January 3: Randy Arozarena gets a 2/16 deal with Seattle after playing with Detroit, the White Sox and Texas since we dealt him to the Tigers mid-2024.
January 11: Slugging OF Anthony Santander stays in the mid-Atlantic but this time with the Nationals on a 3/40 contract, coming off a 40-HR season in his one-year return to the Orioles.
January 15: It was reliever signing day as our Sam Hentges landed in Houston on a 1/10 deal and veteran closer Emmanuel Clase will pitch for Boston and get paid $8.2M for 1 season.
January 17: Another relief pitcher finds a new home - Andres Munoz joins the Yankees for 3/14.
January 18: Seattle dealt starter George Kirby to San Diego for 3 prospects including Dakota Jordan.
January 19: The Hall of Fame balloting is in:
Pujols (as expected) and Cano sail in on their first ballot and Yadi Molina comes awfully close. More close-but-no-cigar for CC, A-Rod and Beltran while Mauer seems to have stalled.
February 4: C Willson Contreras bagged a 3/42 deal with the White Sox.
February 19: We signed a trio of vets to minor league deals with invites to spring training:
C Jonah Heim, OF Leody Taveras, and
SP Juan Mercedes. Heim, a Rays property about 10 years ago, will likely become the backup C while Taveras is coming off a 3.8 WAR season with Oakland after playing elite defense in CF and hitting 13 HR with a .279 BA. He's a switch-hitter who fares better against lefties so he's got a shot at the roster as well. Mercedes is a starter who's put up solid numbers in AAA in the Mariners org and will give us some depth at Durham.
And so we head into spring training hoping to stay injury-free and still on the prowl for a bullpen arm.