MLB rumors: Red Sox interested in Mariners pitchers, Yankees make minor trade, Royals sign Hunter Renfroe

The 2023-24 MLB offseason is six weeks old and, with Juan Soto traded and Shohei Ohtani signed, the next big piece to come off the board figures to be Japanese righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto held in-person meetings with teams this week and could make his decision sometime next week, if not sooner. Until then, here are the latest hot stove rumors.

Glasnow agrees to Dodgers extension

The Dodgers and righty Tyler Glasnow have agreed to a five-year, $135 million extension. The trade sending Glasnow and Manuel Margot to Los Angeles for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca was contingent on the extension, so the trade should be made official fairly soon. Glasnow’s new contract begins right away and he was already owed $25 million in 2024. It’s essentially a four-year extension worth $110 million. The contract includes a $30 million club option, and, if declined, Glasnow has a $20 million player option. Here are our trade grades for the four-player swap.

Royals sign Renfroe to two-year contract

The Royals have signed free agent outfielder Hunter Renfroe to a two-year contract worth $13 million, reports the New York Post. Renfroe can opt out after the first year. Although he’s averaged 34 homers per 162 games in his career, Kansas City will be Renfroe’s seventh team in the last six years. He did not rank among our top 50 free agents.

It has been a busy few weeks for the Royals, who have also signed utility man Garrett Hampson (one year, $2 million), reliever Will Smith (one year, $5 million), and starter Seth Lugo (three years, $45 million). Kansas City has a franchise player in Bobby Witt Jr. and are adding to a supporting cast that includes stalwart Salvador Perez and youngsters Cole Ragans and Vinnie Pasquantino.

Kansas City also signed righty Michael Wacha to a two-year, $32 million contract Friday. Like Renfroe, Wacha’s deal includes an opt out after the first year.

Red Sox asked Mariners about young pitchers

According to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox approached the Mariners about their young pitchers, but we rebuffled. Boston is said to want multiple starters this offseason and Mariners figure to at least listen on guys like Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo if the trade nets them bats with multiple years of control. Unless the Red Sox put Triston Casas on the table, they don’t have much to offer.

The Red Sox have yet to add to their pitching staff in a meaningful way this offseason and Seattle has done more subtracting (Jarred Kelenic, Eugenio Suárez, etc.) than adding these last few weeks. Eventually they’ll get around to improving rosters that weren’t good enough to reach the postseason in 2023, and in Boston’s case, finished in last place three times in the last four years.

Stewart signs extension to stay in Japan

Right-hander Carter Stewart, the No. 8 pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, has signed a two-year extension to remain with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks through 2026, according to Kyodo. The deal is worth approximately $10 million. Stewart did not sign with the Braves out of the draft and instead signed a landmark six-year contract to go to Japan. That contract was set to expire after 2024.

“They’ve done a great job of developing him, bringing him along,” Scott Boras, Stewart’s agent, told Kyodo. “They got his body in great shape. They were very patient with him. So it’s been a great experience for him. We’re very pleased about it. He’s quite happy there.”

Stewart, 24, had a 2.87 ERA in 100.1 innings this past season, though his strikeout and walk rates left something to be desired. The new extension will allow him to become a free agent at age 27, at which point he could command a significant contract from an MLB team should he continue improving these next few years in Japan.

As compensation for failing to sign Stewart, the Braves received the No. 9 pick in the 2019 draft. They used it to take catcher Shea Langeliers, who was sent to the Athletics in the Matt Olson trade. It all worked out in the end for Atlanta.

Tigers re-sign Pacheco

The Tigers have re-signed righty Freddy Pacheco to a minor league contract, reports the Detroit Free Press. Pacheco had Tommy John surgery in June, meaning he won’t return until the second half of next season at the earliest. Our R.J. Anderson identified the 25-year-old reliever as a potential bargain free agent thanks to a “mid-90s heater with big-time rise and a bullet slider with a well-above-average whiff rate,” which give him a chance to pitch high-leverage innings once healthy.

Yankees, Pirates make minor trade

The Pirates have acquired outfielder Billy McKinney from the Yankees for international bonus money, the team announced. The Yankees recently re-signed McKinney to a minor-league deal. It seems likely they’re doing him a favor and sending him to a team that offers a greater MLB opportunity following their Soto and Alex Verdugo trades. Also, the international bonus pool money will have no bearing on New York’s pursuit of Yamamoto. He is not subject to the bonus pools because of his age.