The Opener

As the offseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. What will the Cubs do with Bellinger?

The biggest news of the weekend was the Cubs and Astros completing a blockbuster deal that sent outfielder Kyle Tucker to Chicago. While the deal added a bona fide star bat to the lineup on the north side, the trade also stands to further complicate the club’s outfield logjam. While it’s at least theoretically possible that the Cubs could push Michael Busch to third base and start Bellinger at first, Busch has not shown himself to be capable of handling the hot corner and the Cubs have top prospect Matt Shaw seemingly poised to take over the position as soon as Opening Day 2025.

What’s more, Chicago was reportedly “determined” to move either Cody Bellinger or Seiya Suzuki even before adding Tucker to the mix. Now that Tucker is in the fold, it’s nearly impossible to imagine the club not dealing Bellinger (or, at least, another hitter) before Opening Day. The Yankees have been the team by far most frequently connected to Bellinger, but it appears the two sides could be in a standoff regarding the financial terms of a trade.

2. What’s next for the Astros?

On the other side of the trade, the Astros landed a haul of talent in exchange for Tucker. Isaac Paredes seems poised to take over for Alex Bregman at third base should Bregman sign elsewhere in free agency, while Hayden Wesneski bolsters the club’s rotation depth and Cam Smith immediately became the Astros’ consensus top prospect. Questions still remain regarding the club’s plans for the remainder of the offseason even aside from the possibility of a Framber Valdez trade. They’ll need to add to the outfield after losing Tucker, and finding help at first base will be necessary as well. If Bregman were to return to Houston or if the Astros were to acquire Nolan Arenado, Paredes could slide over to first. Barring that, it’s possible the club could pursue a hitter such as Christian Walker, in whom they’ve previously shown interest.

3. A’s continue making moves:

The nomadic Athletics have continued to make moves in the aftermath of their departure from Oakland, following up their signing of right-hander Luis Severino with a trade for lefty Jeffrey Springs this weekend. The club’s recent moves have added a hefty amount of payroll to the A’s ledger, though the club figures to add even more talent to the roster (and money to the books) as they look to avoid a potential grievance from the players’ union regarding their use (or lack thereof) of revenue sharing dollars.

A’s GM David Forst indicated that while an additional rotation arm to pair with Severino and Springs could be in the cards, the club is currently hoping to add a third baseman. While it would be a shock to see a player like Bregman decide to spend the next few years in West Sacramento, there are a number of lower-level options like Jorge Polanco or Yoan Moncada who could find the promise of everyday playing time with the A’s attractive. A trade for Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm would also add an established bat and bump the payroll a bit further north, and the acquisitions of Severino and Springs would make it easier for the A’s to deal some optionable rotation depth.

With the Winter Meetings now behind us, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Eovaldi presser:

The Rangers officially re-signed right-hander Nathan Eovaldi yesterday on a three-year deal worth $75MM. Today, both Eovaldi and Texas president of baseball operations Chris Young will be available to the media at a press conference that’s scheduled for 11am CT. Even after landing Eovaldi (and trading for infielder Jake Burger), Young has his work cut out for him this winter as he tries to facilitate a rebound from an 84-loss 2024 campaign while also ducking under the first luxury tax threshold of $241MM. At the very least, a bullpen that lost Jose Leclerc, David Robertson, and Kirby Yates to free agency last month will need to be addressed. Besides that, there’s been some indications the club could look to add a left-handed slugger like Joc Pederson.

2. Cubs in the thick of trade talks?

The Cubs find themselves in an interesting position on the trade market, operating as both buyers and sellers. That’s hardly an unusual reality in an offseason where few teams are explicitly rebuilding, but what makes Chicago’s situation notable is that both sides of those trade talks seemingly revolve around one position: right field. Ian Happ is entrenched as the club’s everyday left fielder, while dynamic rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong has staked his claim as the club’s center fielder of the future. That leaves Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki vying for playing time in right. Down the stretch last year, Chicago utilized Bellinger’s superior glove and put Suzuki at DH, but the club has spent the winter aggressively shopping Bellinger and his $27.5MM salary.

Dealing Bellinger has long made sense for the Cubs if they can manage it. Suzuki has expressed a preference for playing the outfield as opposed to serving as a full-time DH, and the Cubs have a number of up-and-coming prospects like Matt Shaw, Owen Caissie, and Kevin Alcantara for whom a trade of Bellinger could open up playing time. All those reasons for entertaining a Bellinger trade have only served to make recent reports that Chicago is among the more aggressive suitors for Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker more surprising. Tucker would immediately become the most talented hitter in the Cubs lineup but comes with only one year of team control. The situation becomes even trickier to navigate for the Cubs when one considers that the Yankees are simultaneously the team most connected to Bellinger and a candidate to land Tucker themselves. Could the weekend bring movement on either front?

3. Will the hot SP market spur trades?

It’s no secret that the market for starting pitching has been extremely robust. Every one of the nine pitchers featured on MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list has signed for more money than predicted, although some such as Blake Snell and Yusei Kikuchi did so only nominally. In any case, that strong demand for pitching led a great many clubs to become involved in the bidding for now-former White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet, who was dealt to the Red Sox as the Winter Meetings came to a close.

Could that hot market for pitching change the plans of teams with starters they could dangle? The Mariners have long indicated that they have no interest in dealing from their rotation this winter but have received an increasing volume of calls about veteran righty Luis Castillo. Meanwhile, the Padres are at least entertaining the possibility of trading Dylan Cease. Even the Pirates have seemingly expressed willingness to consider offers on their talented young arsenal of pitchers (though Paul Skenes is obviously off limits). Will any of those teams deal from their rotation? Will other teams join them in considering deals from their own rotations?

With the Winter Meetings behind us, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. All eyes on Bregman?

After a frenzy of rumors and action at the Winter Meetings, MLB’s hot stove season will continue chugging along even with agents and executives having departed Dallas yesterday. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, infielder Alex Bregman could be the next major domino to fall on the free agent market. Feinsand notes that the Astros, Red Sox, Yankees, and Tigers are among the teams “in the mix” for Bregman’s services. Among those options, the Astros are known to have made an offer to Bregman in the vicinity of six years and $156MM prior to the Winter Meetings, though at the time reports indicated Bregman was hoping to land a contract north of $200MM. Meanwhile, Bregman is an apparently divisive target in the eyes of Boston brass as Alex Cora and Sam Kennedy are reportedly more intrigued than chief baseball officer Craig Breslow at the idea of pursuing Bregman. The Red Sox reportedly envision Bregman at second base if signed, a position he has expressed willingness to play despite a lack of experience at the position in the majors.

2. Soto presser:

After the Mets officially signed Juan Soto to the biggest contract in professional sports history yesterday, Brian McGrath of MLB.com writes that the club is expected to formally introduce Soto in a press conference slated for 3pm ET this afternoon that will also feature club owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns. The press conference could shed some additional light on a free agent process that captivated the baseball world in the weeks leading up to the Winter Meetings as well as the next steps Mets brass have planned. The club will likely add at least one more starter to their rotation, and Stearns recently stated that they’d “love” to reunite with first baseman Pete Alonso as well.

3. Adames presser:

While the Soto presser may get more buzz, he’s not the only top free agent being introduced by his new team via press conference today. As noted by MLB.com, the Giants are poised to introduce shortstop Willy Adames in a press conference scheduled for 11:30am PT. Newly-minted president of baseball operations Buster Posey will surely be on hand to discuss the first major free agent signing of his tenure and possibly to discuss the club’s next steps. The Giants are regarded as a top candidate to land top free agent starter Corbin Burnes, although they face competition from the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and incumbent Orioles. Beyond that, the club was among the teams said to be interested in Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker yesterday. That suggests a willingness to pursue star-caliber talent in both trade and free agency as they look for more ways to improve the club this winter after a disappointing 80-82 finish in 2024.

As the Winter Meetings enters its final stretch today, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. 2024 Rule 5 Draft:

Baseball’s annual Rule 5 Draft is scheduled to take place at 1pm CT this afternoon. International players and high school draft picks who signed in 2019 and college draft picks signed in 2020 who have not yet been added to their club’s 40-man roster are vulnerable in today’s draft, where any club can select them for a $100K fee. If the player does not stick on their new club’s 26-man roster for the entire season, he must be offered back to his original club for $50K. Teams must have open space on their 40-man roster to select a player in the draft, meaning the Tigers and Red Sox would each need to clear space on their 40-man roster before the draft begins in order to participate.

Players selected in the Rule 5 draft occasionally go on to impact their team in the future, as free agent outfielder Anthony Santander famously did following his selection in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft. Red Sox right-hander Justin Slaten, A’s right-hander Mitch Spence, and Padres right-hander Stephen Kolek are among last year’s picks who remained with their new organization through the entire 2024 season, with Slaten in particular featuring prominently in Boston’s late-inning mix. Will a similarly valuable diamond in the rough be unearthed today?

2. Yankees pivot away from Soto:

The Yankees started their pivot away from Juan Soto yesterday in a big way when they agreed to an eight-year deal with left-hander Max Fried. The deal is the largest in MLB history for a left-handed starting pitcher, and every indication is that the hot stove will stay active in the Bronx going forward. The club has been connected to first baseman Christian Walker, third baseman Alex Bregman, and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez among others in free agency, while potential trade candidates include White Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet, Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, and Cubs first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger. The club’s reported interest in Crochet came before they landed Fried, but each of those hitters still seems to be a reasonably possible target for the Yankees as they look to rebuild their lineup without Soto.

3. What’s next for the Rangers?

The Rangers checked the biggest box of their offseason yesterday by agreeing to a deal that would bring right-hander Nathan Eovaldi back into the fold. That wasn’t the club’s only move last night, either, as they followed it up by acquiring infielder Jake Burger from the Marlins for a package of three prospects. With limited payroll space available as the club seeks to duck under the luxury tax this winter, could the acquisition of Burger prompt Texas to deal a hitter such as first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in order to free up additional dollars for pitching help? Barring to clear payroll, Chris Young’s front office will need to get creative in order to rebuild a bullpen that’s lost Jose Leclerc, David Robertson, and Kirby Yates to free agency while also adding additional starting depth.

As the Winter Meetings continue, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. 2025 Draft Lottery:

The primary highlight of Day 2 of the Winter Meetings today figures to be the 2025 draft lottery, which is scheduled to take place at 4:30pm CT this afternoon. The top six spots in next year’s draft will be decided by tonight’s lottery. The Rockies and Marlins are tied for the best odds at landing this year’s top pick with a 22.45% chance, while the Angels (17.96%) and Nationals (10.2%) are the only other teams with at least a 10% chance of landing the first overall pick. That’s not to say it’s impossible for another team to land it, however; the Guardians did so just last year despite just a 2% chance of their name being selected for the top pick. Every team that missed the playoffs in 2024 except for the Athletics and White Sox are eligible for tonight’s lottery.

2. Sasaki officially posted:

The long-awaited posting of NPB right-hander Roki Sasaki finally arrived yesterday, kicking off a 45-day window where he’ll be able to negotiate with MLB teams. Although clubs are now able to negotiate with Sasaki, it’s widely expected that he won’t actually sign with a club for quite some time. As an international player under the age of 25, Sasaki is considered an amateur by MLB and therefore subject to the league’s restrictions on international amateurs. That not only means that the righty can only sign for whatever teams are willing to offer him from their international bonus pools, but also that he’ll be ineligible to sign between December 15, when the 2024 international signing window closes, and January 15, when the 2025 international signing window opens.

Reporting to this point has suggested that Sasaki intends to sign during the 2025 period, meaning that the majority of his posting window will be occupied by time during which he’ll be able to meet and negotiate with teams but not actually be eligible to put pen to paper. Even so, the long-awaited free agency of a rare star-caliber talent for whom money won’t be the deciding factor should make for one of the more interest storylines of the offseason going forward, as all 30 clubs and their fans can at least theoretically dream on Sasaki choosing to sign with them.

3. Cubs, Kelly nearing deal?

Yesterday afternoon, reports emerged that the Cubs and free agent catcher Carson Kelly were close to an agreement on a deal. There’s been no word of progress on a deal since then, but it would be quite unusual for a deal to reach that stage and be reported on without eventually coming to fruition. It’s possible that more information regarding where things stand between the Cubs and Kelly will become available as soon as today, though it wouldn’t be a shock if the deal didn’t become official for a few days after an agreement is reached and terms are reported. That’s been the case with several free agents this winter, including Chicago’s own two-year deal with southpaw Matthew Boyd that was made official over the weekend.

On the heels of Juan Soto signing the biggest contract in the history of professional sports last night, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Winter Meetings officially begin:

Players, agents, and executives alike arrived in Dallas last night for this year’s Winter Meetings, which officially kick off today and run through this coming Thursday. There was plenty of activity over the weekend, even aside from Soto, as the Giants landed shortstop Willy Adames on a franchise-record pact while the Dodgers and Orioles both swung two deals a piece. L.A. reunited with veteran reliever Blake Treinen and agreed to a one-year pact with outfielder Michael Conforto, while Baltimore agreed to a one-year deal with Gary Sanchez to serve as Adley Rutschman’s back-up behind the plate and added Tyler O’Neill to their outfield mix on a three-year agreement. That was quite a flurry of activity in the weekend leading up to this week’s meetings, and with Soto now off the table the hot stove is widely expected to burn even more brightly in the coming days.

2. Soto suitors decide what’s next:

With Soto now off the board, all five of his suitors will now have to redirect their attention elsewhere going forward. The Mets, of course, have now landed the crown jewel of their offseason but still have plenty of room to spend and figure to target corner infield help to either reunite with or replace slugging first baseman Pete Alonso in their lineup. They’ve also got a wide open vacancy in their rotation, even after adding Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes to the group earlier this winter. The club is reportedly in on a number of the better starters remaining on the free agent market, including Sean Manaea and Jack Flaherty.

Even more interesting than the Mets’ next steps after signing Soto, however, is what’s next for the other Soto suitors. The Yankees will now have to find a way to replace Soto’s production after falling short in their attempt to retain the superstar, and figure to be aggressive in upgrading the corner infield, rotation, and outfield as they hope to field a competitive team without their second superstar slugger. The Red Sox and Blue Jays, meanwhile, will now have to figure out how to jump-start their attempted returns to contention without adding Soto’s otherworldly bat to the lineup. Best positioned to rebound from their failed pursuit of Soto by far is the Dodgers, who were seemingly less invested in his market throughout the process and have already signed a handful of free agents headlined by Blake Snell this winter.

3. What’s next on the outfield market?

No corner of the winter’s market was more clearly held up by Soto’s decision than the outfield market, where Teoscar Hernandez and Anthony Santander are the best remaining bats now that Soto has signed. The market for both sluggers figures to ramp up quickly in the coming days, and all four Soto suitors who missed out have been connected to one or both sluggers already. The Dodgers and Hernandez have reported mutual interest in a reunion after the slugger had a career year in L.A. this past season, while the Blue Jays appear to have the most interest in Santander of the four failed Soto bidders. One other factor in the outfield market worth considering is Cody Bellinger, who the Cubs have made clear they hope to trade this winter and has already been connected to the Yankees.

With the Winter Meetings nearly upon us, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Soto saga entering the final stretch?

The headlines this offseason have been dominated by Juan Soto, and the 26-year-old superstar nears a decision on his next team. Jeff Passan noted earlier this week on ESPN (h/t to Awful Announcing on X) that Soto is expected to make his decision before the Winter Meetings begin in Dallas on Monday. That would seemingly leave Soto’s suitors to make their final pushes for his services this weekend, and reporting yesterday indicated that at least one team (the Red Sox) is hoping to meet with Soto one more time before he makes his decision. Boston is joined by the Mets, Dodgers, Blue Jays, and incumbent Yankees in their pursuit of Soto’s services, and the Red Sox appear to have made a significant effort to land the superstar despite the general assumption around the industry that Soto will remain in New York as either a Met or a Yankee. Whoever lands Soto will pay a steep price tag, as the bidding for his services has already surpassed $600MM.

2. Chapman to undergo physical:

The Red Sox and lefty Aroldis Chapman reached a one-year deal worth $10.75MM earlier this week, and that deal could be finalized as soon as today according to a report from Francys Romero, who notes that Chapman is expected to undergo his physical in Boston today. The Red Sox currently have 39 players on their 40-man roster, meaning they won’t necessarily need to make a corresponding move to add Chapman to their roster. With that being said, however, the Rule 5 Draft is just days away and teams without 40-man roster space on the day of the draft next week cannot make a selection. The Red Sox haven’t made a Rule 5 pick themselves since they selected Garrett Whitlock from the Yankees in the 2020 draft, but they acquired right-hander Justin Slaten through last winter’s draft by way of the Mets drafting him and then immediately dealing him to Boston. If they want to make a selection this year and finalize their Chapman deal, they’ll need to open a 40-man spot.

3. Athletics open the wallet:

Ahead of their first season in West Sacramento, where they’re set to play for three seasons between departing Oakland and arriving in Las Vegas for Opening Day 2028, the nomadic A’s shocked plenty of onlookers when they landed right-hander Luis Severino on a three-year, $67MM deal that includes an opt-out after the second year. The deal landed above expectations for Severino, whom MLBTR predicted would sign a three-year, $51MM deal in our annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list.

A’s brass indicated earlier this winter that they may be forced to focus on the trade market rather than free agency when upgrading the club due to hesitance from players about committing to a Triple-A ballpark as their next home, but the Severino signing demonstrated another avenue for adding talent: making an offer too tantalizing for a middle-tier free agent to refuse. Will the club try to go over the top for more free agents this winter, or will they pivot to the trade market from here on out?

With just a few days to go until the Winter Meetings, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Overseas players officially posted:

Two players from across the Pacific have just been posted for major league teams, officially allowing them to join MLB’s free agent market: KBO infielder Hyeseong Kim and NPB right-hander Koyo Aoyagi. Kim, 26 in January, is the bigger name of the two. His posting has been anticipated for the better part of a year. The former double-play partner of Ha-Seong Kim, he has ample experience at both middle infield positions but has spent considerably more time at second base — playing exclusively there in 2024. While the younger Kim hit an excellent .326/.383/.458 in 127 games for the Kiwoom Heroes this year, that strong slash line figures to come down somewhat at the big league level. Even if he projects as merely a league average (or even slightly below average) hitter, his youth, speed (30 steals in 2024), and strong defense make him one of the more interesting players available in a thin infield market.

Aoyagi, on the other hand, will celebrate his 31st birthday next week. A low strikeout rate could limit his upside at the big league level. Even so, Aoyagi could provide an interesting depth option for clubs on either a minor league deal or a relatively inexpensive big league deal. It’s also possible that the sidearming hurler could get a look from an MLB club in relief, which might help his stuff play up compared to his work in Japan as a starter, where he posted a 3.69 ERA with a 13% strikeout rate this year.

2. Rays stadium plan to be voted on:

While the majority of the attention regarding the Rays’ stadium plans is focused on the 2025 season in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton’s destruction of Tropicana Field, the question of where the club will be playing long-term has been put back on the table as well. There should be some movement on that front today. Colleen Wright of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the St. Petersburg City Council is scheduled to vote on approving bonds that would help finance a new stadium for the Rays. The sides had a plan in place last year that would’ve constructed a new stadium near the Trop in time for the 2028 season, but the aftermath of Milton and frustration from local officials about the club’s decision to play its home games in nearby Hillsborough County next year rather than in a stadium located within Pinellas County alongside the Trop, has led to delays in the approval of bonds for financing the new stadium.

Even if today’s vote passes, that won’t guarantee the stadium plans goes through as intended. The delays have led the Rays to suggest that the stadium may now not be ready in time for the 2028 season, leaving the club skeptical about the deal. What’s more, the Pinellas County Commission also delayed approving their own bonds that would fund the project. Getting approval from the county seems to be a much larger obstacle than the city of St. Petersburg, given that last month’s elections altered the makeup of the commission, with a handful of key votes in favor of the stadium deal no longer in office.

3. Yankees exploring other top-of-the-market options:

While all eyes are on Juan Soto as a decision seemingly looms in the near future, the Yankees do not appear to be putting all their eggs in his basket. Reports yesterday indicated that they’re also making efforts with a number of other high-profile free agents. They’ve met with starters Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, and shortstop Willy Adames has also drawn interest from the club recently. Could yesterday’s reports offer a glimpse at which players the Yankees might focus on if Soto departs?

As the baseball world gears up for the Winter Meetings, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:

1. Soto bidding reaches new heights:

The bidding for Juan Soto has reportedly surpassed $600MM, the price tag MLBTR predicted the outfielder would land in our annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list. The news confirms what has been apparent all along: barring a surprise decision to accept massive deferrals, Soto will land the most lucrative contract in MLB history this winter — at least in terms of the deal’s net present value. The Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Dodgers are generally considered to be the top suitors, and there’s been no firm indication to this point that any of them are out of the bidding. With Soto narrowing the field, could a deal be in place before the Winter Meetings begin in Dallas?

2. Signings to be made official:

A handful of reported signings have yet to be made official by their clubs: the Mets’ two-year pact with Frankie Montas, the Cubs’ two-year deal with Matthew Boyd, and the Red Sox’ one-year agreement with Aroldis Chapman. It’s possible those deals are being held up while each club arranges for their new player to take a physical, as is commonplace before finalizing a contract. All three of those teams had open space on their 40-man roster at the time of reaching the agreements, so corresponding moves won’t be necessary. Still, as deals become official, additional details sometimes pop up, as was the case with the recent revelation that Blake Snell’s deal with the Dodgers contained a conditional option for a sixth year.

3. Movement on the relief market:

That aforementioned deal between the Red Sox and Chapman was the first significant signing of a reliever this winter. A handful of relievers have signed small major league deals this winter but Chapman’s $10.75MM guarantee dwarfs those of the other early signers, which are led by the $2.25MM guarantee Boston made to Justin Wilson last month. At such an early point in the offseason, there are still plenty of quality options on the relief market, which is led by southpaw Tanner Scott. Rumors that other top relievers like Jeff Hoffman and Clay Holmes have garnered interest as starters could thin out top end of the relief market a bit.

Chapman highlighted this winter’s class of one-year options from the left side out of the bullpen, though other veterans like Tim Hill, Danny Coulombe, and Andrew Chafin remain as solid options in the next tier down. Could Chapman’s signing spur more movement on the relief market, particularly with the other southpaws?

The Hot Stove has begun to heat back up after slowing down over Thanksgiving. With more activity surely on the horizon, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today.

1. Snell introductory presser today:

The Dodgers are scheduled to hold a press conference at 2:30pm local time this afternoon where they’ll formally introduce left-hander Blake Snell after he signed a five-year deal with the club. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and GM Brandon Gomes will both be in attendance to field questions from the media. Even after signing Snell, the club may want to make further rotation additions (a reunion with Clayton Kershaw seems inevitable, at the very least) and plenty of work still remains for the reigning champs in the lineup and bullpen as well. L.A. remains on the periphery of the Juan Soto market. They’d like to re-sign Teoscar Hernandez, but if neither hitter lands with them, they could pivot to Anthony Santander as they look for corner outfield help. Meanwhile, the club’s relief corps lost Blake Treinen and Daniel Hudson to free agency and retirement, respectively, making veteran relief help a potential priority this winter.

2. Options dwindling on the catching market:

The Rangers signed catcher Kyle Higashioka to a two-year deal yesterday in a move that took another catcher off the board fairly early in the winter. This year’s crop of free agents behind the plate was sparse to begin with, and it’s only thinned further as Higashioka joins Travis d’Arnaud, Austin Hedges, and Jacob Stallings in having found new homes already. With teams like the Rays, Orioles, Cubs, Blue Jays, and Padres all potentially in the market to add behind the plate, Danny Jansen and Carson Kelly are the top names ahead of an assortment of mid-30s veterans such as Gary Sanchez, Elias Diaz, and James McCann. The lack of quality options behind the plate could create a seller-friendly trade market for catchers, but few obvious trade candidates at the position exist. Minnesota’s Christian Vazquez stands as the most logical name available, but the $10MM he’s owed in 2025 eclipses his market value by a few million. Could the upcoming Winter Meetings involve a mad dash to lock up the remaining catchers on the market?

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

With the Winter Meetings just days away, the 2024-25 offseason has begun to ramp up with a number of noteworthy signings in recent weeks that have already taken six of MLBTR’s Top 50 free agents off the board. Whether you have questions about who your favorite team will be targeting this winter, or a trade proposal in the back of your mind, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be here to answer your questions during a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.