MLB Free Agency: The latest on Sasaki
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Braves add Canadian Leblanc
The Atlanta Braves have signed Canadian infielder Charles Leblanc and catcher Yohel Pozo to minor league contracts, according to their transactions log on MLB.com.
Leblanc, from Laval, Que., played 11 games for the Los Angeles Angels this past season, slashing .190/.393/.476 with two home runs and six RBI. He also appeared in 48 games for the Miami Marlins in 2022, hitting .263.
Pozo played in 21 games for the Texas Rangers during the 2021 campaign, slashing .284/.312/.378.
Red Sox, Wilson reach deal
Free agent left-hander Justin Wilson and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a major-league deal, according to Robert Murray and FanSided.
Wilson spent 2024 with the Cincinnati Reds, recording a 5.59 ERA in 60 games.
What's the latest on Sasaki?
The free agent class of 2024 got a major shakeup last week when it was announced 23-year-old right-hander Roki Sasaki would be posted and eligible to sign with an MLB team this off-season.
Except Sasaki's free agency isn't going to be like many other high-profile Japanese free agents.
Because of his age, Sasaki won't be eligible to sign for anything more than the maximum bonus allowed under MLB's international free agent signing rules, which apply to players 25 and under. The Athletic's Jim Bowden points out that each team's pool is capped at $7 million, meaning no team would be able to offer him more than that. He would then be under team control for six seasons and ineligible to become a free agent until after 2030.
His free agency will play out similar to the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes in 2017 where every team would have the resources and desire to sign him, and the decision should ultimately revolve around whatever organization Sasaki feels is the best fit.
This had led many to label the Los Angeles Dodgers as the heavy favourites to land Saskai given their success, need for pitching and presence of Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but Bowden believes this might not be the case.
Bowden argues that since Sasaki will be making the league minimum for three seasons before becoming arbitration eligible, off-field earnings such as endorsements become all that much more important to his income. Signing with the Dodgers could limit his exposure alongside the other two Japanese stars, whereas playing in a different market could give him a higher endorsement ceiling. Bowden also notes that Sasaki has a close relationship to Yu Darvish on the San Diego Padres, which could play a factor in his decision.
MLB's international signing period begins with each team's bonus pool being replenished then, meaning Sasaki will not sign with a team until after that date.
The 6-foot-2 righty finished up his fourth NPB season for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2024, going 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 111.0 innings pitched. He has a lifetime NPB ERA of 2.10.
Sasaki is ranked at No. 2 on TSN's Top 75 MLB Free Agents of 2024 list unveiled Thursday.
Newman, Angels strike deal
Infielder Kevin Newman and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a deal, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
The 31-year-old appeared in 111 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024, slashing .278/.311/.375 with three homers and 28 RBI.
He spent his first five big league seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and played 2023 with the Cincinnati Reds before moving onto the D-Backs this past year.
Crochet's White Sox days likely over
Garrett Crochet was heavily involved in trade rumours at this past summer's deadline and according to ESPN's Buster Olney, all signs point to him having pitched his last game for the Chicago White Sox.
"They're going to trade him this winter," a rival evaluator told Olney at the GM Meetings last week in San Antonio. "It's not a matter of if; it's a question of when."
Olney reports the ChiSox are looking for a package of prospects constructed around at least one high-ceiling young player, preferably a position player, though they would also be willing to listen on an offer built around a young arm. Olney adds the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox as teams expected to have interest in Crochet.
The 25-year-old went 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA in 146.0 innings last season, his first as a starter. Crochet's previous high in innings as a professional came during the 2021 season when he tossed 54.1 frames out of the bullpen.
TSN's Top 75 MLB Free Agents
For the seventh year in a row, TSN Blue Jays Reporter Scott Mitchell and TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips have combined efforts to rank and evaluate the top 75 players available in free agency this winter, with Juan Soto clocking in as the obvious No. 1. Click here to see the full list and see where each player may land and the type of deal they may receive.