Hot Stove season is ongoing, and Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings are just around the bend. That means a healthy and steady supply of free-agency and trade rumors, and Tuesday is no exception. Here's what's buzzing.
Yankees eyeing frontline rotation help
Coming off a deeply disappointing 82-80 season and with the jobs of decision-makers presumably at risk, the Yankees are expected to have an active offseason. GM Brian Cashman has already indicated he hopes to add multiple bats to the outfield mix, and now it seems they'll also be looking to fortify the rotation. Indeed, Jon Morosi reports that the Yankees are "among the most active teams in the starting pitching market" – at least in the early going.
Specifically, Morosi cites the Yankees' interest in right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 25-year-old with ace upside who will be making the leap from Japan, and Aaron Nola, who's been a stalwart at the front of the Phillies' rotation for the last half-decade or so. The Yankees are set at the very front end with Gerrit Cole, who will likely win the AL Cy Young Award for 2023, but depth is a concern. For instance, Carlos Rodón was injured and ineffective in his first season with the Yankees, and Nestor Cortes regressed significantly this past season and also dealt with injuries. While the offense around Aaron Judge is the most pressing need for the Yankees, they also need a rotation stabilizer to slot in behind Cole. Yamamoto or Nola would certainly qualify as such.
Cashman was linked to Yamamoto's agent on Tuesday, just not in a usual way. Joel Wolfe, who represents Yamamoto and also Yankees star Giancarlo Stanton, issued a response to Cashman on Tuesday after the GM said injuries appear to be "part of Stanton's game."
Padres would target starting pitching in any Juan Soto trade
It's far from certain that the Padres will actually trade star outfielder Juan Soto going into his walk year. They're looking to trim payroll, yes, and Soto will likely fetch a salary in excess of $30 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility. However, dealing Soto, who's one of the best hitters in baseball, would significantly damage the Padres' hopes of bouncing back to contention in 2024. Given that GM A.J. Preller may be on the hot seat, that's probably not something he wants to do.
All that said, if the Padres do look to move Soto, then they'll likely be targeting controllable starting pitching that's ready to contribute at the highest level right away or at least very soon. ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that aim and also lists the Yankees, Mariners, and Cubs as potential matches thanks to their stores of young pitching and possible designs on adding a bat like Soto. On the one hand, Soto's bound for free agency at the end of 2024, which lessens his theoretical trade value. On the other hand, teams looking to upgrade the lineup don't have many appealing options on the free-agent market outside of Shohei Ohtani.
