The 2024-25 Major League Baseball offseason is effectively underway, and several other notable free-agent names are off the board. With the Winter Meetings simply across the bend, we’re being handled to an nearly day by day provide of rumors relating to free company, trades, and the like. Speaking of all that, Saturday’s spherical of scorching range rumors might be discovered just under.
Juan Soto, the highest free agent obtainable available on the market, appears to be inching nearer to signing together with his subsequent group. The incumbent Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and Blue Jays are all recognized to nonetheless be concerned within the bidding course of, and the world-champion Dodgers additionally should be hanging round. For extra on that, plus all the newest on Soto’s scenario, comply with together with our devoted protection of his free company.
Mets looking for extra beginning pitching
The Mets have added two potential beginning pitchers to their roster to date this winter in Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes. They proceed to hunt extra rotation assist, nonetheless, in line with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. New York stays thinking about reuniting with lefty Sean Manaea, who put up glorious numbers for the membership in 2024 earlier than hitting free company. Should that fail to materialize, the Mets may pivot to Walker Buehler or different free-agent choices, similar to Jack Flaherty or Nick Pivetta.
The Orioles are signing a pair of veteran hitters in outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez, in line with the New York Post. Sánchez, 32, posted a 93 OPS+ final season with the Brewers. He appears prone to break up time between catching in a backup capability and DHing on his one-year, $8.5 million contract.
Phillies exploring trades
The Philadelphia Phillies are after all squarely in contending mode, however they’re exploring commerce alternatives involving veteran contributors, seemingly as a way to handle different segments of the roster as they angle to repeat at NL East champs in 2025. Here are the small print from Matt Gelb of The Athletic:
“The Phillies have continued to dangle [Alec] Bohm and Ranger Suárez, in line with major-league sources, in an try to accumulate big-league items. They have made Nick Castellanos obtainable, these sources stated, however any commerce would require the Phillies to pay down a lot of the remaining $40 million on his contract.”
The third baseman Bohm and the lefty starter Suárez are each helpful contributors within the right here and now, so the Phillies would little doubt be seeking to substitute their contributions within the occasion of trades involving one or each. Castellanos seems to be getting into his decline section and would presumably be making manner for an improve at his corner-outfield spot. As Gelb signifies, although, his contract wouldn’t be simply movable.
Cubs nonetheless concentrating on rotation assist
The Chicago Cubs not too long ago inked lefty Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29 million pact, and their rotation already consists of the likes of Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad. Even so, the Cubs nonetheless seem like out there for beginning pitching, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report. Sharma and Mooney add that right-hander Walker Buehler stays of curiosity to the Cubs, relying on what sort of contract he is capable of command. The marketplace for mid-rotation assist has been a vendor’s surroundings so far, as Boyd’s deal will attest.
Yankees amongst groups thinking about Thairo Estrada
Second baseman Thairo Estrada is coming off an age-28 season in 2024 wherein he batted .217/.247/.343 with 9 residence runs in 96 video games for the Giants. Normally, that is not the type of manufacturing that may draw consideration, even for a second baseman like Estrada, however he has a stronger offensive monitor file previous to this previous season, and he isn’t but at an age that usually raises concern about decline. Speaking of all that, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand studies that the New York Yankees are among the many groups with some degree of curiosity within the free agent. They could also be eyeing Estrada for a utility function – the seemingly angle – or as a possible alternative for second baseman Gleyber Torres, who’s himself a free agent. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding additionally linked the Rockies to him.
