Brock Beauchamp

Call it a hunch but I don't think Sasaki is going to the Dodgers. I'd give better odds to the Padres, frankly. He has shown a willingness to consider smaller-market teams and at some point, Japanese stars are not going to want to play second (or in Sasaki's case, third) fiddle on a team like the Dodgers.

There are a few things worth noting about Crochet. First, what you said here. Second, do NOT look at his ERA over any stretch of time. As a Twins fan, I saw a lot of the White Sox. Don't hold anything against any of their pitchers, they were working with literally NOTHING behind them. Every aspect of that team was comically bad. The defense was absolutely terrible. The bullpen was equally bad.

Jon Morosi tweeted a nugget: the Red Sox aren't done pursuing starters. If this is true, CBO Craig Breslow is serious about stabilizing the Red Sox rotation for 2025 and beyond. The Mariners have a slew of good starters but have stated they're not keen on the idea of trading the young cost-controlled core of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo. The Mariners also have 32-year-old Luis Castillo rostered, who could likely be had for a reasonable prospect return due to the fact he is owed roughly $24 million per season through 2027 with a $25 million vesting option in 2028. The Red Sox are now reduced to a "Big Three" with the removal of Kyle Teel in the Garrett Crochet trade. If they decide to pursue one of Gilbert, Kirby, or Miller it's likely that will be reduced to a "Big Two". View full rumor

A noteworthy chart posted by Sox Stats:

I think I have the answer to this.

The most interesting aspect to me is where this puts Sox catching depth. They kinda NEED to make a move for a catcher now and the only way to get a good one is in trade.

That's the kicker. Even the smartest GMs don't know for sure. But being a smart GM means you need to be right more often than wrong, expecting perfection is a fool's errand.

In case you can't tell from this writing, Corbin Burnes is not my favorite free agent candidate.

Chris Cotillo of Mass Live wrote that the Red Sox are preparing an offer for free-agent starting pitcher Corbin Burnes. The Sox have had a rough week, losing two bidding wars against New York teams: Juan Soto ended up in Queens while Max Fried ended up in the rival Bronx. It feels slightly odd that it is being reported Boston is "preparing an offer" this late in the game. Is it their initial offer or a revised offer in the wake of losing two of their targets early in this offseason? Burnes himself has questions lingering around him. He's the closest thing to an "innings eater" we see in the modern game, pitching at least 167 innings a season every year since 2021. He also peaked in 2021, winning the National League Cy Young award with Milwaukee. Since that time, Burnes peripherals have been trending down in a problematic way. His strikeout percentage peaked at 30.4% in his award-winning season but has dropped each season since, ending up at only 17.0% in 2024. Burnes is 30 years old through the 2025 season. View full rumor

I know, he's basically a monster.

He was bad in a partial season with the Cubs. Which is breathtakingly stupid, but there you go.

According to WEEI Sports in a recent roundup, after losing out on Juan Soto the Red Sox are prioritizing Alex Bregman per sources. Bregman, a long-time Astro, will play his age 32 season in 2025. He fills several needs that should interest the Red Sox: he's right-handed, is a good defender at third base, and is the type of all-around player that makes it easier to move Rafael Devers off the hot corner. In an offseason where pitchers have flown off the market for more than expected, we're still unsure how the position player market will shake out. Bregman also has the Qualifying Offer attached to his services so the signing team will lose a draft pick by acquiring him. Time will tell whether this suppresses team interest. View full rumor

Alex Speier of The Boston Globe mentioned in a recent write-up that the Seattle Mariners are listening when opposing GMs come calling for Luis Castillo. Castillo turns 32 in a few days. A reliable frontline starter for several years, the righty's ERA took a step backward in 2024 but most of his peripherals suggest the situation is far from dire. He lost roughly half a mile per hour on his pitches but metrics such as Stuff+ and Statcast are conflicted on whether the quality of his pitches changed significantly enough to warrant his ERA dropping to roughly league-average. Castillo is signed for a little over $24 million per season through 2027 and has a vesting option for 2028 at $25 million. The Mariners have one of the best rotations in baseball but spend every season trying to scrape together enough runs to reach meaningful October baseball. There is a good chance they end up dealing some of that pitching for long-term lineup help. View full rumor

Honestly, I’m glad they came short on that number. It’s a ridiculous amount for a guy who can’t play defense at age 26.

That’s SO MUCH more money than Ohtani and it makes my brain hurt.

Yikes. Absurd money.

Let’s not conflate “a contract was not signed” with “a miss” on reporting a rumor. Teams have *loads* of conversations that end up going nowhere. It doesn’t mean the conversation didn’t happen or that there wasn’t real intent behind it. I encourage people interested in rumors to read this piece from Matt Trueblood on how deals are reported and often fall apart. The (It's Not a) Life and (So It Can't Be a) Death of That Wild Garrett Crochet-to-Cubs Trade Rumor - Cubs - North Side Baseball NORTHSIDEBASEBALL.COM For a day on which nothing actually happened, a lot sure did happen on Thursday, eh? Let's clean up a mess.

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Alex Speier of The Boston Globe wrote on Saturday that "several major league sources" are reporting that the Red Sox have been actively shopping first baseman Triston Casas in trade talks this winter. After Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow said earlier that the team was not interested in shopping Casas, something appears to have changed. Coupled with the pursuit of Juan Soto and speculation that Rafael Devers may move off third base, it will be hard to find consistent playing time for Casas if all those stars align. Casas, still only 24, posted a 120 OPS+ last season and isn't arbitration-eligible. He is under team control until after the 2028 season. View full rumor

As long as he learns how to play balls off the Monster, Fenway is kind of a perfect fit for Soto's defensive (in)ability.