MLB Rumors: What I'm hearing on Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Red Sox, Angels, Dylan Cease

The Major League Baseball offseason has moved at a snail's pace, with the market flush with many of its top options. Part of that was Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto holding up the market. Part of that is because the asking prices remain so high. 

Another part of that, and perhaps even the biggest, is that the market did not have many high-end options in the first place. After Ohtani and Yamamoto, there is Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, Josh Hader, Jordan Montgomery and Lucas Giolito. There is movement among some of the top free-agent options, according to sources, but nothing is considered imminent.

Bellinger, Snell, Chapman and Montgomery are represented by Scott Boras, who is not afraid to wait out the market in search of top dollar. So it’s entirely possible that those players continue to linger in free agency, though Snell is drawing interest from the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels, among others, while Chapman makes sense for the Giants, Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays.

We’ll see if the recent increase in interest results in any deals. But in the words of one agent on Thursday morning: “We need some action!!!”

It may just be a bit until we get that action – a theme we’ve all heard dating back to the Winter Meetings.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are in the market for starting pitching and bullpen reinforcements. They have been connected to left-hander Blake Snell and right-hander Marcus Stroman, among others, but it remains to be seen just how much the Angels will spend in free agency after losing Shohei Ohtani.

Angels owner Arte Moreno, however, has never been a fan of rebuilding. He has always wanted to compete, which could fuel a potential bid for a frontline starting pitcher or an outfielder such as Teoscar Hernandez. 

Additionally, the Angels have also received trade inquiries for a number of players on the roster, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported. 

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox are showing interest in an abundance of free-agent starting pitchers and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. 

It remains to be seen what type of starting pitcher the Red Sox could land, considering that Sean McAdam of MassLive.com talked to one industry official who felt that Jordan Montgomery would be too expensive. Lucas Giolito is a player of interest in Boston and considering that he could sign a multi-year contract for around $20 million per season, would he fit in their budget?

Hernandez is drawing interest from the Red Sox, Angels and Dodgers, among others, and a four-year contract is a firm possibility.

Other notes:

• On the starting pitcher trade market, Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes is unlikely to be traded. White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease is likely to be traded, but with two years of team control, an offseason trade is not a certainty. There has been little Shane Bieber trade buzz, for what it’s worth.
• Regarding the White Sox signing Martin Maldonado, the team valued his leadership and his defensive prowess behind the plate. One of the organization’s goals this offseason is to improve their defense, and they feel they’ve done that with the Paul DeJong and Maldonado additions. The team is not done and could trade some players off their major-league roster while adding players via trade or free agency.
• Regarding the Blue Jays signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a two-year, $15 million contract, there were a few teams in the mix that were also willing to offer two years. Among the teams interested, according to sources, included the Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins.