These 4 MLB teams made the best moves on Saturday
Saturday was a busy day around Major League Baseball as MLB free agency and trades were more plentiful than any other day since before the lockout.
Of course, not every signing was one that will ultimately be a game-changer for a team. However, there were some that stood out on Saturday that we consider the best moves of the day.
Here are the free agent signings (as well as a trade) that were the best from around MLB on Saturday
Which four MLB teams were the winners? Let’s dive in.
Winner: New York Mets adding Chris Bassitt from the Oakland A’s via trade
The fact that Oakland was going to be a major factor in the MLB trade market this offseason was well known heading into the final stretch before the 2022 season begins. The first Oakland trade piece came off the board on Saturday with the New York Mets making a deal to acquire starting pitcher Chris Bassitt.
In exchange, the Mets sent right-handed pitching prospects J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller. Both will be a part of the top 20 prospects for Oakland, with Ginn slotting in at number 4 on the list.
With the Mets already having a rotation that features Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, Bassitt, coming off an All-Star season where he went 12-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 27 starts, immediately becomes a strong third starter for New York.
Winner: Toronto Blue Jays signing Yusei Kikuchi as a free agent
With the Blue Jays signing Kikuchi, the rotation should be set with Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Hyun Jin Ryu, and Alek Manoah. Despite losing last year’s American League Cy Young Award winner in Robbie Ray to the Seattle Mariners and 14-game winner Steven Matz to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Blue Jays have added the pieces they needed through free agency to be a strong contender in the AL East in 2022.
Now in Toronto, Kikuchi still has to show that he is the pitcher who succeeded in the first half of 2021 for Seattle rather than the one who struggled in the second half of the season. If he can do that, Toronto’s rotation will be formidable.
Winner: Colorado Rockies signing Alex Colomé as a free agent
Yes, the Rockies boosted an area of their team that needed help with a player that, on paper, should be able to do just that. The 33-year-old right-hander saw a ground ball rate of 54.1 percent last season, well above the MLB average of 45.1 percent. Keeping the ball on the ground is a big plus at Coors Field, and Colomé should slide right into the closer role for the Rockies, something that was a revolving door for the team last season.
Winner: The Chicago White Sox signing a pair of veterans in Joe Kelly and Josh Harrison as free agents
There has been plenty of buzz this offseason about what the Detroit Tigers are putting together with their free agent signings of Eduardo Rodriguez and Javier Baez as well as the trade for Tucker Banrhart. However, don’t forget that the Chicago White Sox are the defending division champion and are looking to repeat and go even deeper in the postseason in 2022.
Harrison will likely fill a number of positions for the White Sox last season and his bat will provide enough offense to give Chicago a boost any day he is in the lineup. Kelly, meanwhile, is reportedly fully healed from a biceps injury that limited him last postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers. His presence, along with, for now, Kendall Graveman, Liam Hendriks, and Craig Kimbrel, gives the White Sox a power-packed back end of the bullpen.
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Does this mean a Craig Kimbrel trade could happen? It’s been discussed plenty this offseason, and it’s something to watch for the White Sox as the spring evolves. However, manager Tony La Russa said that he expects Kimbrel to be a part of the White Sox when the team opens the season at Detroit on April 8.