AROUND THE BASE PATHS
Cy Young winner Blake Snell continues to seek a contract that will pay him at least $240 million and now awaits to see which team blinks first. The New York Yankees made an introductory offer for nearly $100 million less, which was quickly dismissed, before they turned to Marcus Stroman to fill their vacancy with a two-year, $37 million deal. While several teams still remain engaged with Snell while seeing if his price tag drops, the Toronto Blue Jays in particular have been quietly monitoring his free agency.
The Chicago White Sox’s asking price for ace Dylan Cease remains awfully strong: They are seeking prized Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones or right-handed pitcher Chase Hampton in their package while asking the Baltimore Orioles for outfielder Colton Cowser or Heston Kjerstad among their prospects “All it takes is one team to want to jump out, perhaps, and get a deal done,” GM Chris Getz said. “In the case of Dylan, I don’t think there’s a club out there that hasn’t expressed some level of interest in him.”
Six-time All-Star first baseman Joey Votto, who was cut loose by the Cincinnati Reds, has three teams that want to sign him to a one-year deal for 2024. The Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers would each appear to be good fits. Votto is seeking regular playing time. Rival teams believe the Reds will trade an infielder with their influx of infielders on the roster.
If Cody Bellinger does not wind up back with the Chicago Cubs, the Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are lurking. GMs and executives widely predict that the Cubs will easily be the most aggressive team the remainder of the winter.
There’s a whole lot of debate over just how good of a pitcher Shota Imanaga will be with the Cubs, but for four years, $53 million, it could be a steal. The San Diego Padres continue to shop valuable infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who earns $8 million in the final year of his contract, in their attempt to land pitching.
The Mets are poised to do what the Dodgers did this winter by reaching deep into their wallets a year from now with $70 million in dead contracts to Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and James McCann coming off their books.
Atlanta rewarded GM Alex Anthopoulos, one of the finest baseball executives of his generation, with a seven-year extension through 2031. Atlanta has gone 515-354 with six consecutive NL East titles and a World Series championship under Anthopoulos, the thirdmost victories in baseball and the third-most postseason victories (24) with a moderate payroll.
Jordan Montgomery is widely expected to re-sign with the Texas Rangers, but if there was any doubt, Arlington-based Hurtado Barbecue is making sure it will happen. They have offered Montgomery free barbecue for the rest of his life.