Jeff Kent is elected to the Hall of Fame
I’m going to leave the main analysis of this one to Craig Calcaterra, from Monday:
“The Hall of Fame Contemporary Baseball Era Committee met at the Winter Meetings down in Orlando last night and voted on this year’s slate. They could’ve voted in a seven-time MVP. They could’ve voted in a seven-time Cy Young winner. They could’ve voted in a couple of guys who were huge fan favorites and who, for at least a brief time, had plausible arguments for being the best player in the game. They could’ve elected a pitcher from Mexico who took the game by storm, helped it develop an entire new fan base, and thereby made a significant and lasting impact on the sport and its history.
“But nah, they bypassed all of those guys for someone who was never even the best player on his own team. Jeff Kent has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and will be inducted on July 26, 2026.
“Kent led the pack with 14 votes. Carlos Delgado had 9, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy each had six, and Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela each got fewer than five. Players who get fewer than five votes on an Eras Committee ballot are not allowed to be considered the next time their Era comes up, so it’s basically all over for the latter four for a very, very long time.
“I don’t even know what to say, man. Kent had a fine enough career. He was pretty good there for a nice stretch. He hit a lot of homers. More homers as a second baseman than any other player in history, in fact, going yard 351 times while playing the keystone. He played a lot of games. He won an MVP in 2000, even if, again, he wasn’t even the Giants’ best player that season. He was a good enough second-best player on a team for that team to have won a pennant.
“But Kent was rarely thought of as a Hall of Famer for most of his career, and that was reflected in his BBWAA Hall of Fame vote totals, where his best-ever result was 46% in his tenth and final year of eligibility. For most of his years under BBWAA consideration, he was snagging vote totals in the teens. Basically, the entirety of the baseball establishment considered Kent less than Hall of Fame-worthy until this past weekend, when 14 dudes felt otherwise, applied Hall of Fame standards that are, to say the least, curious and inscrutable, and voted for him.
“Lou Whitaker isn’t in. Bobby Grich isn’t in. Murphy and Mattingly aren’t. Fernando isn’t. And, for reasons that go beyond on-field performance, neither is the best hitter and best pitcher of Kent’s era. But a guy who was a good but by no means great performer who fought with teammates and managers everywhere he ever played, was a shitheel to the press and many fans, and who once injured himself doing wheelies on his motorcycle and then told a preposterous lie about it is given the game’s highest honor.”
On the surface, I don’t have an issue with Kent being elected to the Hall of Fame. Kent slashed .290/.356/.500 (123 OPS+) over his 17-year career while hitting 560 doubles and 377 home runs with 1,518 RBI. He totaled 55.4 WAR in his career, was a five-time All-Star, and won four Silver Slugger Awards.
Kent was surly, often fought with teammates, and was known to always be the last player to arrive in the clubhouse, but he produced on the field. Ultimately, that’s what matters above all.
No, my issue here — as is Calcaterra’s and many others’ — is the process itself. Even putting Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens aside entirely, several other candidates on this ballot were just as, if not more deserving than Kent. That doesn’t even include the host of players who weren’t even considered on the ballot (Whitaker, Kenny Lofton, and many, many others). It’s inexplicable that only Kent received enough votes to get in.
Mariners give up Harry Ford to add Jose Ferrer to the bullpen
The Nationals and Mariners agreed to a trade on Saturday that should have an immediate impact on both clubs. Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has completed his first trade since taking over the club’s front office, and he’s made it a notable one. Washington is sending left-hander Jose Ferrer to Seattle for catcher Harry Ford and right-hander Isaac Lyon.
Seattle exceeded expectations by reaching the ALCS last season. The team acted quickly to re-sign first baseman Josh Naylor. Now, the club has added one of the few hard-throwing southpaw relievers available this offseason to a bullpen that lacked a lefty who can handle the late innings alongside righties Andrés Muñoz and Matt Brash. Ferrer, who turns 26 in March, may not look like a bullpen-changing addition based on his career stats — a 4.36 ERA (95 ERA+) and 121 strikeouts (7.7 K/9, 20.3 K%) in 142.1 IP over the last three seasons — but he impressed at the back of Washington’s bullpen late last season, collecting 11 saves over the final two months after the team traded Kyle Finnegan.
The Mariners paid a steep price in parting with Ford. The young catcher was blocked in Seattle, however. Cal Raleigh signed a six-year, $105 million extension with the team last spring and then had a historic season at the plate, hitting .247/.359/.589 (169 OPS+) with 60 HR while finishing second in MVP voting. Ford’s value to the Mariners at this point is highest as a trade chip.
Ford was Seattle’s 1st-round pick (12th overall) in the 2021 Draft. Ford had long been viewed highly by prospect evaluators and scouts; he ranked on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list before each of the last four seasons and has made three appearances in the All-Star Futures Game. He slashed .283/.408/.460 with 18 2B and 16 HR in 458 PA at Triple-A this past season, before finally getting his first experience in the majors with a September callup (he went 1-for-6 in 8 games).
Ford, who’ll turn 23 just before spring training starts, was drafted out of an Atlanta high school, but his father is English, meaning he’s eligible for and on the roster for Great Britain’s World Baseball Classic team. Ford expects to play in the tournament still, but he stands a real chance at winning the starting catching job in Washington before long. Keibert Ruiz has hit just .235/.266/.345 (72 OPS+) over the last two seasons and was limited to just 68 games in 2025 due to recurring concussion issues. The Nationals catchers ranked 29th in OPS last season.
Lyon was Seattle’s 10th-round pick in last summer’s draft. He made four starts with Seattle’s Class-A affiliate, allowing 10 ER over 12.1 IP. He’ll turn 22 in January.
Toronto outrights Yariel Rodríguez off the 40-man
Toronto is moving on from right-hander Yariel Rodríguez after two seasons. The team announced on Saturday that Rodríguez had been outrighted off the 40-man roster. The 28-year-old is still due $17 million under the original five-year, $32 million free-agent contract he signed with the team before the 2024 season ($5M in 2026, $6M in 2027, and then a $6M player option for 2028).
Rodríguez has had a curious pro career. The Cuban native starred in his home country as a starter for six seasons before jumping at the opportunity to pitch in Japan. Over his three seasons with the Chunichi Dragons, he proved to be a dominant reliever. The World Baseball Classic gave Rodríguez the chance to shine on a grander stage, and he didn’t disappoint, working as a starter once again for Cuba in the tournament.
Rodríguez defected following the 2023 WBC. He wouldn’t report to spring camp with the Dragons, who will suspend him for the season and promptly release him after, paving the way for him to sign with an MLB team.
Toronto used Rodríguez as a starter in 2024 before using him out of the bullpen last season. The overall results in two seasons haven’t been poor, but haven’t been spectacular either: a 3.83 ERA (109 ERA+) and 151 strikeouts (8.5 K/9, 22.7 K%) with a pair of saves in 159.2 IP.
Rays sign Cedric Mullins
Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander told reporters in November that one of the team’s priorities this winter was addressing the outfield. The team was never going to be an option for the upper tier of free agent outfielders (Cody Bellinger or Tampa-native Kyle Tucker). The Rays were somewhat aggressive in evaluating the next group of options, though, agreeing to a one-year, $7 million deal with Cedric Mullins with a mutual option for a second season at $10 million (or a $500,000 buyout).
Mullins emerged as a star in 2021 with the Orioles, hitting .291/.360/.518 (137 OPS+) with 37 2B, 30 HR, and 30 SB while making the All-Star Game, winning a Silver Slugger, and receiving MVP consideration. He’s struggled to replicate that success in the seasons since, going from potential building block to being traded out of town at last summer’s deadline. Mullins, who turned 31 in October, slashed .216/.299/.391 (94 OPS+) with 23 2B, 17 HR, and 22 SB last season in 133 games between the Orioles and Mets.
Among the team’s current outfielders — Chandler Simpson, Jake Mangum, and Josh Lowe — only one (Lowe) has more than a year of service time under his belt. Adding an experienced veteran like Mullins should prove beneficial to the group.
Arizona signs Michael Soroka
The Diamondbacks were one of several clubs needing to add multiple starting pitchers this offseason. The team started to address that need on Monday, agreeing to a one-year, $7.5 million deal with right-hander Michael Soroka. He can earn another $2 million in incentives.
Soroka, now 28, looked like another standout pitching development by the Braves after his second season. He went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA (171 ERA+) over 174.2 IP for Atlanta that year, while making the All-Star Game, receiving Cy Young votes, and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting (to Pete Alonso). He would make just 10 appearances over the next four seasons, however, thanks to a variety of injuries, including tearing his Achilles tendon twice, several shoulder injuries, and a biceps strain.
Atlanta traded Soroka to the White Sox after the 2023 season. He was abysmal in Chicago’s rotation to start the 2024 season, but showed some dominant stuff in relief over the season’s second half. Last winter, the Nationals signed Soroka to a one-year, $9 million deal, hoping for a similar low-cost rotation option as Arizona is this year. The gamble didn’t work for Washington; Soroka had a 4.87 ERA (85 ERA+) over 81.1 IP in 16 starts before a midseason trade to the Cubs.
Arizona will likely look at adding at least one more starter this winter (rumors already suggest the team may bring back right-hander Merrill Kelly).
WBC roster news
Despite the objections of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, it sounds as though both Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani will join Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic. Ohtani may be limited to just serving as the team’s designated hitter.
Twins outfielder Byron Buxton will reportedly be on Team USA’s roster.
Rays infielder Junior Caminero and Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo have both been confirmed for the Dominican Republic’s roster.
Around the sport ….
Former Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks passed away on Sunday at age 79. Hicks owned the Rangers from 1998 to 2010.
Outfielder Cooper Hummel is heading overseas, agreeing to a one-year deal with the NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars. The 31-year-old is a .163/.268/.275 (54 OPS+) hitter in 340 PA over parts of the last four seasons.