The holidays have nearly run their course, but MLB hot-stove action is still going strong and figures to play out weeks into the new year. Offseason dealings can bleed into February, so this isn’t entirely novel, but this year’s strangely forming market can be attributed mostly to the circumstances surrounding Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka.
Recall, if you will, the flurry of activity the week before the winter meetings. That’s when Robinson Cano, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Mike Napoli and Curtis Granderson agreed to terms, to name just a few of the bigger moves. Since then, there have been a few notable transactions, including the Rangers’ signing of Shin-Soo Choo, but things have been quieter overall.
Now, though, Tanaka‘s posting could signify a second wave of activity. Here’s the latest as we enter a new chapter of the offseason.