Starter Marcus Stroman landed with the Chicago Cubs and the White Sox scooped up reliever Kendall Graveman during Major League Baseball’s free-agent frenzy before the lockout.
The hot stove became ice cold in early December after the collective bargaining agreement expired and the owners locked out the players.
It took 99 days, but the flame has been rekindled with a new CBA finally in place. The Cubs reportedly made a splash, signing Japanese star outfielder Seiya Suzuki. The Sox got stronger in the bullpen, signing Joe Kelly.
Some familiar faces found new homes, with former Cubs Kris Bryant reportedly signing with the Colorado Rockies, Kyle Schwarber reportedly going to the Philadelphia Phillies and Anthony Rizzo re-signing with the New York Yankees. Former Sox starter Carlos Rodón signed a two-year deal with the San Francisco Giants.
Here are some of the moves for teams in the American and National League Central divisions.
AL Central
Chicago White Sox
The Sox in 2021 won their first AL Central title since 2008 while qualifying for the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. They were the only team in the division with a winning record, going 93-69.
The Sox were eliminated by the Houston Astros in the American League Division Series.
Kendall Graveman, who was part of Houston’s bullpen, joined the Sox on a three-year, $24 million deal on Nov. 30. The right-hander had a combined 5-1 record with a 1.77 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 53 relief appearances for the Seattle Mariners and Astros last season.
A day after Graveman’s addition became official, the Sox announced the return of infielder/outfielder Leury García on a three-year, $16.5 million deal. The versatile veteran had a career-high 54 RBIs in 2021 with the Sox.
García will be an option at second base, where he started in the first two games of the ALDS. César Hernández, who started at second in Games 3 and 4, signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals.
Post-lockout, the Sox filled two needs , signing reliever Joe Kelly to a two-year deal and second baseman Josh Harrison for one year.
Kelly had a 2.86 ERA in 48 relief appearances last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Harrison, an All-Star in 2014 and 2017 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, had a combined .279/.341/.400 slash line in 2021 while playing 138 games with the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics.
The Sox added more pitching, signing right-hander Vince Velasquez to a one-year, $3 million deal. He went 3-9 with a 6.30 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 25 games (21 starts) for the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres last season.
Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland finished second in the division (80-82), 13 games behind the Sox.
The newly named Guardians announced three moves on Nov. 22: They sent pitcher J.C. Mejía to the Brewers for cash or a player to be named, traded outfielder Harold Ramírez to the Cubs for cash considerations and signed catcher Sandy León to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.
León played in 83 games for the Miami Marlins last season. Roberto Pérez, a two-time Gold Glove winner at catcher who was limited to 44 games in 2021 because of injuries, signed a one-year deal with the Pirates.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers, who went 77-85 while placing third in the division in A.J. Hinch’s first season as manager, made improving the middle of their infield a top priority this offseason.
Enter Javier Báez.
The former Cubs shortstop on Dec. 1 agreed to a six-year deal reportedly worth $140 million. The two-time All-Star slashed .265/.319/.494 with 31 home runs and 87 RBIs with the Cubs and New York Mets in 2021.
The Tigers also boosted their rotation, signing left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez to a five-year deal reportedly worth $77 million. Rodríguez went 13-8 with a 4.74 ERA in 32 appearances (31 starts) for the Boston Red Sox last season. He was ninth in the AL with 185 strikeouts.
The Tigers acquired catcher Tucker Barnhart from the Reds for minor-league infielder Nick Quintana. Barnhart won Gold Glove Awards in 2017 and 2020.
They addressed the bullpen post-lockout, signing left-hander Andrew Chafin to a two-year deal. He ranked fifth among major-league relievers with a 1.83 ERA in 71 combined games with the Cubs and Athletics.
More pitching came when they signed Michael Pineda to a one-year contract. Pineda went 9-8 with a 3.62 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 22 appearances (21 starts) with the Twins in 2021.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals were fourth in the AL Central with a 74-88 record. But they were the only team in the division to have a winning record against the Sox, going 10-9 in the season series.
They welcomed back Zack Greinke, signing the pitcher to a one-year deal March 16. He spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Royals from 2004-10 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2009.
The right-hander went 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA in 30 appearances (29 starts) for the Astros in 2021.
The Royals also made a trade for pitcher Amir Garrett from the Reds for pitcher Mike Minor and a conditional cash consideration. Garrett had a 6.04 ERA and 61 strikeouts while leading the Reds with 63 relief appearances last season.
Before the lockout, the Royals signed pitcher Taylor Clarke to a one-year deal Dec. 1. Clarke went 1-3 with a 4.98 ERA in a career-high 43 relief appearances in 2021 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins were expected to contend for the AL Central title in 2021. Instead, they finished last in the division with a 73-89 record.
They shook things up in a major way post-lockout, with the biggest addition of star shortstop Carlos Correa on a three-year, $105.3 million deal. The contract includes opt-outs after the first two seasons. Correa had a career-high 26 home runs last year. He finished fifth in the AL MVP voting and won an AL Gold Glove Award.
Correa’s stunning addition came in a week that included several trades for the Twins.
A day after acquiring infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa in a deal that sent catcher Mitch Garver to the Rangers, they traded him, third baseman Josh Donaldson and catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Yankees for catcher Gary Sánchez and infielder Gio Urshela.
Sánchez, a two-time All-Star, had 23 home runs and 54 RBIs last year. Urshela had a .267 batting average in 2021.
That was the second of two big moves. The Twins also acquired pitcher Sonny Gray and minor-league pitcher Francis Peguero from the Cincinnati Reds for minor league pitcher Chase Petty. Gray, a two-time All-Star, went 7-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 2021.
Before the lockout, the Twins and center fielder Byron Buxton agreed to terms on a seven-year extension Dec. 1. The deal, reportedly for $100 million, is through the 2028 season.
Also on Dec. 1, the team announced the signing of pitcher Dylan Bundy on a one-year deal with a club option for 2023. He went 2-9 with a 6.06 ERA in 23 games (19 starts) for the Los Angeles Angels last season.
The Twins claimed pitcher Jharel Cotton off waivers from the Texas Rangers on Nov. 5. Cotton made 23 relief appearances in 2021, going 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs got a big arm before the lockout, signing Marcus Stroman. They got a big bat after the lockout, signing Seiya Suzuki for $85 million over five years.
Suzuki’s deal is the largest in MLB history for a Japanese position player. He hit 38 home runs in 132 games with the Hiroshima Carp last season.
The Cubs and Stroman agreed to a three-year deal on Dec. 1, reportedly for $71 million and includes an opt-out after the second season and $2 million escalators in 2022 and ’23 for pitching 160 innings. An All-Star in 2019 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Stroman had a 3.02 ERA in 33 starts for the New York Mets last season.
Dec. 1 was a busy day for the Cubs, who also announced a two-year deal for catcher Yan Gomes and one-year deals for outfielders Clint Frazier and Michael Hermosillo.
Gomes had a .252 batting average with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 103 games with the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics in 2021.
Frazier played in 66 games for the New York Yankees last season. He went on the injured list with vertigo July 2 and didn’t return the rest of the season. Hermosillo went 7-for-36 (.194 average) with three home runs and seven RBIs in 16 games for the Cubs.
The team claimed pitcher Wade Miley off waivers from the Reds on Nov. 5 and acquired outfielder Harold Ramírez in a trade with the Guardians for a cash consideration on Nov. 22.
Miley went 12-7 with a 3.37 ERA in 28 starts for the Reds in 2021, including tossing a no-hitter on May 7 in Cleveland. Ramírez had a .268 average, seven home runs and 41 RBIs in 99 games with Cleveland.
In their first post-lockout move, the Cubs reportedly signed shortstop Andrelton Simmons to a one-year deal worth $4 million plus incentives. The four-time Gold Glove winner slashed .233/.283/.274 with the Twins last season.
The Cubs also announced one-year deals with relievers David Robertson and Chris Martin. Robertson has 149 holds, 137 saves and a 2.93 ERA in 673 games, all but one in relief, with the Yankees (2008-14, 2017-18), White Sox (2015-17), Phillies (2019) and Rays (2021).
Martin had a 3.95 ERA in 46 relief appearances for the Braves last season.
The Cubs also inked one-year deals with mutual options for 2023 for infielder Jonathan Villar and left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly along with a one-year contract for pitcher Daniel Norris.
Villar had 18 home runs and 42 RBIs in 142 games for the Mets last season. Smyly had a career-high 11 wins for the Braves. Norris appeared in a career-high 56 games out of the bullpen for the Tigers and Brewers in 2021, going 2-3 with a 6.16 ERA.
The Cubs finished fourth in the division with a 71-91 record, their most losses in a season since going 66-96 in 2013.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds were one slot ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central standings, placing third with an 83-79 mark.
They dealt catcher Tucker Barnhart to the Tigers on Nov. 3 for minor-league infielder Nick Quintana, who had nine home runs and 46 RBIs in 82 games for Detroit’s Class A team in Lakeland, Fla.
The trades continued after the lockout. First, they traded pitcher Sonny Gray and minor league pitcher Francis Peguero to the Twins for minor league pitcher Chase Petty.
Then they sent infielder Eugenio Suárez and outfielder Jesse Winker to Seattle for pitcher Justin Dunn, outfielder Jake Fraley, minor-league pitcher Brandon Williamson and a player to be named later or cash considerations. Dunn had a 3.75 ERA in 11 starts last season while Fraley hit nine home runs in 78 games.
The Reds made yet another trade, sending pitcher Amir Garrett to the Royals for left-handed pitcher Mike Minor and a conditional cash consideration. Minor went 8-12 with a 5.50 ERA in 28 starts last year.
Nick Castellanos, who had 34 home runs and 100 RBIs during an All-Star season in 2021, reportedly signed with the Phillies.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers won the NL Central with a 95-67 record in 2021. They lost to the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series.
Outfielder Avisaíl García, who led the Brewers in home runs (a career-high 29) and RBIs (86) in 2021, signed a four-year deal with the Marlins. Infielder Eduardo Escobar, who was acquired in July in a trade with the Diamondbacks, signed a two-year contract with theMets.
The Brewers picked up outfielder Hunter Renfroe on Dec. 1, acquiring him in a trade with the Red Sox for outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and minor-league infielders David Hamilton and Alex Binelas.
Renfroe had a .259 average with 31 HR and 96 RBIs in 144 games for the Red Sox in 2021. Bradley returns to his former team after hitting .163 with six homers and 29 RBIs in 134 games for the Brewers.
The Brewers found another AL East trade partner in November, getting infielder Mike Brosseau from the Tampa Bay Rays for minor-league pitcher Evan Reifert. Brosseau had a .187 average with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 57 games with the Rays in 2021.
In trading for pitcher J.C. Mejía from Cleveland, the Brewers get a right-hander who went 1-7 with an 8.25 ERA in 17 outings (11 starts) during his first season. The Brewers also signed catchers Pedro Severino and Brett Sullivan to one-year contracts.
Reliever Brad Boxberger returned on a one-year deal with a club option for 2023. He led the Brewers with 71 appearances last season.
Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is back in the NL Central, agreeing to a one-year deal. The five-time All-Star won the NL MVP Award in 2013 while with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had 27 home runs and 80 RBIs last season for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates parted ways with one Gold Glove catcher and added another this offseason.
They traded Jacob Stallings to the Marlins for pitcher Zach Thompson, minor-league pitcher Kyle Nicolas and minor-league outfielder Connor Scott. Thompson had a 3.24 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 26 appearances (14 starts) with the Marlins in 2021.
Stallings won an NL Gold Glove Award last season after finishing as the only catcher in the majors without a passed ball (minimum 500 innings caught).
The Pirates signed catcher Roberto Pérez to a one-year deal on Dec. 1. Pérez won Gold Gloves in 2019 and 2020 with Cleveland.
The Pirates signed pitcher José Quintana and re-signed infielder Yoshi Tsutsugo to one-year deals Nov. 29. Quintana, who has pitched for the Sox and Cubs, went a combined 0-3 with a 6.43 ERA in 29 outings (10 starts) for the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants last season.
Tsutsugo hit .268 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs after signing with Pittsburgh.
They signed first baseman Daniel Vogelbach and right-handed pitcher Heath Hembree to one-year contracts. Vogelbach hit .219 with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 93 games last season for the Brewers. Hembree had a career-high 83 strikeouts in a combined 58 innings in 60 relief appearances with the Reds and Mets.
The Pirates were last in the NL Central with a 61-101 record.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals used a September surge that included a 17-game winning streak to finish 90-72 and earn a postseason berth. They were eliminated when Chris Taylor hit a walk-off two-run home run to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-1 victory in the NL wild-card game.
They’ll have a new manager, with Oliver Marmol taking over after the team parted ways with Mike Shildt.
And they added to their rotation, signing pitcher Steven Matz to a four-year deal reportedly worth $44 million. The left-hander went 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA for the Blue Jays in 2021, finishing tied for second in the AL in wins.
The Cardinals also re-signed pitcher T.J. McFarland to a one-year deal. The Stagg product went 4-1 with a 2.56 ERA in 38 relief appearances last season.
The Cardinals picked up more pitching Friday, signing Drew Verhagen to a two-year contract. Verhagen pitched mostly out of the bullpen for the Tigers from 2014-19. He pitched in the Japanese Pacific League the last two years.
The Cardinals and outfielder Corey Dickerson came to terms on a one-year contract. Dickerson had a combined .271 average with six home runs and 29 RBIs in 109 games for the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays last season.
Sources: Tribune reports, mlb.com, ESPN, Associated Press.