second base, MLB.com posits he’s an above-average defensive shortstop.

Albies showed up at No. 17 in Baseball America‘s midseason top 100. That gives him the same prospect value as Bellinger, so a straight-up Kinsler-for-Albies swap could do the trick. If not, the balance could be evened by Detroit sending some money to Atlanta.

Since the Braves may indeed be bluffing about their desire to win now, deals with the Pirates and the Dodgers are more likely. The Dodgers, in particular, loom as the team that needs Kinsler the most and also as one of the best trading partners Detroit could ask for.

However, there could also be some mystery teams out there…

Mystery Teams

The Los Angeles Angels would no doubt love to have Kinsler to fill their black hole at second base. Cliff Pennington as a starting second baseman is…well, not ideal.

The absence of top-100 prospects in the Angels’ decrepit farm system means they’re incapable of matching the quality of other trade packages. But if they were to start a deal with toolsy outfielder Jahmai Jones and pile on, they might offer the Tigers too much quantity to refuse.

The Kansas City Royals are another American League team that needs a second baseman. Of course, there are real barriers between them and Kinsler. They and the Tigers share a division, and adding him doesn’t mesh with their desire to cut payroll—Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star has more on that.

Still, never say never. The Royals could make shortstop Raul A. Mondesi, Baseball America‘s No. 55 midseason prospect, the centerpiece of an offer and go from there.

The Philadelphia Phillies could also be lying in the weeds. Cesar Hernandez is a good second baseman, but not a franchise cornerstone. The Phillies may want to do better with the end of their rebuild nearing.

A deal between the Phillies and Tigers could involve Hernandez going to Detroit alongside one of Philly’s better prospects. Outfielder Nick Williams, who landed at No. 40 for Baseball America, would work.

There could be other mystery teams out there that are too mysterious to show up on radar. Perhaps Kinsler will end up with a team we haven’t named.

Or, he could end up with one of his most obvious suitors. Let’s go with that until we learn of his fate in real life.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked. Payroll and contract info courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Thanksgiving is behind us (belch), and the winter meetings kick off Dec. 4, but MLB‘s hot stove is lukewarm at best.

Sure, a few meaningful deals have gone down. The Houston Astros signed outfielder Josh Reddick and acquired catcher Brian McCann from the New York Yankees. On Wednesday, the Seattle Mariners shipped mercurial right-hander Taijuan Walker to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a five-player swap. 

Most of the top free agents and trade targets remain on the board, however. 

That’s not completely unusual; big names often sign after the holidays and well into the new year.

However, with uncertainty swirling around the soon-to-expire collective bargaining agreement, it feels as though players, agents and executives are hanging back like shy partygoers shuffling their feet by the punchbowl.

With that in mind, let’s crank up the music and run through a half-dozen moves clubs should pull the trigger on as soon as possible—mostly because it would behoove them, but also because we’re ready for some action.

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The Atlanta Braves added one of the most versatile players in baseball Thursday by signing Sean Rodriguez to a two-year deal worth over $11 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

Heyman reported Rodriguez will earn $5 million per year with a $1.5 million signing bonus, making the deal worth a total of $11.5 million.

The 31-year-old utility man played seven different positions last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing everywhere on the field except for pitcher and catcher. While he spent the most time at first base, he played more than 10 games each at second base, shortstop, third base, left field and right field.

Rodriguez is also coming off the best offensive season of his career. In 140 games, he batted .270 with a .349 on-base percentage to go with 18 home runs and 56 RBI. All were career highs for the nine-year veteran, who’s also spent time with the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels.

“Sean’s just done a remarkable job,” Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington said, per Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “The defensive versatility and the impact, it’s hard to measure.”

Rodriguez will now hope to build on his success from last season, helping his new team in a variety of areas while trying to return to the playoffs. In Atlanta, he’ll likely be utilized at several positions across the infield and corner outfield, though Freddie Freeman is entrenched as the team’s first baseman and Dansby Swanson is the future at shortstop.

The Braves are still rebuilding, but Rodriguez’s versatility will make him a valuable option as the team gives playing time to young prospects.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Seattle Mariners agreed to trade starting pitcher Taijuan Walker to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday as part of a five-player trade.

The Diamondbacks announced they acquired Walker and infielder Ketel Marte from Seattle in exchange for shortstop Jean Segura, outfielder Mitch Haniger and left-handed pitcher Zac Curtis.

Walker has showcased a lot of promise across parts of four seasons in the big leagues. The 24-year-old right-hander possesses a mid-90s fastball and a wipeout curveball, giving him a lot of untapped potential as he continues to learn how to attack the strike zone.

MLB.com ranked him as the fourth-best prospect in all of baseball in 2013, but Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times cautioned: “Reminder about prospects: Three years ago, Mariners wouldn’t trade Taijuan Walker to get David Price. Today, Walker gets Jean Segura.”

A foot injury slowed Walker’s development some during the 2016 season. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times previously reported the starter made a Triple-A rehab appearance during the campaign. The good news was he got in some on-field work without feeling any pain, which likely played a role in his becoming a hot trade target.

His results before the injury were encouraging. He posted a 3.66 ERA, which is nearly one full run better than a year ago, and 1.14 WHIP while striking out 80 batters in 86 innings. His walk rate (1.88 per nine innings) was also on track to become a career low, according to FanGraphs.

He ultimately made 25 starts in 2016 and posted a 4.22 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto commented on the trade, per Tim Booth of the Associated Press: “It’s always hard. It’s hard anytime you give up talent like Taijuan. Frankly you have to give to get.”

Receiving a talent like Segura in return makes things easier.

The 26-year-old slashed .319/.368/.499 in 153 games in 2016, drilling 20 home runs and stealing 33 bases. He stole as many as 44 bases in 2013, and ESPN Stats & Info noted he led the National League with 203 hits in 2016. He also finished with career highs in WAR (5.7) and OPS (.867).

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reflected on the swap: “Arizona sold high on Jean Segura and bought low on Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte. Marte a legit SS, four years younger than Segura to boot.”

In terms of Walker, some may wonder why the Mariners traded a pitcher with so much upside who’s under team control through 2020, per Spotrac. The most likely explanation would be the front office’s uncertainty about whether he can truly become an ace, so Seattle capitalized on his value while he’s still a prized young arm.

All told, moving a pitcher with Walker’s potential is a risk, even when considering the package the Mariners got in return. But it’s one Seattle decided to take after getting a close look at the starter since drafting him in the first round in 2010.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Kenley Jansen is one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. By definition, he’ll improve any club that signs him.

He doesn’t make sense for every team, however, financially or strategically, including the Miami Marlins.

So, naturally, they’re in deep on Jansen.

In fact, the 29-year-old right-hander is the Marlins’ “top target,” per FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman. The Fish, Heyman noted, “are considering the idea of putting together a super pen since there aren’t the types of starters available at reasonable cost to help them upgrade their rotation in a meaningful way.”

That’s not absurd. Far from it. The super bullpen is baseball’s latest fad. It propelled the Kansas City Royals to a World Series title in 2015 and carried the Cleveland Indians to Game 7 a few short weeks ago.

If Miami lured him in, Jansen would join a pen headlined by All-Star A.J. Ramos, who posted a 2.66 ERA last season and racked up 73 strikeouts in 64 innings. 

Jansen also has ties to Marlins skipper Don Mattingly from their days with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He boasted a 1.84 ERA with 47 saves and 104 strikeouts in 68.2 innings and proved his mettle in the postseason. 

“Having a shutdown closer like Jansen changes the way teams have to plan against the Dodgers,” an unnamed talent evaluator told FanRag Sports’ Jack Magruder. The same would be true for any squad that inked him.

The dots connect.

Ask yourself, though: Is Miami really one superlative reliever away from bona fide contention?

The Marlins finished 79-82 last year, a distant third place in the National League East.

The offense is laden with potential. All-Star center fielder Marcell Ozuna and left fielder Christian Yelich are coming off breakout campaigns. Still, Miami ranked No. 27 in baseball in runs scored, “thanks” in part to the inconsistent stylings of $325 million man Giancarlo Stanton, who hit a scant .240 and paced the team with 140 strikeouts. 

The starting rotation lacks a legitimate No. 1 after the tragic death of Jose Fernandez and will rely on a muddled mishmash topped by veteran lefty Wei-Yin Chen, who posted a 4.96 ERA in his first season in South Beach. 

There are no aces to be had via free agency. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter, meanwhile, ranked the Marlins’ farm system No. 27 in baseball, meaning a roster-remaking trade is unlikely. 

Speaking of which: Jansen would cost the Marlins their first-round draft pick since he rejected the Dodgers’ qualifying offer.

If we were talking about a team that was an elite closer away from World Series glory, that would be a worthwhile trade-off. 

For Miami? Not so much.

Then again, this is a franchise that defines dysfunction. They’re a team, as Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller put it in December, “that always is just one elephant short of going full Barnum & Bailey under the carnival-barker owner Jeffrey Loria.”

The Marlins have won two titles in their relatively brief existence and proceeded to tear each roster down posthaste. They built a gaudy new stadium on a financially unstable foundation. They hired Barry Bonds, arguably baseball’s most polarizing figure, to be their hitting coach and canned him after one season.

We could go on. Even casual observers, however, understand that the Marlins and bizarre decisions go together like stuffing and gravy.

On the grand Miami head-scratching scale, signing Jansen for the $80 million to $90 million he’s sure to command wouldn’t rate near the top. 

But it would be a classic Marlins overreach: Big-game hunting for a splashy name at the expense of a draft pick and a hunk of payroll without an apparent plan. Miami’s budget ranks in the bottom third, per Spotrac. Unless Loria is preparing to untie the purse strings, Jansen is an incongruous luxury.

Miami should hang on to its first-round pick. It should figure out which parts of its current offensive core it wants to keep and nurture.

It should methodically bolster and rebuild the starting rotation over the next few seasons and sketch a road map that goes deeper than the shiniest free agent on the shelf.

For the Marlins, though, “should” is rarely synonymous with “do.” Which means Jansen will probably soon wear an “M” on his hat.

All statistics courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Any good baseball executive enters free agency with more than one plan in mind.

Even the best of baseball operations departments cannot predict what a player may decide. A team can target a free agent and offer him a great deal, but ultimately the decision lies with the player.

So, many teams have to put alternative plans into action.

Yes, fans can hope that their team lands its top targets. But should it not, take a look at who your team may fall back on.

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Longtime Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca died Wednesday at the age of 90.

Bobby Valentine, a former MLB manager and husband to Branca’s daughter, Mary, announced the news on Twitter: “One of the greatest guys to ever throw a pitch or sing a song is [no] longer with us. Ralph Branca passed this morning. In his 91st year on earth he left us with [the] same dignity and grace that defined his [every day] on earth. He will be truly missed!!!”

Branca is famous for surrendering the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” home run to Bobby Thomson in 1951, which delivered the New York Giants the National League pennant.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports and MLB Network was among those who reacted to the news of Branca’s death:

Jay Jaffe of SI.com also chimed in, praising Branca for the manner in which he handled a situation that otherwise could have defined him negatively:

Branca pitched for the Dodgers from 1944 through 1953 before enjoying brief stints with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees. He returned to Brooklyn for one final appearance in 1956 before retiring at the age of 30.

The Mount Vernon, New York, native posted a career record of 88-68 with a 3.79 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 829 strikeouts in 1,484 innings.

He made the All-Star team each year from 1947 through 1949. His best season came in 1947, when he went 21-12 with a 2.67 ERA and finished 11th in the MVP voting.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

We’re less than a month into the Hot Stove League and, already, five of the MLB free agents that appeared on our initial Top 25 Big Board at the end of September have come off the market.

• OF Josh Reddick (No. 12): Signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the Houston Astros.
• SP Jeremy Hellickson (No. 15): Accepted the Philadelphia Phillies’ qualifying offer.
• SP Andrew Cashner (No. 19): Signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Texas Rangers.
• SP Bartolo Colon (No. 21): Signed a one-year, $12.5 million deal with the Atlanta Braves.
• DH Kendrys Morales (No. 23): Signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

On the surface, none of those deals appear to be eye-poppingly absurd or out of place, but it begs the question: If these are the kinds of contracts that players outside our Top 10 landed, what sort of deals await the best free agents still on the market? 

We’ll attempt to answer that on the pages that follow by taking these already completed acquisitions, the latest chatter on the rumor mill and the perceived demand (or lack thereof) for a particular position into account.

Let’s get to it.

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