Major League Baseball spring training is less than a month away, but that doesn't mean MLB's offseason is totally finished. Rather, there are still rumors to be found and moves to be made. Keep it here throughout Thursday as CBS Sports tracks all the latest rumors, news, and notes from across the majors.
Royals agree to sign Chapman
The Kansas City Royals have agreed to a deal with left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman. Full story here.
The Seattle Mariners have announced a one-year contract with Tommy La Stella. The 33-year-old utility man is coming off two uninspiring seasons with the Giants, but he showed major promise in 2019 and 2020. His 2019 season ended abruptly with a broken leg and the 2020 season was, of course, shortened for other reasons. Between the two campaigns, he appeared in 135 games, hitting .289/.356/.471 (121 OPS+) with 22 doubles and 21 homers. Also keep in mind that he's a contact-oriented lefty and the new shift rules will be implemented for 2023.
Raimel Tapia, a veteran of parts of seven big-league seasons, is joining the Red Sox on a minor-league deal, according to WEEI. Tapia had originally announced his signing on his personal Instagram account.
Tapia, who will turn 29 years old in early February, spent last season with the Blue Jays. He'd previously played his entire career with the Rockies. Overall he's batted .277/.318/.392 (83 OPS+) with 26 home runs and 53 stolen bases. Tapia's contributions have been worth an estimated 0.8 Wins Above Replacement, according to the calculations housed at Baseball-Reference.
Tapia figures to serve as organizational depth, at least to begin the season. The Red Sox recently signed veteran Adam Duvall to join Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida in their outfield. It seems unlikely that Tapia would see significant action given they also have prospects Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela who could play themselves into consideration, as well as fellow non-roster invitee Greg Allen.
A's not considering Laureano trade
The Athletics do not appear open to moving veteran outfielder Ramón Laureano, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.
Laureano, 28, has posted a career 113 OPS+ over parts of five big-league seasons. He's coming off the worst offensive showing of his career, as judged by OPS+, and he's no longer viewed as an everyday center-field option. Still, the A's reluctance to move Laureano qualifies as a surprise given how much of their veteran core they've dealt away since MLB's owner-imposed lockout was lifted.
Indeed, the A's have traded -- among others -- Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Murphy, Frankie Montas, Chris Bassitt, and Sean Manaea. Laureano evidently won't join that rank, at least not yet.
