The A.O. -- After Ohtani -- era of the 2023-24 offseason is fully upon us. Even though the biggest name is spoken for, plenty of compelling free agents and trade targets remain available. That means an ongoing supply of hot-stove rumors. Speaking of which, you'll find Thursday's supply just below.
Yamamoto meets with Phillies
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the incoming Japanese ace, met with the Phillies on Thursday as his free-agent tour continues, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Yamamoto is coveted by most every large-market team, with the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets believed to be the frontrunners in no particular order.
Yamamoto's bidding is expected to clear the $300 million mark. You can read why teams are confident in his ability to make the leap by clicking here.
Jays interested in Martinez
After missing out on the aforementioned Shohei Ohtani and likely bidding adieu to free agent Brandon Belt, the Blue Jays are in need of a DH for 2024. On that front, MLB.com's Keegan Matheson wrote earlier in the week that the Jays "have interest in [J.D.] Martinez as a veteran run producer."
Martinez would indeed be a nifty fit for Toronto, who'll be angling for a third-straight playoff appearance in 2024. Coming into this offseason, CBS Sports ranked Martinez as the No. 22 free agent available. Here's part of our write-up:
"This ranking may seem unkind given Martinez just put forth another monster season at the plate. Teams make a point of paying for what is and what will be, not for what was -- that's important here because they may find a few hints of decline in Martinez's game as he heads into his age-36 season. Most notably, he struck out a career-worst rate, a development fueled by him whiffing on more than 45% of his swings on non-fastballs. Martinez still hit the ball extremely hard when he connected, and that allowed him to overcome the uptick in empty swings and strikeouts. Perhaps that will remain the case for at least another season. You can understand, though, if teams find themselves preferring some of the market's other DH options."
Last season with the Dodgers, Martinez slashed an impressive .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs in 113 games and balanced platoon splits.
Kershaw undecided on '24 team
Clayton Kershaw, the veteran southpaw who has to date spent his entire career with the Dodgers, said on Wednesday that he's not sure where he'll play next year. Kershaw told AM 570 LA Sports that he's still discussing the matter with his wife, Ellen, as he continues to rehab from shoulder surgery that will delay the start of his 2024 campaign.
"I think the competitor in me doesn't want it to end the way it did," he added. "I want to win. I want to win another World Series."
The Dodgers have publicly expressed their desire to re-sign Kershaw. In recent years, he's remained with the team on a series of one-year deals. Kershaw told D Magazine's Mike Piellucci in April that he would only consider pitching for the Dodgers or the Rangers. "Probably not the way an agent wants you to do it," he joked. It's unclear if Kershaw has maintained that stance.
M's getting calls on Bryce Miller
The Mariners have a rare abundance of young, controllable starting pitching right now, and given their pronounced needs in the lineup and the demand for rotation help elsewhere, a trade makes sense. Whether Seattle is willing to do that is very much left to question, but of late they're getting inquiries on Bryce Miller in particular, as Jon Morosi reports.
Miller, a 25-year-old right-hander, is coming off a rookie 2023 season in which he pitched to a 4.32 ERA and 4.58 K/BB ratio in 131 1/3 innings. He boasts a deep repertoire, including a mid-90s fastball. As a former top-100 prospect with strong command and many years of team control remaining, Miller would no doubt fetch an impressive return for Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto. For now, though, the M's seem content to hold steady.
