Cody Bellinger trade favorite, Yankees Crochet dream, D’Backs deal

As the MLB offseason heats up, Juan Soto isn’t the only big name who could be on the move. The MLB Winter Meetings start in just a few weeks in Dallas, and before then we should have a better understanding of which teams are buying, which are selling, and which are engaging in both. Front offices do not have infinite resources. Not every team can be the Yankees, Mets or Dodgers.

The MLB rumors highlighted in this piece point out that distinction. The Cubs and Diamondbacks are shedding some payroll in hopes of adding that money back to the on-field product by the end of the offseason. The Yankees, meanwhile, are in a position to buy if they fell short in the World Series but still won the American League pennant. That would be a successful season for most teams. But not in New York.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks are looking to dump Jordan Montgomery’s contract just a year after signing him to a one-year, $25 million deal with a player option for 2025. At the time, Montgomery signed that contract under the assumption he would opt for free agency this winter agency. . Well, after a late start to the season thanks to Scott Boras – who is no longer his agent, mind you – Montgomery struggled.

In 117 innings, Montgomery had an ERA over six and a 1.65 WHIP. He wasn’t the front-line starting pitcher Arizona thought they were getting, so he opted for the final year of his short-term contract, which will pay him more than $22 million next season. If he were to hit the free-agent market this winter, he wouldn’t get that far, despite the name recognition of a recent World Series hero in Texas.

Arizona is reportedly willing to eat some of Montgomery’s salary just to get rid of him, and perhaps receive something valuable in return. A team like the Yankees, Cardinals or Rangers – all of whom have experience working with Monty – would be an ideal fit here.

The Chicago White Sox are dangling Garrett Crochet as bait, waiting for a rookie pitcher-needy team to bite. For now, the White Sox are fine playing the waiting game, as free agency offers a few starters of Crochet’s caliber in Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes, Roki Sasaki, Max Fried and more.

Crochet might be a better fit in the long run than some of the pitchers on that list, but the point still stands. The longer the White Sox wait, the more of these top-caliber starters will come off the board, making a trade for Crochet all the more attractive.

The Yankees have been listed as a Crochet suitor since the deadline. That makes sense on paper, but not if the White Sox don’t value the potential prospects they get in return. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan notes, players like Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones may not be as valuable as the Yankees think.

Cody Bellinger opted to spend the remainder of his Cubs contract rather than test the free agent market. This is surprising for a Scott Boras client, but Bellinger received feedback on his total market value at this point, and it is not as high as the $52 million he will receive in Chicago over the next two years.

Bellinger is one of the most prominent and capable hitters in the Cubs lineup, even in a down year. Belli had just a .751 OPS this season, which is lower than his career averages. For example, in his contract year just a season ago, Bellinger had an OPS of .881. Bellinger’s decline, as well as defensive projections that suggest he will transition to first base or full-time DH in his later years, are the reason why he can’t get the long-term contract he desires, for better or worse.

According to the New York Post, Bellinger would make sense as a trade partner for a team like the Yankees. New York needs help in the outfield and at first base, Bellinger can still play at a league-average level at two positions. There’s no guarantee the Cubs would trade Bellinger for anything less than MLB-ready talent. However, Craig Counsell is used to working with financial constraints, and he would certainly understand Bellinger not living up to the standards of his contract.