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Cubs Sign Hunter Harvey

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Dec 31: The team has officially announced the Harvey signing.

Dec. 30: Harvey can earn an additional $1.5MM via incentives, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Dec. 28: The Cubs and right-hander Hunter Harvey are reportedly in agreement on a one-year contract that’ll guarantee him $6MM. Harvey, a client of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, still needs to complete a physical before the deal becomes official.

Harvey is looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 season that saw the reliever make just 12 appearances out of the Royals bullpen.  A teres major strain in early April kept Harvey out of action until late July, and he pitched in just six more games before being sidelined for good by a Grade 2 adductor strain.  The frustration of these two significant injuries was compounded by the fact that Harvey was looking great when healthy — he didn’t allow a run over his 10 2/3 innings pitched, while issuing one walk against 11 strikeouts.

Between these injuries and the back problems that marred the end of his 2024 campaign, Harvey ended up pitching only 16 1/3 innings in a Royals uniform after Kansas City acquired the righty from Washington in July 2024.  Unfortunately, health concerns are nothing new for Harvey, as his time as a top-100 prospect in the Orioles’ farm system was frequently interrupted by stints on the injured list.

It wasn’t until the 2022 season that Harvey (now with the Nationals) finally got an extended taste of MLB playing time.  He proceeded to post a 3.17 ERA, 27.83% strikeout rate, and 6.36% walk rate over 145 relief innings during his time in D.C., working in a high-leverage role and occasionally as a closer with the Nats.

Harvey has been prone to allowing a lot of hard contact, but his control and strikeout ability has allowed him to get out of jams when allowing baserunners.  Harvey has always been a hard thrower, though his 96.1 mph fastball in 2025 was the slowest velocity he has posted in his MLB career.  Of course, it’s hard to draw conclusions from that sample size of 10 2/3 IP, and it is certainly possible that Harvey will regain a tick or two on his heater once healthy.

Availability is the lingering question for Harvey, yet there is plenty of upside for the righty as he enters his age-31 season.  He is an ideal fit for Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who has traditionally shopped for lower-cost bullpen arms who can (if everything works out) provide plenty of bang for the buck.

Chicago’s two-year, $14.5MM deal with Phil Maton counts as a relative splurge by Hoyer’s bullpen spending standards, but the Cubs have now signed Maton, Harvey, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and old friend Caleb Thielbar in what has quietly become a pretty extensive remodel of the relief corps.  Daniel Palencia remains as the Cubs’ first choice for saves, but Harvey now provides some backup as a reliever with some ninth-inning experience.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team pursue more veteran relievers on relatively inexpensive contracts, in order to give the Cubs as much depth as possible in advance of what Chicago hopes is a deeper postseason run.  The Cubs have been linked to a number of bigger-ticket position players and starting pitchers, but Maton’s deal remains their largest investment in a new player this offseason.

Will Sammon and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic first reported the agreement between the two sides. Jon Heyman of the New York Post added the contract’s length, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the salary.

Yankees Re-Sign Amed Rosario

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Dec. 30: The team has now formally announced Rosario’s new contract.

Dec. 13: The Yankees are re-signing infielder Amed Rosario to a one-year contract.  The deal pays Rosario $2.5MM in salary, plus another $225K is available in incentive bonuses.  Rosario is represented by Octagon.

Acquired from the Nationals at the trade deadline, Rosario hit .303/.303/.485 over 33 plate appearances and 16 games for New York, and his playing time was further limited by a 10-day injured list stint due to a left SC joint sprain.  Still, Rosario lived up to expectations by chipping in at second base, third base, and in right field, while providing the Yankees with a productive right-handed hitting bat.

That righty-swinging balance is a plus within a New York lineup that is heavy in left-handed batters, and having Rosario back will give the Yankees some platoon flexibility with either Ryan McMahon at third base or even Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second base.  McMahon is a superb defender but a much lesser hitter than Chisholm, so Rosario will probably get most of his playing time spelling McMahon at least against southpaws.

Once regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects during his time in the Mets’ farm system, Rosario posted some okay offensive numbers as a regular with the Mets and Guardians.  His overall effectiveness was limited by a lack of walks, struggles against right-handed pitching, and subpar defending at the shortstop position.

Though he is only entering his age-30 season, Rosario now looks to have settled into a role as a part-time player who can fill in at multiple positions, though he doesn’t provide much defensive value anywhere.  His biggest plus is his ability to hit southpaws, as Rosario has a career .298/.336/.464 slash line in 1196 PA against left-handed pitching.

The Yankees clearly liked what they saw in Rosario last year, and after bouncing around to six different teams since the start of the 2023 season, Rosario probably appreciates some stability in returning to the Bronx for a full season in the pinstripes.  He receives a slight raise over the $2MM deal he received from Washington last winter.

With Rosario back in the fold, the Yankees have brought some experienced depth back into the infield mix.  Anthony Volpe will miss the start of the season recovering from shoulder surgery, so if Jose Caballero ends up getting a lot of the shortstop time in Volpe’s absence, Rosario’s presence helps fill the utility void on New York’s bench.  Brendan Donovan is another versatile player known to be on the Yankees’ trade radar, plus the club has also been more loosely linked to All-Star Bo Bichette, in what would be an even more seismic shake-up of the Bronx infield.

Jack Curry of YES Network was the first to report that Rosario was re-signing with the Yankees on a one-year deal.  Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Rosario’s $2.5MM salary, and ESPN’s Jorge Castillo added the news about the incentive bonuses.

Orioles Re-Sign Zach Eflin

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The Orioles have reunited with Zach Eflin on a one-year, $10MM deal with a mutual option for the 2027 season.  The team has officially announced the signing, and designated outfielder Will Robertson for assignment in a corresponding move to create room on the 40-man roster.  Eflin is represented by O’Connell Sports Management.

The $10MM guarantee breaks down as a $5MM salary, a $3MM signing bonus, and then a $2MM buyout on the mutual option.  As a reminder, mutual options are virtually never exercised by both parties, so Eflin’s deal is for all intents and purposes just a one-year pact.  There is some significant bonus money involved, as both Eflin’s buyout and option will increase by $1MM if he makes at least 15 starts, then by $1.5MM if he makes at 20 starts, and one final increase of $2.5MM if he hits the 25-start threshold.  The mutual option’s buyout can therefore max out at $7MM.

Baltimore has been linked to several top-tier free agent pitchers this winter, and the O’s also just swung a notable trade to land a hurler with frontline potential in Shane Baz.  The 32-year-old Eflin might settle into the back of the rotation, especially given his uncertain injury status.  Eflin underwent a back surgery in August that came with a rather broad recovery timeline of 4-8 months, so the fact that he has now signed a contract after four months perhaps hints that his rehab is going smoothly.

The Baltimore Sun’s Matt Weyrich hears from a source that the Orioles are hoping Eflin can “make his season debut early in the year,” with his ramp-up process starting “early in Spring Training.”  Once Eflin is ready, he’ll slot in as the fourth or fifth starter in a projected rotation that includes Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, and Baz.  Tyler Wells had a line on a rotation spot but might move into a bullpen or swingman role once Eflin returns.  Albert Suarez is another swingman candidate, plus Cade Povich, Chayce McDermott, and Brandon Young are further rotation depth options in the upper minors.

If Baltimore still wanted to make a splash by signing or trading for more of a proven ace, the Eflin signing likely isn’t an obstacle.  Given how many injuries the Orioles rotation suffered in 2025, it is no surprise that the team wants as much depth as possible to both cover innings and deliver quality results going forward.

Eflin’s own injury woes contributed to the Orioles’ health problems, as lat and back injuries resulted in three separate stints on the injured list for the righty last year.  Eflin was limited to just 71 1/3 innings over 14 starts, and he struggled to a 5.93 ERA and a 16.2% strikeout rate.  The righty’s 4.2% walk rate was still excellent, however, and since a lot of the damage off Eflin came via a spike in his homer rate, his 4.49 SIERA was more respectable than his real-world ERA.

This isn’t the first time Eflin was plagued by injuries, as persistent knee issues bothered the right-hander earlier in his career with the Phillies, though he posted solid results when healthy.  In what counted as a significant outlay for the low-budget Rays, Tampa Bay inked Eflin to a three-year, $40MM contract during the 2022-23 offseason, and he ended up delivering the highest two innings totals of his career over the first two seasons of the deal — 177 2/3 IP in 2023, 165 1/3 IP in 2024.

The durability was backed up by a 3.54 ERA, 3.5% walk rate, and 23.1% strikeout rate over those 343 innings, though Eflin’s K% dropped off considerably from 26.5% in 2023 to 19.6% in 2024.  Since the Rays are always looking to trim the budget and reload with younger talent, Tampa dealt Eflin to the Orioles at the 2024 deadline, with the O’s absorbing all of the money remaining on Eflin’s $11MM salary for the 2024 season and his $18MM salary for 2025.  While his 2025 campaign was a wash, Eflin did pitch well down the stretch for the Orioles in 2024 to help the team reach the postseason.

Tampa Bay was the only team publicly linked to Eflin’s market this winter, but he’ll now instead return to one of his other former teams in his attempt at a rebound season.  The Orioles know better than any other club about the right-hander’s health situation, and the upside is obvious if Eflin can return to his old form.  At the time of his season-ending surgery, Eflin was also quite vocal about his desire to return to Batlimore in free agency, and now his wish has come true.

Eflin’s $10MM commitment brings the Orioles’ 2026 payroll up to roughly $147.3MM, as per RosterResource.  Since the O’s finished the 2025 campaign with a payroll of approximately $160.1MM, there’s still more room to spend for a team that already made one of the winter’s blockbuster signings in the Pete Alonso contract.  Baltimore could further spend on a free agent starter like Ranger Suarez or Framber Valdez, or perhaps again tip into its minor league depth for another significant trade.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was the first to break the news on Eflin’s one-year pact with the Orioles.  The New York Post’s Jon Heyman had the $10MM guaranteed, and Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner reported the detail of the mutual option.  FanSided’s Robert Murray had the salary breakdown and the information about the bonus structure.

Inset photo courtesy of Gregory Fisher — Imagn Images

Joe Kelly Announces End Of His Playing Career

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After 13 Major League seasons, reliever Joe Kelly has decided to call a career, as the right-hander told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford on a recent edition (audio link) of the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.  In his usual irreverent fashion, the 37-year-old Kelly declined to say he was officially retiring, taking issue with the term itself.

“Retiring is like, something that my grandmother did….I’m sorry all you people out there watching this that work a real job.  You guys deserve to retire, athletes don’t,” Kelly said.  “We just stop [expletive] playing, okay?  Let’s cancel the word ’retirement.’  It’s used for people who [expletive] served in the military, used for people who worked until 65…When athletes are done playing, just say ’congratulations, they’re no longer playing.’ ”

Kelly last played during the 2024 season, tossing 32 regular-season innings for the Dodgers.  He didn’t sign a contract last winter, and stated last July that he was planning to showcase himself in a throwing session for the Dodgers alone, saying that he only wanted to pitch for Los Angeles if he returned at all.  That session came and went without any fanfare, and Kelly told Bradford that continued injury problems convinced him to hang up the glove.  “I can throw 98 [mph] like nothing…[but] I threw a pitch and like strained again, so like ’nah, I’m done,’ ” Kelly said.

High velocity has been a bedrock of Kelly’s career, as he averaged 95mph on his fastball in his MLB debut season with the Cardinals in 2012.  A move to the bullpen added even more heat, as Kelly had an average velo of 98.2mph over the final eight seasons of his career, and he topped the 102mph mark at his peak.  While Kelly’s fastball drew the most attention, however, his sinker (which also regularly sat in the upper 90s) and curveball were his most effective pitches at finishing off batters after Kelly set them up with his standard fastball.

A third-round pick for the Cardinals in the 2009 draft, Kelly made his MLB debut with St. Louis in 2012 and he tossed his first 266 big league innings in a Cards uniform.  A notable swap at the 2014 trade deadline saw Kelly and Allen Craig sent to the Red Sox in exchange for John Lackey, and while the trade was panned by Boston fans at the time, Kelly’s development into a valued member of the Red Sox pen has made the deal a little more palatable for Red Sox Nation in hindsight.

Kelly struggled with injuries and consistency over his first two full seasons as a starter with the Sox, and a move to relief pitching in 2016 helped him at least spend less time on the injured list.  Kelly had a 4.33 ERA over his entire 359 1/3 inning tenure with the Red Sox, but he shone brightest when posting a 0.79 ERA over 11 1/3 frames during the 2018 postseason, playing a big role in Boston’s World Series championship victory.

After helping beat the Dodgers in that Fall Classic, Kelly then went to L.A. on a three-year, $25MM free agent deal.  Some early struggles made that signing look like a potential bust, but Kelly righted the ship and finished with a 3.59 ERA, 26.9% strikeout rate, 59.9% grounder rate, and 9.8% walk rate over 105 1/3 innings in that three-season span.  The highlight was another postseason success and a ring in 2020, with Kelly allowing one earned run over 4 2/3 innings during the Dodgers’ title run.

A two-year, $17MM contract with the White Sox followed for Kelly in advance of the 2022 season, but the injuries started to really pile up, leading to a only a 5.59 ERA over 66 innings in a Chicago uniform.  Acquired again by the Dodgers at the 2023 trade deadline, Kelly suddenly regained some of his old form in posting a 1.74 ERA the rest of the way.  Los Angeles brought him back for a one-year, $8MM contract for the 2024 season, but Kelly’s health problems continued and he managed just a 4.78 ERA in his final 32 innings in the Show.  While he wasn’t part of the Dodgers’ playoff roster, Los Angeles’ World Series victory meant that Kelly earned his third ring in what ended up as his farewell season.

Over 485 games and 839 career innings in the majors, Kelly had a 3.98 ERA, 51.8% grounder rate, 21.1% strikeout rate, and a 9.8% walk rate.  His postseason resume consists of a 3.45 ERA over 60 innings, and a particularly impressive 2.03 ERA across 13 1/3 innings in the World Series.

Along the way, Kelly created quite a reputation for himself as a character.  Kelly’s competitiveness sometimes led to a pair of high-profile suspensions, but his willingness to defend teammates only added to the fuel of the rivalries between the Red Sox and Yankees, and the sign-stealing scandal inspired feud between the Dodgers and Astros.  Between his big fastball, erratic control, and eccentric personality, Kelly welcomed all comparisons to “Wild Thing” Rick Vaughn, to the point of wearing #99 with the Dodgers after giving his #17 jersey to the incoming Shohei Ohtani.  (This gesture resulted in Ohtani gifting a Porsche to Kelly’s wife Ashley.)

We at MLBTR congratulate Kelly on a fine career, and we wish him all the best in retir….er, his post-playing endeavors.

Rangers Sign Nabil Crismatt To Minors Contract

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The Rangers have signed right-hander Nabil Crismatt to a minor league deal, El Extrabase’s Daniel Alvarez-Montes reports.  Crismatt’s contract includes an invitation to the Rangers’ big league Spring Training camp.

It’s a late birthday gift for Crismatt, who turned 31 on Christmas Day.  This is Crismatt’s second stint in the Texas organization, as he spent a month of the 2024 season pitching with Triple-A Round Rock before being released from that minor league deal without any time in the bigs.  The brief run in Round Rock was one of many stops Crismatt has made on a variety of minors contracts over the last three seasons, as he is out of minor league options.

After amassing 20 MLB innings with the Padres, Diamondbacks, and Dodgers over the 2023-24 seasons, the righty got a bit more of a run in the Show by tossing 34 innings for the D’Backs in 2025.  Brought up to the active roster in mid-August, Crismatt posted a 3.71 ERA, 5.9% walk rate, and 16.3% strikeout rate during this return to the D’Backs.

While not standout numbers, Crismatt’s performance bore some resemblance to his prime years as a member of the Padres relief corps.  Crismatt delivered a 3.39 ERA, 21.6% strikeout rate, and 7.3% walk rate over 148 2/3 innings out of San Diego’s pen in 2021-22, but a decline in his performance in 2023 led the Padres to part ways, and began Crismatt’s nomadic trip around the league.

The bullpen was an underrated strong point for Texas in 2025, yet several of the relievers (i.e. Shawn Armstrong, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, Phil Maton) who performed so well last year have already left the team in free agency.  This has left the Rangers working to restock the relief cupboard with a new set of pitchers on short-term contracts.  Chris Martin, Alexis Diaz, and Tyler Alexander have all signed guaranteed deals, and Crismatt now joins the list of pitchers in camp as non-roster invites.  Crismatt figures to have a good opportunity at breaking camp with the team, but his out-of-options status could leave him prone to again being the odd man out of a roster crunch.

Orioles Designate Will Robertson For Assignment

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The Orioles announced that outfielder Will Robertson has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for Zach Eflin, whose one-year, $10MM deal to return to the O’s is now official.

Robertson has been on Baltimore’s roster for less than a month, after the club claimed him off the Pirates’ waiver wire a few weeks back.  This transaction came after Robertson went from the White Sox to Pittsburgh on another waiver claim in October, and after the Sox acquired Robertson from the Blue Jays in a July deal for cash considerations.  Prior to this flurry of moves, Robertson had spent his entire career in Toronto’s organization, since his selection in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.

This stint with the Jays culminated in Robertson making his MLB debut in a Toronto uniform, as Robertson got into three games with the Blue Jays in June.  The trade to the rebuilding White Sox naturally created a bit more opportunity for playing time, and Robertson appeared in 24 more games during his time in Chicago.  Unfortunately for Robertson, his first 75 trips to the plate against big league pitching resulted in only a .129/.173/.143 slash line, and one extra-base hit.

Robertson (who just turned 28 two days ago) had some decent but unspectacular numbers in the minors in 2023 and 2024, but he put himself on the radar for a big league promotion with a big Triple-A performance this year.  Over 354 combined plate appearances with the top affiliates of the Blue Jays and White Sox, Robertson hit .289/.387/.571 with 20 homers and 21 doubles.  He also produced a career-best 13.6% walk rate and cut back on the strikeouts, as contact issues have been an issue for Robertson earlier in his career.

While he is best suited for corner-outfield work, Robertson does have some experience in center field, adding to his value as a depth piece.  He has two minor league options remaining, adding to his appeal for any teams interested in making another waiver claim.  Robertson has never been outrighted off a 40-man roster, so he’d have to accept an outright assignment to Baltimore’s Triple-A team if he clears waivers.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

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Mark P

  • The Weekend Chat is back in its regularly-scheduled timeslot of (/Daniel Craig voice) the weekend.  Let’s let a few questions pile up in the queue, and then get cooking….

L’Chaim

  • Has there ever been an offseason where two teams linked up on three separate trades?

Mark P

  • While I don’t have an obvious answer off the top of my head, this isn’t too uncommon.  Just last winter, for instance, the Guardians and Blue Jays lined up on two trades.  The Rays, Mariners, and Padres used to have a pretty steady pipeline of trades going between each other.

Guest

  • If the Cubs sign Bregman do they move Shaw? Will the Cubs sign Bregman?

Mark P

  • The Cubs’ focus seems to be on starting pitching, so if they have a particularly big move in them this winter, it’ll probably be in the rotation.

    Their interest in Bregman might be limited to seeing if he’s willing to take a shorter-term deal, or if a longer-term deal isn’t out there

Matt

  • Is everyone waiting on Okomoto and Imai?

Mark P

  • Things are usually fairly slow during the holiday season anyway, but yeah, these notable names having set deadlines might well have caused some delay in the broader market.  Probably Imai moreso than Okamoto.

Fake and Real

  • Will there ever be another Ohtani? He seems to be the best overall player that there ever was.

Mark P

  • Ohtani is definitely a one-in-one for now, but the fascinating next step of his legacy will be his influence on the next generation of players (in both Japan and all over the world).  Maybe a few more players will take the leap of trying to be real two-way players, and we’ll see a “new Ohtani” emerge….though then that player will have to be not just a two-way guy, but elite in both areas

JJ Piccolo

  • Any chance KC is in the Ketel Marte market?

Mark P

  • This isn’t a bad fit, except for the Royals’ decision to tender Jonathan India a contract.  KC could try to move India elsewhere or flip him back to the D’Backs as part of the trade package and as salary offset, but a limited-payroll team like the Royals can’t so easily just eat $8MM (India’s salary for 2026).

    The Royals do have some interesting young arms that would seemingly be of interest to Arizona.

Read more

Andrew Heaney Announces Retirement

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Andrew Heaney is retiring after 12 Major League seasons, as the 34-year-old southpaw announced via his social media feeds.  Heaney finishes his career with a 4.57 ERA over 1136 2/3 innings as a starter and occasional reliever with six different MLB teams, including seven seasons with the Angels.

“I will miss the game greatly, but all of my experiences and the lasting relationships have made me a better person,” Heaney wrote.  “The routine of showing up to the yard every day and working to improve each time out has been a driving force for me…I am now ready to return my focus and energy to being a husband, father, family man, and active member of my community.  I’m retiring from baseball, but I hope to give back more than I received.  Thank you to all of you for the love and support you have given me.  Y’all know who you are.”

Heaney spent his final season with the Pirates and Dodgers, posting a 5.52 ERA over 122 1/3 innings.  After inking a one-year, $5.25MM deal with Pittsburgh last February, Heaney’s struggles kept him from being dealt at the trade deadline, and the Bucs ended up demoting him to the bullpen and then releasing him entirely at the end of August.  The Dodgers brought Heaney back on a minor league deal for what was technically his third stint in the organization, and he appeared in a single big league game in late September but wasn’t included on any of Los Angeles’ postseason rosters.

Selected ninth overall by the Marlins in the 2012 draft, Heaney debuted in the Show in 2014 but was dealt after the season to the Dodgers as part of a major seven-player trade that brought Dee Strange-Gordon to Miami (and Enrique Hernandez and Austin Barnes to Chavez Ravine).  The Dodgers then flipped Heaney to the Angels that same day in another trade for Howie Kendrick, which has some historical import as the last time the two Los Angeles clubs engaged in a player-for-player swap.

A Tommy John surgery and some other injuries limited Heaney during his time in Anaheim, but he delivered a 4.51 ERA over 569 1/3 innings his long stretch in an Angels uniform.  The tenure ended when Heaney was dealt to the Yankees at the 2021 trade deadline, and that winter he returned to L.A. for a more proper stint with the Dodgers when he signed a one-year, $8.5MM free agent deal.  Injuries were again a factor for Heaney during this year, but he had a 3.10 ERA and a whopping 35.5% strikeout rate over his 72 2/3 frames.

The Oklahoma City native’s next contract brought him a bit closer to home, as Heaney inked a two-year, $25MM deal with the Rangers in the 2022-23 offseason.  The deal was a hit for both the pitcher and the team, as Heaney had a 4.22 ERA with Texas while staying generally healthy — his 160 innings in 2024 and 147 1/3 innings in 2023 were the second- and third-highest single-season innings totals of his career.  During the 2023 postseason, Heaney had a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings over five games as a starter and reliever, helping the Rangers win the World Series.

Home runs were a constant issue for Heaney throughout his career, and his 199 career homers allowed inflated his ERA and perhaps kept him from breaking through as a front-of-the-rotation arm.  Still, Heaney carved out a long and successful career for himself as a starter on the strength of his strikeout ability (23.8% career strikeout rate) and quality control (7% walk rate).  Despite his struggles in 2025, it seemed like Heaney still had more in the tank if he’d chosen to continue pitching, and perhaps could’ve reinvented himself as a full-time relief pitcher.

Instead, Heaney has decided to hang up his glove and will now move onto his post-playing endeavors.  We at MLB Trade Rumors wish Heaney all the best, and congratulate him on a fine career.

Latest On Tigers, Alex Bregman

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The Tigers made a strong push to sign Alex Bregman last offseason, offering the third baseman a six-year, $171.5MM deal (with some deferred money) that included an opt-out clause for Bregman following the 2026 season.  With Bregman back on the market this winter, the Tigers are again in the mix, but in more of a “lukewarm” fashion, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.

This more or less echoes Petzold’s last report on Bregman from earlier this month, and “the Tigers haven’t shown any new movement” in subsequent weeks, a source tells Petzold in his latest piece.  Since Detroit was apparently the only team to offer Bregman a contract longer than four years last year, Petzold suggests the Tigers may be trying to leverage this interest into seeing if they could possibly wait out the rest of Bregman’s market.

The Blue Jays, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox are Bregman’s other known public suitors, and Petzold adds the detail that Chicago and Boston “haven’t shown a willingness to offer a long-term contract.”  This was the case last winter as well, as the Cubs reportedly offered Bregman a four-year deal (with multiple opt-outs) in the $115MM-$120MM range, and the third baseman ended up signing a three-year, $120MM deal with the Sox that allowed him to opt out after each of the first two seasons.

Bregman is entering his age-32 campaign, and he hit .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs over 495 plate appearances for Boston in 2025.  His season was marred by a quad strain that sidelined him for just under seven weeks, as well as a deep slump over the last five weeks of the season.  These flaws notwithstanding, Bregman’s hot start earned him his third career All-Star nod, and his veteran influence within the young Red Sox clubhouse was heavily praised.

It was an altogether solid year for Bregman, and an across-the-board improvement over his 2024 slash line.  However, it may not have been the type of standout campaign that inspires a team to make the type of five- or six-year offer it wasn’t willing to make last offseason, though Bregman isn’t tied to a qualifying offer this time around.

A few other factors complicate Bregman’s market.  Bo Bichette and Kazuma Okamoto are still free agents, and Okamoto’s posting window is up on January 4.  It could be that the teams in on Okamoto (including both the Red Sox and Blue Jays, as per reports) could be first waiting to see where he lands before moving on other infield targets.  Boston and Toronto have also each shown interest in free agent Bo Bichette and trade candidate Ketel Marte, and moving Marte’s contract might be Arizona’s first step towards freeing up enough payroll space to go after Bregman.

While Bichette is thought to be the Blue Jays’ priority and Bregman perhaps Boston’s preferred target, the two teams have been connected to so many infielders that the Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Cubs could stand out since it seems like Bregman is the only big-name infielder on their radar.  Chicago’s offseason has been dominated by multiple bullpen additions and reports linking the Cubs to multiple free agent starters, but there hasn’t been a ton of buzz about any major position-player adds to replace Kyle Tucker.  That said, the Cubs also met with Pete Alonso during the Winter Meetings, so it isn’t as if the team is closing itself off from a pursuit of a premium bat.

As Petzold notes, there is certainly a scenario where Bregman’s other suitors all either stand pat or make other acquisitions, leaving the Tigers as perhaps the only club still open to giving Bregman a longer-term deal.  Depending on how things play out, Bregman and agent Scott Boras could conceivably pivot to another shorter-term, higher average annual value type of contract with an opt-out or two.  Bregman didn’t sign with the Red Sox last winter until mid-February, which could be a sign that Bregman is happy waiting until he gets an acceptable offer, or he might prefer more stability this time rather than another protracted stay in free agency.

Since the Tigers have yet to sign a free agent to a deal longer than two years in the Scott Harris era, Motown fans would prefer that the club is a little more proactive or aggressive in finally landing a big target.  Being patient with Bregman naturally creates the risk that he’ll just sign elsewhere, leaving Detroit now having to play catchup if the team wants to make a significant lineup upgrade.  The Tigers are one of the teams to explore the idea of trading for Marte, so that might present some type of alternative if Marte is also still in Arizona when Bregman comes off the board.

How AL Teams Have Addressed Their Weakest Positions Of 2025

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We covered the National League League earlier today, so now let’s see what the American League’s 15 teams have done (so far) to address their least-productive positions from the 2024 campaign.  Baseball Reference’s position-by-position bWAR breakdown is our guide, so let’s dive in…

Angels (Catcher, -0.5 bWAR): Most of the Angels’ offseason moves to date have understandably focused on pitching.  However, Los Angeles had plenty of pressing needs around the diamond that haven’t really been touched, including a -0.2 bWAR in right field and even 0.0 numbers at both second and third base in 2025.  Vaughn Grissom was picked up in a trade with the Red Sox, but the former top prospect is more of a reclamation project than a real answer for the Halos at second base.  Cody Bellinger is the biggest outfield name linked to the Angels on the rumor mill, but the trade of Taylor Ward to the Orioles might open up the right field spot for Jo Adell, which would allow the Angels to improve at that corner spot while creating a new vacancy in center field.  Beyond all of these other positions, catcher was actually the Halos’ biggest problem area of 2025, and the team got less from the catcher spot than any other team in baseball.  Despite the struggles of both Logan O’Hoppe and Travis d’Arnaud, it doesn’t appear as if L.A. is planning to focus too heavily behind the plate, perhaps because the club simply has so many other concerns up and down the roster.

Astros (First base/left field, 0.3 bWAR): Christian Walker disappointed in the first season of his three-year, $60MM free agent deal, leaving Houston still looking for stability at the position even in the post-Jose Abreu era.  Sliding Isaac Paredes over to first base would be an answer, except Walker isn’t receiving much interest on the trade market, leaving the Astros with an overcrowded infield.  If Paredes is used at DH, it forces Yordan Alvarez or perhaps Jose Altuve again in to left field duty, neither of which is an ideal situation.  It makes for an imperfect surplus for the Astros, and the team will need a bounce-back year from Walker to at least elevate things to “good problem to have” status.  If the infield situation is solved, the Astros could be looking for a more traditional left fielder, and preferably a player that swings from the left side to balance out the righty-heavy lineup.

Athletics (Third base, -0.3 bWAR): New acquisition Jeff McNeil is expected to primarily play second base, but he has experience at the hot corner and could end getting at least some action at third depending on how the A’s deploy their infielders.  McNeil will play pretty much every day in some capacity, but guys like Max Muncy, Darell Hernaiz, Max Schuemann, Brett Harris and Zack Gelof will all be utilized at second or third base.

Blue Jays (Second base/left field, 2.2 bWAR): Toronto wins the prize for the best “worst” positions of any team in baseball, as plenty of clubs would be more than satisfied with a 2.2 bWAR.  Bo Bichette’s free agency has left the second base spot in flux, as it is assumed that Andres Gimenez will move over to shortstop if Bichette departs….or perhaps even if he re-signs.  Gimenez is a much better defender than Bichette, and having Gimenez at shortstop and Bichette permanently moving to second base would greatly help the Blue Jays from a defensive standpoint.  If Bichette leaves entirely, Ernie Clement and/or Davis Schneider would likely take over the keystone.  As for left field, the current plan is to have George Springer and a healthy Anthony Santander split time between the DH spot and a corner outfield position, with left as the likeliest defensive placement.  This plan would remain in place even if the Jays signed Kyle Tucker, another rumored Toronto target.

Guardians (Right field, -1.8 bWAR): Steven Kwan continues to be a one-man band in Cleveland’s outfield, as Kwan’s 3.7 bWAR single-handedly kept the Guards’ outfield out of sub-replacement range.  Instead, the Guardians had “only” the third-worst cumulative outfield bWAR (0.8) of any team in baseball, as the lack of production in right field was followed by a -0.9 bWAR from the Guards’ center fielders.  Star prospect Chase DeLauter is the top candidate for an Opening Day role in either center or right field, and fellow rookies George Valera and Petey Halpin might battle for the other position if Cleveland wanted a primary outfield mix of Kwan and the youngsters.  While the Guardians are forever hesitant about spending money or blocking any homegrown prospects, adding a veteran outfield bat to help out at least a platoon capacity in center or right would help solidify the outfield picture.

Mariners (Right field, 0.5 bWAR): While Luke Raley and Victor Robles struggled in 2025, Dominic Canzone hit well and rather unexpectedly emerged as a regular against right-handed pitching down the stretch.  Rob Refsnyder was recently signed as a lefty-mashing element to Seattle’s position-player mix, and it is easy to see Refsnyder starting in right field whenever a southpaw is on the mound.  The Mariners’ DH spot is also still open, leaving plenty of room for the team to find at-bats for any of Refsnyder, Canzone, Robles, Raley in right field, and for any other regulars that could use a partial off-day in the DH capacity.

Orioles (Center field, 0.1 bWAR): Leody Taveras was signed to a one-year, $2MM deal to provide some depth up the middle, but a healthy season from Colton Cowser is what the O’s are counting on in terms of a center field upgrade.  After finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2024, the sophomore slump came hard for Cowser in terms of both injuries and a downturn at the plate.  Cowser was limited to 92 games due to a left thumb fracture and a concussion, plus he rather unwisely tried to play through the last three months of the season while dealing with two broken ribs.  There has been some speculation that Taveras was added as depth in advance of a possible trade of Cowser or Dylan Beavers, if Baltimore opted to move one of its talented young outfielders in change for a front-of-the-rotation pitcher.

Rangers (Bullpen -0.6 bWAR): Despite posting the fifth-best bullpen ERA in baseball, Texas had the second-lowest bWAR of any relief corps, ahead of only the Nationals in 2025.  It’s an unusual discrepancy that perhaps speaks to the vagaries of the WAR formula, yet Rangers relievers were only 17th in SIERA (3.86), 20th in strikeout rate (22.3%), and the fifth-best BABIP (.277) in the league.  Ironically, the bullpen is now a need more because many of the relievers who delivered such good numbers for the Rangers have now signed elsewhere — Shawn Armstrong headed to the Guardians, while Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Phil Maton all joined the Cubs.  Chris Martin decided to forego retirement for another year with his hometown team, and the Rangers have also brought in Tyler Alexander, Alexis Diaz, and Carter Baumler to help fill some of the holes left open by the departed relievers.

Rays (Left field, 0.9 bWAR): The center field and right field slots only generated 1.0 bWAR apiece, so overall, the Rays didn’t get a ton from their outfield in 2025.  Cedric Mullins was signed to a one-year, $7MM deal to become the new primary center fielder, and Jacob Melton, Jake Fraley and Ryan Vilade were also brought in to further bolster the outfield mix.  Jonny DeLuca and Richie Palacios should both contribute more after being injured for almost all of last season, though Palacios could see now work at second base now that Brandon Lowe has been traded.  In classic Tampa roster churn fashion, several players (i.e. Christopher Morel, Jake Mangum, Everson Pereira, Kameron Misner) who got a good deal of playing time last year have already been traded away.  It’s fair to guess that more turnover is coming between now and Opening Day, as the Rays are forever looking to build for both the future and present.

Red Sox (First base, 0.3 bWAR): The trade for Willson Contreras instantly turns a weak spot into a potential strength.  Contreras’ right-handed bat should play nicely in Fenway Park, and it adds balance to the lefty-heavy top of Boston’s lineup.  Paredes, Kazuma Okamoto, and Pete Alonso were among the many other first base names linked to the Red Sox in reports, and Paredes or Okamoto might still emerge as possibilities at third base, rather than across the diamond.  Triston Casas’ knee surgery contributed to Boston’s lack of production from the first base spot in 2025, and a healthy Casas can both complement Contreras or provide help at DH next year, but there continues to be plenty of speculation that Casas will be traded.

Royals (Right field, -1.9 bWAR): The Royals fielded one of baseball’s worst outfields in 2024, and they were almost literally the worst in 2025 — only the Rockies had a lower outfield bWAR than Kansas City’s cumulative -0.7 mark.  The left field spot generated -0.7 bWAR, while Kyle Isbel’s excellent defense at least brought the center field position up to semi-respectability.  K.C. has already been more active in addressing their outfield, landing Isaac Collins in a trade with the Brewers and signing Lane Thomas as a bounce-back candidate for further depth.  The club is still on the hunt for more outfield help, and acquiring a better option for right field in particular would be ideal, given Thomas’ struggles in 2025 and Jac Caglianone’s unproductive rookie season.

Tigers (Shortstop, 0.7 bWAR): Javier Baez’s comeback season fell apart over the final three months of the season, and Trey Sweeney contributed next to nothing at the plate.  Utilityman Zach McKinstry is a decent part-time option, but the Tigers would likely prefer to keep McKinstry bouncing around the diamond.  With two years remaining on Baez’s contract and star prospect Kevin McGonigle perhaps on the verge of his MLB debut in 2026, Detroit will probably look for stopgap options at shortstop, if anything.  The Tigers had some interest in Ha-Seong Kim before Kim returned to the Braves on a one-year deal.

Twins (Right field, -0.3 bWAR): While right field was Minnesota’s worst position, shortstop wasn’t far ahead at -0.2 bWAR, as the Twins got less from the shortstop position than any other team in baseball.  Third base was also a problem area with 0.0 bWAR, but the hope is that Royce Lewis can finally stay healthy enough to deliver something close to a full season in 2026.  After trading away large chunks of their roster at the trade deadline, the Twins have stopped short of a full rebuild, so they could be looking to add to some degree for next season even if their adds will surely be of the lower-cost variety.  Minnesota might add a veteran utility infield type for depth purposes, but the team surely wants to view Lewis, Luke Keaschall at second base, and Brooks Lee at shortstop plenty of runway to (hopefully) establish themselves as true building blocks.  For right field, top prospect Walker Jenkins figures to make his MLB debut in 2026, so the Twins might again stick with Matt Wallner and/or Trevor Larnach until Jenkins arrives.

White Sox (First base, -0.8 bWAR): After Chicago’s 121-loss team in 2024 yielded six different positions that had sub-replacement bWAR totals, the Sox improved to just two subpar positions in 2025, between first base and left field (-0.3).  While this perhaps counts as damning with faint praise, the Sox took a much more prominent step forward by signing Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34MM deal.  Projected by MLBTR and several other pundits for a much more lucrative contract, the Japanese slugger’s market never really developed, and Murakami opted for a shorter-term deal with Chicago that allows him quick re-entry into free agency following the 2027 season.  If Murakami is able to prove critics wrong about his low contact rate and display some of the power he brought to the Yakult Swallows’ lineup, the White Sox will suddenly have plenty of pop from their first base position.

Yankees (Catcher, 0.6 bWAR): Austin Wells delivered a 107 wRC+ over 414 PA during his rookie season, but that production dropped back to a 94 wRC+ in 448 PA in 2025.  Defensively, Wells is a fantastic pitch-framer, and about average when it comes to throwing out baserunners or blocking.  There isn’t all that much for New York to be concerned by with the former top prospect, and when it comes to the catching position as a whole, the Yankees also have J.C. Escarra as a traditional backup and Ben Rice chipping in behind the plate when he isn’t at first base or DH.  It’s possible Rice might get more time behind the plate if the Yankees were to sign Cody Bellinger, but even if Bellinger got some time at first base, he’d primarily stick to left field while New York kept Rice as the first-choice first baseman and Wells as the starting catcher.

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