Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Red Sox Rumors

Yankees, Astros Among Various Clubs Interested In Freddy Peralta Trade

By | at

There hasn’t been much movement at the top of the free agent rotation market. Most of the focus on starting pitching has been on the trade front, though we didn’t see any major deals at the Winter Meetings.

Most of the top trade candidates are questionable to move at all. Brewers star Freddy Peralta is among that group. Milwaukee isn’t motivated to trade the All-Star righty on the heels of a 97-win season, but they’re not going to shut down conversations entirely. They’ve heard from no shortage of teams with interest. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic report that the Astros, Giants, Mets, Orioles, Red Sox and Yankees are among the clubs that have reached out about Peralta.

The wide range of suitors is to be expected. Houston, San Francisco, Baltimore and the Mets all have starting pitching at or near the top of the priority list. The Astros are focusing on the trade market as they try to stay below the luxury tax line. The Giants and Mets have ample payroll flexibility but have downplayed their desire to make long-term commitments to a starter. The Orioles are casting a wide net to find an impact arm who can slot in the upper half of the rotation. They’ve been tied to Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez in free agency, as well as trade possibilities like Edward Cabrera and MacKenzie Gore.

The Yankees will begin the season without Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón due to injury. Clarke Schmidt may miss the entire season rehabbing Tommy John surgery. They’re set to open the season with Max Fried and Cam Schlittler in the top two spots. Will Warren and Luis Gil project as the third and fourth arms for now, and they don’t have a fifth starter lined up. Warren had a solid rookie season but struggled with the home run ball. Gil was the Rookie of the Year in 2024. This year, he was limited to 57 innings with mediocre strikeout and walk numbers after missing a few months with a lat strain.

Boston isn’t as clearly in need of starting pitching. They entered the offseason pursuing a #2 starter. They’ve acquired Sonny Gray to fill that role and brought in Johan Oviedo as a back-end option. The focus is on adding a big bat or two, but they’ve been tied to virtually every free agent or trade candidate of significance.

Peralta fits on every contender. He’ll make $8MM in the final season of what turned out to be a dramatically team-friendly extension. He’s coming off a career-low 2.70 ERA and finished fifth in NL Cy Young balloting. This was the third straight season in which he reached 200 strikeouts and started 30+ games. The Brewers fully expect to compete for another division title themselves. They’ve pulled the trigger on trades of stars with dwindling club control windows (e.g. Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes) to remain consistently competitive, though that’s not an absolute. They were happy to hold Willy Adames all the way to free agency.

Adames rejected a qualifying offer and netted a compensatory draft pick when he signed with the Giants. Barring injury, Peralta would be a near lock to do the same if Milwaukee holds him all year. That’d net them a compensatory pick after the first round of the 2027 draft — assuming he signs for at least $50MM. Milwaukee would be entitled to the highest level of compensation as a revenue sharing recipient.

Obviously, the Brewers could extract a far greater return for even one year of Peralta’s services on the trade market. They’re balancing that against the hit it’d deal to the 2026 team. Brandon Woodruff is back to join Quinn Priester, Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick in what would still be a high-upside rotation. Every club would be better with Peralta on it, though.

President of baseball operations Matt Arnold addressed the Peralta rumors shortly before the Winter Meetings. “I’m not sure that there’s a scenario that’s been presented that would make any sense for us,” Arnold said last week (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “We obviously get hits on him all the time. He’s a very popular target, certainly. But he’s also a huge part of our team and we want to be competitive in 2026. A big part of this is bringing back the core that we had last year.”

Red Sox Have Shown Interest In Seranthony Domínguez

By | at

The Red Sox are known to be looking for bullpen upgrades. According to Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo of MassLive, right-hander Seranthony Domínguez is one specific name they have checked in on, though the report suggests nothing is imminent.

Domínguez, 31, has been a leverage reliever in the big leagues for several years now. He has generally done a good job of missing bats and keeping the ball on the ground but has also shown some control problems.

Overall, Domínguez has 306 big league innings on his track record, having allowed 3.50 earned runs per nine. His 10.5% walk rate is a bit worse than par but his 45.1% ground ball rate is a few ticks better than average while his 27.9% strikeout rate is quite strong. He has racked up 40 saves and 78 holds along the way.

2025 was a fairly extreme season for him, a year in which he added a splitter and a curveball to his arsenal. It was split between the Orioles and Blue Jays, as he was amusingly traded in between games of a doubleheader between the two. He was on the Baltimore roster in the first game of the contest and then pitched against them as a Blue Jay in the second game. He finished the year having tossed 62 2/3 innings with a 3.16 ERA. His 13.8% walk rate was the highest of his career but his 30.3% strikeout rate was also better than normal for him.

Despite the lack of control, Domínguez held a key role in the Toronto bullpen through their playoff run, with mixed results. He did post a strong 3.18 ERA over 12 postseason appearances, but he walked 11 opponents and only struck out 10. He seemed to benefit from a .115 batting average on balls in play and 91.5% strand rate in that small sample of work under the bright lights.

For the Red Sox, their bullpen needs aren’t desperate. Their relief group had a collective 3.41 ERA in 2025, second only to the Padres. But even the best teams can find a way to make an addition and bump out their eighth-best arm.

At the beginning of the offseason, MLBTR predicted Domínguez could earn an $18MM deal over two years. The relief market has moved fast, with guys like Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, Phil Maton, Kyle Finnegan, Emilio Pagán, Raisel Iglesias, Gregory Soto, Ryan Helsley and others off the board. That leaves Robert Suarez, Brad Keller, Pete Fairbanks, Tyler Rogers, Sean Newcomb and Domínguez as some of the better names still out there.

The Red Sox may not have huge payroll flexibility but they also have plenty of other balls in the air. They are looking for big lineup upgrades and may be able to trade controllable starting pitching. It’s also possible they could use their corner outfield surplus on the trade block. If they add a big bat at first base, then maybe Triston Casas is available as well. Amid all of that, adding to the bullpen probably isn’t the biggest priority but they also can’t wait forever with the way the market is moving.

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images

2025 Rule 5 Draft Results

By | at

The 2025 Rule 5 draft is taking place this afternoon at the Winter Meetings in Orlando. This post will be updated with the results as they come in.

As a refresher, the Rule 5 draft is a way for players potentially talented enough for the big leagues but blocked by their current clubs to find opportunities elsewhere. Any players that were 18 and under at the time of their original signing and went professional in 2021, and any players who turned pro at 19 years of age or older in 2022, are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft if they are not on a 40-man roster.

Though the amateur (Rule 4) draft now has a lottery to determine the selection order, the Rule 5 draft still goes the old-fashioned way of reverse order of standings from the season that just ended. Clubs need to have an open 40-man roster spot in order to make a pick but aren’t obligated to make a selection on their turn. If they do make a pick, they will have to pay $100K to the team they select from. The selected players must stay on the active roster (or injured list) for the entire 2026 season or else be placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, they must be offered back to their original team. They cannot be optioned to the minors.

Players like Anthony Santander and Ryan Pressly have been notable picks in other recent years while guys like George Bell and Roberto Clemente are found deeper in the history books. Last year, 15 players were selected. Only four of those remain with the club who selected them and only three of those have had their rights fully transferred to their new club. The White Sox took Shane Smith from the Brewers. The Marlins took Liam Hicks from the Tigers. Mike Vasil was taken by the Phillies from the Mets but was later traded to the Rays and then went to the White Sox via waivers.

The one other pick from last year’s draft which is still live is Angel Bastardo, who the Blue Jays took from the Red Sox. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery and spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list. He is still on Toronto’s 40-man but they don’t yet have his full rights, as a player needs at least 90 active days to remove the Rule 5 restrictions. If the Jays are willing to roster him for about three months during the 2026 season, they could then gain his full rights and option him to the minors. All other picks were eventually returned to their original organization and/or became free agents.

This year’s picks will be featured below as they come in…

  1. Rockies: RHP RJ Petit (from the Tigers) (Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs was on this before the official announcement)
  2. White Sox: RHP Jedixson Paez (Red Sox)
  3. Nationals: RHP Griff McGarry (Phillies)
  4. Twins: C Daniel Susac (Athletics) (Susac was then traded to the Giants, per Longenhagen. The Twins will get minor league catcher Miguel Caraballo in return, per Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune)
  5. Pirates: RHP Carter Baumler (Orioles) (The Pirates then traded Baumler to the Rangers for RHP Jaiker Garcia. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News previously suggested Texas would likely get Baumler)
  6. Angels: pass
  7. Orioles: pass
  8. Athletics: RHP Ryan Watson (Giants) (Will be traded to Red Sox, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The A’s will get Justin Riemer in return, per Cotillo.)
  9. Braves: pass
  10. Rays: pass
  11. Cardinals: RHP Matt Pushard (Marlins)
  12. Marlins: pass
  13. Diamondbacks: pass
  14. Rangers: pass
  15. Giants: pass
  16. Royals: pass
  17. Reds: pass
  18. Mets: pass
  19. Tigers: pass
  20. Astros: RHP Roddery Muñoz (Reds)
  21. Guardians: RHP Peyton Pallette (White Sox)
  22. Red Sox: pass
  23. Mariners: pass
  24. Padres: pass
  25. Cubs: pass
  26. Dodgers: pass
  27. Blue Jays: RHP Spencer Miles (Giants)
  28. Yankees: RHP Cade Winquest (Cardinals)
  29. Phillies: RHP Zach McCambley (Marlins)
  30. Brewers: pass

Second round (all others passed)

Photo courtesy of Mike Watters, Imagn Images

Red Sox Interested In Kyle Teel

By | at

Carlos Narvaez had a solid rookie season and emerged as Boston’s top option behind the plate in 2025.  However, the Red Sox have been linked to J.T. Realmuto’s market, so there is some indication that the Sox aren’t entirely set at the catching position.  Along those same lines, MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam reports that the club has shown some interest in reuniting with ex-Boston prospect Kyle Teel, though “nothing is close now” between the Red Sox and White Sox.  McAdam adds that the BoSox had talks with the ChiSox about Teel both this offseason and last summer.

It was almost exactly a year ago to the day that Boston included Teel as part of a four-prospect package in the blockbuster trade that brought Garrett Crochet to Fenway Park.  A consensus top-60 prospect heading into the 2025 season, Teel made his Major League debut this year and had a strong initial showing, hitting .273/.375/.411 with eight home runs over his first 297 plate appearances in the Show.

Normally there wouldn’t be even a slight chance that the White Sox would consider flipping such a potential building block, except Edgar Quero is also on the roster as another possible “catcher of the future.”  This has led to teams inquiring on both Teel and Quero’s availability, just in case the South Siders were willing to deal from this on-paper surplus, or had already decided on which of Teel or Quero was their preferred choice going forward.

McAdam writes that “the White Sox are seen as more likely to deal Quero than Teel.”  This could be due to Quero’s shaky defense, as many scouts feel Quero won’t be able to stick at catcher while Teel’s glovework is seen as at least average.  Of course, there is no rush for Chicago to move either Quero or Teel any time soon, with both players so early in their development as big leaguers.

Re-acquiring Teel would be a somewhat unusual move on Boston’s part, and might indicate some trader’s remorse.  Obviously the Red Sox weren’t going to land Crochet without including at least one blue-chip prospect, and Teel ended up being the odd man out of the group known as Boston’s “big four” prospects at the time (Teel, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer).  In a sign of how quickly things can change on the catching front, at this time last year the Red Sox thought they had Connor Wong lined up as a reliable everyday catcher, yet the 2025 season saw Wong struggle badly and Narvaez step up as a starter.

The Red Sox have enough young pitching depth that they could potentially drum up an offer intriguing enough to get the White Sox to move Teel, even if that scenario is certainly on the unlikely side.  Many expect Realmuto to ultimately re-sign with the Phillies, which could leave Boston looking for more catching help.  Narvaez’s health is a slight question mark since he underwent a minor knee surgery following the season, but he is expected to be set for the start of Spring Training.

Rangers Have Not Had Substantial Trade Talks Regarding Corey Seager

By | at

The Rangers, as they look to address several areas of need on the roster while simultaneously scaling back payroll, have received numerous calls on star shortstop Corey Seager. However, while Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News lists the Red Sox (as was reported last night), Yankees and Braves as teams that have inquired, he adds that the Rangers are not at all motivated to move Seager and haven’t had any meaningful trade talks regarding the five-time All-Star.

On the surface, it sounds like a fairly similar situation to that of Ketel Marte in Arizona. Seager, like Marte, is an MVP-caliber talent on a weighty long-term contract whose current club is hoping to walk the line of simultaneously addressing multiple roster needs and scaling back the payroll. The Rangers aren’t expressly turning teams away but also aren’t shopping Seager and would surely need multiple controllable young big leaguers who could help immediately if they were to even entertain the idea of a trade.

Seager, 32 in April, was limited to 102 games last season thanks to multiple hamstring strains but continued to produce at an elite level when on the field. He hit .271/.373/.487 last season and touts a huge .294/.372/.544 batting line in his past 1514 plate appearances as a Ranger. That’s 52% better than league-average production after weighting for his home park, by measure of wRC+. Seager also walked at a career-best 13% clip in 2025 and notched the second- or third-best marks of his career in average exit velocity (92.9 mph), barrel rate (15.3%) and hard-hit rate (53.6%). He also posted a career-high 16 Defensive Runs Saved, while Statcast’s Outs Above Average credited him as a positive defender (+4) for the third time in the past four seasons.

The Rangers signed Seager to a 10-year, $325MM contract prior to the 2022 season. He’s lived up to that massive payday thus far but is still owed $186MM over the next six seasons (paid out evenly at $31MM per year). Adding that type of commitment would send the Yankees careening into the top tier of luxury penalization for a third straight season. They’re currently just shy of the third-tier cutoff ($284MM), per RosterResource. As soon as they cross that line, they’ll be subject to a 95% tax on subsequent additions and will see their top pick in next year’s draft dropped by 10 places. Effectively, Seager could cost them double the remaining commitment on his contract.

It’s not quite so extreme in Boston, where the Red Sox are about $20MM shy of the first luxury tier. Seager would push them into the first tier for a second straight season. They’d owe a 30% tax on the roughly $11MM of Seager’s contract that clocks in beyond that first penalty line. Once they’re more than $20MM over the limit, that’d jump to 42%. Crossing the threshold by more than $40MM would push the Red Sox’ top draft pick back 10 spots and bump the tax on subsequent additions to 72.5%.

The Braves are currently the furthest of this group from the luxury tax threshold, sitting about $33MM shy on RosterResource’s projections. They could technically add Seager without hitting the tax line, though acquiring him would effectively signal a willingness to pay the tax, as they’d be about $2MM away from the first-tier cutoff and have several other acquisitions they’d like to make. However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last month that Atlanta is one of eight teams on Seager’s limited no-trade list. That only further reduces the likelihood of a deal. Seager will gain full no-trade protection after the 2026 season, by virtue of 10-and-5 rights.

It’s still not entirely clear what type of payroll figure Rangers ownership has in mind. Texas currently projects for a payroll around $169MM, which is about $47MM shy of last year’s Opening Day mark. They’re looking for help behind the plate, at first base and on the pitching staff. That’s a lot of boxes to check, clearly, but there should be at least some room for modest spending. There are also various trade avenues to explore that don’t involve shipping out their best all-around position player (or one of their best but expensive arms like Jacob deGrom or Nathan Eovaldi, for that matter).

It’s of at least moderate note that Texas didn’t outright dismiss the possibility of trading Seager, but it’s more notable that they’re not digging deeply into the possibility. If one of the interested parties presents a compelling enough offer, perhaps the Rangers would ponder such a switch, but this appears to be a very different scenario than, say, the Cardinals — a rebuilding club with motivation to shed several veteran contracts and a willingness to pay down some of that salary. Seager’s name may well continue to surface in rumors, just as we’ve seen with Marte in Arizona or Tarik Skubal in Detroit, but that doesn’t mean he’s all that available or that the Rangers are eager to deal him.

Latest On Alex Bregman’s Market

By | at

While the relief market has moved quickly, there hasn’t been a ton of activity on the position player front. Kyle Schwarber’s return to Philadelphia on a five-year contract might open things up. Teams like the Orioles, Red Sox and Pirates were in on Schwarber amidst their pursuit of various free agent hitters.

Alex Bregman is unlikely to be a fit for Baltimore or Pittsburgh, but he’s certainly on the radar for Boston. Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe wrote this evening that the Red Sox are making Bregman a priority. The Sox enjoyed an excellent season from the three-time All-Star, who hit .273/.360/.462 with 18 homers across 495 trips to the plate. He’s also highly regarded as a clubhouse leader and could slot back in at third base, allowing the Sox to use Marcelo Mayer at second base.

[Related: The Best Fits For Alex Bregman]

Boston has been loosely linked to a number of marquee middle infielders as well. They’ve checked in on Ketel Marte and Brendan Donovan. A report tonight from Tim Healey of The Boston Globe suggested they’ve at least gauged the Rangers’ interest in moving Corey Seager, though WEEI’s Rob Bradford suggested those conversations haven’t gone anywhere. The Sox have had conversations with top free agent infielder Bo Bichette, but Julian McWilliams of CBS Sports downplayed that fit tonight as well. That all aligns with the idea that the Sox are more focused on Bregman or a pure power bat at first base (e.g. Pete Alonso).

In addition to Boston, Bregman has been tied to the Tigers and Cubs this winter. Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free-Press wrote on Monday afternoon that Detroit’s interest had been fairly muted to this point compared to last offseason, when they are believed to have put forth the highest offer. The Tigers made a six-year proposal narrowly above $170MM a year ago. Bregman opted for a three-year deal with the Sox that allowed him to opt out and return to the market this winter.

Chicago reportedly made a four-year proposal in the $115MM range last offseason. They’re back in the market and met with Bregman via Zoom a few weeks ago, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. However, the Cubs’ interest is complicated by the presence of second-year third baseman Matt Shaw. After a slow start to his career, Shaw had a nice second half that tapped into some of the ability that made him a top prospect. The Cubs have Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson up the middle, so adding Bregman would make for a cluttered infield.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer spoke generally about reports that have tied the Cubs to external third basemen. “I’ve been surprised by the number of media reports that link us to different guys. There is zero lack of confidence in Matt. I would say the opposite,” Hoyer said on Monday (link via Jesse Rogers of ESPN). He didn’t refute interest in Bregman specifically, nor are executives allowed to do so under the CBA for any free agent. The Cubs aren’t closing the door on adding a high-end bat to replace Kyle Tucker, but they appear more focused on pitching.

Theoretically, the Cubs could sign Bregman and use Shaw as a trade chip for a mid-rotation starter. That doesn’t seem to be a strong consideration. “When a team calls a player ‘untouchable,’ it’s because his value is so high that it’s just unrealistic to think that anyone else would come over the top and give you something that’s even more than that value. That’s where Matt Shaw comes into play for us,” general manager Carter Hawkins told Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. “Is he untouchable? No.  No one’s untouchable, but the odds of somebody coming in and giving us an offer that would make us want to move him is really, really low.”

If the Tigers and Cubs stay on the periphery of the market, that could open an opportunity for a dark horse suitor. The Angels and Mets are speculative possibilities. Meanwhile, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic wrote that the Blue Jays could keep an eye on Bregman as a fallback if they don’t come away with one of Tucker or Bichette. The Jays don’t need a third baseman, but both Addison Barger (corner outfield) and Ernie Clement (second base) could play other positions. Toronto’s general willingness to cast a wide net makes them a viable dark horse, though it’d be a surprise if they seriously jumped in on Bregman while Bichette and Tucker are still unsigned.

Red Sox Checked In On Corey Seager

By | at

The Red Sox have had talks with the Rangers about a Corey Seager deal, reports Tim Healey and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Seager joins a growing list of Boston trade targets that includes Ketel Marte, Isaac Paredes, and Brendan Donovan. The club has also been connected to free agentsBo Bichette, Pete Alonso, and Eugenio Suarez. WEEI’s Rob Bradford reports there isn’t any momentum regarding Boston’s pursuit of Seager.

While the club has been connected to several players in the trade market, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow admitted some discussions have been slow to progress. “In a lot of the conversations that we’ve had, a number of teams have conveyed that they’re very comfortable holding onto their players, as are we,” Breslow said. “So that does add a little bit of a layer of difficulty to try to make these things work.”

Seager delivered a typical season in 2025, providing stellar offensive production in between IL stints. The 31-year-old notched a 138 wRC+ across 102 games. Seager fell short of 30 home runs for the first time as a Ranger, largely due to missing time with a hamstring strain (twice) and an appendectomy. His 445 plate appearances were his fewest since his final year with the Dodgers in 2021.

Texas landed Seager on a massive 10-year, $325MM deal ahead of the 2022 season. He’s been an integral part of the lineup over the past four seasons and led the team to a World Series win in 2023. Seager finished second in AL MVP voting that year, but still went home with individual hardware after securing World Series MVP honors.

Seager will make $31MM in each of the next six seasons. There have been whispers that Texas would be trimming payroll this offseason. The team already chose to non-tender Adolis García and Jonah Heim instead of paying their arbitration price tags. The Rangers also traded Marcus Semien, who had three years and $72MM remaining on his contract, but the deal brought back Brandon Nimmo, who is slated to make $101.25MM through the 2030 season. The Mets did toss in $5MM as part of the trade.

Texas could use some help in the rotation and the bullpen. Linking up with Boston in a trade could help cheaply patch those holes. Breslow has said the team is willing to deal controllable starting pitching. Boston bolstered the rotation by adding Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo via trade. Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello are locked into rotation spots, which leaves little room for youngsters Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, and Hunter Dobbins. Veterans Patrick Sandoval and Kutter Crawford are also expected to be back healthy.

Trevor Story served as Boston’s primary shortstop last season. After multiple injury-riddled seasons, the former Rockie came through with a resurgent year. Story launched 25 home runs and stole a career-high 31 bases. He remains on the books for $25MM in each of the next two seasons. The contract also includes a $25MM club option for 2028. Story exclusively played second base in his first year in Boston, with Xander Bogaerts holding down shortstop. He could slide back to the keystone if the club acquires Seager, though that would require some reshuffling with Ceddanne Rafaela and potentially others. Center fielder Jarren Duran has been the subject of frequent trade talks, and his departure would clear a spot for Rafaela in the outfield.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

 

Giants Have Shown Interest In Brendan Donovan

By | at

Brendan Donovan has been one of the top trade targets for clubs seeking offensive help. The Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Guardians and Astros have all been tied to the lefty-hitting utilityman at points this offseason.

Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Giants have been in the mix for Donovan as well. Goold lists San Francisco alongside Seattle and Kansas City among the teams that have kept in touch with the Cardinals as they gauge the market. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox have also talked with the Cards about Donovan, though he’s one of myriad star infielders whom Boston has considered.

The Giants are looking to add at second base. Casey Schmitt is the favorite to start there but probably fits better as a utility player. San Francisco had one of the least productive second base groups in MLB overall. Schmitt was a league average hitter, while Tyler Fitzgerald’s strikeout issues prevented him from building off an impressive 2024 rookie season. Donovan is coming off a .287/.353/.422 season and owns a very similar line in more than 2000 career plate appearances. He’d be a significant upgrade at second base and has the flexibility to help out in the corner outfield.

Kansas City surprisingly tendered a contract to Jonathan India. He’ll probably be back at second base, so Donovan might fit better for them in left field. They could also use India at designated hitter on days when Salvador Perez is behind the plate.

Seattle is hopeful of re-signing free agent second baseman Jorge Polanco. They’ve reportedly had a gap on the contract length, and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke yesterday of preparing for the possibility that Polanco signs elsewhere. There’s been some thought that he could sign before the Winter Meetings are out tomorrow.

A Donovan trade, if it happens at all, doesn’t appear to be imminent. Goold writes that president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and his staff are taking their time to evaluate offers. Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of The Seattle Times write similarly that Donovan is not expected to be moved before the end of the week.

Donovan is under club control for another two seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $5.4MM salary. That’ll likely climb into the $8-10MM range in 2027. The Cardinals haven’t firmly committed to trading Donovan, but there’s been no indication that an extension is on the table. They’re entering a rebuild, so it’d be a surprise if he’s not in another uniform by Opening Day. The Cardinals are pursuing controllable starting pitching in their trade conversations.

D-backs Rumors: Marte, Johnson, Front Office

By | at

Even as general manager Mike Hazen continues to downplay the possibility of a trade, Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte is one of the most talked-about players around baseball’s Winter Meetings at the moment. Hazen has called a trade unlikely, stating that despite far more public chatter this offseason, the amount of interest he’s receiving in Marte is in line with the robust interest he’s received in past offseasons. Like most front office leaders around the sport, Hazen has said that it’s his job to at least hear out inquiring teams on virtually any player, Marte included.

Arizona’s asking price has been reported to be anywhere from high to exorbitant. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic adds more detail, reporting that one club who inquired with the Diamondbacks came away with the belief that it’d take an “established, well-regarded” starting pitcher and multiple additional pieces of value — presumably, controllable young big leaguers or nearly MLB-ready prospects.

While Marte has been connected to a litany of teams thus far, not all are in serious pursuit. Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports that while the Blue Jays have checked in, their interest is more a case of due diligence than one of aggressively trying to make a deal happen. The starting point of an established young rotation piece would be hard for the Jays to include in their offer, Nicholson-Smith notes, and Trey Yesavage is really the only player on the roster who fits that role (and that would very likely be an understandable breaking point for the Jays). Similarly, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe suggests that while the Red Sox have looked into the possibility, Boston hasn’t been all that aggressive when discussing Marte with the D-backs.

Marte, 32, is owed $102.5MM over the next six seasons, though the sixth year on his contract is a player option valued at $11.5MM. That’s a hefty commitment but also less than he’d receive in free agency right now, coming off a .283/.368/.519 showing over the past three seasons (.283/.376/.517 in 2025). Moving Marte would, in theory, net the Diamondbacks an immediate rotation piece, multiple young players and $15MM in immediate payroll flexibility that could be used to help fortify the bullpen and/or infield corners (or, perhaps, to add even more rotation depth).

That said, the team is pursing those goals even while listening on its star infielder. Moving Marte, or shedding salary in general, isn’t any sort of prerequisite for the Diamondbacks to further round out the roster. RosterResource currently projects them for a $151MM payroll following yesterday’s $7.5MM deal with starting pitcher Michael Soroka. Owner Ken Kendrick has said payroll will decrease this season, but no firm number has been given. The D-backs are more than $35MM shy of last season’s Opening Day mark. There’s room to spend even if the budget will scale back.

The Soroka deal speaks to that, as do some of the team’s other pursuits. Arizona and right-hander Merrill Kelly reportedly have mutual interest in a reunion. The Snakes are reported to have interest in closer Pete Fairbanks. Just this morning, Piecoro reported that former Braves reliever Pierce Johnson is also of interest to the Diamondbacks.

Johnson, 35 in May, has spent the past two-plus seasons in Atlanta after going from the Rockies to the Braves at the 2023 trade deadline. He turned things around amid a brutal ’23 season following that swap, pitching to a 0.76 ERA down the stretch for his new club and earning himself a two-year, $14.25MM extension. Overall, Johnson totaled 139 innings and logged a tidy 2.91 earned run average during his time calling Truist Park home.

The Braves somewhat surprisingly declined a 2026 club option on Johnson, valued at $7MM, in favor of a $250K buyout. Given Johnson’s results in Atlanta and the modest (net) price tag of $6.75MM, there was a strong case to pick the option up.

Perhaps Atlanta was concerned about Johnson’s poor finish to the season. Nearly half the runs he allowed on the year came over the final month of play. From Aug. 25 onward, Johnson was rocked for nine runs on 19 hits and three walks. Four of those 19 knocks left the yard. His strikeout rate dropped nearly three percentage points, and his average fastball dipped by about 0.4 mph.

That could set the stage for Johnson to sign a one-year deal — or perhaps a two-year pact at a lighter AAV than the $7MM turned down by Atlanta. That sort of price point would work nicely for a D-backs club that’s trying to add multiple starters and multiple relievers in relatively affordable fashion. One move that won’t garner as many headlines but could still yield notable dividends to the team’s pitching hopes happened on the front office side of things earlier today, however.

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported this morning that Jeremy Bleich, the Pirates’ director of pitching development, is leaving the organization to join the Diamondbacks as an assistant general manager.

Bleich, 38, is a Stanford product whom the Yankees selected with the 44th overall pick back in 2008. He made one big league appearance on the mound with the 2018 Athletics but ended his playing career after the 2019 season. Bleich has been with the Pirates since 2020 and has played a role in helping to cultivate the organization’s enviable pipeline of young pitching talent. Paul Skenes was likely to develop into an ace wherever he landed, but the Bucs have had a high conversion rate on second- and third-round picks like Braxton Ashcraft, Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco, among others, and have seen lower picks (e.g. 11th-rounder Mike Burrows) develop into quality big league contributors. The Diamondbacks, conversely, have struggled to finish the development of their top pitching prospects in recent seasons.

Diamondbacks prospects who’ve ranked among the top of their system but have yet to pan out in the majors in recent years include Brandon Pfaadt, Bryce Jarvis, Blake Walston, Corbin Martin and Drey Jameson, to name a few. Since 2019, Ryne Nelson is the only pitcher the D-backs have drafted and received even three total WAR from in the majors. Bleich obviously can’t be solely credited with the Pirates’ success in pitcher development, but it’s not at all surprising to see the Snakes pry a prominent name in pitching development away from a rival club as they look to improve their fortunes moving forward.

Angels Acquire Vaughn Grissom

By | at

The Angels have acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league outfielder Isaiah Jackson, according to announcements from both clubs. Prior to the official announcement, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Grissom portion and Chris Cotillo of MassLive the Jackson part. The move drops Boston’s 40-man count to 39, perhaps allowing them to make a selection in tomorrow’s Rule 5 draft. The Halos’ 40-man count goes from 34 to 35.

If there’s a consistent theme in how the Angels are attacking this offseason, it is buying low on former top prospects. Their two biggest moves of the winter so far have been to sign Alek Manoah and acquire Grayson Rodriguez from the Orioles. Manoah and Rodriguez are both former first-round picks who are coming off a few years of injury struggles.

The situation with Grissom is somewhat analogous, though he is not a pitcher and didn’t have quite the same prospect pedigree. Atlanta took him in the 11th round of the 2019 draft but he put up huge numbers on his way up the minor league ladder. By the summer of 2022, he had become a top 100 prospect. He slashed .322/.411/.480 on the farm over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Atlanta called him up in August of 2023, skipping him over the Triple-A level. He put up a big .291/.353/.440 line in his first 156 big league plate appearances.

Going into 2023, Atlanta let Dansby Swanson depart via free agency, signing with the Cubs. Grissom seemed to have a good shot at being the long-term answer there. There were questions about his defense but the bat seemed legit. Ron Washington, then on Atlanta’s coaching staff, worked with Grissom on his defense throughout the winter. At the end of spring training, Atlanta surprisingly decided to give Orlando Arcia the shortstop job. Grissom was optioned to Triple-A.

Atlanta called up Grissom a few times that year but he hit just .280/.313/.347 for a 79 wRC+ in his 80 plate appearances. But he still showed his offensive potential in the minors, as he hit .330/.419/.501 for a 138 wRC+ in Triple-A.

Going into 2024, Atlanta flipped Grissom to the Red Sox for Chris Sale. At the time, it seemed like a coup for the Red Sox. Sale had barely pitched from 2020 to 2022 due to injuries. He had made 20 starts in 2023 but with a 4.30 earned run average. Since he was going into his age-35 season, the final guaranteed season of his contract, the expectations weren’t high for him going forward.

That deal turned into a big bust for Boston. Sale posted a 2.38 ERA in 2024 and won the National League Cy Young award. Grissom, meanwhile, has mostly been stuck in Triple-A since being traded. Boston gave him 114 big league plate appearances in 2024 but he hit just .190/.246/.219 in those. He has still been putting up decent Triple-A numbers, but not quite as gaudy as before. Since the start of 2024, he has a .266/.357/.417 line and 106 wRC+ at the Triple-A level. He played all four infield spots during his time with Triple-A Worcester. He finished the 2025 season on the injured list due to plantar fasciitis.

Grissom exhausted his final option season in 2025, meaning he will be out of options going forward. The Sox have an uncertain infield picture at the moment but will likely address it with further moves this offseason. Since they just made the playoffs, they will be looking to compete again and surely didn’t want to rely on Grissom after a couple of uninspiring years.

For the Halos, they have been mired in mediocrity for a while now, having last made the playoffs over a decade ago. They need a lot to go right if they’re going to break that streak. They will probably make some more clear-cut upgrades at some point this winter but have thus far been taking chances on low-certainty upside plays.

Their infield has a couple of openings at the moment. They have Zach Neto locked in at shortstop and Nolan Schanuel at first base. Second and third base are up for grabs. At the hot corner, Anthony Rendon is technically signed for another season but is probably going to retire. The Angels gave Christian Moore a chance to grab the second base job in 2025 but he didn’t take advantage of that opportunity. Denzer Guzmán, Oswald Peraza and Kyren Paris are also on the roster but no one in that group has a track record of major league success.

There’s a path for Grissom to perhaps earn some playing time at second or third, or perhaps as a bench/utility guy. It’s possible those paths get blocked with future moves but they are there for now. Grissom still has less than two years of service time. If he can thrive as an Angel, they can retain him for five full seasons before he would be slated for free agency. He is only 24 years old, turning 25 in January.

To get that shot on Grissom, they are giving up an outfielder from deep in their system. Jackson was just selected in the eighth round of the draft this summer. He has ten games of experience as a professional, which came at High-A, where he hit .219 /.324/.344. He turns 22 in May. For the Sox, they are likely happy to get any kind of return at all for a guy who was getting pushed off the roster anyway.

Photos courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Dale Zanine, Imagn Images

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top