Here we go, the stove is starting to heat up! We had ourselves a little bit of action on day two of the virtual Winter Meetings with a trio of interesting signings, let’s get right into it!

Royals Continue Busy Start to the Offseason

The Kansas City Royals have been taking advantage of the inefficient market thus far this offseason. Dayton Moore and company have been one of the most aggressive teams so far, adding both Mike Minor and Michael A. Taylor.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, they added another veteran piece to the mix on Tuesday, reaching an agreement with first baseman Carlos Santana on a two-year, $17.5 million deal.

Santana is a solid veteran presence on a young, rebuilding Royals team. The 35-year old struggled last season, but still led the league with 47 walks and posted a .349 on-base percentage over 60 games. He also hit a career-high 34 home runs for the Indians in 2019.

The righty now gives Kansas City a legit middle of the order bat, and his on-base prowess will be a welcome addition to a Royals offense that finished with the fourth lowest OBP in baseball last season. Santana figures to slot in as the everyday first baseman, bumping Hunter Dozier over to the hot corner in place of the non-tendered Maikel Franco.

Adam Eaton Returns to the South Side

Two days into the virtual Winter Meetings, two moves for the Chicago White Sox.

According to Chuck Garfien of NBCSports Chicago, the Sox have brought outfielder Adam Eaton back to the South Side on a one-year, $7 million deal. Garfien notes that the pact also includes a second year $8.5 million team option.

Eaton had his club option declined by the Nationals after struggling and missing time at the end of the 2020 season. Over 41 games, the he posted just a .669 OPS and -0.9 WAR. Chicago is obviously banking on a bounce-back from the veteran lefty.

As of now, Eaton figures to slot in as the everyday right fielder for the Sox. However, according to Jayson Stark of the Athletic, the Rick Hahn may not be done making moves just yet. Stark notes that even after signing Eaton, Chicago is still in on sweet-swinging outfielder Michael Brantley.

Stark also mentioned that Chicago could look to add a starting pitcher even after trading for Lance Lynn.

Giants Grab Potential Low-Risk, High-Reward Arm

Well that didn’t take very long!

Just six days after being non-tendered by the Minnesota Twins, Matt Wisler is off the open market. According to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, the righty is headed to the Bay Area on a one-year, $1.15 million deal.

Wisler certainly has the makings of a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Giants, after being one of the most surprising players let go last week. Though it’s a bit of a small sample size, the 28-year old is coming off one of his best seasons in the big leagues.

Over 25 innings, Wisler struck out 35 batters while posting a 1.07 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and averaging 12.5 K/9. A ton of that success can be credited to Wisler relying on his most dominant pitch, his slider. The righty threw the pitch 83% of the time, and opposing hitters produced just a .143 batting average against the pitch.

If Wisler continues to dominate with his new team, he could certainly work his way into some high-leverage situations in a relatively weak Giants bullpen.

Jason Castro Drawing Interest

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, free agent catcher Jason Castro is drawing interest from teams “looking to add an everyday or platoon catcher.”

Castro certainly isn’t a star, but he is a serviceable veteran backup. At the plate, the lefty doesn’t offer much besides some occasional power (18 HR’s with the Twins in 2019). The defensive side of the ball is where Castro earns his money.

The 33-year old is known for his excellent pitch-framing skills, as well as his ability to work well with younger pitchers.

Morosi notes that two of the teams engaged with Castro, as well are other catchers on the market, are the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros.