It has been roughly two weeks since the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2020 World Series and so far the offseason has moved at a snail's pace. There have been zero trades and just one free-agent signing: Robbie Ray returning to the Blue Jays. The rumor mill is starting to pick up, however. Here are Monday's hot stove nuggets.
Astros working to re-sign Brantley
The Astros are trying to work out a new contract with free agent Michael Brantley, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal adds there is mutual interest in a reunion. George Springer and Josh Reddick are also on the market, so Houston could lose an entire outfield to free agency this offseason. Our R.J. Anderson ranked Brantley as the No. 8 free agent on the market.
Brantley, 33, had two very productive seasons with the Astros after spending the first 10 years of his career with Cleveland. Given his age and merely adequate defense, Brantley likely fits best as a most-of-the-time DH going forward, which may not work for the Astros. They have Yordan Alvarez penciled into that DH spot, especially after his dual knee surgeries in August. Alvarez playing the outfield regularly may no longer be possible.
Giants say 'everything is on the table'
The Giants missed the postseason by one game in 2020 -- they finished with the same record (29-31) as the Brewers but Milwaukee held the tiebreaker and got the No. 8 seed -- and they are going into the offseason with an open mind, according to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said the team is open to anything. Here's what Zaidi told Baggarly:
Look, we're in a big market. We consider ourselves a signature franchise. When you look at that group of teams, there's always an expectation for how they might act. As we've shown the last couple years, what makes sense is not just a function of your market size but where you are from a baseball standpoint — whether you need to create opportunities for young players, whether you're in position to make a big push. We've talked about ourselves being in a transition state, but we're also coming off a season in which we just missed the playoffs. So again, everything is on the table.
San Francisco extended the $18.9 million qualifying offer to Kevin Gausman prior to last weekend's deadline, a clear indication the team is willing to spend. You don't make that offer unless you're prepared for the player to accept. Between guaranteed contracts and arbitration projections, the Giants have about $120 million on the books for 16 players next season. They were set to open this past season with a $167 million payroll prior to the pandemic. The Giants could be a major player in free agency.
Shoemaker drawing interest
Free agent right-hander Matt Shoemaker is drawing interest from multiple teams, including the Red Sox, reports MLB.com's Jon Morosi. Boston's starters had a 5.34 ERA in 2020, among the highest in baseball, and it's unclear what they'll get from Chris Sale (Tommy John surgery) and Eduardo Rodriguez (myocarditis) early in 2021. The rotation is a clear priority this winter.
Shoemaker, 34, has not thrown more than 31 innings in a season since 2017 due to injuries, and he hasn't thrown as many as 100 innings in a season since 2016. He has been very good at times though, including firing three scoreless innings against the Rays in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series this postseason. Our R.J. Anderson did not rank Shoemaker among his top 60 free agents.
