We are two and a half weeks away from spring training camps opening in Arizona and Florida. There are a lot of free agents who have to sign between now and then -- a lot -- and chances are a bunch of them will be stuck looking for work in March and maybe even April, May, and June. It's hard out there for free agents right now.
Although the hot stove season has slowed to a crawl, we're going to keep track of the day's rumors and rumblings right here in this handy post. Make sure you check back throughout the day for updates.
Royals, Whit Merrifield nearing four-year deal
The Kansas City Royals and second baseman Whit Merrifield are nearing a four-year contract extension, according to MLB.com's Jon Morosi. The extension would cover all of his remaining salary arbitration years. The club has not confirmed the deal.
Morosi further reports that Merrfield's deal would be worth $16.25 million with $2 million in performance bonuses.
Merrfield made his debut with the Royals in 2016, and quickly emerged as one of the team's best players. The news of his extension is a sign that the Royals are confident he will be a permanent part of their infield for the next few seasons. The 30-year-old led the Majors in hits (192) and stolen bases (45) in 2018, while slashing .304/.367/.438.
The Royals are rebuilding, but instead of cleaning house and stockpiling draft picks, they've tried to continue to be competitive while the team's future stars develop in the minor leagues. The Royals will continue to rely on homegrown talent, as they did for their 2015 World Series run.
This offseason, Kansas City signed Terrance Gore to a major-league contract, setting up his return to the Royals, the team that drafted him back in 2011, after finishing the 2018 campaign with the Cubs. The Royals also signed free agent Billy Hamilton, whose trademarks are speed and defense.
O's not closing door on re-signing Jones
During a Q&A session with season-ticket holders at the club's FanFest event Saturday, new Orioles GM Mike Elias indicated the team is open to re-signing Adam Jones, though he did downplay the possibility. Here's what Elias said, via MLB.com's Joe Trezza:
"I don't think anything is a dead issue," Elias later told reporters. "We still have a lot of time left. The market in general has been moving kind of slow the last couple of years. We're monitoring everything. We have some ideas in mind for what might make sense for what we're trying to do to improve the club this year and advancing some of our longer-term strategic goals."
Jones has made it clear he loves the Orioles and wants to remain in Baltimore, so much so that he used his no-trade clause to block a deal to the contending Phillies last year. The O's are committed to youngster Cedric Mullins in center with some combination of DJ Stewart, Trey Mancini, and Austin Hays flanking him in the corners. Jones is a quality teammate and a clubhouse leader, and for a young team destined for a losing season, having that kind of player around could pay big dividends.
Rays may not pursue bullpen help
Rather than signing a free agent reliever, the Rays may be leaning toward sticking with their internal options and going with a closer by committee, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Lefty Jose Alvarado and righties Diego Castillo and Chaz Roe are the primary candidates to see save opportunities as Ryne Stanek handles opener duties. From Topkin:
"I like the options that we have," manager Kevin Cash said. "Anytime you ask me about pitching I'm always going to say whatever we can do to get more. So we've just got to wait and see how spring training unfolds."
Sergio Romo, currently a free agent, led the Rays with 25 saves last season. Historically, closer by committee is a terrible strategy, but the Rays and manager Kevin Cash have proven adept at getting pitchers to buy into unusual roles. Alvarado, Castillo, and Roe are quality late-inning options and a revolving door in the ninth inning just might work in Tampa.
A's could add another starter
The Athletics might not be done with their rotation even after re-signing Mike Fiers and signing Marco Estrada. GM David Forst told reporters, including The Athletic's Melissa Lockard, the team is still in talks with free agent hurlers. From Lockard:
"It's hard to say whether we'll necessarily get something done, but there are a lot of free agents left out there and still a lot of conversations going on," Forst said.
Fiers and Estrada are slated to join Daniel Mengden, Frankie Montas, and Chris Bassitt in Oakland's rotation. There is clearly room for another starter in that group. Potential low-cost one-year free agent targets like Clay Buchholz, Doug Fister, Gio Gonzalez, Jeremy Hellickson, and Ervin Santana are available in free agency.
