Hot Stove season started off slow, but a major domino falling could spur movement at this week’s MLB Winter Meetings.
Jacob deGrom left the Mets to sign a five-year, $185 million contract with the Texas Rangers on Friday. With only so many top-end arms available on the free-agent market, pitching moves were bound to be made quickly. Indeed, the Mets landed Justin Verlander on Monday.
And then, of course, there’s Aaron Judge. Will the Yankees keep him in The Bronx, and for how long?
Follow along for the latest updates from the MLB Winter Meetings 2022.
While the Yankees’ main priority remains superstar Aaron Judge, they remain in daily contact with Carlos Rodon’s camp, and preferred him as a rotation option all along to Justin Verlander or certainly Jacob deGrom, for two main reasons: 1) he’s younger, and 2) he’s a left-hander for Yankee Stadium, The Post's Jon Heyman reports. Mets GM Billy Eppler, fresh off having added Justin Verlander to his roster, has some other fish to fry. Notably, he either has to sign center fielder Brandon Nimmo, or hope he has a good enough backup plan if Nimmo decided to go the route of Jacob deGrom. Asked how things were going with Nimmo, Eppler kept things short and to the point. Billy Eppler says there's still dialogue between the Mets and Brandon Nimmo: pic.twitter.com/G6oHRhcgCLCarlos Rodon remains Yankees’ pitching priority
By Joseph Staszewski 
Mets, Nimmo still talking
By Michael Blinn
Or is it?
Mike Evans rocked an @TheJudge44 jersey after he broke Roger Maris’ record. So Aaron Judge is returning the favor tonight wearing a @MikeEvans13_ jersey. pic.twitter.com/2dCfXwoAsB
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) December 6, 2022
The Angels have reached a two-year, $14 million contract agreement with right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez, The Post's Jon Heyman confirmed. The Athletic first reported the two sides had an agreement.
Estevez, 29, spent the last seven years with the Rockies. In 2022, he recorded a 3.47 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 57 innings for Colorado.
The market for Andrew Heaney seems to be heating up.
Sportsnet reports the Blue Jays are among the teams who have offered the left-hander a contract, and that more than 10 teams have shown interest in the 31-year-old.
After a brutal showing with the Yankees in 2021, Heaney bounced back with the Dodgers this year, pitching to a 3.10 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 72 ⅔ innings.
The Astros have plenty of competition for Christian Vazquez's services.
While Houston would like to keep him, The Athletic reports the Cubs, Cardinals, Padres, Guardians and Twins are interested in the veteran catcher.
Vazquez, 32, was dealt by the Red Sox to the Astros at the 2022 trade deadline. In splitting time with Martin Maldonado, he hit .250 with one homer and 10 RBIs across 108 regular-season plate appearances for Houston.
He appeared in six playoff games for the Astros, including three in the World Series.
SAN DIEGO — No Jacob deGrom, no Justin Verlander.
If the Yankees want to make a big splash in the free-agent starting pitcher market, Carlos Rodon might be the only option left.
And if the first part of the offseason has proven anything, it’s that elite starters will be costly.
According to sources, Rodon is seeking a deal in the neighborhood of six years and as much as $180 million.
The Giants are the Yankees primary competition for Aaron Judge, but San Francisco is also taking a look at the loaded class of free-agent shortstops.
According to NBC Sports Bay Area, Carlos Correa "is atop the front office's list." That was before Trea Turner signed a $300 million deal with the Phillies.
Correa, 28, hit .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs with the Twins in 2022.
SAN DIEGO — The Yankees made their first signing of the Winter Meetings on Monday, with general manager Brian Cashman agreeing to a new four-year contract to remain with the organization he’s run for over two decades.
The move had been expected since the end of the season, but Cashman had been working in an “at will” capacity since his previous five-year deal expired at the end of October.
One shortstop is off the board.
The Phillies are signing Trea Turner to an 11-year, $300 million contract, according to The Post's Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman. The deal includes a full no-trade clause.
Turner, 29, hit .298 with 21 home runs, 100 RBIs, 27 steals and 101 runs for the Dodgers in 2022. He now reunites with former Nationals teammate Bryce Harper.
The Post's Mike Puma reported the Mets have "flirted" with Jameson Taillon in MLB free agency after the right-hander had a 3.91 ERA in 177 ⅓ for the Yankees in 2022. They still need a mid-rotation piece after signing Justin Verlander to replace Jacob deGrom.
But there is a "deep" market for the right-hander, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, who reports the Phillies, Cubs and Orioles are among those as teams to watch in the chase for Taillon.
With a rotation full of question marks long-term, the Twins would consider trading AL batting champion Luis Arraez for pitching, according to The Athletic.
The 25-year-old All-Star hit .316 in 2022, edging out Aaron Judge in the Yankees outfielder's Triple Crown quest.
Arraez played first, second and third base last season and spent a chunk of time as Minnesota's DH.
