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Few teams have been as active this offseason as the Miami Marlins. The latest reported move up their sleeve involves third baseman Casey McGehee. The team announced the deal on Friday night, according to Chris Haft of MLB.com.

“The Giants filled their third-base vacancy on Friday night, announcing they obtained Casey McGehee from the Marlins for a pair of Minor League right-handers,” wrote Haft. 

The Giants confirmed the players involved in the trade:

John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle passes along comments from Bruce Bochy and GM Brian Sabean:

Alex Pavlovic of the Bay Area News Group provides comments from McGehee, who spoke about replacing Pablo Sandoval:

Rodriguez noted on Twitter that McGehee was likely the next player to be moved by Miami after the team acquired Martin Prado from the New York Yankees earlier in the day:

 It’s a deal that makes sense for both sides. The Giants desperately need to find another bat, particularly a third baseman after Pablo Sandoval signed with Boston earlier this winter. McGehee isn’t the hitter Sandoval is, but he is coming off a breakout season with a .287/.355/.357 slash line.

McGehee did that at the age of 31, and the average and on-base percentage totals are substantially higher than his .264 and .324 career marks, but the Giants need something to get by in 2015 after missing out on all their main targets (Sandoval and Jon Lester). 

Giants general manager Brian Sabean said in early November, before Sandoval signed with Boston, that the team would have to find a replacement for Sandoval outside the organization, via ESPN.com.

“We don’t have a solution in house, so it would have to come from the outside,” Sabean said. “I’m not going to address anybody at this time other than Pablo; that’s who we’re engaged with. It wouldn’t be fair to the other guys.”

The Marlins have gotten better in the offseason with all their moves and should be able to compete for a playoff spot in the National League. The Giants haven’t made a big splash after winning the World Series, but they often seem to defy all expectations. 

Both teams solved a problem with this trade, making it a clear win-win at this moment. The final results won’t be known until the season starts, but for now, it’s hard to find fault with either side. 

Stats via Baseball-Reference.com

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The Miami Marlins‘ offseason overhaul continued on Friday, as the team reportedly struck a deal with the New York Yankees for super-utility man Martin Prado and right-handed pitcher David Phelps. 

The Marlins officially announced the move on Twitter:

Marc Carig of Newsday had the particulars of the deal, which includes five players and three going to New York in exchange for Prado and Phelps:

In addition, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel reported the Yankees were kicking in some of the money owed to Prado:

Marlins President of baseball operations Michael Hill discussed the deal for Prado, according to the team’s official Twitter feed: 

The Marlins, surprisingly, have been one of the most active teams in baseball this offseason. Prado and Phelps are the latest acquisitions, joining Mat Latos after he was traded from Cincinnati at the winter meetings. 

The biggest move of all was re-signing Giancarlo Stanton to a record-setting $325 million contract, though there are skeptics about how legitimate the deal is on Miami’s part due to it being heavily backloaded. 

Regardless of what happens down the road, it’s clear the Marlins view 2015 as an opportunity to compete for a playoff spot. As Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs.com jokingly tweeted, Miami’s payroll is suddenly spiking:

Prado isn’t a star-caliber player but did fare well in 37 games with the Yankees after being traded from Arizona. He hit .316/.336/.541 in 133 at-bats and has a career slash line of .291/.340/.429 in nine years, though some of that was likely helped by playing in offensive parks like Yankee Stadium and Chase Field. 

Phelps is best served as a reliever, though he did start 17 games for the Yankees last season. He can open the year in Miami’s rotation if the team wants to move slowly with Jose Fernandez’s recovery from Tommy John surgery. 

All of these moves give the Marlins versatility and at least make them more competitive than they have been in the last two years. Atlanta has taken steps back this offseason, while New York isn’t quite ready to compete offensively, so a playoff spot could be open in the National League for Miami to grab. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

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After bouncing from coast to coast in less than a year, Jake Peavy has decided to stay put in the National League West Division, as the former Cy Young winner has reportedly agreed to a contract with the San Francisco Giants.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports first reported the news early Friday morning and has provided details of the contract (h/t Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com):

The market for Peavy took some time to develop, which wasn’t unexpected given his age and how many starters were available this winter. It wasn’t until the winter meetings that something started to happen, with Rosenthal reporting the Los Angeles Dodgers were showing interest:

Even though the Dodgers are operating with a new front office, the organization certainly knows how much better Peavy seems to pitch in the National League West. The 33-year-old right-hander was impressive last year after being traded to San Francisco, posting a 2.17 ERA in 78.2 innings. 

This was an important decision for Peavy, who has spent 13 seasons in the big leagues without being a free agent. He told Crasnick in early December that he feels a burden of trying to prove doubters wrong based on how things ended for him in the World Series:

I have a lot to prove. If I went out and threw a shutout in Game 6 or pitched the way I did down the stretch, maybe it would have allowed me to relax too much this winter and not play this role I need to play. I need to have people doubting me, because that’s when you dig deep and find out what you’re made of.

I like it to a degree, because it spurs you on and kicks you in the butt. I’ve done that my whole life. I have no problem at 33 proving that I’m not a washed-up 40-year-old.

That’s something to remember about this situation: Peavy is relatively young. He’s reaching a point at which pitchers see declines in velocity and have to change their approaches, but there’s potential for another solid season or two. 

Crasnick also tweeted that Peavy has a higher-quality start percentage (six innings, three earned runs or fewer) than a few high-profile starters:

Peavy isn’t going to be Jon Lester or Yu Darvish moving forward, but this isn’t some washed-up pitcher merely holding on to past glory. He would be helped by playing with a strong defense behind him, as missing bats isn’t a strength anymore. 

Don’t judge Peavy by what happened in the postseason, because small sample sizes can skew our opinions. Some people will tell you Clayton Kershaw isn’t the best pitcher in baseball. 

Peavy’s resume and performance speak for themselves. He’s a solid mid-rotation starter who can fill at least 180-200 innings for a team, which is a huge asset all 30 teams would love to have.

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The Los Angeles Angels have upgraded their already-potent offense by acquiring outfielder Matt Joyce from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for relief pitcher Kevin Jepsen. 

Details of the trade were confirmed by the Angels on Twitter:

The move does serve two purposes for the Angels. In addition to giving them more depth on the bench, the defending American League West champions have a solid insurance policy in the event that Josh Hamilton gets hurt. Joyce has been durable since 2011, playing at least 140 games in three of the last four years.

Jonah Keri of Grantland likes the deal for both sides, as it gives the Angels’ right-handed heavy lineup a solid left-handed weapon and the Rays get another power arm in their already-potent bullpen:

Even though Joyce’s OPS has declined in each of the last four years, from a high of .837 in 2010 to .732 last year, he’s only had an on-base percentage under .341 once during that span and is an affordable option in his third year of arbitration. 

Jepsen is coming off his best season with the Angels. The 30-year-old right-hander appeared in 74 games covering 65 innings, posting a 2.63 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 45 hits allowed in 2014. He’s entering his second year of arbitration.   

This is one of those smaller deals that makes sense for both sides. The Angels, while they have a full outfield, are always going to need another body because of how erratic Hamilton has been. Joyce can also fill in at DH as part of a platoon with C.J. Cron. 

Since the Rays don’t have the money to go after a top starting pitcher, they can follow the Kansas City blueprint to success and build a power bullpen that can shorten games to six innings. 

Stats via Baseball-Reference.com

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

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The only downside of having so many things happen at the Winter Meetings last week is Major League Baseball didn’t spread the wealth. Instead of free agents or teams waiting for a day or two in between all of their action, movement has been fairly quiet since everyone left San Diego. 

However, just because the actual moves have slowed doesn’t mean the chatter is dying down. Teams are still aggressively working the phones in pursuit of a prize that will hopefully result in a championship sooner than later. 

Now is the time for teams to make their best pitch to acquire a premium talent via trade because the top-tier free agents, with the exception of Max Scherzer, are off the table. Scherzer‘s market hasn’t taken off yet, nor is it likely to until agent Scott Boras decides he wants it to, so searching for answers now requires some maneuvering. 

Here are the teams looking to make deals for some of the biggest stars in the sport.

Do the Red Sox Have an in on Cole Hamels?

While there is still work to be done, it appears Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro is poised to start rebuilding his roster around younger talent. That will require shedding a lot of salary and upsetting Phillies fans, but it’s in the best long-term interest of this declining franchise. 

The biggest chip Amaro has to play with is Cole Hamels, who is signed to a reasonable contract by the standards of top-tier starting pitchers and can net a strong return for the Phillies’ system. Finding a trade partner could be problematic because the left-hander has a no-trade list that includes 20 teams. 

However, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, there may be at least one team that could make Hamels waive the no-trade provision if they chose to do so:

The Cubs, Red Sox, Dodgers, Padres, and Rangers are interested in Hamels. The sleeper team is the aggressive Astros. The Giants may be in if they can’t get James Shields. The feeling has been that if the Red Sox would pick up Hamels’s 2019 option at $20 million, he would waive his no-trade. The five years remaining on Hamels’s deal would be worth $110 million.

The Red Sox already missed out on their big free agent when Jon Lester opted to sign with the Chicago Cubs. General manager Ben Cherington has done a solid job of rebuilding the middle and back of Boston’s rotation with Wade Miley, Rick Porcello and Justin Masterson. 

However, the Red Sox still lack an arm for the top of their rotation in 2015. Hamels will be a steep price, both in terms of what they would have to give up and price, but it’s clear based on Cherington‘s moves that another lost season isn’t in the cards. 

After playing things conservatively in free agency the past two years, the Red Sox spent a combined $183 million on Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. 

Guaranteeing Hamels $110 million over five years would also be an out-of-the-box move for Boston, which hasn’t given a pitcher a contract that long since John Lackey in the winter of 2009. 

There aren’t many other options for the Red Sox to choose from, especially with the credentials Hamels possesses. He’s only 11 days older than Lester, had a 2.46 ERA with 198 strikeouts and 176 hits allowed in 204.2 innings last year and has finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting three of the last four years. 

The Red Sox also possess one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, so they can afford to gamble on a trade like the one it would take to land Hamels without depleting their future talent. Winning now is a priority for this franchise, so finding a way to make this deal happen seems essential to success in 2015. 

Pitching Depth Makes Padres Favorites for Justin Upton?

Unlike the Red Sox, where competing every year is essential to maintaining harmony, the San Diego Padres are still trying to figure out their recipe for success. They seem to believe that winning now is a possibility, as evidenced by the reported acquisition of Matt Kemp from the Los Angeles Dodgers, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today:

However, the Padres may not be done there. According to Dennis Lin of U-T San Diego, San Diego is viewed as the favorites to land Justin Upton from Atlanta:

More than a few in the industry believe Upton will wind up with the Padres, who may be able to offer more controllable pitching than any other suitor. While Upton, 27, is a year away from free agency, he is owed a reasonable $14.5 million, making him the top option among potential short-term fits.

Adding Upton to play alongside Kemp would certainly improve a Padres offense that scored the fewest runs in baseball last year (535) and got dreadful production from the outfield (.234/.307/.347, per Baseball-Reference.com). 

It just becomes a matter of whether the Padres want to pay what the Braves are asking, which Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported in November as being “a higher return” than what St. Louis paid for Jason Heyward. 

Upton, like Heyward, is in the final year of his contract, but is also making nearly twice as much money ($14.5 million to $7.8 million). Upton does offer something Heyward hasn’t shown in two years: Power, as the former All-Star has hit 56 homers in his two years with the Braves. 

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports also wondered if the financial investment, as well as the pieces that would need to be dealt, are enough to make the Padres relevant in the National League West:

The Padres’ second baseman, Jedd Gyorko, is coming off a .612 OPS in an injury-marred season. Their shortstops, Alexi Amarista and Clint Barmes, are perhaps best suited to be utility players. Club officials would like to upgrade over Yonder Alonso at first, and third base currently looms as a competition between and Cory Spangenberg and Yangervis Solarte.

With all the problems in that San Diego lineup, not just the outfield, Kemp and Upton at their best may not be good enough to get the Padres over the hump in 2015. That is key because Upton can be a free agent, so who knows if he would even entertain re-signing in the pitcher-friendly Petco Park. 

If you want to take a glass-half-full approach, the Padres still won 77 games despite having the worst offense and allowed the second-fewest runs in the National League. Still, there’s a lineup-wide problem that even a Kemp-Upton duo doesn’t fix. 

Phillies Trying to Parlay Ryan Howard Into Trades

When you have a 35-year-old first baseman who hit .223/.310/.380 with a league-leading 190 strikeouts and is owed $50 million over the next two years with a $10 million buyout for 2017, per Baseball-Reference.com, you have to get creative trying to move the player. 

Ryan Howard is the albatross in the middle of a Philadelphia franchise that has been riding a wave of bad contracts for the last three years. Being able to move him, even if it means chipping in a lot of money, would be good to move beyond the past glory and current malaise. 

Amaro deserves credit for reportedly trying to get creative with a trade package involving Howard, even if it was futile. 

According to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports, the Baltimore Orioles had discussions with the Phillies about acquiring Marlon Byrd with a caveat:

The Orioles talked to the Phillies about outfielder Marlon Byrd, and he was offered in a package that included first baseman Ryan Howard, according to multiple industry sources. Don’t hold your breath on that one, either.

The bad news for Amaro and the Phillies is they don’t have a player good enough to sell teams that would cause them to absorb Howard in return. Hamels is the closest thing, but even he’s not that good. It would also significantly lower the return in prospects, unless the Phillies paid off all of Howard’s salary. 

However, if buying Howard was an option then the Phillies should just do that and release him now to avoid having him continue to get paid like a superstar and perform like a below-replacement level player. 

It’s not a good situation for either side to be in. Howard has to endure the scrutiny that comes with being a $25 million per year player, while the Phillies are handcuffed by the bad contract they gave him two years before he hit free agency. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

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Coming off one of the most chaotic winter meetings in recent memory, you might suspect there wouldn’t be anything left for Major League Baseball teams to do as the new year approaches. You would be very wrong, though that’s not a bad thing. 

Because of the way rumors were flying fast and furious out of the hotel in San Diego, there’s a lot of work that teams are still trying to do in order to help make themselves better for 2015 or beyond. 

While past years have led to a lot of rumors and not much action, this year feels different because teams are able to feel easier about taking on money due to the television contracts kicking in a lot of additional revenue.

Trades are a complicated process, and some of these deals may be moving closer to completion. Here are the biggest rumors that are still floating around coming out of MLB‘s annual offseason extravaganza. 

Justin Upton and Matt Kemp Together?

One of the biggest surprises of the winter meetings was Matt Kemp going from Los Angeles to San Diego. It’s not a surprise that Kemp was traded, but it is surprising that the Padres would be willing and able to absorb $76 million after the Dodgers chipped in $31 million to cover some of the cost. 

There’s no denying the Padres needed to do something to upgrade an offense that finished last in the league with 535 runs scored. The outfield was a huge hole in San Diego, posting a collective .234/.307/.347 slash line with 29 home runs, per Baseball-Reference.com. 

However, the addition of Kemp may not be the final move for the Padres. According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, they are also pursuing Atlanta Braves outfielder Justin Upton:

Upton is more of a gamble than Kemp for the Padres if they are able to strike a deal. Even with Kemp’s injury history, he’s still under contract for five years. He has to stay healthy to provide a boost to this offense for the future. 

Upton is due to become a free agent after 2015. Considering the Braves are reportedly looking for a bigger return on Upton than they got from St. Louis for Jason Heyward, San Diego is in a sticky situation. 

The Padres did manage to win 77 games with little offensive production last year, and there could be a wild-card spot opening up depending on whether or not San Francisco is able to add at least one big hitter to replace Pablo Sandoval. 

However, it’s asking a lot for the Padres to give up what they would have to in prospects for Upton and hope that they could find a way to re-sign him so that he’s not just a one-and-done. 

Give the Padres credit for attempting to make a postseason push, but there has to be a limit when you look at the risk they have already taken with Kemp. If Upton were signed for two years and they could strike a deal, it would make more sense. 

As things stand, San Diego’s front office should try to find other options that won’t cost as much before making a final decision on Upton. 

Cole Hamels to Remain in Philadelphia?

Once Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro reportedly traded Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers (per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com), it signaled the end of the Phillies’ previous era. It was two years too late to get substantial value for Rollins, but at least Amaro finally saw the writing on the wall. 

It was naturally assumed that Amaro’s big play would be to deal Cole Hamels, who is still very much in his prime and could net a hefty return because of his status as one of the top pitchers in baseball. However, per David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, the market seems to be working against the southpaw:

It is looking increasingly unlikely that the Phillies will end up landing the haul they say they want in order to part with star lefty Cole Hamels. … The Red Sox have done the most to lessen their desperation for Hamels, acquiring Diamondbacks lefty Wade Miley and Tigers righty Rick Porcello.

[…]

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ trade of Matt Kemp does not bode well for a potential Hamels deal, both because it moves some money that could enable them to sign a free agent, and, even moreso, because it opens up a spot in the outfield for center field prospect Joc Pederson, whom the Phillies would seem likely to demand in any Hamels deal (if they are honest with their qualification of the haul that they are looking for).

Murphy also mentioned the Chicago Cubs as a potential destination but acknowledges the signing of Jon Lester makes it less likely they will want to deal from their prized farm system to land another big-money pitcher. 

However, Jon Morosi of Fox Sports noted the Phillies could still have a trade partner in the Red Sox:

If Hamels is going to be traded, Boston seems like the perfect spot. The Red Sox are still searching for a No. 1 guy after Lester opted to sign with Chicago. Hamels’ contract, which has four more guaranteed years at $94 million total (per Baseball-Reference.com), isn’t outrageous for a top-of-the-rotation starter. 

In fact, per Christopher Gasper of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox’ final offer to Lester was for $135 million over six years. That averages out to $22.5 million per season, which is $1 million less per year than Hamels is going to make. 

Like Lester, Hamels is a left-handed starter whose arsenal will likely age well because he doesn’t rely on an overpowering fastball to get hitters out. 

By the way, Hamels’ performance in 2014 wasn’t much different than Lester’s, as you can see in the breakdown below:

Despite the substantial difference in their wins above replacement totals, Hamels and Lester were virtually the same pitcher last season, and both are entering their age-31 season in 2015. 

The Red Sox would have to deal from their system, which is something they’ve been reluctant to do in the past, but the additions of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval give them a surplus of infielders to go along with a crowded outfield. General manager Ben Cherington has a lot to play with. 

It doesn’t make sense for Hamels to remain in Philadelphia anymore, so Amaro must find a way to make a deal happen while the pitcher’s value remains at its peak. 

Dillon Gee Is “a Goner”

While the New York Mets still have to make vast improvements to their offense if they hope to compete in 2015, they are in a position to do so thanks to a surplus of starting pitching. Matt Harvey will return next season, joining an impressive young group that also includes Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom. 

Thanks to having so many arms for five spots, the Mets can test the trade waters to find a bat. According to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com, the odd-man out appears to be Dillon Gee:

Gee is projected to earn roughly $5 million next season, and he is under control through the 2016 season. Alderson has all but said that the Mets’ payroll — currently about $100 million — may go down by Opening Day. Translation: The Mets likely will not commit more than $5 million to new additions the remainder of the winter, since that’s the amount projected to depart once Gee is traded. 

Rubin lists Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, San Diego, San Francisco and Kansas City as potential landing spots. Thomas Harding of MLB.com notes that the Mets have their eye on someone in Colorado if those two teams can come to terms:

While Gee has more value than Rex Brothers by virtue of being a starting pitcher, trading any kind of arm doesn’t help the Rockies get better. 

Gee also seems like a bad fit for Colorado’s park, though not many pitchers find success in Coors Field. To succeed with the Rockies, pitchers need to miss bats and have a power arsenal. Gee has averaged 6.53 strikeouts per nine innings in his career with a fastball that’s averaged less than 90 miles mph in four of his five seasons, per FanGraphs.com. 

The right-hander has been able to succeed in Citi Field because it’s a bigger park that allows him to get away with more mistakes. A move to Colorado would expose the flaws in his arsenal and result in one more failed arm for the Rockies to deal with. 

The best thing Gee has going for him is price, as Rubin mentioned he’s only likely to cost around $5 million through arbitration. That’s a tame investment for a starting pitcher, so perhaps that’s why the Rockies would want to pull a trigger on a deal. 

Regardless of where Gee ends up, his future as part of New York’s star-studded rotation doesn’t seem likely to last much longer. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

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Major League Baseball is facing a lawsuit from Sylvia Lind, who works in the Office of the Commissioner as the director of baseball initiatives. 

According to a report from the Associated Press, via FoxSports.com, Lind has filed a discrimination lawsuit against MLB:

Sylvia Lind’s lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, seeks unspecified damages for what she describes as a failure by the league to consider, interview, appoint and promote qualified Hispanic women to managerial and executive positions. Lind, 48, says the league has created a hostile work environment for her because of her age.

Among the key names listed as defendants, per the AP report, are outgoing commissioner Bud Selig and Frank Robinson. Lind claims in the suit that she “works in an industry dominated by white men and has been passed over for promotions and underpaid since 1995.”

Robinson, who has been the executive vice president of baseball development for over two years, is specifically cited by Lind in the suit because he “criticized her writing and other skills” and “lacked the educational credentials, professional license and executive experience to qualify for the job, which paid him more than $1 million annually.”

MLB did not immediately return the AP’s request for comment on the lawsuit. 

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After being acquired by the Oakland Athletics last July, Jeff Samardzija is once again on the move. Oakland has reportedly dealt the right-hander to the Chicago White Sox. The Athletics announced the move on Tuesday:

Samardzija talked about making his return to Chicago, according to the White Sox’s official Twitter feed:

The Samardzija acquisition comes on the heels of the White Sox signing free-agent closer David Robertson, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report a potential deal involving Samardzija, though the particulars weren’t known at the time:

The A’s acquired Samardzija from the Chicago Cubs in the hopes he would push them over the hump in October. However, the team—specifically, the offense—fell apart in the second half due to natural regression and some injuries, preventing the right-hander from getting a playoff start.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane discussed the importance of the acquisitions of Samardzija and Jason Hammel, the latter also part of the Chicago deal, after the Kansas City Royals defeated Oakland in the Wild Card Game, via ESPN.com:

When we traded for Samardzija and Hammel, I think one of the first questions was, ‘Why would you trade for two pitchers, you’re first in the league in ERA?’ We weren’t going to stay there. We knew it. Our job is to try and correct things before they become a problem, and some of the problems that we had we could see coming.

Despite Oakland falling short of its ultimate goal, Samardzija was terrific after the trade. He made 16 starts and posted a 3.14 ERA with 99 strikeouts, 92 hits allowed, 12 walks and a 0.931 WHIP in 111.2 innings. 

The 29-year-old is entering his final year of arbitration after making $5.3 million last season. According to MLBTradeRumors.com arbitration projections, Samardzija figures to be looking at a salary in the $9.5 million range next year before hitting free agency in the winter.

Since transitioning to a starting role in 2012, Samardzija has evolved into one of the best pitchers in baseball. He’s averaged at least 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings over the last three years and has made 94 starts during that span.

Even with one year of control left, Samardzija has true impact potential at the top of the White Sox’s rotation and will cost less in salary than any of the notable free agents available this winter. He can be a Game 1 playoff starter for most teams in the league, which is virtually impossible to find at his salary in 2015.

The White Sox had a rough season in 2014, due in large part to their rotation. Samardzija immediately pairs with ace Chris Sale to give them a formidable 1-2 punch at the front of the rotation, which will give them more stability than they had last season. Along with the newly signed Robertson, it’s clear Chicago wants to win now and isn’t afraid to acquire the talent required to get the job done.

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Free agency couldn’t have come at a worse time for Justin Masterson. The big right-hander had the worst year of his career in 2014 and was left off St. Louis’ playoff roster after being traded from Cleveland in July. 

While that doesn’t help Masterson’s value this winter, it does make him appealing to teams unable or unwilling to dish out massive contracts to other pitchers on the market. Those suitors are starting to line up, based on recent news reports. 

First in line for Masterson are the Boston Red Sox, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

Masterson had a whirlwind 2014 season that saw him start the year as Cleveland’s No. 1 starting pitcher. He was coming off his best year as a starter the previous season, posting a 3.45 ERA with a career-high 195 strikeouts in 193 innings. 

Trying to capitalize on that success while giving himself financial security, Masterson proposed what seemed like a below-market deal to the Indians last spring. Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reported the offer was “believed to be in the $40 million to $60 million range” for three or four years. 

The Indians didn’t bite and were “rewarded” for their patience as Masterson posted a 5.51 ERA with 106 hits allowed and 56 walks in 98 innings before being dealt to the Cardinals. He was worse after the deal, with a 7.04 ERA in 30.2 innings. 

If you want to know how bad Masterson was, Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs had this nugget about his ERA against three metrics used to measure Clayton Kershaw’s dominance:

One of many disturbing trends for Masterson in 2014 was the drop in velocity on his fastball. According to FanGraphs‘ measurements, he averaged 88.9 miles per hour with his fastball compared to 91.6 in 2013. 

A possible explanation for the problems and drop in velocity was a knee issue that Masterson told Hoynes in June cropped up during his second start of the season. 

“It started after my second start of the season…It’s just been a little nagging. Maybe it’s taken (away) a little of the power and consistency,” said Masterson.

If teams get a good word on Masterson’s medicals, he could make a great bounce-back candidate. He doesn’t turn 30 until March 22 and is one year removed from an All-Star appearance. The poor 2014 doesn’t give him much leverage in contract negotiations, though a short-term deal could allow him to cash in next winter. 

That scenario is not exactly what Masterson had in mind when the 2014 season started, but that’s the volatile nature of being a pitcher in Major League Baseball. 

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The Baltimore Orioles have already undergone many changes this offseason, so it’s no surprise the rumor mill is churning out more buzz for the American League East Champions.

According to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun, left-handed pitcher Wei-Yin Chen is the hottest commodity on the Orioles’ roster. 

Connolly also reported that there was a trade proposal made involving the Los Angeles Angels but it went nowhere:

As noted, the Orioles already have a good young second baseman in Jonathan Schoop. Adding a second base-only player like Howie Kendrick wouldn’t make sense. 

However, the Orioles are in an interesting spot this offseason. They have good depth in the rotation, including Chen, but lack a traditional No. 1 starter. They have already lost Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz to free agency.

Who knows what will happen with Manny Machado, who missed 80 games and underwent another knee operation in August.

Given all those questions about the lineup, as well as the depth of their starting rotation, it’s only smart for the Orioles to listen when teams call about Chen.

Rich Dubroff of Comcast SportsNet Baltimore highlighted everything that made Chen so valuable to the Orioles last season:

There’s a lot to like about Chen. His control is good. In 2014, he struck out nearly four times the number of batters than he walked.

Chen exited before the end of the fifth inning just twice in 31 starts.

And, he’s the Orioles’ only left-handed starter. Last year, T.J. McFarland got a spot start, but Chen, who didn’t miss a turn had 31 of the team’s 32 starts from left-handed.

Even if Baltimore doesn’t move him, there are a lot of teams that would love to have a 29-year-old starting pitcher who posted a 3.54 ERA in 31 starts last year and makes $4.75 million, per Baseball-Reference. The Orioles would be foolish to close the door on a potential offer. 

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