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On Thursday, the Houston Astros sent a message to their fanbase, and it was loud and clear: We want to get back.

Back on track. Back to the postseason. Back into position as one of baseball’s up-and-coming contenders.

The message was delivered with a pair of moves. The ‘Stros engineered a trade with the New York Yankees, flipping pitching prospects Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman for veteran catcher Brian McCann, per the Yankees PR staff. They also inked right fielder Josh Reddick to a four-year, $52 million deal, per Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan.

With that, Houston plugged holes behind the dish and in the outfield and added a pair of solid veteran pieces to bolster the club’s youthful core.

Let’s start with McCann. The 32-year-old backstop became superfluous for the Yankees after the emergence of rookie sensation Gary Sanchez. While he isn’t the player who made seven All-Star teams between 2006 and 2013 with the Atlanta Braves, he still has value.

McCann hit 20 home runs in 2016 despite ceding playing time to Sanchez down the stretch and rated as the American League‘s third-best pitch-framer, per StatCorner.

He’ll replace free-agent catcher Jason Castro, also a lefty swinger, and represents an offensive upgrade across the board:

McCann is owed $17 million in each of the next two seasons, but the Yankees will pay $5.5 million of that, per ESPN The Magazine‘s Buster Olney. In turn, the ‘Stros surrendered some talent. Abreu became the No. 10 prospect in New York’s loaded farm system, per MLB.com.

It takes something to get something—and Houston got something.

“Brian McCann is a great fit for the Astros, as he is not only a good defensive catcher, he is also a left-handed hitter with proven run-producing ability,” general manager Jeff Luhnow said in a statement, per the Houston Chronicle‘s Jake Kaplan. “His experience and his ability to impact his teammates will be a significant benefit to our team.”

Reddick is coming off an injury-shortened year in which he played just 115 games with the Oakland A’s and Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2015, however, he hit .272 with 20 home runs, and he’s a plus defensive outfielder who could slot into left with George Springer the unmovable incumbent in right.

Reddick—like McCann—represents an upgrade over his predecessor, free agent Colby Rasmus, who posted a .206/.286/.355 slash line in 2016. Reddick hit .281/.345/.405.

A four-year commitment north of $50 million may raise a few eyebrows, but it could end up being below market value in a weak free-agent class.

In 2015, the Astros finished 86-76, slid into the postseason as a wild card and pushed the eventual champion Kansas City Royals to five games in a division series.

Last year, they missed the dance with an 84-78 mark and wore the scarlet “R” for regression.

Still, Houston boasts an enviable offensive core, headlined by second baseman Jose Altuve (.338 average, 24 HR, 30 SB), shortstop Carlos Correa (.274 average, 20 HR, 96 RBI), Springer (.815 OPS, 29 HR, 82 RBI) and 2015 No. 2 overall pick Alex Bregman.

Astros starting pitchers ranked in the middle of the MLB pack in 2016 with a 4.37 ERA, with 2015 Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel taking a big stumble. The bullpen is a strength, but Houston could use more pitching, even after signing sinkerballer Charlie Morton to a two-year, incentive-laden deal Wednesday, per Kaplan.

The ‘Stros, though, are squarely in the mix in the wide-open AL West. The defending division champion Texas Rangers are nominal favorites, but Houston is a few key moves from vaulting over the hump.

McCann and Reddick count as key moves. They may preclude other high-profile machinations, including the intriguing rumored trade for the Detroit Tigers‘ Miguel Cabrera.

The takeaway, however, is that the Astros are being aggressive early. They’re filling needs. They want to get back.

Message received.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

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Max Scherzer has thrown no-hitters. He’s struck out 20 batters in a game. On Wednesday, he joined a club that counts Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens and Roy Halladay as its only other members.

Here’s your smoking jacket, Max. Pedro will teach you the secret handshake.

In a landslide decision, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America named Scherzer the National League Cy Young Award winner. He’s the sixth pitcher to claim the prize in both leagues—he won it in 2013 with the Detroit Tigers—and joins the pack of aces listed above.

The Washington Nationals right-hander got 25 of 30 possible first-place votes. The Chicago Cubs‘ Kyle Hendricks and Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Clayton Kershaw got two first-place votes each, and the Cubs’ Jon Lester got one.

Scherzer posted a 2.96 ERA, led the NL with 228.1 innings and notched an MLB-leading 284 strikeouts. He also went 20-7, though the outmoded win stat doesn’t carry the cache it once did.

The Nats’ season ended in disappointment. They were eliminated in the NL Division Series by the Dodgers, with Scherzer throwing six strong innings but taking a no-decision in the deciding Game 5.

That may explain his drive to improve in 2017.

“I want to find a new way to be better, go out there and find new ways to get guys out,” Scherzer said, per USA Today‘s Jorge L. Ortiz. “I’ve been dreaming up different ways to do it. When I get to spring training, that will be my thing, to find a new way.”

Washington would be fine with more of the old way.

Some pitchers wobble under the weight of big contracts—we’re looking at you, Zack Greinke and David Price. Scherzer, meanwhile, has delivered on his top-of-the-rotation pedigree since inking a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nats in January 2015.

In two seasons with Washington, Scherzer has gone 34-19, notched a 2.88 ERA, averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings and posted the second-highest WAR (12) among pitchers in either league, according to FanGraphs’ measure.

He’s had headline-grabbing moments, too, including his pair of no-nos in 2015 and the aforementioned 20-strikeout game in May, which tied the MLB record.

Stephen Strasburg has the stuff to be special when healthy. Tanner Roark roared back after a disappointing 2015 and led Nationals starters with a 2.83 ERA last season. Scherzer, however, has been Washington’s rock and undisputedly its best pitcher.

If Kershaw hadn’t missed all of July and August with a back injury, he might have won his fourth career Cy Young. Even with his time on the shelf, the Dodgers ace got first-place votes. When healthy, he’s probably still the top arm in baseball.

Scherzer is in the conversation, however, with his durability, bat-missing stuff and propensity for historic achievements.

There were Cy Young arguments to be made for Hendricks and Lester, who finished 1-2 in the big leagues with ERA marks of 2.13 and 2.44, respectively.

Scherzer’s case was tough to quash, though, as Lester himself winkingly acknowledged:

Scherzer is 32. His production could falter in the waning years of his Nationals tenure. That’s been the fate of most pitchers who’ve signed nine-figure deals, as the Washington Post‘s Barry Svrluga outlined:

The 19 pitchers who have signed $100-million deals, Scherzer included, generally have delivered in the first two years of the contract, as Scherzer did. … Averages over the first two seasons:

13-8 record, 3.28 ERA, 1.150 WHIP with 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 197-2/3 innings pitched.

But compare that to seasons three and beyond:

8-6 record, 3.73 ERA, 1.251 WHIP, 7.55 [SO/9] and, most alarmingly, 131-1/3 innings pitched.

Maybe a decline is imminent. Maybe this will be Mad Max’s zenith, and it’s all downhill from here. That’s hand-wringing for another day, however.

For now, Nats fans can rejoice, or at least accept their ace’s award as a consolation prize for another fizzled postseason run.

Scherzer, meanwhile, can slip on his Cy-in-each-league coat, grab a seat at the table and give the Big Unit the secret handshake.

He’s earned it.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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It’s a good time to be a bullpen ace.

First, there was the 2016 postseason, when the Cleveland Indians’ Andrew Miller won the American League Championship Series MVP award with a historic performance and other late-inning arms—including the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen and Chicago Cubs’ Aroldis Chapman—starred.

Miller, along with closer Cody Allen, carried the Indians and their injury-depleted starting rotation to Game 7 of the World Series. The Dodgers rode Jansen hard through their National League Championship Series defeat against Chicago, stretching him two or more innings in three of his seven appearances.

Chapman was also used heavily and ran out of gas at the end of the Fall Classic, but the Cubs probably wouldn’t have busted their 108-year championship drought without him.

Overall, we watched the return of the old-school fireman—a cheddar-slinging stud ready to enter at any time and record as many outs as needed.

Now comes the offseason and the possibility that we will witness MLB‘s first $100 million reliever.

That’s what Chapman is seeking, according to CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney. If he gets it, it would double the four-year, $50 million deal the Philadelphia Phillies gave Jonathan Papelbon in 2011—the previous high in total dollar value for a relief pitcher. It would also set the bar for other elite free-agent closers, including Jansen and Mark Melancon.

There’s inherent risk in handing big money to relief pitchers. They are notoriously mercurial creatures—untouchable one year, hittable the next. Perennial stars like Mariano Rivera are the exception, not the rule.

This October, however, the exploits of Miller, Chapman and Jansen proved that top-shelf relievers can tip the scales toward victory as much or more than a starting pitcher, as CBSSports.com’s Dayn Perry outlined:

Over the course of the regular season, a great starting pitcher is still more valuable than a great reliever. Once the calendar flips, though, the relief ace’s ability to concentrate those high-leverage innings and to get five, six, seven or more outs in multiple games narrows the gap. This winter, the market just might reflect that notion.

Consider this: Last winter, the San Francisco Giants signed Jeff Samardzija for five years and $90 million and will pay the right-hander $19.8 million in each of the next four seasons.

Samardzija was a serviceable mid-rotation starter in 2016, posting a 3.81 ERA in 203.1 innings. His WAR, though, was lower than Jansen’s and Chapman’s, according to FanGraphs‘ measure.

That’s not to pick on Samardzija or even to suggest he’s grossly overpaid. Rather, the point is that a great relief pitcher can provide as much upside as a No. 3 starter over the 162-game grind, never mind in the playoffs.

As has been widely noted, this winter’s pool of free-agent starting pitchers is vanishingly shallow. Teams with cash to burn may consider bulking up their pens.

Three of MLB’s top five teams by payroll—the Dodgers, Giants and New York Yankees—should be aggressive in the bullpen market.

The Giants pen crumbled last season and was San Francisco’s undoing in the division series against the Cubs. The Dodgers will either bring back Jansen or try to fill the void left by his departure.

The Yankees, meanwhile, have already reached out to Chapman’s representatives, per MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom. New York acquired Chapman last winter from the Cincinnati Reds before shipping him to Chicago at the trade deadline.

“It’s not in my best interest to say where we are,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said, per Bloom. “But have I talked them? Yes. This morning I was lying in bed and I reached out to an agent on the East Coast. So I’m doing it. I’m doing the best I can.”

Will Cashman and the Yankees’ best include a nine-figure offer?

Melancon will turn 32 in March. He’s going to get paid handsomely, but we can remove him from the $100 million discussion.

Chapman is just 28, and Jansen is 29, so a five-year deal for either one isn’t out of the question. Chapman has MLB’s fastest fastball, and Jansen’s cutter might be the game’s nastiest pitch.

Jansen received a qualifying offer from the Dodgers, meaning he’ll cost any other club a draft pick. Chapman still carries the stain of his 30-game domestic violence suspension, which could turn some suitors away.

The safe bet is probably somewhere in the $80-$90 million range. Don’t be shocked, however, if Chapman or Jansen cracks the $100 million threshold.

It’s a good time to be a bullpen ace. That much is certain. When the gaudy checks get written, we’ll find out exactly how good.

All statistics and contract information courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Terry Francona would surely trade his American League Manager of the Year award—and presumably every other piece of hardware in his trophy case—for another crack at the 2016 World Series.

His Cleveland Indians got to Game 7. They could taste it. Their first championship since 1948. 

Instead, it was “wait until next year.”

Since Francona can’t make that trade, he’ll accept Manager of the Year honors as a consolation prize and another line on an increasingly unimpeachable Hall of Fame resume.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Tuesday that Francona won the AL version of the award for the second time in his career—he also won it with the Indians in 2013—in somewhat of a landslide.

Francona received 22 of 30 possible first-place votes. The Texas Rangers‘ Jeff Banister received four first-place votes, while the Baltimore Orioles‘ Buck Showalter and Boston Red Sox‘s John Farrell got two each.

Voting is based only on regular-season results, but it’s safe to assume Cleveland’s deep postseason run would have tipped the scales further in Francona’s direction.

The 57-year-old skipper ushered the Tribe to a 94-67 finish and an AL Central crown despite losing his best hitter, outfielder Michael Brantley, for all but 11 games.

The Indians also lost two of their top three starting pitchers—Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco—in the season’s second half and limped into the playoffs with a deeply depleted rotation.

That’s when Francona’s boldness and creativity took over, as he utilized his bullpen in unorthodox ways—admittedly with a massive assist from super-reliever Andrew Miller and closer Cody Allen. That duo combined for 33 innings and yielded just three earned runs in the playoffs. 

Miller, especially, was Francona’s lifeline. He went to him early. He went to him often.

The Indians fell short of the finish line by a few agonizing inches. Without Francona at the helm, though, they likely wouldn’t have gotten that close.

He accepted the accolade with humility, per USA Today‘s Jorge L. Ortiz:

When something like this happens, if somebody thinks it’s an individual award, it’s the furthest thing from the truth. One, it’s players, incredible players. It’s front office, ownership, the coaches. The coaches work so hard every day, and I’m the one who gets to take a bow every once in a while. I wish we could do this together because they deserve it.

That’s a nice sentiment. Francona, though, has reached a point where he can bow alone.

Through 16 seasons as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, Red Sox and Indians, he owns a 1,381-1,209 record, good for a .533 winning percentage. Since his four forgettable years in Philadelphia, he’s never endured a losing season.

He’s also won three pennants overall and two World Series titles with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007.

The first of those titles was the one that busted the Curse of the Bambino and featured Boston’s legendary American League Championship Series comeback over the archrival New York Yankees.

The Red Sox were down 3-0 in the series. The momentum turned in the ninth inning of Game 4 when a pinch runner named Dave Roberts stole second and ultimately scored the tying run.

That same Dave Roberts was named National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday, per the BBWAA, for his work with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a cool factoid CSN Chicago’s Christopher Kamka highlighted:

Francona is signed with Cleveland through 2020, so he’ll have more chances to end the Indians’ World Series drought. Even if he doesn’t, he appears destined for a Hall of fame bust.

He’s now won 38 postseason games, which places him sixth on the all-time list behind Joe Torre (84), Tony La Russa (70), Bobby Cox (67), Bruce Bochy (44) and Jim Leyland (44). The first three are in the Hall of Fame, and the other two likely will be.

He’s currently 30th on the all-time list for regular-season managerial wins. Of the men ahead of him, 24 are either active managers or in the Hall.

Wins and losses ultimately define a manager, but the job is as much about the unquantifiable stuff, including keeping players happy and motivated.

“Tito does such a good job of setting the tone in the clubhouse,” said Miller, who played for Francona in Boston and Cleveland, per Sporting News’ Jesse Spector. “It’s loose. That’s his style.”

He also pulls the right levers. Every skipper is open to second-guessing, but what Francona did with the Indians pitching staff this October was nothing short of remarkable.

“It was a strategy born of desperation,” as The Ringer’s Michael Baumann noted, “but from that desperation sprung a solution that was, through 10 of the 11 wins Cleveland needed to take home a title, practically unbeatable.” 

“Practically” is the key word. Francona’s machinations didn’t result in champagne and confetti. Ultimately, he left Cleveland fans hungry rather than satiated.

But he added another feather to his decorated cap—and moved himself one step closer to Cooperstown.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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To say New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez had a good rookie year is an understatement of Ruthian proportions.

And yes, we just invoked the Bambino.

Sanchez is 694 home runs shy of Babe Ruth on the all-time list. But after cracking 20 homers and posting a .299/.376/.657 slash line in 53 games, he’s at the forefront of an enviable youth movement in the Bronx.

He’s also a candidate for American League Rookie of the Year honors, despite the fact that he wasn’t called up for good until Aug. 3.

While he didn’t log the service time of the other AL ROY finalists—the Detroit Tigers‘ Michael Fulmer and the Cleveland Indians‘ Tyler Naquin—his impact was as impressive as it was undeniable. In addition to his offensive output, he flashed a howitzer arm, gunning down 41 percent of would-be base stealers.

We caught up with the 23-year-old Sanchez, via a translator, to ask about his award chances, the inevitable Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez comparisons and whether the big leagues were easier than he expected.

Bleacher Report: The Yankees began last season as a veteran team but by the second half had shifted into a rebuild. What was the atmosphere like in the clubhouse during the stretch run as you guys stayed in playoff contention?

Gary Sanchez: The first thing is, those veterans really took us under their wing when we all got there. They made it a point to reach out to all of us and make us feel comfortable and make us feel at home. I think that helped us contribute.

People talk about us young guys, but the veteran guys did their part in that stretch run. But yes, it was exciting. And yes, we were very excited in the clubhouse.

B/R: Is there any particular moment from your rookie season that stands out as the most special, or the moment when you knew you belonged?

GS: When I first got called up, I went oh-fer my first couple of games. I was feeling anxious because I wanted to get my first hit. And [manager Joe] Girardi came up to me and said, “Gary, take it easy. You’re going to be in the lineup every day. Just go out there and do what you would do in the minor leagues.”

That was the moment where I just felt the confidence to go out there and take some pressure off my shoulders and do what I needed to do.

B/R: You’ve been compared to potential Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez. What do you think about that?

GS: That’s tough for me to answer. Other people have that opinion. But I haven’t really seen him play, so it’s difficult for me to comment on that. 

B/R: You had such incredible success so quickly. When you were hitting all those home runs, did it ever feel like the major leagues were easier than you expected? 

GS: Yes, in the sense that I didn’t even believe what was happening with all the home runs I was hitting. I didn’t expect to have that type of first few weeks in the big leagues.

B/R: Who was the toughest pitcher you faced and why?

GS: Honestly speaking, this first time around, I felt confident against every pitcher I faced. I didn’t feel overmatched against anybody. Now, having said that, next year is when they’re going to start seeing me a second, third, fourth time, so now the challenge is they’re going to adapt and adjust to me.

B/R: With that in mind, are there any parts of your game you’re looking to refine or improve next season?

GS: I need to improve everything. I can’t rest on my laurels. I need to improve my offense and my defense.

B/R: What was the hardest thing about adjusting to playing in New York City, with that huge market and all the media attention?

GS: It really wasn’t that difficult, because I’ve been a Yankee my whole career. I’m familiar with the Yankee system, with the Yankee organization. Thankfully, when I got here, I did pretty well and I was really supported by the fans. I’m happy to be a Yankee, and there wasn’t anything that’s made it particularly hard so far.

B/R: In talking about you, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he wanted to “unleash the Kraken,” and that took off. How do you feel about that nickname?

GS: I like the Kraken. I like anything the fans want to call me, as long as it’s said in a positive light.

B/R: Let’s talk about the Rookie of the Year race. Do you think you deserve to be AL Rookie of the Year even though you didn’t play as many games as the other candidates? Is it something you’re hoping for?

GS: I’m really not thinking much about the Rookie of the Year Award. I know there’s been talk about it. But I’m really not focused on it.

I know there are other players who are deserving, and it’ll be up to the voters. If I’m lucky enough to get it, it would be a blessing. But there’s some really stiff competition. This was an important year for rookies.

B/R: I assume you watched the postseason. Did that give you any added motivation to get there next season?

GS: I [was] watching, and it does motivate me. But I’ve been motivated before that.

B/R: What would your message be to Yankees fans who are already expecting you to carry the franchise? Do you feel any added pressure after such an amazing debut?

GS: I would say that no major league organization is just one player. It’s me and 24 other guys. It’s about the Yankees; it’s not about myself individually.

But I can tell you that we are going to work hard to bring a championship to New York.

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Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista are free agents with qualifying offers from the Toronto Blue Jays sitting in front of them.

That means the door isn’t merely open for one or both players to return to the Jays—it’s swinging on its hinges.

As we wait for the 2016-17 offseason market to take shape, however, Toronto is showing signs of moving away from Encarnacion and Bautista, two sluggers who have defined the recent era north of the border.

First, let’s get this out of the way: Neither Encarnacion nor Bautista is likely to accept the QO. Yes, it means turning down a whopping $17.2 million for 2017.

Both, however, can assuredly land lucrative, multiyear deals in a weak free-agent class. The 33-year-old Encarnacion, in particular, will be a hot commodity after hitting 42 home runs and tying for the American League lead with 127 RBI.

The 36-year-old Bautista is coming off a down year that saw him hit just .234, but the six-time All-Star cracked 22 homers in 116 games and should be able to get a three-year commitment out of some power-starved contender.

Bautista has been with Toronto since 2008, and Encarnacion arrived in 2009. They were key cogs in an offense that propelled the Jays to back-to-back American League Championship Series appearances in 2015 and 2016, busting a 22-year playoff drought.

Watching them leave the nest won’t be easy for the Blue Jays faithful. The club doesn’t have the cash to re-sign both, however, barring an unexpected payroll bump.

Signs are pointing toward both men donning different laundry come next spring.

On Friday, the Jays signed former Kansas City Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales to a three-year, $33 million deal.

That move alone made an Encarnacion reunion dubious, as Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi pointed out:

Also on Friday, Toronto inked 23-year-old Cuban defector Lourdes Gurriel to a seven-year, $22 million pact. Gurriel played 307 innings in left field in 2015 for Industriales and hit .344 with a 967 OPS.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan, Toronto plans to try him at shortstop in the minors, but “he may end up a corner outfielder.”

On top of that, layer this rumor from ESPN’s Jim Bowden (via MLB Network Radio):

That’s two more corner outfielders reportedly on the Jays’ radar. But that’s only a rumor. Mix it with the Morales and Gurriel signings, though, and you have a club that seems to be plugging a pair of impending holes.

If Encarnacion and Bautista reject their qualifying offers, the Jays will receive a pair of compensatory draft picks. They didn’t lose one for signing Morales since he didn’t get a QO from the Royals.

It’s possible Toronto will come out of this with enough offense to cover the losses of Encarnacion and Bautista in the short term and a strengthened farm system.

Morales, after all, slashed .263/.327/.468 with 30 home runs last season. Add Josh Reddick, who wouldn’t cost a draft pick since he was traded from the Oakland A’s to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline, in a platoon with Melvin Upton Jr., and the Jays could keep rolling.

Jay Bruce, and the 33 homers he cracked last season between the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets, would also be an intriguing addition, though it’s unclear how much the Jays would have to give up.

Either way, they still have third baseman and MVP candidate Josh Donaldson and a deep starting rotation headlined by Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ and Marcus Stroman.

Bautista and Encarnacion have meant a lot to Toronto, no argument there. Bautista‘s bat flip in the 2015 ALDS and Encarnacion‘s walk-off homer in the 2016 AL Wild Card Game will forever be embedded in franchise lore.

That’s not the only consideration when doling out contracts, however, as team president Mark Shapiro explained.

“It’s never easy to answer that question, and there’s always some premium placed on players who have historical impact and whose character and talent we know well,” Shapiro said, per Davidi. “You’re balancing that premium with the understanding that those players on a losing team have limited value or meaning to anyone.”

Encarnacion and Bautista aren’t gone yet. The door is open for their returns. At the moment, however, it sure looks like it’s swinging shut.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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The San Francisco Giants need to bolster their bullpen.

The Giants know it. Every other team knows it. Your second cousin who’s wrapped up in the election and doesn’t really follow baseball knows it.

Luckily for San Francisco, there are a handful of elite closers available in an otherwise-tepid free-agent pool. The Giants, conventional wisdom suggests, will make a strong push to sign Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen or Mark Melancon.

Here’s a thought: What if they signed two of them?

No, it won’t be cheap. Chapman is seeking a deal in the $100 million range, per Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago. He probably won’t get it, but it gives you a sense of where negotiations will begin.

Is it worth it for San Francisco, or any team, to blow most of its offseason capital on a couple of relievers?

Yes, if they are the right relievers.

The Giants have other needs, to be sure. They hit the third-fewest home runs (130) last season and scored the fourth-fewest runs after the All-Star break. They’ve also got an impending hole in left field. 

They could address both issues by signing Yoenis Cespedes, who opted out of his contract with the New York Mets.

The Cuban slugger would instantly upgrade San Francisco’s offense, no argument there. He’s also 31 years old and could command $150 million. 

Really, the Giants lineup isn’t in terrible shape. The team has a homegrown infield core of catcher Buster Posey, shortstop Brandon Crawford, first baseman Brandon Belt and second baseman Joe Panik.

Right fielder Hunter Pence missed more than 50 games to injury in 2016. If he can stay healthy, his reliable 20-plus-homer pop will provide a boost.

The Giants also have hopes for the young duo of Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson, who have shown promise in limited action and could take over in left.

In the rotation, meanwhile, San Francisco is stacked with ace Madison Bumgarner, co-ace Johnny Cueto, lefty Matt Moore, righty Jeff Samardzija and last year’s surprise rookie, Ty Blach.

Which brings us back to the bullpen. Overall, Giants relievers ranked exactly in the middle of the pack in 2016 with a 3.65 ERA. But closer Santiago Casilla wilted as the season progressed and finished with an untenable eight blown saves.

By the time the playoffs rolled around, San Francisco was counting on an ill-defined committee, which collapsed in spectacular fashion in Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs.

The Giants enter 2017 in need of reinforcements. Casilla is a free agent, along with setup man Sergio Romo and lefty specialist Javier Lopez, all of whom were key parts of San Francisco’s 2010, 2012 and 2014 title runs. 

San Francisco recently met with representatives for Chapman, Jansen and Melancon, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. 

That’s no shock, but it doesn’t explain why the Giants would go for more than one of them.

For that, you need to look to the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians, who proved in 2015 and 2016 how far a loaded bullpen can carry you.

In 2015, Kansas City rode the trio of Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis to a title. This year, the Indians overcame a depleted rotation and made it to Game 7 of the World Series thanks to the 1-2 bullpen buzzsaw of closer Cody Allen and super-setup man Andrew Miller.

It’s the new model. The secret sauce for clubs seeking October success. 

The Giants—with their competent lineup, strong starting rotation and No. 2-ranked team defense—could replicate it.

Imagine, for a moment, if San Francisco inked Jansen and Melancon. The former was an All-Star last season for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 1.83 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 68.2 innings. Melancon, meanwhile, put up a 1.64 ERA in 71.1 innings with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. 

Melancon is 31 and Jansen 29. A long-term commitment to either would carry risk on the back end. Same goes for the 28-year-old Chapman, whose triple-digit heater and 1.55 ERA in 58 innings are offset from an optics standpoint by the domestic violence suspension that cost him 30 games in 2016.

And there’s always the issue of convincing a closer to accept a setup role.

Still, there’s upside aplenty, as McCovey Chronicles’ Grant Brisbee spelled out:

While the Giants will hopefully be active on the Mark Melancon and Kenley Jansen market, there’s a small, unrealistic part of me that wants both of them. That’s how to build a not-so-secret postseason weapon. Have one guy who can lock down the ninth inning (and eighth, too, if it’s October), and have one guy who can float around and be an automatic face card to slip in whatever hand you’re dealt.

There are other routes the Giants could go. General manager Bobby Evans was in attendance at Holland’s recent showcase, as the former Kansas City closer works his way back from Tommy John surgery, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Holland looked healthy, Sherman notes, though he’s yet to regain his mid-90s velocity.

His agent, Scott Boras, suggested Holland “would be ideal for a lot of teams who cannot do the five- or six-year commitment it might take for three guys out on the market,” per Sherman.

San Francisco could also give closing duties to an in-house option such as Hunter Strickland, whose fastball tickles 100 mph. 

There’s wiggle room, and the Giants shouldn’t dismiss the notion of targeting a bat like Cespedes. 

But this is a chance to be bold and, yes, a little reckless. Picture Strickland in the seventh followed by Melancon and Jansen. Or perhaps Holland if the Giants believe he’s healthy, or Chapman if they can get past his baggage and if his price inches down.

That’s the type of pen that could propel a club to glory. For the Giants, it could erase the bad taste of last season’s early playoff exit and maybe even bring another trophy home to the Bay.

It’ll take a boatload of cash. It’ll depend on the pitchers in question spurning other suitors, of which there will be many. 

Why not take a crack, though?

It’s an odd year. What have they got to lose?

All statistics courtesy of MLB.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers need another ace. They have a deep farm system. And the free-agent starting pitching cupboard is basically bare.

Add those disparate facts up and what do you get?

Possibly Chris Sale plying his trade in Southern California.

It’s pure speculation at this point. But the Dodgers targeted Sale at the 2016 trade deadline and were willing to dangle prized young left-hander Julio Urias, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

The deal never materialized, and Sale finished out the season with the Chicago White Sox. The Dodgers, meanwhile, advanced to the National League Championship Series but fell to the eventual champion Chicago Cubs, in part because their depleted rotation ran out of fuel.

Now, imagine Sale paired with Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw. That’s two of the top southpaws in baseball, and a 1-2 buzz saw that could push the Dodgers over the top.

Will Sale be moved?

It’s no sure thing, but this much is clear: After four straight losing seasons and an eight-year postseason drought, it’s time for the White Sox to engineer a course correction. 

“We aren’t approaching this offseason thinking we can make a couple of short-term tweaks to put us in position to win on a sustainable basis,” general manager Rick Hahn said recently, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. “We intend to make a firmer commitment to a direction to put ourselves in a better long-term position.”

Translating from GM speak, that means the Sox could be sellers. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has heard from multiple rival executives that “Hahn is open for business on just about his entire roster.”

Sale is Hahn’s shiniest item.

The 27-year-old five-time All-Star has eclipsed 200 strikeouts in each of the last four seasons and thrown more than 200 innings in three of them. He’s averaged 10.04 strikeouts per nine innings since his debut in 2010, the sixth-highest total among active pitchers. 

Most importantly, he’s under contract for the next three seasons, for $12 million in 2017, a $12.5 million team option in 2018 and a $13.5 million team option in 2019. In a world where the Arizona Diamondbacks paid Zack Greinke $34 million to post a plus-4.00 ERA, that’s an unequivocal bargain.

The sticker shock will be real. The Dodgers would likely have to part with multiple prospects from a farm system Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter ranked No. 6 in the game.

That could include one of Urias and right-hander Jose DeLeon and a top position player such as power hitting outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger or touted 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Yusniel Diaz. 

That’s a lot to give up. But the Dodgers need to bolster their rotation—period.

Last year, injuries decimated their starting corps like henchmen in a James Bond flick. By the time the playoffs arrived, they rolled with a three-man unit of Kershaw, Japanese import Kenta Maeda and trade-deadline pickup Rich Hill through the division series before handing a start to the 20-year-old Urias in the NLCS.

Maeda will be back alongside Kershaw after posting a 3.48 ERA in 175.2 innings in his first big league season. 

The 36-year-old Hill battled blister issues after coming over from the Oakland A’s in early August, but he put up a 1.83 ERA in six regular-season starts with L.A. He’s a free agent, and while the Dodgers will surely kick the tires, it’s not normally in president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s DNA to give multi-year contracts to players rounding the bend on 40.

Right-hander Brandon McCarthy is signed through 2018 but is coming off an injury-plagued, up-and-down season. South Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu is an even bigger question mark after missing all of 2015 and nearly all of 2016 with shoulder and elbow problems. 

Lefty Scott Kazmir is around after declining to opt out of his contract, though the Dodgers may look to trade him, per Sherman. Alex Wood pitched out of the bullpen in the postseason but is an option to rejoin the rotation if healthy.

That’s a lot of ifs, maybes and what-have-yous. Plus, Los Angeles could lose closer Kenley Jansen to free agency, weakening a bullpen that led MLB with a 3.35 ERA and covered for the rotation’s lapses.

Not a good look for the squad with baseball’s highest payroll and a 28-year championship drought.

Getting Sale would immediately and immeasurably boost the Dodgers’ stock. Along with Kershaw and Maeda, he’d form a rock-solid top three augmented by either Urias or DeLeon and whomever manages to come back and stay healthy from the above-mentioned group.

The Dodgers won’t be Sale’s only suitor. Expect every club with pitching needs and prospects to burn to come sniffing. Cafardo astutely name-dropped the Boston Red Sox in particular:

In the thinking-big department, [Boston president of baseball operations Dave] Dombrowski may have enough starting pitching, but how could he resist at least exploring a deal for White Sox ace Chris Sale? Dombrowski inquired about the lefthander at the trade deadline but the price was high. That price will be high again, but adding Sale would give the Red Sox a starting rotation that includes David Price, Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez (unless he was in the deal),Steven Wright, and Clay Buchholz/Drew Pomeranz.

The Red Sox have the pieces to outbid Los Angeles. But while they may want Sale—who doesn’t?—they don’t need him like the Dodgers.

The hot stove is about to start crackling. Rumors will fly like sparks in a stiff wind. This isn’t the last time you’ll read about Sale and the Dodgers.

Some speculation just makes too much sense.

All statistics courtesy of MLB.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

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Houston, we have a rumor.

You want details? Here you go, courtesy of MLB Network’s Jon Morosi:

Let’s unpack the particulars.

First, the Houston Astros are planning to increase payroll. That’s a positive development for Houston fans after their club crashed the postseason party with a wild-card berth and advanced to the division series in 2015 but fell to a third-place finish in the American League West last season.

The Astros want to get back to October glory. They want to topple the Lone Star State-rival Texas Rangers, who have won the last two division crowns.

Miguel Cabrera or Edwin Encarnacion would move the needle toward that end, but let’s focus on Cabrera.

He is, after all, one of the best hitters of his generation with 446 home runs and 1,533 RBI in his career. And the Detroit Tigers are ready for a fire sale, as they should be, per Kurt Mensching in a special to the Detroit News.

Add Cabrera to Houston’s lineup, and you could be looking at a new power in a wide-open American League.

The Astros fell exactly in the middle of the pack in 2016 with 724 runs scored and were No. 24 in baseball with a .247 average. 

Houston, however, has an enviable offensive core, including second baseman Jose Altuve (.338 average, .928 OPS, 24 home runs, 30 stolen bases), shortstop Carlos Correa (.274 average, 20 home runs, 96 RBI), right fielder George Springer (.815 OPS, 29 home runs, 82 RBI), catcher/designated hitter Evan Gattis (.826 OPS, 32 home runs, 72 RBI) and 2015 first-round pick Alex Bregman.

Now, imagine Cabrera in the mix. The 11-time All-Star and two-time MVP hit .316 with a .956 OPS, 38 home runs and 108 RBI for the Tigers in 2016. He’s a future Hall of Famer riding out his peak.

Plus, as MLive’s Evan Woodbery pointed out, Cabrera and Altuve “both hail from Maracay, a hotbed of baseball on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast.”

That could inspire Miggy to wave his no-trade clause. 

The Astros would likely need to part with legit prospects to land Cabrera. They have a loaded system, though, ranked No. 3 by Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter. 

The bigger hurdle might be Cabrera’s contract, which will pay him a minimum of $212 million through 2023. Even if the Tigers toss in some cash, that’s a hefty investment for a guy who’ll turn 34 on April 18. 

On the other hand, as Morosi noted, Houston appears willing to nudge the budget northward and has few payroll commitments beyond next season. 

In all likelihood, Cabrera will be a financial drag before he’s off the books. Sometimes, though, you pony up now and worry about the future when it arrives. 

This is workable. With a shallow free-agent pool, it could be one of the winter’s most impactful moves.

“We can be better, and we’re going to keep trying to be better,” manager A.J. Hinch said at the end of August, per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. 

Hitting isn’t the Astros’ only need. Their starting rotation finished 2016 with a mediocre 4.37 ERA, with ace Dallas Keuchel (4.55 ERA) falling disconcertingly shy of his 2015 AL Cy Young Award-winning peak.

Keuchel, however, showed signs of recovery in the second half, shaving 25 points off his first-half ERA and winning three of his last four decisions.

The bullpen, meanwhile, finished 10th in baseball with a 3.56 ERA and boasts ample depth even after Houston traded right-hander Pat Neshek to the Philadelphia Phillies on Nov. 4.

This club is capable of contending. It pushed the eventual-champion Kansas City Royals to five games in the division series in 2015 and, despite a stumble back last season, remained relevant.

The Rangers are a threat. The Cleveland Indians desperately want to get over the hump after their devastating seven-game World Series defeat. Out East, the defending division champion Boston Red Sox and up-and-coming New York Yankees are forces, with the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays there, too.

There’s no obvious powerhouse. With the right machinations, the ‘Stros could be as safe a pick as any.

Having Cabrera protect the likes of AL MVP finalist Altuve and Correa would count as the right machination. 

It’s not reality. Far from it.

But it’s a rumor, and a titillating one at that.

All statistics courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Buster Posey didn’t need to pad his resume.

At age 29, the San Francisco Giants catcher has already won a Rookie of the Year trophy, a batting title, three Silver Sluggers, a National League MVP and three championship rings.

For even the all-time greats, that’s a career and change.

On Tuesday, however, Posey gilded the lily, winning his first Gold Glove award, per MLB.com’s Doug Miller.

Posey beat out St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who had won the prize for the past eight seasons and become the Baby Gerald to Posey’s Maggie Simpson. 

That’s not to suggest Molina was undeserving. During his impressive Gold Glove streak from 2008 to 2015, he was the best defensive catcher in baseball, per FanGraphs. 

Posey, however, was a better backstop than Molina between 2015 and 2016 by FanGraphs’ metric, and was a better pitch framer in 2014, 2015 and 2016, per StatCorner. 

In 2016, StatCorner had him as the best pitch framer in baseball. He also gunned down a stout 37 percent of would-be base stealers. 

“Defense is something that I’ve always taken pride in,” Posey said, per Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. “It was a bigger focal point as a kid with my coaches and my dad, so as a kid, I paid attention to the Gold Glove award as much as any. So it’s pretty cool to be recognized in this way with this honor.”

On Oct. 27, Baggarly threw his weight behind Posey with a hefty Molina caveat:

The point, again, isn’t to take away from Molina. But Posey has been hovering around the edges of a Gold Glove for a few seasons at least. It was the last feather missing from his cap.

The fact he won it along with fellow Giants Brandon Crawford (shortstop) and Joe Panik (second base) ratchets up the Bay Area’s pride.

“I think it was the one award that he hadn’t won yet,” Crawford said of Posey, per Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area. 

Posey has been such an indelible part of the MLB landscape since he burst on the scene in 2010; it feels as though he’s been with us forever.

More than anything, the cherub-faced Florida State alum has packed a career’s worth of highs (and lows) into a scant seven seasons.

He won NL ROY and a title in 2010, busting the Giants’ 56-year championship drought and bringing the first Commissioner’s Trophy home to San Francisco.

In 2011, his ankle exploded in an ugly home plate collision with the Marlins‘ Scott Cousins, and the Giants missed the playoffs.

In 2012, he won the batting crown with a .336 average and hoisted a second trophy.

Then, in 2014, he reeled in a third ring and top-10 MVP finish.

That’s a lifetime of peaks, valleys and confetti. Or, to put it another way: Every World Series in San Francisco history has been won with Buster Posey on the roster.

Granted, in 2016 Posey posted a good-not-great .288/.362/.434 slash line with 14 home runs as the Giants were bounced in the division series. It’s possible he’ll need to get out from the squat before long to save his legs and prolong his productivity. 

First base is the most logical landing spot, which could mean shifting Brandon Belt to the outfield and various other machinations.

The Giants will consider it all at some point. Posey is a cornerstone at AT&T Park, inked at least through 2021 and embedded into the team’s recent even-year lore. 

For now, we pause to consider the legacy of a ludicrously decorated player who’s still on the right side of 30 and plays a premium position perennially lacking in star wattage.

In April, Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles parsed Posey’s Hall of Fame candidacy and concluded, correctly, that he’s not quite there.

This Gold Glove doesn’t earn him a bust in Cooperstown. It pads his resume, however. That much we know.

On a night when America made a consequential, divisive decision, let’s focus on one we can all get behind: Buster Posey is an awesome catcher.

Now, he has the hardware to prove it.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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