In every MLB free agency period, players go after the big names. They bid astronomical numbers for top flight talent, and some are even willing to trade away promising minor league prospects just to acquire what they figure to be the final piece of the puzzle that would propel them to a world championship. Often those moves are made by large market teams with the thought that they could dominate baseball by paying an arm and a leg for a player that would cost smaller market teams almost everything. In spite of the glamour of these moves, they are oftentimes not the ones that win world championships. It is often the smaller, under-the-radar moves that win world championships. Here are the top five under-the-radar moves of this offseason so far:
- Cody Morris
This offseason the Yankees made a trade sending Estevan Florial to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for reliever Cody Morris. Morris had a 6.75 ERA with the Guardians in 2023, but that is incredibly misleading. He has a fastball that reaches 96 mph and has one the nastiest changeups in baseball coming out of the same arm slot 13-15 mph slower. Morris is a project, but given his talent, he is someone who looks like he can be fixed by Matt Blake in a big way. Expect him to be a critical piece in the Yankees' bullpen during the 2024 season and onward.
- Kyle Wright/Michael Wacha
Kyle Wright was traded to the Royals in exchange for Jackson Kowar. The problem with Kyle Wright has always been command. In 2023, he had a 6.97 ERA before being placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. This was after a season in which Wright finished tenth in the Cy Young award voting, and sported a 3.19 ERA over about 180 innings. The lack of control isn't the end all, be all in today's game. Pitchers like Blake Snell and Dylan Cease walk more hitters than Wright, and both are considered top pitchers in the sport. Wright, with a little rest, has the potential to be a really great starting pitcher for the Royals. Michael Wacha is the more reliable pickup as over the past two seasons with the Boston Red Sox and the San Diego Padres, the right hander has seemed to figure something out. In 2022, he went 11-2 with a 3.32 ERA, and last year went 14-4 with a 3.22 ERA. Quietly he has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball over the last couple of seasons and there is no reason to believe that that will stop in the 2024 season.
- Ryan Pepiot
Pepiot was acquired by the Rays from the Dodgers in the Tyler Glasnow trade. This guy has Cy Young potential. When he throws the ball over the plate, he is almost unhittable. In 42 innings last year with the Dodgers, Pepiot had a 2.14 ERA. He is going to a Tampa Bay Rays team next year known for its great pitching. There is no reason to believe he won't be something special. His upside is enough to put him at number three.
- Michael King/Wandy Peralta
The San Diego Padres have acquired Wandy Peralta and Michael King this offseason. As bad as the Yankees were offensively last year, and even in the second half of 2022, one has to wonder how the Yankees were able to stay competitive. One answer was Aaron Judge, but the other was having the steadiest bullpen in baseball. There were a lot of people in that bullpen who played large roles in keeping the Yankees in games, but two of the main ones were Wandy Peralta and Michael King. In three extremely productive seasons with the Yankees, Peralta pitched 153 innings out of the bullpen and held a 2.82 ERA, while Michael King has spent the last two seasons quietly being one of the best bullpen stoppers in baseball. What makes him more valuable is the fact that last season he began to start games and looked as effective as he did out of the bullpen.
- Vaughn Grissom
In exchange for Chris Sale—a big named pitcher who can't stay on the field—the Red Sox got a star in the making that was only made available because of the embarrassment of riches that the Atlanta Braves have in terms of their position players. The knock on Grissom is that he didn't hit a home run last year. But that was only over seventy-five at bats. Grissom isn't all power. In that time that he didn't hit a homerun, he hit .280. This is no aberration. In 2022, Grissom hit .287 over 216 at bats with five homeruns. And the kicker? He only turned twenty-three years old a month ago. The Braves decided to take a huge risk with Sale, hoping that he will be that steady top of the rotation pitcher that they need. The Red Sox didn't get a player that the Braves thought was going to be a bust of a player. They got a talented player that the Braves couldn't find room for in their lineup.
Honorable Mention: Justin Turner
I really wanted to get Turner on this list. He's not respected enough.
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