Inside The Rangers

MLB Moves Tracker: A's Las Vegas Ballpark Financing Clears Hurdle

Inside the Rangers keeps up with MLB news throughout the 2023 regular season.

Inside The Rangers Staff

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

June 13: The Nevada state Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would help fund the proposed stadium for the Oakland Athletics to move to Las Vegas. 

The bill, which covers $380 million, would be part of a public-private partnership that would have the stadium built by 2026. 

Senate approval is only half the battle for the bill. The Nevada Assembly must vote next, and then if it passes it goes to Gov. Joe Lombardo for a signature. He is expected to sign it. 

One that is complete, the Athletics would need MLB approval to move.

May 10: A group in Orlando is proposing a $1.7 billion ballpark in an effort to either win an expansion franchise or lure a team to the city, per Front Office Sports.

Pat Williams — former general manager of the Orlando Magic during its NBA expansion years — is leading the effort. 

If Orlando were successful, it would mean a third MLB team in Florida, along with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Miami Marlins. Last season the two teams had among the worst attendance in baseball. 

Other cities are chasing potential expansion franchise, including Salt Lake City and Portland. 

May 2: The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres could be opening up their 2024 MLB season in South Korea, per a report from the San Diego Tribune.

The National League West rivals both have strong ties to South Korea, making the teams logical opponents for the first MLB games in the Asian country.

San Diego infielder Ha-Seong Kim is from South Korea and every Padres game is televised live in the country. The Dodgers were the first team with a Korean-born player on their roster in Chan Ho Park in 1994. Park is currently an adviser for the Padres.

The Padres and Dodgers would play a two-game series in late March, according to the report. The proposed international games have yet to be confirmed by MLB officials.

May 2: The New York Mets are getting star pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer back in the same series and against their former club – the Detroit Tigers.

Verlander is making his first start of the season Thursday in Detroit after being out for the first month with back injury. He was drafted by Detroit in 2004 and traded to the Houston Astros in 2017.

“It’s funny how baseball works,” Verlander said Tuesday at Comerica Park.

Scherzer, who played for the Tigers from 2010-14, is returning from a 10-game suspension Wednesday. He was ejected on April 19 for violating MLB's foreign substance policy.

The Mets-Tigers series opener Tuesday was postponed due to rain.

May2: Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper returns to the field Tuesday night a mere 160 days after having Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old slugger will be the designated hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series opener at Dodger Stadium.

Harper replaced the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow replaced on Nov. 23. Conventional wisdom had him returning after the All-Star break at the earliest.

Harper had other ideas.

“I wanted to put myself the earliest I could in my mind, the understanding to work towards something to get out there,” Harper said Monday. “It could’ve been the middle of April, it could’ve been the end of May, early May, but I wanted to put my mind on something to really take advantage of that.”

Harper returns without the benefit of a rehab assignment in the minor leagues. Instead, he piled up about 50 at-bats in controlled settings.

The fastest known player to previously return from Tommy John surgery, according to ESPN Stats & Information, was former infielder Tony Womack, who needed 182 days in 2004.

April 30: New York Yankees captain was out for Sunday afternoon's series finale with the Texas Rangers, as expected. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that the club would likely wait until Monday before determining whether the reigning American League MVP is headed to the injured list.

Judge is suffering from a mild hip sprain. He left Thursday's series opener at Texas in the fourth inning and sat out the two games before Sunday.

"He’s shown a lot of improvements here over the last two days," Boone said. "… In the grand scheme of things, the big picture, I do feel like we got good news on it. But that said, we want to make sure we’re doing right by him and by us."

April 24: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred disputed claims by the mayor of Oakland that the Oakland Athletics didn’t negotiate with the city as a “true partner.”

“We have shown an unbelievable commitment to the fans in Oakland by exhausting every possible opportunity to try to get something done in Oakland,” Manfred said, according to the Associated Press. “Unfortunately, the government doesn’t seem to have the will to get it done.”

The Athletics franchise purchased land in Las Vegas for the purpose of building a retractable roof ballpark. The A’s expect to move to Nevada by 2027.

The commissioner added the A’s should be more competitive in Las Vegas than their current situation. Oakland (4-18) currently has the worst record in baseball and the lowest payroll

“Their attendance has never been outstanding, let’s put it that way,” Manfred said. “To me, it ought to be all positive on the competitive front. You got really smart baseball operations people. You got owners that want to win, and I think Las Vegas will present a real revenue-enhancing opportunity. So I think you’re going to have a good product.”

April 20: The Texas Rangers could be a landing spot for Madison Bumgarner now that the Arizona Diamondbacks have designated former All-Star starting pitcher for assignment.

Bumgarner, 33, has struggled mightily this season, going 0-3 with a 10.26 ERA. The Diamondbacks were noncommittal about his spot in the rotation and future with the club after another poor start Tuesday and made a Wednesday.

Arizona will eat the remainder of the $85 million contract that Bumgarner signed before the 2020 season, which is about $34 million.

Since it's unlikely a team would trade for him and assume that contract, Bumgarner would be free to sign with any team for the MLB minimum of $720,000 once he clears waivers.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported that Rangers could be interested in the left-hander. Bumgarner has a long history with Texas manager Bruce Bochy, having won three World Series together with the San Francisco Giants.

April 16: Disgraced former MLB pitcher Trevor Bauer is making a return to baseball – in Japan. The 2020 Cy Young Award winner pitched Sunday for the first time in almost two years for the minor league team of the Yokohama BayStars.

“I thought the day went really well,” Bauer said, according to the Associated Press. “The stuff was good, the command was good, the health was good. I feel like I’m ready to compete now, but I have to build my pitch count.”

Bauer, 32, allowed four hits and no runs, striking out six in four innings before an overflow crowd of 2,600 fans. He wasn’t sure when he might be ready for a promotion to the BayStars.

Bauer in on a one-year contract in Japan after not being able to sign a deal with any MLB club despite his unprecedented 324-game suspension being reduced this offseason. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed Bauer for three years and $102 million in 2021, subsequently released him in January.

Bauer hasn’t pitched since midway through the 2021 season. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred suspended Bauer in April 2022 for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy. A San Diego woman said Bauer beat and sexually abused her in 2021. Bauer has maintained his innocence.

April 6: The Major League Baseball trade deadline this season has been set for Aug. 1, according to former MLB general manager Jim Bowden

Bowden, who works for The Athletic among other media outlets, shared the new date on Twitter. The CBA, which was ratified last year, gives the commissioner’s office the authority to set the trade deadline anytime between July 28-Aug. 3.

Aug. 2 is a Tuesday. The deadline time wasn’t included in Bowden’s tweet. Last year, it was 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 2.

April 5: Elvis Andrus joined the 2,000-hit club on Wednesday, as he hit the milestone while playing for the Chicago White Sox against the San Francisco Giants. 

Andrus, a former Texas Rangers shortstop, signed with the White Sox during the offseason after joining the team late last season. Andrus was previously released by the Oakland Athletics.

Andrus was a fan favorite while playing for the Rangers from 2009-20. He was part of their World Series teams in 2010 and 2011. 

Andrus is now one of fewer than 300 MLB players to collect at least 2,000 hits in their career.

April 3: MLB announced that it has suspended Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon for five games and fined him an undisclosed amount after an altercation with an Oakland Athletics fan. 

On Opening Day in Oakland the fan made comments directed towards Rendon. The third baseman then grabbed the fan's shirt and tried to take a swipe at the fan. 

Rendon's suspension will go into effect immediately and he will miss Monday's game against the Seattle Mariners. 

March 31: The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder/second baseman Nick Solak for cash from the Cincinnati Reds. Seattle had room on its 40-man roster and immediately optioned Solak to Triple-A Tacoma.

The Texas Rangers traded Solak, once a highly-regarded prospect in the organization, to the Reds after last season for cash. He was designated for assignment on Opening Day having never played a game for Cincinnati.

March 30: Nick Solak, once a prized prospect for the Texas Rangers, was designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day.

The Red made a series of roster moves before their Thursday game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Solak was one of the casualties.

He burst on the scene with the Rangers in 2019, hitting .293/.393/.491 that year in 33 games. His production steadily declined over the next three years before being optioned to Triple-A Round Rock last season.

Solak, 28, was traded to the Reds in November for cash considerations.

March 30: The New York Mets announced on Thursday that pitcher Justin Verlander would start the season on the injured list with a low grade teres major strain.

The Mets made the announcement on Twitter.

Verlander will continue to throw at moderate intensity, per the Mets and will be re-scanned next week. The Mets won't provide another update until the next scan.

The Mets signed Verlander as a free agent after he won the 2022 American League Cy Young award and helped the Houston Astros win the World Series. 

March 27: Did the New York Yankees find their next Derek Jeter? They sure hope so.

The organization’s top prospect, 21-year-old shortstop Anthony Volpe, made the Opening Day roster after a sensational Spring Training. Volpe hit .314 with six doubles, a triple, three home runs and five RBI in 17 games.

“This has been the dream since I can remember,” Volpe said, according to MLB.com. “I’m probably the same as a lot of kids my age, a lot of my classmates, a lot of my teammates. This is all of our dreams. For it to become reality, it’s hard to even put into words.”

Volpe will be 21 years and 336 days on Thursday, as the Yankees open the regular season against the San Francisco Giants. Jeter was the last player to start an Opening Day that young at 21 years and 281 days in 1996.

“There’s an energy he plays the game with, and an instinct that he has that’s evident,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I think when we take a step back and evaluate, he really checked every box that we could have had for him. He absolutely kicked the door in and earned this opportunity.”

March 26: Aaron Nola, scheduled to pitch at the Texas Rangers on Opening Day, has tabled talks on contract extension with the Philadelphia Phillies until after the season.

The Phillies ace wants to focus on the upcoming season instead of a new deal.

“Sometimes it comes to that, we’ll talk at the end of the season,” Nola said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’m focused on this year. We want to win, so just focused on having a good season and having fun with these guys.

“We definitely tried to get it done, but it just didn’t work out right now. Doesn’t mean it’s over, by any means. We’ll talk at the end of the season and see what happens.”

The Phillies are the defending National League champions, having lost in the World Series to the Houston Astros. Nola is pitching opposite of new Rangers ace Jacob deGrom on Thursday at Globe Life Field.

March 26: Former Texas Rangers outfielder was released by Seattle Mariners and is now a free agent. Calhoun, 35, hit .250 with two RBI in 12 spring games.

Calhoun, a longtime member of the Los Angeles Angels, spent one disappointing season with Texas in 2022. He played in 1265 games , hitting just .196 with 12 homers and 49 RBI.

The Rangers signed him before last season to a one-year contract with a one-year club option. After the worst offseason season of Calhoun's career, Texas elected not to pick up the $5.5 million option for 2023.

March 23:

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman

Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn ACL in his left knee the team announced on Thursday evening

. Hoskins suffered the injury while playing in a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon. It was a non-contact injury and the medical staff and EMT's attended to Hoskins prior to him being carted off the field.

The injury will require surgery. When or who will perform the surgery has yet to be released. 

Hoskins is entering free agency following the 2023 MLB season.

For more information, check out Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies.

March 22: Houston Astros infielder Jose Altuve had successful surgery on his fractured right thumb on Wednesday, but will miss at least two months of the regular season. 

Altuve suffered the injury during the World Baseball Classic on Saturday when he was hit by a pitch from Team USA pitcher Michael Bard. Altuve was playing for Team Venezuela.

The Astros said Altuve had the surgery took place in Houston and that he will remain there. 

The two-time World Series champion is expected to be replaced by Mauricio Dubon until Altuve is ready return. That could be as early as mid-May.

March 20: Former Texas Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar and the Colorado Rockies have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, per the New York Post. 

Per the report, Profar would make a base salary of $7.75 million guaranteed. There is a performance bonus that could push the package up to $8.75 million, based on 400 plate appearances.

Profar played for the San Diego Padres last season, batting .243 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI in 658 plate appearances. 

March 19: Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung started Sunday's Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners, indicating that there were no ill effects from his car accident Saturday. 

The Dallas Morning News reported that Jung was involved in a minor car accident on his way to Saturday's spring game in Tempe against the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers indicated he suffered no injuries, but was scratched due to logistics.

March 18: Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung was not in Saturday's lineup against the Los Angeles Angels due to a minor car accident, according to The Dallas Morning News. 

The accident was described as "minor" and Jung was not injured. But as a precaution, since he was driving to the game in Tempe, he did not play. 

Jung is hitting .281 with two home runs and five RBI in Spring Training.

March 18: Texas Rangers pitcher Glenn Otto was scratched from Saturday's expected spring training start against the Los Angeles Angels with right lat tightness, per multiple reports. 

Otto gave up four runs in his last start Monday. Chase Lee started in Otto's place Saturday. 

Otto went 7-10 last season as a member of the Rangers starting rotation. He is fighting for a spot in the bullpen this spring.

March 16: The New York Mets will be without closer Edwin Diaz for the entire 2023 season after he tore the patellar tendon in his right knee during Puerto Rico’s WBC victory celebration on Wednesday night. 

The Mets announced that it was a full-thickness tear and that Diaz would have surgery on Thursday performed by Dr. David Altchek.

Diaz signed a five-year contract worth more than $100 million in the offseason. 

Diaz had an incredible season for the Mets, finishing with 32 saves for the second straight season. He also went 3-1 with a 1.31 ERA. Diaz is now a two-time All-Star, as he made the team this season. He has 202 career saves in seven seasons. At age 28, he'll be locked into the Mets in his prime.

March 11: The Arizona Diamondbacks made the unusual move to extend first-year outfielder Corbin Carroll for eight seasons, a deal that will be worth at least $111 million and was reported by MLB.com.

The Diamondbacks have not announced the agreement. 

Carroll played in just 32 games for Arizona last season, but he batted .260 with four home runs and 14 RBI. Just 21 years old, Carroll was the D-Backs' first-round pick (No. 16 overall) in 2019. 

Still considered a rookie by service time, he is so highly regarded in the game that he was MLB.com's No. 2 overall prospect for 2023, behind Baltimore's Gunnar Henderson.

March 9: Former Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel has reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the Miami Marlins, per The Athletic. 

Gurriel helped the Astros to two World Series titles. He batted .242 with eight home runs and 53 RBI last season. He played the first seven years of his career with the Astros.

March 8. Rangers INF/OF Mark Mathias was traded to Pittsburgh Pirates for player to be named.

Mathias was designated for assignment by the Rangers on March 3, as the club made room on the 40-man roster after signing veteran reliever Will Smith. He spent the majority of the 2022 season at the Triple-A level, where he hit a combined .322 (64-for-199) with nine home runs, 34 RBI and a .940 OPS in 58 games between Nashville and Round Rock.

Mathias, 28, played in six games with Milwaukee last season before being acquired by Texas on Aug. 2.

Mathias hit .300 with an on-base percentage of .462 in 13 plate appearances this spring for Texas. Mathias played in four games at second base and appeared at first base.

March 3: The New York Post is reporting that the Los Angeles Dodgers may be the "very early favorites" to land Los Angeles Angels pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani in free agency. 

The reasons? The Post reports that the Dodgers have shed payroll this season in anticipation of making a run at him next season, and the Dodgers were among the teams he was interested in playing for when he first arrived in the U.S.

Ohtani is playing on a $30 million contract in 2023 and will be a free agent after the season. 

Feb. 26: Manny Machado, who earlier this year said he expected to test free agency, appears to be headed toward signing an 11-year, $350 million extension with the San Diego Padres, per ESPN.

The 30-year-old Machado is coming off his second All-Star season in San Diego, during which he hit .298 with 32 home runs and 102 RBI as he finished second in National League MVP voting. 

Feb. 25: Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark made it clear in a conversation with ESPN on Saturday that the MLBPA will never agree to a salary cap.

Clark's comments came during a conversation about Major League Baseball's Economic Reform Committee.

“We’re never going to agree to a cap," Clark said. "Let me start there. We don’t have a cap. We’re not going to agree to a cap.”

MLB has an Economic Reform Committee that is currently examining the game's economic structure. Two of the issues that has spurred the committee was this past offseason's spending spree and the local media rights issues spurred by Bally's Sports and by Warner Brothers Discovery, both of which are trying to get out of the Regional Sports Network business.

Feb. 20: Los Angeles Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani can be a free agent after this season. His agent, Nez Balelo, told reporters on Monday that his agent has a right to explore free agency. 

"I've always been open to it," Balelo said when asked a question about whether Ohtani would be open to a contract extension during spring training. "But there's several layers to this one, and Shohei's earned the right to play through the year, explore free agency, and we'll see where it shakes out."

If Ohtani hits free agency, he is expected to become the first $500 million player in the game. He will be paid $30 million in 2023 and will probably be a hotly-debated player at the trade deadline.

Feb. 19: Former Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus will return to the Chicago White Sox on a one-year deal, per MLB.com. 

The White Sox have not made a formal announcement. 

Andrus started last season with the Oakland Athletics before he was released and then signed with the White Sox. With Chicago, he batted .271 with nine homers, 11 steals and a .773 OPS.

Andrus started his career with the Texas Rangers before he was traded to the Oakland Athletics. Last season just happened to be the final year of the 10-year extension he signed with the Rangers in 2013.

Feb. 17: San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado plans to opt-out of his contract and test the free-agent market after this season, he announced on Friday.

It's an unusual move to announce it before the 2023 season even starts. 

Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal in 2019, but that deal allowed him to opt out after 2023. At the time he signed the deal, it was a Major League record. 

The new record is the $390 million deal New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge signed this offseason. Machado cited the changing market as a reason for opting out. 

Feb. 17: The San Diego Padres and pitcher Michael Wacha agreed to a four-year contract on Friday.

The deal is creative, financially-speaking, per The Athletic. He'll get a s $3.5 million signing bonus and $4 million this season. After that, the Padres have two club options in 2024 and 2025 worth $16 million each, but the Padres must pick up both at the same time. 

If the Padres don't, Wacha has player options for the next three seasons worth $18.5 million combined. Those can be exercised one at a time. 

Wacha is the final piece of a six-man rotation for the Padres. He went 11-2 last season with Boston.

Feb. 16: Left-handed reliever Matt Moore and the Los Angeles Angels are reportedly close to a deal, per The Athletic. 

Moore was with the Texas Rangers in 2022 and had a great season, his first as a full-time reliever. He went 5-2 with a 1.95 ERA and five saves. 

Rangers GM Chris Young noted in December that the market for Moore's services was considerable. 

Feb. 15: Pitcher Andrew Chafin will rejoin the Arizona Diamondbacks on a one-year contract, per multiple reports. 

The deal is worth $6.5 million, with a $7.5 million 2024 team option and has a $750,000 buyout. 

Chafin, a left-handed reliever, was 2-3 with a 2.83 ERA and three saves with last season. Chafin started his MLB career with Arizona in 2014. 

Feb. 15: New York Yankees starting pitcher Frankie Montas will undergo shoulder surgery on Tuesday, a move that could keep him out for the season, according to Yankees manager Aaron Boone. 

The report did not indicate the severity of the injury. It is possible that Montas could return this season, thought there is no timetable for his recovery. 

The Yankees acquired Montas last year at the trade deadline. The Yankees acquired him from Oakland. For his career he is 36-35 with a 3.90 ERA. He won 13 games with Oakland in 2021. 

Feb. 12: The Houston Astros announced on Friday that they have agreed to a five-year contract extension with pitcher Cristian Javier, ensuring that one of their starting rotation pieces will remain in Houston for years to come.

Javier had a breakthrough season for the Astros, going 11-9 with a career-low 2.54 ERA as he helped the Astros win the World Series. 

The deal is worth a reported $64 million and runs through the 2027 season, carrying Javier through his arbitration years. 

Feb. 9: The Toronto Blue Jays and Bo Bichette have reportedly agreed to a three-year contract extension, per multiple reports. 

The deal is for three years and $33.6 million and will help Bichette and the Blue Jays avoid arbitration. 

Bichette, a fourth-year player and the son of former MLB player Dante Bichette, batted .290 with 24 home runs and 93 RBI in 2022. He led the American League in hits for the second straight season (189).

Feb. 9: Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres have reportedly agreed to a six-year, $108 million contract extension that will keep Darvish out of free agency after next season, per ESPN.

The extension ends in 2028 when Darvish is 42. 

Darvish, the former Rangrers starter, has been with the Padres since 2021. He went 16-8 last year with a 3.10 ERA and finished eighth in Cy Young voting. 

Feb. 8:Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno told the New York Post on Wednesday that he hopes to keep pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who is set to be a free agent after this season. 

“I’d like to keep Ohtani,” Moreno told The Post at the MLB owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. “He’s one of a kind, He’s a great person. He’s obviously one of the most popular baseball players in the world, and he’s an international star. He’s a great teammate. He works hard. He’s a funny guy, and he has a really good rapport with fans.”

Moreno recently pulled the Angels off the sale market. The belief is that Ohtani could become the first player in league history to net a $500 million contract. 

It could be in Los Angeles. It could be somewhere else. In the meantime, Ohtani will make $30 million with the Angels in 2023.

FEB 6 IAN’S BACK! The Rangers announced on Monday that franchise Hall of Famer Ian Kinsler has been hired as a special assistant in the front office to GM Chris Young. 

Stay plugged in here with more to come on the move.

ROYAL SIGNS The Kansas City Royals and pitcher Zach Greinke have agreed to a one-year contract that will allow Greinke to pitch another season. 

Sports Radio 610 in Kansas City was the first to report the agreement. MLB.com reported the salary could be in the $8-10 million range, pending a physical.

Greinke is a 19-year veteran who started his career with the Royals in 2004, left via trade to Milwaukee in 2010 and returned to Kansas City in 2022. He went 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA. 

For his career Greinke is 223-141 with a 3.42 ERA and won the Cy Young award in 2009.

Jan. 20: The Minnesota Twins have traded American League batting champion Luis Arráez to the Miami Marlins for three pitchers, including Pablo López, per ESPN and other outlets. 

The Twins will get López, along with two prospects — shortstop Jose Salas and outfielder Byron Chourio.

Arráez, a first baseman, batted .316 last season to win his first batting title. He cannot be a free agent until 2026, giving the Marlins three years of control. 

López went 10-10 with a 3.75 ERA last season for the Marlins. He becomes a free agent in 2025. He should fit into the Twins' rotation immediately. 

Salas is the Marlins' No. 5 prospect. 

Jan. 19: The Kansas City Royals and pitcher Aroldis Chapman have reportedly agreed to a one-year deal, per MLB.com. 

The Royals have not announced the deal and it is pending a physical.

Chapman has a difficult 2022, including several injured list stints and a release from the Yankees' playoff roster after he failed to show up for a mandatory workout. Chapman went 4-4 with a 4.46 ERA and nine saves last season.

Jan. 14: Trey Mancini, who helped the Houston Astros win the World Series, has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, per ESPN.com.

Mancini started last season with the Baltimore Orioles but was traded to the Astros before the trade deadline. Mancini batted .239 with 18 home runs and 63 RBI in 2022. 

Jan. 13: Juan Soto and the San Diego Padres avoided arbitration when the two sides agreed to a one-year, $23 million deal on Friday, per multiple reports. 

The deal ensures that Soto — whom the Padres acquired at the trade deadline for a raft of top prospects — remains with the team at least one more season. It also gives the sides time to work on a long-term deal. 

Soto cannot be a free agent before the 2024 season. 

Jan. 13: Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is heading back to Pittsburgh on a one-year, $5 million contract, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 

The former Pirates outfielder, who was the 2013 National League MVP while with the Pirates, was in Milwaukee last season and batted .237.

The deal is pending a physical. 

Jan. 10: In what may be the final twist in the Carlos Correa saga, it appears the shortstop will be heading back to the Minnesota Twins, per ESPN.com.

Correa had agreed to two free-agent deals this offseason — with the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets. Both were scuttled by physicals. 

While the Mets were trying to re-negotiate the deal, Correa ultimately agreed to six guaranteed years and $200M. He can guarantee a seventh year and another $25 million with 502 plate appearances in year six.

The New York Post reported that the major part of Correa's physical — his ankle — had passed and it looked like this deal would go through. 

Jan. 10: Johnny Cueto and the Miami Marlins have reportedly agreed to a contract, per multiple reports.

The pitcher and the Marlins have reportedly agreed to a $6 million dealin 2023, with a club option in 2024 worth $10.5 million, with a $2.5 million team buyout.

Cueto, 36, went 8-10 with the Chicago White Sox last season.

Jan. 2: Carlos Correa is still not a New York Met, and the New York Post is reporting that at least one team is talking to Correa and his agent while they're trying to iron out a deal with the Mets. 

The Mets and Correa agreed to a $315 million, 12-year deal last month, but Mets management have some reservations with his physical, similar reservations that the San Francisco Giants had with Correa after their initially agreed to a deal. 

The Post reported that there are still sticking points two weeks into attempting to make adjustments to the deal, and that has led Correa's agent, Scott Boras, to stay in contact with other teams. One of them is Correa's most recent team, the Minnesota Twins, which offered him a 10-year, $285 million deal. 

Dec. 31, 2022: The Arizona Diamondbacks have reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with third baseman Evan Longoria. 

The Arizona Republic reported the deal was for $4 million, with $1 million in incentives.

Longoria was a free agent for the first time in his career, which spans 10 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants. 

Longoria is a career .265 hitter with an .806 OPS and 331 home runs.

Dec. 29, 2022: The Miami Marlins shored up their middle infield by agreeing to a two-year contract with shortstop Jean Segura, per multiple reports.

Segura's two-year deal is reportedly worth $17 million. 

The 32-year-old has played the last four years for Philadelphia, which went to the World Series last season. Segura batted .277 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI a season ago. He's a lifetime .285 hitter and a two-time All-Star.  

Dec. 28, 2022: The Boston Red Sox and pitcher Corey Kluber have agreed to a one-year deal worth $10 million, per multiple reports. 

Kluber's contract also has an option year for $11 million in 2024 and features incentives. 

Kluber is a two-time Cy Young winner who was last with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he went 10-10 with a 4.34 ERA last season. 

He was with the Texas Rangers in 2020, but he pitched just one inning of an Opening-Day start before an shoulder injury ended his season. 

Dec. 27, 2022: The Pittsburgh Pirates and pitcher Rich Hill have agreed to a one-year contract worth $8 million, per ESPN. 

Hill's deal is pending a physical. He turns 43 in March but made 26 starts last season for Boston. He went 8–7 with a 4.27 ERA

The Pirates will be his 12th MLB team. He has an 82-59 career record. 

Dec. 23, 2022: The Arizona Diamondbacks traded catcher/outfielder Daulton Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays for their top catching prospect, Gabriel Moreno, and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on Friday.

The Blue Jays get a player in Varsho who batted .235/.302/.443 with 27 home runs and 74 RBIs in 151 games. He's considered an elite defender, even though he started his MLB career at catcher. 

The trade addressed the logjam the Blue Jays had at catcher, which included All-Star Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen. Moreno was the Blue Jays' top catching prospect. 

Dec. 23, 2022: Outfielder Michael Conforto, the former New York Met who was reportedly targeted by the Texas Rangers as a potential answer in left field, has a new home with San Francisco.

Conforto, who didn't play last year due to a shoulder injury and turned down a two-year deal from the Houston Astros at the end of last season, has agreed to a two-year deal with the Giants worth $36 million, per USA Today. He can opt out of the deal after 2023.

Conforto is a consolation prize of sorts for the Giants, who made a hard push to sign Aaron Judge before he re-signed with the New York Yankees. The Giants also lost shortstop Carlos Correa due to an issue with his physical, which caused Correa to go to the New York Mets. 

Dec. 22, 2022: The Cincinnati Reds added to their depth in both the infield and the outfield by signing Wil Myers to a two-year contract on Thursday, the team announced. 

The Reds announced that the two-year deal has a mutual option for the 2024 season. Multiple reports pegged Myers' 2023 salary at $7.5 million, but can jump to $9.5 million based on playing time and if he's traded.

Myer is a 10-year veteran who has spent eight of those 10 seasons with the San Diego Padres. Last season he hit .261 with seven home runs and 41 RBI in 77 games.  

Dec. 21, 2022: Shortstop Carlos Correa, who last week agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal, has now agreed to an 12-year, $315 million deal with the New York Mets, per the New York Post. 

The deal occurred overnight and only after Correa, who was in the final stages of getting cleared by the Giants, had unresolved issues with his physical which were delaying the signing.

Correa will play third base for the Mets, per the Post. The deal is pending a physical.

Dec. 20, 2022: Former Texas Rangers utility player Matt Carpenter signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, the team announced. 

Carpenter's deal, per the Athletic, is for $6.5 million in 2023 and has an option year in 2024 worth $5.5 million. The deal also includes several incentives. 

The 37-year-old Carpenter signed with the Rangers last offseason but he didn't make the Opening Day roster. The Rangers released him in late May despite his .275 batting average and six home runs in 21 games. The New York Yankees signed him and he became productive immediately, becoming the first player in club history to hit six or more home runs in his first 10 games with the team.

He broke his foot in August after hitting a foul ball off his foot.

Carpenter is a three-time All-Star who earned a World Series ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.

Dec. 18, 2022: The Boston Red Sox have reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with former Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Justin Turner on Sunday, per ESPN.

The deal is for $22 million. It includes an opt-out after one season. The 38-year-old is expected to be the Red Sox's primary designated hitter next season. 

Dec. 18, 2022: Michael Brantley has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal that will allow him to re-join the world champion Houston Astros, according to FanSided.com.

The deal is reportedly for $12 million, but Brantley could make up to $16 million with incentives. 

Brantley missed the Astros' world title run due to an injury. But, before the injury he was hitting .288 with five home runs and 26 RBI. 

Dec. 17, 2022: The Chicago Cubs and shortstop Dansby Swanson have reportedly agreed to a seven-year contract, according to NBC Chicago and Bally Sports. 

The contract is for a reported $177 million. 

Swanson was previously with the Atlanta Braves and helped the franchise win the World Series in 2021. 

Swanson just married U.S. Women's National Soccer Team star Mallory Pugh, who plays her professional soccer with the NWSL's Chicago Red Stars.  

Dec. 16, 2022: The Chicago White Sox and Andrew Benintendi have agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract, according to ESPN. 

Benintendi is just 28 years old and is coming off a 2022 in which he batted .254/.331/.404/.734 with five home runs and 51 RBI. He started the season with the Kansas City Royals before they traded him to the New York Yankees.

Benintendi spent 2021 with Kansas City, where he batted .276/.324/.442/.766 with 17 home runs and 73 RBI.

His best seasons were in Boston from 2017-19, where he averaged a slash of .276/.354/.440/.794 with a total of 49 home runs and 245 RBI. In that 2017 season he was second in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

He earned a Gold Glove in 2021 and was an All-Star last season.

Dec. 15, 2022: Pitcher Carlos Rodón reportedly has a deal with the New York Yankees for six years and $162 million, per the New York Post. 

Rodón was one of several pitchers the Texas Rangers had interest in as free agency began. The Rangers ended up landing Jacob deGrom. 

Rodón went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA for the San Francisco Giants in 2022. Before that he was with the Chicago White Sox.  

Dec. 14, 2022: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard has reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per ESPN.com.

Syndergaard pitched for the Los Angeles Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies last season, pitching nearly 135 innings and finishing with an ERA of 3.94. He went a combined 10-10, but had a 5-2 record with the Phillies as he helped support their run to the World Series. 

Syndergaard had Tommy John surgery in 2020. He was an All-Star in 2016. 

Dec. 13, 2022: The San Francisco Giants and shortstop Carlos Correa have reportedly agreed to an 11-year, $350 million contract, per ESPN.com. 

Correa, 28, played last season for the Minnesota Twins and batted .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI. Correa signed a three-year deal with Minnesota that would have paid $105 million. But the deal came with opt-outs and Correa used his to test the free-agent market again. 

Before that, Correa was with the Houston Astros, where he was the 2015 American League Rookie of the Year, made two All-Star Game appearances and won a World Series ring. 

Dec. 12, 2022: The Minnesota Twins and catcher Christian Vázquez reportedly agreed to a three-year contract on Monday, per the New York Post and the Boston Globe.

The long-time Boston Red Sox was traded to the Houston Astros in a deadline deal to supplement the Astros' run to the World Series. He batted .274 for the season, with nine home runs and 52 RBI. 

Dec. 12, 2022: Former New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt has a new home, as he has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, per ESPN.com.

The contract won't be signed until Bassitt clears a physical. 

Bassitt was one of several free agents on the second tier of pitchers, below former Mets teammate and new Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom. But, Bassitt had a fine season in 20220, going 15-9 with a 3.42 ERA. 

Dec. 10: Kodai Senga, the Japanese pitcher who was at one time a target of the Texas Rangers, has agreed to a contract with the New York Mets, per multiple reports. 

The deal is reportedly for five years and $75 million, which includes an opt-out after three seasons and a no-trade clause. The agreement is pending a physical.

Dec. 9, 2022: Outfielder Brandon Nimmo has agreed to return to the New York Mets on an eight-year, $162 million contract, per ESPN. 

Nimmo's contract is part of a significant outlay of cash by the Mets this offseason, which includes an extension for closer Edwin Diaz and the signing of starting pitcher Justin Verlander.

Nimmo was the target of multiple teams in free agency. He hit .274 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI. 

Dec. 7, 2022: Shortstop Xander Bogaerts and the San Diego Padres agreed on a contract on Wednesday night, per the New York Post.

The 11-year, $280 million contract moves Bogaerts to the National League and onto a team that features Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr., the latter of which is suspended until early in the 2023 season. 

Bogaerts, a 10-year veteran, played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox and had a career average of .292, along with 156 home runs and 683 RBI. The four-time All-Star has two World Series rings and five Silver Slugger awards. He was ninth in MVP voting last season. 

Dec. 7, 2022: Masataka Yoshida and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a five-year contract worth $90 million, per ESPN.

With the posting fee of $15.4 million, the total cost of the deal is $105.4 million. 

Yoshida played for Orix Buffaloes, which won the Japanese championship last season. He batted 335/.447/.561 with 21 home runs, 80 walks and just 41 strikeouts.

The St. Louis Cardinals and catcher Willson Contreras have agreed to a five-year contract, according to multiple reports. 

The deal is for $87 million. 

Contreras, who most recently played for the Chicago Cubs, will be moving to the team's arch-rival and will take over behind the plate for Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who retired after the season. 

Contreras had spent his entire career with the Cubs and was their backstop when they won the 2016 World Series.

Dec. 7, 2022: The New York Yankees and outfielder Aaron Judge have agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal, per MLB.com. 

The terms were confirmed by The Athletic. The deal is pending a physical.

Judge was considered the No. 1 player on the free agent market who just had a 62-home run season, passing Roger Maris' American League record. Judge broke the record against the Texas Rangers.

Dec. 6, 2022: The Philadelphia Phillies and pitcher Taijuan Walker have agreed to a four-year contract per Fansided.

Walker is expected to sign a deal that will pay him $71 million for the next four years. 

Walker went 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA for the New York Mets last season. Walker is a 10-year veteran with a 54-50 overall record. 

Dec. 6, 2022: Former Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger has reportedly agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, per ESPN. 

The former National League MVP was non-tendered this offseason, allowing him to test the free-agent market. The one-year deal allows him to become a free agent next offseason. 

Dec. 6, 2022: Josh Bell and the Cleveland Guardians have agreed to a two-year contract, according to multiple reports. 

Bell was a first baseman and designated hitter with both the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres last season. He moved to the Padres with Juan Soto in one of the biggest trades at the deadline. 

The deal is reportedly for $33 million and features an opt out.

The 30-year-old Bell grew up in Irving, Texas. 

Dec. 5, 2022: Shortstop Trea Turner and the Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly agreed to a deal that will pay him $300 million for the next 11 years and features a no-trade clause, per ESPN. 

Turner's deal would set the market for a group of shortstops that are seeking new deals in free agency, including Minnesota's Carlos Correa.

Dec. 5, 2022: American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander will sign a two-year deal with the New York Mets, a deal that includes a third-year vesting option, according to the New York Post.

Verlander's deal will be for $86 million. He helped the Houston Astors win their second World Series last month when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies.  

Dec. 1, 2022: Philadelphia pitcher Kyle Gibson has reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles, per The Athletic. 

Gibson went 10-8 with a 5.05 ERA for the Phillies, who won the National League pennant. 

Gibson played with the Rangers in 2020, going 2-6 in that COVID-19 shortened season. He started 2021 with Texas, going 4-6, before he was traded to Philadelphia. 

Gibson's deal is pending a physical.

Dec. 2, 2022: While not a free-agent signing, the Milwaukee Brewers moved second baseman Kolten Wong to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Jesse Winker and infielder Abraham Toro. 

Wong hit .251 in 2022, with 15 home runs and 47 RBI. 

Winker is coming off a season in which he hit .219 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI. Toro hit .185 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI. 

Wong moves into a Mariners infield that helped them reach the postseason for the first time in more than 20 years in 2022.

Dec. 1, 2022: The Tampa Bay Rays and pitcher Zach Eflin have agreed to a three-year contract, according to ESPN. 

Eflin was considered one of the best relievers on the free agent market and was among the New York Post's Top 50 free agents. 

The Post later reported that Eflin's deal was for $40 million. The agreement is pending a physical.

Eflin spent the first seven seasons of his career with Philadelphia, mostly as a starter, with a career record of 36-45 with a 4.49 ERA. He's won at least 10 games in a season twice — 11 in 2018 and 10 in 2019.

In 2022 he went 3-5 with a 4.04 ERA in 20 games (13 starts). He's battled injuries the past two seasons, including right patella tendinopathy in 2021.

Nov. 29, 2022: The Pittsburgh Pirates formally announced the signing of first baseman and designated hitter Carlos Santana, who played for the Seattle Mariners last year. 

The one-year deal is reportedly for $6.75 million. For the small-market Pirates, it represents the largest single-year deal the club has agreed to in the last six years. 

Santana hit .202 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs with Kansas City and Seattle last season. But, Santana hit 15 of his 19 home runs with the Mariners. 

The Pirates also traded for Tampa Bay's Ji-Man Choi earlier in the offseason.

Nov. 28, 2022: USA Today reported on Monday that the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu have agreed to a three-year contract. The agreement would pay Abreu — the 2020 American League MVP — about $20 million per year.

Abreu is a career .304 hitter with 243 home runs and 863 RBI. He's a three-time All-Star, the 2014 Rookie of the Year and averaged an RBI per game in his MVP season (60 games).

He joins the World Champion Astros and the move puts him in more direct competition with the Rangers in 2023. 

Nov. 28, 2022: The Athletic reported that the Chicago White Sox and pitcher Mike Clevinger have agreed to a one-year deal worth $12 million. 

The deal brings Clevinger back to the American League, where he previously pitched for Cleveland. Clevinger pitched for San Diego in 2022, where he had a 4.33 ERA in 114 innings pitched and finished with a record of 7-7. 

The New York Yankees agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa on Friday, per multiple reports. 

Kiner-Falefa, who played for the Rangers from 2018-21, hit .261 with four home runs and 48 RBI last season. 

His teammate and former Rangers catcher Jose Trevino won a platinum glove last week when the 2022 Gold Gloves were announced. 

Nov. 16, 2022: San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Martinez signed a new three-year deal with the team worth $26 million, per The New York Post.

Martinez opted out of a contract before free agency began that would have paid him $18 million. 

He made 47 appearances, including 10 starts, and finished with a 3.47 ERA in his first MLB season since 2017.

Nov. 15, 2022: New York Yankees first baseman/designated hitter Anthony Rizzo agreed to return to the team on a two-year contract with an option for a third year, the team announced on Tuesday. 

Rizzo agreed to $17 million for each of the next two seasons. The contract has an option for 2025 with a $6 million buyout, per ESPN.

The Yankees now turn their attention to securing their top free agent, and the top free agent on the market in outfielder Aaron Judge.

Nov. 15, 2022: Pitcher Tyler Anderson, who received the qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, has agreed to a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels, per ESPN.

Anderson turned down the Dodgers' $19.65 qualifying offer to accept a reported three-year deal worth around $39 million. Because Anderson received a qualifying offer, the Angels will lose their second-round pick and the Dodgers will get an additional fourth-round pick as compensation.

Nov. 12, 2022: The Houston Astros put the tumult of the past couple of days behind them as they started protecting their players from free agency. 

On Saturday, ESPN reported that the Astros and reliever Rafael Montero have agreed to a three-year, $34.5 million deal to help keep the Astros' bullpen intact after winning the World Series. 

Montero had a 2.37 ERA in nearly 69 innings while striking out 70. Montero spent 2019 and 2020 with the Texas Rangers. The Astros acquired him in a trade with Seattle in 2021. 

The Astros and general manager James Click parted ways on Friday. Click and team owner Jim Crane could not reach a new deal. Click was hired as GM in 2020 after the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, but after the Astros hired Dusty Baker as manager. Click helped stabilize the organization, but he and Crane reportedly had an eroding relationship toward the end of the 2022 season. 

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