MLB Rumors: Latest Buzz on DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Bauer and More

The 2020 MLB winter meetings came and went last week, but they lacked their usual flair for the dramatic.

There were still impactful moves, though. The Los Angeles Angels acquired a premier closer in Raisel Iglesias, while the Chicago White Sox added a frontline starting pitcher in Lance Lynn.

Meanwhile, the New York Mets had intense conversations with catcher James McCann, conversations that ultimately resulted in the 30-year-old signing a four-year deal with them. But most of the top free agents, including DJ LeMahieu and Trevor Bauer, remain unsigned.

Here are the latest rumors on the New York Yankees' efforts to retain LeMahieu and the San Francisco Giants' interest in Bauer, as well as the Angels' efforts to pivot to a different catcher after missing out on McCann.

LeMahieu, Yanks Far Apart on New Contract

Corey Sipkin/Associated Press

It has become the expectation the Yankees will make re-signing LeMahieu a priority.

The 32-year-old has a .922 OPS in two years with the Bronx Bombers, including a 2020 campaign in which he won the batting title (.364) while also leading the American League in OBP (.421), OPS (1.011) and OPS+ (177). He has been a crucial figure in New York's lineup, and also offers the team positional versatility.

However, it appears the Yankees have quite a bit of negotiating to do if they hope to keep LeMahieu.

Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reported the gap in terms of what the Yankees were offering and what the player was seeking was "wider than $25 million."

Kuty noted reports have suggested New York was offering a four-year deal for around $75 million, while LeMahieu's camp was hoping for five years and $100 million. But a source told Kuty the two sides are even further apart.

This is by no means a death sentence for the Yankees in their hopes of retaining LeMahieu. As previously mentioned, none of the top stars have signed. The players seem more willing to wait out the market as front offices figure out how to make the money work.

Still, the Yankees cannot afford to be too choosy or lax in negotiations. Jon Morosi of MLB Network previously reported the Toronto Blue Jays have interest in LeMahieu, and they could make a big push to sign him in the event they miss out on someone like George Springer.

Talks will likely heat up if LeMahieu is the team's No. 1 priority. It also serves to help New York's ability to fill other needs if they can come to terms with him more quickly.

That said, the two sides will need plenty more dialogue to hash out terms.

Giants Have 'Discussed' Signing Bauer

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

The San Francisco Giants could remain involved in the market for some of the top players on the market. This appears to be the case when it comes to Trevor Bauer.

John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reported the Giants have "discussed" signing the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, who is considered the top pitcher on the market.

However, it's unclear just how intently San Francisco's front office discussed Bauer.

The Giants have a definite need for starting pitching after losing Drew Smyly and, presumably, Tyler Anderson in free agency. Moreover, they have a lot of big contracts coming off payroll next year.

Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt will be free agents, as will Kevin Gausman. The same can essentially be said for Buster Posey and Johnny Cueto, both of whom have $22 million club options that will almost certainly be declined.

However, the Giants lack the kind of young positional talent to seriously contend for a World Series. Mike Yastrzemski (.968 OPS) is growing into stardom but is already 30 years old, while Alex Dickerson is the same age. San Francisco has intriguing talent in the pipeline, but most of those guys will not be ready for at least another year.

Perhaps the Giants feel signing Bauer this year can set the tone for an even bigger push next winter, but they might not have quite the same foundation as some of the 29-year-old's other suitors.

Angels Interested in Kurt Suzuki

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Angels gave the Mets a late push in the James McCann sweepstakes.

Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reported the Halos were indeed in on McCann until the very end, but they lost out on the free-agent backstop after refusing to offer him more than a three-year deal. Now, the team is looking for cheaper alternatives.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted the Angels have interest in veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki as L.A. continues to seek a positional upgrade.

The 37-year-old has spent each of the last two years with the Washington Nationals and played in 33 games last year, slashing .270/.349/.396 with a 99 OPS+.

Los Angeles might still be intrigued by top free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, but it seems more likely new general manager Perry Minasian hopes to delegate funds to the pitching staff.

The Angels desperately need rotation help and to restructure the bullpen after non-tendering five relievers. Suzuki would likely be a relatively cheap signing, thus giving Minasian more flexibility to spend big on free-agent pitching, perhaps even a run at Bauer.

All stats obtained via Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.