Right-hander Justin Verlander's $50 million, two-year deal with the Houston Astros never was announced and presumably is not official. That means that Verlander and the Astros have to wait to finalize their new deal until a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is done. The league is officially in a lockout as of Thursday, meaning that no transactions will be permitted. It's odd that Verlander's deal wasn't officially inked after the two sides agreed two weeks ago, but there's no reason to suspect that it won't be finalized once a new CBA is agreed on. Verlander pitched in just six innings in 2020 before needing Tommy John surgery and missing all of the 2021 campaign. But back in 2019 when he was healthy, he had 300 strikeouts and a 2.58 ERA to win the American League Cy Young.

According to a tweet from FanSided's Robert Murray, the Boston Red Sox have reportedly agreed to terms with free-agent starting pitcher Rich Hill. Hill pitched to a 3.86 ERA and a 4.34 FIP in 158 2/3 innings last season, registering 150 strikeouts while surrendering 55 walks. He'll give the Red Sox another rotation option to slot in after left-hander Chris Sale and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed relief pitcher Mark Melancon, according to a tweet from MLB Network's Jon Heyman. Per Heyman, it's a two-year deal that includes a third-year option with a $2 million buyout. Including the buyout, the contract is for $14 million with an additional $2 million potentially in incentives. The veteran reliever pitched for the division-rival San Diego Padres in 2021, notching 39 saves in 64 appearances. Melancon also pitched to a 2.23 ERA and a 3.36 FIP in 64 2/3 innings while registering 59 strikeouts and 25 walks. He seems like a decent bet to close games for the Diamondbacks with Joe Mantiply, Noe Ramirezand J.B. Wendelken on hand as setup options.

The Minnesota Twins have signed free agent starting pitcher Dylan Bundy, according to a tweet from MLB Network's Jon Heyman. Per Heyman, it's a one-year deal worth $4 million that also comes with an $11 million for the 2023 season. Also, according to Heyman, that option has a $1 million buyout. The right-hander spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. This past year he pitched to a 6.06 ERA and a 5.51 FIP in 90.2 innings while registering 84 strikeouts and surrendering 34 walks. He'll join a Twins rotation that could also include Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, and Randy Dobnak.

The San Francisco Giants and starting pitcher Alex Cobb have finalized a deal to add the veteran right-hander to their rotation for the next two seasons, agreeing on a contract worth $20 million dollars. Cobb will be paid $9 million dollars in each of 2022 and 2023, and the club holds an option for 2024 worth $10 million dollars with a $2 million dollar buyout. Cobb had a strong 2021 until he went down with injury, recording a 3.76 ERA in 93 1/3 innings with an impressive career-high 24.9 percent strikeout rate. The team now has signed Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, and Cobb to follow Logan Webb in the rotation, while losing Kevin Gausman to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Atlanta Braves signed right-handed reliever Darren O'Day to a minor league deal on Monday. The 39-year-old side-armer signed a one-year deal with the New York Yankees last winter but pitched in only 10 2/3 innings due to a rotator cuff strain and a season-ending hamstring injury that required surgery. If he's in the majors with the Braves next season, he'll make $1 million. In his 14 big-league seasons, O'Day has a nice 2.53 ERA in 587 1/3 innings pitched. He previously pitched with Atlanta from 2019-20 but pitched only 21 2/3 innings due to injuries, and he hasn't gone over 20 innings pitched in a season since 2017. If O'Day cracks the Opening Day roster, he'll be a relief option against right-handed bats.

Many National League teams are pursuing free-agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz with the perception being that there will be a universal DH next year whenever a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is done. The 41-year-old continues to defy Father Time and made his seventh All-Star team while slashing .265/.334/.497 with 32 home runs, 86 RBI and 79 runs scored in 584 plate appearances over 140 games for the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays in 2021. Although he did have 13 home runs in 238 plate appearances after being traded to Tampa, Cruz wasn't as productive in 55 games for the Rays, slashing only .226/.283/.442 with a .725 OPS. Staying at DH has kept Cruz healthy and productive late in his career, and he's hit 73 combined HRs in the last two seasons.

According to a tweet from Sports Grid's Craig Mish, the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a two-year deal with free-agent catcher Yan Gomes. Per Mish, the contract is worth $13 million. Gomes hit .252 with a .301 on-base percentage and 14 home runs in 375 plate appearances last season for the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics. He'll give the Cubs another established catching option alongside longtime starter Willson Contreras. Contreras hit .237 with a .340 on-base percentage, 21 home runs, and five stolen bases in 483 plate appearances last season. Even with Gomes reportedly signing, Contreras still looks like the starter if Chicago doesn't trade him, although that's purely speculative.

The San Francisco Giants are finalizing an agreement with starting pitcher Alex Cobb that will bring the 10-year veteran to the team. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle indicated that the team was making Cobb a priority earlier in the offseason, and now those efforts have paid off. Terms of the deal are not yet known. Cobb had perhaps the best season of his career in 2021, posting a 3.76 ERA and 2.92 FIP with 98 strikeouts in 93 1/3 innings before missing time with injury. He joins a rotation that includes Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, and Alex Wood. Further additions are expected, though they may have to wait until after a new collective bargaining agreement is worked out.

Max Scherzer is the newest member of the New York Mets after agreeing to a three-year $130 million dollar contract with an opt-out after the first two seasons. The deal includes a record $43.333 million dollars per season, besting the previous average annual value high of $36 million per year for Gerrit Cole. Scherzer will also receive a full no-trade clause. The Mets will now enter the 2022 season with the best one-two starting pitching punch in the league, as Scherzer joins Jacob deGrom in Queens. Scherzer has led the league in pitching fWAR over the last six seasons at 33.2, and he'll look to build on his 2021 line of a 15-4 record with a 2.46 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 236 strikeouts in 179 1/3 innings.

The New York Mets are finalizing a deal with free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer on Monday that will be for three years and around $130 million, according to a source. The deal isn't quite done yet, but it would be a record for average annual value in the major leagues. Scherzer has spent around half of his 14-year career in the National League East and won two of his three Cy Young awards and a World Series title with the Washington Nationals. The righty is 190-97 in his career with a 3.16 ERA for the Diamondbacks, Tigers, Nationals and Dodgers. At 37 years old, he has shown only small signs of slowing down, and his 2,536 2/3 innings rank fourth among active pitchers. Scherzer and Jacob deGrom will form one of the most feared pitching duos in the league.

The New York Mets have offered free-agent starting pitcher Max Scherzer more than $40 million per year, according to sources. The length of their offer is unknown, and it doesn't mean he'll sign with them. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants are still in the running, and Scherzer could make his decision on Sunday night or Monday. The Mets have turned their full attention to Scherzer, especially with right-hander Kevin Gausman signing a five-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. An average annual value of more than $40 million would be a record for any contract in MLB history, and the offer could be at least three years in length. Despite being 37 years old, Scherzer dominated in the second half with the Dodgers, going 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and an 11.7 K/9 in 68 1/3 innings over 11 starts.

The Texas Rangers and free-agent outfielder Kole Calhoun have agreed to a one-year deal on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. The financial details aren't known as of now. The 34-year-old veteran dealt with injuries for the majority of last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was never able to find his stroke, slashing .235/.297/.373 with five home runs in 51 games. However, he posted an .864 OPS in 2020 and has shown the ability to hit for power in his career, compiling 131 home runs from 2015-2020. Calhoun won't be drafted in most leagues but does have some value as a late-rounder in deep leagues if he's able to bounce back.

Free-agent outfielder Avisail Garcia will be heading south next season, as he has signed a four-year, $53 million deal with the Miami Marlins, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. After a poor showing in 2020, Garcia put up his best numbers since 2017 last season, slashing .262/.330/.490 with 29 homers, eight steals, 86 RBI and 68 runs scored over 135 games with Milwaukee. Garcia will likely slot into the heart of the order for Miami to provide some solid pop, and he could see some nice RBI totals with the Marlins.

The New York Mets are aggressively pursuing free-agent starter Max Scherzer, who is expected to make his decision before the impending Dec. 1 lockout, but they may need to move to a Plan B given his known preferences. Scherzer limited his choices to California teams as a trade piece last summer, so the Mets know it won't be easy. The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels are among the team's interested. The perennial All-Star and Cy Young contender had a great second half with the Dodgers, going 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 89 strikeouts and only eight walks in 11 starts over 68 1/3 innings. The 37-year-old is still going strong as a fantasy asset and should help anchor any pitching staff he joins in 2022.

Free-agent right-hander Corey Kluber agreed to a one-year deal, pending a physical, with the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, according to sources. The 35-year-old missed more than three months with a right shoulder strain before rejoining the New York Yankees in late August of the 2021 season. When he was available, Kluber was solid, though, posting a 3.83 ERA in 80 innings pitched, including a no-hitter. His experienced arm will complement young starters Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Luis Patino and Shane Baz next season. If the deal is finalized, Kluber will make $8 million, with the chance to earn up to $13 million through incentives. If healthy, the three-time All-Star and two-time American League Cy Young winner could be a nice value in fantasy drafts.

The New York Mets are determined to add a top starting pitcher after just signing outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha and infielder Eduardo Escobar on Friday, and their order of preference appears to be Max Scherzer, Kevin Gausman and Robbie Ray. It's unclear how realistic it is for the Mets to land Scherzer. The Mets also have in... [More]

The New York Mets and free-agent infielder Eduardo Escobar agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract on Friday. The 32-year-old bounced back in 2021 after a disastrous campaign in 2020 (slashed .212/.270/.335). He slashed .253/.314/.472 with 28 homers, 90 RBI, 77 runs scored, and one stolen for the Diamondbacks and Brewers over 599 plate appearances in 2021. Escobar has multiple eligibility and will qualify at first (18 games), second (42 games), and third base (99 games) in most leagues in 2022. The former Diamondback has hit for 25 or more home runs in three of his last four seasons and should remain a viable fantasy asset with his new team for the upcoming year.

Relief pitcher Wade Davis has retired. The Kansas City Royals, a team that Davis spent five seasons with, announced the news in a tweet on Wednesday. Davis was a starter early in his career but later switched to the bullpen where he found most of his success. He pitched for the Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Colorado Rockies in a 13-year, Major League career. The right-hander won a World Series ring in 2015 with Kansas City and earned All-Star honors three times in his career. He finished eighth in American League Cy Young voting in 2014 and sixth in 2015. The reliever also came in 28th in MVP voting during that season. Davis finishes his career with a lifetime 13.7 fWAR, a 3.94 ERA, and a 3.86 FIP. His postseason ERA sits at 1.80 in 40 playoff innings.

The San Francisco Giants are making a "strong push" to sign starting pitcher Alex Cobb as they seek to solidify their starting rotation behind ace Logan Webb. Having already brought Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood back into the fold on Monday, they could soon be adding Cobb, who managed a 3.76 ERA across 93 1/3 innings for the Los Angeles Angels in his age-34 season. While injuries remain a concern for Cobb, his strikeout percentage, swinging-strike rate and opponent's chase rate were all career-high numbers in 2021. That should do plenty to raise his profile with not only front offices, but also with fantasy managers.