Klutch Sports Group, the agency run by Rich Paul that represents LeBron James and Jalen Hurts, is expanding to MLB after acquiring Rep 1's baseball division, whose roster includes Red Sox star Rafael Devers, All-Star closer Devin Williams and Platinum Glove winner Andrés Giménez.
— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) December 14, 2023
Right-handed starter Tyler Mahle and the Texas Rangers are in agreement on a two-year, $22 million contract, sources told ESPN. Mahle underwent Tommy John surgery in May and should return this season, and he can earn another $5 million in performance bonuses based on IP in 2025.
— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) December 14, 2023
Seeing the slow pace of signings once again I do feel that MLB should introduce a free agent period like other sports. Maybe free agents can sign from November 15 to December 15. Then a dead period around the holidays until closer to Spring Training (Feb. 1?). It would be better promotion for the sport and players would not have as much uncertainty around this time of year.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a trade to send RHP Tyler Glasnow and OF Manuel Margot to the Dodgers for RHP Ryan Pepiot and OF Jonny Deluca -- contingent on Glasnow signing an extension with L.A., which is expected, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) December 15, 2023
Seems like the Rays could have gotten a lot more for Glasnow and Margot. Can't imagine Rays fans are to happy about this trade.
I don't know, baseball seems to be making enough headlines this month even if it's slow. I don't think the artificial deadlines drive the action in those other sports so much as the other things - salary caps, tradeable draft picks (and short development timelines), non-guaranteed and strictly defined NFL contracts, Bird rights and aprons - do. Do the other leagues even really have dead periods (other than that initial short term right after the season ends in the NBA and NHL, which is the same in MLB)? Like NBA teams could start doing stuff on July 6 and keep doing it until the season starts.
And I think the players and agents are the ones who like to wait things out. It's not like they don't know where they are going to be living or where their next paycheck is coming because most of them won't change off-season homes and they don't get paid in the off-season anyway. And the teams obviously like to take a month to make their plans before the GM meetings.
BREAKING: Right-handed starter Jack Flaherty and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a one-year, $14 million contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) December 15, 2023
BREAKING: Right-hander Tyler Glasnow and the Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a five-year, $135 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Once the deal is complete, the trade of Glasnow and Manuel Margot from the Rays to the Dodgers for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca will be official.
Tyler Glasnow’s deal will start this season, so there are four years and $110 million in new money. The total deal could get to $145M if Dodgers exercise a $30M club option in year 5. If not, Glasnow has a $20M player option. Also of note: There is no deferred money in the deal.— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 15, 2023
Dodgers still need more SP. Glasnow is oft injured. his 120 innings this season was a career high and only the 2nd time hes gone over 100 innings. Urias is a FA and in legal trouble. Kershaw is a FA and out til at least July. Ohtani cant pitch this season.
Dustin May is out til mideason. Walker Buehler is expected back but after being out so long, is an unknown.
So right now their rotation is
Glasnow
Bobby Miller
and a bunch of question marks.
Right-handed starter Michael Wacha and the Kansas City Royals are in agreement on a two-year, $32 million contract, a source tells ESPN. He gets an opt-out after the first season.
— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) December 15, 2023
Between a two-year, $13 million deal with outfielder Hunter Renfroe that @Feinsand reported earlier today and the Wacha deal that @ByRobertMurray was on top of, the Royals now have committed $105 million in free agent dollars to Renfroe, Wacha, Lugo, Stratton, Smith and Hampson.
— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) December 15, 2023
Phillies over Dodgers in 2024 NLDS 
Renfroe gets 5.5/7.5 but can opt-out after year one. Also has $500K in incentives each year.
I feel like that's the pool the Phillies are swimming in for an OF but it's still not clear what their desired call is in terms of LHB vs. RHB and power vs. ability to play CF.
No, but I'd be talking to Harper about deferring the remainder of his contracted salary for a $2M salary every year so we can afford to load up on more star players. Or extend him with that as the new model for the entire contract.
Seems like MLB is going full NBA mode of 4-5 mega teams and the rest having little chance to compete. To avoid purgatory, we need to be one of the mega teams.
How long before contraction is back on the radar for the MLB? It has already happened under a different name i.e. relocation, but Oakland may not be the last city who cannot (or doesn't want to) keep up at this pace.
Yeah and going to 32 teams and another expansion of playoffs is another way to keep the have-nots in the mix. Even if they don't seriously have a chance to win 100 games or go the distance in the later rounds.
With Tampa and Oakland seemingly resolved the two new markets will presumably come along with the next CBA.
Yeah, Dodgers can still add Yamamoto or Snell or whomever. Supposedly could still be in on Cease and Burnes too. They don't just have money and this new bargain loophole, they have assets to trade.
Since some folks missed Tweets after 1st one: #Braves finalized another multi-player trade Friday that didn’t move the needle much. They got lefty reliever Ray Kerr, aging DH Matt Carpenter and cash from the Padres in exchange for minor league OF Drew Campbell.
— David O'Brien ( @DOBrienATL ) December 16, 20231
To reiterate, the #Braves are expected to flip Carpenter to another team, sooner rather than later. Like they did with the bad contracts they took on in deal for Kelenic. 1https://t.co/hnufza11zm1
— David O'Brien ( @DOBrienATL ) December 16, 2023
OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has a deal with the D’Backs, per source. @Ken_Rosenthal was first.
— Kiley McDaniel ( @kileymcd ) December 17, 2023
Outfielder Lourdes Gurriel’s deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks is for three years and $42 million with a club option for a fourth season, sources tell me and @kileymcd . The deal also includes an opt-out after the second season.
— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) December 17, 2023
Since the Arizona Diamondbacks went to the World Series, they have:
— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) December 17, 2023
- Signed Eduardo Rodriguez for four years, $80M
- Re-signed Lourdes Gurriel for three years, $42M
- Traded for Eugenio Suarez
They're planning on adding a power-hitting DH.
Win, then improve. How it should be.
They released Carpenter, eating the $4 million in salary they owed him. So, besides throwing in a 26 year old AAA OF in the deal, it seems they paid $4 million for Ray Kerr. On the surface Kerr seems like a nobody- he's going to be 29 with 29 innings of uninspiring big-league time. But stuff-wise, if they can fix him he's going to be a real pain for Schwarber and Harper. Interesting, and creative deal for sure. You have to layout the Braves offseason like a RICO investigation to follow what they are doing.
