Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Astros Rumors

Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Red Sox Among Teams Interested In Willy Adames

By | at

Willy Adames is drawing “very broad” interest in free agency, with MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (X link) naming the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, and Red Sox as clubs looking at the shortstop.  The Dodgers, Giants, and Yankees are also mentioned in a somewhat more speculative fashion, under the general premise that teams with infield needs — rather than specific shortstop needs — have Adames on their radar.

Reports surfaced a couple of weeks ago that Adames was open to moving off shortstop if the situation warranted, thus further opening up his market of potential suitors.  Looking at Morosi’s list, the Braves would seemingly be the only one of the four clubs that would be looking at Adames as a shortstop, since Atlanta has a clear need at the position.

Orlando Arcia struggled through a very rough year at the plate in 2024, and replacing Arcia with Adames at shortstop would provide a huge upgrade to the Braves’ lineup.  Signing Adames would represent a new frontier for Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, as Marcell Ozuna’s four-year, $65MM deal from the 2020-21 offseason is the largest free agent contract Anthopoulos has handed out over his seven-plus years running the Braves’ front office.

Adames’ expected contract would more than double Ozuna’s deal.  MLBTR predicted a six-year, $160MM contract for Adames.  Adding somewhere in the range of $26.6MM in average annual value onto the Braves’ books would continue to boost a payroll that has plenty of long-term commitments in place, though Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias are both free agents after the 2025 season, and technically Chris Sale could be as well if Atlanta doesn’t exercise a club option on his services for 2026.

Signing with Boston would open up several defensive possibilities for Adames.  Trevor Story is the incumbent shortstop and still an excellent defender, even if injuries have limited Story’s offense and playing time altogether over his three seasons with the Red Sox.  Story is still owed $77.5MM through the 2027 season, and while he can opt out of his contract after the 2025 campaign, an opt-out doesn’t seem at all likely given the veteran infielder’s last few years.

The Sox used Story at second base in 2022 when Xander Bogaerts was still on the team, so Story could shift over to the keystone again to accommodate Adames.  Or, perhaps the simplest answer is just to install Adames as the regular second baseman, hopefully finally ending the revolving door that has been Boston’s second base position in recent years.

Star prospects Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell could slot into the infield mix as early as 2025 if Campbell isn’t utilized as an outfielder.  Once the Sox see what they have in the youngsters and need to find playing time, the Red Sox could them perhaps use Adames as a third baseman, bumping Rafael Devers into a first base or DH role.  There are plenty of moving parts defensively, yet Adames would provide a clear boost to a lineup in sore need of a big right-handed bat.

Bo Bichette is coming off a miserable 2024 season, yet he remains Toronto’s everyday shortstop heading into his final year of team control.  With Bichette in the fold, the Jays could use Adames at second or (more likely) third base, as the Blue Jays’ collective of in-house young infielders are almost all better suited defensively to the keystone than the hot corner.

If Bichette was to leave in free agency next winter, Toronto could explore simply moving Adames back to shortstop, thus addressing a major position in relatively easy fashion.  Second and third base could then be occupied on a more permanent basis by one of the Blue Jays’ incumbent infielders, depending on which stood out during the 2025 season.  Again, the offensive upgrade is obvious, since Adames, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and what the Jays hope will be a resurgent Bichette form a powerful lineup core on paper.

It is worth mentioning that Adames has played virtually his entire MLB career at the shortstop position, and he hasn’t played anywhere else on the diamond since making 10 appearances as a second baseman during his 2018 rookie season with the Rays.  Moving to third base would therefore represent an entirely new challenge for the 29-year-old, which provides an interesting backdrop to the Astros’ pursuit.

Since Jeremy Pena and Jose Altuve have the middle infield positions covered, Houston would therefore be looking at Adames as a third baseman if Alex Bregman signed elsewhere.  Astros GM Dana Brown has described re-signing Bregman as “our biggest priority,” so while Bregman’s departure is far from a foregone conclusion, the Astros surely have some backup plans in mind if their longtime third baseman did leave.

Replacing Bregman with another high-priced free agent infielder would count as a bit of a surprise, given how Brown has said his club “may have to get a little bit creative” in managing the payroll this winter.  The same applies to the Blue Jays, as Toronto already posted a team-record high payroll in 2024 with only a last-place finish in the AL East to show for it.  The Red Sox have plenty of payroll room open, and while the team has shied away from major free agents in the last few years, Boston has already been linked to a wide range of top names (Juan Soto, Max Fried, Teoscar Hernandez, Blake Snell), so the Sox seem to be signaling that they are ready to again shop in the high-rent district.

Since Adames is sure to reject the Brewers’ qualifying offer, a new team would face some sort of penalty for signing him.  The Braves and Astros both exceeded the luxury tax in 2024, and thus signing Adames or any qualified free agent would cost the club $1MM in international bonus pool money, plus their second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2025 draft.  It is a steep penalty to pay, though the draft hit could be slightly lessened in the form of a compensatory pick after the fourth round if either the teams’ own qualified free agents (Houston’s Bregman, Atlanta’s Fried) signed elsewhere.

The Blue Jays (just barely) and Red Sox stayed under the tax threshold this season, so both would have to give up $500K of international bonus pool money as well as their second-highest 2025 draft selection.  The Sox also have a qualified free agent of their own in Nick Pivetta, and if Pivetta departed, Boston’s compensatory pick could come before the start of the third draft round.

Astros Reach New Naming Rights Deal For Ballpark

By | at

The Astros and Daikin Comfort Technologies North America have reached agreement on a 15-year naming rights for the team’s downtown ballpark, the team announced (video link via X). Beginning in 2025, Houston’s Minute Maid Park will be renamed Daikin Park. The new name will remain in place through the 2039 season.

“We are excited to be partnering with Daikin for our ballpark’s naming rights,” owner Jim Crane said in a statement Monday morning. “Daikin is an international company that proudly calls the Greater Houston area its North American home. The Houston Astros and Daikin share the same values, a commitment to excellence and a desire to give back to our local community.”

The Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara reports that the prior 28-year naming deal with Minute Maid Co. had been slated to run through the 2029 season but was ended early for yet-unknown reasons. That agreement paid the Astros an estimated $170MM over the life of the deal, per Kawahara. Minute Maid remains a marketing partner but will no longer claim those naming rights. It’s not yet clear how much of that estimated $170MM was yet to be paid out or how the new naming rights agreement will impact revenues.

The team’s lease at the current ballpark runs through 2050, so it’s possible there’ll be at least one additional new name somewhere down the road. Of course, the Astros and Daikin could agree to an extension of the new naming rights agreement at a later date.

Astros, Steven Okert Agree To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Astros have agreed to a minor league deal with left-handed reliever Steven Okert, per their transaction log at MLB.com. He’ll be in camp as a non-roster invitee in spring training and would earn $1.2MM upon making the roster, MLBTR has learned. The contract contains additional incentives and multiple opt-out dates for the veteran southpaw.

Okert, 33, spent the 2024 season with the Twins organization after they acquired him in an offseason swap sending utilityman Nick Gordon to the Marlins. He appeared in 44 games and pitched 35 1/3 innings with a 5.09 earned run average. Minnesota designated Okert for assignment over the summer and sent him outright to Triple-A. He became a minor league free agent at season’s end.

Despite the rough run-prevention numbers in ’24, Okert has a solid track record of missing bats. His strikeout rate dipped to 20.6% with the Twins, and it’s of note that he did lose about a mile per hour off both his four-seamer and slider. However, from 2021-23, Okert was a mainstay in the Marlins’ bullpen and pitched well, logging a 3.51 ERA in 146 frames while picking up plenty of punchouts. He fanned 28.9% of his opponents in that stretch, and while his 10.7% walk rate was a couple percentage points north of average, he generally avoided opponents’ barrels well enough to mitigate those free passes.

Okert still avoided hard contact nicely with the Twins — in fact posting career-low marks in average exit velocity and opponents’ hard hit rate. When opponents did barrel him up, however, it was too often for maximum damage. Okert’s 1.53 homers per nine frames were the highest of his career by a wide margin. That, paired with more balls in play due to the dip in strikeout rate, worked against the 6’2″ southpaw.

The Astros will try to restore some of the velo and whiffs that Okert lost in 2024. If they’re able to help him right the ship, they’ll be picking up a lefty reliever who pitched quite well from ’21-’23 at a low cost. Beyond closer Josh Hader, the ’Stros only have two other left-handed relievers on their 40-man roster: Bryan King, who has all of 26 1/3 MLB innings to his credit, and Bennett Sousa, who has 29 1/3 MLB frames and missed the 2024 season following thoracic outlet surgery. Adding some affordable lefty depth to the bullpen makes sense, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another signing or two along these lines.

Reggie Jackson Steps Down From Astros Front Office Role

By | at

After four seasons as a special advisor in the Astros front office, Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson is leaving the team. The 78-year-old baseball lifer reportedly wants to spend more time with his family in California. He also has other business ventures to focus on, including a car dealership and various endorsements. Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post were the first to announce the news.

Jackson was thought to be a highly influential presence in Houston’s front office. Speaking with Heyman and Sherman on their podcast “The Show” earlier this year, he named himself, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell as three advisors who were “very much involved” in the team’s decision-making, along with general manager Dana Brown and owner Jim Crane. His specific duties with the Astros were never entirely clear, although Chandler Rome of The Athletic explains that he was “a fixture in spring training, on select trips and behind the batting cages at Minute Maid Park.” He also worked with two of the team’s charitable foundations. Jackson described himself to the New York Post as a “pseudo executive.”

Presumably, his advisory gig with the Astros was more fulfilling than the special advisor role he previously held in the Yankees organization. Although Jackson spent twice as many seasons with the Athletics, he is perhaps best remembered as a member of the Yankees. It was in New York that he earned the nickname “Mr. October,” and it is a Yankees cap atop his head on his Hall of Fame plaque. Soon after his playing career ended, he joined New York’s front office as an advisor, a role he held for close to 30 years. However, speaking about his job in the organization for the documentary Reggie, he expressed frustration with his lack of influence in the front office, saying it reached a point where he “really couldn’t get heard.” In contrast, he said that in Houston he was genuinely “part of the decision-making process” and added that he “couldn’t have landed in a better spot.”

While Jackson is stepping away from the game for now, he has not closed the book on his career in Major League Baseball. It’s not as if he’s already looking for a new job, but he stopped short of shutting down the possibility. He didn’t even rule out a potential return to the Yankees. “I still like being around the game,” he explained. “[But] I don’t want to be gone as much.”

Alex Bregman Willing To Move To Second Base

By | at

Earlier this month, Alex Bregman was awarded a Gold Glove for his defense at third base. He has been an All-Star, a Silver Slugger, and a World Series champion, but this was the first Gold Glove of his nine-year career. The honor was well deserved. According to Baseball Savant, Bregman set new career highs in Outs Above Average (OAA) and Fielding Run Value (FRV). The metrics at FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus agree he was the most valuable defensive third baseman in the American League. Yet, Bregman’s agent Scott Boras revealed at the GM meetings this week that multiple teams have asked about his client’s willingness to move to second base – and Boras confirmed that Bregman would indeed be willing to make the change (per Bob Nightengale of USA Today).

It’s not necessarily surprising that Bregman would be amenable to switching positions. Extra versatility will only make him more appealing as a free agent. The more suitors he can attract, the more money he can command. Similar reports came out this week about fellow top free agent Willy Adames, a talented shortstop who would be willing to move to second or third base on the right deal. Moreover, it’s not as if Bregman would be completely new to the keystone. He played a handful of games at second base in each of his first three MLB seasons. He also has plenty of experience at shortstop from college and his early professional years.

What is slightly more surprising is the fact that teams would be interested in Bregman playing second base in the first place. He’s a good enough hitter that his bat could play anywhere around the diamond, but he is an experienced third baseman coming off the best defensive season of his career. It’s hard to imagine his glove would be quite as valuable at a new position – nor would his bat necessarily play any better at second base. Historically, second base has been a weaker offensive position than third, but the gap has nearly disappeared over the last two years. From 2023-24, second basemen have produced a .308 wOBA. Third baseman have put up a .309 wOBA in that time. Finally, there is more competition on the free agent market at second base than third. Adames and Ha-Seong Kim can play both positions, but each has more big league experience at second. In addition, two of MLBTR’s top 50 free agents are primary second basemen: Gleyber Torres and Hyeseong Kim. Bregman is the only primary third baseman on our top 50 list.

On the other hand, Bregman has never had a good arm for a third baseman. What’s more, it’s quite possible he would have been a second baseman all along if it weren’t for Jose Altuve blocking the position in Houston. Considering Bregman’s arm looked weaker than usual in 2024 (and that he just had surgery on his throwing elbow), perhaps some of his suitors think he’ll be a better defender at second base in the long run. Alternatively, they might just be hedging their bets in case his elbow problems linger into next season.

Regardless, Bregman continues to be most strongly linked to Houston this offseason. GM Dana Brown told reporters (including Jon Heyman of the New York Post) at the GM Meetings that he thinks the Astros have “a really good chance” of re-signing their homegrown star. In that case, there is no doubt he would resume his duties at the hot corner in 2025. Altuve is coming off another All-Star season at second, and the face of the Astros franchise is under contract for another five years and $125 million.

Astros Have Internally Discussed Ryan Pressly Trade

By | at

The Astros have had internal conversations about the possibility of trading Ryan Pressly, reports Chandler Rome of the Athletic. While that’d be a logical way to clear payroll space, a deal is complicated by the reliever’s full no-trade rights.

Pressly has a decade of MLB service and has spent five-plus seasons in Houston. Players who meet that criteria have full no-trade protection under the collective bargaining agreement. Pressly could quickly halt trade consideration if he has no desire to leave. (Rome notes that the pitcher’s wife Kat is a Houston native.)

If Pressly is amenable to moving, that would go a long way to opening spending room for the team. The Astros are trying to re-sign Alex Bregman. They could look for help at first base and in the outfield. RosterResource already projects next season’s luxury tax number around $234MM. That’s $7MM shy of the lowest threshold. They’d need to go well into tax territory to retain Bregman. Even if they let the star third baseman walk, they’re likely to push above the tax line for what’d be a second straight year. They’d be subject to higher penalties for exceeding the threshold in back-to-back seasons.

General manager Dana Brown admitted last month that the situation could require the Astros to be “creative” with their payroll. The most straightforward solution — subject to the no-trade complications — is a Pressly deal. The righty triggered a $14MM vesting option for his age-36 season. That’s a pricey sum for a pitcher who lost his spot in the ninth inning when the Astros signed Josh Hader last winter. Pressly featured prominently on MLBTR’s list of the top offseason trade candidates as a result.

While the Astros may not be keen on a $14MM salary, another team could assume that to plug Pressly into the ninth inning. He closed in Houston between 2020-23, locking down 30+ saves in each of the latter two seasons. Pressly hasn’t posted a season with an ERA above 4.00 during his six-plus years with the Astros, though his results have trended slightly downward over the last two seasons.

After turning in consecutive sub-3.00 showings in 2021-22, Pressly has allowed an ERA around 3.50 for the past couple years. He allowed 3.49 earned runs per nine over 56 2/3 innings this past season. His 23.3% strikeout percentage and 48.8% grounder rate, while solid, were each below typical levels. Pressly’s strikeout and whiff rates have dropped in consecutive years. His 93.8 MPH average fastball velocity was down a tick compared to last season.

Pressly appears to be on a slight decline, though he remains a quality late-game arm. A $14MM salary is about the range he’d expect as a free agent. The Orioles committed $13MM to Craig Kimbrel last winter, while the Pirates signed Aroldis Chapman for $10.5MM. The Rangers added David Robertson on a deferred $11.5MM deal. Pressly falls into that bucket of one-time star closers who are still effective but not as dominant as they were at their peak. The Astros could probably find a taker for the majority or all of the money, but teams aren’t going to part with significant prospect capital to acquire what is essentially a market value contract.

Hader will be back in the ninth inning. Bryan Abreu remains an excellent setup option. A Pressly trade would put more pressure on the likes of Tayler Scott and potentially Bryan King to prove themselves capable of pitching meaningful innings.

Astros Notes: Bregman, Dezenzo, McCormick

By | at

The Astros have made no secret about their hope of retaining Alex Bregman. General manager Dana Brown reiterated that optimism when speaking with reporters at the GM Meetings this afternoon.

“Our biggest priority is third base, without a doubt. We’d love to have Alex Bregman back. It’s our biggest priority,” Brown said (links via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle and Chandler Rome of the Athletic). The GM added that the Astros have had “productive conversations” with the Boras Corporation, though he didn’t elaborate on the status of talks or specify whether the team has actually made an offer. ESPN’s Alden González wrote in early October that Houston was preparing to do so in the near future.

The Astros don’t have many options to step in at third base if Bregman walks. Re-signing him will almost certainly require the biggest investment in franchise history, though, which casts real doubt about whether they’ll be able to get anything done. Brown himself acknowledged a few weeks ago that the team may need to be “creative” in managing payroll. The Astros haven’t gone beyond six years under owner Jim Crane. Bregman would probably require breaking that precedent. MLBTR predicted a seven-year, $182MM deal in ranking him as the offseason’s #3 free agent.

Brown suggested the Astros were open to going beyond six years in the right circumstances, though it’s clear the organization tends to shy away from those contracts. “I don’t think we’re going to be in the business of giving multiple seven-year deals or multiple eight-year deals. But if there’s an opportunity to sign a guy that we feel is going to be good for six or seven years, I think Jim would do it,” the GM said.

Houston faces questions in the opposite corner infield spot. First base was an issue all season. The Astros pulled the plug on the ill-fated José Abreu deal a few months into the year, but Jon Singleton didn’t perform well either. Brown acknowledged the team needed better production at that spot. It’s unclear whether they’re willing to go back into free agency for someone like Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt or Anthony Rizzo as they remain on the hook for the final season of the Abreu deal.

Brown pointed to Zach Dezenzo as a potential internal option. The 24-year-old hit well in a small sample in Triple-A. That didn’t translate in an even briefer MLB look. Dezenzo slumped to a .242/.277/.371 slash over his first 19 MLB contests. He’s a career .295/.377/.499 hitter over parts of three seasons in the minors. Dezenzo has experience at both corner infield spots and could factor into the third base mix if Bregman walks, though he’s probably a better defensive fit at first.

Turning to the outfield, Brown indicated the Astros planned to tender an arbitration contract to Chas McCormick (X link with video from Ari Alexander of KPRC 2). The right-handed hitter had a rough season, hitting .211/.271/.306 in 94 games. McCormick had posted very strong numbers through his first three big league campaigns, so it’s not much of a surprise that Houston plans to bring him back on a relatively modest salary. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $3.3MM sum. Brown added that the Astros could look for a left-handed hitting outfielder to potentially spell McCormick (and presumably Jake Meyers) against righty pitching.

13 Players Receive Qualifying Offers

By | at

Today is the deadline for teams to decide whether or not to issue qualifying offers to eligible players. Per Jeff Passan of ESPN on X, 13 players have received the QO and they are:

As a recap, the qualifying offer system was created in the name of competitive balance, allowing clubs to receive compensation if key players depart via free agency. The value changes from year to year as it is the average of the salaries of the 125 highest-paid players in the league. This year’s QO is valued at $21.05MM.

If the player rejects the QO and signs elsewhere, his previous team receives draft compensation while his new club is subject to draft pick forfeiture and sometimes international bonus penalties as well. MLBTR has previously covered what each team’s compensation and penalties would be.

Players have until 3pm Central on November 19 to decide whether to accept or not. In that time, they are free to negotiate with other clubs just like all other free agents, assessing their options before making a decision.

Most of the players on this list are not surprising. Many of them have enough earning power where it was obvious that they would receive a QO and they have an easy decision to reject it while going on to pursue larger guarantees on multi-year deals. Some of the decisions were a bit more borderline and MLBTR took closer looks at those in separate posts, including Martinez, Pivetta and Severino/Manaea.

There were also some notable players who were candidates to receive a QO but ultimately didn’t. MLBTR recently took a look at the pitchers and position players with a chance at receiving a QO. Michael Wacha was listed as a possibility but that came off the table when he and the Royals agreed to a new deal yesterday. Shane Bieber of the Guardians, Jeff Hoffman of the Phillies, Paul Goldschmidt of the Cardinals, Tyler O’Neill of the Red Sox, Gleyber Torres of the Yankees, as well as Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar of the Padres were all identified as long shots to receive a QO and ultimately none of them did.

Clubs generally don’t want to lose draft picks or be subject to the other associated penalties. As such, receiving a QO can sometimes have a negative impact on a player’s prospects in free agency, though it won’t be a significant factor for the top guys.

José Urquidy Clears Waivers And Becomes Free Agent

By | at

The Astros have sent right-hander José Urquidy through outright waivers and he is now a free agent, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic on X. The same is true of fellow righty Oliver Ortega, who was also outrighted and became a free agent.

Urquidy, 30 in May, has tossed 405 innings for the Astros in his career with a 3.98 earned run average, 19.6% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate. Unfortunately, he underwent Tommy John surgery in June and is therefore slated to miss most or all of the 2025 campaign.

That was going to be his final season of club control, with the Astros eligible to retain him via arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Urquidy for a $3.75MM salary next year but the Astros seemingly decided it wasn’t worth making that kind of investment for a player with such an uncertain timeline and bumped him off the roster instead. All of the other clubs seemingly agreed with none of them putting in a claim. As a player with at least three years of service time, Urquidy has the right to elect free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment.

Urquidy will now head to the open market and perhaps head to a new club for the first time. Pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgeries can sometimes find two-year deals that cover the rehab portion and also give the signing club an extra year of club control wherein the pitcher is hopefully fully healthy.

Ortega, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Twins a year ago but never got to pitch for the Astros. He underwent surgery in March to remove loose bodies from his elbow and then underwent another surgery in June to remove a bone spur. Due to those surgeries, he spent the entire season on the injured list. His current status is unclear but the Astros didn’t want to keep him on the roster going forward. As a player with a previous career outright, he had the right to elect free agency and did so.

Diamondbacks Claim Seth Martinez

By | at

The Diamondbacks announced that right-hander Seth Martinez was claimed off waivers from the Astros.  It hadn’t been publicly reported that Martinez had been designated for assignment, but the 30-year-old reliever will now change teams for the second time in his career.

Selected away from the Athletics in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, all 137 1/3 of Martinez’s career big league innings have come in a Houston uniform.  The righty has a career 3.93 ERA, 20.7% strikeout rate, and 9.2% walk rate, and his 2024 numbers included a 3.59 ERA, 16.2K%, and 8.1% walk rate in 52 2/3 frames.  Martinez spent most of the season on the Astros’ big league roster, though after the All-Star break, Houston shuttled him back and forth from Triple-A on multiple occasions.

Martinez is now out of minor league options, which probably tied into the Astros’ decision to put the right-hander on waivers.  Though he hasn’t yet reached arbitration eligibility and is under team control through 2028, the Astros felt comfortable moving on from Martinez, leaving Arizona able to pick up a controllable reliever for its bullpen mix.

There’s no risk for the D’Backs in taking a look at Martinez during Spring Training, and for now the club at least has a placeholder of a reliever in place as they look to remake their bullpen.  Arizona’s relief corps was a weak link for the team in 2024, and Martinez represents the type of lower-cost reliever that GM Mike Hazen has tended to target during his time running the Diamondbacks’ front office.

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