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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-desperate-to-make-big-move-after-missing-out-on-juan-soto');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Blue Jays ‘desperate’ to make big move after missing out on Juan Soto');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Blue-Jays-desperate-to-make-big-move-after-missing-out-on-Juan-Soto.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Blue Jays ‘desperate’ to make big move after missing out on Juan Soto</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T06:39:05-08:00">December 20th, 6:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T06:39:05-08:00">December 20th, 6:39am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-concerning-juan-soto-free-agency-update">lost out on Juan Soto this offseason</a>. They threw their hats in the ring, just like they did with Shohei Ohtani, but fell short in 2024 as well. Now, they have to activate a Plan B but have not signed anyone in free agency yet. Vladimir Guerrero Jr needs an extension, as does Bo Bichette, but could either be a trade candidate. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal talks about that and how Alex Bregman <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6008454/2024/12/19/blue-jays-vladimir-guerrero-bo-bichette-yankees/" rel="noopener">fits into the Blue Jays’ plans</a>.</p><p>“The Jays are in talks with Guerrero about a long-term extension that would buy him out of his final year of arbitration and free agency. They are fielding interest in Bichette, who also is entering his walk year. And they are at least on the periphery of the Bregman sweepstakes, though other free agents, for now, appear better fits.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-vladimir-guerrero-jr-trade-deadline">Blue Jays did not trade Guerrero at the trade deadline</a> because they wanted to sign him to an extension. Now, they have an opportunity to lock up their franchise player. But it could cost them Bichette in a trade, which should bring a solid prospect haul back.</p><p>If Alex Bregman is not a fit for the Blue Jays, where could they go in free agency? And should they trade Bichette?</p><h2><b>What should the Blue Jays do this offseason? </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bo-Bichette-with-Toronto-Blue-Jays-1.jpg"><figcaption>Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Blue Jays should start their offseason by signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr to a massive extension. They have a franchise player and should not let him walk for any massive return. When they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-houston-lands-yusei-kikuchi-trade-deadline-deal-blue-jays">traded Yusei Kikuchi to the Astros</a>, they got what many consider to be a tremendous group of prospects. They can develop those players around Guerrero to build a contender.</p><p>But the long-term health of the franchise may not be at the top of the priority list for the decision-makers. Rosenthal outlines why the Blue Jays are so desperate to create a contender for 2025.</p><p>“The perception within the industry remains that the Jays are desperate to do something big. Club president Mark Shapiro is in the final year of his contract. General manager Ross Atkins has just two years left. And the team is coming off a season in which it finished last in the AL East and won only 74 games.”</p><p>The Blue Jays should not worry about that and sign Guerrero and Corbin Burnes. With a bona fide ace leading off their rotation, they will immediately be better than last year and can still develop young players while having a competitive 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Blue Jays ‘desperate’ to make big move after missing out on Juan Soto

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-will-blue-jays-trade-vladimir-guerrero-jr');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Will Blue Jays trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Will-Blue-Jays-trade-Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Will Blue Jays trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T11:28:05-08:00">December 19th, 11:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T12:36:25-08:00">December 19th, 12:36pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays lost out on Juan Soto this offseason. Just one year after falling short in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, they<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-gm-sounds-off-juan-soto-deals-impact-vladimir-guerrero-jr"> threw their hat in the Soto ring</a>. It did not work out, but there have not been any additions yet either. That leaves open the possibility that they will start a rebuild. ESPN’s Jeff Passan says the Blue Jays <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/43042910/mlb-offseason-2024-25-free-agency-trade-rumors-update-passan-arenado-bregman-burnes-alonso" rel="noopener">are not looking to trade</a> Vladimir Guerrero Jr. just yet.</p><p>“The biggest name missing from this list: Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Blue Jays entered this winter intending to spend, and while they won’t spread out the $700 million they were willing to give Soto on a group of lesser players, moving Guerrero is a last resort. If Toronto struggles and doesn’t foresee re-signing Guerrero, he’ll become the prize of the July deadline.”</p><p>Guerrero will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025 season. While they could get more for him now than at the deadline, they are going to try and re-sign him. The Blue Jays were well out of the playoff conversation despite a solid second half from Guerrero last year.</p><p>The Blue Jays need reinforcements to improve their team and convince Guerrero to stay there. Who can they pick up in free agency?</p><h2><b>Blue Jays’ best free agency targets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Vladimir-Guerrero-jr-with-Toronto-Blue-Jays-1.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While they did not land Ohtani or Soto, the Blue Jays are willing to spend in free agency. That means they should target Corbin Burnes this winter to top their rotation. After a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-corbin-burnes-projected-245-million-contract">great season with the Baltimore Orioles, Burnes is available</a> and will command a massive payday. With money to spend, solidifying their rotation is a great place to start.</p><p>Burnes had great success pitching in the American League East last season. He is well worth the investment, especially after the Blue Jays traded Yusei Kikuchi for a solid pack of prospects. The rotation could use a new ace and Burnes fits perfectly. If they are looking for a lower-cost option, Jack Flaherty and Sean Manaea are also available.</p><p>The Blue Jays need a stronger lineup to take some of the pressure off of Guerrero and Bo Bichette, who is also a pending free agent. While he has had a strong career, Bichette had a brutal 2024 season. A home-run-hitter in the middle of the lineup would be huge and that could be Anthony Santander. Pete Alonso is not an option because Guerrero is at first and Teoscar Hernandez was already a Blue Jay.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Will Blue Jays trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blue-jays-pitcher-kevin-gausman-hilariously-roasts-rob-manfred');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman hilariously roasts Rob Manfred');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kevin-Gausman-hilariously-roasts-Rob-Manfred.jpg"></figure><h1>Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman hilariously roasts Rob Manfred</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T13:35:21-08:00">December 17th, 1:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-17T13:35:21-08:00">December 17th, 1:35pm</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred shot down the idea of a minimum innings requirement for starting pitchers, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-kevin-gausman-pulls-back-the-curtain-on-2024-struggles">Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman</a> isn’t buying it.</p><p>Manfred <a href="https://x.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1868813861689913559" rel="noopener">appeared on Foul Territory</a> on Monday where he called an innings requirement “too blunt an instrument to fix this problem.” The problem, he explains, is that starting pitchers are needed to market the game, but at the same time, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-mlbpa-blasts-rob-manfred-over-pitcher-injuries">too many are getting hurt</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rob Manfred acknowledged that MLB needs to improve its marketing of the game through the starting pitcher.</p><p>As for a minimum innings rule: “It’s just too blunt an instrument to fix this problem.”</p><p>(Via: <a href="https://twitter.com/Q4C_org?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Q4C_ORG</a>) <a href="https://t.co/gLvTyavNOu">pic.twitter.com/gLvTyavNOu</a></p><p>— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1868813861689913559?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Our physicians have studied this carefully,” he said. “They continue to believe that the focus on velocity and spin rate is a significant cause of the increase in injuries. And marketing the game, just think about the broadcast. The face that you see the most in a broadcast is the starting pitcher and the matchups of great starting pitchers historically have been important in terms of the marketing of the game. I do think we do need to get back to that.”</p><p>Gausman, who just finished his third season with the Blue Jays, <a href="https://x.com/KevinGausman/status/1869072616973291997" rel="noopener">weighed in</a> on Tuesday afternoon, urging fans to take Manfred’s comments with a grain of salt.</p><p>“Don’t believe a word this man says,” he wrote via X. “Get ready for 6 innings you get to keep the DH, if not a fan hits in their spot.”</p><p>While Gausman was obviously exaggerating, he’s not the only player who has been peeved by the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rob-manfreds-idiotic-golden-at-bat-rule-will-ruin-mlb-forever">rash of rule changes</a> MLB has introduced under Manfred. The last few years alone have brought the universal DH, pitch clocks, wider bases, mound visits remaining and more.</p><h2><b>Rob Manfred wants to incentivize teams to develop starting pitchers who go deeper into games</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rob-Manfred_b254f7.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Manfred doesn’t support requiring starters to pitch a certain number of innings, he still thinks there are rule changes that can address the problem.</p><p>“To me, this needs to be addressed in a more subtle way,” he continued. “I think maybe through rules surrounding transactions. That is, how often can pitchers come on and off the roster? One of the things that happens today: A guy pitches three days in a row, gets outrighted. They bring somebody else in to get him some rest as opposed to him staying on the roster the whole time… I think it has to be a series of rules that create an incentive for the clubs to develop pitchers of a certain type.”</p><p>Rules like the one Manfred outlined would give managers fewer bullpen options and hopefully encourage them to ride their starters longer. That, in turn, could make teams focus more of their development on stamina so that 90-100 pitches isn’t the de facto limit it has come to be.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman hilariously roasts Rob Manfred

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-corbin-burnes-projected-245-million-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Corbin Burnes projected to get $245 million contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Giants-Blue-Jays-leading-the-pack-for-Corbin-Burnes-in-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Corbin Burnes projected to get $245 million contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T08:49:39-08:00">December 17th, 8:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-17T08:50:07-08:00">December 17th, 8:50am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Orioles</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The biggest player on the open market has already signed, with Juan Soto joining the New York Mets last week. However, there are still several prized free agents available and among them is former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.</p><p>Burnes, who spent last season with the Baltimore Orioles, is one of the better starters in the game and remains on the radar of the Toronto Blue Jays and the San Francisco Giants. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-max-fried-ny-agree-8-year-218-million-deal-free-agency">While Max Fried recently signed a $218 million deal with the New York Yankees</a>, Burnes is expected to surpass that and<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/corbin-burnes-cody-bellinger-alex-bregman-and-more-rumors?partnerID=mlbapp-iOS_article-share" rel="noopener"> fetch a contract</a> in the ballpark of $245 million.</p><p>Via Mark Feinsand of MLB.com:</p><p>“The Giants made a big splash last week with the signing of Willy Adames, but San Francisco is still looking to replace Blake Snell, who signed with the division-rival Dodgers. Burnes – a Southern California native who played his college ball in the Bay Area – would be an ideal fit, though after Max Fried landed a $218 million deal from the Yankees, Burnes is now expected to exceed that guaranteed total, with some projecting a deal worth more than $245 million.”</p><p>The Jays could be a good fit for Corbin Burnes but their rotation is already quite loaded. As Feinsand mentioned, however, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ranking-giants-best-options-to-replace-blake-snell-as-ace">the Giants need to find an immediate replacement for Snell</a>, who is now an LA Dodger. Burnes could be a good fit.</p><p>In 2024, the righty posted a 15-9 record and 2.92 ERA, making the All-Star Game for the fourth year in a row. It was his first season in the American League but Burnes showed no problems adjusting. The Boston Red Sox and even the Orioles are expected to be in the mix for Burnes, who will be paid handsomely, no matter where he ends up.</p><p>With a career 3.19 ERA and 60-36 record, Burnes will surely be a stud with his next ball club.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Corbin Burnes projected to get $245 million contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-giants-blue-jays-leading-pack-corbin-burnes-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Giants, Blue Jays leading the pack for Corbin Burnes in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-Giants-Blue-Jays-leading-the-pack-for-Corbin-Burnes-in-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Giants, Blue Jays leading the pack for Corbin Burnes in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T07:25:52-08:00">December 12th, 7:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T08:38:18-08:00">December 12th, 8:38am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Orioles</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After Max Fried’s signing with the New York Yankees, Corbin Burnes is the undisputed top pitcher on the MLB free agency market, which very well may create a bidding war. And the Toronto Blue Jays and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-giants-emerge-as-front-runners-for-corbin-burnes">San Francisco Giants are reportedly willing</a> to pay a hefty price to sign Burnes.</p><p>But while Toronto and San Francisco are in on the chase for Burnes, they’re going to have some stiff competition.</p><p>“The Giants and Blue Jays are among a half-dozen teams showing significant interest in star right-hander Corbin Burnes, and new Giants baseball president Buster Posey met late Tuesday with Burnes’ agent, Scott Boras,” <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/11/sports/giants-and-blue-jays-making-strong-push-for-corbin-burnes/" rel="noopener">according to the</a> New York Post’s Jon Heyman. “Both these teams put in outstanding efforts to sign big-time players, and while both have experienced some struggles in that area, it’s possible the Giants could hold an allure for Burnes, a California native who’s spent his career in Milwaukee and Baltimore.</p><p>“The Jays, at many times the dollar leader in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, also are in the mix.”</p><p>Heyman also wrote <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-orioles-eyeing-dylan-cease-trade-with-corbin-burnes-reunion-looking-unlikely">that the Baltimore Orioles</a>, to whom Burnes was traded to by the Milwaukee Brewers before the 2024 season, are also interested in bringing back Burnes. In his lone season with Baltimore, Burnes earned All-Star and All-MLB First Team honors after a year in which he posted a 2.92 ERA, 181 strikeouts, 3.55 FIP, and 1.096 WHIP.</p><p>The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, both of whom were reportedly interested in Burnes <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-giants-emerge-major-threat-sign-max-fried">and Fried</a>, “presumably” have “diminished” interest in Burnes now, according to Heyman. After missing out on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, New York managed to sign Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal, while Boston executed a trade with the Chicago White Sox to acquire Garrett Crochet in exchange for several top prospects.</p><h2><b>Corbin Burnes signing would be huge coup for Giants, Blue Jays</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/11-07-24-orioles-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the Giants were reportedly expected to take a step back in terms of spending this offseason, they already landed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-giants-182-million-willy-adames-contract">Willy Adames with a $182 million deal</a>. Not nabbing Burnes for Toronto, though, would feel like another big loss.</p><p>Toronto was among the top teams in pursuing Shohei Ohtani a year ago but swung and missed on the two-way superstar, with matters being made worse by a flight-tracking saga that got Jays fans’ hopes up. The Blue Jays, as Heyman mentioned, were also bidding to sign Soto this offseason. But they again were denied a superstar; Soto eventually agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.</p><p>Last season, Jose Berrios (3.60 ERA, 2.2 WAR) and Bowden Francis (3.30 ERA, 1.6 WAR) anchored Toronto’s starting rotation, while the Giants heavily relied on Logan Webb (3.47 ERA, 3.7 WAR) and Blake Snell (3.12 ERA, 2.1 WAR), the latter of whom signed this offseason with the Los Angeles Dodgers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Giants, Blue Jays leading the pack for Corbin Burnes in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-guardians-traded-andres-gimenez-blue-jays');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Why Guardians shockingly traded Andres Gimenez to Blue Jays');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-11-24-gimenez-featured.jpeg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Why Guardians shockingly traded Andres Gimenez to Blue Jays</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-11T20:53:36-08:00">December 11th, 8:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-11T20:53:36-08:00">December 11th, 8:53pm</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In one of the most surprising moves of the offseason so far, the Cleveland Guardians <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-finalizing-andres-gimenez-trade-with-guardians">traded three-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman Andres Gimenez</a> to the Toronto Blue Jays. After the trade was reported, many were asking why the Guardians, who had just made the ALCS, decided to move one of their best players.</p><p>The reasons why the Guardians felt like they had to trade Gimenez <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5988459/2024/12/11/mlb-winter-meetings-notes-garrett-crochet-trade-red-sox/" rel="noopener">were revealed</a> by MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on Wednesday.</p><p>“The Guardians, according to sources briefed on their thinking, feared a third straight subpar offensive season by Giménez would leave them unable to trade him,” Rosenthal wrote. “Facing their usual payroll limitations, they badly wanted to avoid the downside risk.”</p><p>“Club officials are confident Juan Brito, the Guardians’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, can handle second short-term,” Rosenthal continued. “And the path is now clear for Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, to take over the position, perhaps even later this season.”</p><h2><b>Did the Cleveland Guardians make the right decision trading Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12-11-24-gimenez-image.jpeg"><figcaption>© David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>According to Rosenthal, the Guardians felt like they could not risk Gimenez’ offensive production to continue to decline. After signing a seven-year, $106.5 million contract after a career-year in 2022 in which he was named an All-Star and finished sixth in American League MVP voting while hitting .297 with 17 home runs, Gimenez has not lived up to that deal, at least on the offensive end.</p><p>Gimenez’ batting average dropped from .297 in 2022 to .251 in 2023 and .252 in 2024. His slugging percentage dropped from .466 in 2022 to .399 in 2023 to .340 in 2024. Perhaps the biggest concern for the Guardians, his home run totals dropped from 17 in 2024 to 15 in 2023 to just nine in 2024.</p><p>For a small market team like the Guardians, they can not afford to ave a player signed to an expensive, long-term contract not performing. Based on that logic, his steady offensive decline and their organizational depth at second base, it made sense why the Guardians decided to move Gimenez despite being in a competitive window.</p><p>Especially with all of the pitching they were able to get in after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-pittsburgh-spencer-horwitz-guardians-trade">flipping Spencer Horwitz, who they acquired from the Blue Jays</a> for Gimenez, to the Pirates, it seems like the Guardians were able to improve in the trade.</p><p>The biggest question now will be if Juan Brito and Travis Bazzana, who Rosenthal mentioned as the Guardians next options at second base, will be able to meet their lofty expectations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Why Guardians shockingly traded Andres Gimenez to Blue Jays

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-giants-emerge-as-front-runners-for-corbin-burnes');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Blue Jays, Giants emerge as ‘front-runners’ for Corbin Burnes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blue-Jays-Giants-emerge-as-front-runners-for-Corbin-Burnes.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Blue Jays, Giants emerge as ‘front-runners’ for Corbin Burnes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T21:14:14-08:00">December 10th, 9:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T21:14:14-08:00">December 10th, 9:14pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A few of the top free-agent starting pitchers are already off the market, with lefties Blake Snell and Max Fried signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, respectively, on deals that amount to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-max-fried-ny-agree-8-year-218-million-deal-free-agency">total of $390 million</a>. These deals should put a huge smile on Corbin Burnes’ face, as not only is he the undisputed best available starter on the market, he is also going to command an even heftier sum considering his durability, consistency, and his age (he is younger than both Snell and Fried).</p><p>To that end, two teams have emerged as the favorite to get Burnes’ signature on the dotted line. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/max-fried-signing-with-yankees-analysis" rel="noopener">are the “front-runners”</a> for the 30-year-old starting pitcher, with the two ballclubs preparing to offer a huge contract that could be worth as much as $240 million.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-giants-shohei-ohtani-dodgers-blue-jays-interest">Blue Jays and Giants</a> have been among the most willing spenders over the past few offseasons, with both teams being prominent suitors for Shohei Ohtani last year. And with these two teams desperately needing a major talent infusion to fuel their playoff hopes after finishing below .500 and missing the postseason in 2024, being atop the Burnes sweepstakes queue makes total sense.</p><p>If anything, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-finalizing-andres-gimenez-trade-with-guardians">Blue Jays may have more financial wiggle room</a> considering that they’ve been whiffing on their major targets in recent seasons. The Giants, meanwhile, recently signed Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million contract to be their new franchise shortstop, a significant commitment that could affect the money they have for other free-agent pursuits. But if they were one of the most serious contenders for Ohtani last year, then it might not be the best idea to question their financial capabilities.</p><h2><b>Blue Jays and Giants duke it out for Corbin Burnes’ signature</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Corbin-Burnes.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There may be some concerns surrounding Corbin Burnes and his viability as an ace for the long-term. His strikeout rate has been declining since 2021, although the good news is that he’s inducing more ground balls and allowing less hard contact, helping make up for the apparent decline in his stuff.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-monster-offer-expected-corbin-burnes-al-east-bidding-war-heats-up">Burnes’ best asset as an ace</a> is his ability to be a workhorse; he has pitched 590 innings over the past three seasons, starting in 97 games since 2022. For the Blue Jays and Giants, two teams that experienced significant injury problems last year, that durability will come in handy. It will boil down to which team is willing to throw the most amount of money to the 30-year-old righty.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Blue Jays, Giants emerge as ‘front-runners’ for Corbin Burnes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pirates-news-pittsburgh-spencer-horwitz-guardians-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates acquire Spencer Horwitz from Guardians via intriguing trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pirates-news-Pittsburgh-acquires-Spencer-Horwitz-from-Guardians-via-intriguing-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates acquire Spencer Horwitz from Guardians via intriguing trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T21:02:39-08:00">December 10th, 9:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T21:02:39-08:00">December 10th, 9:02pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The MLB winter meetings are underway and the transaction line has been buzzing all week long. Much of the focus has been on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-steve-cohen-admits-defeated-feeling-stunning-juan-soto-decision">Juan Soto’s record-setting contract with the New York Mets</a>, but teams all around the league have been negotiating and making deals in an attempt to improve their roster heading into 2025.</p><p>The Pittsburgh Pirates joined the list late on Tuesday night when they acquired infielder Spencer Horwitz from the Cleveland Guardians <a href="https://x.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1866689628507427177" rel="noopener">in a trade</a>, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Horwitz had just been dealt to the Guardians from the Blue Jays in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-finalizing-andres-gimenez-trade-with-guardians">deal that included Andres Giménez</a>.</p><p>“Guardians finalizing trade of 1B/2B Spencer Horwitz to the Pirates, source tells @TheAthletic,” Rosenthal reported on X, formerly Twitter. “Horwitz is part of Guardians’ return from the Blue Jays for Andres Giménez and Nick Sandlin.”</p><p>In return, the Pirates are sending prospect Josh Hartle to Cleveland <a href="https://x.com/Feinsand/status/1866690475970764815" rel="noopener">along with pitchers</a> Luis Ortiz and Michael Kennedy, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB Media.</p><p>Horwitz can play both first and second base and has been a versatile chess piece for the Blue Jays over his first two seasons in the league. He adds a young piece that can play multiple positions to an improving Pirates team that will give him an opportunity to play and get better as opposed to a talented Guardians squad that likely would have see him used as a bench bat.</p><p>In 2024, Horwitz appeared in 97 games for the Blue Jays. He hit .264 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs with 31 total extra base hits. His OPS+ of 125 shows that he is a promising, above-average hitter that still has room to grow and will get the opportunity to do so with the Pirates in 2025 and beyond.</p><p>Horwitz also made just two errors in 112 chances while playing both first and second base, so he is a solid defender out in the field.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates acquire Spencer Horwitz from Guardians via intriguing trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-gleyber-torres-radar-angels-blue-jays-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Gleyber Torres on radar of Angels, Blue Jays in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MLB-rumors-gleyber-Torres-on-radar-of-Angels-Blue-Jays-in-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Gleyber Torres on radar of Angels, Blue Jays in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T15:23:04-08:00">December 10th, 3:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T16:02:27-08:00">December 10th, 4:02pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Angels</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Less than two months ago, Gleyber Torres was leading off for the New York Yankees in the World Series. Now, they have publicly said they are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-brian-cashman-gleyber-torres-reunion-latest-comments">moving on from Torres in free agency</a>. So the second baseman is at the Winter Meetings looking for a new home. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that the Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays<a href="https://x.com/jonmorosi/status/1866598676648563023" rel="noopener"> are in on</a> Gleyber Torres.</p><p>“Free agent Gleyber Torres is drawing interest from the Angels and Blue Jays, among other teams,” Morosi posted.</p><p>Torres has had great seasons at the plate, but 2024 was not one of them. Through July 31, he had a .231 batting average with a .663 OPS. He turned it on late in the season and thrived in the leadoff role, saving his season totals. But he was a poor infielder for his entire run in The Bronx, which will tank his free-agency value.</p><p>The Angels have already made a few additions this offseason and could have a solid lineup if they bring in Torres. Their window was tanked by a massive contract that Anthony Rendon never lived up to. Torres won’t command that type of money, which makes him a great fit for Los Angeles.</p><p>The Blue Jays have a full infield but could be making trades. If Torres lands with Toronto, they could be blowing up their core.</p><h2><b>Gleyber Torres landing spots besides Blue Jays, Angels</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Gleyber-Torres-with-NY-Yankees.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Mets have already signed two former Yankees this offseason. They may make former closer Clay Holmes a starter, but you may have missed their signing of Juan Soto. With Soto’s ridiculous $51 million cap hit on the books, they might be looking to save some money elsewhere. Torres could be a good replacement if they do not re-sign Jose Iglesias.</p><p>The Cleveland Guardians are a great defensive team who just traded Andres Gimenez to the Blue Jays. If the Guardians wanted to add Gleyber Torres to their infield, they could do so in their price range. However, the team is built on defense, and Torres does not fit that mold. But if they trust their coaching, he could be a valuable addition.</p><p>The final potential landing spot is the Cincinnati Reds, who just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-reds-royals-swing-brady-singer-jonathan-india-trade">traded Jonathan India to the Kansas City Royals</a>. They made that trade because their prospect pool is full of great infielders. But Torres could be a solid injury insurance piece or slot-in if someone is not ready for the MLB team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Gleyber Torres on radar of Angels, Blue Jays in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blue-jays-news-finalizing-andres-gimenez-trade-with-guardians');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays swing Andres Gimenez trade with Guardians');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blue-Jays-news-Toronto-finalizing-Andres-Gimenez-trade-with-Guardians.jpg"></figure><h1>Blue Jays swing Andres Gimenez trade with Guardians</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T15:16:02-08:00">December 10th, 3:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T22:05:03-08:00">December 10th, 10:05pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays have had enough. After seeing both Juan Soto and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-max-fried-ny-agree-8-year-218-million-deal-free-agency">Max Fried choose New York</a> over The Six, general manager Ross Atkins is <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1866619855308460138" rel="noopener">completing a trade</a> with the Cleveland Guardians for Gold Glove second baseman Andres Gimenez, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.</p><p>Right-handed relief pitcher Nick Sandlin (3.75 ERA in 68 appearances in 2024) is accompanying him to the Great White North, and fellow former second-round draft pick Spencer Horwitz, who tallied 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 97 games last season, <a href="https://x.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1866629614887432690" rel="noopener">was sent</a> to the Guardians in exchange, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Cleveland <a href="https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1866690475970764815" rel="noopener">then flipped</a> Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates for righty Luis Ortiz and pitching prospects Michael Kennedy (ranked No. 15 in organization) and Josh Hartle (No. 17), per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.</p><p>This is an important offseason for the Jays, and they are finally ready to make a move. While Gimenez will not evoke the kind of excitement that the aforementioned All-Stars do, he can bring crucial stability to the diamond. The 26-year-old earned an invitation to the Midsummer Classic himself in 2022 after posting a .297 batting average and 17 home runs. His offense has precipitously declined over the last two years, but Toronto could benefit from his durability and defensive consistency.</p><h2><b>Blue Jays are banking on Gimenez’s glove and upside</b></h2><p>Blue Jays fans are starving for a high-profile free agent or trade acquisition, and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-4-best-juan-soto-backup-plans">inability to lure away Soto</a> or Fried from the New York Mets and Yankees, respectively, will make it harder to appreciate Gimenez’s arrival. Once the pain of rejection wears off, though, (yet again) the city should acknowledge the value he brings to the team.</p><p>Although Toronto rated as one of the best defensive clubs in baseball during 2024, John Schneider should welcome the Venezuela native’s elite fielding skills. He has been crowned the best at his position in the AL in each of the last three seasons and even claimed a prestigious Platinum Glove in 2023. Beyond his defense, Andres Gimenez is also a baserunning threat who has recorded 30 stolen bases in consecutive campaigns. He just needs to tweak his hitting approach a bit.</p><p>Gimenez is unlikely to re-establish himself as an .837 OPS guy, but if he can boost last year’s .252 batting average and nine homers, this trade has the potential to be a windfall for the Blue Jays. Nick Sandlin is also an intriguing addition to a bullpen that just produced the second-highest ERA in MLB. Bitterness is still abound in Toronto, but Ross Atkins might have just upgraded the roster. That is at least a start.</p><p>Guardians fans have reason to feel optimistic about the haul their team is bringing back as well, though.</p><h2><b>Cleveland is looking for a spark in its offense</b></h2><p>Although the American League Central Champions’ biggest question mark remains their pitching rotation, even with<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-shane-bieber-cleveland-mlb-free-agency-reunion"> Shane Bieber returning</a>, the lineup can use another productive bat. President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti appeared to be thinking along those lines when he traded for first baseman and second baseman Spencer Horwitz, but focus quickly shifted back to pitching.</p><p>The 27-year-old out of Radford, Virginia should be given a solid opportunity to carve out a meaningful role for himself with the Pirates, while the Guardians look to a triumvirate of hurlers to potentially solidify their future depth. Josh Hartle and Michael Kennedy, third and fourth-round draft picks, respectively, are each still in the early stages of their minor league progression. Luis Ortiz comes aboard with almost 240 innings of big league experience, however. He had a 3.32 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 37 games.</p><p>More pitching could address some of the issues that plagued Cleveland in the AL Championship Series. The staff was running on fumes by the time the Guardians were sent packing, so maybe this latest trade can provide reinforcements in both the short-term and long-term.</p><p>Still, saying goodbye to a human Hoover like Andres Gimenez is never easy. Both Cleveland and Toronto have more work to do this offseason before feeling content.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays swing Andres Gimenez trade with Guardians

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-rumors-ex-twins-infielder-meets-astros-blue-jays-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Ex-Twins infielder meets with Astros, Blue Jays in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ex-Twins-infielder-meets-with-Astros-Blue-Jays-in-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Ex-Twins infielder meets with Astros, Blue Jays in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T14:16:25-08:00">December 10th, 2:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T15:19:55-08:00">December 10th, 3:19pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The big MLB hot stove news has dropped, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-carlos-mendoza-sends-message-after-new-york-land-juan-soto">Juan Soto is officially a New York Met</a>. But there are plenty of moves still to go that could impact the next World Series champion. One of those players is Jorge Polanco, who has met with the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays. Jon Heyman of the New York Post <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1866593902121099669" rel="noopener">reported the latest</a> on the depth infielder on Tuesday.</p><p>“Jorge Polanco came to the Winter Meetings and met with at least the Astros and Jays,” Heyman reported. “He’s working out in Dallas and completely healthy for the first time in a few years.”</p><p>Polanco spent the 2023 season with the Seattle Mariners. In his only year with the team, he posted the lowest batting average of his career, which is not surprising considering the park. The Mariners play in one of the hardest parks to hit in, a title the Astros and Blue Jays do not claim.</p><p>The utility infielder is not <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/jorge-polanco-593871?stats=statcast-r-fielding-mlb" rel="noopener">a great defender</a>, according to Baseball Savant. He has only posted a positive outs above average in one season, which was in the 60-game 2020 campaign. He is a solid hitter, speedy on the bases, and could be a great addition to the Astros or Blue Jays.</p><h2><b>Jorge Polanco landing spots besides Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Jorge-Polanco.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>These should not be the only teams involved in the Polanco sweepstakes. The New York Yankees are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-brian-cashman-gleyber-torres-reunion-latest-comments">losing Gleyber Torres to free agency</a> and could plug Polanco in there. While he will be inexpensive, something the Bombers will likely look for, they need better defensive players. If they bring Polanco in, expect many fans to scratch their heads looking for better defenders.</p><p>The Astros are in on Polanco because Alex Bregman is a free agent. If he leaves Houston, that’s the scenario where they would grab Polanco. If he stays, that means the Phillies might throw their hat in the Polanco ring. They could be making a trade to break apart their infield, and Polanco can play second or third. If that trade comes to be, he could be a good stopgap option.</p><p>Of course, you have to mention the Dodgers with every available free agent. If they want a player, they are willing to spend to get him. Polanco won’t be expensive and could contend for their second base role. Gavin Lux is in the building, and if Polanco wants a starting job, the Dodgers won’t be a great fit.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Ex-Twins infielder meets with Astros, Blue Jays in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blue-jays-news-toronto-reunites-key-reliever-2-year-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays reunite with key reliever on 2-year deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/blue-jays-news-toronto-reuinites-with-key-reliever-on-2-year-deal.jpeg"></figure><h1>Blue Jays reunite with key reliever on 2-year deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T14:07:01-08:00">December 10th, 2:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T14:07:01-08:00">December 10th, 2:07pm</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Five months after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mariners-news-seattle-reliever-blue-jays-randy-arozarena-trade">Toronto Blue Jays traded reliever Yimi Garcia</a> at the trade deadline, the two parties have reunited.</p><p>Toronto signed the 34-year-old Garcia to a <a href="https://x.com/AriA1exander/status/1866582128273535166" rel="noopener">two-year contract</a> worth $15 million on Tuesday, according to KPRC2 reporter Ari Alexander.</p><p>The deal represents a salary bump for Garcia, who initially signed with the club in 2022 for two years with $11 million guaranteed and a team/vesting option for a third year.</p><p>The Blue Jays traded Garcia to the Seattle Mariners in July in a deal that landed them prospects Jonatan Clase and Jacob Sharp.</p><p>In two-plus seasons the first time around with Toronto, the veteran righty was a productive member of the team’s bullpen. In 163 appearances, he compiled a 3.44 ERA with 179 strikeouts over 157 innings. He even became the Blue Jays’ closer briefly as the team struggled to find consistency from its high-leverage relievers.</p><p>Conversely, Garcia struggled down the stretch for the Mariners, earning an ERA of 6.00 over only nine innings pitched. He went on the injured list with right elbow inflammation in August and did not pitch again in 2024 as the Mariners missed the postseason.</p><p>With Chad Green likely to return to the Blue Jays’ closer role in 2025, Garcia could function as his setup man <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-news-wretched-bullpen-suffers-another-hit-with-latest-injury-update">if he can stay healthy</a>.</p><p>Signing Garcia is also a step forward in helping the Blue Jays improve their bullpen overall. Toronto relievers pitched to a 4.82 ERA in 2024, worst in the American League and better than only the Colorado Rockies.</p><p>Outside of the bullpen, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blue-jays-4-best-juan-soto-backup-plans">Blue Jays were major players in the Juan Soto sweepstakes</a> and, after missing on him, could look at a front-end starting pitcher like Corbin Burnes or Max Fried next.</p><p>The Blue Jays entered last season with high expectations but vastly underachieved, finishing 74-88. There’s pressure on the club to win now with franchise stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette headed for free agency next winter.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays reunite with key reliever on 2-year deal

Nathan
Lukes

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2024 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.450	0	6	1.1	2

2024 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.450	0	6	1.1	2

Nathan Lukes

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• Blue Jays reunite with key reliever on 2-year deal

Nathan
Lukes