Major League Baseball

The Royals and second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier are in agreement on a one-year, $2 million deal with an $8.5 million mutual option for 2025, sources told MLB.com on Saturday morning.

The option includes a $2.5 million buyout, making the full deal worth a guaranteed $4.5 million.

The Cubs have signed right-hander Hector Neris to a one-year, $9MM contract, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via X). There is a $9MM club option attached for the 2025 season, and that vests into a player option if Neris makes at least 60 appearances this season. Between that option and additional incentive bonuses, the deal could be worth as much as $23.25 over the two seasons. Neris is represented by Octagon.

The Rangers are bolstering their bullpen in anticipation of another World Series run, agreeing to a one-year contract with veteran right-hander David Robertson, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The club has not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical and reportedly in the $11-12 million range. The 40-man roster is full, so a corresponding move should follow when the signing is official.

Veteran outfielder Joc Pederson is on the move after agreeing to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2025, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the deal was worth $9.5 million.

The Brewers and free agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins are finalizing a two-year, $34MM guarantee that’ll allow him to opt out next winter, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Milwaukee adds one of the top remaining hitters on the open market.

The right-handed pitcher and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a four-year, $44 million contract in free agency, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. After spending the majority of his career as a reliever, Hicks is expected to be a starter in San Francisco, Passan added.

Veteran starting pitcher Marcus Stroman agreed to a two-year, $37 million contract with the New York Yankees, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

The right-hander declined his $21 million player option for the 2024 MLB season, which made him a free agent. The decision didn't come as a huge surprise given his performance on the mound, though in retrospect he might want a mulligan on that one.

Stroman went 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA and a 3.58 FIP in 27 appearances. His best performance came in a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays as he pitched a complete game shutout, allowing eight strikeouts, one walk and one hit.

As a Red Sox fan the last couple of years have been very frustrating watching a big market team that is seemingly unwilling to spend. Right now they're projected (Spotrac) to be about 50 million below the CBT. Add that to the mutiple last place finishes the last 5 years and the unwillingness to re-sign Mookie and Xander, it makes rooting for the Sox pretty frustrating at times.

So I'm wondering about other fan experiences (apart from the fact that basically every owner should try to be competitive). How do you feel about your team's spending? And would it be more frustrating to root for a team that consistently doesn't spend or a team that is constantly 'treading water'?

On Tuesday night, a source told MLB.com that the Cubs were working toward an agreement with Imanaga. The expected multiyear contract is pending a physical and there are still details to be ironed out before the left-hander’s 45-day posting window closes at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday.

The Cubs have not confirmed an agreement, which was reported by MLB Network insiders Jon Morosi and Jon Heyman as well as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

The Mets are signing Harrison Bader, reports Andy Martino of SNY. It’s a one-year deal worth approximately $10MM, per Martino. Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports the salary as $10.5MM for the Vayner Sports client.

Bader, 30 in June, is an elite defensive outfielder who has had mixed results as a hitter and has also struggled to stay consistently healthy. Since his debut in 2017, he has racked up 52 Defensive Runs Saved, 68 Outs Above Average and a grade of 46.6 from Ultimate Zone Rating. All three of those figures place him in the top 10 among all outfielders in the league in that time. He’s also stolen 77 bases in 95 tries.

The offensive side of his game is less impressive, however. He’s hit .243/.310/.396 in his career for a wRC+ of 92, indicating he’s been 8% below league average overall. He has been above average at times, posting a wRC+ of 107 in 2018 and a 108 in 2021, but the past two years have been rough.

The Padres are close to a deal with Korean reliever Woo Suk Go, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. The club hasn’t confirmed the report.

Per a follow-up report from Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency out of Seoul, Go took a flight from Korea to the United States on Tuesday night (Wednesday afternoon local time).

A 25-year-old righty who throws in the mid-90s, Go has posted a 3.18 ERA with 139 saves and 401 strikeouts over 368 1/3 innings spanning seven seasons for the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization. To sign Go, the Padres would need to pay a release fee to the Twins.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported that Yamamoto would be able to opt out of the contract after the 2029 and ’31 seasons. According to the Associated Press, that’s in part conditional on the pitcher’s arm health in the first six years of the deal. If Yamamoto undergoes Tommy John surgery or spends 134+ consecutive days on the injured list with a right elbow concern between 2024-29, his opt-out chances would be delayed until following the 2031 and ’33 seasons. In the absence of that significant of an elbow injury, he’d be able to opt out after 2029 and ’31 as initially reported.

Interestingly, the contract also includes an opt-out provision designed to keep him from being traded. The AP reports that if the Dodgers trade Yamamoto, that would vest an opt-out clause that’d allow him to become a free agent at the end of that season. While it’s not true no-trade protection, it makes it very difficult to deal him. Any acquiring team would have to account for the possibility that Yamamoto leaves the following winter.