The 2024-25 Major League Baseball offseason is well underway, and several notable free-agent names are off the board. With the Winter Meetings just around the bend, we're being treated to an almost daily supply of rumors regarding free agency, trades, and the like. Speaking of all that, Saturday's round of hot stove rumors can be found just below.
Juan Soto watch continues
Juan Soto, the top free agent available on the market, seems to be inching closer to signing with his next team. The incumbent Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and Blue Jays are all known to still be involved in the bidding process, and the world-champion Dodgers also may still be hanging around. For more on that, plus all the latest on Soto's situation, follow along with our dedicated coverage of his free agency.
Mets seeking more starting pitching
The Mets have added two potential starting pitchers to their roster so far this winter in Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes. They continue to seek more rotation help, however, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. New York remains interested in reuniting with lefty Sean Manaea, who put up excellent numbers for the club in 2024 before hitting free agency. Should that fail to materialize, the Mets could pivot to Walker Buehler or other free-agent options, such as Jack Flaherty or Nick Pivetta.
Orioles add bats
The Orioles are signing a pair of veteran hitters in outfielder Tyler O'Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez, according to the New York Post. Sánchez, 32, posted a 93 OPS+ last season with the Brewers. He seems likely to split time between catching in a backup capacity and DHing on his one-year, $8.5 million contract.
Phillies exploring trades
The Philadelphia Phillies are of course squarely in contending mode, but they're exploring trade opportunities involving veteran contributors, likely as a means to address other segments of the roster as they angle to repeat at NL East champs in 2025. Here are the details from Matt Gelb of The Athletic:
"The Phillies have continued to dangle [Alec] Bohm and Ranger Suárez, according to major-league sources, in an attempt to acquire big-league pieces. They have made Nick Castellanos available, those sources said, but any trade would require the Phillies to pay down much of the remaining $40 million on his contract."
The third baseman Bohm and the lefty starter Suárez are both useful contributors in the here and now, so the Phillies would no doubt be looking to replace their contributions in the event of trades involving one or both. Castellanos appears to be entering his decline phase and would presumably be making way for an upgrade at his corner-outfield spot. As Gelb indicates, though, his contract would not be easily movable.
Cubs still targeting rotation help
The Chicago Cubs recently inked lefty Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29 million pact, and their rotation already includes the likes of Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad. Even so, the Cubs still appear to be in the market for starting pitching, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report. Sharma and Mooney add that right-hander Walker Buehler remains of interest to the Cubs, depending on what kind of contract he's able to command. The market for mid-rotation help has been a seller's environment thus far, as Boyd's deal will attest.
Yankees among teams interested in Thairo Estrada
Second baseman Thairo Estrada is coming off an age-28 season in 2024 in which he batted .217/.247/.343 with nine home runs in 96 games for the Giants. Normally, that's not the kind of production that would draw attention, even for a second baseman like Estrada, but he has a stronger offensive track record prior to this past season, and he's not yet at an age that typically raises concern about decline. Speaking of all that, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports that the New York Yankees are among the teams with some level of interest in the free agent. They may be eyeing Estrada for a utility role – the likely angle – or as a potential replacement for second baseman Gleyber Torres, who is himself a free agent. MLB.com's Thomas Harding also linked the Rockies to him.