We avoid the “time flies” cliché, but Monday marks the penultimate day of 2024. Given the time of year, it’s more likely we’ll have a so-called slow news day rather than the opposite, but you never know. The signing of Corbin Burnes just happened in the last few days and there are still a few big-name free agents left.
With that, let’s round up the news and rumors of the day.
Red Sox looking for right-handed bat
The Red Sox are almost done shaping their rotation for 2025, as general manager Craig Breslow said, the “heavy lifting” is done (via Boston Globe). The goal going forward is to find a right-handed stick for the offense. Some, including us, have mentioned the Red Sox as a possible candidate for Bregman, but Breslow insisted that All-Star slugger Rafael Devers “is our third baseman.”
Bregman surely won’t sign to move immediately to first base, which seems to close the door here. Via the Boston GlobeBreslow said the team will be “open-minded” about finding the right-handed bat and that it could be an infielder or an outfielder.
The best right-handed bats available in free agency other than Bregman belong to Pete Alonso, Santander (again, a switch hitter), Ha-Seong Kim (although he just had major surgery), Jurickson Profar (switch) and some candidates at the meeting. (JD Martinez, Justin Turner, Yoán Moncada, who is also a switch hitter).
Tigers interested in right-handed hitters
Following the signing of right-handed second baseman Gleyber Torres, the Tigers continue to pursue right-handed bats and they are interested in both third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder Anthony Santander (a switch-hitter), according to the Detroit Free-Press. According to the report, the Tigers are not considered Santander’s ‘favourite’, although it is worth noting that he was not keen to say such a thing about Bregman.
The Tigers made a surprising late push for the playoffs last season, but their offense still needs some improvement. It’s also a heavily left-handed lineup, with Parker Meadows, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Colt Keith, Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney all swinging that side while Torres joins Matt Vierling and Jake Rogers among the everyday players from the right. side.
Bregman or Santander would be a nice presence in the middle of the order and could slot in between Greene and Carpenter in all three holes, for example.
While there is no indication that they are looking to sign both players, it is worth noting that the Tigers absolutely could. They don’t have a ton of payroll on the books while only Colt Keith’s club friendly deal and Javier Báez’s albatross remain on the books beyond 2025 among salaried players.
Cubs interested in Rojas
The Cubs have expressed interest in free agent infielder Josh Rojas, by MLB.com. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter has long served as a utility man, particularly in the outfield, but was primarily a third baseman for the Mariners last season. In 476 plate appearances, he hit .225/.304/.336 (91 OPS+) with 19 doubles, eight home runs, 31 RBIs, 48 runs, 10 stolen bases and 2.2 WAR.
The adjustment with the Cubs is pretty easy. They currently have an open third baseman, possibly for highly touted rookie Matt Shaw, but they could use a veteran to start the season at that position. Nico Hoerner at second base also remains a possible trade candidate, and the backup situation on the field isn’t great at this point. That is to say, Rojas could make sense for a number of different roles and could give the Cubs flexibility in how they shape the rest of their roster.
Nationals bring back veteran starting pitcher
The Nationals and right-handed starter Trevor Williams agreed to a two-year, $14 million deal. reports The Athletic. He went 6-1 with a 2.03 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 59 strikeouts in 66 ⅔ innings for the Nats last season. He only made 13 starts due to a right forearm injury that kept him out, but he was excellent in his limited time. The 2.6 WAR was the second highest total of his career after 2018, which was a full season. In 2023, Williams made 30 starts and posted a 5.55 ERA and -0.1 WAR.
The Nationals’ rotation heading into 2025 includes MacKenzie Gore, Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin, while right now it looks like Michael Soroka, DJ Herz and Williams will be in the conversation for the final two spots. Given everything we know, the onus is obviously on teams these days to have at least six starters.
