After spending months on the free agent market, veteran righty Mike Clevinger is back where he was last season. According to MLB Insider Robert Murray, Clevinger will rejoin the Chicago White Sox on a one-year deal.

Clevinger signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the White Sox in 2023 and started 24 games with the team. He finished the campaign with a 9-9 record, 3.77 ERA, and 110 strikeouts. After the season ended, Clevinger didn’t pick up his $12 million option for 2024 and instead opted for a $4 million buyout.

This development turned out to be favorable for the White Sox, considering they will now get Clevinger on a much cheaper deal. Murray reports that the agreement between the two sides comes with a $3 million salary and an additional $3 million in incentives. 

Clevinger will join the White Sox rotation that includes lefty Garrett Crochet, All-Star Michael Soroka, newly-acquired Erick Fedde and veteran Chris Flexen. The team is also expected to rely on rookie Nick Nastrini, who is scheduled to get the start for the upcoming game against the Atlanta Braves.

Mike Clevinger received his MLB debut with the Cleveland Guardians in 2016 and spent five years with the franchise before being traded to the San Diego Padres. He missed the 2021 season due to a Tommy John surgery. Clevinger has a 60–39 career record with a 3.45 ERA and 804 strikeouts.

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Left-hand pitcher Jordan Montgomery, considered one of the top free agents in the 2024 class, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Montgomery will play on a $25 million salary next season. His agreement with the Diamondbacks also includes a vesting option for 2025 that could be worth up to $25 million.

Montgomery is coming off his best year as a pro. He started the 2023 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, making 21 starts, which included a 3.42 ERA and 108 strikeouts, before being traded to the Texas Rangers.

With the Rangers, Montgomery improved on the already promising campaign, having a 4-2 record with a 2.79 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 11 stars. His great performances carried over to the postseason, where he went 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA and helped the Rangers win the World Series against his new team. At the end of the season, Montgomery made the All-MLB Second Team.

After entering the free agency, Montgomery reportedly hoped to get a long-term deal worth “nine figures.” However, his market never materialized and he ended up taking a deal that would allow him to pursue a better contract in 2025 if he has another strong year.

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After spending all of his 13 years in MLB with the San Francisco Giants, All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford is moving on. Crawford joined the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent, signing a one-year deal.

The Cardinals officially confirmed the news on Tuesday through their social media channels. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Crawford had a down year in 2023, which probably affected his market and left him unsigned deep into the free agency. He played 93 games while dealing with a number of injuries, batting a career-low .194 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs.

The Cardinals were in need of a shortstop depth due to uncertainty surrounding the availability of Tommy Edman, who is currently recovering from a wrist injury. Rookie Masyn Winn is expected to receive a nod at the SS in Edman’s absence, but his lack of experience and up-and-down performances last season didn’t instill much confidence, which is why the team went for Crawford as insurance.

During his time with the Giants, Brandon Crawford helped the franchise win two World Series. He has three All-Star nods on his resume while winning the Golden Glove Award four times and the Silver Slugger Award in 2015. He has a career batting average of .250, alongside 1,392 hits, 146 homers, and 744 RBIs.

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Centerfielder Cody Bellinger is off the free-agent market. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that Bellinger is set to return to the Chicago Cubs, agreeing to a three-year, $80 million contract with the franchise.

According to Passan, Bellinger will receive an opt-out in each of the first two years of his deal, allowing him to hit the free agent market once again if he wishes to do so. He will earn $30 million in 2024 and 2025, while the last year of the contract comes with a $20 million salary.

After a down season in 2022 and being let go by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger inked a one-year deal with the Cubs. He enjoyed a bounce-back campaign, having a career-best batting average of .307 and adding 20 home runs, 97 RBIs, and a career-high 20 stolen bases in 130 games. Bellinger received votes for the NL MVP award while being recognized as the NL Comeback Player of the Year at the end of the season.

Bellinger was considered to be among the top free agents this winter, but his market never actually took off as he and his agent, Scott Boras, envisioned. Teams were reportedly cautious due to his previous dips in form, and with a lack of suitable offers, Bellinger opted to get a flexible contract with the Cubs.

Bellinger spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Dodgers. He is a two-time All-Star and has an NL MVP award from 2019. The Scottsdale, Arizona native also has a World Series win with the Dodgers in 2020.

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All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson remains a free agent, but it’s not because of lack of offers. It’s probably because those offers are not particularly enticing. 

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi recently reported that the Miami Marlins stepped in with an offer for Anderson and are willing to make him their primary shortstop.

USA Today’s MLB Insider Bob Nightengale later discussed Anderson’s free agency during an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast and offered some insights as to why the veteran is yet to entertain Marlin’s offer. According to Nightengale, Miami is only willing to offer Anderson a base salary of $2 million.

“I think Tim Anderson’s contract offer from the Marlins is about $2 million. He was making about $14-$15 million with the White Sox, so I’m sure he wants closer to $10 million,” Nightengale noted.

Tim Anderson was an All-Star with the Chicago White Sox in 2021 and 2022 but ended up enduring a rough 2023 season. After missing time with a left knee injury early in the campaign, Anderson struggled to replicate his prior form. He finished the season with a batting average of .245 while hitting only one home run and equaling his career-lowest 25 RBIs. This prompted the White Sox to decline their $14 million option on his contract and send him to free agency.

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The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly close to finalizing a deal for Cuban right-hand pitcher Yariel Rodriguez. The deal is believed to be for four years and $32 million.

Rodriguez will join the Blue Jays without prior MLB experience. He played his early career in his native Cuba before signing with the Nippon Professional Baseball’s Chunichi Dragons. The 26-year-old also pitched for Cuba’s national baseball team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Rodriguez made 79 relief appearances with the Dragons between 2020 and 2022. He had a record of 10-10 during that time while posting a 3.03 ERA and getting 188 strikeouts.

Rodriguez didn’t play at all in 2023, opting not to return to the Dragons. The NPB side eventually released him, clearing the way for Rodriguez to sign with an MLB team. He only pitched in the World Baseball Classic last season, finishing the tournament with a 2.45 ERA and 10 strikeouts.

Reportedly, Rodriguez received quite a lot of interest from MLB teams in recent weeks. However, most of them were only willing to offer him the role of a reliever like he had with the Dragons. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, offered him a path to becoming a starter. 

The post Blue Jays Sign RHP Yariel Rodriguez to 4-Year, $32 Million Contract appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Boston Red Sox made the first significant piece of business in the free agency by shoring up their rotation with right-hander Lucas Giolito.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Giolito inked a two-year, $38.5 million deal with the Red Sox. The 29-year-old player will be able to earn an additional $2 million based on the number of innings he plays.

The agreement also comes with an opt-out after the 2024 MLB season and a conditional option for 2026.

Giolito played with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Guardians in 2023. He made a total of 33 starts, which is a career-high, and finished the campaign with an 8-15 record, 4.88 ERA, and 204 strikeouts.

Giolito’s best season in the majors came in 2019 when he had a 14-9 record as a starter with a 3.41 ERA and a career-high 228 strikeouts. He had three complete games and shutouts that season, earning his first All-Star nod.

The Boston Red Sox looked to upgrade their rotation for the 2024 season and were one of the teams that pursued highly-coveted Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. After missing out on Yamamoto, the Red Sox decided to turn to cheaper options, inking righty Cooper Criswell to a one-year deal and now Giolito.

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The San Francisco Giants’ pursuit of a high-profile name isn’t stopping them from making other roster additions. According to multiple reports, the Giants just signed free-agent catcher Tom Murphy.

Reportedly, Murphy has inked a two-year deal that is worth around $8 million. The agreement also has a club option for the 2026 MLB season.

Murphy spent the past four seasons with the Seattle Mariners. He played 47 games in 2023 with the Mariners, batting .290 with eight homers and 17 RBIs.  Earlier in his career, the 32-year-old player also suited up for the Colorado Rockies.

After several lackluster seasons, the Giants have been active on the trade and free agent market in attempts to lure a big name to San Francisco. They reportedly made a strong push to sign star slugger Aaron Judge last offseason before he re-signed with the Yankees, while also being involved in Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes and even offering the same 10-year, $700 million arrangement that Ohtani accepted from the LA Dodgers.

While the Giants missed out on their two main targets, they did manage to land South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee this fall. Hoo Lee signed a six-year, $113 million deal earlier this month and is expected to become one of the franchise’s biggest stars in the future.

The post Giants Sign Veteran Catcher Tom Murphy to 2-Year, $8 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Free agent right-hander Kenta Maeda agreed to a two-year deal with the Detroit Tigers, sources familiar with the matter revealed. The contract is believed to be worth $24 million.

Looking to revive his career after having Tommy John surgery, Maeda posted a 4.23 ERA in 104⅓ innings with 117 strikeouts and 28 walks during his time with the Minnesota Twins. Now entering his eighth major league season, Maeda will join the likes of left-hander Tarik Skubal, who is also returning to baseball following flexor-tendon surgery.

Detroit will be hoping that Maeda helps them to improve on their performance last season, when they went 78-84 in the American League Central. With the reigning ALC champions, Minnesota Twins expected to cut their payroll, the Tigers will hope to take advantage with their new signings including Maeda.

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Rafael Devers has agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, sources confirmed on Tuesday. The third baseman is reportedly looking to avoid arbitration, while both sides hope to negotiate a long-term deal.

While Devers is currently set to become a free agent in 2023, the Red Sox are looking to strike a long-term deal that will keep the 26-year-old in Boston until his 30s. The team is in need of squad reinforcements following the departures of homegrown talents Mookie Bett and Xander Bogaerts, who left via trade and free agency respectively.

Last season, Devers hit .295/.358/.521 for the Red Sox with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs. Over his six seasons in Boston, Devers has tallied 139 home runs and 455 RBIs, hitting .295/.358/.521 in the process.

The Red Sox have proven to be busy during the offseason, signing a growing list of players including infielder Justin Turner, outfielder Masataka Yoshida, starter Corey Kluber, and relievers Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, and Joely Rodriguez. Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi went in the opposite direction, joining the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers respectively.

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After spending months on the free agent market, veteran righty Mike Clevinger is back where he was last season. According to MLB Insider Robert Murray, Clevinger will rejoin the Chicago White Sox on a one-year deal.

Clevinger signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the White Sox in 2023 and started 24 games with the team. He finished the campaign with a 9-9 record, 3.77 ERA, and 110 strikeouts. After the season ended, Clevinger didn’t pick up his $12 million option for 2024 and instead opted for a $4 million buyout.

This development turned out to be favorable for the White Sox, considering they will now get Clevinger on a much cheaper deal. Murray reports that the agreement between the two sides comes with a $3 million salary and an additional $3 million in incentives. 

Clevinger will join the White Sox rotation that includes lefty Garrett Crochet, All-Star Michael Soroka, newly-acquired Erick Fedde and veteran Chris Flexen. The team is also expected to rely on rookie Nick Nastrini, who is scheduled to get the start for the upcoming game against the Atlanta Braves.

Mike Clevinger received his MLB debut with the Cleveland Guardians in 2016 and spent five years with the franchise before being traded to the San Diego Padres. He missed the 2021 season due to a Tommy John surgery. Clevinger has a 60–39 career record with a 3.45 ERA and 804 strikeouts.

The post Veteran RHP Mike Clevinger Rejoins Chicago White Sox appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Left-hand pitcher Jordan Montgomery, considered one of the top free agents in the 2024 class, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Montgomery will play on a $25 million salary next season. His agreement with the Diamondbacks also includes a vesting option for 2025 that could be worth up to $25 million.

Montgomery is coming off his best year as a pro. He started the 2023 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, making 21 starts, which included a 3.42 ERA and 108 strikeouts, before being traded to the Texas Rangers.

With the Rangers, Montgomery improved on the already promising campaign, having a 4-2 record with a 2.79 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 11 stars. His great performances carried over to the postseason, where he went 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA and helped the Rangers win the World Series against his new team. At the end of the season, Montgomery made the All-MLB Second Team.

After entering the free agency, Montgomery reportedly hoped to get a long-term deal worth “nine figures.” However, his market never materialized and he ended up taking a deal that would allow him to pursue a better contract in 2025 if he has another strong year.

The post LHP Jordan Montgomery and Diamondbacks Agree to 1-Year, $25 Million Contract appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After spending all of his 13 years in MLB with the San Francisco Giants, All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford is moving on. Crawford joined the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent, signing a one-year deal.

The Cardinals officially confirmed the news on Tuesday through their social media channels. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Crawford had a down year in 2023, which probably affected his market and left him unsigned deep into the free agency. He played 93 games while dealing with a number of injuries, batting a career-low .194 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs.

The Cardinals were in need of a shortstop depth due to uncertainty surrounding the availability of Tommy Edman, who is currently recovering from a wrist injury. Rookie Masyn Winn is expected to receive a nod at the SS in Edman’s absence, but his lack of experience and up-and-down performances last season didn’t instill much confidence, which is why the team went for Crawford as insurance.

During his time with the Giants, Brandon Crawford helped the franchise win two World Series. He has three All-Star nods on his resume while winning the Golden Glove Award four times and the Silver Slugger Award in 2015. He has a career batting average of .250, alongside 1,392 hits, 146 homers, and 744 RBIs.

The post St. Louis Cardinals Agree to a 1-Year Deal With All-Star SS Brandon Crawford appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Centerfielder Cody Bellinger is off the free-agent market. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that Bellinger is set to return to the Chicago Cubs, agreeing to a three-year, $80 million contract with the franchise.

According to Passan, Bellinger will receive an opt-out in each of the first two years of his deal, allowing him to hit the free agent market once again if he wishes to do so. He will earn $30 million in 2024 and 2025, while the last year of the contract comes with a $20 million salary.

After a down season in 2022 and being let go by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger inked a one-year deal with the Cubs. He enjoyed a bounce-back campaign, having a career-best batting average of .307 and adding 20 home runs, 97 RBIs, and a career-high 20 stolen bases in 130 games. Bellinger received votes for the NL MVP award while being recognized as the NL Comeback Player of the Year at the end of the season.

Bellinger was considered to be among the top free agents this winter, but his market never actually took off as he and his agent, Scott Boras, envisioned. Teams were reportedly cautious due to his previous dips in form, and with a lack of suitable offers, Bellinger opted to get a flexible contract with the Cubs.

Bellinger spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Dodgers. He is a two-time All-Star and has an NL MVP award from 2019. The Scottsdale, Arizona native also has a World Series win with the Dodgers in 2020.

The post Cody Bellinger Agrees to a 3-Year, $80 Million Deal With the Cubs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson remains a free agent, but it’s not because of lack of offers. It’s probably because those offers are not particularly enticing. 

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi recently reported that the Miami Marlins stepped in with an offer for Anderson and are willing to make him their primary shortstop.

USA Today’s MLB Insider Bob Nightengale later discussed Anderson’s free agency during an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast and offered some insights as to why the veteran is yet to entertain Marlin’s offer. According to Nightengale, Miami is only willing to offer Anderson a base salary of $2 million.

“I think Tim Anderson’s contract offer from the Marlins is about $2 million. He was making about $14-$15 million with the White Sox, so I’m sure he wants closer to $10 million,” Nightengale noted.

Tim Anderson was an All-Star with the Chicago White Sox in 2021 and 2022 but ended up enduring a rough 2023 season. After missing time with a left knee injury early in the campaign, Anderson struggled to replicate his prior form. He finished the season with a batting average of .245 while hitting only one home run and equaling his career-lowest 25 RBIs. This prompted the White Sox to decline their $14 million option on his contract and send him to free agency.

The post Marlins Reportedly Offering All-Star SS Tim Anderson a $2 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly close to finalizing a deal for Cuban right-hand pitcher Yariel Rodriguez. The deal is believed to be for four years and $32 million.

Rodriguez will join the Blue Jays without prior MLB experience. He played his early career in his native Cuba before signing with the Nippon Professional Baseball’s Chunichi Dragons. The 26-year-old also pitched for Cuba’s national baseball team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Rodriguez made 79 relief appearances with the Dragons between 2020 and 2022. He had a record of 10-10 during that time while posting a 3.03 ERA and getting 188 strikeouts.

Rodriguez didn’t play at all in 2023, opting not to return to the Dragons. The NPB side eventually released him, clearing the way for Rodriguez to sign with an MLB team. He only pitched in the World Baseball Classic last season, finishing the tournament with a 2.45 ERA and 10 strikeouts.

Reportedly, Rodriguez received quite a lot of interest from MLB teams in recent weeks. However, most of them were only willing to offer him the role of a reliever like he had with the Dragons. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, offered him a path to becoming a starter. 

The post Blue Jays Sign RHP Yariel Rodriguez to 4-Year, $32 Million Contract appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Boston Red Sox made the first significant piece of business in the free agency by shoring up their rotation with right-hander Lucas Giolito.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Giolito inked a two-year, $38.5 million deal with the Red Sox. The 29-year-old player will be able to earn an additional $2 million based on the number of innings he plays.

The agreement also comes with an opt-out after the 2024 MLB season and a conditional option for 2026.

Giolito played with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Guardians in 2023. He made a total of 33 starts, which is a career-high, and finished the campaign with an 8-15 record, 4.88 ERA, and 204 strikeouts.

Giolito’s best season in the majors came in 2019 when he had a 14-9 record as a starter with a 3.41 ERA and a career-high 228 strikeouts. He had three complete games and shutouts that season, earning his first All-Star nod.

The Boston Red Sox looked to upgrade their rotation for the 2024 season and were one of the teams that pursued highly-coveted Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. After missing out on Yamamoto, the Red Sox decided to turn to cheaper options, inking righty Cooper Criswell to a one-year deal and now Giolito.

The post Red Sox Sign Right-Hander Lucas Giolito to 2-Year, $38.5 Million Contract appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The San Francisco Giants’ pursuit of a high-profile name isn’t stopping them from making other roster additions. According to multiple reports, the Giants just signed free-agent catcher Tom Murphy.

Reportedly, Murphy has inked a two-year deal that is worth around $8 million. The agreement also has a club option for the 2026 MLB season.

Murphy spent the past four seasons with the Seattle Mariners. He played 47 games in 2023 with the Mariners, batting .290 with eight homers and 17 RBIs.  Earlier in his career, the 32-year-old player also suited up for the Colorado Rockies.

After several lackluster seasons, the Giants have been active on the trade and free agent market in attempts to lure a big name to San Francisco. They reportedly made a strong push to sign star slugger Aaron Judge last offseason before he re-signed with the Yankees, while also being involved in Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes and even offering the same 10-year, $700 million arrangement that Ohtani accepted from the LA Dodgers.

While the Giants missed out on their two main targets, they did manage to land South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee this fall. Hoo Lee signed a six-year, $113 million deal earlier this month and is expected to become one of the franchise’s biggest stars in the future.

The post Giants Sign Veteran Catcher Tom Murphy to 2-Year, $8 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Free agent right-hander Kenta Maeda agreed to a two-year deal with the Detroit Tigers, sources familiar with the matter revealed. The contract is believed to be worth $24 million.

Looking to revive his career after having Tommy John surgery, Maeda posted a 4.23 ERA in 104⅓ innings with 117 strikeouts and 28 walks during his time with the Minnesota Twins. Now entering his eighth major league season, Maeda will join the likes of left-hander Tarik Skubal, who is also returning to baseball following flexor-tendon surgery.

Detroit will be hoping that Maeda helps them to improve on their performance last season, when they went 78-84 in the American League Central. With the reigning ALC champions, Minnesota Twins expected to cut their payroll, the Tigers will hope to take advantage with their new signings including Maeda.

The post Kenta Maeda Agrees to Two-Year Tigers Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Rafael Devers has agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, sources confirmed on Tuesday. The third baseman is reportedly looking to avoid arbitration, while both sides hope to negotiate a long-term deal.

While Devers is currently set to become a free agent in 2023, the Red Sox are looking to strike a long-term deal that will keep the 26-year-old in Boston until his 30s. The team is in need of squad reinforcements following the departures of homegrown talents Mookie Bett and Xander Bogaerts, who left via trade and free agency respectively.

Last season, Devers hit .295/.358/.521 for the Red Sox with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs. Over his six seasons in Boston, Devers has tallied 139 home runs and 455 RBIs, hitting .295/.358/.521 in the process.

The Red Sox have proven to be busy during the offseason, signing a growing list of players including infielder Justin Turner, outfielder Masataka Yoshida, starter Corey Kluber, and relievers Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, and Joely Rodriguez. Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi went in the opposite direction, joining the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers respectively.

The post Rafael Devers Agrees to One-Year Red Sox Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.