MLB transactions update: Freeman, Bryant, Suzuki, Greinke, Schwarber

After a relatively slow Tuesday, the busiest MLB offseason week ever kicked back into full gear Wednesday.

Several of the biggest remaining free agents came off the board, including a pair of nine-figure mega-contracts plus a significant international signing that just about cost a hundred million. On top of all that the Oakland A’s made their next rebuilding trade, sending away their third star in five days.

If you’ve missed anything since the lockout ended last week, you can use the following links to catch up: Saturday afternoon, end of Sunday, end of Monday, end of Tuesday. Here’s the latest since our last update.

• Rockies sign 3B/OF Kris Bryant (7yr/$182m)
• Dodgers sign 1B Freddie Freeman (6yr/$162m)
• Cubs sign OF Seiya Suzuki (5yr/$85m)
• Phillies sign OF Kyle Schwarber (4yr/$79m)
• Braves re-sign OF Eddie Rosario (2yr/$18m)
• Tigers sign LHP Andrew Chafin (2yr/$13m)
• Royals sign RHP Zack Greinke (1yr/$13m)
• Giants sign OF Joc Pederson (1yr/$6m)
• Giants sign LHP Matthew Boyd (1yr/$5m)
• Cubs sign RHP David Robertson (1yr/$4m)
• Angels sign IF Matt Duffy (1yr/$2m)
• Braves sign OF Alex Dickerson (1yr/$1m)
• Rays sign RHP Jason Adam (1yr/??)
• Cubs sign LHP Daniel Norris (??/??)
• Rangers sign RHP Greg Holland (minors)
• Mariners sign C Chance Sisco (minors)
• A’s sign OF Billy McKinney (minors)
• A’s claim IF Sheldon Neuse off waivers (link)
• TRADE: Blue Jays acquire 3B Matt Chapman, A’s acquire prospects
• TRADE: Reds acquire LHP Mike Minor, Royals acquire LHP Amir Garrett

Bryant finished last summer in San Francisco, and now he stays in the same division to pump new life into the Rockies. It’s the second-richest contract in club history, trailing only Nolan Arenado, whom Colorado paid to get rid of just last winter.

Freeman finds a new employer in the Dodgers after his previous team, the Braves, acquired A’s first baseman Matt Olson on Monday. Just as Olson headed home to his native Georgia, Freeman was born in raised in Southern California.

Chicago landed a big name in Suzuki, a star from Japan’s NPB league. He projects as an everyday right fielder who can hit in the middle of the lineup, per MLB Trade Rumors. His posting fee of $14+ million means that the Cubs’ total outlay comes out to slightly over $99 million.

The Braves brought back Rosario, last year’s NLCS MVP. However, fellow postseason hero Pederson moves to the Giants.

Oakland loses another of their own free agents, as Chafin joins the Tigers on a multi-year deal. Greinke is another notable name for A’s fans, as a rival though, and the former Astros star finally gets out of the AL West division but does stay within the American League.

Elsewhere in the AL West, the Mariners picked up a backup catcher on a minor league deal, so presumably he’ll hit a couple clutch homers against Oakland this summer. The Rangers picked up a big-name lotto ticket for their bullpen in Holland, while the A’s brought back two of their former top prospects in McKinney and Neuse for new tryouts.

Of course, Oakland’s big news for the day was the trade of Chapman to the Blue Jays, with the A’s receiving four prospects: RHP Gunnar Hoglund, SS Kevin Smith, LHP Zach Logue, and LHP Kirby Snead. You can click here for scouting reports on the prospects and analysis of the deal.

That’s a lot of action for one day, and we didn’t even talk about Schwarber getting $80 million! And still, there are a few marquee free agents available (Correa, Story, Castellanos), and at least two more A’s stars on the trade block (Manaea, Montas). Some teams start spring training games today, with Oakland following on Friday, so stay tuned for more news any minute now!