Spring training is underway, the start of the regular season looms, and almost every major free agent is spoken for. That said, even at this late offseason hour there are still rumors to be found. Found them we have for Wednesday. Onward.
A's focused on moving Manaea next
The A's have undertaken a deep teardown this winter and will very likely be a terrible team in 2022. Already gone are infield anchors Matt Olson and Matt Chapman and right-hander Chris Bassitt (along with manager Bob Melvin), and A's brass might now dip further into the rotation. Here's the latest:
Teams in discussions with the A’s say Oakland currently is focused on trading LHP Sean Manaea, and is waiting to decide how to proceed with RHP Frankie Montas.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 23, 2022
Both Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas are coveted on the trade market, but as Rosenthal says the A's are more committed to moving Manaea at the moment. The 30-year-old lefty is coming off a 2021 season in which he pitched to a 3.91 ERA/104 ERA+ with a strong 4.73 K/BB ratio in 179 1/3 innings. For his career, Manaea has an ERA+ of 107 across parts of six big-league seasons. He's eligible for free agency this coming offseason.
Correa didn't get a post-lockout offer from Astros
Star shortstop Carlos Correa recently pulled off the surprise of the offseason when he inked a three-year, $105 million free-agent contract with the Twins. It was a shocking occurrence not only because the Twins wound up landing him but also because Correa for a long time had been expected to sign a deal worth more than $300 million given his excellence at the plate and with the glove. Given that Correa has opt-outs after the first and second years of his Minnesota deal, that may indeed still be in his future. For now, though, he's a Twin.
Prior to all of this, Correa was an Astros lifer, and it remains a surprise that Houston let him get away for such a modest arrangement. As widely reported, the Astros in essence low-balled him in extension talks prior to his free agency, but in the days leading up to Correa's decision there was increasing buzz that he might return to Houston on a short-term deal. To hear Correa tell it, though, the Astros never approached him about such a thing after the owner-implemented lockout ended on March 12:
Carlos Correa told me he has “nothing but love” for Houston and Astros front office and ownership, but also said the club did not make him any offers after the lockout. pic.twitter.com/HIBFVvBMeE
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) March 23, 2022
Given that the Astros are at least notionally in contending mode -- they won the pennant last season, after all -- this doesn't reflect well upon owner Jim Crane's willingness to field the best team possible. The Twins, of course, are just fine with that.
Romo lands with Mariners
Veteran reliever and slider specialist Sergio Romo has agreed to terms with the Mariners, reports MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Joel Sherman of the New York Post puts that deal at $2 million for one year, pending a physical.
Romo, 39, is coming off a 2021 season with the A's in which he pitched to a 4.67 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 19 unintentional walks in 61 2/3 innings. For his career, he owns an ERA+ of 127 across parts of 14 MLB seasons. Along the way, Romo has picked up 37 saves. He made his lone All-Star appearance as a member of the Giants in 2013.
