The Hot Stove has cooled down a bit since the Dodgers’ acquisition of Tyler Glasnow on Friday. The baseball world awaits the next big domino to fall in Yoshinobu Yamamoto. There’ve been a few transactions since, including the Diamondbacks retaining outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Let’s see what’s happening.
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Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Returns to Diamondbacks
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Diamondbacks and free-agent outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. agreed on a three-year, $42 million contract. The deal includes an opt-out after the second season and a team option for a fourth year should the team decide to retain him for the 2027 season. The team had been in search of a right-handed bat. They brought back the 30-year-old outfielder after he hit .261/.309/.463 with 24 homers, 65 runs, 82 RBI, and five steals across 592 plate appearances. Gurriel Jr. played primarily left field and designated hitter last season. He got off to a hot start at the plate, including a torrid stretch in May, hitting .352 with eight homers in the month. That was followed by an ice-cold stretch in June and July before he got going down the stretch, aiding the Diamondbacks on their NL title run with three postseason homers.
Gurriel Jr. joins an outfield comprised of NL Rookie of the Year winner Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, and Jake McCarthy. He’ll presumably split his time again between left field and designated hitter. While his bat will be in the lineup most days, he’ll likely see a higher spot in the order against left-handed pitchers. He posted a .815 OPS against southpaws and a .756 mark against right-handers. With excellent contact skills and solid batted-ball metrics, including a 46 percent hard-hit rate, Gurriel Jr. has been a steady contributor in power and RBI with a respectable batting average, making him a decent fourth or fifth outfielder in mixed leagues. Just don’t expect another level for him, as he’s yet to eclipse 600 plate appearances in a season.
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Martín Pérez signs with Pirates
The Pirates added another veteran presence to their rotation on Monday. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the team signed Martín Pérez to a one-year, $8 million contract. The 32-year-old left-hander spent the last two seasons with the Texas Rangers. He made the All-Star team in 2022, posting a 2.89 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 169/69 K/BB ratio across 196 1/3 innings. Pérez didn’t fare as well last season, struggling to a 4.98 ERA over 108 1/3 frames before he was moved to the bullpen following the Rangers’ acquisitions of Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery at the trade deadline. He was more effective in long relief, with a 2.70 ERA out of the bullpen. Fewer strikeouts and more fly balls were the culprits for a disappointing season. But 2022 looks like an outlier year for Pérez. He’ll look to bounce back in the Pittsburgh rotation but should be avoided for fantasy purposes outside of an occasional stream in deep leagues.
Giants add catching depth with Tom Murphy
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Giants signed catcher Tom Murphy to a two-year, $8 million deal. He appeared in 47 games last season with the Mariners in a backup role, hitting .290/.335/.538 with eight homers and 17 RBI across 159 plate appearances. The 32-year-old backstop had his best offensive season in 2019, blasting 18 homers with a .858 OPS across over 76 games. Murphy will back up starting catcher Patrick Bailey, who displayed some defensive prowess in his major league debut. Bailey should get most starts behind the dish and has some deep league sleeper appeal after hitting seven homers with 48 RBI and a .233 batting average across 353 plate appearances as a rookie. The addition of Murphy also likely spells the end of Joey Bart’s time in San Francisco.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has second meeting with Mets
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto met with Mets owner Steve Cohen over the weekend, the second with the team. Should he join the Mets, he’ll be teaming with fellow Japanese national Kodai Senga. Yamamoto profiles similarly to Senga but with better control. The 25-year-old right-hander posted a 1.16 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and a 176/28 K/BB ratio across 171 innings for the Orix Buffalos of the Japan Pacific League. His market is expected to continue heating up this week, with additional meetings with other teams likely in store. The fantasy hype is already gaining steam. Yamamoto had an average draft position of 73 in November drafts at the NFBC. That’s up to 65 in drafts completed over the last week. I’d expect that number to continue rising, especially after his inevitable signing.