Nats Upgrade Their Relief Corps

The Washington Nationals inked Will Harris to a three-year, 24 million dollar contract. Harris was speculated as a fit for the Mets, but instead, he landed with the division-rival Nats. After this signing, the Nationals have now guaranteed 285.25 million dollars to their free-agent signees, the second-highest mark in the Majors.

In Harris, the Nationals are adding one of the most underrated relievers of the last decade. A Howie Kendrick World Series home run notwithstanding, Harris just capped off a fantastic campaign, posting a mere 1.50 ERA/3.15 FIP over 68 games with the Astros. Harris, 35, has been a backend force for Houston over the last five seasons, pitching to a 2.36 ERA/2.99 FIP.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweeted out yesterday that Harris was receiving two-year deals worth 6/7 million dollars a year. The Nationals apparently felt like a third year would be necessary in order to land the veteran reliever.

Their need for another impact reliever was clear; their pen was one of the worst in the Majors in 2019. Throughout the season, they struggled to find a bridge to closer Sean Doolittle, a role that Harris should fill adequately.

50/50 Shot The Rockies Trade Away Arenado

Jon Morosi of MLB.com believes that there’s a 50 percent chance that the Rockies trade superstar Nolan Arenado this winter.

Obviously, a trade involving Arenado, one of the sport’s defensive wizards, would be a major blockbuster, only complicated by the eight-year, 260 million dollar extension the third-baseman signed during the extension frenzy this past spring. Morosi mentions that the Nationals, Braves, and Rangers are interested in 28-year-old with the Dodgers hanging in the background.

Since making his debut in 2013, Arenado has cemented himself as one of the elite third-basemen of this era and one of the greatest defensive talents the sport has seen. He’s slashed .295/.351/.546 (122 OPS+) over those seven seasons, picking up some serious hardware in the process. He’s a 7x Gold Glove,  4x Silver Slugger, a 3x Platinum Glove and has also received five All-Stars selections.

Along with Francisco Lindor, Arenado would represent the biggest trade chip available this winter. Although it’d be extremely difficult to replace Arenado’s production, the Rockies would opt for a Major-League caliber star as one of the pieces heading back to Colorado.

Morosi notes Nationals CF Victor Robles and a trio of Braves prospects, 3B Austin Riley, OF Cristian Pache, and 3B/OF Drew Waters, as speculative pieces to be moved in an Arenado trade while Phil Rogers of Forbes believes it would take talents like Luis Robert and Yoan Moncada to entice the Rockies to trade away their star third-baseman.

However, with Arenado under contract for several more seasons with the Rockies, it’s possible that a trade could be further explored midseason, should he not get moved this offseason.

Plawecki Ends Up With The Sox

The Red Sox signed former Met Kevin Plawecki to a major-league deal worth 900,000 dollars.

Plawecki, now 28, made his MLB debut with the Mets during the 2015 season. Although he was regarded as a top prospect during his time in the minors, the backstop failed to make much of an impact in New York, slashing .218/.303/.318 (77 OPS+) from 2015 to 2018. The Mets sent him to Cleveland last offseason in exchange for Walker Lockett and Sam Haggerty.

Although Plawecki’s offense cratered in 2019, his defense shone. According to Baseball Savant, Plawecki finished in the 98th percentile in framing runs in 2019. On Boston’s depth charts, Plawecki currently slots behind 2019 starter, Christian Vazquez, making the Red Sox’s current combination of catchers one of the best defensive duos in the Majors.

Chatter About Ozuna

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com hears there’s been some traction on the Marcell Ozuna front. Feinsand indicated that the Reds, Cardinals, and Rangers have shown interest in the 29-year-old outfielder.

So far, there’s been a lack of news on Ozuna, one of the top free-agents still on the market. While he’s been a solid run-producer over the last several years with the Marlins and the Cardinals, his actual production has dwarfed the gaudy Statcast numbers he’s posted. The Cardinals extended a qualifying offer to Ozuna, which he declined. Any team that signs him, sans the Cardinals, will need to give up a draft pick and some of the IFA money.