Left-hander Max Fried agrees to $218 million, 8-year contract with Yankees, AP source says
DALLAS (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Max Fried and the New York Yankees have agreed to a $218 million, eight-year contract, the largest deal for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history. New York made the move two days after outfielder Juan Soto left for a pending $765 million, 15-year contract with the rival Mets. Fried, who turns 31 in January, gets the fourth-highest contract among pitchers behind the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole and Washington’s Stephen Strasburg. Fried broke the mark for lefties set by David Price at $217 million.
Rangers agree on $75 million, 3-year deal to keep RHP Nathan Eovaldi, AP source says
DALLAS (AP) — The Texas Rangers and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi have agreed on a $75 million, three-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal was subject to a successful physical. Bringing back Eovaldi was one of the primary goals for the Rangers this offseason. He became a free agent after declining a vested $20 million player option for the 2025 season. The two-time All-Star was the winning pitcher in their World Series-clinching game at Arizona in 2023. He was also part of Boston’s 2018 title.
Guardians trade Gold Glove 2B Andrés Giménez to Blue Jays, get RHP Luis Ortiz in deal with Pirates
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians pulled off two trades at the winter meetings, first sending three-time Gold Glove second baseman Andrés Giménez to the Toronto Blue Jays. Giménez, considered one of baseball’s best defensive middle infielders, was dealt by the Guardians along with reliever Nick Sandlin to Toronto for infielder Spencer Horwitz and outfielder Nick Mitchell. Cleveland then shipped Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates for three pitchers: right-hander Luis Ortiz and lefties Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle. Ortiz could slide immediately into a starting slot after going 7-6 with a 3.32 ERA last season. The Guardians re-signed ace Shane Bieber last week, but he may not be ready to pitch until June.
MLB investigated to ensure no early Sasaki deal in place, pitcher likely to pick team mid-January
DALLAS (AP) — Major League Baseball investigated to ensure no team had an advance deal in place for Roki Sasaki, and the agent for the Japanese pitcher says picking a club will be “like the draft in reverse.” On the first day of Sasaki’s 45-day window to sign with an MLB team, agent Joel Wolfe says the 23-year-old right-hander likely will sign shortly after the 2025 international signing pool window opens on Jan. 15 and wouldn’t wait until the Jan. 23 deadline. Sasaki helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic and has a fastball clocked at 102.5 mph.
Analysis: After Juan Soto’s megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soon
For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that’s the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. The way it’s going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn’t seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future.
MLB investigated to ensure no early Sasaki deal in place, pitcher likely to pick team mid-January
DALLAS (AP) — Major League Baseball investigated to ensure no team had an advance deal in place for Roki Sasaki, and the agent for the Japanese pitcher says picking a club will be “like the draft in reverse.” On the first day of Sasaki’s 45-day window to sign with an MLB team, agent Joel Wolfe says the 23-year-old right-hander likely will sign shortly after the 2025 international signing pool window opens on Jan. 15 and wouldn’t wait until the Jan. 23 deadline. Sasaki helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic and has a fastball clocked at 102.5 mph