The Table Setter, Dec 18, 2023: Yoshinobu Yamamoto Does New York

Los Angeles and New York remain the foci of the baseball world. Although the Yankees haven’t spent anything in free agency, they swung a massive trade for Juan Soto. Meanwhile, the Dodgers ponied up big-time for Shohei Ohtani, and then paid Tyler Glasnow after acquiring him from the Tampa Bay Rays. A few other storylines have continued to play out over the weekend.

Eating With Yamamoto
With Ohtani off the board, it is Yoshinobu Yamamoto who is expected to get the next-largest free-agent deal this offseason. The Japanese pitcher is just 25 years old and has been downright dominant overseas. He is being courted heavily by the Dodgers, Yankees, and New York Mets. After he reportedly dined at the home of Mets owner Steve Cohen on Saturday and had a last-minute meeting with the Yankees Sunday, things are getting serious in The Big Apple.

The Bronx Bombers need another top-tier arm to pair with Gerrit Cole. Yamamoto would represent that sort of upgrade, and Brian Cashman has come up short on too many big names of late. However deep the Yankees' pockets, no one can spend with Cohen, so it probably comes down to where Yamamoto sees the best fit.

Diamondbacks Looking for a Reunion
After coming up just short in the World Series against the Texas Rangers, Arizona continues to find ways to improve. After agreeing to a deal with Eduardo Rodriguez and trading for Eugenio Suarez, the Snakes also brought Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back on a three-year deal.

Acquired in a trade that also yielded Gabriel Moreno from Toronto when they sent out Daulton Varsho, Gurriel clearly enjoyed his time in the desert. The contract is worth a reported $42 million, and there's a club option for 2027 at the end of that term.

Slashing Isn’t Just a Twins Thing
The Minnesota Twins made waves with the fan base when they started the offseason by hinting that the payroll was going to decrease in 2024. That always seemed likely, given the television uncertainties and emergence of pre-arbitration players, but being so unflinching about it seemed an odd approach.

It isn’t just Minnesota feeling that impact in the year ahead, though. San Diego is going to bring down their payroll in a big way, and moving Soto was part of that plan. Cleveland could find themselves in a similar boat, as they seem to be unsure of where they stand with Bally Sports going into 2024, as well.

Belli Looking for the Bag
Former Dodgers and Cubs first baseman and center fielder Cody Bellinger is looking for a contract north of $200 million. Given his representation by Scott Boras, that’s not at all surprising. However, it’s a relative gamble for a new organization, given that Bellinger’s renaissance happened over the span of just a single season.

The .881 OPS he put up with Chicago earned him MVP votes this season, but that came on the back of three seasons in which he struggled to stay healthy and posted a bleak .648 OPS. If he’s still the Rookie of the Year- and MVP-caliber player he once was, then a big deal could pay off in a big way. If he reverts to prior form, then that goes belly up quickly.

Eventually, Minnesota will start to make their moves. It remains highly unlikely that all of Kyle Farmer, Christian Vazquez, Max Kepler, and Jorge Polanco are on the Opening Day roster. Moves like those might have to wait, though. Free-agent decisions like Yamamoto's will have trickledown effects on the market for any trade candidate.

Derek Falvey has often taken his time and picked his spots. We are now past the point in which Vázquez was signed as the first move a season ago, and Joey Gallo was brought in not long after. January is a good month for the Twins to get going, but a present under Twins fans' Christmas trees would not go amiss.