NEWSLETTER
With the Non-Tender Deadline approaching (or Tender Deadline, if you prefer), I wanted to start tracking the interesting or notable moves we’re seeing around the league. I’m just gonna keep updating this post on the fly …
- The Angels and Twins agreed on a Gio Urshela trade, with pitching prospect Alejandro Hidalgo the return:
- It’s a fairly modest return, even after Urshela had a nice bounce-back year in Minnesota (.285/.338/.429/119 wRC+). With Anthony Rendon at third for the Angels, it’s possible Urshela becomes their shortstop? Anyway, of note for the Twins:
- As long speculated, the Mets are going to cut ties with Dominic Smith tonight:
- There were rumors at the Trade Deadline that the Cubs might take a flier on Smith as a bounce-back candidate, but only if the cost to them was more or less nothing. I wonder, now that the cost is just a cheap free agent contract (if he gets a big league deal at all), would the Cubs view Smith as a back-up plan at first base if they don’t land Jose Abreu? Pretty steep drop-off there, but I do think Smith could be interesting as a MAYBE option if the price was low and the Cubs’ other moves clearly demonstrate that they aren’t counting on anything from Smith.
- A pre-tender signing here for the Yankees:
- IKF was projected for $6.5 million by MLBTR, so he gets the comfort of not being non-tendered, and Yankees get maybe some cost savings. We’ll see more of these today, including a lot of minor ones.
- Hey, a Cubs move. The Cubs just grabbed infielder Rylan Bannon off of waivers from the Braves. He was waived earlier in the week, but today is a day for roster shuffling. For all we know, the Cubs will now try to non-tender (and keep) him in a few hours!
- Adrian Houser was on the bubble as a non-tender candidate for the Brewers, but they got a pre-tender deal done (at exactly the price MLBTR projected, which means the Brewers just didn’t want to risk him getting more):
- Gonna ignore the Judge part for now (if you’re seriously in on Judge, you don’t let Bellinger impact you one way or another), and instead note that the expectation of a Bellinger non-tender is growing:
- He’s gotta get healthy, but someone will take a reclamation flier:
- Man. I still remember the first couple times I saw Reyes pitch in the big leagues. He was going to be a superstar. But control problems and injury issues derailed it.
- There it is. Per Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers will non-tender Cody Bellinger tonight.
- Fedde has never lived up to his prospect hype (reclamation project, baby); Voit’s offense has really slipped the last two years, and that’s all he’s got:
- Another pre-tender deal, with a possible trade candidate (if the Giants make other big additions):
- Reds trading Kyle Farmer to the Twins, who needed another infielder all of a sudden:
- I suspect the Reds will get a little something in return, as Farmer probably has a LITTLE trade value at his projected arb number of just under $6 million.
- The Royals are tendering righty Brad Keller, who would have been an interesting project for the Cubs (still could be, but it would require a trade):
- He had a waaaaay down 2022 season, but he was so good the year before. An old friend to keep an eye on, so long as third base is semi-open:
- While I’m waiting for the Cubs to announce their moves, I see that the Marlins did indeed non-tender Brian Anderson. Too bad he doesn’t bat left-handed.
- All right, Cubs non-tenders are here. Farewell, Brailyn Marquez.
- Full list of AL non-tenders here at MLBTR, and NL non-tenders here at MLBTR.
