Major League Baseball

MLB Free Agent Tracker: Marcus Stroman signs with Chicago Cubs, plus more blockbuster deals

Updated Dec. 1, 2021 10:10 p.m. ET

The main focus of MLB's offseason was expected to be an uncertain labor situation.

As FOX Sports MLB writer Pedro Moura wrote in a story titled "Uncertainty reigns as MLB offseason of CBA negotiations and labor strife begins": "Within the industry, the widespread expectation is that [the CBA] will expire without a new agreement reached and that the league’s owners will then formally lock out the players. The question is: After that date, how long will it take the two sides to reach a new agreement?" Moura also broke down the issues that could hold up an agreement between the two sides.

But despite all of this — or perhaps because of it — there has been a flurry of early action in the free-agent market, including several huge names on the move. Here are the biggest moves so far, with analysis from FOX Sports MLB writers Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman.

Dec. 1: SP Marcus Stroman signs with the Chicago Cubs

The deal: According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Stroman has signed a three-year deal for $71 million. The contract has an opt-out after the second season. Stroman is scheduled to make $25 million in both 2022 and 2023 and $21 million in 2024. He can earn $2 million bonuses in each of the first two years if he pitches at least 160 innings.

Key stats: Since coming back from a torn ACL suffered in spring training of 2015, Stroman has been a rock during stints for the Blue Jays and Mets, compiling a 3.69 ERA, 3.73 FIP and 116 ERA+ across 149 starts.

Why it matters: Stroman was the most reliable pitcher for the Mets last season — after ace Jacob deGrom was injured — making 33 starts with a 3.02 ERA. The seven-year veteran brings needed experience to the Cubs' rotation, perhaps competing with Kyle Hendricks for the No. 1 spot in the rotation. This is the first big move the Cubs have made since trading away Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo at the deadline in July.

JORDAN'S GRADES

Cubs: A-

Well, this was a pleasant surprise! Fans weren’t entirely sure what to expect from the Cubs this offseason after they tore it down in epic fashion at the 2021 trade deadline.

This signing seems to represent a legitimate effort toward Not Sucking in 2022, which is an encouraging step coming off the dramatic moves of the summer. The curious element here is the length of the contract, which could allow Stroman to leave before the team is ready to contend again. This gets at the real question for the organization moving forward: How soon do they expect to be good again?

As it stands, Stroman sits atop a lackluster pitching staff that doesn’t appear ready to compete for anything anytime soon. Even if he dominates the next two seasons, is that enough to put the Cubs back in the NL Central mix? Probably not on its own. And if he does excel, he’s probably opting out and becoming a free agent again — possibly right when some of the prospects acquired this summer are ready to contribute at the big-league level.

Forgive me for jumping ahead, though. This is still a fun fit, and Cubs fans can be thrilled to have such a reliable, top-end starting pitcher they can count on every five days.

Mets: B

As with the Báez deal, there’s a contingent of Mets fans who are pretty devastated to see Stroman go elsewhere, but it never really seemed like the team was that interested in retaining him. Stroman said so himself:

Regardless, this makes one fewer option for the Mets to solidify their rotation. We can’t judge it too harshly yet, though. There are still some starters with upside on the market who could make a lot of sense for the Mets, and they could quickly help fans forget about Stroman’s exit.

Nov. 30: INF Javier Báez headed to Detroit Tigers

The deal: The do-it-all infielder is joining the Tigers for six years on a $140 million contract, per reports. The contract includes an opt-out after two years and a limited no-trade clause that allows Báez to block deals to 10 teams each year, according to Ken Rosenthal.

Key stats: Báez split time between the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets last season, posting a slash line of .265/.319/.494 with 31 home runs and 87 RBIs in 138 games.

Why it matters: He can play anywhere on the infield for the Tigers, but he'll likely find a home at shortstop. After finishing third in the AL Central at 77-85 a season ago, the Tigers are adding a middle-of-the-order slugger to a team that ranked 11th with 4.30 runs per game in 2021. As for Báez, on the eve of his 29th birthday, he gets a well-deserved windfall as he injects a shot of life into the Tigers' fan base.

JORDAN'S GRADES

Tigers: A-

For all the talk about Carlos Correa potentially reuniting with AJ Hinch in Detroit, it seems that the Tigers were more comfortable spending half of what Correa will likely command on a franchise shortstop in Báez. Although his famously reckless plate discipline — or lack thereof — makes Báez a tenuous long-term commitment, he's so good at everything else you can do on a baseball field that it's worth paying a handsome fee for his services.

Furthermore, this is the kind of guy who puts butts in seats, even if he’s an imperfect player. People will show up to watch Javy Báez play baseball. For a Tigers team that has severely lacked a main attraction since Miguel Cabrera began to decline, this is a super fun addition.

Mets: B-

You would think that the high of signing Max Scherzer would be enough to please Mets fans for more than a few hours, but seems to be some frustration about the team's letting Báez slip away for a contract that would be easily attainable in the Steve Cohen "What Luxury Tax?" era.

I understand that Báez endeared himself to the Mets faithful considerably once he got past ThumbsDownGate, but I don’t think the Mets are making a huge mistake here. They’ve upgraded their offense considerably with the Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar additions, all of which seem like much safer bets compared to the volatility of Báez, who can range from terrible to tremendous. The Mets need to be focused on sure things, rather than shooting for the moon with every move. I’d also be stunned if they don’t make another few moves, even if that doesn't mean another $100M-plus splash.

Nov. 29: SS Corey Seager joining Texas Rangers

The deal: The superstar shortstop is headed to Texas for 10 years and $325 million, according to reports.

Key stats: In seven seasons with the Dodgers, Seager, now 27, has a career slash line of .297/.367/.504 with 104 home runs. He hit 16 homers in 2021, with a triple slash of .306/.394/.521.

Why it matters: The Rangers have wasted little time in rebuilding their infield and their offense. With a massive November spending spree, the team that lost 102 games in 2021 looks ready to make a splash in 2022. Also, free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa is now set up to cash in in a big way.

JORDAN'S GRADES

Rangers: A+

If Marcus Semien was the most expensive and delicious appetizer on the menu, Corey Seager is one hell of a main course. Heading into this offseason, the Rangers were not shy about wanting to spend, and it seems like Seager was their biggest target. Pairing him with Semien is just about the quickest way you can improve your offense from laughable to respectable, and that’s exactly what a team such as Texas, which ranked 28th in wRC+ in 2021, should be doing with money to spend in free agency.

Seager also gets to settle down in a brand-new ballpark that he is already quite familiar with, having launched seven dingers in 13 games there en route to NLCS and World Series MVPs during the 2020 neutral-site postseason. His brother, Kyle, also historically hit tremendously well whenever he played the Rangers on the road, so we know this family is plenty comfortable hitting baseballs in Arlington.

Perhaps the wildest thing is that even after this remarkable spending spree topped by Seager, the Rangers have added just more than $75M to their projected payroll for 2022 — still well short of the $100M mark that was rumored when the winter began. Could there be another big splash on the way?

Dodgers: B-

When the offseason began, it seemed unlikely that the Dodgers would be in the running to retain Seager, despite his public declaration of wanting to stay. They just traded for Trea Turner, so they have a ready-made replacement to slide back to shortstop in Seager’s place. That said, Seager’s exit combined with being outspent for Scherzer does seem to put some pressure on Los Angeles to make another big move sooner rather than later. This roster is still tremendous, but it’s no longer head-and-shoulders above the rest of the league. I doubt the Dodgers will be quiet for long.

Nov. 29: SP Robbie Ray signs with Seattle Mariners

The deal: Ray and the Mariners have agreed on five years, $115 million with an opt-out after the third year, according to sources.

Key stats: The 2021 American League Cy Young winner put it all together at just the right time last season, going 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 193.1 innings pitched and 248 strikeouts, all career bests.

Why it matters: The rising Mariners have made their first big splash after committing to spend this offseason. The team needed a top-of-the-rotation arm and now has one secured for the next few years. It's a good thing, too, as they'll need to contend with the Astros, Rangers and Angels in a suddenly loaded AL West.

JORDAN'S GRADES

Mariners: A

Patience was wearing thin for Mariners fans who were promised an exciting offseason and were seemingly left out of the free-agent bonanza over the past week or so. The Adam Frazier trade was a nifty move but hardly worth partying over when big contracts were flying all across the league, most notably from the AL West rival Rangers.

There had been several rumors connecting Seattle to Kevin Gausman, so news of his signing in Toronto had deflated fans even further — but that only made it sweeter when news of Ray’s signing entered the Twittersphere. Ray immediately becomes the best pitcher the Mariners have boasted since King Felix and signals to the rest of the market that they are not messing around.

This seems to have been more of a reaction to the active pitching market than addressing a top need, however. While the Mariners began the winter with two rotation spots open, GM Jerry Dipoto has been clear from the beginning that adding an impact bat is priority No. 1. That’s still on Seattle's to-do list, but this is an excellent way to hold over the fans while that box remains unchecked.

Blue Jays: B+

The sequencing here was a bit odd. Toronto agreed to terms with Gausman, only to watch the pitcher the franchise helped develop into a Cy Young winner sign elsewhere the next day for the same number of years and ... only $5M more? It can be easy to assume that teams always want to retain their top free agents, and it’s reasonable to think the Blue Jays did want Ray back to some degree, but perhaps they truly liked Gausman more and consciously chose him over Ray. That they have already replaced Ray with an arm as good as Gausman's is why they can’t be knocked too much for letting him go. That said, these two arms will certainly be linked moving forward, considering their similar contracts and surprising landing spots.

Nov. 29: SP Max Scherzer headed to New York Mets

The deal: The 37-year-old righty reportedly landed a three-year, $130 million contract with the Mets.

Key stats: A three-time Cy Young winner, Scherzer finished third in this year's vote. He led MLB in 2021 with an 0.86 WHIP in 30 starts for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers and posted a 15-4 record with a career-best 2.46 ERA. After joining Los Angeles at the deadline, he went 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 11 starts.

Why it matters: A busy holiday weekend for the Mets carried over into Monday, as they added the crown jewel in this offseason's crop of free-agent starting pitchers. Scherzer's reported contract sets a record for average annual value, at more than $43 million per year, surpassing the $36 million average of Gerrit Cole's contract with the Yankees. Scherzer has an opt-out after the second year of his deal, according to Ken Rosenthal.

JAKE'S GRADES

The Mets: A

According to Forbes, Mets owner and hedge fund bigwig Steve Cohen is the 119th-richest human being on planet Earth, with a net worth around $16 billion. He’s operating in a stratosphere of wealth that most of us can’t comprehend. Mets fans are just glad he’s acting like it.

After decades of frugality and scrupulousness under the Wilpon ownership, the Mets are finally stepping up. Dropping a record-breaking $43 million per year on a frontline starting pitcher is exactly what a team from the country’s largest media market with a disgustingly rich owner should be doing.

The Yankees have carried themselves this way in free agency for years. It’s about time the Mets followed suit.

The obvious: Adding Scherzer gives the Mets, at least on paper, perhaps the greatest 1-2 pitching punch of all time. If I needed to select a pitcher to start a game against alien invaders to save the human race, I’d pick Jacob deGrom. If it were a best-of-three series, I’d have Scherzer go Game 2.

The big "if" here is Scherzer’s (and deGrom’s) health. Paying $130 million for a 37-year-old starter is risky, especially for one who has had some neck and back problems the past few years. But giving big bucks to any pitcher is risky; pitchers are always breaking down. So if you’re gonna gamble your winnings on any starter, Scherzer is the right place to put your chips.

That said, the Mets still have a bit of work to do. Scherzer does not guarantee a postseason spot. This team needs a few more depth starters, a reliever or two and maybe another infield bat. The Mets were the NL East favorites heading into 2021, and we know how that turned out. Their 2022 season will be defined both by how healthy Scherzer and deGrom are and by the quality of the arms who might have to pick up the slack. But those are tomorrow’s problems; today, the Mets are limitless.

That’s what feels so different about the Cohen regime. Sure, things are still a bit of a circus act in Queens, between the bizarre, lengthy GM search and the unnecessary tweets bad-mouthing agents, but this operation is now a bottomless brunch, an all-Steve-Cohen-can-pay-for buffet. The enormous budget makes everything in baseball a possibility for the Metropolitans, something that was never the case in Wilpon World. The limitlessness is refreshing and intoxicating, and it signals a new age in Queens for a franchise that hasn’t won a World Series since 1986.

Max Scherzer: A+++

Incredible stuff here. Most pitchers are driving their kids to school or coaching high school baseball or getting their real estate license by 37. Scherzer just cashed in on his second enormous payday. Remember, he’s still getting paid $15 million a year by the Nationals, too, as he agreed to have his signing bonus deferred and paid out over time. A 37-year-old pitcher making $58 million a year is phenomenal stuff.

And for a guy such as Scherzer, who is heavily involved and invested in the players' association, it’s raising the bar for other free-agent pitchers, current and future. The record-setting $43 million average annual salary pushes the standard up, forward and beyond in a way that is beneficial to all big leaguers.

I think any statement about Scherzer wanting to pitch under the bright lights in New York or help refurbish a franchise that is often a punchline isn’t totally true. I doubt he cared about the Mets before he became a free agent. Now, he might go to the media conference and say those things, but he’s a New York Met because the money was right, which is totally fine. I’d live anywhere for $43 million!

The Dodgers: C

It doesn’t seem like Cohen and the Mets were going to be outbid here, so it’s not exactly on the Dodgers for passing on Scherzer. But Mad Max’s decision to leave L.A. after just one summer puts the Dodgers in a weird spot. Walker Buehler is an ace, there’s no denying that, and Julio Urías is solid, but behind them, it’s Tony Gonsolin, whom the Dodgers didn’t feel comfortable giving a postseason start, David Price, who hasn’t been effective in a while, Andrew Heaney, the team's newest reclamation project, and Dustin May, once he gets back from Tommy John surgery.

Most people around the game doubt that Trevor Bauer will ever put on a Dodgers uniform again. How that deal hamstrings L.A. going forward and how much of that money Bauer ends up seeing is all TBD, but the $32 million a year the Dodgers are set to pay Bauer must have some impact on their approach to free agency. That’s a situation largely of the team's making — Bauer’s history of harassment was in the open for anyone to see — but it’s still a situation set to influence L.A.'s winter until it’s resolved.

Granted, we're talking about the Dodgers, who will still be fabulous on the field next season, but if they don’t add another free-agent arm this offseason, that rotation will look shakier than it has in years.

Nov. 28: SP Kevin Gausman inks contract with Toronto Blue Jays

The deal: The Blue Jays reportedly signed Gausman to a five-year, $110 million deal.

Key stats: The nine-year veteran logged a career year in 2021, posting a 2.81 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 192 innings pitched and 227 strikeouts, all personal bests. He finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting.

Why it matters: With Gausman coming off an excellent season with the team with MLB's best record (that's the Giants), the market for the righty was hot, with the Mets and others reportedly in the mix. Instead, Gausman joins a Toronto team that has Jose Berrios, Alek Manoah and Hyun-Jin Ryu in its rotation — with the potential to re-sign Robbie Ray. This is a team that's looking to make noise in the always competitive AL East.

JAKE'S GRADES

Gausman: A

Before the 2020 season, Gausman was somewhat of a lost soul wandering the former first-round pick waiver-wire wilderness. After never quite living up to his promise in Baltimore (which, in retrospect, says more about the Orioles’ pitching development than Gausman), the long-legged Coloradan was dealt to Atlanta in ‘18, put on waivers and scooped up by Cincy to throw out of the bullpen in ‘19.

But the Giants saw something there and offered Gausman a one-year, $9 million deal in December 2019. While Gausman’s small-sample bounce-back year in 2020 was encouraging, the randomness of the COVID Cup season made evaluating his breakout much more difficult. The Giants extended the qualifying offer, which Gausman took.

That ended up being the right call, as Gausman dealt in 2021, finishing sixth in Cy Young voting with an ERA under 3.0 in more than 190 innings and establishing himself as a true frontline starter. His fastball-splitter combo is incredibly unique, as Gausman lives off getting chases on balls below the zone with his split. The Dodgers were able to lay off that pitch in Gausman’s NLDS start, and he got knocked around as a result, but he has shown that over the course of a full season, his funky pitch mix gets results.

When free-agent contracts get handed down, I like to ask, "where was this player X years ago?" If you told Kevin Gausman that he’d get 5/110 in free agency when he was coming out of the bullpen for a mediocre Reds team in 2019, I think he’d have been ecstatic.

Blue Jays: A-

Everyone knows Toronto can really swing it. The team's spectacular offense finished 2021 third in the league in runs, second in WRC+ and first in homers. Vlad Jr. was the best hitter in the world. Bo Bichette broke the franchise record for dingers by a shortstop in a season. Teoscar Hernández had a 133 OPS+ and started the All-Star Game. George Springer missed a lot of time but was outstanding when he played.

But it’s clear that instead of doubling down on an area of strength, the Jays’ focus this offseason is to improve and solidify their pitching staff. Even though they seemed prepared to let Robbie Ray walk after his 2021 Cy Young campaign, the Jays have committed $241 million to pitching this offseason, between the Berrios extension and Gausman’s five-year pact.

Toronto’s big pitching gamble makes a lot of sense, even if long contracts for hurlers are inherently risky, considering how often they get hurt. The organization has shown an ability to develop top hitters, and the farm system right now is awash with impact bats, most notably catcher Gabriel Moreno, shortstop Orelvis Martinez and infielder Jordan Groshans. All three are consensus top-100 prospects, and Moreno in particular looks like a perennial All-Star talent.

If a team feels confident in its hitting prospects, splashing big cash on the pitching side is a no-brainer. And with a rotation led by Gausman and Berrios and featuring Ryu, Manoah and a hopefully healthy Nate Pearson, Toronto might sneakily have the best pitching in the AL East.

Nov. 28: INF Marcus Semien signs mega-deal with Texas Rangers

The deal: The Rangers reportedly locked up Semien with a seven-year, $175 million contract.

Key stats: Semien played in all 162 games for the Toronto Blue Jays a season ago, hitting .265 with a career-high 45 home runs. His 102 RBIs were the most he has collected in a single season in his nine-year career.

Why it matters: The 31-year-old Semien picked a convenient season to earn his first All-Star nod, first Gold Glove Award and first Silver Slugger Award. Although he played primarily at second base with Toronto, he has plenty of experience at shortstop under his belt, and in a free-agent market full of top-flight shortstop talent, Semien is the first big-money domino to fall. After the Rangers finished with the second-most losses in the AL, at 60-102, Semien's signing marks a step in the right direction on the road to improvement next season.

JAKE'S GRADES

Semien: A+

Bet. On. Your. Self.

Semien’s journey from unspectacular middle infielder to top-10 hitter in baseball has been remarkable. For parts of six seasons in Chicago and Oakland, he was about as average as a major leaguer gets. He paired a forgettable .249/.310/.403 batting line in 643 games with a glove that was, for most of that time, more solid than elite. Ron Washington, the A’s infield coach at the time, helped Semien reinvigorate his defensive game in 2018, leading to a nice jump in his defensive numbers, but the bat remained dormant. Heading into the 2019 season, Semien was just another guy in the enormous baseball universe.

Then he started hitting the ball in the air. It’s obviously a bit more complicated than that, but in a 2019 midseason interview, Semien himself credited a more efficient launch angle and a greater emphasis on driving the baseball as the reasons behind his breakout. That season, he finished third in the MVP voting behind Mike Trout and Alex Bregman, with a 139 OPS+ and 33 home runs. Set to become a free agent after the 2020 season, Semien looked primed to sign a hefty contract somewhere.

Then the pandemic happened. Semien struggled mightily in his COVID-shortened walk year, hitting well below league average. Like many other players, he spoke publicly about how the pandemic messed with his routine both before and during the season. Instead of inking a long-term contract, Semien took a one-year, $18 million pillow contract from Toronto, essentially betting on himself and his abilities.

It worked out. Semien bounced back in a big way, finishing third in MVP voting with 45 homers, the most ever by a second baseman. Then he switched agents, moving to Scott Boras in perhaps an indicator that Semien might get more coin than anticipated (most outlets predicted a contract in the four- or five-year range).

Marcus Semien knew he was better than his subpar 2020 season, he was confident in his own worth, and he acted accordingly. And he’s $175 million richer as a result.

Texas Rangers: A

Texas had itself a day Sunday, reportedly agreeing to terms with Semien, former Rockies pitcher Jon Gray and veteran outfielder Kole Calhoun. The Rangers also remain in the mix for Corey Seager and Trevor Story.

They will need a lot more than Semien, Story/Seager, Gray and Calhoun to morph into contenders for 2022, but their willingness to dole out the big bucks is a great sign for the organization. They’ve been a big-market, big-budget club lost in the mediocrity desert the past handful of years, so any significant show of intent is a good thing. While the Semien move might not push Texas over the hump to its first postseason appearance since 2016, the aggressive offseason sets the team up nicely for 2023 and beyond.

Oakland: F

When Semien was a free agent last year, the A’s offered him a borderline insulting, one-year, $12.5 million offer that would've paid the infielder just $2.5 million that year, with $1 million installments paid over the next 10 years. That looks like a joke now, with Semien set to rake in $175 from the Rangers.

Oakland has shown the ability to tear down and build and rebuild time and time again over the past two decades, but things such as that extreme low-ball offer give real weight to criticisms of the organization’s hesitance to spend money. Semien is another former Oakland A, balling elsewhere.

Nov. 28: RF Avisaíl García joining Miami Marlins

The deal: García is signing with the Marlins for $53 million over four years, per reports.

Key stats: With the Milwaukee Brewers for the 2021 season, García hit .262 with 29 home runs and 86 RBIs, the latter two of which were career highs. His .820 OPS a season ago was the second-highest mark of his career, behind his .885 OPS in 2017.

Why it matters: The Marlins averaged the second-fewest runs per game (3.85) in the majors in 2021. They were also well below league average in hits (1,244), home runs (158), batting average (.233) and several other offensive categories. The 30-year-old García should add some much-needed pop to the lineup.

Nov. 26: OF Starling Marte signs with New York Mets

The deal: Marte signed a four-year, $78 million deal with the Mets

Key stats: Marte hit .310 with the Oakland A's and Miami Marlins a season ago, playing in a total of 120 games between the two clubs. He hit 12 home runs and collected 55 RBIs while swiping an MLB-best 47 bases.

Why it matters: The Mets were in the mood to shop on Black Friday, with Marte's addition headlining a busy day of deals. In addition to Marte, the Mets reached deals with Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha. After a strong start to 2021, the Mets faded down the stretch and went 29-45 in the second half, finishing 77-85 and outside of the playoffs.

Nov. 23: SP Steven Matz swapping Toronto Blue Jays jersey for St. Louis Cardinals colors

The deal: Matz and the Cards have agreed to a $44 million, four-year contract, according to reports.

Key stats: The 30-year-old lefty put up a 3.82 ERA — his best mark since 2016 — in his first season in the AL in 2021. He won a career-high 14 games with seven losses in 29 starts for the Blue Jays, who acquired Matz from the New York Mets ahead of the season.

Why it matters: The Cardinals lacked a proven lefty starter heading into 2022. Now, they have one. Furthermore, St. Louis' signing seems to have irked the Mets. Matz spent six seasons with the New York team that drafted him in the second round in 2009, and the Mets seemingly had designs on a reunion. However, that didn't come to pass, and Mets owner Steve Cohen let his displeasure be known on Twitter.

JAKE'S GRADES

Steven Matz: A+

Four years! Steven Matz got a presidency! Good for him. Most intelligent baseball prognostication websites had him pegged for a three-year deal. I, a skeptical downer when it comes to the durability of starting pitching, would have given him just two. But he has become a Cardinal just before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and he’ll be a free agent again before the next World Cup.

For the majority of his seven-year career, the left-hander has been perfectly respectable on the mound. Matz has a career ERA around 4.20 and has thrown at least 150 innings in the previous three six-month, non-COVID-obliterated seasons. He has been not elite, not dominant, but a reasonably pitchable character in the MLB universe. That is, except for in his abysmal 2020 season.

In 2020, Matz put up one of the most horrific pitching seasons in recent memory. In 30 2/3 innings, he gave up 33 runs — that’s a 9.68 ERA — and allowed 14 home runs. Basically every other inning Matz went out, he let a gopher ball fly into the seats. It’s not fair or rational to let that 2020 season define his whole career, and clearly the Cardinals didn’t.

The COVID Cup was small-sample theater in the midst of a pandemic. Many other big leaguers who struggled in ‘20 (Marcus Semien, anyone?) returned to their regularly scheduled programming in '21. But to me, Matz will always carry that stink with him. Maybe that's harsh. I’d love to see him dominate in October and change my perception. But in the summer of 2020, it seemed like every night I’d turn on MLB.TV to see Matz with his head drooped like an unwatered petunia as a baseball rocketed over his head.

Anyway, get your money, my man.

Cardinals: B+

St. Louis' getting volcanic-hot down the stretch and winning 17 consecutive games kind of obscured that this roster has some flaws.

One of said flaws is/was the lack of left-handed pitching in the rotation. The Cardinals traded for J.A. Happ and Jon Lester to hide that flaw during the season, but that was very much not a long-term solution.

The rest of the Cardinals’ projected rotation for 2022 is Adam Wainwright (righty), Jack Flaherty (a right-handed thrower), Miles Mikolas (righty with a mustache) and Dakota Hudson (not a lefty). Being able to mix up looks against a team in a three-game, regular-season series has value, but the Cardinals are really hoping Matz will be their guy for Game 3 of an NLDS.

By giving Matz an Olympic cycle worth of years, St. Louis is betting that his abysmal 2020 season was an aberration. Any living, breathing humanoid who can strap the ol’ baseball pantaloons on every five days for six months while keeping an ERA under 4.00 is a valuable piece, if an unspectacular one. If Matz can give the Cards 150 innings or so, they’ll be beyond pleased by the end of this contract.

Steve Cohen: F-

Log off, my guy.

Cohen seems to think there was a verbal agreement between the club and Matz, but Matz didn’t come back to the Mets to allow a final counter-offer. Bashing an agent in public is a bad look for an owner of a team that appears to be struggling to woo free agents to end up in NYC. The Mets stay the Mets.

Nov. 23: RP Kendall Graveman jumping to Chicago White Sox

The deal: The veteran reliever has agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract, per Jon Heyman.

Key stats: Splitting time between the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros, Graveman posted a 5-1 record with a career-best 1.77 ERA in 53 games. As a closer with Seattle in 2021, he notched 10 saves and had a WHIP of 0.70 before moving to Houston as a setup man.

Why it matters: Graveman joins a bullpen headlined by closer Liam Hendriks, who became the first pitcher in franchise history to record 30-plus saves and 100-plus strikeouts in 2021. Craig Kimbrel, who has 372 career saves and had 23 with the Chicago Cubs before being traded to the South Siders at last year's deadline, is also a member of the AL Central champions' vaunted bullpen — for now.

Nov. 22: SP Anthony DeSclafani remaining with San Francisco Giants

The deal: DeSclafani is sticking with the 2021 NL West champions on a three-year pact worth $36 million. As part of his deal, he will make a $60,000 annual donation to the Giants Community Fund, too.

Key stats: The 31-year-old starter made 31 starts for the 107-55 Giants, bouncing back from a rough final season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020. He won double-digit games for the first time in his career and gave up the fewest hits per nine innings pitched (7.6) of his career while striking out 152 batters and walking just 42.

Why it matters: In his one year in the Bay Area, the right-hander set career bests in wins (13), shutouts (two), ERA (3.17) and WHIP (1.09). He posted an individual record of 13-7, and the Giants went 21-10 in his 31 starts for the club.

Nov. 17: SP Justin Verlander agrees to a new deal with the Houston Astros

The deal: Verlander is re-upping with his former team for one year and $25 million.

Key stats: For his career, Verlander is 226-129 with a 3.33 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 3,013 strikeouts. He made just one start in 2020 before undergoing Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2021 while rehabbing.

Why it matters: The last time he pitched a full season, Verlander won the 2019 Cy Young Award. He returns to an Astros team that, while it made the World Series and a fifth straight ALCS this year, desperately needed more starting pitching.

JAKE'S GRADES

Astros: A-

A reasonable reaction to the 2021 World Series might have been: "Huh, the Astros really could use another starting pitcher." Well, here ya go.

Despite their untimely demise against Atlanta and the likelihood that Carlos Correa is on his way out of town, the Astros’ window is like a Waffle House: very much open. They still have three-quarters of the superb infield you’ve come to know and despise, Kyle Tucker and Yordan Álvarez might be two of the best five pure hitters in baseball, and they still boast a horde of promising young arms.

It’s logical, then, for Houston to re-sign Verlander on a two-year deal (with a player option after year one). Since being dealt to the Astros in late August 2017, Verlander has been a stalwart for the club, posting a sparkling 2.45 ERA in 477 innings before his elbow went kaput last summer. It might be easy to forget because it was literally a pandemic ago, but the last time we saw Verlander in a full season, he won the Cy Young. If he returns with all his powers, then the Astros paid No. 2 starter money to bring back an ace.

However, there’s certainly some risk for Houston. If Verlander returns from injury as a soggy pumpkin, the team is likely on the hook for an additional $25 million in 2023. There are no historical examples of a pitcher this good, who relies on velocity this much, going under the Tommy John knife at such an advanced age. We don’t know how that will go. All we know is that Verlander's heater was in the mid-90s a few weeks ago at a workout. Now, the Astros probably know more than that, even if he wasn’t rehabbing with the team, which is probably why this deal got done. It was a gamble worth making for a team now even more favored to repeat as AL West champs.

Verlander: A

This deal is a win/win for Verlander. If he struggles to come back from Tommy John and is hurt or ineffective in 2022, he’ll simply pick up the player option, pocket an additional $25M and try to right the ship in 2023, before hitting free agency again at 41. If he is Justin Verlander in 2022 and posts a 3.00 ERA in 180 innings, he’ll opt out of the pact and ink himself an even more attractive deal next winter.

Now, there were rumblings of discontent between Verlander and the Astros during the 2021 season, as the rehabbing hurler spent zero time around the big-league club. But Verlander clarified his absence by tweet in October, and with his re-signing in Houston, it’s pretty obvious that there’s no significant or lasting beef to be found.

Max Scherzer: A++

The starting pitching market is a-poppin'. So far, four notable starters have signed: Verlander, Noah Syndergaard, Eduardo Rodríguez and Andrew Heaney. They’ve all surpassed expectations, particularly Verlander, Syndergaard and Heaney, who all signed one- or two-year contracts.

That’s big news for Max Scherzer, indisputably the top pitcher on the market. If Verlander got $25 million after not throwing a pitch since July AND is a year older than Scherzer, that means Mad Max coming off third place in the Cy Young should take home a juicy average annual value in the $35-40 million range.

Nov. 16: SP Noah Syndergaard agrees to a deal with the Anaheim Angels

The deal: The big right-hander has reportedly agreed to a one-year, $21 million deal, pending a physical.

Key stats: Syndergaard is 47-31 with a 3.32 ERA across six seasons, but he pitched only two innings (9.00 ERA) in 2021.

Why it matters: The Angels need some pitching help beyond Shohei Ohtani, as their 4.96 runs allowed per game was the eighth-worst mark in the league last season. Syndergaard is a former All-Star who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019. When healthy, Syndergaard has some of the nastiest stuff in the sport. Now he has a hefty one-year deal to get back to that point and prove he deserves a longer deal.

Syndergaard to Angels!

Ben Verlander reacts to Noah Syndergaard’s one-year, $21 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels and explains what this means for Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

JAKE'S GRADES

Angels: B+

There’s no such thing as a bad one-year contract. Even if Syndergaard can’t stay healthy or struggles mightily, the long-term risk for Anaheim is zero. And Syndergaard gives Anaheim — a team mired in mediocrity for the past half-decade, largely due to its inconsistent starting pitching — a second frontline starter to pair with Ohtani.

On the flip side, since undergoing Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2020, Thor has made just two MLB appearances, both one-inning stints in the final week of 2021. So while there’s a lot of upside here — 2016 Syndergaard was mind-blowingly good — there's also a ton of risk, considering recent injury history. Relying on Syndergaard for more than 130-150 innings is unrealistic, which means the Angels need to add at least another arm or two (and an impact bat, and some depth) if they want to make noise in 2022. If Thor is the beginning of a larger plan, great, but if this is the biggest move of Anaheim’s offseason, it’s not going to jolt the franchise out of irrelevance.

Mets: Incomplete

It’s all about optics. Letting a high-risk arm such as Syndergaard walk isn’t a problem if it appears that the Mets did due diligence and are set on acquiring another, more reliable, high-level arm. But … the Mets don’t have a GM right now, which means everything going on in MetsWorld is bathed in an aura of illegitimacy.

Whoever is running baseball operations in Queens extended Syndergaard a qualifying offer, which, had he accepted it, would have kept Thor in NYC for another year at $18 million. That same front office was unwilling to up the ante by another $3M, thus allowing a franchise cornerstone to waltz his way to Orange County. If the Mets backfill Thor’s rotation spot with, say, Robbie Ray and bring back Marcus Stroman, this is much ado about nothing. But the organization has not earned itself the benefit of the doubt, so until the dust settles, I can’t really give this a grade.

Syndergaard: A-

For Syndergaard, the math was simple: The extra $3 million Anaheim was willing to pay was more than enough to justify a change of scenery. If Thor can stay healthy and log at least 125 quality innings for the Angels, he’ll get a nice multiyear deal next season. If he can’t, well, he got 3 million extra bucks. Also, this contract is good news for Stroman, Justin Verlander and the rest of the free-agent pitching class.

Nov. 15: SP Eduardo Rodríguez agrees to a deal with the Detroit Tigers

The deal: The left-hander has reportedly agreed to a five-year, $77 million deal to head to Detroit.

Key stats: Rodríguez was 13-8 with a 4.74 ERA and 185 strikeouts for the Red Sox in the 2021 regular season. He threw 12.2 innings with a 4.97 ERA in the postseason.

Why it matters: Rodríguez was a key part of the Red Sox rotation, particularly in the postseason. Boston won two of his three playoff starts, including Game 3 of the ALCS against the Astros, a series the Red Sox ultimately lost. The six-year veteran will be one of the more experienced members of a Detroit staff that is young yet carries a lot of promise, with Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal leading the way.

JAKE'S GRADES

Tigers: A-

There's no such thing as being fashionably late. The Tigers showed up to the free-agent party at the specified time and jumped into the deep pool of starting pitching before the CBA hullabaloo is set to kick off Dec. 1. Inking E-Rod to a five-year pact is a strong statement of intent from the brass in Detroit that the Tigers are ready to compete again after a multiyear rebuilding project. Expecting them to win the division in 2022 might be a bit optimistic, but Rodríguez will be just 29 next season and should be able to contribute deep into this contract.

Rodríguez also comes with some upside. He was one of if not the single unluckiest pitcher last season, as a startlingly low number of his batted balls were turned into outs. Boston’s less-than-stellar defense is mostly to blame. If the Tigers can put together an average defense, expect E-Rod’s ERA to begin better reflecting his peripheral numbers. Also, don’t forget the Venezuelan lefty had a nasty case of COVID-19 last year, which led to a scary myocarditis diagnosis. With a full offseason and spring training, Rodríguez should be more comfortable and prepared leading into 2022.

Red Sox: B

Expect the Red Sox to replace Rodríguez with another free-agent starter to pair with healthy Chris Sale, big boss Nate Eovaldi and sneaky-good-in-October Nick Pivetta. I'm not too worried about Boston letting E-Rod walk. The organization never seemed particularly intent on bringing him back.

Rodríguez: A

Detroit is a sneaky great town. The Tigers are going to be good soon, but not right away, so Rodríguez can ease into his new surroundings for a season. Comerica is a good ballpark to pitch in. Pitchers love throwing to recent Tigers acquisition Tucker Barnhart. The $15.4M average annual value is a bit higher than most people thought E-Rod would get. I’d switch lives with him, you betcha.

Detroit’s Horology Community: A+

The Tigers have also been connected with another time enthusiast, Carlos Correa. You probably remember Game 3 of the ALCS, when Rodríguez mocked Correa’s "It’s My Time" celebration after carving through Houston’s lineup. Correa later said he loved the gesture and thinks stuff like that is great for the game. Well, if the Tigers can land both ends of that playful beef, Detroit’s horology community (horology is the study of time) would be through the roof.