Spring training is approximately six weeks away and only 10 of our top 60 free agents have signed. There is still a lot -- A LOT -- of work to be done between now and the start of the camp, and inevitably much of it will linger into February and March, and maybe even April. Here are the latest hot stove rumblings.
Dodgers re-sign Treinen
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Tuesday night that they re-signed right-handed reliever Blake Treinen to a two-year, $17.5 million contract. The deal also includes a team option for the 2023 season.
Treinen is entering his age-33 season, and while he hasn't returned to his 2018 All-Star season form, he's managed to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2019 season and become a reliable bullpen arm for the Dodgers. You can read more about the re-signing here.
Turner seeking four years
Free agent infielder Justin Turner is seeking a four-year contract, reports Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. Castillo adds the Dodgers are unwilling to give him more than two years, and if the two sides are unable to come to an agreement, Los Angeles would likely go outside the organization to address third base rather than stick with internal options. Our R.J. Anderson ranked Turner the No. 7 free agent on the market.
Turner turned 36 in November and while he remains a very productive player, he has declined a bit in recent years, and injuries limited him to 410 of 546 possible regular season games from 2017-20. Getting four years at that age in this market will be close to impossible, though there's no harm in asking. A two-year deal with a third year vesting option could be the compromise. The Dodgers are said to have interest in DJ LeMahieu, an excellent alternative to Turner.
Mets interested in Hand
The Mets have interest in free agent lefty Brad Hand, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. Back in November, team president Sandy Alderson said the Mets might have claimed Hand and his $10 million club option on waivers in October "if the timing had been a little different," presumably meaning if the ownership transfer to Steve Cohen had been complete. Our R.J. Anderson ranked Hand the No. 21 free agent on the market.
New York has been among the most active teams in baseball during this slow offseason, most notably signing catcher James McCann and righty reliever Trevor May. May will join Edwin Diaz, who was sneaky dominant in 2020, as well as holdovers Dellin Betances, Miguel Castro, and Jeurys Familia in the bullpen. Their best lefty reliever is Daniel Zamora, so Hand is an obvious fit. Cleveland placed Hand on waivers in an effort to avoid his $1 million option buyout earlier this winter.
Nationals will attend Kluber's workout
The Nationals will be among the teams in attendance for Corey Kluber's workout next week, reports The Athletic's Britt Ghiroli. Ghiroli adds at least 10 teams are expected to attend. A shoulder injury limited Kluber to one inning in 2020 and he will throw for teams at the Florida training facility where he works out in the offseason. Our R.J. Anderson ranked Kluber the No. 30 free agent available.
Kluber, 35 in April, has been limited to 36 2/3 innings by various injuries the last two years, including a line drive that broke his forearm in 2019. You can overlook a fluky injury like that. The shoulder injury that sabotaged this 2020? Not so much. Kluber ranked among the game's best starters as recently as 2018 though, and the Nationals would be able to slot him in as their No. 4 starter behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin rather than count on him to be an ace.
Tigers sign Grossman
The Detroit Tigers have signed outfielder Robbie Grossman to a two-year deal, according to Cody Stavenhagen and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal is worth $10 million plus performance bonuses.
Grossman, 31, is coming off a strong abbreviated 2020 season in which he hit .241/.344/.482 with eight home runs and eight stolen bases in 51 games. A switch hitter, Grossman should add a reliable on-base bat to the Tigers lineup for 2021. Even if he struggles offensively, Detroit will likely use the veteran outfielder platooned with some of their younger outfield options.
For his eight-year MLB career, Grossman owns a .252/.350/.380 slash line between stints with the Houston Astros (2013-15), Minnesota Twins (2016-18) and Oakland Athletics (2019-20).
