Here are three things we will focus on in baseball today:
1. Ogasawara’s posting window:
Chunichi Dragons sent in a left hand Shinnosuke Ogasawara to MLB clubs on Dec. 10, giving him until Jan. 24 to sign a deal. That deadline is fast approaching. If he and his WME reps don’t strike a deal with the MLB team tomorrow, the southpaw will return to the Dragons for the 2025 campaign.
Ogasawara, 27, was a first-time NPB All-Star in 2023 and was arguably his best this past year, lowering his ERA from 3.59 to 3.12 and increasing his strikeout-to-walk ratio from from 3.27 to 3.73. He also lowered his earned run rate from 0.8 HR/9 to 0.6 HR/9. However, it’s important to remember that runs are harder to come by in NPB than MLB, and Ogasawara’s numbers aren’t above NPB standards. His ERA, strikeout rate, and home run rate were all worse than the Central League average in 2024. His strikeout rate was 24% as recently as 2022 but has dipped over the past two years, dropping to a disappointing 13.6%. this past season. That said, this year’s 3.7% walk rate was impressive. His command of the lineup could help him earn a spot after a team trade, though he might fit better in a bullpen role in MLB. Readers looking to learn more about the lefty can check out a detailed scouting report on Ogasawara from Sports Info Solutions’ Brandon Tew.
Very little news has come out about Ogasawara since his posting, making it difficult to gauge his market and even more difficult to predict how much of a contract he might sign. MLBTR predicted a two-year, $12MM deal for Ogasawara when we ranked him No. 48 on our Top 50 Free Agents list earlier this offseason, based largely on his youth and command.
2. Awaiting the following notable trades:
Although the trade market has been slow so far in January, the rumor mill is still running. The Dodgers are reportedly interested in releasing the right-hander Ryan Brasierand the Twins and Padres are said to have negotiated a deal involving a catcher Christian Vazquez. Minnesota is also interested in Padres ace Dylan Cease. Meanwhile, the Cubs’ bullpen search has led them to consider trading the veteran Astros. Ryan Presslythough his no-trade rights would make that difficult.
The biggest name still on the trade market is the third baseman Nolan Arenado. Although reports suggest Arenado is now unlikely to be dealt as early as the season, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said he is still trying to get a deal done. However, team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. he recently suggested that a trade for Arenado is not necessary, and his club is not interested in cutting wages in 2025. Maybe that means Arenado will stay in St. Louis. intended to give the Cardinals more leverage — either in Arenado talks or potential trade talks for other veterans on the roster.
3. Roansy Contreras DFA Fix:
The Orioles selected the right-handed reliever Roansy Contreras at work last week after looking for a midfielder Jacob Amaya. That started a seven-day countdown for the O’s to trade Contreras or place him off waivers. Today marks the end of that week-long period. The waiver process can take up to 48 hours, so it’s safe to assume the righty was placed on waivers Tuesday. Sometime today, we should find out if another team will claim him or if the Orioles can send him straight to the minor leagues. He has never been fired before and does not have the required length of service to refuse a direct assignment.
Contreras, 25, started his career with the Yankees before the team traded him to the Pirates as part of a trade. Jameson Taillon back in New York. He pitched in parts of four seasons with Pittsburgh from 2021-24 before the Pirates traded him to the Angels last May. Since completing the 2024 campaign with LA, he has cleared multiple waivers, from the Angels to the Rangers to the Reds to the Orioles. He has a career 4.72 ERA and 4.66 SIERA in 90 games (33 starts) and clearly offers enough upside for several teams to be interested in him. Maybe that will convince another team to take a chance on him today. If not, the O’s could stash the former top prospect at Triple-A Norfolk as a deep arm.
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