MLB 2017-2018 Offseason Thread of Old Familiar Faces in New Places

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Royals have offered Eric Hosmer a seven-year, $147 million contract.

That would be double the largest contract the Royals have ever given to one player. Nightengale also notes that the Padres have a seven-year, $140 million deal on the table for Hosmer – exactly $1 million less per year than the offer from Kansas City. It's unclear where the Cardinals – Hosmer's other known suitor – sit in this market. The 28-year-old first baseman posted a career-best .318/.385/.498 batting line with 25 home runs and 94 RBI over 162 games for Kansas City in 2017. He also won his fourth career Gold Glove, though advanced defensive metrics don't love him quite as much as the voting block. We might finally see some movement soon among the game's top free agents.

Dodgers acquired LHP Scott Alexander from the Royals and INF Jake Peter from the White Sox in a three-team trade.

The Dodgers traded Luis Avilan to the White Sox in the deal and right-hander Trevor Oaks and minor league infielder Erick Mejia to the Royals. Alexander might not be a big name, but he's the most notable piece of this trade. The 28-year-old is coming off a 2.48 ERA and 59/28 K/BB ratio over 69 innings with Kansas City. His ground ball rate (73.8 percent) was the highest among all relievers with at least 60 innings pitched. The southpaw still has several years of team control and should function as a late-inning bridge to Kenley Jansen.

Jake Peter turns 25 in April and batted .279/.344/.417 with 13 home runs and 11 steals over 120 games last season between Double- and Triple-A. He has experience all over the infield and outfield, so the Dodgers could view him as a potential utility option.

White Sox
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Royals will receive $2 million from the Dodgers and $1 million from the Royals in the deal. Joakim Soria, 33, posted a 3.70 ERA and 64/20 K/BB ratio over 56 innings in 2017. The veteran reliever is a late-inning option for Chicago, but he could end up being a trade piece.

The Dodgers are reportedly covering Luis Avilan's salary. The 28-year-old compiled a 2.93 ERA and 52/22 K/BB ratio in 46 innings with Los Angeles in 2017. He held left-handed batters to a measly .195/.290/.280 batting line. Avilan could pitch in a set-up capacity assuming he stays in Chicago, but the club will surely be willing to listen to offers at some point this year.

Royals
Trevor Oaks was recently added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster after posting a 3.64 ERA and 72/18 K/BB ratio over 84 innings at the Triple-A level in 2017. The 24-year-old could end up being a back-end starter for Kansas City, but this deal was motivated in part by sending Joakim Soria (and the great majority of his contract) to the White Sox.

Erick Mejia, 23, owns a .279/.347/.384 batting line over six seasons in the minors. He's finally shown some power over the past couple of seasons, but he's mostly known for his speed and versatility around the infield.

By The Frankman Go To PostWhoa.

Padres acquired minor league RHP Jared Carkuff and minor league OF Edward Olivares from the Blue Jays for 3B Yangervis Solarte.

Solarte batted a fairly pedestrian .255/.314/.416 in 2017, but he's a versatile defender and a better hitter than last year's line suggests. Solarte is a career .267/.327/.419 hitter who has experience at all four infield spots, providing value to the Jays as a safeguard against injury prone infielders Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis if nothing else. Reports suggest the trade is not a precursor for a Josh Donaldson deal. The 30-year-old Solarte is under team control through 2020.

Carkuff was a 35th-round pick of the Jays in the 2016 MLB Draft. A reliever, he posted a 3.86 ERA over 63 innings while reaching Triple-A this past season. He could move quickly for the Padres.

Olivares is the primary return for the Padres, a 21-year-old outfielder who hit .269/.327/.468 with 17 homers and 20 steals between Class A and High-A this past season. Olivares was the No. 18 prospect on MLB.com's Top 30 list for the Jays.

Padres signed RHP Craig Stammen to a two-year, $4.5 million contract.

The deal has an additional $1 million per season in incentive-based compensation. The move appears to be a shrewd one, Stammen was one of the better relievers in the National League last year; notching a cool 3.14 ERA in 60 appearances with the Padres. He fanned 74 batters and walked 28 in 80 1/3 innings. He pitched only four innings in 2015 and missed the entire 2016 season due to a torn flexor tendon that required surgery and a long recovery. He began his career in 2009 and struggled as a starting pitcher, but later developed into a shutdown reliever for the Nationals for several years. The 33-year-old right-hander has a career 3.80 ERA in 571 innings spread over 289 games, including 38 starts.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports the Mets and suspended RHP Jenrry Mejia have avoided arbitration by settling on a one-year, $1.729 million contract.

Mejia was placed on the permanently ineligible list after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs for a third time in early 2016. He was suspended for 80 games in April of 2015. He returned in July but was quickly suspended again, this time for 162 games. He wasn't finished serving that suspension when he was busted again and banned permanently. It is not technically a lifetime ban because he was eligible to apply for reinstatement after one year (it has been almost two years now). The Mets will not have to pay him this money unless he does get reinstated by the league.

Padres signed RHP Kazuhisa Makita to a two-year contract.

The deal is expected to be worth around $4 million. Makita is a 33-year-old, submarine-style reliever who has posted a 1.91 ERA and 78/21 K/BB ratio over 141 1/3 innings the past two seasons. The move was one of two the club made Saturday to boost its bullpen, also signing Craig Stammen to a two-year deal.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Starlin Castro has requested a trade from the Marlins.

Many thought the Marlins would quickly flip Castro to another team after acquiring him from the Yankees as part of the Giancarlo Stanton trade, but that obviously hasn't happened yet and MLB.com's Joe Frisaro wrote last weekend that Miami might wind up keeping the 27-year-old second baseman. That clearly isn't sitting well with Castro, who doesn't want to be part of another rebuilding process like he was in his early days with the Cubs. Castro is due $10.857 million in 2018 and $11.857 million in 2019 with a $16 million club option for 2020.

UPDATE: Jon Morosi of MLB Network confirms that the Pirates and Astros have reached agreement on a Gerrit Cole trade.

No word yet on what the Pirates will get in return, though Kyle Tucker, Forrest Whitley, and Derek Fisher are among the names that have been floated. Cole posted an underwhelming 4.26 ERA over 203 innings with Pittsburgh in 2017, but he had some bad luck with fly balls that turned into home runs and the 27-year-old right-hander makes for a good bounceback candidate in a Houston rotation that will rank among the best in the league. Cole held a 3.23 ERA in 579 1/3 innings between 2013-2016.

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, there is "no deal" between the Pirates and Astros on a Gerrit Cole trade.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Wednesday afternoon that the Pirates and Astros had reached agreement on a trade that would send Cole to Houston, but Passan's source calls it a "false rumor." Astros GM Jeff Luhnow echoed this sentiment in a quote to Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle, acknowledging that the club has "talked to several teams about possible trades" but "at this point, nothing is imminent." This offseason remains stuck in mud.

White Sox acquired INF Jose Rondon from the Padres for cash considerations.

Rondon was designated for assignment by San Diego last weekend to clear a roster spot for right-hander Craig Stammen. The 23-year-old infielder hit .293/.347/.442 with seven home runs and 49 RBI in 78 games between four different levels of the Padres' minor league system in 2017. He will battle for a bench job this spring in White Sox camp.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reports that Jay Bruce will sign with the Mets, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reporting it will be a three-year, $39 million deal.

Finalization of the contract is pending a physical. It's somewhat back-loaded, as Bruce is due to make $10 million in 2018 and $14.5 million in the 2019-2020 seasons. Bruce came over to the Mets in a deadline deal with the Reds in 2016, and then was traded from New York to Cleveland when the Mets fell out of contention last summer. The power-hitting outfielder, who turns 31 years old this April, posted a combined .832 OPS with 36 home runs and 101 RBI over 146 games between the Mets and Indians in 2017. He'll be an everyday player for the Mets again this year, with Mike Puma of the New York Post reporting that Bruce may be asked to play some first base as well as the corner outfield. He will likely hit in the middle of the Mets' batting order. Bruce will be allowed to pick five teams that he can block trades to each year of the three-year deal. That could be important for the veteran outfielder, as the reported $39 million contract is somewhat back-loaded and will certainly be more appealing to certain clubs than others. Bruce still has to pass a physical before his new agreement with the Mets will become finalized.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Padres and Brad Hand have reached an agreement on a three-year contract extension in the $18-$20 million range.

The deal also includes an option for a fourth season. The contract buys out Hand's final two years of arbitration and covers at least his first free agent season. The 27-year-old was a force out of the Padres' bullpen in 2017, posting a 2.16 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 104/20 K/BB ratio across 79 1/3 innings. He assumed the closer's role mid-season after Brandon Maurer was dealt and accrued 21 saves. He'll open the 2018 campaign locked into the ninth-inning role and should be a reliable source of fantasy value.

Gonzalez, 35, is owed $21.5 million in the final year of his contract. The Mets would owe him just $545,000, with Atlanta paying the rest.

By The Frankman Go To PostVery surprising move in that A-Gonz is not a versatile piece, and the Mets tend to like guys who can play multiple bench spots. I mean they had James Loney 2 years ago so it's not a total anti-organizational move, but yeah it makes perfect sense due to his cost. He'll be the mentor for Dominic Smith, the Mets 1B of the future/now.

Giants acquired OF Andrew McCutchen and cash from the Pirates for RHP Kyle Crick, OF Bryan Reynolds and $500,000 in international bonus pool space.

The Pirates are covering $2.5 million of McCutchen's $14.75 million salary for 2018, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It's the end of an era, as McCutchen made five All-Star teams and won one National League MVP award during his nine seasons as a Pirate and will probably have his number retired by the club one day. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Giants would prefer to play McCutchen in right field and move Hunter Pence to left, although whether that plan works out might depend on whether San Francisco is able to add a center fielder. It's obviously not an ideal landing spot for McCutchen for fantasy purposes, as he's headed to the most pitcher-friendly home park in baseball.

Kyke Crick made a full-time move to relief in 2017 and held a 3.06 ERA and 28/17 K/BB ratio over 32 1/3 innings for the Giants last season. He's always had major control issues but is just 25 and throws very hard. Crick should make the Pirates' roster as a middle reliever.

A second-round pick in the 2016 Draft, Bryan Reynolds hit .312/.364/.462 with 10 homers in High-A last season and was a top-five prospect for the Giants. He'll turn 23 later this month, so the Pirates could push him pretty quickly.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Pirates are signing Felipe Rivero to a four-year contract extension with club options for 2022 and 2023.

The new contract buys out all of the closer's arbitration years and potentially two free agent years. Rosenthal says Rivero will be guaranteed at least $22 million in the deal and that the options are each worth $10 million. It's a bit of good news for Pirates fans on a day when they traded franchise icon Andrew McCutchen to the Giants. Rivero has emerged as one of the elite relievers in the game, having put up a 1.67 ERA and 88/20 K/BB ratio over 75 1/3 innings in 2017.

Twins signed RHP Addison Reed to a two-year, $16.75 million contract.

The deal was reported on Saturday and is now official. Reed is expected to enter the season as a setup man for Fernando Rodney, although it's certainly conceivable that he could find himself in the closer role at some point. The 29-year-old reliever held a 2.84 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 76/15 K/BB ratio across 76 innings between the Mets and Red Sox in 2017.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Blue Jays have signed Curtis Granderson to a one-year, $5 million contract.

The deal is pending a physical and also includes incentives. Granderson will turn 37 in March and really struggled down the stretch with the Dodgers last season, finishing with a .212/.323/.452 batting line. However, he did pop 26 home runs and still draws plenty of walks. He'll be used in left or right field (or both) against right-handed pitching.

Mike Puma of the New York Post writes that "if healthy," Adrian Gonzalez will probably begin the season as the Mets' starting first baseman.

In other words, Dominic Smith will likely be Triple-A bound to begin the year. The 35-year-old Gonzalez is coming off a year where he was limited to 71 games with a back injury while putting up a career-worst .642 OPS, so it's probably way too soon to talk with any certainty about this situation. But clearly the Mets aren't exactly sold on Smith just yet.

Blue Jays acquired OF Randal Grichuk from the Cardinals for RHPs Dominic Leone and Conner Greene.

Grichuk has just about as much raw power as anyone in the game and has banged out 46 home runs over the last two seasons, but he sports only a career .249/.297/.488 batting line and has been awfully inconsistent. Still, this is a good move for him for fantasy purposes, as he's expected to get regular playing time in right field in Toronto and will be playing in a much more hitter-friendly home park. Grichuk is under team control through 2020.

Dominic Leone was a waiver claim by the Blue Jays last winter and went back-and-forth from the majors and minors a few times last season, but he was excellent with the big club, posting a 2.56 ERA and 81/23 K/BB ratio over 70 1/3 innings. He was arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and should be pegged for a middle relief role in St. Louis.

Conner Greene has a big fastball that can touch triple digits, but he hasn't missed many bats to this point and has shown poor control, this past season posting a 5.29 ERA and 92/83 K/BB ratio across 132 2/3 frames at the Double-A level. He'll turn just 23 in April, though, and is an interesting secondary piece in the deal for St. Louis.

By The Frankman Go To Postwat

By Fenderputty Go To PostHe wanted out of the Dodgers to find a roll to play more minutes in. This shouldn't shock you.

By The Frankman Go To PostThe Mets committed to Dominic Smith as a full-time 1B last season. During the Winter meetings they were looking for a utility guy who can play around the infield and spell 3B/1B as well as SS/2B. The plan was not to get a new 1B. It's an odd turnaround.

Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman were elected to the 2018 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA.

Jones (97.2 percent of ballots) and Thome (89.8 percent) were both elected in their first chance, while Guerrero (92.9 percent) makes it in his second try and Hoffman (78.9 percent) in his third. Jones won the National League MVP in 1999 with Atlanta and recorded 2,726 hits, 468 homers, and a .930 OPS over parts of 19 major league seasons. Thome ranks eighth all-time in homers with 612 and registered a .402 on-base percentage in his 22 seasons. Guerrero had a .933 career OPS, hit 449 homers, and won an MVP with the Angels in 2004. Hoffman is second all-time in saves with 601 and finished his career with a 2.87 ERA in 22 seasons between the Padres and Brewers. Edgar Martinez finished just short this year, picking up 70.4 percent of the votes while needing 75 in his penultimate year on the ballot.

Miami Marlins general manager Michael Hill was traveling Thursday to participate in a series of marathons when he swung the team's latest trade, sending center fielder Christian Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers for four prospects.

Free-agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain has reached agreement on a five-year, $80 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, a baseball source told ESPN on Thursday.

Vladimir Guerrero will become the first player to wear an Angels hat on his Hall of Fame plaque.

By The Frankman Go To Postwow forgot to post last night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3IXeyH5NpA

At work so the big post will wait… ah eff it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU1rdYLKoCA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvtKrYdl-tw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqTbwLXhGxg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8_hd_J1jyc

Marlins acquired OF Lewis Brinson, INF Isan Diaz, OF Monte Harrison and RHP Jordan Yamamoto from the Brewers for OF Christian Yelich.
The Marlins got a whole lot of upside here, but also no sure things. To be fair, Lewis Brinson should be an adequate regular even if he disappoints offensively; he's very good defensively in center. The tools are there for him to excel with the bat, too, but he's been pretty inconsistent to this point in his career. He is coming off a very strong season in Triple-A, having hit .331/.400/.562 in 299 at-bats for Colorado Springs. His brief look in the majors wasn't as encouraging: he hit just .106/.236/.277 in 47 at-bats. The Marlins almost certainly will make him their Opening Day center fielder and give him plenty of rope. He doesn't seem like a great short-term bet in mixed leagues to us, but he could surprise.

Isan Diaz is on the move for a second time; he was the prospect the Brewers got from the Diamondbacks in the Jean Segura trade two years ago. He has a great deal of power potential for an infield prospect and he takes plenty of walks, but making consistent contact is an issue. He split time at second and short last year, but he projects as more of a second baseman going forward. He might need to return to high-A ball next year, and he doesn't figure to help the Marlins until 2020 at the earliest.

One of the most talented players in the 2014 draft, Monet Harrison was able to take a step forward last year after a disappointing 2016, hitting .272/.350/.481 for two A-ball teams at age 21. This year will be big for him: he's set to tackle Double-A for the first time. He doesn't currently project as a future regular, but as the third prospect in the Yelich trade, it's worth taking a chance on him panning out.

Jordan Yamamoto, a 12th-round pick in the 2014 draft, went 9-4 with a 2.51 ERA and a 113/30 K/BB in 111 innings for high-A Carolina last year. He wasn't viewed as one of the Brewers' top prospects, but he might prove interesting as a reliever down the line.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Brewers have discussed the possibility of using Ryan Braun at first base this season.

Much of the speculation following the Brewers' acquisitions of Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain has centered around them trading Domingo Santana, but Rosenthal says the club could hang on to Santana and use Braun in a lesser role, starting him at first base against lefties and keeping him as part of the outfield rotation. Braun has never played first base before but did come up as a third baseman. Ultimately, a trade of Santana for pitching still seems like the most probable occurrence here. The Brewers are keeping their options open, though.

Royals re-signed SS Alcides Escobar to a one-year, $2.5 million contract.

The deal was agreed upon last week and then finalized Monday after Escobar passed the necessary physical. He has posted a rough .256/.286/.343 batting line over the last three seasons combined, but Escobar still plays good defense at age 31 and he will likely open the 2018 season as the Royals' primary shortstop. Raul Mondesi could play various spots around the infield or head back to Triple-A Omaha for a little more development time.

Athletics acquired 1B/OF Brandon Moss, LHP Ryan Buchter and cash from the Royals for RHPs Jesse Hahn and Heath Fillmyer.

The Royals are covering $3.25 million of the $8.25 million Moss is owed, per MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan. Moss popped 22 home runs for Kansas City last season but hit an ugly .207/.279/.428 overall. He doesn't look to be lined up for much playing time with the Athletics and they are expected to try to flip him elsewhere.

Buchter was acquired by the Royals from the Padres in a trade last July and boasts a career 2.85 ERA across 139 relief appearances in the majors. He hasn't reached arbitration status yet and should be a nice lefty relief piece for the A's for a few years.

Hahn has shown flashes at the major league level but holds a 5.59 ERA across 116 innings over the last two seasons and has had trouble staying healthy. He will compete for a spot in the Royals' rotation and should stick around in long relief if that doesn't work out since he's out of options.

Ranked by MLB.com as the A's No. 18 prospect, Fillmyer held a 3.49 ERA and 115/51 K/BB ratio over 149 2/3 innings at Double-A this past season. He's never appeared in the majors but was added to the 40-man roster this winter.

Among the highlights of the most recent MLB proposal:

* The time-of-game goal for 2018 would be to play games in under 2 hours, 55 minutes; if 2:55 or longer – a failure to meet the goal – then an 18-second pitch clock would be put into effect for the 2019 season, with an automatic ball-strike penalty for violations put into effect on May 1, 2019. If the average game time was under 2:55 in 2018, then MLB would play in 2019 without a pitch clock, and the time-of-game goal would be 2 hours, 50 minutes. If that goal wasn't met, the use of a pitch clock would be triggered for 2020.

* MLB will withdraw its request for a between-batter timer if the union reaches an agreement on the pace-of-play initiatives.

* MLB maintained its request for a limit of six mound visits, with a possible circumstantial trigger to five.

* Specific times allotted for pitchers to warm up between innings, and for hitters to approach home plate, so that the game promptly restarts after a commercial break – but, in 2018, no penalties attached to the ball-strike count for those not in compliance. Special circumstances are acknowledged, such as when an inning ends with a runner on base, or when a catcher makes the last out of an inning and requires more time to put on his gear.

* MLB is ready to accept the union's proposal to study the feasibility of bullpen carts and would introduce the use of carts where feasible in 2018 and 2019.

* MLB is prepared to discuss the reduction of the 30-second replay clock, in which managers are required to decide whether they would challenge a call, as well as a reduction in the number of manager challenges.

There are specific proposed guidelines on the commercials for the local broadcasts (2:05), national television (2:25) and postseason (2:55).

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Rangers are in agreement to sign free agent reliever Seung Hwan Oh.

Robert Murphy of FanRag Sports says Oh's deal will pay him $2.75 million in 2018, with a $4.5 million club option for 2019 that includes a $100,000 buyout and performance bonuses that can earn him another million in both years. The 35-year-old right-hander spent the last two years with St. Louis, earning 39 saves and registering an ERA of 2.85 in 138 total appearances for the Cardinals. He was much more effective in 2016 with a 1.92 ERA and 103 strikeouts in just under 80 innings, and the Rangers are likely betting on him returning to that form in 2018. He should be given a chance at a high-leverage role, and could end up earning the closer job before the end of the season.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Mets have an agreement with Todd Frazier on a two-year, $17 million contract.

The deal is pending a physical. Frazier seemed likely to land a three-year deal when the offseason began, but the stagnant market obviously hurt him. The Mets will take it. A week away from his 32nd birthday, Frazier batted .213/.344/.428 with 27 home runs and 76 RBI for the White Sox and Yankees last season. He'll be the Mets' third baseman, which means Asdrubal Cabrera will slide over to second.

By Moris Go To PostAt the end of the season, I hated the idea of trying to retain Darvish, but now…

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Cubs and Yu Darvish have come to an agreement on a six-year, $126 million contract. Yu Darvish can opt out after the second year.

The deal is pending a physical and could run as high as $150 million with incentives. Finally, into the second week of February, there's a resolution to the top remaining name on the free agent market, which will hopefully allow for the other dominoes to fall into place, Darvish joins a stacked rotation that already boasts Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, Kyle Hendricks and Tyler Chatwood. Darvish likely got less than he was originally aiming for, so the opt-out will give him an option to test the waters in a few years to see if they're any more friendly. His performance at the end of last season likely contributed to those icy waters, so two years of strong performance would help, too. With Darvish off the market, perhaps we start to see some other free agent starter dominoes fall, too.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Dodgers were in the bidding on Yu Darvish right until he decided to sign with the Cubs.

That could mean that the Dodgers will still be in the market for pitching help and will turn to one of the lesser names available on the free agent market.

By KidA Seven Go To PostI don't think Dodgers really need more starting pitching depth. What we needed is someone on the level of Darvish for the playoffs. Depth is fine with Kershaw, Ryu, Hill, Maeda, Wood, Buehler, Stripling, and Stewart. I think bullpen will be fine with Buehler being able to pitch from there in the playoffs and potentially integrating Mitchell White from the minors into the majors.

By Smokey Go To PostSign a pitcher who was tipping his pitches for $120+ million brehs

MASN's Roch Kubatko reports that the Orioles have signed free agent starter Andrew Cashner to a two-year, $16 million contract.

SB Nation's Chris Cotillo hears the deal will include a $10 million vesting option for 2020 and $5 million in performance incentives each season. Cashner posted an ugly 86/64 K/BB ratio in 166 2/3 innings last year with the Rangers, but he still managed a 3.40 ERA (138 ERA+) and the Orioles have been in desperate need of decent starting pitching depth all offseason. There's not much to like here from a fantasy perspective, as the 31-year-old right-hander will probably have a difficult time navigating the small parks and big bats of the American League East.

Reds signed INF Cliff Pennington to a one-year contract.

It's a split contract that will pay him a $1.5 million salary if he makes the Reds' major league roster and far less if he is relegated to Triple-A Louisville. Pennington batted just .235/.306/.330 with three home runs over 87 games with the Angels in 2017, but he can play all around the infield defensively.

Dodgers re-signed INF Chase Utley to a two-year, $2 million contract.

The deal was announced earlier this week and is now official. Utley will receive $1 million each season. It's a small price to pay for the veteran infielder who is lauded for his clubhouse presence and professionalism, although we must point out that the 39-year-old has batted just .235/.310/.382 over the last three seasons. Utley will back up at second, third and first base.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Mets and Jason Vargas have agreed to terms on a contract.

The deal, which is pending a physical, is for two years and $16 million and contains a club option for 2020, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Vargas, 35, made his first All-Star team last season after posting a 2.62 ERA over 17 first-half starts, but he faded badly in the second half with a 6.38 ERA over his final 15 outings. Still, the depth is useful given all of the health questions in the Mets' rotation. He'll presumably serve as the team's fifth starter this season.

Athletics signed C Jonathan Lucroy to a one-year, $6.5 million contract.

Lucroy will also receive a $500,000 assignment bonus. While he is coming off a terrible 2017 season by his standards, he's an upgrade behind the plate for the A's on a very team-friendly contract.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today confirms that the Phillies have reached a three-year, $75 million deal with Jake Arrieta.

Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia was first to report that an agreement was in place. Arrieta was thought to be seeking upwards of five or six years when the offseason began, but this market has been poor for pretty much every top free agent. The 32-year-old brings some credibility to the front of the Phillies' rotation, though he lost some velocity on his fastball in his final season with the Cubs and finished with a relatively underwhelming 3.53 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 163/55 K/BB ratio in 168 1/3 innings. Citizens Bank Park is a power-friendly environment. There are some red flags on his fantasy outlook for 2018 and beyond.

By DY_nasty Go To Postyou guys remember the danry vasquez case?

video finally dropped

http://www.kristv.com/story/37717885/kris-6-exclusive-surveillance-video-of-danry-vasquez-beating-released