The Cubs are out of Aaron Judge race
The Chicago Tribune reports “While the Cubs are considered among the top eight or so teams interested in Judge, no one gives them a realistic chance of reeling him in because of President Jed Hoyer’s reluctance to get tied up with a long-term deal.”
Yankees target Kodai Senga to see a big bidding war for him
Jon Morosi of MLB Network says that both the Yankees and the Red Sox have talked to the Japanese star’s agents. Will Sammon of The Athletic say that Senga has already met with the Mets and the Padres.
Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat claimed that Giants Baseball Insider’s managing editor, Marc Delucchi, was driving through San Francisco on November 12 when he saw a picture of Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga and his No. 41 flashing on the Oracle Park scoreboard.
Senga, who will be 30 in January, filed for international free agency on October 31. After 11 seasons with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, where he had an ERA of 2.59, he is likely to try to get a contract with a Major League team this offseason.
A-Rod HoF bid hits roadblock
Billy Wagner, who used to pitch for the Astros, is sure that Alex Rodriguez doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame and has no place in Cooperstown. He told Mike Puma of the New York Post that anyone who had anything to do with performance-enhancing substances shouldn’t even be allowed to be on a Hall of Fame ballot. He talked a lot about Alex Rodriguez, a great player for the Yankees who was involved in the biogenesis scandal and was banned for 211 games. Wagner made a clear distinction between legends like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez when he talked about the steroid era. None of the three was chosen for the HOF.
Ex-Yankees find new homes
Joely Rodriguez’s stint in New York is coming to an end, and he will join the Red Sox in Boston. The Red Sox agreed to terms with the left-handed reliever on a one-year contract with a club option for the 2024 season. Rodriguez was dealt from the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees in 2021 for Joey Gallo and earned a 2.84 ERA in 21 outings with the Yankees. He was traded to the New York Mets in April. In 50 1/3 innings with the Mets, he had a 4.47 ERA.
Yankees vs. Mets on Justin Verlander
The right-handed pitcher, who is 39 years old, has turned into a free agent again following his splendid performance that led the Houston Astros to win the World Series and winning the American League Cy Young Award in 2022. The New York Yankees and the New York Mets could be interested in the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart cited Astros owner Jim Crane to claim “Verlander is seeking a deal similar to Max Scherzer, who signed a three-year, $130 million contract with the Mets a year ago. Crane said he hopes the absence of a state income tax in Texas will give the Astros an edge.”
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