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There was actually a slew of news over the weekend thanks to some signings late on Friday and into Saturday. It could be a sign that with the season scheduled to start on time, perhaps owners are starting to feel a little more comfortable spending money because they believe there will be some fans in the stands. That has always seemed like the case with the lack of free agent signings. The losses from 2020 are done and over with, but if owners were not sure about the coming season, they’d be less likely to spend money as freely. If there have been signals from MLB that the greenlight on limited capacity stadiums will be given, maybe the owners will loosen the purse strings a little more.
Or not.
I don’t know.
On to the links.
Phillies news:
- You, of course, have already heard about the offer the team made to J.T. Realmuto. Here’s more on that story.
- Here are several ideas of players that could be added to the 2021 roster and make a big impact.
- Fangraphs talks about how the Phillies have identified one of the bigger issues with the team’s bullpen and has been addressing it this winter.
- All of the team’s arbitration eligible players are now under contract. Barring any surprise raises for pre-arb player, we can pretty much assume the team has ~$150 million in commitments for the season thus far.
MLB news:
- The Red Sox were able to bolster their rotation, adding Martin Perez on a one-year deal.
- MLB is being sued by one of the minor league teams that was left on the outside looking in. Shockingly enough, Rob Manfred comes off looking the worst as he allegedly sent a letter of condolence to an owner over the owner’s father’s death while simultaneously threatening him not to say anything regarding the MiLB contraction.
- Kurt Suzuki agreed to a deal with the Angels, eliminating yet another Realmuto suitor.
- Corey Kluber signed a deal with the Yankees that will give him $11 million for the season. Should he prove himself worthy, he’ll get a sizable upgrade next year.
- Friday saw a lot - A LOT - of players agree to salaries for 2021 without having to go through the arbitration process. Here is a table to help you search each one.
Rumor roundup:
- Kirby Yates looks like he is close to being the next reliever to sign as he’s close to getting a deal from several teams.