It’s the Boras show at MLB’s winter meetings
Anthony Rendon’s $245 million, seven-year contract to depart the Nationals for the Angels.
“It feels to me like there’s going to be continued action in free agency in the days to come and early next week,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said. “It seems like there’s probably some free agent deals that are closer to fruition. They’re not ready to be announced yet, but there’s a lot of activity. I think as those things get finalized, it will clarify the trade market.”
Boras said four straight years of declining major league attendance sparked teams to be more aggressive in an effort to excite fan bases and sell tickets.
“It’s a more competitive environment. More teams are trying to win,” Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said.
Among the final deals reached on the final day of the meetings:
■ Former AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract.
■ Outfielder Brett Gardner stayed with the Yankees after the best offensive season of his career, agreeing to a one-year contract that guarantees $12.5 million.
■ Catcher Austin Romine left the Yankees and agreed to a one-year, $4.15 million contract with the Tigers.
■ Brewers pitcher Corey Knebel, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, agreed to a one-year deal for $5,125,000.
Top free agents remaining on the market include pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu, Madison Bumgarner, Dallas Keuchel, Will Harris and Julio Teheran, third baseman Josh
Donaldson and outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Nick Castellanos.
Also on the final day of the meetings, Major League Baseball said it will start testing for opioids and cocaine, but only players who do not cooperate with their treatment plans will be subject to discipline.
Marijuana will be removed from the list of drugs of abuse and will be treated the same as alcohol as part of changes announced to the joint drug agreement between MLB and the players’ association. In addition, suspensions for marijuana use will be dropped from the minor league drug program.
Opioids are classified as a drug of abuse under the joint big league program, which began in late 2002 and until now has limited testing to performance-enhancing substances and banned stimulants.
Talks of adding testing for opioids began following the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area on July 1 before the start of a series against the Rangers.