Whether the White Sox stand pat the rest of the spring remains to be seen, but they made no moves on Wednesday, while the rest of the league basically conducted half an offseason in one day, with a bunch of notable names coming off the board.
Most significantly, the activity finally pepped up what had been a stagnant market for outfielders, including the most surprising move in years topping it all off. Here's a quick summary of what went down before another potentially furious day of activity.
BIG OUTFIELD DEALS
- Kris Bryant: Colorado Rockies, seven years, $182 million
- Seiya Suzuki: Chicago Cubs, five years, $85 million (plus $14.625 million posting fee)
- Kyle Schwarber: Philadelphia Phillies, four years, $79 million
Bryant's deal doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you see the team that signed him. That's nothing against Bryant or what he is or isn't worth. It's just impossible to square up from the same team that paid the Cardinals to take Nolan Arenado's contract off their hands two years ago. Arenado was 29, and had six years and $199 million left on his deal when the Rockies dealt him from a far more talented roster. Bryant is a year older and less dynamic, and the Rockies still have so much work to do. Colorado's fascination with Bryant traces all the way back to watching the Cubs take him in the draft one pick before, so maybe it's as simple as that.
Suzuki is the most intriguing player to make the jump from Japan since Shohei Ohtani, as he's entering his age-27 season coming off three consecutive .300/.400/.500 seasons with the Hiroshima Carp. He actually hit .317/.433/.639 in 2021, and has more walks than strikeouts over that stretch. The big question is how he'll fare when facing a considerably hotter average velocity with a grip-and-rip swing, but he plays a corner outfield position well enough to offer value there, too. He'll be on my list of the most intriguing White Sox-adjacent players whenever I post that list, and Sox fans in Chicagoland will probably be able to follow his progress by osmosis.
(Congratulations to Dan Szymborski for ZiPS projecting a five-year, $83 million contract.)
On the same day the Cubs signed Suzuki, one of their biggest market misreads finally found his big payday. Schwarber, who was non-tendered by the Cubs and signed a bigger deal than his arbitration projection the same winter, gives the Phillies the kind of bat Dave Dombrowski loves, and at a price that suggests the NL is embracing the ability to hide a guy at DH.
Smaller outfield deals
- Eddie Rosario: Atlanta Braves, two years, $18 million
- Andrew McCutchen: Milwaukee Brewers, one year, $8.5 million
- Joc Pederson: San Francisco Giants, one year, $6 million
Rosario didn't improve upon the non-tender one-year deal to the degree of Schwarber, but he returns to the Braves on a multi-year deal, which he earned after being the deciding factor with his NLCS performance against the Dodgers.
Pederson also earned a ring, but without the impact Rosario made after his own midseason trade to Atlanta. He heads home to San Francisco to play in a park that doesn't seem particularly well-suited to left-handed power that isn't so left-handed powerful these days.
In between is McCutchen, who is spending his 30s being a serviceable third outfielder. He steps into the role vacated by Avisaíl García, who is now a Miami Marlin.
Freddie Freeman
- Freddie Freeman: Los Angeles Dodgers, six years, $162 million.
After the Braves made an it's-a-business decision by trading for Oakland's Matt Olson and extending him for eight years and $168 million, Freeman made an it's-a-business decision by signing with the Dodgers, who had ended the Braves' postseason hopes in two of three postseasons before the Braves finally solved them in six games last year. The Yankees had bowed out of the running the day before by signing Anthony Rizzo for two years and $32 million.
Pitching depth
- Zack Greinke: Kansas City Royals, one year, $13 million.
Greinke returns to where it all began, replacing/upgrading Mike Minor as the veteran ballast for a youthful rotation (the Royals flipped Minor to Cincinnati for Amir Garrett). A lot has happened in the 12 years since Greinke last wore a Royals uniform. He's carved out a Hall of Fame path across the National League, and the Royals appeared in two World Series and won one thanks in large part to Greinke, whose trade to Milwaukee brought back Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Jake Odorizzi.
Greinke's strikeout stuff has faded, but he's still getting guys out, so his presence will be pleasant enough. The question seems to be whether he'll be the only addition, as they've been tied to Frankie Montas in trade rumors.
Notable trades
- Toronto Blue Jays: Acquired Matt Chapman from Oakland
A look at the Blue Jays' Roster Resource page shows a starting lineup that's projected to hit 259 homers. Chapman hit 27 and won a Gold Glove during a down year, so if he can bounce back to the 7-WAR level he posted in consecutive seasons with Oakland, the Blue Jays are going to be downright dangerous for the next two years.
