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With Carlos Gomez set to hit free agency in 2016, the Houston Astros may consider trading the outfielder this winter.  

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Cubs, Other Clubs Interested in Gomez

Wednesday, Dec. 9

According to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle, the Astros are “getting inquiries on their outfielders,” namely George Springer and Carlos Gomez. 

Drellich added, “The Cubs do have interest in Gomez, but the Astros are reticent to make a move and have a high price not only because Gomez could be a high impact player, but because the Astros have an outfield that has a history of injuries with Springer and Colby Rasmus.”

Gomez, 30, hit .255 with 12 home runs, 56 RBI, 61 runs scored and 17 stolen bases with the Milwaukee Brewers and the Astros last season. After hitting at least 20 home runs and 70 RBI in his previous two seasons, Gomez’s numbers dipped somewhat in 2015, largely due to the outfielder missing 47 games. 

He played well for the Astros in the postseason, however, hitting .267 with two homers and three RBI in six games.

Trading Gomez would suggest the Astros believe they have the young players in place to replicate his production, a risky move considering the team has the talent in place to return to the postseason, led by shortstop Carlos Correa. It would also weaken the squad’s depth, as Drelich noted. 

On the other hand, the young Astros seem unlikely to re-sign a 31-year-old Gomez next offseason, given the young talent the organization has coming up through the farm system. Getting something for Gomez now would make sense from that perspective. The team made a similar move with Dexter Fowler last year before his impending free agency this winter, so the precedent for trading Gomez is certainly in place.

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Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Neil Walker has reportedly been traded to the New York Mets for pitcher Jon Niese, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports confirmed that Walker has been traded. 

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What Walker Brings to Mets 

Wednesday, Dec. 9

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Bill Brink said the Mets began to consider trading for Walker after Ben Zobrist chose to sign with the Chicago Cubs, confirming a report from Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Walker, 30, hit .269 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI in 2015, his second straight season with at least 15 homers and 70 RBI. But Walker and the Pirates have never been able to agree to a long-term extension, and with the second baseman hitting free agency in 2016, trading him may have been the most logical move for the team.

He should bring the Mets a lot of pop at the plate and could replicate the type of numbers that Daniel Murphy offered at the position last year. Murphy’s price on the market went up significantly after his epic run in the postseason, however, which always makes it questionable as to whether the team can afford to re-sign him.

Trading for Walker will certainly alleviate the need to do so, though the Mets may also hesitate to pull the trigger on that deal if they don’t feel they would be able to sign Walker to an extension.

Angels, Dodgers Were in Mix for Walker

Wednesday, Dec. 9

Bob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Post-Tribune reported the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Dodgers were interested in.

Nationals Expressed Interest in Walker

Wednesday, Dec. 9 

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported the Washington Nationals were looking at Walker after missing out on Ben Zobrist.

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After being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers before the 2015 season, the Brewers announced they have traded slugger Adam Lind to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for pitching prospects Daniel Missaki, Carlos Herrera and Freddy Peralta on Wednesday.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports was the first to report the deal. 

The 32-year-old is fresh off a resurgent season that saw him hit .277 with 20 home runs and 87 RBI with the Brewers in 149 games. It was a major bounce back for a player who hit just six homers and 40 RBI in 96 games with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014, and the Brewers named him the team’s top newcomer in their postseason awards.

While Lind isn’t the player who hit .305 with 35 home runs and 114 RBI in 2009 with Toronto—he’s never hit over 30 home runs or 100 RBI since—he’s a solid veteran presence at first base who hits for a decent average and will knock in runs.

He also came at less of a cost than many of the other sluggers on the market, so the Mariners were able to improve without selling the proverbial farm to do so. Lind is hardly a transformative talent, but he’s the sort of solid option in the middle of a lineup that every contending team needs.

And the Mariners could certainly use more pop in the lineup to complement Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager, making the trade for Lind a solid one for the team.

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The Seattle Mariners reportedly acquired Wade Miley in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Monday, according to multiple reports.

Per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Miley is heading to Seattle in exchange for Carson Smith and Roenis Elias. The Mariners went on to confirm the deal.

Miley, 29, went 11-11 with a 4.46 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 147 strikeouts in 32 starts and 193.2 innings pitched last season. While he’s hardly a star—and while his one season in Boston was a bit of a disappointment—Miley has proved to be a durable and reliable innings-eater at the bottom of a rotation in his five-year career between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Red Sox.

Smith has gone 3-5 with a 2.07 ERA in 78.1 innings pitched over two seasons out of the bullpen with the Mariners, while Elias has made 49 starts for the team over the past two years, going 15-20 with a 3.97 ERA.

The Red Sox have been busy reshaping their rotation this season, signing David Price to a megadeal and trading for closer Craig Kimbrel, so they had some room to move Miley. The Mariners, meanwhile, landed an affordable player—he’ll be paid $6.1 million in 2016 and $8.9 million in 2017 before being eligible for free agency in 2018 if he’s bought out—who should bolster their rotation.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report, who noted that the spacious confines of Safeco Field better fit a pitcher like Miley, also added that the deal could free up enough money for the Red Sox to potentially pursue another pricey pitcher during free agency.

Miley will enter a rotation headlined by Felix Hernandez, with younger pitchers Taijuan Walker and James Paxton following King Felix and showing the potential to be excellent starters. The loss of Hisashi Iwakuma to free agency—he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per Heyman—hurt the rotation, but the hope will be that Miley can provide the team with a veteran, consistent arm to make up for Iwakuma’s loss.

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The Chicago Cubs re-signed relief pitcher Trevor Cahill to a one-year, $4.25 million contract on Monday, per Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com confirmed the report, adding the deal is pending a physical.  

Cahill, 27, went 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, two holds and 36 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched last season in stints with the Atlanta Braves and the Cubs. While he struggled with Atlanta, he was excellent in Chicago, notching a 2.12 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in 11 appearances. He also went 1-1 in six postseason appearances, giving up two earned runs in 5.1 innings.

Cahill is a former starter, but he found a home in Chicago’s bullpen after signing a minor league deal with the team midseason. While he doesn’t have dominant stuff, he was a solid option for the team in the middle innings and returns at an affordable price, allowing the Cubs to patch up other needs at key positions.

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The Baltimore Orioles have reportedly re-signed relief pitcher Darren O’Day, pending a physical, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. The deal is reportedly worth $31 million over four years, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

However, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reported the deal is not done yet and noted the Orioles nearly lost him to the Washington Nationals:

O’Day also played down reports of a done deal between him and the Orioles:

O’Day, 33, was excellent for the Orioles last season, finishing 6-2 with a 1.52 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, 82 strikeouts, six saves and 18 holds in 65.1 innings pitched. Coming into the offseason, he was considered the top option among relief pitchers in free agency and was believed to be a target for teams looking for a closer.

Prior to the reports of O’Day’s re-signing, Orioles closer Zach Britton commented on O’Day’s impact on the Hot Stove Show, courtesy of Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com:

He’s been great. Darren’s helped me out a lot. He isn’t just a great teammate, he’s a great guy, and I feel like wherever he ends up, we’re going to be friends for a long time. …

I hope he comes back to us. I know he loves playing for Buck (Showalter), he loves Baltimore, he loves the teammates that we have there, and I think that’s a huge thing for him now and I think he’s weighing those options.

O’Day has proved to be an elite setup man for Baltimore in his four seasons with the club, though, going 23-8 with with a 1.92 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 283 strikeouts in 263 innings pitched. He made the All-Star team in 2015 and will solidify the team’s bullpen once again as the Orioles look to return to the postseason.

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The Oakland Athletics acquired first baseman Yonder Alonso from the San Diego Padres on Wednesday in exchange for pitcher Drew Pomeranz, pitching prospect Jose Torres and a player to be named later, according to the team.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported the trade.

Alonso, 28, hit .282 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 103 games last season. But he’s never quite been the impact player the Padres were hoping he would be after trading for him before the 2012 season and dealing away Anthony Rizzo to the Chicago Cubs.

While Rizzo has gone on to be a superstar in Chicago, Alonso never hit more than nine home runs or 62 RBI in his four seasons with San Diego. 

The Athletics will be hoping a change of scenery will boost Alonso’s numbers, though Mark Canha likely stands in his way at first base.

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Even in a market loaded with talented starting pitchers, Kansas City Royals starter Johnny Cueto is sure to generate plenty of suitors as teams look to bolster their rotations this winter.

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Multiple Teams Pursuing Cueto

Monday, Nov. 30

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported that Cueto has received calls from the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and others.

Heyman added that “the market still favors Cueto and he isn’t about to rush into anything.”

Cueto’s Contract Demands Revealed

Monday, Nov. 30

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported that clubs in Cueto’s market believe the pitcher is seeking a deal in the $140-160 million range. Crasnick added that a deal of that value would put him in the range of Cole Hamels and Jon Lester’s deals.

Diamondbacks Reportedly Offered Cueto 6-Year Contract

Monday, Nov. 30

According to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, Cueto turned down a six-year, $120 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Crasnick reported that chief baseball officer Tony La Russa, general manager Dave Stewart and club president Derrick Hall all went to the Dominican Republic to make the pitch to Cueto.

Earlier in the day, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that the Diamondbacks met with Cueto’s agent, Bryce Dixon. 

Cueto Looking to Cash in After Up-and-Down Season

Cueto, 29, had an interesting 2015 season. He went 7-6 with a 2.62 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 120 strikeouts in 130.2 innings pitched with the Cincinnati Reds before being traded to the Royals, where he struggled somewhat, going 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 13 starts.

He had an up-and-down postseason as well, going 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in four starts, though he did pitch brilliantly in Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Mets, giving up just two hits and a run in a complete-game 7-1 win. 

Cueto was one of the National League’s most consistent aces in recent years, so his struggles in Kansas City came as something of a surprise. But his dominance in the World Series was a reminder of his prowess, and plenty of teams would love to add a starter with his track record to the rotation.

With David Price and Zack Greinke likely to set the free-agent market for starting pitchers, Cueto is in line for a major payday.

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Hanley Ramirez, after just one season with the Boston Red Sox, could be on the move again this offseason.

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Ramirez Reportedly on the Trade Block

Sunday, Nov. 29

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, “there’s now talk in the front office that [president of baseball operations] Dave Dombrowski is trying to move Ramirez in a deal. The Mariners, Orioles and Angels seem to be the targets, and all three make sense.”

As Cafardo noted, however, several hurdles stand in the way of any potential move. For starters, the 31-year-old is still owed $68 million over the duration of his contract, and Cafardo expects the Red Sox will have to eat “at least half” of that money. 

Ramirez’s position is also a concern, as Cafardo reported all three teams interested in the former All-Star see him as a designated hitter, though he might be able to play third base. Ramirez’s weight may play a factor there, however—Cafardo noted that the Red Sox want him to lose 20 pounds—as would an injury history that has seen him miss 91 games over the past two years. 

After a failed experiment as a left fielder last season, Ramirez is expected to transition to first base for the Red Sox should he remain with the team. He certainly still has pop at the plate, as he hit .249 with 19 home runs and 53 RBI in 108 games last season, though he also produced a dreadful .283 on-base percentage. And with David Ortiz set to retire after the 2016 season, Ramirez could transition to the designated hitter role after this year. 

In other words, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Red Sox held onto Ramirez. Eating half of his salary may be too big a pill to swallow, especially if the team can carve out a role for him as a first baseman and future designated hitter. He can still produce at the dish, though Boston will want to see his batting average and on-base percentage improve after disappointing numbers in those categories last year.

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Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis required surgery on the same shoulder that cost him two months of the regular season.

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Travis Facing a 4-5 Month Recovery Period

Wednesday, Nov. 18

According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the surgery Travis had on his left shoulder will keep him out of action for 16 to 20 weeks. Per Aaron Gleeman of NBC Sports’ Hardball Talk, he underwent a “cleanup procedure” in September but still needed surgery.       

Travis, 24, was having an excellent rookie season for the Blue Jays, hitting .304 with eight home runs and 35 RBI before his shoulder injury cost him the final two games of the season. That also halted a potential Rookie of the Year campaign, as he was one of the American League‘s brightest newcomers. 

It’s likely he’ll start next season on the disabled list, a disappointment for a player who has big expectations heading into 2016 and likely would have had a competition to win his job back from Ryan Goins, who should remain the team’s starter at least early in the season.

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