MLB Rumors: Cody Bellinger trade favorite, Yankees Crochet dream, D'Backs deal
- If the Cubs do trade Cody Bellinger, one team should be favored.
- The New York Yankees Garrett Crochet dream is dead for now.
- Where should the Arizona Diamondbacks deal Jordan Montgomery?
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors about the Cubs, Yankees and more
As the MLB offseason heats up, Juan Soto is not the only big name who could be on the move. The MLB Winter Meetings begin in just a few short weeks in Dallas, and before then we ought to have a better understanding of which teams are buying, which are selling, and which are dabbling in both. Front offices don't have infinite resources. Not every team can be the Yankees, Mets, or Dodgers.
The MLB rumors highlighted in this piece point to that very distinction. The Cubs and Diamondbacks are shedding some payroll in hopes of adding that money back to the on-field product by the end of the offseason. The Yankees, meanwhile, are in position to buy are they fell short in the World Series, but still won the American League pennant. For most teams, that would be a successful season. But not in New York.
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MLB Rumors: Diamondbacks are shopping Jordan Montgomery, but where will he go?
The Arizona Diamondbacks want to dump Jordan Montgomery's contract just a year after signing him to a one-year, $25 million deal which had a player option for 2025. At the time, Montgomery signed that contract assuming he would opt in to free agency this winter. Well, following a late start to the season thanks to Scott Boras – who is no longer his agent, mind you – Montgomery struggled.
In 117 innings, Montgomery had an ERA over six and a 1.65 WHIP. He was not the frontline starting pitcher Arizona thought they were getting, and it's why he opted into the final year of his short-term deal which will pay him over $22 million next season. Were he to hit the free-agent market this winter, he would not get anywhere near that much, despite having the name recognition of a recent World Series hero in Texas.
Arizona is reportedly willing to eat some of Montgomery's salary just to get rid of him, and perhaps receive something of value in return. A team like the Yankees, Cardinals or Rangers – all of whom have experience working with Monty – would be ideal fits here.
MLB Rumors: No, the Yankees won't trade for Garrett Crochet
The Chicago White Sox are dangling Garrett Crochet like bait, waiting for a starting pitcher-needy team to bite. For now, the White Sox are fine playing the waiting game, as free agency offers a few starters of Crochet's caliber in Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes, Roki Sasaki, Max Fried and more.
Crochet could arguably be a better fit long term than some of the pitchers on that list, but the point stands. The longer the White Sox wait, the more of these ace-caliber starters will be off the board, thus making a trade for Crochet all the more enticing.
The Yankees have been listed as a Crochet suitor since the deadline. On paper, it makes sense, but not if the White Sox don't value the potential prospects they'd get back in return. As ESPN's Jeff Passan notes, the likes of Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones might not be as valuable as the Yankees think.
MLB Rumors: If the Cubs trade Cody Bellinger, where will he go?
Cody Bellinger opted in to the remainder of his Cubs contract rather than testing the free agent market. This is surprising for a Scott Boras client, but Bellinger received feedback on his overall market value right now, and it's not as high as the $52 million he'll receive over the next two years in Chicago.
Bellinger is one of the more prominent and capable hitters in the Cubs lineup, even in a down year. Belli had just a .751 OPS this season, which is down from his career averages. In his contract year just a season ago, Bellinger had an OPS of .881, for example. Bellinger's downswing, as well as defensive projections suggesting he'll transition to first base or full-time DH in his later years, are why he cannot receive the long-term contract he covets, for better or worse.
Per the New York Post, Bellinger would make sense as a trade fit for a team like the Yankees. New York needs help in the outfield and at first base, two positions Bellinger can still play at a league-average level. There's no guarantee that the Cubs would trade Bellinger for anything less than MLB-ready talent. However, Craig Counsell is used to working with financial limitations, and surely he would understand that Bellinger is not playing up to the standard of his contract.