MLB rumors: Blake Snell on contender's radar, Rangers, Yankees want to beef up bullpen with workhorse reliever

In approximately one month, pitchers and catchers will begin reporting to spring training camps across Arizona and Florida. There are still a lot A LOT of free agents who have to sign between now and then. . Here now are Sunday's hot stove rumors. The Blue Jays have been "quietly monitoring" the market on reigning NL Cy Young winner , .

Several other clubs remain in the hunt for the left hander and are waiting to see whether his price drops between now and spring training. . He is the top ranked unsigned pitcher. On paper, rotation help would not appear to be a priority for Toronto. They have a legitimate ace ( ), three other quality starters ( , , ), and as far as reclamation project No.

5 starters go, is better than most. That said, there is no such thing as too much pitching, and signing Snell would allow the Blue Jays to more easily trade a starter (in a seller's market, no less) for a much needed bat. The Yankees and World Series champion Rangers are emerging as the frontrunners for righty reliever , .

Neris is one of the game's great workhorses, averaging 70 appearances in the last seven 162 game seasons. . Only ranks higher among unsigned relievers. As good as he was in 2023, there are some red flags with Neris. His average fastball dipped from 94.3 mph in 2022 to 93.0 mph in 2023, and the whiff rate on his trademark splitter dipped from an otherworldly 52.4% to a still very good 42.2%.

Given his age (34) and his workload, it's fair to wonder whether all those high leverage innings have taken a toll, and Neris is entering his decline. The Angels are considering free agent utility man , . The Halos ranked 16th in runs last year and have not yet added any major league bats after losing reigning AL MVP , not that replacing Ohtani is easy (or even possible).

. Hernández, 32, has been a well below average hitter the last two years, though he can still do damage against lefties, and he can play just about any position. At this point in his career, he's not an everyday player. Hernández can be a quality utility guy for a contending team, however. The question is are the Angels really contenders? Recent history suggests no..