Blue Jays and Diamondbacks Blockbuster
The Blue Jays entered the offseason with a surplus of catchers – having Alejandro Kirk, Danny Jansen and Gabriel Moreno and no real place for all three of them to play. They sought to acquire a left-handed hitting outfielder that could play center field.
The Diamondbacks entered the offseason with a surplus of left-handed hitting outfielders – Daulton Varsho, Alek Thomas, Corbin Carroll and Jake McCarthy – and no way to play all of them. They sought to add a catcher. A match made in heaven.
In a dialogue that started as soon as the offseason began, the Jays and D’Backs finally agreed to a massive deal on Friday – the Diamondbacks sending Daulton Varsho to the Jays in exchange for Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Varsho, 26, had a breakout offensive season with the Diamondbacks in 2022 – slashing .235/.302/.443 with 27 homers, 74 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 592 plate appearances. That type of production – especially from a player that was catcher-eligible – is phenomenal from a fantasy perspective, even with the drag on batting average. With the Jays, he’ll play the outfield almost exclusively – which leads to even more upside in the playing time department, though it’s likely that this will be the final season that he’s eligible behind the plate. It shouldn’t be surprising if Varsho is the second catcher off the board in fantasy drafts after J.T. Realmuto.
Varsho is also a phenomenal defender – and he’ll patrol an outfield that also includes Kevin Kiermaier and George Springer – forming perhaps the top defensive outfield in all of baseball.
For the Diamondbacks, Moreno will get his first real opportunity to show what he can do at the big league level. The uber-talented 22-year-old hit .315/.386/.420 with three homers, 39 RBI and seven stolen bases in 267 plate appearances at Triple-A Buffalo. He possesses a highly intriguing blend of power and speed – much like Varsho – though he also has a much better hit tool and should be an asset in batting average.
In addition, the Diamondbacks also land a right-handed hitting outfielder to balance things out. Gurriel, 29, saw his power completely fall off a cliff during the 2022 season, but still hit a respectable .291/.343/.400 with five homers, 52 RBI and three stolen bases in 493 plate appearances. In terms of his fantasy value, he sees a major drop in his surrounding cast with the move from Toronto to Arizona, and gets a negative shift in home ballpark again. He’s fine as a mid-round filler in the outfield, but should be treated as more of a complimentary piece on fantasy rosters rather than a building block.
Merry Correa-Mas? Not So Fast
Baseball super agent Scott Boras texted Mets owner Steve Cohen after the deal between Carlos Correa and the Giants fell apart over concerns found in his physical. In that message, Boras joked – Merry Correa-mas – indicating that a gift was falling into the Mets lap.
As it played out, the Mets ultimately swooped in and agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract with the superstar shortstop (now third baseman) – putting an exclamation point on the end of what has been an outstanding offseason for the Mets.
However, like the Giants before them, the Mets also found something in Correa’s physical that gave them cause for concern. According to Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes of The Athletic, their concern centers around Correa’s surgically-repaired right leg – and is likely the same issue that the Giants identified.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post weighed in – reporting that the two sides are trying to work through the issue. Jesse Rogers of ESPN added that a deal is “still likely” although the contract could be reworked to consider the issue. What that could mean, is altering the duration or the guaranteed money in the deal in the event that Correa misses time due to the specific issue that the physical identified.
When all is said and done, it’s likely that the two sides will work through this issue and eventually get the contract ironed out. If that’s not the case though, chaos would ensue. Would that mean Boras would once again try to open up dialogue with the Twins? There are reports that he attempted to do so after the deal with the Giants fell through and the Twins were still unwilling to alter their initial proposal – and indicated they would put a greater emphasis on his physical exam after the Giants’ findings. If that’s not the case – and the Mets and Giants are off the table due to their concerns – it’s unclear what the next step would be. Perhaps it would be Correa settling for a shorter-term, high AAV deal elsewhere.
Stay tuned, as this saga should hopefully get a conclusion in the coming week.
Editor’s Note: Now, all our premium tools for Fantasy and Betting are included in one subscription at one low price. Customers can subscribe to NBC Sports EDGE+ monthly for $9.99. Click here to learn more!
Phillies Bring in Kimbrel
The Phillies made another interesting addition on Friday, agreeing to a one-year, $10 million deal with free agent right-hander Craig Kimbrel.
Kimbrel stumbled some last year, losing his grip on the Dodgers‘ closing role down the stretch, but he still had a respectable 3.75 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 72/28 K/BB ratio across 60 innings, with peripherals that were a little better than those numbers. He’s a relatively low-risk gamble for the Phillies, who don’t have a settled ninth-inning situation for the moment.
Remember, it was just a year ago that Kimbrel registered a stellar 2.26 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 100/23 K/BB ratio over 59 2/3 innings while saving 24 games between the Cubs and White Sox.
If Kimbrel reverts to form, then the Phillies should have a very strong seventh- and eighth-inning situation with Seranthony Domínguez and José Alvarado setting up. If Kimbrel isn’t the solution, it’s a matter that can easily be addressed at the trade deadline.
In terms of fantasy drafts, his current average draft position sits just outside the top-350 picks overall. Obviously, if word comes out that Kimbrel is going to close for the Phillies, that price is going to rise significantly. After his disappointing 2022 campaign though, he can still likely be had at a discount relative to other lower-tier closers.
Giants add Conforto and Rogers
After failing in their pursuits to land Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa this winter, all the Giants had to show for their offseason prior to the weekend was their signing of Mitch Haniger. While it was a terrific move to add a powerful right-handed bat to the middle of their lineup, it wasn’t the type of transformative move that could change the club’s trajectory the way one of those superstar signings could have.
The Giants got back to work on Friday, signing free agent outfielder Michael Conforto to a two-year, $36 million pact. Per Buster Olney of ESPN, the agreement includes an opt-out after the first year. It’s an interesting deal for multiple reasons, including the fact that Conforto is represented by Scott Boras, who is also Carlos Correa‘s agent. However, the two sides were able to put any sort of frustrations aside in order to get a deal done.
Conforto, who turns 30 in March, didn’t play at all in 2022 due to a shoulder injury which required surgery in April. Apparently that’s not enough to scare off the Giants in this instance. Still, it’s easy to see the potential upside with a player who owns an .824 OPS (124 OPS+) for his career. He should settle in as the club’s everyday left fielder and really lengthens the Giants lineup.
The Giants also inked Taylor Rogers to a three-year, $33 million pact – bolstering a bullpen that was already deep and talented. In coming to the Giants, he joins his twin brother Tyler as part of what should be a formidable setup corps in front of closer Camilo Doval. That is, assuming, the Doval remains as the closer. Giants skipper Gabe Kapler as been known to mix and match in the ninth inning and Rogers has plenty of closing experience in his own right – so he could get the first crack at the ninth inning gig.
The App is Back! Don’t forget to download the Rotoworld app to receive real-time player news, mobile alerts and track your favorite players. Plus, now you can check out articles and player cards. Get it here!
MLB Quick Hits: The Diamondbacks acquired Diego Castillo from the Pirates for right-hander Scott Randall… The Cubs officially announced their two-year, $19 million contract with left-hander Drew Smyly… The Yankees signed Wilmer Difo to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training… Robert Murray of Fansided reports that the Padres are “strongly in the mix” for right-hander Johnny Cueto… The Rangers claimed Nick Mears off of waivers from the Pirates… The Rangers designated speedster Eli White for assignment… The Tigers claimed left-hander Zach Logue off of waivers from the Athletics… The Cubs claimed Anthony Kay off of waivers from the Blue Jays and designated Alfonso Rivas for assignment… Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Angels, Padres and an unnamed team from the American League East are interested in right-hander Nathan Eovaldi… The Royals signed right-hander Nick Wittgren to a minor league contract… The Diamondbacks brought in Phillip Evans on a minor league pact with an invite to big league camp… The Dodgers signed outfielder Steven Duggar to a minor league deal… The Angels signed Kevin Padlo to a minor league deal… The Tigers signed Kervin Castro to a minor league contract… The Cubs brought in Nick Neidert on a minor league deal… Former White Sox prospect Courtney Hawkins signed on with the Softbank Hawks of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball… The Phillies signed outfielder Garrett Whitley to a minor league contract… The Dodgers added left-hander Bryan Hudson on a minor league deal… The White Sox are looking at internal options to start at second base, with Romy Gonzalez the most likely candidate to fill the role… Mark Payton signed with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball… Jon Heyman of the New York Post notes that teams have been checking in on the availability of left-hander Chris Sale.