DALLAS, Texas – Hey guys, Ari Alexander here at the winter meetings in Dallas. This is where all the teams, agents and sometimes players converge for a few days of wheeling and dealing.
DAY 2 UPDATE
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The market is somewhat starting heat up around the league on the second full day of the Winter Meetings. Pitchers have landed large contracts, including Max Fried, who received a reported $218 million over 8 years from the New York Yankees. Alvin High grad Nathan Eovaldi landed a 3-year, $75 million deal to re-sign with the Texas Rangers, a league source confirmed to KPRC 2.
Other deals included a 2-year $15 million pact for former Astros reliever Yimi Garcia with the Blue Jays, first reported by KPRC 2, and the Rockies signing 2nd baseman Thairo Estrada, a league source confirmed.
On the Astros front, Dana Brown’s message Tuesday was that the team was making progress - both in free agency and on the trade front.
League sources tell KPRC 2 the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs have both inquired about outfielder Kyle Tucker. Tucker’s value on the free agent market is believed to potentially be above $400 million, in talking to people in the industry. That number would be more than double the largest contract the Astros have ever offered. No deal is imminent, or even heating up, but teams are calling on Tucker.
The Astros have also shown interest in infielder Jorge Polanco, per a league source.
DAY 1
The Astros have stated for months their priority is to re-sign Alex Bregman. They have an offer on the table, but a handful of teams have now entered the Bregman race with Juan Soto off the board.
According to multiple league sources, besides the Astros, the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays are interested in Bregman. Three of those four teams lost out on Juan Soto, and the fourth has shown no spending limit.
Bregman holds a 6 year, $156 million offer from the Astros, and Dana Brown expressed optimism the team will be able to keep Bregman in Houston.
OTHER ASTROS NOTES
- The team would like to upgrade at Third Base and 1st Base, with obviously Bregman as the priority.
- The Astros are pleased with where Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers, Jr. are in terms of offseason program, but the big hurdle will be when they stretch the pitchers out.
- Dana Brown said the team is willing to listen to trade offers for Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez, both of whom have one more year left before free agency. Brown said they are willing to listen to “anyone” as long as a deal made sense and made the team better.
