How Eduardo Rodriguez, Jeimer Candelario and Craig Kimbrel fit on their new clubs: Law

The Hot Stove has been at a mere simmer up to now this offseason, however a couple of notable names signed free agent offers on the lately accomplished Winter Meetings. So what do Eduardo Rodriguez, Jeimer Candelario and Craig Kimbrel convey to their new golf equipment? Let’s have a look.

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The Athletic’s 2023-24 MLB Top 40 Free Agent Big Board: Tracking where they land

Eduardo Rodriguez to the Diamondbacks for 4 years and $80 million assured, with vesting choices and bonuses that may take the contract to 5 years and $99 million

Eduardo Rodriguez opted out of the three years and $49 million remaining on his contract with Detroit to enter a weak free-agent market this winter, and it paid off, as he signed a four-year deal for $80 million with the defending NL champs in Arizona, a deal that’s higher for him however that I additionally assume is a good transfer for the Diamondbacks.

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Eduardo Rodriguez agrees to sign with Diamondbacks

Arizona ended the season with three sturdy starters in their rotation because of the emergence of rookie Brandon Pfaadt after the staff moved him to the opposite aspect of the rubber over the summer season, however they fairly actually didn’t have a fourth starter for the World Series, with Tommy Henry on the injured listing and no person else who you possibly can comfortably venture to begin within the majors in 2024. Rodriguez had his career-best ERA in 2023 (3.30), making 26 begins and throwing 152 2/3 innings whereas coping with a finger damage. He’s missed time for numerous accidents and for private causes in 2022, however he’s averted any critical arm accidents thus far.

Rodriguez is a fastball/changeup man who spent most of his profession in the hunt for a breaking ball, however he’s settled on a cutter and pushed his fringy slider again to the fourth spot in his arsenal, which appears to have made that pitch simpler as a result of hitters see it much less typically. There’s some draw back danger right here, as he offers up extra arduous contact than he ought to together with his stuff, and whereas he’s not an enormous flyball pitcher, he may be extra homer-prone in Arizona than he was in Detroit given the distinction within the two ballparks and his line-drive tendencies.

The excellent news is that the Diamondbacks have these three sturdy starters forward of him, so if he’s simply league-average they’ll be getting good manufacturing from the fourth spot and getting greater than from Rodriguez than anybody else on the roster was probably to supply. He produced 3.0 fWAR/3.5 rWAR in 2023, and even at 2-2.5 WAR he’d be an improve for Arizona and solves essentially the most vital drawback they’d as they attempt to return to the playoffs in a division that can probably be extra aggressive in 2024 than it was final season.

Jeimer Candelario joins a Reds’ lineup that already options a number of younger rising stars. (David Banks / USA Today)

Jeimer Candelario to the Reds for 3 years and $45 million, with a membership choice for a fourth yr

The Reds signed Jeimer Candelario to a really cheap three-year, $45 million deal, however the signing doesn’t make a lot sense until it precedes another strikes. Cincinnati wants pitching above all else, not place gamers, and particularly not infielders, as they already had a minimum of 5 guys for the 4 infield spots in case you assume Noelvi Marte was going to begin at third base after his sturdy debut on the finish of 2023. They’ve been making an attempt all offseason to promote low on Jonathan India, who hasn’t matched his 2021 efficiency in both of the final two seasons, and whose output this previous yr was probably affected by the plantar fasciitis that value him many of the second half. Now he’s even been supplanted because the odd man out, since that will be Marte or Christian Encarnacion-Strand, certainly one of whom might DH, leaving India round seventh on the infield depth chart.

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Reds’ signing of Jeimer Candelario could push Spencer Steer to the outfield

To make this signing make sense, the Reds must swap one and most likely two of these seven guys for extra pitching. They don’t have anybody on the roster who made greater than 26 begins or threw 150 innings within the majors final yr, with each Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo lacking vital time resulting from accidents, and their prime starter by innings, Graham Ashcraft, had large issues with right-handed batters.

Candelario is an improve over India, in case you assume that’s whose at-bats he’s taking, most likely between 1-2 extra wins, and I might see Candelario significantly benefiting from the Reds’ homer-friendly ballpark. He’s related as a hitter to Nick Castellanos, a hard-contact doubles hitter who had his profession excessive in homers (34) in his one full season with the Reds. In my free agent capsule, I stated Candelario was “good for about 40 doubles and 15-20 homers with a league-average OBP,” however as a Red he may be extra within the 20-25 homer vary, and is a greater defender at third than both Marte or Encarnacion-Strand.

Candelario is an general improve over any of their different third base choices; I simply don’t know if that’s the finest use of the Reds’ price range until there are a number of trades to come back to handle their greater wants.

Craig Kimbrel brings a veteran presence to a Baltimore bullpen that might be lacking Félix Bautista in 2024. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)

Craig Kimbrel to the Orioles for one-year at $13 million

The Orioles signed Craig Kimbrel to a one-year, $13 million deal, an uncharacteristic transfer for this entrance workplace given Kimbrel’s latest efficiency, as he’s barely been value 2 fWAR complete within the final two seasons and has change into wilder and much less proficient at lacking bats in his mid-30s. (Phillies followers will most likely inform you that is the worst signing in historical past.)

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How far are Orioles willing to extend themselves to improve for 2024 and beyond?

Kimbrel does nonetheless strike out plenty of batters, however he’s gone from hovering round 40 % for many of his profession to 31 % over the past two seasons, with none enchancment in his stroll fee or how a lot arduous contact he permits. He’s misplaced over 2 mph on his fastball since 2017 and a lot of the motion on his out-pitch breaking ball, though each had been so good at his peak that they’re each nonetheless above-average pitches even with their respective declines. He’s bought that large save complete and the capital-C Closer tag, which nonetheless holds some sway available in the market, however I didn’t count on this Orioles entrance workplace to pay any kind of premium for these issues.

The Orioles had been quick a reliever with ace nearer Félix Bautista out till 2025 after Tommy John surgical procedure, and including somebody who will primarily work the ninth inning frees up Yennier Cano to work in higher-leverage spots earlier in video games, however I don’t assume this makes the Orioles a lot better, if in any respect, and takes up money that they should put in the direction of the rotation.

(Top photograph of Rodriguez: Denny Medley / USA Today)