The 2023 MLB Winter Meetings may have took place this week, but Major League Baseball’s offseason still has a ton of intrigue to offer. While Juan Soto found a new home, having been shipped to the New York Yankees in a seven-player deal, Shohei Ohtani hasn’t yet made his decision and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s market is about to heat up. The rumor mill, then, should remain in full operation. Below, you can find all the latest news, notes, and rumors from Saturday.
Twins getting hits on Polanco, Kepler
Minnesota infielder Jorge Polanco and outfielder Max Kepler are both drawing interest from other teams, according to Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Neither player seems to be involved in an imminent trade.
Kepler is entering his walk year while Polanco could remain under team control through an additional season thanks to a club option. The Twins have an overbrimming depth chart; a desire to reduce payroll; and a need to add pitching. That combination makes both Polanco and Kepler appear more likely than not to move at some point between now and Opening Day, in our eyes.
Polanco has posted an above-average OPS+ in five of his last six seasons. Kepler, for his part, is coming off the second-best year of his career.
White Sox acquire Stassi
One day after acquiring Max Stassi from the Angels, the Braves flipped the veteran backstop to the White Sox. Chicago acquired Stassi and cash from Atlanta for a player to be named later, the team announced Saturday. Stassi is owed $7 million in 2024, plus a $500,000 buyout of his 2025 option.
Stassi, 32, did not play in 2023, first because of injury and then due to a medical issue with his family. The Braves picked up Stassi in a trade that also netted utility infielder David Fletcher. With the ChiSox, Stassi figures to back up rookie Korey Lee, and also serve as a veteran mentor. He’s a career .212/.295/.361 hitter.
Prospects to compete for Opening Day jobs
What do Jackson Holliday, Wyatt Langford, and Jackson Chourio all have in common? Well, they’re all top prospects. Oh, and they all will have the opportunity to make their teams’ Opening Day rosters, according to what their managers and general managers said this week.
