While it might be cold outside, Major League Baseball’s hot stove remains red hot as we sit just a little over a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training.
Even though many of the biggest free agents have already signed, there is still plenty of action around MLB’s offseason. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from the last week.
Devers Signs Long-Term With Red Sox
Having been heavily criticized for seeing one star leave in the form of Xander Bogaerts, the Boston Red Sox made sure that another one would be around long term. On Wednesday, the team agreed to a 11-year extension that will pay the third baseman $331 million.
The 26-year-old Devers was in his last year of arbitration, meaning he could have been a free agent after the 2023 season. Instead, Devers pulls in a rich contract, the 10th-largest in Major League Baseball history.
Last season, Devers hit .295/.358/.521 with 27 home runs, 88 runs batted in, and 84 runs scored.
While Red Sox fans will surely be excited, there is still not a lot of optimism for the upcoming season. They currently have the fourth-best odds of winning the AL East at +1600, and they are just +8000 to win the World Series.
Is There Another Team In On Correa?
The soap opera of Carlos Correa’s offseason continues to grow more interesting. After his deal fell through with the San Francisco Giants over the results of his physical, the New York Mets quickly jumped into the fray and came up with their own agreement with the star shortstop.
Like the Giants, the agreement came with a physical, and that physical gave the Mets reason for pause. While it appeared that the two sides would work something out, it appears that others might be trying to jump in as well.
According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, it appears that Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, has had discussions with another team in regard to Correa.
It remains to be seen if this is just a tactic to try to push the Mets towards an agreement, or if there truly is another team that could steal Correa away yet again, but it is certainly worth monitoring.
Last season, in 522 at bats, the 28-year-old Correa hit .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs, 64 runs batted in, and 70 runs scored.
Cubs Shore Up First Base
While the biggest addition for the Chicago Cubs this offseason was that of Dansby Swanson, they have brought in another veteran this week in the form of first baseman Eric Hosmer.
While Hosmer’s star has fallen over the past several years, he still provides the Cubs with experience and can help the club ease prospect Matt Mervis into the majors.
The 33-year-old Hosmer was recently released by the Boston Red Sox after a season where he hit .268/.334/.382 between the San Diego Padres and Boston. He also had eight home runs, 44 runs batted in, and 38 runs scored.
That is still a far cry from his 2016 and 2017 campaigns, where he combined to hit 50 home runs, 198 runs batted in, and 178 runs scored.
Still, the lefty has found a new home on the North Side, where the Cubs hope that he can revitalize his career.
Brewers Bring In Veteran Starter
While the Milwaukee Brewers ranked a respectable 12th in the majors last season with a 3.83 ERA, that did not prevent them from trying to enhance the rotation even further.
On Wednesday, the Brewers signed veteran lefty starter Wade Miley to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million. It also contains an option for 2024 at $10 million, or a $1 million buyout.
The Brewers rotation is led by Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Aaron Ashby, and Eric Lauer. Even though the Brewers also have Adrian Houser, Miley still provides the team with more depth.
It could be speculated that the extra depth could also give the Brewers the opportunity to trade one of their rotation pieces, especially ones that are getting more expensive like Burnes and Woodruff. Still, for a team that relies on pitching and defense to win ball games, they could just be adding a quality veteran for the long haul.
Currently, the Brewers have the second-best odds of winning the NL Central at +145, trailing only the St. Louis Cardinals (-115).
