Anthony Rendon to the Angels
Move: Anthony Rendon signed to a 7 year, $245 million contract. Rendon hit .319 with 34 home runs and a league leading 126 RBIs. He was with the Nationals for all of his career until now.
Good/Bad: Good Move
Why: Rendon is a superstar. He led the league with 126 RBIs, and he had a .319 AVG! He adds a rare combo of power to average. Bryce Harper signed for $330 million, and he is a much, much worse player than Rendon. Great move!
Blake Treinen to Dodgers
Move: Blake Treinen signed with the Dodgers for 1 year, $10 million. Treinen went 6-5 last year with 16 saves in 57 games played. This is his third major league team.
Good/Bad Move: Bad
Why: Although Treinen seems to be a great player, he is not worth the money, especially when the Dodgers have a guy like Kenley Jansen. One can point out Treinen’s 2018 season, but likewise one can point out his 2019 one.
Tanner Roark to Blue Jays
Move: Tanner Roark agreed to a 2 year $24 million contract with the Blue Jays. He went 4-3 last year in 10 games with the A’s, and his career ERA is 3.71. 2016 was his peak, and in 2018 he had a league leading 15 losses. That is the only time he has ever led the league in something.
Good/Bad: Good
Why: He has shown flashes of talent, and I think that this could be a breakout year, a revenge year at the least. He was traded to the A’s midseason, and now he’s gone from there too. Who knows? He is a mystery box waiting to be opened.
Michael Wacha to Mets
Move: Michael Wacha agreed to a 1 year, $3 million guaranteed and up to $7 million contract. Wacha went 6-7 last year for the Cardinals. He has struggled for consistency ever since his 2015 17-7 year.
Good/Bad: Bad
Why: Wacha has shown flashes of dominance, especially in that 2015 season. He has fallen as of late, and I see no reason for that to change.
Didi Gregorius to Phillies
Move: Didi Gregorius signed with the Phillies for a 1 year, $14 million contract. Gregorius had played with the Yankees since 2015. He hit .238 with 16 home runs in 82 games last year.
Good/Bad: Bad
Why: He has always been an average hitter, and an average hitter isn’t worth that kind of money. No team should pay a man that much money after a .238 AVG season. And to top it off, he only had a .276 OBP.
Gerrit Cole to Yankees
Move: Gerrit Cole signed with the Yankees in a record-breaking 9 year, $324 million deal. Cole once played with the Pirates, where he was nicknamed Cole Pit by some, and he tore it up. He has everywhere he has went. In 2019 he went 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA.
Good/Bad: Good
Why: Look at the stats. Do I need to even get started? Here we go, league lead in strikeouts, ERA, FIP, and K/9. To top it all of, he went 20-5, an amazing record for any pitcher of all eras. Is he worth the money? Frankly, yes. Anyone with those stats is.
Stephen Strasburg resigns with Nationals
Move: Stephen Starsburg signed what was then a record 7 year, $245 million contract. He played with the Nationals for all of his life, and he led the NL with 18 wins last year. He also led the league in IP.
Good/Bad: Bad
Why: Before you insult me, hear me out. He only had a 3.32 ERA. While that may seem good, that is not worth $245 million! He had good batting, and he got lucky more than anyone in the league. Expect for that to change. Now one thing is I’m not saying that the Nats shouldn’t have resigned him, I’m just saying that he is overpriced.
Free agency is one chaotic time of year, and this offseason is set to be filled with even more fireworks. After last year’s disastrous offseason, this one is a strong rebound. Scott Boras is getting it done quick this year. Stay tuned for more updates.