The 2023 Winter Meetings are in the books and it's very likely the biggest trade (Juan Soto) and free agent signing (Shohei Ohtani) of the offseason have already taken place. There are still plenty of quality free agents and trade candidates out there though. Here now are Monday's hot stove rumors.
Giants met with Yamamoto
On Sunday, the Giants met with Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, reports ESPN. Yamamoto has begun holding in-person meetings at his representative's offices in Southern California. He is not expected to travel to visit ballparks and tour cities. With Ohtani signed, Yamamoto is now the best unsigned free agent on the market.
San Francisco's trouble landing star free agents is well-documented. They were in the mix for Ohtani but reportedly not a finalist. Now they'll try to land Yamamoto, a 25-year-old with a chance to pitch at or near the front of a rotation. The Giants will have plenty of competition though. Just about every big market team is expected to meet with Yamamoto in the coming days.
Royals interested in Giolito, Stroman
Free-agent righties Lucas Giolito and Marcus Stroman are on Kansas City's radar, reports the New York Post. At the moment, the only locks for the Royals' rotation are Cole Ragans, Brady Singer, and veteran innings-eater Jordan Lyles. We ranked Stroman and Giolito as the No. 8 and 9 free agents available this offseason, respectively.
The Royals lost 106 games in 2023 and are unlikely to compete in 2024, and it seems likely Stroman and Giolito will seek out teams that give them a better chance to win. That said, money can solve a lot of problems. It's just unclear whether Kansas City will spend the money needed to lure a free agent like Giolito or Stroman to Kauffman Stadium.
Multiple teams interested in Naylor
The Cubs, Mariners, and Pirates all showed interest in Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor during the Winter Meetings last week, according to the Cleveland.com. Obviously no trade was completed, though Cleveland could always check back in with those teams between now and spring training. The offseason is far from over.
Naylor, 26, emerged as Cleveland's second-best hitter behind José Ramírez this past season. It never hurts to listen, but the Guardians finished 27th in runs scored and dead last in home runs in 2023. They need to add more offense around Naylor, not trade Naylor away. With two years of control remaining, the asking price figures to be high.
Dodgers, Yankees complete minor trade
The Yankees acquired lefty Victor Gonzalez and minor league infielder Jorbit Vivas from the Dodgers for minor league shortstop Trey Sweeney on Monday. Here is our full write-up of the trade. The trade clears two 40-man roster spots for Los Angeles, which they need for Ohtani and Joe Kelly. The Yankees get a lefty reliever and a prospect roughly on par with Sweeney.
