The pitching market has exploded this offseason, with Clay Holmes‘ three-year, $38 million deal serving as the latest example. He’s a guy I expected the Cubs to be after as a late-inning reliever, but the Mets plan to have him transition to the rotation and are overpaying as a result. There’s also a sense that Ru014dki Sasaki has already chosen a team even though he won’t be posted until the Winter Meetings, so not many execs are waiting on him before looking elsewhere.
Even if Sasaki’s courtship is truly open, his low salary and the fact that international signing bonuses don’t count toward luxury tax calculations means anyone could easily add him and another starter.