QUINIX Sport News: MLB free agency: Corbin Burnes agrees to massive deal with Diamondbacks, Teoscar Hernández rejoining the Dodgers

This huge commitment to Burnes also represents an anticipatory move of sorts, with both Gallen and Kelly slated to hit free agency next winter. The D-backs have some decent pitching depth in the upper levels of their farm system, but nothing resembling a future ace who could step in if/when Gallen and Kelly depart. Burnes now fills that potential void in a big way — at least for 2026 (don’t forget the opt-out!).

After an awfully quiet first month of the offseason, Arizona has burst onto the scene over the past few weeks with two aggressive moves to reassert their relevance in the National League hierarchy, first acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from Cleveland to replace Christian Walker and now this gigantic agreement with one of the best starting pitchers on the market. With key offensive contributors Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk no longer in tow, some questions remain about the depth of the lineup, and the bullpen — a clear weakness — has holes as well.

But Burnes was one of the few players left on the market who can meaningfully raise the floor and ceiling of a roster, even if he doesn’t appear to address an obvious need in Arizona. This is a huge win for the D-backs as they look to keep their contention window open and a huge blow to the runners-up for Burnes’ services — San Francisco and Toronto — who again came up short in their pursuit of a superstar.

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While the six-year, $210 deal for Corbin Burnes makes sense from a commute perspective, it’s a surprise from Arizona.

A year after reaching their first World Series since 2001, the 89-win D-backs narrowly missed out on the playoffs in 2024 and remain mired in the NL West, arguably the most competitive division in baseball. The team is still set up to win, though, so it spent big for a new weapon after similarly big moves by the Los Angeles Dodgers (signing Blake Snell, re-signing Teoscar Hernández) and Giants (signing Willy Adames), with the San Diego Padres also lurking.

However, the rotation already appeared to be a strength for the D-backs, at least relatively, given their high number of position-player free agents and a bullpen that ranked 25th in ERA last season. Even so, they decided to spend big to add another headliner alongside Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt. Jordan Montgomery is also still under contract after a disastrous 2024 — so bad D-backs owner Ken Kendrick called the contract a “horrible decision” — but he is now a clear trade candidate if a team wants to try buying low.

It’s also encouraging that the D-backs are spending despite being one of the teams to have their RSN implode with the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy. Local cable revenue is a foundational component of the finances for teams such as Arizona, but the D-backs are still going for it.

Beating the Giants’ bid for Burnes is noteworthy, considering how competitive some teams in the NL West have been in free agency. Arizona did benefit from a more favorable income tax situation compared to Burnes’ more significant suitors, though.

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Before contemplating Torres’ fit on Detroit’s roster, let’s first consider the contract: one year, $15 million. At first glance, this seems awfully low for a player of Torres’ track record and especially at his age, even if the sense in the industry was that the market could be on the cold side for the second baseman following his unremarkable final season with the Yankees. But Tigers GM Scott Harris acknowledged Friday that Torres had larger offers available and instead chose the one-year pact with Detroit in hopes of reestablishing his value and hitting free agency again next winter. If Torres benefits from the change of scenery after seven years in New York and shows meaningful strides on both sides of the ball, he should be in position to secure a more significant multi-year deal a year from now, when he’ll still be one of the younger free agents available at 29.

Harris also shed some light on the likely infield alignment after initial reports of Torres’ signing sparked questions about what the move means for the bevy of young infielders already on Detroit’s roster. Harris said Torres will be Detroit’s every-day second basemen, with Colt Keith — who signed a six-year extension before he made his MLB debut in 2024 — sliding to first base after spending the bulk of his rookie season at second. That would seemingly indicate a diminished role for former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson, but Harris said there are at-bats available if he’s producing.

In Harris’ view, adding Torres makes the Tigers a better ballclub right now and will spark healthy competition for playing time elsewhere in the infield — a common dynamic for good teams. If that means making it more difficult to give playing time to the likes of Torkelson, Justyn-Henry Malloy or Jace Jung, so be it. On a team that considers itself a playoff contender, as Detroit does after its surprise run to the postseason in 2024, these players need to earn their playing time.

On a related note, the other big question that looms over Detroit’s offseason is whether they remain in play for free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. Bregman would obviously represent a substantial upgrade over any of Detroit’s internal options at third, and his experience having played under manager AJ Hinch in Houston helped build buzz for Detroit as a potential landing spot, particularly as other suitors have fallen out of the race.

More important than any positional fit or prior relationships, though, is what it would take financially to get such a deal done. Unlike with Torres, who was comfortable agreeing to a shorter-term deal, Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, are surely still seeking a massive, long-term contract, meaning Detroit would likely need to outbid several other Bregman suitors that have already demonstrated a willingness to spend big this winter. That still seems rather implausible at this stage, based on the Tigers’ more recent track record of relative frugality, but as long as Bregman remains available, the rumors will continue to swirl.

The 28-year-old second baseman has spent his entire seven-year career with the New York Yankees. Last season, he hit .257 with 15 home runs, 63 RBI and 80 runs scored in 154 games.

Coming into this winter, it was imperative for the Boston Red Sox to make multiple impactful moves following a disappointing finish to the 2024 season. And in light of the Yankees making several key pivots following Juan Soto’s departure, inactivity from Boston through another offseason wasn’t an acceptable option.

Well, slowly but surely the Red Sox are putting together a solid offseason and starting to look like a team that is serious about getting back to the postseason in 2025.

The Red Sox’s biggest changes have been in their rotation, where they’ve had a serious overhaul. Adding starting pitching was the top priority for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, and the Red Sox added arguably the best starter on the trade market in Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox. But it takes more than one starter to get through the 162-game grind of the regular season.

The Red Sox then added left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery, and they solidified their veteran presence on Monday by adding right-hander Walker Buehler on a one-year, $21.05 million deal. Buehler, who was No. 23 on Yahoo Sports’ list of this winter’s top 50 free agents, brings to Boston’s rotation a veteran arm who has pitched on baseball’s biggest stages and experienced plenty of success. His 18 postseason starts are the most on Boston’s roster by far.

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Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters Monday that talks with longtime third baseman Alex Bregman stalled before Houston reached a deal with Christian Walker, effectively ending Bregman’s time with the team.

“I thought we made a really competitive offer, showing that we wanted him back,” Brown said on the day the Astros officially introduced Walker. “But we had to pursue other options.

“We couldn’t just sit there. We locked in [Isaac] Paredes early in that trade, knowing that he could play third or first, and then when the opportunity to add another bat came up, we just jumped on it.”

Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras, offered a retort to The Athletic:

“Over time, teams learn if you’re running from leadership and talent, you’re running from the ultimate goal,” Boras said.

Eloy Jiménez and the Rays have agreed to a minor-league deal, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports. Jiménez, 28, batted .238 with a .626 OPS, 14 doubles, six home runs and 28 RBI last season for the White Sox and Orioles. An adductor strain and hamstring injury limited him to 98 games.

Since he hit 31 homers during his rookie season, injuries have been a consistent obstacle for Jiménez. Among the many issues he has dealt with have been a sprained ankle and right ulnar nerve contusion in 2019, a torn left pectoral tendon in 2021, a torn right hamstring tendon in 2022 and an appendectomy in 2023.

However, Jiménez did hit 18 home runs, the second-highest total of his career, while playing 120 games in 2023.

Outfielder/designated hitter Joc Pederson has signed with the Texas Rangers. Pederson agreed to a two-year, $37 million deal, according to The Athletic. The contract includes an opt-out after the first year.

Last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pederson hit .275 with a .908 OPS (both career bests), 17 doubles, 23 home runs and 64 RBI. He played exclusively as a DH but has played the outfield throughout his 11-year career, mostly in left and center field.

Pederson, 32, will replace Nathaniel Lowe in the Rangers’ lineup. Lowe was traded to the Washington Nationals over the weekend for reliever Robert Garcia.

The 38-year-old outfielder played 120 games last season with the Pirates, hitting .232 with 20 home runs, 50 RBI and a .739 OPS.

According to MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf, it’s a one-year, $5 million deal.

The Nationals and Rangers struck a deal to swap Nathaniel Lowe and left-handed reliever Robert Garcia on Sunday night. Lowe won his first Gold Glove award and helped lead the Rangers to a World Series win in 2023.

Just a few minutes after news of the Josh Naylor trade hit, the Cleveland Guardians found their own first-base replacement by bringing back veteran Carlos Santana, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

It will be Santana’s third stint in Cleveland, where he is second on the franchise’s all-time walks list and sixth in home runs.

A day after Christian Walker agreed to a deal with the Houston Astros, the Arizona Diamondbacks found his replacement by swinging a trade for Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Going back to Cleveland will be pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick. Naylor is coming off his first career All-Star selection and hit .243/.320/.456 with 31 homers for a team that emerged on top in the AL Central.

The deal is worth a reported $12.5 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Last season with the Cardinals, the 37-year-old Goldschmidt batted .245 with 22 home runs and 65 RBI.

Read more about the deal here.

The New York Yankees added a strikeout reliever to their bullpen, acquiring Fernando Cruz from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher Jose Trevino on Friday.

Cruz, 34, struck out 109 batters in 66 2/3 innings with a 4.86 ERA in 69 appearances. His strikeout total ranked fourth among MLB relievers last season. Trevino, 31, appeared in 73 games for the Yankees as the backup to Austin Wells. He batted .215 with a .642 OPS, eight home runs and 28 RBI.