Now that the lockout is over, there has been a daily frenzy of transactions as teams look to sign free agents, make trades, and solidify their rosters.
With so much news breaking in baseball, it is hard to keep up, but here are some of the biggest stories of the last couple of days.
Braves Acquire Olson, Freeman Could Have New Home
Throughout his career, first baseman Freddie Freeman has been synonymous with the Atlanta Braves. On Monday, that may have all changed.
After the Braves were unable to get a new deal done with Freeman, they switched gears and pulled off a major trade for Freeman’s replacement. In exchange for minor leaguers Christian Pache, Shea Langeliers, Ryan Cusick, and Joey Estes, the Braves acquired Oakland A’s All-Star first baseman Matt Olson.
Last season, with Oakland, Olson hit .271/.371/.540 with 39 home runs, 111 runs batted in, and 101 runs scored. He led the A’s in all three of those categories.
Born in Atlanta, this is a bit of a homecoming for Olson, who will now take over first base duties for the defending champions. At 27-years-old, Olson is still under team control until after the 2023 season.
Atlanta currently has the seventh-best odds of winning the World Series at +1300.
For Freeman, there is no shortage of suitors, but it will be odd seeing the 32-year-old in a different uniform. Theoretically, the Braves could still bring back Freeman given the NL now has the designated hitter, but more than likely, Freeman’s days with the Braves are done.
Mariners’ Overhaul Continues
After already signing last year’s AL Cy Young award winner in Robbie Ray and trading for second baseman Adam Frazier, the Seattle Mariners continued their active offseason on Monday by acquiring two big-league stars from the Cincinnati Reds.
The Mariners acquired outfielder Jesse Winker and third baseman Eugenio Suarez in the six-player deal. In exchange, the Reds will receive pitching prospect Brandon Williamson, pitcher Justin Dunn, outfielder Jake Fraley, and a pitcher to be named later.
This is the second major deal that Cincinnati has pulled off after trading starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Twins over the weekend.
For the Mariners, they hope their moves will help close the gap with the Houston Astros, who they finished five games back of last season.
The Mariners are currently +500 to win the AL West and +2800 to win the World Series this season.
Tatis Out For Foreseeable Future
For as amazingly talented as San Diego Padres’ shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is, he just can’t seem to stay healthy. On Monday, it was announced that he will likely miss the next few months as he recovers from surgery on a fractured wrist.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman has reported that there are some that believe that Tatis’ injuries were suffered as a result of a motorcycle accident that he endured over the offseason
Regardless, this is a major blow for a Padres team that is trying to overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers for tops in the NL West. The Padres are currently +250 to win the NL West, second only to L.A.
Last season, Tatis hit .282/.364/.611 with 42 home runs, 97 runs batted in, 99 runs scored, and 25 stolen bases in just 478 at bats.
Brewers Bolster Outfield
The Milwaukee Brewers are bringing in some veteran leadership and bolstering their outfield play as they agreed on Monday to sign outfielder Andrew McCutchen.
Last season, with Philadelphia, McCutchen hit .222/.334/.444 with 27 home runs, 80 runs batted in, and 78 runs scored in 482 at bats.
While his batting line looked questionable, he is a career .280/.373/.476 hitter. At 35-years-old, though, McCutchen’s best days are behind him.
Still, for a team that features one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, they are hurting for some consistent offense. Last year, the Brewers ranked 15th in scoring averaging 4.48 runs per game.
Milwaukee is the favorite currently to win the NL Central at -125.
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