Happy holidays and happy hot stove! This offseason has gifted us two blockbuster trades to accompany a slew of big free agent signings in the past week.

We know you’re waiting on a flash newsletter that your team has signed or traded for a superstar (unless your a fan of the Cubs, Mets, or Red Sox…then congrats!), but let’s take a step back for now.

We want to give a huge thank you to everyone that has been reading our newsletters, listening to podcasts, engaging on social media, and everything in between! Just Baseball wouldn’t be what it is without you.

The Winter Meetings have officially passed as we enter the second phase of the MLB offseason. Plenty of big names have been on the move, so we’re gonna recap all of the recent moves around the league.

Free Agent Deals and Blockbuster Trades

In the past week, we’ve seen some movement with a couple of our top free agents coming off the board and two massive trade targets being dealt.

While the dust has settled in the last few days following the Winter Meetings, there was a ton of action in the second half of the last week.

If you’re behind on the news (I mean, who isn’t? There hasn’t been a normal week in, like, a decade?) prior to this week, read about those here as we dive into the recent ones.

Kyle Tucker to Cubs and Garrett Crochet to Red Sox

The first clear top trade target was sent to one of the most logistically appropriate destinations as the Red Sox acquired White Sox ace Garrett Crochet in exchange for four prospects.

Boston was seen as a top destination for any star pitcher this winter and they struck quickly the second that another star pitcher signed with their rival (we’ll get to this shortly). They did part ways with two top-100 prospects to acquire Crochet, but it makes plenty of sense for a team with a loaded farm system and a desperate need to have a true anchor for their rotation.

Rumors of the Astros shopping superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker really took off and the market responded commensurately as Houston looks to reshuffle their roster and maximize their contention window.

With Tucker set to hit free agency this time next year, his value was lower than his level of talent would indicate. The Cubs got their star, though, for at least one year with the Astros getting their likely Alex Bregman replacement in Isaac Paredes and their new top prospect in Cam Smith back from Chicago. In the end, the Cubs look like they’ll be pushing to contend in 2025.

Yankees Sign Max Fried to an Eight-Year Deal and Trade for Closer Devin Williams

After losing Juan Soto to the Mets, the Yankees have begun to execute their backup plan and bolstered their pitching in a big way this week. They quickly put some of that $700+ million they saved for Soto towards bringing in left-hander Max Fried on a massive deal. He was one of the top pitchers available and will form a nasty tandem at the top of the New York rotation with Gerrit Cole.

The Yankees continued their work to improve their overall roster without Soto and struck a deal with Milwaukee for rental closer Devin Williams. New York sent starter Nestor Cortes Jr. and prospect Caleb Durbin to the Brewers in exchange for the uber-talented closer. Williams is set to hit free agency at the end of the season, but will finish games in New York for the year.

Just Baseball Trivia of the Week

Our newsletter will have a trivia question every week to test and expand the baseball knowledge of our subscribers! The answer to the weekly trivia question will be at the bottom of the newsletter each week.

Which two players in MLB have at least 100 home runs, 80 stolen bases, and an OPS of .875 over the past four years?

A) Kyle Tucker and Francisco Lindor

B) Jose Ramirez and Shohei Ohtani

C) Shohei Ohtani and Jose Ramirez

D) Kyle Tucker and Shohei Ohtani

Other Key Moves

• A complex pair of trades that can essentially be viewed as a three-team deal was struck between the Guardians, Blue Jays, and Pirates. The Blue Jays first acquired shortstop Andrés Giménez from Cleveland while sending Spencer Horwitz, who was then dealt to Pittsburgh with the Guardians getting a trio of young pitchers headlined by Luis Ortiz in return.

• The Rangers got active by resigning veteran starter Nathan Eovaldi on a three-year, $75 million deal and followed up with a power splash by trading for third baseman Jake Burger. Eovaldi has been a key rotation piece for Texas and posted a 3.80 ERA last season while Burger hit 29 home runs for Miami and should be the primary DH in Texas next year.

• The “Sacramento (Oakland forever) Athletics” have been sneakily active in improving their roster and they acquired starter Jeffery Springs from Tampa in exchange for a trio of players headlined by starter Joe Boyle. Springs was phenomenal in 2022 and then posted a 3.27 ERA in seven starts upon returning from Tommy John this past season.

• Reliever Yimi Garcia reunited with Toronto on a two-year, $15 million deal. The Jays have much more work to do, but retain a veteran who posted a 2.70 ERA in his 29 games with the Jays last year.

• Veteran catcher Carson Kelly inked a two-year, $11.5 million deal with the Cubs, which really highlights how dire the catching market is right now. Kelly will be a defensive-minded veteran for Chicago behind the dish.

• The Rockies bought low on infielder Thairo Estrada who struggled mightily last season but was a very useful piece for the Giants in 2023. They signed him to a one-year, $3.25 that features a mutual option for 2026.

• While their offseason has been a bit confusing, the Orioles signed Japanese veteran Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year, $13 million deal. The 35-year-old has had an extremely successful career in Japan and is coming off a season in which he posted a 1.67 ERA across 156.2 innings.

Remaining Stars Available

Tons of names have signed, but the market is still hot with much more action incoming. Plenty of big names have yet to sign and we’ve put together new rankings and predictions for those still available.

The Lone Ace

With the signing of Max Fried last week and Blake Snell a while back, one true ace pitcher is still without a team. With Fried signing a $218 million deal with the Yankees, Corbin Burnes is set to receive a massive contract with plenty of teams still involved.

The Red Sox were our initial projection given their clear need for a big ace, but they traded for Garrett Crochet last week. While the Sox could still be in play, others loom such as the Giants and Blue Jays, who are still in search of an impact player to bolster their pitching staff.

It seems likely that Burnes will top Fried’s deal if it’s the same number of years or exceed the AAV mark. He’s going to sign a huge deal, it’s only a matter of where.

Our current prediction has Burnes joining his former teammate Willy Adames in San Francisco on an eight-year, $232 million deal.

Big Four Hitters

A quartet of hitters remain at the top of the market behind Burnes. While many will certainly provide value, this group of offensive players remain the cream of the crop.

Alex Bregman is the clear top bat with a number of hopeful contenders like the Tigers, Phillies, and others looking for infield help. Meanwhile, Pete Alonso always seemed likely to remain with the Mets but the Juan Soto mega deal could complicate things.

Two powerful outfielders are coming off huge seasons and will be highly coveted in a market that lacks depth in the outfield behind Soto. Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Santander will surely have an ample number teams interested like the Yankees (who lost Soto, because the Yankees fans in your life may not have told you) or others trying to contend like Kansas City, Detroit, and Toronto.

Trivia Answer: D) Kyle Tucker and Shohei Ohtani

Since 2021, Kyle Tucker has 112 home runs, 80 stolen bases, and a .888 OPS. He has become one of the most underrated superstars in baseball.

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