Hot Stove Digest: Do the Cardinals have one more splashy signing in them?
Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.
BE AGGRESSIVE: According to multiple reports, the St. Louis Cardinals signing of Dexter Fowler may signal the team becoming more aggressive in free agency, with Mark Trumbo and Edwin Encarnacion reported as possible future targets.
The Cardinals haven’t exactly laid low this winter, but they haven’t been connected to too many top tier free agents either. They landed a big one though in Fowler, who comes from the rival Chicago Cubs. His five-year, $82M deal is pretty expensive, but it’s believed St. Louis has more money to spend. If the markets for Trumbo and Encarnacion do come down, they may be poised to strike. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
GOOD BET: Dexter Fowler bet on himself and won thanks to his huge contract with St. Louis. [The Stew]
ALIVE AND WELL: Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan takes a deeper look into what Dexter Fowler’s signing means for free agency as a whole. [Yahoo Sports]
WHO’S LEFT?: With the free-agent market thinning out at the Winter Meetings, the Toronto Blue Jays may be forced to change their strategy, according to SportsNet Canada’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. With Dexter Fowler coming on the board, it’s noted that a major signing who fits Toronto’s needs may not be possible, leaving them to focus on second- and third-tier options.
On the plus side, the Blue Jays moved quickly this offseason to sign veterans Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce. That helped guarantee they wouldn’t be left empty-handed if both Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion leave in free agency. But those signings may have also impacted efforts to re-sign one or both players, or another top flight free agent, based on money spent. [SportsNet Canada]
BEEFING UP: The Orioles may be close to adding veteran catcher Welington Castillo. Robert Murray of Fan Rag suggested Thursday that momentum was building towards a deal. It was then confirmed Friday that Castillo is Orioles preferred catching option. [Baltimore Baseball]
DONE DEAL… AGAIN: The Astros signed Cuban left-hander Cionel Perez to a minor league contract with a $2 million signing bonus. The Astros had a deal with Perez for $5.15 million in October, but that contract was voided due to medical concerns. The 20-year-old is ranked No. 4 on MLB.com’s international prospects list. [MLB.com]
SUSPENDED: Brewers pitching prospect Phil Bickford, whom they acquired from San Francisco in the Will Smith trade in July, has been suspended 50 games after a second positive test for a drug of abuse. [@BillShaikin]
DONE DEAL: Veteran outfielder Daniel Nava has a minor league deal with the Phillies. [@MattGelb]
HE’S BACK: The Braves have reached a minor-league deal with Emilio Bonifacio. He appeared in 24 games for Atlanta last season, hitting .211. [@ChrisCotillo]
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
The StewPod: A baseball podcast by Yahoo Sports
Subscribe via iTunes or via RSS feed
– – – – – – –
Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
