We are steaming toward the end of November and on the doorstep of this year's MLB Winter Meetings. With that in mind, let's dive into some of the latest MLB rumors, news and notes involving the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers.
St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Reasons for hope in landing Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Let's be perfectly honest ... the offseason is in St. Louis has been a little blah for the Cardinals. Sure, there are two new arms for the rotation in Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson, but those deals aren't really moving the needle under the Gateway Arch.
So if Cardinals fans need a little for hope when it comes to their team adding some star power on the mound, our friends at Redbird Rants put together this article explaining why there should be hope for Yamamoto to ink a deal with the Cardinals this offseason. And, sure, there may be a slight feeling of Charlie Day trying to connect all of the dots in a world-famous GIF when reading the piece, but there are some tidbits to note in there, including two big thoughts shared by Yamamoto's agent, Joel Wolfe, in this article. First, Yamamoto would prefer to play with other Japanese players when choosing his new club (the Cardinals have Team Japan member Lars Nootbaar on the roster and they are close). Second, Yamamoto does not necessarily have to play on either of the coasts, boosting the hopes for St. Louis.
Those reasons and more are enough to give Cardinals fans hope that better signings for the rotaton are ahead, with the interest by St. Louis in Yamamoto well-documented.
New York Yankees rumors: Cody Bellinger concerns?
If the Yankees don't sign Bellinger this offseason, MLB insider Jon Heyman believes it could be because of some advanced statistics.
In his New York Post article, Heyman writes, "The Yankees like free agent Cody Bellinger, but some Yankees people are worried about his hard-hit rate even after his brilliant season."
Last season, Bellinger's hard hit percentage was at 31.4, way down from his career percentage of 39.5. MLB average, by the way, is 36.3, so there is reason to be concerned if that is indeed a statistic the Yankees are focusing upon.
Detroit Tigers: Kenta Maeda talks "intensifying"
According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Tigers may indeed be trying to finalize a deal to bring 35-year-old right-hander Kenta Maeda on to be a part of the rotation.
Sources: Tigers’ talks with free agent RHP Kenta Maeda have intensified in recent days.@EvanPetzold reported earlier this week that the Tigers have serious interest in Maeda. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 24, 2023
Inhis seven-year MLB career, Maeda has pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins, including making 20 starts last season for the AL Central champions.