Pitchers and catchers have reported. Well, not all of them, as Marcus Stroman stayed away from Yankees camp for the first couple of days.
Players don’t have to report until 22 February, and Stroman was in camp on Friday, but the no-show still came as a surprise to Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
The 33-year-old starter has been bumped down to about seventh in the pecking order, so his days in New York look numbered.
Here is your five-minute roundup of the week’s baseball news.
Red Sox Splash the Cash to sign Bregman
It took $120 million over three years, but the Red Sox added the best remaining free agent to leave no one in any doubt that they are 2025 contenders.
The former Astros’ third baseman will give Boston an elite bat with reliable production – Bregman has averaged 132 OPS+ over nine years in Houston – as he shifts over to second base with Rafael Devers installed at third.
The Astros’ sign-stealing scandal still tarnishes Bregman’s reputation, and this move will re-open old wounds as he teams up with Alex Cora, his new manager in Boston. Cora was suspended in 2020 for his role in the trash-can-banging scheme and bragged about Houston cheating its way to the 2017 World Series when he joined the Red Sox in 2018.
With Devers’ defensive shortcomings, the Red Sox will hope that designated hitter Masataka Yoshida will rebuild his trade value after an injury-hampered season. In an ideal world, Devers would move to DH, Bregman take over at the hot corner, and superstar-prospect, Kristian Campbell can join the big league team at second.
Hey, the Padres have woken up
Although most of the high-profile free agents have signed, the San Diego Padres set about belatedly filling their roster for the 2025 season.
The ongoing ownership saga – Sheel Seidler, the widow of San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler, is suing two of her brothers-in-law for “fiduciary breaches of trust and fraud” – MLB owners approved another brother-in-law, John Seidler, as the new head of the franchise which gives a little more clarity.
Jason Heyward and Connor Joe signed one-year deals with San Diego. Heyward, the former first-round pick from the 2007 draft, slashed .211/.288/.412 in 87 games last season split between the Astros and Dodgers.
Joe, a San Diego native, posted just 92 OPS+ with the Pirates last season, so this seems more of a PR acquisition. And for a franchise where positive PR is in as short supply as decent left-fielders, it is a good decision.
Pivetta to the Padres
The birthday boy (if you’re reading this on Valentine’s Day) is celebrating a move to San Diego.
It had appeared that the (now) 32-year-old had misread the market when he declined a $21.05MM qualifying offer from the Red Sox at the beginning of the offseason but has now agreed a four-year, $55 million deal to take his 6-foot-5 frame to San Diego.
The contract is significantly backloaded, with Pivetta getting just $4 million in 2025. This year, Paul Skenes will earn $0.8 million, Pivetta $4 million, and Gerrit Cole $36 million. Baseball is weird.
Whether this acquisition means the Padres will more actively attempt to trade Michael King or Dylan Cease remains to be seen.
Once Preller pops he just can’t stop
Like a London bus, you wait for ages for a Padres acquisition and then four come along at once. A.J. Preller, Padres’ GM and President of Baseball Operations added another starter to the rotation by signing Kyle Hart to a one-year deal with a club option for 2026.
Who is Kyle Hart? I hear you ask. He is a 32-year-old left-hander with a 15.55 ERA over three starts for Boston in 2022. Oh, and he just won the KBO equivalent of the Cy Young Award last year. This could be a sneakily good signing.
Kenley’s Angels
The Los Angeles Angels need star power in many positions, but not at closer anymore, as they signed Kenley Jansen to a one-year, $10 million deal.
A cynical baseball fan might suggest that they acquired the 37-year-old with the sole aim of letting him secure 15-20 saves and then flipping him to a contender at the trade deadline.
An extra-cynical fan would agree with that and also add that the move diminishes Ben Joyce’s role in the bullpen, which will suppress his value when it comes to arbitration. Fewer saves = fewer dollars.
Anyway, with Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada pencilled into the Opening Day lineup, it was refreshing to see the Angels pick up a player who wasn’t a former White Sox.
In Other News
Rendon All Done?
The Angels confirmed this week that Anthony Rendon will undergo hip surgery, which will keep him out for a significant time. Ken Rosenthal suggests that this might spell the end of the third baseman’s career in Anaheim.
CK back in LA
As a neutral fan, I find it tough to muster hatred of the Dodgers. Hearing Andrew Friedman, Dodgers’ President of Baseball Operations, speak about Clayton Kershaw’s inevitable return was heart-warming. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer was a -0.7 WAR player last season, making only seven starts with a 4.50 ERA. There was no penny-pinching or “computer says no”, because he is Clayton “freakin’” Kershaw.
The left-hander signed another one-year, $7.5 million deal to spend his 18th season with the Dodgers, although he is expected to immediately go on the 60-day IL.
Miami signed a free agent
Yes, it is true. The Marlins signed right-handed starting pitcher Cal Quantrill to a one-year deal. With Jesús Luzardo shipped to Philadelphia, Braxton Garrett and Eury Perez both crocked, and Sandy Alcantara not having pitched since September 2023, Miami desperately need arms to throw innings.
Quantrill threw 148 of them last season for the Rockies for a 4.98 ERA, and although I despise pitcher wins as a stat until it assists my narrative, the 30-year-old led Colorado with eight wins.
Twins give France a Chance
The Minnesota Twins signed veteran first baseman, Ty France, to a one-year deal, giving manager Rocco Baldelli another option when filling out the lineup card.
France, an All-Star in 2022, struggled mightily last season with a -0.6 WAR. It is a longshot, but Minnesota will hope the 30-year-old can recapture some of the form that saw him post 127 OPS+ between 2021-2022.
Gallo latches on with the White Sox
It’s easy to forget that Joey Gallo enjoyed consecutive 40-homer seasons, but for the last few years, he has been little better than replacement level. Which is why his acquisition, albeit on a minor-league deal, is an upgrade for the White Sox.
In 2024, Gallo was a 0.6 WAR player. That would have placed him as the second-best hitter on the White Sox roster.
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NEXT WEEK: Will Nolan Arenado still be on the Cardinals on Opening Day? Will the Padres trade Michael King or Dylan Cease? Will the Yankees upgrade at third base? Will the Mets really start the season with Jose Siri in centre?
