Kuzul

Free-agent outfielder Ian Desmond is joining the Colorado Rockies.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported Desmond was signing with the Rockies. Joel Sherman of the New York Post confirmed the agreement, adding it’s a five-year deal.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported the value of Desmond’s deal with the Rockies is $70 million.

Rosenthal also noted the team plans to use him at first base and in the outfield. It does come at a steep price, though; the Rockies have to forfeit the No. 11 pick in the draft.

This is Desmond’s third-different team in as many years. After spending seven years with the Washington Nationals, he signed with the Texas Rangers on a one-year deal in 2016.

The 31-year-old is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career in his lone season with the Rangers, batting .285 with 22 home runs and 86 RBI while garnering his second-ever All-Star appearance.

It was an impressive season for a player who was signed so late in the offseason. After turning down a $15.8 million qualifying offer from the Nationals, Desmond tested free agency and wasn’t signed until the last day of February when he accepted a one-year, $8 million deal from Texas, per Spotrac.

It was risky bet for him to try out free agency after he turned down a seven-year, $107 million deal from the Nationals before the 2015 season. He followed it up with his worst offensive year since 2011, batting .233 with 19 homers, 62 RBI and a meager .290 on-base percentage.

But upon his arrival in Texas, Desmond was forced to make the move from shortstop to center field due to Elvis Andrus patrolling the position. He posted a .966 fielding percentage in his first year in the outfield, committing 12 errors on 350 chances.

On Nov. 7, the Rangers made a $17.2 million qualifying offer in hopes of retaining him, but he rejected it one week later.

Now the Rockies will look to capitalize on Desmond’s successful 2016 campaign.

Left field is a potential spot for the Rockies to use Desmond’s offensive capabilities. Colorado got virtually no production from that spot in 2016 with a .256/.291/.403 slash line, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Desmond does hold the promise of providing a noticeable boost offensively given his prior experience at his new home park. According to Matt Musico of numberFire.com, Desmond has hit .379/.406/.611 with three home runs, 11 doubles and 18 RBI in 95 at-bats at Coors Field.

The Rockies don’t often have issues finding offense because their park is catered to hitting in the thin air, but the front office identified multiple positions it wanted to address, and Desmond’s versatility will allow him to handle both of them.

Desmond took a chance on himself after the contract debacle with the Nationals left him searching for a home. He put together a strong 2016 and will now reap the financial rewards while also playing an integral role for a Rockies franchise that is trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler has had trouble getting on the field over his first three MLB seasons, but he will now reportedly get a new opportunity with the Kansas City Royals.

According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, the Royals and Cubs have struck a deal that will send Soler to the Royals for closer Wade Davis, pending physicals. Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball confirmed the report.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal noted the deal would be a one-for-one swap with no other players involved. 

The 24-year-old Soler has been lost in the shuffle with the Cubs. Once the No. 12-rated prospect in all of the minors by Baseball America before the 2015 season (via Baseball-Reference.com), Soler has appeared in just 211 MLB games in three years. 

Though he has a large frame and a lot of potential, the Cuban defector didn’t make his road to the majors any easier with some of his antics. According to Fox Sports’ Mauricio Rubio, “He was benched for not hustling, and in a separate incident he ran toward an opposing dugout with a bat.”

After a limited debut in 2014 that included 97 plate appearances, he yielded underwhelming numbers in 2015 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI in 101 games.

Still, he had an opportunity to gain regular starting time in 2016 when Kyle Schwarber went down with a torn ACL and LCL and did just that from April to June as the Cubs’ go-to left fielder. 

But in 50 games, he batted just .223 with five home runs and 13 RBI before a hamstring injury sidelined him for almost two months. 

To make the timing worse, Soler was batting .318 in the 17 games prior to the injury, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick.

With a rotation of contributors to pick up the slack in left while fellow youngsters Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Javier Baez became household names during the Cubs’ first World Series title since 1908, Soler remained stagnant upon his return. He finished the season with a .238 batting average with 12 home runs and 31 RBI. 

However, he still made some solid contributions to the Cubs’ run toward the postseason:

Though he still has the potential to become a star in the big leagues, the Cubs decided to take the opportunity to sell high on Soler in order to land a top-tier closer. 

Davis has been an All-Star the past two seasons and could be a nice replacement for Aroldis Chapman if he does in fact walk in free agency this winter. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Free-agent first baseman Mitch Moreland‘s seven-year run as a Texas Ranger came to an end Tuesday. According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Boston Red Sox and Moreland have agreed on a one-year deal, pending a physical. 

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the one-year contract is worth $5.5 million.

Moreland had spent his entire career with the Rangers, compiling a .254 batting average and 110 home runs in the process. 

He’s not the flashiest player, nor the most powerful, but Moreland has proved he can contribute to winning teams. 

During his tenure in Texas, Moreland and the Rangers made the postseason five times, including two trips to the World Series. He announced his presence to the Rangers roster during the 2010 Fall Classic against the San Francisco Giants:

Since that rookie season, Moreland recorded three years in which he hit 22 home runs or more, including 2016 when he hit 22 homers and drove in 60 runs. 

However, his average dipped to a meager .233 while striking out a career-high 118 times, which were not the best numbers heading into free agency.  

There will be some big shoes for Moreland to fill upon his arrival to Boston. 

With the retirement of David Ortiz and the rekindling of Hanley Ramirez’s career at first base, Moreland could spend a lot of his time as Boston’s designated hitter in 2017. 

While it won’t be expected for him to put up the 38 home runs and 127 RBI that Ortiz recorded in his final year in 2016, Moreland could be a welcomed addition as long as he produces his familiar numbers in his new home. 

Boston’s lineup is stacked with young talent in the form of Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. alongside the veteran Ramirez. Each of those bats put up over 20 home runs last season and is expected to repeat that kind of output next year. 

Another 20-plus home run bat in Boston’s lineup would be helpful on a team that might not need as many runs with a new-look pitching staff that will feature Chris Sale—who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, per Rosenthal—alongside David Price and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

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.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Major League Baseball has officially begun its descent into winter in the early portions of the offseason. But the hot stove is growing warmer with some big names popping up in the trade market. 

Teams will be keen on addressing their respective needs as early as possible when the pickings are more abundant, so expect the transactions to continue rolling in before the new year. 

Here is the latest on some of the most notable names on the trade market. 

Chris Sale

Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale’s falling out with the team after the release of Adam LaRoche and the jersey-cutting incident has put him on the trade market even though club options could keep him signed until 2019, according to Spotrac.  

For a White Sox team that looks to be in full rebuild mode, Sale’s name has continued to come up, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney:

The White Sox have started the process of a massive sell-off, with other teams increasingly convinced they will deal Chris Sale. ‘And once you trade him,” said [an] evaluator, ‘why would you stop there?’ They’ve told teams they’re willing to deal any player who has fewer than four years of team control.’

Sale has been one of the elite pitchers in the American League over the past five seasons, making the All-Star Game every year. In that span, he’s led the majors in complete games (four in 2013 and six in 2016) and strikeouts per nine innings twice (10.8 in 2014 and 11.8 in 2015), total strikeouts once (274 in 2015) and ERA+ (173 in 2014) once. 

It’s made him one of the most coveted arms on the market, but the White Sox seem to be asking for a pretty penny in return for him, according to Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News: “It’s unclear whether any team will meet the Pale Hose’s current asking price for Sale, which is steep, [a] major league source said.”

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan speculated that the Los Angeles Dodgers would be “a perfect trade partner” for Chicago, citing their deep prospect pool that includes second baseman Willie Calhoun, pitcher Jose De Leon and outfielders Cody Bellinger and Alex Verdugo. 

Chris Archer

Tampa Bay Rays starter Chris Archer is coming off his worst season in the majors, leading the league with 19 losses. However, he didn’t get much help from his offense, as his 3.48 runs of support was ranked 70th among all qualifying pitchers. 

Regardless, the Rays could be looking to ship him out of town, according to Olney: “Rival executives expect the Rays to trade Drew Smyly or Chris Archer, as well as closer Alex Colome, who had 37 saves last season.”

While he’s considered the ace of the Rays staff, Archer has put together just one winning season, going 9-7 in 2013. 

From 2013 to 2015, he garnered an All-Star appearance while posting three seasons with an ERA of 3.33 or lower. But a bad Rays team hasn’t done much to help his stat sheet. 

Olney revealed that the Atlanta Braves are speaking with the Rays about available pitching, but that offense might not provide much more support for Archer. 

Last season, Atlanta scored just 4.03 runs per game, ranking third-worst in the majors. The Rays could score some young talent in return for Archer, but he wouldn’t end up in a much better setting.

Michael Wacha

After going 17-7 with an All-Star appearance in 2015, St. Louis Cardinals starter Michael Wacha came crashing down to earth in 2016. He finished with a 7-7 record alongside a 5.09 ERA while dealing with shoulder issues. 

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Cardinals have “floated” his name in trade conversations but are not likely to get any bites. 

Due to the shoulder problems, Wacha has been unable to become a consistent contributor within the Cardinals rotation. 

He’s never hit the 200-inning mark in his four years in the league, which presents a red flag for any interested suitor. 

But the Cardinals might be trying to sell him while they can get something in return instead of going through three years of arbitration and running the risk of another bad year or injuries.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Free-agent relief pitcher Brett Cecil will have a new home for the first time in his eight-year MLB career, as he signed a four-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the deal was worth $30.5 million.

“The Cecil market escalated quickly. Teams realized three years wasn’t gonna get it done, and St. Louis coveted him enough to go four,” Passan added.

Cecil is coming off his worst season since 2012 with the Toronto Blue Jays, as he posted a 1-7 record with a 3.93 ERA while allowing 39 hits in 36.2 innings.

He was hampered by a triceps injury that kept him sidelined from mid-May to mid-June and allowed 13 runs in his first 24 appearances, with his ERA swelling to 6.75.

He finished strong, however, surrendering just one run in his final 17 appearances. Cecil’s curveball was the pitch he relied heavily upon:

Cecil used the pitch 45.4 percent of the time last season, which was the highest mark of his career, per FanGraphs.

The left-hander posted a sub-3.00 ERA each year from 2013 to 2015, and he made an All-Star appearance in 2013, when he finished 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 11 holds in 60.2 innings.

The Cardinals will hope he can regain that form in 2017 and become an asset to their bullpen.

St. Louis boasts a strong and deep relief corps, but it was in dire need of another quality southpaw to support Kevin Siegrist.

Zach Duke did well in that regard last season, but he is expected to miss all of 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in early October.

That created a major void, but if Cecil can bounce back from a subpar 2016, he is an ideal option to fill it.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Yankees announced on Thursday that they traded veteran catcher Brian McCann and cash considerations to the Houston Astros for right-handed pitching prospects Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman.

While McCann is the big name in the deal, given his seven All-Star appearances, the Astros gave up two young arms who could one day contribute to the Yankees’ pitching staff.

Prior to the trade, Abreu was the Astros’ No. 7-ranked prospect and slots in at No. 10 in the Yankees’ system, according to MLB.com, after spending the 2016 season in Single-A ball.

His 3-8 record and 3.72 ERA might not suggest much success, but the 21-year-old has shown flashes of developing into a reliable starter down the road, although he has a long way to go.

Abreu’s fastball has topped out at 99 mph, which is a noticeable jump from the 87 to 91 mph he was throwing when he first signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013:

However, he needs to work on secondary pitches, as his slider and changeup require plenty of polishing. Once he is able to consistently get those pitches over the plate, Yankees fans will likely see Abreu climb up the ranks within the minors.

Guzman, on the other hand, can unleash a quicker fastball, per JJ Cooper of Baseball America:

He hasn’t found much success as a starter, though, with a 4.63 ERA in the minor leagues.

However, the 20-year-old has developed into a high-strikeout arm, averaging over 11.5 punchouts per nine innings in 2016, per FanGraphs.

His ability to cut down on walks has been more promising. After walking 30 batters in 55.1 innings in 2015, Guzman gave up 10 free passes in 17.1 innings with the Gulf Coast League Astros to start the 2016 season. Upon his arrival with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League, he walked just seven in 22.2 innings.

If he can improve on that and hone his control, Guzman could develop into a nice bullpen option in a few years.

Stats courtesy of MiLB.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Second baseman Neil Walker will return to Citi Field to continue his stint with the New York Mets after accepting the team’s $17.2 million qualifying offer, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported Monday.

ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin relayed Sherman’s report, noting Walker’s injury history may have prevented him from landing a multiyear contract.

Walker confirmed the news on Twitter:

With free agency looming, the Pittsburgh Pirates—with whom he spent the first seven years of his MLB career—dealt Walker to a Mets team that lost 2015 postseason hero Daniel Murphy, who signed with the Washington Nationals prior to the 2016 campaign.

In New York, the 31-year-old put up one of the best seasons of his career, batting .282 with 23 home runs, which tied a career high and ranked third among National League second basemen. 

Nine of those home runs came in April as he quickly endeared himself to Mets fans:

A switch-hitter who provided extra pop in a lineup that needed to add protection for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, Walker helped the Mets set a franchise record with 218 home runs in 2016.

On top of that, he shored up the middle of the infield next to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who also signed with the Mets prior to the 2016 season.

However, Walker’s stellar season was cut short by a back injury that required surgery in September.

The Mets will hope that Walker comes back healthy in 2017, as they might need all of the help they can get in the power department, considering Cespedes is a free agent.

Walker’s return ensures the Mets will have one of the best middle infields in the majors as they attempt to contend for their third straight postseason appearance in 2017.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu opted out of the final three years of his six-year, $68 million deal with the team Monday, according to CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes.  

The 29-year-old still belongs to the White Sox but will undergo arbitration each offseason until 2019. 

A Cuban defector, Abreu came to the United States in 2014 and quickly became one of the league’s most feared power hitters. 

He took American League Rookie of the Year honors that season, batting .317 while mashing 36 home runs with 107 RBI. He led the majors with a .581 slugging percentage and 173 OPS+, gaining his first and only All-Star appearance. 

Since then, he’s seen a slight decline in his power numbers. He hit 25 home runs this season but still knocked in 100 runs thanks to his ability to hit the ball to any field.

Other than Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera in the leadoff spot, though, the White Sox don’t have much more offense to boast, as they limped to a 78-84 fourth-place finish in the AL Central. 

Because of that, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the White Sox are “focused on a rebuild,” where even Abreu isn’t untouchable on the trade market. 

For now, though, Abreu can focus on upping his average annual salary through arbitration as one of the elite bats in Chicago’s lineup moving forward. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Free-agent slugger Mark Trumbo is coming off a career season, which will only drive up his value on the market this winter.  

Continue for updates.

Trumbo Getting Plenty of Interest

Monday, Nov. 14

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported Monday that the market for Trumbo “is bustling,” which will increase the chances of him declining the qualifying offer from his former team, the Baltimore Orioles. 

The Orioles extended a $17.2 million offer for 2017 to Trumbo on Nov. 7, per Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. 

The 30-year-old signed with Baltimore via free agency last winter and exceeded his one-year, $9.15 million deal (h/t Spotrac) by leaps and bounds in 2016. 

He led the majors with a career-high 47 home runs along with 108 RBI as the big bopper of an Orioles lineup that hit an MLB-best 253 home runs.

It was a major resurgence for a player whose career was called into question after a two-year stretch in 2014 and 2015 in which he hit 14 and 22 home runs, respectively, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. 

For a player whose career batting average is .251, he had to display power in order to remain a legitimate contributor within an MLB lineup. 

He had flashed his power upon his introduction to the big leagues with 95 home runs in three years with the Los Angeles Angels, but his first and possibly only year with the Orioles made him a big-time power bat who is now being coveted throughout the league. 

While specific suitors for Trumbo have not been disclosed as of yet, FanGraphs’ Dave Cameron is projecting him to sign a four-year, $66 million deal, which brings an average of $16.5 million per year. 

If Trumbo were to accept the qualifying offer, he would make more than that but run the risk of a down 2017 season diminishing his value in the long run.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com