Most of the big-name free agents are off the board, but the 2022-23 MLB offseason still has a lot on the calendar. As a result, there’s still plenty of buzz around the 2022-23 MLB offseason. Speaking of which, you can find Friday’s rumors below.
Mets talk Carrasco, McCann trade
The Mets are in trade talks with other teams to discuss right-handed starter Carlos Carrasco and receiver James McCann, According to Andy Martino of SNY.
Carrasco considers the more attractive of the two players. He had a solid season with a 97 ERA+ in 29 starts. He’s owed $14 million this season, a reasonable salary for an average league starter (or so) in today’s market.
McCann could prove to be a tougher sell. Not only is he projected to earn more than $12 million in each of the next two seasons, but his production has plummeted since joining the Mets ahead of the 2021 campaign. In fact, he hit 70 OPS+.
The Mets have been active this winter at both starting pitcher and receiver. They added Justin Verlander, Corda Senga and Jose Quintana to their rotation (despite losing Jacob deGrom, Tayjuan Walker and Chris Bassett) Signed veteran Omar Narvaz on Thursday. The Mets have two other catchers, Tomas Nido and Francisco Alvarez, suggesting a playoff is in order.
It’s unclear which teams the Mets reached out to over Carrasco or McCann.
Twins targets include Swanson, Turner, Gallo
The Twins recently failed to reunite with shortstop Carlos Correa, who signed a $350 million contract with the Giants. Now that Minnesota is figuring out what their first big move after Correa will be, The Athletic has specifics. According to Dan Hayes, shortstop Dansby Swanson is still a big consideration, but he could be coveted by several teams — the Cubs and current Warriors — if presented In this case, their bid may exceed the Twins. Other potentially more realistic targets for Minnesota include third baseman Justin Turner and outfielders Joey Gallo and AJ Pollock.
None of this is particularly inspiring. Turner has had a stellar career both offensively and defensively. However, he is 38 years old and has shown clear signs of decline over the past two seasons. He should still be a useful player in 2023, but he’s not the kind of real enabler the Twins need. As for Gallo, his strength remains impeccable, but his contact struggles severely limit his value. Pollock, meanwhile, is 35 years old, has an injury history and may be coming off one of the worst full seasons of his career.
A’s Momei
The A’s announced Friday that they have signed veteran Trevor May to a one-year deal. ESPN report The deal is valued at $7 million with an opportunity to receive an additional $500,000 in incentives. May, 33, ends a disappointing season for the Mets in 2023, but has a 120 ERA+ and a 3.75 K/BB ratio since the start of the 2018 season.
As things stand, as a reminder, May — a 33-year-old center reserve — will be Oakland’s highest-paid player in 2023.
