1. Movement in Tucker’s market?
Outfielder Kyle Tucker‘s market has developed more slowly than the top free agents of recent seasons. Players like it Shohei Ohtani, Juan SotoAnd Aaron Judge had all already signed when they were on the open market. However, there has been at least some smoke lately regarding Tucker; the Blue Jays have seemingly stepped up their hunt for the best hitter of the offseason. Adding Tucker would be a crown jewel on Toronto’s offseason banner, transforming the middle of their lineup with the addition of a lefty slugger who can complement Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and balance a lineup that leans heavily to the right. Toronto isn’t the only known suitor for Tucker. He has been at least loosely associated with teams like the Mets and Dodgers, although Los Angeles would be primarily interested in a shorter-term deal.
2. DFA resolutions go further:
As we move further away from the holiday season, the players who found themselves in DFA limbo during the league’s holiday break continue to find solutions. Seen yesterday Justyn Henry Malloy traded from the Tigers to the Rays, while the Cardinals picked up their win Justin Brouwel of the Guardians. Today’s numbers show that more players’ situations have been resolved. Especially left-handed Josh Walkeroutfielder Wade Mecklerand former top prospect Marco Luciano it appears they will all either be claimed off waivers today or paid out by their current clubs. Two days later they were all assigned to an assignment Jhonkensy Noel And Joey Wiemer. Noel and Wiemer were both cleared on Monday.
3. Will Bregman find a long-term offer?
After opting out of the final two years and still having $80 million left on his contract with the Red Sox, third baseman Alex Bregman re-entered free agency in hopes of gaining more long-term security this winter. That path worked out for the other big bat from last winter’s class, who settled for a short-term deal with an opt-out because Pete Alonso landed in Baltimore with a healthy five-year warranty. It’s unclear if something similar was in store for Bregman during the offseason. Bregman received real interest from Toronto, but the team is recent Kazuma Okamoto signing makes it harder to see an agreement between the two parties. He’s also receiving varying levels of interest from the Cubs, Tigers and D-backs. Some recent rumors have suggested that the Red Sox are becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of Bregman. Will that be enough to get him the long-term offer he craves, or will another suitor like Chicago or Arizona have to step up their efforts to get him there?
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