It has been rumored for quite a while, but now it is official - Cody Bellinger is returning to the Cubs on a 3 year, $80 Million deal.
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Bellinger, aged 28, reportedly has the option to opt out after either the first or second years of the contract. Sources indicate he's slated to earn $30 million for the upcoming season, another $30 million in 2025 (conditional on not opting out after the first year), and $20 million in 2026 (provided he doesn't opt out after the second year).

In 2023, Bellinger's improved health propelled him to a standout season, earning him recognition as the National League Comeback Player of the Year. Despite finishing 10th in NL MVP voting, he significantly reduced his strikeout rate compared to previous seasons and demonstrated prowess against left-handed pitchers, boasting a .337 batting average with a .984 OPS against them.

Prior to joining the Cubs, Bellinger had endured two challenging seasons due to a lingering shoulder injury sustained during the 2020 playoffs. Despite registering his lowest average exit velocity of his career in 2023 at just 87.9 mph, he adjusted his approach by shortening his swing with two strikes, resulting in softer contact but fewer strikeouts. Remarkably, his whiff rate dropped to a career-low of 15.6%, and he batted .279 with two strikes, ranking second in all of baseball behind Luis Arraez.
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After securing a deal worth $17.5 million with Chicago, Bellinger earned a Silver Slugger award. He then chose to decline a $25 million option for the current season, entering a market rife with potential for top-tier hitters. However, initial assessments by general managers deemed his asking price excessive. As Bellinger lingered on the market, the pool of teams willing to make significant financial commitments dwindled.

Via Mark Sheldon on Twitter, the Reds added Veteran Tony Kemp to the Minor League Roster.

Kemp is in his 9th MLB Season and has previously been with the Astros, Blue Jays, Cubs and Athletics.  
If he makes the squad, he will get a $1.75 Million contract with $750K in incentives.

The Diamondbacks announced the signing of 2 veteran outfielders - Albert Almora Jr and Kyle Garlick - to Minor League Contracts with an invite to Spring Training Camp.

Apart from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Randal Grichuk, the D-backs roster boasts several left-handed hitting outfielders. Both players being discussed are right-handed hitters.

Via Jon Heyman, the Mariners are signing Brian Anderson to a Minor League deal, with a $2 Million guarantee if he makes the roster.

Anderson has been with the Marlins and Brewers during his 7 year MLB career.  He has a .252 average, 66 HR and 273 RBI.  At 3B and DH, his offense will def give him a chance to make the squad.

Jon Heyman reported via Twitter that the Reds have signed Mike Ford to a Minor League deal.

The deal is for $1.3 if he makes the Major League Roster, with another $125K in incentives.

This is Fords 6th year in the MLB, with previous stops with the Yankees, Giants, Mariners, Giants and Angels.  He has a .211 batting average, 36 HR and 85 RBI. 

The White Sox announced via Twitter they have claimed OF Peyton Burdick from the Orioles.

To make room, they have placed P Matt Foster on the 6- day IL as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery.

Burdick has appeared in 46 games the last 2 years with the Marlins, while also playing in AAA.

Yesterday was quite the day for C Austin Nola.

The Brewers released him, and their GM Matt Arnold had this to say, via Todd Rosiak - 
“With the addition of Gary Sánchez and our other depth at the catching position, we thought the chance at a new opportunity would be the right thing to do for Austin." — GM Matt Arnold

Quickly after that, Ken Rosenthal reported he is signing with the Royals on a Major League Deal.

Nola has been the backstop with the Mariners, Blue Jays and Padres.  In his 6th year, he is averaging .249 with 24 HR and 136 RBI.

Via Francys Romeo on Twitter, the Marlins are inviting P Vladimir Gutierrez to their Spring Training camp after signing him to a Minor League deal.

Gutierrez is in his 3rd year in the MLB, after spending his first 2 with the Reds.  He is 10-12 with a 5.44 ERA.
In 2016, the Reds won the bidding war for Gutierrez and paid him $4.75 Million to join the club.  As he progressed, his command struggled, and as he made his debut in 2021, it just never clicked in Cincy.  Hopefully a new start in Miami will get him back on tract.

Alex Verdugo, who recently joined the New York Yankees following a trade from the Red Sox, maintains that he harbors no ill will towards Boston manager Alex Cora, despite being benched twice last season.
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Verdugo, a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder, spent three seasons under Cora's leadership before the rare trade between the AL East rivals in December.

"It's one of those things that, it's a little bit weird, because outside of the game, he was great. Even as a manager, he's a good manager," Verdugo said Thursday from the Yankees' Camp.
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"In certain ways, 'AC' was hard on me, but I don't have any hard feelings toward him. It's one of those things. Toward the end, we kind of ran our course out a little bit," Verdugo said. "But as a person and outside of baseball, I loved him. I loved his kids, his family."

Nice to hear these quotes as this was a major story all winter.

In a great interview, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes joined Foul Territory and had some thoughts on his feelings as Shohei Ohtani was making his decision, one that ended well for the Dodgers.

"You didn't quite know what to do, it was a helpless feeling...we understood that Shohei was going to announce this himself... if we were out, we weren't gonna be told we're out"

How stressful that must have been.  The world's best player might want to play for you, but might not.

This is interview is very well done.

Former St. Louis Cardinal and LA Angel Albert Pujols is back in baseball.

Thursday afternoon, the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Professional Baseball League revealed that Pujols would helm the team during the 2024-25 season.
​Renowned for their success, the Santo Domingo-based Leones boast four Caribbean Series titles. In a statement delivered in Spanish, team general manager and New York Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas expressed that Pujols was eager to embark on his managerial journey with the club. Rojas also emphasized that Pujols's influence would extend beyond the field, making a significant impact both on and off the diamond.

Include the addition of see-through pants to the expanding roster of grievances concerning the upcoming MLB uniforms slated for this season. As spring training games commence, the Players Association is actively engaging with its members across the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues to collect input on this minor uproar, with the aspiration of implementing alterations prior to Opening Day.

"It's disappointing that we've landed in a place where the uniforms are the topic of discussion," executive director of the Players Association, Tony Clark, said on Thursday. "Each conversation with the guys is yielding more information with what we're seeing."

Commissioner Rob Manfred has labeled the Nike-generated, Fanatics-produced uniforms as "performance jerseys," a term that gained traction after their debut at last year's All-Star Game. While many players acknowledge their "lighter" feel, there are widespread concerns about their aesthetic appeal.
Due to the lightweight fabric, concerns have been raised about the feasibility of incorporating larger numbers and letters on the jerseys, a challenge acknowledged by Clark. Consequently, multiple players have voiced complaints about the back of the jersey appearing "amateurish." Moreover, the introduction of a new eggshell color for the pants, despite retaining the same fabric as last year, has led some to perceive a see-through effect. Additionally, questions have been raised about the overall "fit" of the uniforms.
"A lot of the rhetoric is confirmation that the pants are see through," Clark said. "It's been an ongoing conversation where each day has yielded something new that doesn't seem to make as much as sense as you would like it."

The Tigers announced they have designated T.J. Hopkins, one day after signing him.  He was designated because the team signed Gio Urshula earlier in the day.

It is hard to believe Hopkins won't be on the 40 man roster after all is said and done.

The Tigers announced the signing of INF Gio Urshela via Twitter today, a deal with $1.5 Million for 1 year.

Urshela is in his 8th MLB Season, playing for the Guardians, Blue Jays, Yankees, Twins and Angels before joining Detroit.
Lifetime, he is .277 batter with 64 HR and 280 RBI.

Mets star P Kodai Senga has a mild strain of the posterior capsule in his shoulder, President of Baseball Ops David Stearns said on Thursday.

Senga is expected to start the year on the IL and obviously, this is a huge blow to the Mets rotation.

Via a tweet from Jeff Passan, the Pirates are extending P Mitch Keller 5 years.

Keller is in his 6th year in the MLB and is 26-38 with a 4.71 ERA.
The reported contract numbers are 5 years, $77 Million in total dollars.

He is sure to be a big piece of the Pirates rebuild and hopefully move towards the postseason in the coming years.

It has been rumored, but not is has been confirmed, SS Tim Anderson and the Marlins have agreed to a 1-year deal worth $5 Million.

Anderson will be the Marlins starting SS, a position they need some stability...badly.

Jesse Rogers confirmed the signing on Twitter.

Joey Votto, the longtime first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, now finds himself in unfamiliar territory as a free agent after dedicating his entire career to the team. The Reds declined their $20 million option for his services in 2024, instead opting for a $7 million buyout, which marks the first time he has hit the open market in his illustrious career12.

While Votto hopes to continue playing this year, it appears likely that he’ll need to don a new uniform to do so.  Nick Krall, Cincinnati’s president of baseball operations, was unusually forthcoming last month, stating firmly that the Reds “don’t plan to bring him back as of now"

Despite being a free agent, Votto has attracted interest from teams like the Blue Jays and Angels this offseason, although he remains unsigned. Whether he secures a new playing opportunity or not, it seems he has promising future job prospects. Krall expressed that the club would welcome Votto back in some capacity for a post-playing role. The exact nature of that role would likely be determined in the future, with possibilities such as a mentor, coach, or special assistant being floated. Given Votto’s franchise icon status, the Reds value his contributions both on and off the field. Having played parts of 17 seasons with them, Votto boasts an impressive resume, including winning the National League MVP in 2010 and making six All-Star teams. 

“I’ve left the door open for that,” Krall said. “I’d love to have Joey in the organization, once his playing days are over. He’s a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer. He’s very well respected in the organization, and we all love him.” The exact nature of that role would likely be determined in the future, with the article floating possibilities such as a mentor, coach, special assistant, etc.

Votto has a huge impact on the younger Reds players and this would be a huge benefit to the club.

We reported earlier this week that former Blue Jays Pitcher Hyun-Jim Ryu was going to sign a contract with the Hanwha Eagles from the KBO.
That happened, but the contract is different than originally thought.  It is an 8-year 17 billion won ($12.8 Million) deal.

8 years.  Much longer than originally reported (4).

The Brewers announced on Twitter they have officially signed Gary Sanchez to a 1-year contract worth $3 Million, with a mutual option for 2025.

Sanchez is in his 10th MLB Season, while playing for the Yankees, Twins, Blue Jays and Padres before signing with the Brewers.
He has 173 HR and 448 RBI with an average of .225.

Via a tweet by Robert Murray, Derek Law has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Nationals.

The contract includes an invite to Spring Training, will pay $1.5 Million and include $500K in incentives.

Law just completed his 7th year in the MLB, where he has played for the Giants, Blue Jays, Tigers and Reds.
He was in 54 games last year with Cincy and finished with a 4-6 record and 3.60 ERA.

It had been rumored, but the Brewers made it official - they have re-signed Pitcher Brandon Woodruff to a 2-year deal, reportedly $2.5 Million in 2024, and $5 Million in 2025, which is backloaded to total $17.5 Million.  There is also a mutual option for 2026.

Woodruff is already on the 60-day IL as he works to works his way back from shoulder issues he had in 2023, which required surgery in October.

The 31 year old is 46-26 with a 3.10 ERA through his first 7 MLB seasons, which have all been with Milwaukee.

New York Mets right-handed pitcher Kodai Senga encountered arm fatigue following a side session during spring training, prompting an evaluation by the team's trainers, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed on Wednesday.
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"We'll see [about an MRI]," Mendoza said. "We've got to get with the trainers. ... I've got to get more information. But he got on the mound yesterday and today he came in and just overall arm fatigue."

New York is relying on Kodai Senga to anchor its rotation after his impressive rookie season. Alongside Senga, the Mets have strengthened their pitching staff by adding right-hander Luis Severino, left-hander Sean Manaea, and right-hander Adrian Houser through offseason signings and trades.

Senga, a 31-year-old right-hander, signed a significant $75 million, five-year contract with New York in December 2022. His stellar performance last season included a 12-7 record with an impressive 2.98 ERA across 29 starts1. The Mets are hoping to rebound after finishing fourth in the NL East in 2023, and Senga will be a big part of their success...or lackthereof.

Via tweets from Jon Morosi & Ken Rosenthal, Miami has offered a contract to former batting champ Tim Anderson to be their everyday SS.

At 30 years old Anderson has played SS his entire career, except during the WBC where he played 2nd.

Anderson boasts a strong track record, hitting .318 with a 123 wRC+ from 2019 to 2022, and at only 30 years old, he remains a compelling candidate for a bounce-back season.

Currently, the Marlins have Jon Berti slated as their starting shortstop, with trade acquisitions Nick Gordon and Vidal Bruján also capable of filling the position.
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However, Anderson isn’t the sole infielder the Marlins are considering in free agency, according to Rosenthal's report. They are also engaged in discussions with Adalberto Mondesi for the shortstop role and Gio Urshela for potential roles at first base, third base, and designated hitter.