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MLB rumors: Yankees showing interest in Freddie Freeman; Braves sign veteran catcher Manny Piña
As we count down the days until the CBA expires, there’s still some action on the MLB rumor mill. We’ll get to that in a second.
First, there was a big signing that happened Monday morning. Left-handed starter Eduardo Rodríguez inked a five-year, $77 million deal with the Tigers as the club looks to turn the corner and put the rebuild in the rearview mirror.
As for the rumors of the day, let’s get to it.
Yankees showing interest in Freeman
The most obvious conclusion to Freddie Freeman‘s free agency is him re-signing with the Braves, possibly for the rest of his career. With him hitting free agency before signing an extension, however, the Braves are certainly risking another team swooping in and grabbing Freeman. We’ve heard about the Dodgers being a possibility, and now the Yankees have been thrown into the mix. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that the Yankees met with Freeman’s representatives recently.
Of course, Heyman also reports that Anthony Rizzo (free agent) or Matt Olson (via trade) are probably more realistic options for the Yankees, as the Braves remain the favorites for Freeman.
Still, it’s at least interesting to see the teams outside Atlanta peeking in on Freeman. His lefty bat in Yankee Stadium would be a huge plus in that lineup, too.
Correa and Tigers continue to look like a fit
The Tigers landing Rodríguez on a relatively hefty deal this early in the offseason shows how serious they are about spending money to supplement their young, in-house talent. They need a shortstop and current manager A.J. Hinch was the Astros‘ manager for the first five years of Carlos Correa‘s career. Tigers general manager Alex Avila has publicly said that, yes, shortstop is a need, too.
This doesn’t necessarily mean the Tigers are favorites for Correa or anything, but they absolutely seem like a great fit. Sure enough, Robert Murray of Fansided reports that the Tigers met this Correa’s representatives at the general manager meetings last week.
Correa recently declined the Astros’ qualifying offer. Speaking of, here’s our updated QO tracker.
Carp expected to post Suzuki soon
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Japan’s NPB are expected to announce this week they’ll be submitting outfielder Seiya Suzuki to the posting system. Suzuki is expected to draw a lot of interest from MLB teams, to the extent that CBS Sports ranked him as the 15th-best free agent available this winter:
Seiya Suzuki is expected to be submitted through the posting system by the Hiroshima Carp once the Japan Series concludes in late November. He’s a five-time All-Star in Nippon Professional Baseball with a career .315/.415/.571 slash line who boasts a well-rounded game. In addition to posting above-average exit velocities, he’s walked more than he’s struck out in two of the past three years. (In 2020, the exception, he finished with one fewer walk than strikeout.) Suzuki also has a high-grade arm that should allow him to make an impact on defense. The one blemish in his game is that he’s not a particularly skilled basestealer. Teams will gladly overlook that.
Once Suzuki is officially posted — likely after the Japan Series ends in late November — teams will have 30 days to reach an agreement with him. From there, the Carp will receive a financial payout based on the sum of his contract.
Braves sign Piña
The Braves announced on Tuesday night they had signed veteran catcher Manny Piña to a two-year contract worth $8 million that includes a club option for the 2023 season.
Piña, who had originally made CBS Sports’ top-50 free-agent rankings, is a good defender with a tolerable bat. He’s expected to serve as Travis d’Arnaud‘s backup.
Whether they win the Super Bowl or not this Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will have some roster roles to plug this offseason.
One decision they will have to make is what to do with offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., who will be a free agent this offseason.
Pro Football Focus feels he is their best candidate for their franchise tag.
Ravens: Lamar Jackson
Chiefs: Orlando Brown JrFranchise Tag candidates for each team
https://t.co/AR1IG7XuSD
— PFF (@PFF) February 6, 2023
Brown is one of the NFL’s best tackles, and the proof is in the pudding, as he was named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year this season.
At age 26, he should have at least a few more good years left in him, which aligns perfectly with the relative youth of the Kansas City roster.
Brown is also a durable player, as he has appeared in almost every single game over the past four years despite playing one of the most grueling positions in football.
The Philadelphia Eagles possess a fearsome defense that was tops in passing yards allowed during the regular season, and Brown will have a big task in keeping that pass-rush attack at bay while protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes and giving him time to work his magic.
Philly seems to be slightly favored in the Super Bowl, but Mahomes is always a singular threat, even though he has been dealing with a sprained ankle he suffered in the Chiefs’ Divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Even without star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who was sent to the Miami Dolphins last offseason, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Mahomes overcomes Philly’s defense to claim his second Vince Lombardi Trophy in four years.
The post PFF Reveals Their Franchise Tag Candidate For Chiefs appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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