June 2024 - Baseball Wiretap

Roki Sasaki's agent, Joel Wolfe of Wasserman, says that "market size isn't a factor either way" in the player's decision. 

The Japanese pitcher has interest from at least 20 Major League clubs, with at least seven of those having conducted initial meetings.

Sasaki clashed with the media at times in Japan. Wolfe's comments may hint that the right-hander would prefer a smaller market.

Previous reports indicated he met with Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.

Joc Pederson, who has won two World Series titles in recent years, hopes to keep the winning going with the Texas Rangers.

Pederson and the Rangers finalized a two-year, $37 million contract Monday after he successfully completed a physical.

"It's a great fit. A lot of our goals align," Pederson said. "The Rangers obviously won a World Series in '23, and they're not satisfied. They want to continue to win. And I want to be in a place that wants to win. ... It's fun to get with [Corey] Seager again."

Pederson won the 2020 World Series as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers as a teammate of Seager.

The deal includes an opt-out for Pederson after the 2025 season, and a mutual option for an additional season in 2027.

The Boston Red Sox are considering a six-man rotation in 2025.

The club revamped their starting rotation this winter after struggling to find five dependable starting pitchers this past season.

"We have had some conversations," chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said in his first public comments since trading for Garrett Crochet and signing both Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval.

"We're very, very open to a number of solutions," Breslow said. "I don't think it's possible to have too much starting pitching depth, and we know we're going to call on more than just five guys -- whether that's right out of the gates or at some point during the season. But the schedule early in the season potentially lends itself to maybe using a sixth starter."

The newcomers join a stable that already included Lucas Giolito, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock.

"We feel like we've got not just five or six starters, but eight or 10," Breslow said. "We've got to feel pretty good about where we are now."

The Washington Nationals are bringing back pitcher Trevor Williams.

The team agreed to terms with Williams on a two-year contract worth $14 million, according to multiple reports. The deal is pending a successful physical exam.

The initial list of major league teams that expressed interest in Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki stretched to 20, his agent, Joel Wolfe of Wasserman Group, said Monday.

Sasaki, the uber-talented young starting pitcher, will join one of those teams at some point in the second half of January and is currently back home in Japan, pondering the second phase of his highly scrutinized recruiting process.

The Detroit Tigers still have interest in Alex Bregman despite signing Gleyber Torres to a contract recently, according to a report.

The Detroit Free Press states that the two sides remain in discussions.

"Mutual interest remains, but there is a gap in perceived value between the two sides as negotiations continue, according to sources not authorized to speak publicly on the situation. Notable progress has been made since the start of the offseason, particularly in the past month," writes Evan Petzold of the Free Press.

Bregman, 30, is coming off a 2024 season with the Houston Astros in which he slashed .260/.315/.453 (118 OPS+) with 26 home runs and 30 doubles in 145 games.

The Los Angeles Dodgers recently met with Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, according to a report.

The Dodgers have long been considered one of the favorites to sign Sasaki, who has also met with five other clubs.

Sasaki, 23, is widely considered the best pitcher in the world not currently on a Major League roster.

In addition to the Dodgers, Sasaki has also met with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers. 

The Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers are among the clubs interested in free-agent outfielder Anthony Santander, according to a report.

The report labels the Angels and Blue Jays "as the frontrunners" to sign Santander, while the Tigers view him as a somewhat of a backup plan if they don't land Alex Bregman.

Santander has hit .245/.312/.476 with 134 home runs in 2571 plate appearances since Opening Day 2020, translating to a 119 wRC+. 

The Washington Nationals have agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with Josh Bell, according to numerous reports.

The agreement is subject to a physical.

Bell spent the 2021 and part of the '22 season with the Nationals. He was traded to the San Diego Padres as part of the Juan Soto deal.

He is veteran of 1,159 Major League Baseball games, and in the regular season, he is hitting .258 with 171 home runs and 613 RBIs.

Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting their first child.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar announced his wife's pregnancy on Instagram on Saturday, posting a photo of baby clothes and shoes underneath his dog Decoy.