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A busy offseason continued on Friday, as the Tampa Bay Rays officially shipped outfielder Wil Myers to the San Diego Padres. 

The Padres announced the full details of the blockbuster deal:

The team announced this afternoon that they have acquired 2012 Rookie of the Year outfielder Wil Myers, catcher Ryan Hanigan, left-handed pitcher Jose Castillo and right-handed pitcher Gerardo Reyes from the Tampa Bay Rays. As part of the deal, the Padres will send catcher Rene Rivera, right-handed pitcher Burch Smith and infielder Jake Bauers to Tampa Bay, as well as right-handed pitcher Joe Ross and a player to be named later to Washington.

Dennis Lin of U-T San Diego provides details on Myers’ expected role with the team:

Following a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2013, Myers disappointed last season, hitting .222/.294/.320 with six home runs and 35 RBI in 87 games. 

Still, he’s only 24 years old, has a very bright future in front of him and, perhaps most importantly, doesn’t even become arbitration eligible until 2017. It’s not exactly like the Rays to sell low on such a talented player on a friendly contract, especially after president of baseball operations Matt Silverman, via the Tampa Bay Times‘ Marc Topkin, readily admitted Myers’ struggles were injury-related:

We don’t have any questions about Wil. The guy we saw last year was injured and didn’t really have a chance to demonstrate what he has. We look at him as a rookie of the year who really missed most of the season and expect him to be back in that form as a formidable bat in the middle of the lineup who also plays a pretty good outfield.

There had been some rumblings about teams showing interest in Myers, but it’s still a bit surprising to see the Rays pull the trigger on a deal. 

The hope for San Diego is that Myers, who missed half of last season with a fractured wrist, simply approaches his 2013 numbers. In 373 plate appearances, he hit .293/.354/.478 with 38 extra-base hits. Although he wasn’t eligible, his 131 OPS+ would have been 15th-best in the American League, per Baseball-Reference.com. 

Entering just his third MLB season, the former top-five prospect has the talent to enjoy a bounce-back year, especially if he’s healthy. 

If that happens, it may not be long before the Rays start to regret this deal. 

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For now, Alex Rodriguez has one job: help the New York Yankees at the plate. 

Despite the Yanks signing third baseman Chase Headley to a four-year deal, and despite A-Rod turning 40 in July and not having played since 2013, general manager Brian Cashman told The Associated Press Tuesday, via ESPN.com, the polarizing veteran will still play a significant role in 2015: 

I can’t expect Alex to be anything. I’ve got to think the worst and hope for the best. Even before the suspension, he wasn’t the same player at third base on the defensive or offensive side. And that was before the suspension.

And now he’s been out of the game for a year. He’s approaching 40 years of age. And just to automatically assume given his circumstances that he’ll be able to plug right in, play third as an everyday guy and hold up and be productive, I think that would be dangerous thinking from my perspective, in the seat I’m sitting in.

So given all that circumstance, we look forward to him hopefully solidifying himself as a tremendous DH for us.

That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, but Cashman is simply being realistic.     

Rodriguez’s glove was a detriment before the yearlong suspension, finishing 2013 with minus-three defensive runs saved and a minus-0.1 Ultimate Zone Rating, per FanGraphs. Relying on him as anything other than a backup at the hot corner would be a dangerous proposition. 

In the batter’s box, though, A-Rod can still help New York. 

Even with declining power—his slugging percentage has dropped each of the last six seasons—Rodriguez hit .244/.348/.423 in 2013. That would be an upgrade for the Yankees, who got a .233/.284/.395 slash line from their designated hitters in 2014, per FanGraphs. 

He won’t come close to providing value on his contract that pays him a humorous $61 million over the next three years. But an increased focus on hitting could see him approach .260 with somewhere around 15 to 20 home runs, perhaps.

At the end of the day, though, Rodriguez is at the very tail end of his career and hasn’t played a professional baseball game for a long time. 

He could very well help this team in a limited fashion, but Cashman is right to keep his expectations low.

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A free agent for the first time in his 11-year MLB career, Alex Rios has opted to sign with the Kansas City Royals. 

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman provides details of the new contract:

Rios, who hired Scott Boras as his agent after the Texas Rangers declined his $13.5 million club option for 2015, will be 34 years old when the season starts.

Much like the rest of the Rangers, Rios’ 2014 campaign was mostly forgettable.

While his batting average hovered around .300 for much of the season and finished at a respectable .280, the pop in his bat almost completely disappeared.

In 521 plate appearances, Rios hit just four home runs—the same amount as San Franciso Giants ace Madison Bumgarner. His home run-to-fly-ball percentage was a measly 2.9 percent, while his OPS (.709) was his worst mark since 2011.

He hit 30 doubles and eight triples, so there was a bit of bad luck not to have more home runs, but it was still a major regression in the power department nonetheless.

As Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan noted, it’s the second move by Kansas City this offseason that banks on a bounce-back campaign:

There are reasons to be encouraged. Even in what was essentially a replacement-level season, the veteran crushed left-handed pitching, finishing with a slash line of .325/.353/.545 in 133 plate appearances. He also stole 17 bases, showcasing solid speed.

Perhaps most importantly, he wasn’t exactly healthy. He battled rib and ankle injuries down the stretch, which forced him to miss 31 games, the most since 2006 for the typically durable player.

“His numbers were down because of the injuries,” his former agent, Paul Kinzer, told The Dallas Morning News‘ Gerry Fraley on Oct. 15. “He stayed in the lineup and tried to do all he could because of what was happening with the team.”

Rios hit .305/.333/.440 with 16 stolen bases in the first half of last season and just .211/.246/.281 with one steal in the second half, so perhaps a return to full health will produce better overall numbers. 

While $11 million is a bit steep, the free-agent market was quickly drying up, and Kansas City took some of the risk out of the move by making it a one-year deal. 

If Rios, who has made a habit throughout his career of following up disappointing seasons with serviceable ones, can simply find some of his lost power, he’ll be a nice addition for manager Ned Yost.

All stats via Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.

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With an array of talented pitchers eligible for free agency next season, the Cincinnati Reds—unlikely to re-sign them all—are a logical trade partner for teams looking to improve their staff.     

Unsurprisingly, Johnny Cueto, the man at the top of Cincy’s rotation, is the most desirable. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has the newest rumor: 

GM Walt Jocketty commented on a potential trade of Cueto, and teammate Aroldis Chapman via C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Even Reds manager Bryan Price, via the Boston Herald‘s Scott Lauber, has hinted that re-signing all four of Cueto, Mat Latos, Mike Leake and Alfredo Simon will be an unattainable goal:

We’re not in that environment where we can pay (all four pitchers) the terms of the contract that they’ve earned through their performance. There’s other teams that have more ability to take on that type of a financial commitment, and we also have other parts of our team that we have to improve. And maybe we have to look at some of those pieces in our rotation to get us other pieces for 2015 and beyond.

In other words, before they lose some of these valuable pieces for nothing in a year, they need to find a way to flip them for future assets. 

As CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder and Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi noted, Cueto will undoubtedly return the biggest haul of those assets:

Over the last several years, there have been very few pitchers better than Cueto, who finished 2014 second in NL Cy Young Award voting behind Clayton Kershaw. Leading the NL in innings pitched (243.2) and strikeouts (242), he compiled a sparkling 2.25 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He had a career high in strikeouts per nine innings (8.94) and finished fourth in the majors in ERA+ (160), per Baseball-Reference.com. 

Giving up prospects for any player who could potentially dart after just one season is an obvious risk, but Cueto, 28, is one of the best starters in the business. For teams that miss out on Jon Lester, he is an obvious target. 

Conversely, if general manager Walt Jocketty lets go of the team’s star ace, it’ll be a strong sign that the fire sale has officially begun in Cincinnati. 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have added to their already strong outfield depth, swinging a deal with the Cincinnati Reds to acquire Chris Heisey.

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick first reported the trade, and CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman added details:

The Reds confirmed the deal, according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon.

Heisey, who was set to hit free agency if he wasn’t non-tendered before Tuesday night’s deadline, has served mostly as Cincy’s fourth outfielder over the past five seasons. He hit .222/.265/.378 in 2014, spending time at all three outfield positions.

Although he failed to capitalize on several chances to win the starting job in left field, the 29-year-old provided some pop off the bench (50 home runs in 543 career games) and defensive versatility. The righty is a solid backup and pinch hitter.

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times has more from the Dodgers on what Heisey brings to L.A.:

Still, the move is a bit perplexing for the Dodgers, who already boast a bevy of capable outfielders, including Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig, Scott Van Slyke and burgeoning prospect Joc Pederson.

Several of the above players have been at the center of trade rumors over the past month, and this seems to be an indication that new general manager Farhan Zaidi isn’t done making moves this winter.

For the Reds, the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s C. Trent Rosecrans gave a quick look at Matt Magill and explained the reasoning behind the trade:

Cincy was likely going to lose Heisey for nothing, so this is a low-risk acquisition. Magill had a 5.21 ERA in Triple-A last year and may not develop into anything more, but he’s a potential arm out of the bullpen.

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General manager Jack Zduriencik and the Seattle Mariners aren’t bashful. We’ll give ’em that.

For the second winter in a row, the M’s have reportedly made a major splash in free agency. And for the second winter in a row, they’ve done so by doling out a contract that presents major risk and potentially horrid value at the back half.

Last year, it was a 10-year deal to Robinson Cano, who will make $24 million when he’s 40 years old. Now, it’s reportedly a four-year contract worth $57 million to 34-year-old Nelson Cruz.

Although the deal isn’t yet official, El Caribe, a Dominican Republic newspaper, originally reported the news, and it has been confirmed by several other sources, including Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi:

Not surprisingly, opinions of Seattle’s newest acquisition are about as contrasting as it gets.

Chris Carlin of SNY.tv applauded the deal, while FanGraphs‘ David Cameron lambasted it:

Cameron essentially pointed toward the length of the contract, arguing that Cruz isn’t “expected to produce any value in his age-37 season.” That means he’ll likely have to justify the $57 million in a span of three—or potentially two—years. For a player who is expected to spend most of his time at DH, that’s a decidedly difficult task.

Nevertheless, risky deal or not, the M’s couldn’t afford to sit back and wait. Already boasting a fantastic pitching staff (Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton, Roenis Elias, Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen) and a stable of talented lefty hitters (Cano, Kyle Seager, Dustin Ackley), Seattle is right on the cusp of contention.

Taking the next step requires adding a right-handed power hitter.

Last year, the Mariners had three left-handed hitters with at least 300 plate appearances and a .400 slugging percentage, while Ackley (542 PA, .398 SLG) and Michael Saunders (263 PA, .450 SLG) were both close.

The amount of right-handed hitters to hit those plateaus? One—Mike Zunino, who finished with a .199 batting average.

Many are expecting a regression from Cruz, who hit 40 home runs with the Baltimore Orioles after averaging 27 per season in the previous five years with the Texas Rangers. Even if he does fall back to earth, though, he’s a career .289/.364/.522 hitter against lefties (.261/.316/.493 against righties), representing an obvious upgrade for the M’s.

Moreover, as ESPN Stats & Info illustrated, he’ll do so at the team’s worst position:

Cruz presents risk, sure. But also, his name is not Kendrys Morales or Corey Hart, so he has that going for him.

The Mariners, in an attempt to stop wasting the prime seasons of Hernandez and Cano, are in obvious win-now mode, and inserting Cruz into the middle of the lineup immediately increases their chances of ending a 13-year playoff drought.

Should that happen, it may not matter what he does—or what his paychecks say—in 2017 or ’18.

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Entering the offseason, general manager Brian Sabean and the San Francisco Giants front office faced a question regarding free agent Pablo Sandoval that seemingly had no correct answer.

On the one hand, Kung Fu Panda has been unquantifiably crucial to the Giants’ three World Series runs in the last five years. But on the other, he was expected to be in line for a major payday. Not only did he once again rake in the postseason, but his brother/agent recently talked about seeking respect.

“The good part of this is he’ll get a chance to explore his value on the market, see who can really appreciate him and his work,” said Michael Sandoval, via the Boston Herald‘s Michael Silverman.

Translation: Brother is going to get paid. Like, nine-figures paid.

But the Giants’ once impossible decision (Sandoval has been a San Francisco hero over the past half-decade, but do his numbers really command a bloated contract?) may have just gotten a little easier, so long as this rumor from ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick is accurate:

There’s no question that $90 million seems like a lot, until you realize Russell Martin was just given $82 million over five years, as reported by ESPN.com. That’s not meant as a slight to Martin—he’s one of the best two-way catchers in the league—but it’s a testament to the kind of contracts that are given out when there is no salary cap.

And in that kind of environment, Sandoval is a no-brainer for $90 million over five years.

Panda hit .279/.324/.415 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI last season, numbers that are a little lower than his career averages. He also provided solid defense at the hot corner, finishing with four defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs.com.

He’s not spectacular. But he has solid pop, hardly ever strikes out (third among third basemen in K percentage last year), provides consistent defense at an important position and has a knack for coming up big in clutch situations.

Sandoval had an OPS of .808 with runners in scoring position last year. That was actually well below his career average but still seventh among all qualified third basemen. He also hit a scorching .366/.423/.465 in the postseason, setting a major league record in the process:

Throw in the fact that a five-year deal would only keep him under contract until he’s 33, and there’s little reason not to like a contract of this nature.

It sounds as though the Boston Red Sox are going to be aggressive, so the price could very well increase. But if the price remains this reasonable, the Giants have no choice but to match the offer and hope Panda returns home.

He’s simply too important to let walk for that kind of contract.

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After just one season, the Baltimore Orioles may be ready to part ways with starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez.

According to MLB.com’s Tracy Ringolsby, via MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli, the O’s are actively shopping the 30-year-old veteran:

Although Dan Duquette hit a home run with the Nelson Cruz signing last winter, he seems to be accepting defeat on this one.

Duquette and the Orioles tossed four years and $50 million at Jimenez, who followed up a pair of mediocre seasons with a solid 2013 campaign that saw him finish with a 3.30 ERA and a career-high 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings in Cleveland.

But he plummeted back to replacement-level status in ’14, going 6-9 with a 4.81 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and a horribly wild 5.5 walks per nine. The latter was a career-worst, even for Jimenez, who has always struggled with his control.

As Ghiroli noted, with Jimenez being owed just over $38 million over the next three seasons, the O’s will have to work to find a trade partner:

Duquette and Co. will have to either pay a portion of his contract or throw in a mid-level prospect to make something happen, but cutting their losses could be worth it to free up some room on the books.

Any potential suitors, on the other hand, would be taking a risk in hopes Jimenez could find his 2013 form in a new environment.

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For the second time this World Series, the Kansas City Royals’ bats awoke from a Madison Bumgarner-induced slumber in impressive fashion.

Revitalized by a return home to Kauffman Stadium, Ned Yost’s squad scored seven runs in the second inning and cruised to a 10-0 win over the San Francisco Giants, forcing a decisive Game 7 on Wednesday night.

As the Royals have proved all season, it doesn’t take immense power to produce this kind of offensive outburst. They hit just one solo home run in the seventh but relentlessly bombarded San Francisco with six doubles and a total of 15 hits, joining the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series record book by the third inning:

That meant rookie Yordano Ventura had the rare experience of pitching in a do-or-die game with essentially no pressure. Spotted the early seven-run advantage, the 23-year-old tossed seven scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing just three hits.

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan and Ace of MLB Stats put the excellent performance into historical perspective:

The Royals, who entered Game 6 scoreless in their previous 15 innings, didn’t take long to rediscover their form at the plate. After threatening in the first, they knocked around veteran starter Jake Peavy and Game 4 hero Yusmeiro Petit for eight hits and three doubles in the second.

Eleven players ultimately came to the plate, and seven crossed it. MLB’s Twitter feed provided a glimpse of the seemingly endless onslaught of base knocks:

Peavy’s night was done after just 1.1 innings. He gave up six hits, one walk and five earned runs, putting an end to a forgettable postseason and World Series for him.

It puts the former Cy Young winner in embarrassing company, per ESPN’s Buster Olney:

Of course, the painfully ineffective outing was nothing new for Giants starters not named Madison this series. The San Francisco Chronicle‘s Henry Schulman highlighted just how much Bruce Bochy has missed Matt Cain:

The night wouldn’t be complete without a home run allowed by Hunter Strickland. Mike Moustakas took the struggling reliever deep in the bottom of the seventh, pushing the Royals’ lead to 10-0.

Strickland pitched seven scoreless innings in the regular season, but the rookie has absolutely crumbled in October. He has now surrendered six home runs in the postseason, including two in the World Series, leading to these shameful stats from Sports Illustrated‘s Joe Sheehan and Baseball Prospectus‘ Sam Miller:

Fortunately for the Giants, the slate is wiped clean in Game 7. Unfortunately, history hasn’t been kind to teams in their position, per MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez and Sportsnet radio host Tim Micallef:

The Royals will turn to Jeremy Guthrie in an attempt to continue that trend, while Bochy will hand the ball to Tim Hudson, with Bumgarner a serious early option out of the bullpen should things even slightly go awry. 

Whether it’s ultimately Kansas City ending a 29-year drought or San Francisco making it three titles in five years, we are now less than 24 hours away from one of the greatest things in sports: a Game 7 to determine the champion. 

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The Kansas City Royals entered Game 1 of the World Series with eight consecutive 2014 postseason wins, scoring more than five runs per ballgame during that stretch. It had been one of the most memorable postseason runs in recent memory.

But Madison Bumgarner had plans of extending his own streak.

The San Francisco Giants ace allowed one run, three hits and one walk in seven innings, powering Bruce Bochy’s squad to a 7-1 series-opening win. It marks his third win in as many World Series starts.

Before allowing a home run to Salvador Perez in the seventh inning, Bumgarner ran a pair of astounding scoreless innings streaks a bit further, as noted by ESPN Stats & Info and ESPN’s Buster Olney:

The Mercury News‘ Alex Pavlovic provided an updated look at the 25-year-old’s unbelievable career numbers in the Fall Classic:

It took San Francisco just one inning to give Bumgarner the insurance he needed. The Giants smacked Royals starter James Shields around for five first-inning hits, including an RBI double from Pablo Sandoval and a two-run home run from Hunter Pence.

Even New York Yankees starter Brandon McCarthy couldn’t help but praise the right-fielder, who later hit a double and scored another run:

MLB‘s public relations Twitter feed put Pence’s night in historical perspective:

Shields was able to work out of the inning with just three runs allowed, but it was immediately clear Ned Yost couldn’t keep rolling him out there. The Royals’ No. 1 allowed three runs, seven hits and one walk in 3.0 shaky innings of work.

It was just the norm for the Giants against an ace in Game 1 of the World Series, as Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller illustrated:

The three runs were more than enough for Bumgarner. He ran into a bit of trouble in the third when a Brandon Crawford error and Mike Moustakas double put runners at second and third with no outs, but he proceeded to strike out Alcides Escobar and Norichika Aoki before getting Eric Hosmer to ground out.

Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi noted yet another impressive accomplishment from Bumgarner against the normally run-manufacturing Royals:

Bumgarner served up a homer to Perez with two outs in the seventh, but it didn’t matter, as the Giants tacked on two runs in the fourth and seventh innings to put the game well out of reach.

Fortunately for the Royals, they won’t have to face Bumgarner again until Game 4 or 5. But that doesn’t mean the increasing pressure is going to subside between now and Wednesday night’s Game 2.

If they don’t find a way to better get to veteran Jake Peavy, they’ll find themselves down 0-2 heading back to San Francisco, where the Giants have won four in a row.

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