2024-25 Offseason, Part 2
January 1: Jeffrey Springs, a mainstay of our staff the last several years, now joins the enemy Yankees on a 3/17.8 deal. Also Dominic Smith, who had to take a minor league deal with the Reds last year before hitting 36 HR and driving in 115 between Cincinnati and the Angels, parlayed his big season into a 3/52 pact with those same Reds in a rare case of a free agent going back to the team that traded him at the deadline.
January 5: Anthony Rizzo still commands interest around the league and the Astros inked him for 3/62. Meanwhile longtime White Sock Yoan Moncada stayed in the division thanks to a 6/81 deal with Kansas City.
January 9: Former Royals and Angels closer Scott Barlow's career is over thanks to a serious case of shoulder inflammation.
January 15: The Hall of Fame results are in and nobody got in. Closest was first-year man Ichiro Suzuki at 72.9% while Todd Helton and Carlos Beltran were at 66.9% and Adrian Beltre at 66.6%. Also Mitch Haniger, who had a nice run for us in the second half of 2024, is on the move again as Colorado has dealt him to Milwaukee.
January 21: Longtime Oakland OF Ramon Laureano is on the move to Arizona in a deal for a couple of prospects.
January 24: The Blue Jays dealt OF George Springer to Cleveland for a couple of minor leaguers and retained most of his contract.
Rays news: I made an offer to free agent SP Julio Urias, who is a great pitcher but has major issues staying healthy (i.e., he's "wrecked"). He's only looking for a 1-year deal which is great, but is asking $11M which isn't considering I might only get 40 IP from him. I offered him $8M which he rejected but I have a feeling he'll come crawling back to me as Spring Training gets closer.
February 3: Another of our longtime relievers turned free agent signed elsewhere as Andrew Kittredge joined the White Sox for 2 years at just under $7M total. He's still recovering from a torn rotator cuff suffered midseason last year and won't be ready until May.
February 5: Minnesota traded 1B Rowdy Tellez to Colorado for 2B Brendan Rodgers.
February 13: Closer Liam Hendriks signed a 2/16 deal with Miami.
February 22: St. Louis found its Paul Goldschmidt replacement as they dealt for Baltimore's Ryan Mountcastle.
February 23: Former Rays SS Willy Adames had to settle for a minor league deal with Oakland.
February 27: Austin Meadows, who flopped in his return to us last season, signed a minor league with Kansas City.
March 10: The Angels swung a deal to acquire 1B Brandon Belt from San Francisco.
March 27: Signed OFs Marcell Ozuna and Michael A. Taylor to minor league contracts with MLB options; Ozuna still looks like he can hit for power while Taylor is a Gold Glove-caliber outfielder. Both are insurance against Mears/DeLoach. Also Julio Urias has received some other offers and is now back to demanding $11M even though he did come back to me at the start of Spring Training, so the heck with him.
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