The (virtual) winter meetings are in the books, but the offseason moves are just getting going.
Here are five things ESPN insider Jeff Passan is hearing about the trade and free-agent markets.
1. As the top of the market takes its sweet time developing, the interest in closer Liam Hendriks, far and away the best reliever available, is leading to an interesting array of teams ready to bid on his services, according to sources. The Chicago White Sox have been linked to Hendriks as his primary suitor, but a number of other teams in search of a closer -- or simply more bullpen help -- are prepared to pounce.
Among the teams that have pursued the 32-year-old: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. Hendriks has been the best closer in baseball by a healthy margin the past two seasons, and his desire for a four-year deal at a strong annual value is understandable, especially with the next-best options -- Blake Treinen, Alex Colome, Trevor Rosenthal and Brad Hand -- not the same caliber. The Dodgers would give Hendriks the best shot at a title. The Astros are hankering to add to a young bullpen. The Mets are everywhere because they can be. And Hendriks is familiar with the Blue Jays, having begun his stellar relief career with them in 2015. One team to keep an eye on: the Philadelphia Phillies, who, if given financial leeway with the hiring of new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, could see Hendriks as a panacea for some of their bullpen woes.
2. Toronto's pursuing Hendriks is no surprise. The Blue Jays, as one general manager snarked this week, "are in on everyone." George Springer? Check. DJ LeMahieu? Check. A potential Francisco Lindor trade? Check. It's easy to forget that as recently as three years ago, Toronto was carrying payrolls in the $160 million range. Currently, the Jays' 2021 commitments stand at less than $60 million. Their entire 40-man roster at the moment is about $75 million. Their future obligations are just as slim: Only Hyun-Jin Ryu, Randal Grichuk and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are owed money beyond this year, and each one's contract expires in 2023. The Blue Jays, with their solid, young core and playoff showing in 2020, could, with the right maneuvers, turn into an annual contender. The hardest part: getting players to buy in to the long-term plan. However, the Blue Jays and the teams they're going against in pursuit of the best players recognize that one thing hasn't changed: Even for a team that doesn't know where it's going to play in 2021, money almost always wins the day.
3. One name to keep an eye on in the coming days, sources say, is Marcus Semien, the shortstop who followed his third-place showing in the 2019 AL MVP race with an underwhelming 2020. Although the 30-year-old Semien is unlikely to command the kind of deal that will take him deep into his 30s, one executive said he appreciates Semien for his steadiness, versatility, makeup and, yes, price point. What he meant: Semien isn't going to cost nine figures like the shortstops in the mega-class of 2021-22. Some teams are already preparing for the shortstopalooza of next offseason, which, barring extensions, will feature Javier Baez, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager and Trevor Story -- five All-Stars, all of whom will hit free agency at 28 or younger. Among the teams that could find themselves in play: the Dodgers, Mets, Blue Jays, Phillies, Astros, Cubs, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers.
4. With Jorge Polanco under contract for three more years, the Minnesota Twins don't have to find themselves in the mix of the shortstop market. What chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine do so well, though, is recognize that even a good team can stand to get better -- and that especially applies here, as the already ascendant White Sox have traded for starter Lance Lynn and are focused on Hendriks. Two executives see the Twins as a team lurking and ready to strike with a big move, as they did last season, when they signed third baseman Josh Donaldson to a four-year deal. One mite of business that could demand attention sooner than later: DH Nelson Cruz, who would like to return to Minnesota but also knows that nobody in free agency offers similar production. Hampering Cruz's market, of course, is the uncertainty about the designated hitter. But while MLB has told teams to prepare for no DH in the National League, as Ken Rosenthal reported, a number of NL GMs are hoping the rule changes. They don't want pitchers hitting -- not after getting a taste of baseball in which they didn't. And if the players, executives and field personnel want something, well, that's the sort of thing that usually gets done, which, in this case, would open an entirely new market for Cruz and leave the Twins in a position of having to pay even more if they want him back.
5. With the market for Trevor Bauer still working itself out -- some teams believe he wants a long-term deal, others are talking with him about a shorter-term pact -- the second tier of starting pitching is starting to percolate. A handful of executives see 30-year-old Jake Odorizzi as the class of the remaining pitchers, with Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, Taijuan Walker and Corey Kluber alongside him. One sneaky name worth following: Tomoyuki Sugano, the 31-year-old right-hander who has spent eight spectacular seasons with the Yomiuri Giants. Sugano has won two Sawamura Awards -- the Japanese equivalent to the Cy Young -- and finished second this year, when he went 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA and a 131-to-25 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 137⅓ innings. Among the teams that have shown interest in Sugano: the Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers. As good as Sugano has been in Japan, one scout said that his competitiveness will translate even better in MLB and that his five-pitch mix has a chance to make him at least a No. 3 starter. His posting window closes Jan. 7, which means that if Sugano is to pitch in MLB in 2021, he'll need to sign before then.