NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- For the dozens of sluggers available in free agency -- a glut only thickened by the high number of hitters who can be had in a trade -- the top and bottom of the market are now framed. Yoenis Cespedes got $110 million over four years, for an average salary of $27.5 million annually but far less, in total dollars, than a lot of players got in recent years. Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday have signed one-year deals, for $16 million and $13 million, respectively, as perhaps the most coveted free agents on one-year deals.
And the rest of the enormous mass of players will probably fall below them. The initial asking price for Edwin Encarnacion was said to be about $25 million a year over five years, and given that he’s one of the few free agents attached to draft-pick compensation, Encarnacion might do well if he comes close to the $80 million over four years offered by Toronto.
Think about the many unsigned slugger types who remain on the board: Mark Trumbo, Mike Napoli, Brandon Moss, Chris Carter, Jose Bautista, Pedro Alvarez, Billy Butler, Colby Rasmus, Mitch Moreland, Michael Saunders, Rickie Weeks, Jeff Francoeur, Adam Lind, Steve Pearce, Logan Morrison and Justin Morneau, in addition to Dexter Fowler, Ian Desmond, Angel Pagan, Rajai Davis, Coco Crisp, Carlos Gomez, Michael Bourn, James Loney and others.
And here are those available in trade: Andrew McCutchen, J.D. Martinez, Victor Martinez, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Michael Conforto and others.
According to one source: The Jays are have a deal with veteran Steve Pearce, who batted .288 with 13 homers last season and had an OPS over 1.000 versus lefties.
The Orioles would like to have Trumbo back. They are serious about trying to keep Trumbo, writes Roch Kubatko.
• Holliday had a dip in traditional stats last season with the Cardinals, batting .246 with a .322 on-base percentage. But as the Yankees’ analytics group dug into Holliday’s next-level numbers, they probably noted this: His batting average on balls in play plummeted by 82 points last year, suggesting that he was unlucky. His line-drive rate actually increased, and the ball came off the bat for him at one of the highest average velocities (the exit velocity) in MLB.
Holliday doesn’t have great numbers against lefties, but he does do damage, with a .500 slugging percentage last year, and could help a Yankees team that ranked 26th in slugging against lefties last season.
The Yankees are still focused on retooling by getting younger and developing their prospects. They want to give themselves a chance to contend in 2017 as young players are ingrained into their major league team. Holliday is a win-now signing, and the Yankees remain poised to bid on one of the two best closers in the market, Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen.
George King talked with scouts about what they see in Matt Holliday.
• The Marlins will make a strong push for Chapman, writes Joe Frisaro, and while they like Jansen -- who pitched for Don Mattingly when Mattingly managed the Dodgers -- they would prefer to keep their draft pick, No. 14 overall. Chapman is not attached to draft-pick compensation. Jansen would cost most teams a first-round pick.
• The Giants have reportedly targeted Mark Melancon.
• Some agents speculate that after a postseason in which relievers played an enormous role -- and at a time when so few good starting pitchers are available -- that even the second and third tiers of relievers will find good deals. But the very top guys probably have to come off the board before the likes of Brad Ziegler (who has drawn interest from 13 teams), Daniel Hudson, J.P. Howell and others start to move.
• The Phillies have agreed to terms with Joaquin Benoit.
• The Dodgers are shopping some of their surplus starting pitchers -– Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy -– in a market relatively thin in starters. But rival officials don’t expect the Dodgers to get much more for either than payroll relief.
From the market
1. The Rangers have been assessing the Reds’ asking price for Billy Hamilton.
2. The Mets began the meetings essentially working from a clean slate as they prepare to move one of their veteran outfielders, either Jay Bruce or Curtis Granderson. In the Mets’ perfect world, New York would swap one of the outfielders for bullpen help -– which may well be needed early in the season, when Jeurys Familia might face suspension for his recent domestic violence incident.
The Mets asked the Orioles for a high-end reliever in return for an outfielder, writes Adam Rubin. I’m guessing that would be Brad Brach.
3. As noted here in Sunday morning’s roundup, the Royals are listening to offers for their core players –- Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, etc.
4. As mentioned here early last week, the Braves have made it clear: Dansby Swanson will not be traded for Chris Sale, or in any other deal.
5. The Pirates are looking for starting pitching on short-term deals, and they are noted in the industry -– among agents and players -- for their ability to successfully take on reclamation projects. But the price has to be right, of course.
Pitching is a focus, writes Bill Brink.
Moves, deals and decisions
• The Braves signed Jacob Lindgren.
NL East
• The Nationals have options, writes Chelsea Janes.
NL Central
• Andrew McCutchen’s departure from the Pirates has always been inevitable, writes Travis Sawchik.
I wrote here last winter that the Pirates and McCutchen went into spring training in a very short, delicate time frame in which McCutchen would either agree to a team-friendly deal in which Pittsburgh extended itself, as well, for a legacy player -- or he would eventually be traded. That window passed, and the situation is now complicated by McCutchen’s decline in offense and defense last season.
• A longtime Cardinal has moved on, as Derrick Goold writes.
• The Cubs will stand pat with their lineup.
• The Cubs’ depth could lead to some deals.
NL West
• Mike Hazen is still confident in the Diamondbacks’ offense.
• The Dodgers are focused on maintaining what they’ve already built.
AL East
• This will be a telltale week for the Jays, writes Rob Longley.
• The Red Sox have holes to fill in their bullpen, writes Peter Abraham.
• Boston’s offseason plans should involve Chris Sale and Curtis Granderson, writes Jason Mastrodonato.
AL Central
• The Tigers are likely to pass on Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
• The Tigers could start their makeover at the winter meetings.
• Danny Duffy says he will pitch for Team USA.
• Brian Dozier is the Twins’ most valuable trade chip, writes La Velle Neal.
• The Twins have to be really inspired to move Dozier, writes Mike Berardino.
• The Indians are looking to improve at the winter meetings.
AL West
• The Rangers aren’t deep into any trade talks yet, writes Jeff Wilson.
• The labor agreement seems to encourage a $200 million approach for teams like the Mariners, writes Geoff Baker.
Lastly
• John Schuerholz was a unanimous selection for the Hall of Fame, while Bud Selig received 15 of a possible 16 votes. Schuerholz was almost speechless, as David O'Brien writes.
• Selig says he is thrilled.
• Amazingly, George Steinbrenner got only a few votes.
• Martin Fennelly wonders: Did the Rays cost Lou Piniella the Hall of Fame?
• The new CBA reduces meal money.
And today will be better than yesterday.