MLB Winter Meetings 2014 Day 2: Analyzing Impact of All the Latest Deals, Rumors

As Day 2 of the 2014 Major League Baseball winter meetings winds down in San Diego, rumors are swirling like so many late-autumn leaves.

The fate of Jon Lester, arguably the biggest prize in a rich free-agent pitching market, remains in the air as of this writing. And there's plenty of other innuendo and scuttlebutt (gotta love those "well-placed sources" and "people familiar with the team's thinking") to go around.

Amid the rampant hot-stove speculation, however, actual deals have been consummated. Let's examine the most recent moves and run through some notes and rumblings, with the obvious caveat that everything can change in a hurry—which is what makes all of this fun.

Chicago White Sox Trade for Jeff Samardzija, Sign David Robertson

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

David Robertson, who saved 39 games last year with the New York Yankees, is headed for Chicago.

The Chicago White Sox continued their offseason reload with a pair of deals that were made official Tuesday morning.

First, they acquired starter Jeff Samardzija from the Oakland A's, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The White Sox also netted minor league pitcher Michael Ynoa, in exchange for Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, Josh Phegley and Rangel Ravelo, as reported by Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com. 

Chicago also moved to bolster its bullpen, inking free-agent closer David Robertson to a four-year, $46 million pact, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Heyman. 

The White Sox have already added first baseman/designated hitter Adam LaRoche and reliever Zach Duke as they try to improve upon a disappointing 73-win season and reposition themselves as favorites in the wide-open American League Central.

The centerpiece of these latest moves is obviously Samardzija, who posted a 2.99 ERA with 202 strikeouts in 219.2 innings for the A's and Chicago Cubs last season. The 29-year-old right-hander will provide a scary complement to the White Sox's pair of left-handed studs, Chris Sale and Jose Quintana.

Robertson, meanwhile, who saved 39 games last year with the New York Yankees, will help shore up a bullpen that posted an unsightly 4.38 ERA in 2014.

As for Oakland, the trade is part of general manager Billy Beane's latest fire sale. He's already sent third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays and, on Monday, traded outfielder/first baseman Brandon Moss to the Cleveland Indians, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. 

The best chip coming back in the Samardzija deal is Semien, a 24-year-old middle infielder who has played in parts of two big league seasons. He hit just .234 in 255 plate appearances with the White Sox last year, but he did flash some pop with 10 doubles and six home runs. 

Bassit is a 25-year-old right-hander with a career 2.97 minor league ERA who made his MLB debut last season. Phegley is a 26-year-old Triple-A catcher who gets on base and has some power (a Beane kind of guy). Lastly, Rovelo is a 22-year-old infielder who posted a .309/.386/.473 slash line at Double-A.

A's fans may be weary of watching star players skip town and welcoming a new bushel of lesser-known youngsters. 

This is the formula, though, for Oakland's small-market success. And it's hard to argue with the results.

Pittsburgh Pirates Re-Sign Francisco Liriano

Al Behrman/Associated Press

Francisco Liriano is returning to Pittsburgh on a reported three-year deal.

A left-handed free-agent starter signed early in the day Tuesday, but his name wasn't Jon Lester.

Francisco Liriano agreed to a three-year, $39 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team he's played with for the past two seasons, per Heyman. 

The 31-year-old Liriano, who posted a 3.38 ERA with 175 strikeouts in 162.1 innings last season, could help set the market for the glut of second-tier starters available, guys like Ervin Santana and, to a lesser extent, James Shields.

The signing also signals a shift in philosophy for the Pirates, who aren't normally known for big free-agent paydays.

In fact, according to Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review, the Liriano contract is the largest in franchise history for a free agent and "should build some goodwill" with fans.

More than anything, assuming Liriano avoids the injury bug, it'll help Pittsburgh push toward a third straight postseason appearance. 

Chicago Cubs Acquire Miguel Montero from Arizona Diamondbacks

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Miguel Montero will provide a veteran presence on a young Chicago Cubs team.

The Chicago Cubs are in the midst of multiple rumors. At least one came to fruition Tuesday, when Chicago acquired veteran catcher Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks, per 670TheScore.com's Levine.

Montero, who put up a .243/.329/.370 slash line with 13 home runs last year, should provide a steadying influence in the young Chicago locker room.

Think of him as a poor man's Russell Martin, another seasoned backstop for whom the Cubs "rolled out the red carpet," according to Levine. 

To get Montero, the Cubs coughed up a pair of young pitchers, Zack Godley and Jefferson Mejia, neither of whom has advanced past Single-A.

Shortly after the trade was confirmed, Yahoo Sports' Passan reported that "the next move for Chicago is to trade [incumbent catcher] Welington Castillo."

Castillo is right-handed, and Montero bats lefty, so they could theoretically platoon, but considering the dearth of catchers on the market, there should be interest in the 27-year-old incumbent.

News and Notes

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly considering a trade that would send Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres.

Here's a handful of other notable transactions and rumors:

• The Los Angeles Angels shelled out a record $8 million signing bonus for 20-year-old Cuban middle infielder Roberto Baldoquin, per Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. "This is a dream come true," Baldoquin told Sanchez from the Dominican Republic. "I’ve made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point. I’m ready for the next part of my journey." Given his age and the lack of holes in the Angels infield, it's a safe bet Sanchez will start next season in the minor leagues. Fans itching to get a look can watch this YouTube clip of him taking hacks. 
• The San Diego Padres are "looming as the most likely destination" for Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, per USA Today's Nightengale. The Pads are dangling catcher Yasmani Grandal and "one other player," Nightengale adds.
• The Atlanta Braves signed free-agent infielder Alberto Callaspo to a one-year, $3 million deal, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The 31-year-old switch-hitter posted a rather anemic .223/.290/.290 slash line last season with Oakland.
• In a rare swap between Southern California squads, the Dodgers sent backup catcher Drew Butera to the Angels, per Chris Cotillo of SBNation, for a player to be named or cash, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. 

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.