We're now toe- to ankle-deep into the year 2021. Despite the relatively late date on MLB's offseason calendar, however, most prominent free agents and trade targets remain on the market or perched tantalizingly atop the trade block. As such, Wednesday occasions another round of MLB rumors and buzz, and we're here to round it up for you. Let us now do just that.
Angels interested in Willson Contreras
The Cubs after non-tendering Kyle Schwarber and dealing away ace Yu Darvish certainly appear to be in teardown mode, and as our Matt Snyder recently wrote they still have a number of trade possibilities on the roster. One of those is catcher Willson Contreras, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic passes along this nugget:
"Angels manager Joe Maddon was a strong advocate for Willson Contreras during their time together with the Cubs, so perhaps it's no surprise the Angels are showing interest in trading for the catcher, according to major-league sources."
Right now, the Angels are poised to open the 2021 season with Max Stassi as their primary catcher. Stassi is a solid backstop, but that's an opportunity for upgrade. Contreras, with his power and improved framing abilities, would certainly qualify. He's also not eligible for free agency until after the 2022 season, so the Angels would be getting multiple years of control over the 28-year-old. More broadly, the Angels under new GM Perry Minasian are looking to surround Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon with a playoff-worthy supporting cast. They're also one of the few teams apparently willing to take on salary obligations this offseason. As such, this particular rumor merits a watchful eye.
Red Sox eyeing Jake Odorizzi
The Red Sox are perhaps ready to act like what they are, which is one of the richest teams in all of sports, after getting back under the luxury tax threshold (thanks largely to the self-destructive trade of Mookie Betts). The first order of business will likely be addressing a deeply flawed rotation. Speaking of which:
The Red Sox have serious interest in RHP Jake Odorizzi, per source. Boston chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was part of the Rays front office when Tampa Bay acquired Odorizzi in December 2012, so there's plenty of familiarity between the two.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 5, 2021
Odorizzi, 30, has spent the last three years with the Twins, and on their watch he pitched to a 107 ERA+ across 66 starts. For his career, he owns an ERA+ of 105 and a K/BB ratio of 2.78 in parts of nine big-league seasons.
Right now, the Sox have Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez at the front of the rotation, but Rodriguez is at least something of an unknown quantity after a serious battle with COVID-19. The Sox hope that Chris Sale is back in the rotation at some point in 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but his exact timeline isn't established yet. Obviously, Odorizzi would provide much needed depth as the Sox look to be relevant again after a miserable 2020 season.
White Sox, Dodgers in on Brad Hand
Veteran lefty reliever Brad Hand initially wasn't expected to be a free agent this offseason. However, Cleveland put him on waivers rather than exercise the team's entirely reasonable option on him for 2021, and here we are. Hand, who turns 31 in March, has been excellent since becoming a full-time reliever prior to the 2016 season -- he boasts an ERA+ of 157 and a K/BB ratio of 4.09 over that span. To the extent that front offices still care about such things, it's also worth noting that Hand has closer experience.
Speaking of the still developing market for Hand, here's an update from MLB Network's Jon Heyman:
White Sox are among teams in on Brad Hand. They seek a top closer and as reported previously are in on Liam Hendriks as well. @JeffPassan @ByRobertMurray mentioned a Hendriks
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 6, 2021
Hand makes sense for Chicago given that their incumbent closer, Alex Colome, is also a free agent. Heyman earlier tweeted that the Dodgers also had some interest in Hand. That's not an exhaustive list of suitors, obviously, as there's always a healthy market for accomplished lefty relievers.
