Spring training camps will soon open across Arizona and Florida, but because a handful of notable free agents and trade targets remain available, hot-stove rumors continue to appear. Speaking of which, Saturday's supply of scuttle may be found just below.
Padres add outfield platoon
The San Diego Padres are looking to make a second straight trip to the postseason, but they haven't been spending, which is likely the result of the in-fighting among late owner Peter Seidler's heirs and relatives. On that front, the Padres recently made a pair of moves aimed at replacing All-Star left fielder Jurickson Profar, who not long ago inked a free-agent pact with the Atlanta Braves. With an eye toward a left-field platoon, the Padres have reportedly agreed to terms with outfielders Jason Heyward and Connor Joe on a pair of one-year contracts, Kevin Acee reports. Heyward bats lefty, so he'll be the primary in left, and Joe, who bats from the right side, will be his platoon partner.
Heyward, 35, is coming off a 2024 season for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros in which he slashed .211/.288/.412 (98 OPS+) with 10 home runs in 87 games. As for the 32-year-old Joe, he owns a career slash line of .254/.350/.415 against left-handed pitching.
Moncada to start over Rendon for Angels
The Los Angeles Angels recently agreed to terms with infielder Yoán Moncada on a one-year deal worth $5 million, MLB.com reports. Moncada, 29, was once one of the most highly regarded prospects in baseball. While he's had periods of strong production, injuries have waylaid his career to date. As for his role with the Halos, Jon Heyman reports that Moncada will be the team's starting third baseman in the upcoming season. That, in turn, means that Anthony Rendon is headed for a bench role. Rendon himself has suffered a long string of injuries since signing a big seven-year, $245 million free-agent contract with the Angels prior to the 2020 season. While he had a strong abbreviated 2020 campaign, he's been roundly unproductive when healthy since then. Rendon will head to the pine with two years and $77.1 million still left on his contract.
Rockies talking extension with Doyle
According to Patrick Saunders, the Colorado Rockies have been "having internal discussions" about a contract extension with Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle. Saunders adds that agreeing to terms on such a deal seems like a possibility this spring.
Doyle, 26, has spent two seasons in the majors and won a Gold Glove in center for each campaign. This past season, he also showed skills growth with the bat, as he put up a 104 OPS+ with 23 home runs in 149 games with improved batted-ball indicators. Throw in his baserunning (30 steals in 35 attempts in 2024), and Doyle is fresh off a 4.0 WAR season. He's not eligible for free agency until after the 2029 season. As such, a more modest extension could cover his forthcoming arbitration years, or Doyle and the club could go longer and cover one or more of those free-agent years.
As for other young players who might be in line for extensions, our own Mike Axisa recently explored that very matter.
