Major League Baseball’s Hot Stove season is here, which means free agents are making some big decisions about their future. Over the next few months, we’ll be keeping track of every signing — from Trevor Bauer, George Springer and J.T. Realmuto to the sneaky good role players — so that you’re always up to date. Be sure to check back every day for a roundup explaining every deal. As a bonus, we’ll even have some analysis from the Yahoo Sports Fantasy crew.
New York Mets sign Trevor May
The player: May, 31, has developed into one of baseball’s most reliable set up men. Since moving to the bullpen full-time in 2016, he’s posted a dominant 13.2 K/9 mark. Just as impressive is his 3.2 BB/9.
The deal: May is joining the Mets bullpen, the first significant free-agent signing of the Steve Cohen era. It won’t be the last. Andy Martino of SNY was first to report a deal was in place and Jeff Passan of ESPN reports it’s for two years. The deal is pending a physical.
Is that a lot? No salary has been reported yet, but MLB Trade Rumors projected two years and $14 million for May. We’ll update when we hear the figures.
Is it going to work? Seems like it. The Mets need bullpen help. May isn’t the biggest name on the market — he’s also not a closer, so it goes — but he’s proven himself a reliable option over the years. And when it comes to bullpens, reliability is just about the No. 1 thing you can ask for. That goes double in Queens, where the Mets don’t often do “reliable.” Just look at Edwin Diaz. The Mets had the fifth-worst bullpen ERA last season, so there’s plenty of work to be done, but May is a step in the right direction.
An added bonus for this particular fit — May will be reunited with Jeremy Hefner, the Mets pitching coach, who was previously May’s bullpen coach in Minnesota. That seems to bring good vibes to this signing.
Atlanta Braves sign Charlie Morton
The player: Fresh off another strong postseason — 2.70 ERA in 20 innings — Morton turned 37 while making his decision. The Tampa Bay Rays declined his $15 million option, but Morton had previously said he would likely retire before he roamed too far afield of his family’s Florida home. Don’t let his flirtation with retirement fool you, though. Morton was an AL Cy Young finalist in the most recent 162-game season. Those don’t grow on trees.
The deal: One year, $15M
Is that a lot? It’s exactly the same deal he would have been playing on in 2021. However, it’s almost double the one-year, $8M deal Morton was projected to receive according to MLB Trade Rumors. It’s a sign the Braves aren’t messing around this winter as they look to acquire depth for another postseason run. The Braves previously signed left-handed starter Drew Smyly to a one-year, $11M deal.
Is it going to work? Morton is a perfect fit for a Braves team that will have World Series or bust expectations. The veteran right-hander is playoff tested, having won three consecutive winner-take-all games for the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays. In fact, Morton is the only pitcher in MLB history to hold that distinction. On multiple occasions Morton has said he wouldn’t return if he didn’t think he could maintain his current level of excellence. If he believes it and the Braves believe it, we believe Morton will have another quality season.
What does it mean for your fantasy team? Morton has apparently been drinking from the pitching fountain of youth, as he’s been able to maintain himself as an above-average middle-of-the-rotation pitcher even as he continues into the latter half of his 30s. The move from the Rays to the Braves isn’t a massive change, as Morton is going from one contender to another, but he can be a much-needed veteran presence in a rotation featuring some uber-talented young arms.
Morton was actually a bit unlucky in 2020 (.355 BABIP) so there’s a chance he could improve on his final surface stats from last season (after all, his 4.74 ERA was much higher than his 3.45 FIP). The biggest questions with Morton is how long he can keep this going and stay healthy and how much the Braves are going to put on his plate, but if he can check off those boxes (and of course, make the Braves starting rotation — and it would be a shock if he didn’t) he’s a virtual lock for double-digit wins and safe ratios, making him a solid SP option in the middle rounds of drafts. Be sure to track his fastball velocity in Spring Training, however — a couple more drops in points would be a bad sign for a pitcher his age.
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