The 2024-25 Main League Baseball offseason is effectively underway, and several other notable free-agent names are off the board. With the Winter Conferences simply across the bend, we’re being handled to an virtually each day provide of rumors concerning free company, trades, and the like. Talking of all that, Saturday’s spherical of scorching range rumors may be discovered slightly below.
Juan Soto, the highest free agent out there in the marketplace, appears to be inching nearer to signing along with his subsequent staff. The incumbent Yankees, Mets, Crimson Sox, and Blue Jays are all recognized to nonetheless be concerned within the bidding course of, and the world-champion Dodgers additionally should still be hanging round. For extra on that, plus all the newest on Soto’s state of affairs, observe together with our devoted protection of his free company.
Mets in search of extra beginning pitching
The Mets have added two potential beginning pitchers to their roster to this point this winter in Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes. They proceed to hunt extra rotation assist, nonetheless, in keeping with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. New York stays focused on reuniting with lefty Sean Manaea, who put up wonderful numbers for the membership in 2024 earlier than hitting free company. Ought to that fail to materialize, the Mets may pivot to Walker Buehler or different free-agent choices, resembling Jack Flaherty or Nick Pivetta.
The Orioles are signing a pair of veteran hitters in outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez, in keeping with the New York Submit. Sánchez, 32, posted a 93 OPS+ final season with the Brewers. He appears prone to cut 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 in fact squarely in contending mode, however they’re exploring commerce alternatives involving veteran contributors, probably as a method to deal with different segments of the roster as they angle to repeat at NL East champs in 2025. Listed here are the small print from Matt Gelb of The Athletic:
“The Phillies have continued to dangle [Alec] Bohm and Ranger Suárez, in keeping with major-league sources, in an try to accumulate big-league items. They’ve made Nick Castellanos out there, 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 question be seeking to change their contributions within the occasion of trades involving one or each. Castellanos seems to be coming into his decline part and would presumably be making means 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 look like available in the market 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 setting so far, as Boyd’s deal will attest.
Yankees amongst groups focused on Thairo Estrada
Second baseman Thairo Estrada is coming off an age-28 season in 2024 by which he batted .217/.247/.343 with 9 dwelling runs in 96 video games for the Giants. Usually, that is not the type of manufacturing that may draw consideration, even for a second baseman like Estrada, however he has a stronger offensive observe report previous to this previous season, and he isn’t but at an age that sometimes raises concern about decline. Talking of all that, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand experiences that the New York Yankees are among the many groups with some degree of curiosity within the free agent. They could be eyeing Estrada for a utility function – the probably 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.
