A lot of the baseball world this Sunday heads to Dallas for the annual winter conferences. The largest splash is the anticipated signing of 26-year-old famous person Juan Soto, which is hopefully coming very quickly. Within the meantime, there are many different free brokers on the market and we’ll additionally see loads of commerce rumors. Let’s collect the whole lot right here.
Dodgers land Conforto
The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to phrases with veteran outfielder Michael Conforto on a free-agent contract, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand studies. ESPN’s Alden González pegs Conforto’s Dodgers contract at one yr and $17 million. Conforto, who turns 32 in early March, is coming off a 2024 season for the Giants during which he slashed .237/.309/.450 (116 OPS+) with 20 house runs and 27 doubles in 130 video games. That slash line, nonetheless, hides much better highway splits: .253/.323/.530 away from Oracle Park, good for a 122 OPS+. For his profession, the lefty batsman owns an OPS+ of 120 throughout components of 9 major-league seasons.
Regardless of, it might appear, the addition of Conforto, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal studies that the Dodgers stay curious about bringing again power-hitting outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
The Purple Sox are recognized to be one of many prime suitors for Soto (as effectively they need to be), however each crew pursuing Soto ought to have a number of irons within the proverbial hearth. On the Purple Sox, they’ve had discussions with frontline starters Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, in keeping with the Boston Globe.
Fried, a 30-year-old lefty, was 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA final season. He completed second in Cy Younger voting in 2022, has three Gold Gloves and was the ace of the 2021 World Collection champion Braves.
Burnes, a 30-year-old righty, was 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA final season, ending fifth in AL Cy Younger voting. He received the NL Cy Younger in 2021 and led the league in strikeouts in 2022.
As issues stand, the Purple Sox’s rotation options Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello, Richard Fitts and Cooper Criswell.
Teo likes Boston?
Free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández would favor to stay with the Dodgers, however “has lengthy been intrigued” by taking part in in Fenway Park for the Purple Sox, in keeping with the Boston Globe.
The Purple Sox “intend to pursue” Hernández in the event that they lose out on the Soto bidding, in keeping with Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, who signifies they’d reasonably have Hernández than fellow free-agent slugger Anthony Santander. Feinsand additional studies that the Blue Jays are additionally Hernández, although they like Santander.
Hernández, 32, hit .272/.339/.501 (137 OPS+) with 33 homers and 99 RBI final season for the World Collection champion Dodgers. He’ll seemingly wait to signal till after Soto is off the board.
D-backs requested Cubs about Montgomery-Bellinger swap
The Diamondbacks “tried to get the Cubs ” in a commerce that may ship Jordan Montgomery to Chicago in trade for Cody Bellinger, in keeping with USA Right this moment. It sounds prefer it did not work, no less than not but, however it’s notable because of the names concerned.
Montgomery is due $22.5 million in 2025 after posting -1.4 WAR in 2024. He had a 6.23 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 117 innings.
Bellinger is making $27.5 million subsequent season. Final yr, he hit .266/.325/.426 (111 OPS+) with 2.2 WAR in 130 video games.
Orioles thought of Grichuk as Plan B
The Orioles have reportedly agreed to signal right-handed slugger Tyler O’Neill to a three-year deal. They have been Randal Grichuk earlier than the signing, studies MLB.com. That is notable in that’s illustrates that Grichuk is a little bit of a fallback choice for any groups that have been discussing O’Neill.
Grichuk, 33, hit .291/.348/.528 (140 OPS+) with 12 homers in 279 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks final season. Like O’Neill, he destroys lefties. Final season, Grichuk hit .319/.386/.528 in opposition to southpaws.
