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The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly willing to listen to trade offers for first baseman Matt Adams as the team looks to clear an infield logjam this offseason.

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Cardinals Willing To Discuss Offers For Adams

Thursday, Dec. 15

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported Thursday that Adams is a “change of scenery candidate” with St. Louis likely turning to Matt Carpenter at first.

Adams is coming off an up-and-down season with the Cardinals during which he hit .249 with 16 home runs across 118 games. It marked the third time in the last four years he tallied at least 15 homers, but his career on-base percentage stands at a mundane .314.

Injuries are one thing that have held back the 28-year-old infielder at times. He’s played more than 120 games just once in four full seasons at the big-league level. The most serious issue was a torn quadriceps muscle that limited him to 60 appearances in 2015.

Andy Call of MLB.com passed along comments from Adams about being forced to accept any level of involvement after his latest injury comeback, this time a shoulder issue, back in September.

“Whatever my role is during the last part of the season, I’m willing to accept it,” Adams said. “Whatever will help this team win. If my role is to come off the bench and pinch-hit, I’m all for it. I’ve been good in the past with that.”

The question marks about his ability to make a consistent impact make him an obvious trade candidate as the Cardinals look to upgrade elsewhere.

They currently have seven infielders to fill four starting spots, with Adams, Greg Garcia and Jhonny Peralta ticketed for bench roles based on the current roster. It would make sense to seek a move that could help upgrade the bullpen or bring in a reserve outfielder.

Adams is a worthwhile buy-low target, assuming the Cardinals’ asking price is reasonable, for a team needing an upgrade at either first base or designated hitter. Moving to the American League to fill the latter role would be ideal given his injury history.

The Pennsylvania native possesses enough pop to provide between 20 and 25 home runs if he can stay healthy for 150 or more games. But that would require a starting role, something he’s not likely to hold if he sticks with the Cardinals in 2016.

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Torii Hunter Jr. will be following in his father’s footsteps as a professional baseball player with the Los Angeles Angels. 

Hunter announced his intention to pursue an MLB career instead of returning to Notre Dame’s football team for a fifth year:

Hunter’s father, Torii, enjoyed a long and successful MLB career. In 19 seasons with the Angels, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers, he won nine Gold Glove awards, played in five All-Star Games and captured two Silver Slugger awards. 

The Angels drafted Hunter in the 23rd round of June’s draft. Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia believes in Hunter’s athletic talents helping him to play baseball. 

“I’m excited,” Scioscia said, per MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. “This kid’s a great kid; he’s a great athlete. As good a football player as he is, I know he loves baseball. Hopefully he’ll get that chance.”

Hunter eventually signed with the Angels on June 29 but opted to keep his football career at Notre Dame going. As a redshirt senior in 2016, he had his most productive season with 38 receptions, 521 yards and three touchdowns. 

Hunter was previously drafted by the Tigers in the 36th round coming out of high school in 2013, when his father was playing for the team. He did play baseball part time at Notre Dame in 2015 and 2016. 

Odds are against Hunter turning into a big leaguer as a 23rd-round pick who hasn’t played baseball full time since high school, but his athleticism and bloodlines certainly make him capable of overcoming those hurdles in his way. 

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Major League Baseball’s winter meetings have come and gone with plenty of players, both free agents and not, finding new homes during the four-day stretch.

But the offseason could have more twists and turns awaiting before pitchers and catchers report for spring training in February.

Here is the latest on three big names who have been rumored to be on the trade market recently.

Andrew McCutchen

One of the biggest names rumored to be available during the winter meetings, Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen, hasn’t moved yet.

It was rumored at the beginning of December that the Pirates were discussing a potential trade with the Washington Nationals, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

However, Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported a deal could not be reached, which has left the Pirates searching elsewhere for a suitable offer.

According to Heyman, Pittsburgh received a “nice offer of prospects” from a “mystery team.” But the Pirates are looking for players who are ready to compete in the majors in 2017 and turned it down.

It’s a dangerous philosophy, considering McCutchen‘s sudden drop in production over the past few seasons.

The 2013 NL MVP batted .256 with a .336 on-base percentage and .430 slugging percentage last season, all of which were career worsts.

Having turned 30 years old in October, McCutchen may not bring back an impressive haul for Pittsburgh, as teams might believe his struggles will continue into 2017.

If the Pirates are patient and McCutchen puts together a solid first half in 2017, however, they could find it easier to deal him closer to the trade deadline.

Brian Dozier

Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier developed into a solid hitter through his first four years in the majors, but 2016 saw the 29-year-old record one of the best seasons at his position in American League history.

His 42 home runs were the most by a second baseman in AL history, per Baseball-Reference.com, and he also posted career highs with 99 RBI and an .886 OPS.

While he won’t be a free agent until 2019, Dozier has become an attractive option for the Los Angeles Dodgers, per ESPN.com’s Doug Padilla.

This comes after Los Angeles re-signed closer Kenley Jansen to a five-year, $80 million deal and third baseman Justin Turner to a four-year, $64 million contract, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com—increasing the team’s payroll considerably. 

Dozier is owed $15 million over the next two seasons before he hits free agency, per Spotrac.

But the Dodgers could have problems at the position after dealing Howie Kendrick to the Philadelphia Phillies. Chase Utley is also a free agent, but even if he returns, it’s risky to assume he can produce as the team’s full-time starting second baseman.

Utley, who will turn 38 on Saturday, batted just .252 with 14 home runs and 52 RBI in 2016. 

Padilla noted the Dodgers would have to send a package centering around someone such as pitcher Jose De Leon—Los Angeles’ No. 2 prospect, according to MLB.com. However, Alex Tekip of ESPN.com added that the Dodgers would be “reluctant to part with” him, which could make acquiring Dozier all but impossible.

Brett Gardner

The New York Yankees look like they still want to add some pitching help despite getting Aroldis Chapman back during the winter meetings.

A swollen payroll that is near $210 million could be a problem though, considering that team owner Hal Steinbrenner wants to see that number decrease to $197 million by 2018, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Sherman added that the Yankees are interested in adding a free-agent reliever such as Boone Logan and Brad Ziegler to provide some support for Chapman and setup man Dellin Betances.

In an attempt to cut some of that salary, the Yankees have been floating veteran left fielder Brett Gardner’s name, per Sherman.

The 33-year-old is owed $23 million over the final two years of his contract, according to Spotrac, and his departure could provide some financial relief for New York to mount a serious bid for either Logan or Ziegler.

A speedy presence who has carved his niche at the top of the Yankees lineup for the past nine years, Gardner could be an effective table-setter for a team that has some big bats but little support for them. 

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New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey watched his 2016 campaign come to an abrupt end when he was forced to undergo season-ending surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, but the 2015 National League Comeback Player of the Year sounded optimistic regarding his return when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday. 

According to ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin, the 27-year-old confirmed he’s on the mend and feeling strong on the mound after the surgery “involved removing a rib so that muscles constricting a nerve that bridges the neck and shoulder had space to relax.”

Specifically, Harvey confirmed he’s no longer experiencing numbing sensations in his right throwing hand. 

“My hand was really cold all the time,” he said, per Rubin. “I’ve got some warmth back and no more tingling. The ball is coming out really good right now, especially for December.”

Harvey also expressed optimism regarding his ability to bounce back following a shaky statistical 2016 season precipitated by nerve issues. 

“I’d like to think so. Obviously I don’t have a crystal ball,” Harvey said, per Rubin. “The way things are feeling now, the way the body feels, I’m feeling great.”

In 17 starts last season, Harvey went 4-10 with a career-worst 4.86 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. In fact, it marked the first time in Harvey’s career that he posted an ERA above 3.00. 

Harvey, of course, is no stranger to rebounding following injury woes. 

The 2013 All-Star missed the entirety of the 2014 season after he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery, but he rebounded in 2015 by going 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 188 strikeouts and 37 walks over the course of 29 starts. 

Based on that precedent and the steady rate at which Harvey has seemingly recovered over the past five months, it won’t be a surprise if he returns to the mound and assumes dominant form once again for a Mets team that will have its eyes on reclaiming the NL East crown. 

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Derek Holland will get a much-needed fresh start in 2017, as he signed a one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

The White Sox announced the signing after MLB.com’s TR Sullivan was the first to report Holland’s decision, and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News shared the length of the contract. 

Grant also reported the deal could be worth up to $8 million and provided some further context to the move:

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported slightly different terms, tweeting that the contract is worth a base of $6 million with as much as $1 million in incentives.

The Texas Rangers declined their $11 million contract option on Holland in November, which made him a free agent and freed him up to sign with any team.

It wasn’t a surprise to see the Rangers move on from Holland after his struggles over the previous two seasons and inability to stay on the field since 2013. 

Holland has appeared in just 38 games over the previous three seasons, and his performance on the mound has been less than stellar with a 4.30 ERA in just 203 innings during that span. 

Grant wrote about some of the other issues that have plagued Holland during his injury-riddled run since 2014:

His average fastball velocity dropped to 91.7 mph in 2016 from 93.6 in 2013. The difference in speed between his secondary pitches is now just 5 mph where it once was 7.5 mph. It adds up to a recipe for guys being better able to identify pitches and being able to wait for mistakes with more assurance they will come. The Rangers wanted him to throw his changeup more in 2016 and the usage did grow, but at a microscopic level: Less than one percent.

Holland completed just 107.1 innings in 2016, going 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA and 1.41 WHIP.

At just 30 years old, Holland will have a chance to reinvent himself as a member of the White Sox. His career ERA of 4.35 ERA leaves something to be desired, but the veteran southpaw did manage to go 10-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 2013.

Given how much of a struggle it has been for Holland to take the mound every fifth day, he has a lot to prove next season if he hopes to continue his MLB career as a starting pitcher. He does get a clean slate and will have ample opportunity to prove there is more in the tank than he’s been able to show lately. 

Holland could provide great value as part of a weak free-agent class, and he will have a chance to become an important part of Chicago’s rotation after the team dealt Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox.

Although Holland figures to slot behind the likes of Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and James Shields, he gives the White Sox a veteran presence and depth at the back end of their pitching staff until youngsters Lucas Giolito (22) and Reynaldo Lopez (22) are ready to step up.

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After four years with the Boston Red Sox, veteran reliever Koji Uehara has found a new home with the Chicago Cubs. 

ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers reported Wednesday that Uehara inked a one-year, $6 million deal with the defending World Series champs, and the Cubs later announced the news. 

Uehara is one of the most interesting relievers in Major League Baseball. He has performed at a high level for nearly a decade despite having a fastball that FanGraphs‘ stats show has never averaged more than 89.2 mph and dipped to a career-low 86.7 mph in 2016. 

The key to Uehara’s success is his split-finger fastball that drops off the table when he’s at his best, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal wrote in 2014: “It was also the most effective his splitter has ever been, as opponents hit a beggarly .096 off the pitch in 2013. It induced a career-high whiff rate of 28 percent.”

Turning 41 last April, Uehara is starting to show signs he lacks the same type of dominance with that splitter. His 1.5 home runs allowed per nine innings tied the worst mark of his career (2011), per Baseball-Reference.com.

The veteran also posted his highest ERA since 2009 with a 3.45 mark last season, but he still baffled hitters overall with his seventh consecutive season posting a WHIP lower than 1.00 and more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings, so the sky is hardly falling for the right-hander. 

The concern for Uehara is there’s such a small margin for error with his declining fastball velocity that at some point hitters will be able to tee off on the pitch, negating the effectiveness of his splitter, as right-handed hitters gave him fits last season. 

Until that point comes, though, Uehara is still one of the most consistent relievers in baseball and a terrific value because his age didn’t force the Cubs to break the bank.

While Chicago was unable to keep closer Aroldis Chapman in free agency, it acquired Wade Davis via trade and now boasts a potentially dominant late-inning trio with Uehara joining both Davis and Hector Rondon.

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It looks as though the New York Yankees‘ offseason spending could remain dormant for the rest of the winter; however, veteran outfielder Brett Gardner‘s name has emerged in trade talks. 

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Yankees Shopping Gardner

Tuesday, Dec. 13

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees have continued to “gauge interest” in Gardner in an attempt to cut salary. 

The 33-year-old is owed $23 million over the next two seasons, which are the final portions of his four-year, $52 million deal, per Spotrac. 

Gardner has spent each of his first nine MLB seasons with the Yankees, compiling a career .264 batting average and .346 on-base percentage as a bat near the top of the lineup. 

While his power numbers fluctuated from 17 home runs in 2015 to just seven in 2016, Gardner can still add speed on the basepaths and in a corner outfield spot. That could make him an attractive trade option to teams looking for a veteran spark.

Shedding his deal would be a step in the right direction for New York to get under the $197 million luxury-tax threshold for 2018, which is a goal of owner Hal Steinbrenner, according to Sherman. 

The Yankees were busy, though, around and during the winter meetings, signing veteran outfielder Matt Holliday to a one-year, $13 million deal and closer Aroldis Chapman to a five-year, $86 million contract. 

Per Sherman, that has the Yankees hovering near a $210 million payroll heading into 2017, which makes the prospects of adding another reliever like Boone Logan or Brad Ziegler to join Chapman and setup man Dellin Betances unlikely unless they can get a contract like Gardner’s off the books. 

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Third baseman Justin Turner has reportedly re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per Jim Bowden of ESPN.

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported the two sides have agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal.

Turner, 32, had a career year in 2016, hitting .275 with 27 home runs, 90 RBI and 79 runs. Turner was a late bloomer, but in the past two seasons with the Dodgers, he’s ripped 43 homers and knocked in 150 runs, making him one of the more appealing players in free agency.

But he was always likely to return to Los Angeles.

“I’d love to stay here,” the Long Beach native told Heyman in September. “I love playing here. I love playing at home.”

While Turner’s age means he may not have many productive seasons left, he was a huge reason the Dodgers reached the National League Championship Series.

There may be some concerns, however. Namely, Turner hit just .209 with five home runs against left-handed pitchers last year. While he slayed right-handers—hitting .305 with 22 homers—he could find himself in a platoon if he gets off to a slow start in 2017.

But Turner hit well enough to hold an everyday role in 2016, and Los Angeles will be banking on him to do the same in 2017.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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In an effort to cut salary, the New York Yankees are gauging interest around the league in third baseman Chase Headley.

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Yankees Seeking Headley Trade

Tuesday, Dec. 13

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the Yankees are looking to potentially deal either Headley or outfielder Brett Gardner.

Owner Hal Steinbrenner reportedly wants to lower the payroll before the 2017 season.

Headley is owed $26 million over the next two years after signing a four-year deal with the team before the start of the 2015 season.

The 32-year-old has put up modest numbers since joining the Yankees, hitting just .257 with 31 home runs in two-and-a-half seasons. His on-base plus slugging percentage of .716 in 2016 was only slightly better than it was the year before at .693, which was his career low for a full season.

Headley began his career with the San Diego Padres, where he spent parts of eight seasons. His best year by far came in 2012 when he won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and finished fifth in MVP voting. He led the National League with 115 RBI and tallied 31 home runs.

He has never had more than 14 home runs in any other season of his career.

If the Yankees find a buyer for Headley, 24-year-old Ronald Torreyes could potentially take over at third base after playing 34 games at the position last year.

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Colorado Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis released a statement through his agent Monday that said he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had a testicle removed during surgery in November, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

The pitcher is expected to make a full recovery and will be ready to report to spring training in February, per Crasnick.

Bettis said he was caught off guard by the diagnosis and thanked the Rockies and the Major League Baseball Players Association for their support as he recovers.   

Bettis started 32 games for the Rockies in 2016 and finished with a 4.79 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he pitched a career-high 186 innings and struck out 138 batters. His previous high mark for strikeouts was 98, and he won 14 games after entering the 2016 campaign with just nine wins in his career.

The right-handed pitcher is just 27 years old and is listed as the Rockies’ No. 1 starter on the team’s depth chart. Bettis could start Opening Day if he fully recovers from this diagnosis.

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