MLB Rumors: Braves preferred deal, Red Sox-Mariners trade chatter, Jays next move
MLB Rumors: Braves preferred deal, Red Sox-Mariners trade chatter, Jays next move
MLB Rumors: Blue Jays interested in J.D. Martinez as Shohei Ohtani fallback
The Toronto Blue Jays have expressed interest in free agent J.D. Martinez, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. It’s easy to connect the dots to Shohei Ohtani. Martinez would add another power bat to the middle of Toronto’s lineup, a clear priority after Ohtani spurned the Jays in favor of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ historic $700 million offer.
Martinez happened to spend last season with the Dodgers, slashing .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBIs in 432 ABs. The hard-hitting righty finished in the 98th percentile for exit velocity (93.4 MPH), barrel percentage (17.1), and hard-hit percentage (55.1), per Baseball Savant, earning his sixth All-Star appearance.
Age and position are a factor with Martinez. He is 36 years old, relegated exclusively to DH responsibilities in L.A. The Blue Jays were saving their DH spot for Ohtani, however, and can afford to plug Martinez into a prominent lineup spot as their slugging specialist. Toronto has been in the market for left-handed hitters, such as Cody Bellinger or (the now unavailable) Juan Soto, but Martinez is a suitable backup plan if the Blue Jays can’t land the offseason’s most coveted moonshot artists.
It’s clear the Blue Jays are eager to take the next step toward contention in 2024. Martinez can push the offense forward as Toronto tries to keep pace with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles in a crowded AL East.
MLB Rumors: Mariners reject Red Sox’ advances on pitching trade market
The Boston Red Sox offseason has been mostly quiet aside from swapping Alex Verdugo for Tyler O’Neill in the outfield. A significant reason for the holdup is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who could demand north of $300 million. The Red Sox continue to pursue the 25-year-old Japanese ace, in turn putting any other negotiations on the back burner.
Still, Boston has made trade overtures around the league, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. One team Craig Breslow and the front office approached is the Seattle Mariners, who reportedly “rebuffed” talks centered on their robust collection of young starting pitchers.
Seattle has one of the deepest starting rotations in the MLB, with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo all under team control through at least 2027. Gilbert is the oldest of the bunch at 26 years old. It goes without saying that Boston would love to add contract-controlled starters at the beginning of their primes. It’s equally unsurprising that the Mariners told them no. We don’t know the seriousness of Boston’s offer(s), but in the current market, the price is surely high.
Boston has confidence in Brayan Bello, and Chris Sale still delivered solid results in 2023 despite clear signs of regression. That said, another top pitcher has been a stated priority for the Red Sox front office. Between the new-look Yankees, the hungry Blue Jays, and the 101-win Orioles, Boston has a lot of ground to make up in their division.
The Mariners probably can’t pay all those pitchers, but that’s a tomorrow problem. The Mariners can kick that can several years down the road. Maybe the Red Sox up their offer and provide a pathway to improved offense (the Mariners’ biggest need), but one should assume Seattle will cling tight to its top assets.
MLB Rumors: Braves should prefer Corbin Burnes over other top trade candidates
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report highlighted the top MLB trade candidates on the pitching front. Among those listed are Corbin Burnes, Shane Bieber, and Dylan Cease — all of whom are on the Atlanta Braves’ radar to some degree.
Alex Anthopoulos has been diligently laying the groundwork for a big Braves splash, but Atlanta’s offseason has largely revolved around marginal tweaks. Atlanta could splurge on a showy free agent like Blake Snell, but the expectation is that the Braves will focus on the trade market instead. That’s more in line with Anthopoulos’ operational principles.
Of the names B/R lists, Burnes is the standout. The Milwaukee Brewers’ top ace has posted a sub-3.00 ERA in four of his six MLB seasons. With three straight All-Star berths on his résumé, Burnes has been in the Cy Young conversation each of the last four seasons. He finished 2023 with a 3.39 ERA and a National League-best 1.069 WHIP, accumulating 200 strikeouts in 193.2 innings pitched.
Burnes started 32 games after 33 starts the season prior. He’s a proper workhorse at the top of Milwaukee’s rotation, and he would form quite the 1-2 punch with Spencer Strider on a competitive Braves team.
He won’t come cheap — Reuter notes that Milwaukee wants to keep Burnes despite his expiring contract — but Burnes is the Braves’ surest bet for top-shelf help. Cease is younger, with another year of team control, but he finished last season with a 4.58 ERA and considerable walk problems. Shane Bieber is a former Cy Young winner, but he regressed significantly in 2023. Burnes has been the most consistent of the bunch.
Atlanta should keep an open mind, but if Anthopoulos has his pick, Burnes is the best trade option readily available to the Braves.