Happy New Year from MLB Trade Rumors! Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world as we kick off 2026:
1. Imai countdown continues:
The posting window for NPB right-hander Tatsuya Imai is set to close tomorrow at 4pm CT. With just over 30 hours to go before the deadline for Imai to sign a contract, the rumor mill has remained fairly quiet regarding Imai’s market. While early connections were drawn between the right-hander and the Mets, Yankees, Cubs, Phillies, and Orioles, it’s been nearly a month since many of those rumors began percolating with minimal updates from there. Imai reportedly began in-person meetings with teams earlier this week, and while no new rumors have percolated as a result of those meetings, the right-hander figures to be in the final stages of his decision-making process at this point. Where will the 27-year-old righty land? MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look at the best fits for Imai in a post for Front Office subscribers yesterday.
2. A’s continue extension talks:
The A’s inked slugger Tyler Soderstrom to a seven-year extension last week that was first reported on Christmas Day. Soderstrom, 24, was a first-round pick by the A’s back in 2020 and is coming off a breakout season where he slashed .276/.346/.474 with 60 extra-base hits (including 25 homers) in 158 games while primarily playing left field for the club. Soderstrom joins Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker among the players who have already extended with the A’s long-term, but reporting has indicated that they’re not done yet. Extension talks are reportedly ongoing with other players, and while it’s unclear whether those deals will get done or who exactly the team is pursuing a long-term deal with, the idea of signing Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz, or Shea Langeliers to a long-term contract is surely exciting for fans of the team. Will any more deals get done?
3. Giants bring in Mahle:
It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Giants so far, but yesterday they made a significant addition to their rotation when they signed right-hander Tyler Mahle to a one-year deal. Mahle’s signing has not yet been made official and his salary has not been reported at this point, but the move figures to significantly bolster the team’s rotation headed into 2026. Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander returned to free agency after one year in San Francisco, leaving little certainty in the Giants’ rotation behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. Mahle should help offer some of that certainty alongside fellow righty Adrian Houser, who signed on a two-year deal just two weeks ago.
With Houser and Mahle now in the fold, it seems likely that the Giants are done with rotation additions at this point and will simply fill out the fifth spot in their rotation with internal options like Landen Roupp and Hayden Birdsong. Could they turn towards addressing the lineup next? The club has reportedly shown interest in Cody Bellinger during his free agency, while Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan have both caught the club’s attention on the trade market.
Its goung to be someone incredibly obvious like The Giants/Yankees/Cubs, or someone totally off the wall like Colorado,not one of the 24-25 teams in the middle though…….
Imai opinion, he should consider the Padres and Red Sox
I think the padres will be in the mix for both Imai and Okamoto.
Likely on short term deal with opt outs. Question is will someone offer more than they can.
With time ticking on these guys it doesn’t seem like a team has yet.
Seibu Lions.
Come up with a new joke.
All I know is Jed better be working on New Years Day. Since he’s basically been sleeping so far.
Padres or O’s
I’m thinking the Mets/yanks on a contract similar to Imanaga. If someone had offered him the big long term deal he would’ve signed by now imo
Im a Padres fan and would love even just 1 of the 2, but I dont know that they can get that done. Plus, the last couple of free agents from Japan and the circus they created in San Diego, false hope, etc, make me take a back seat to this one. Zero reason/desire to get excited……
For sure and if nobody has it could come down to where he wants to be.
Money being near the same my guess is he would select a west coast team.
If I had to take a guess Imai signs with the cubs, Okamoto signs with the Padres or Pirates.
Until they sign I’m gonna hold out hope they both sign with the Padres. Yes, that’s very unlikely but one can hope.
Simm: Last time I checked, the Cubs are not a west coast team.
No there not but they may be the team that out bids the others.
I said money being near the same he may choose a west coast team. Cubs can make an offer that’s not near the same. Money generally carries the most weight.
But why specifically the Cubs? The same can be said about a bunch of other teams.
I said the cubs because they have linked to him the most. Obviously any big spender can do the same.
Maybe the Mutts, Phillies, Cubs, White Sox or the Giants. I definitely don’t see the Yankees involved for Imai at all.
The Vegas A’s extension spree is the greatest thing happening in baseball right now. Shame that it took a relocation to get Fisher to move like this.
Yeah I agree. I do like the direction the A’s are headed in. If they can get a couple more extensions done they will have an exciting core locked up offensively.
Prob are gonna have to wait until they are Vegas to figure out the pitching situation. Their current park isn’t attractive to pitchers.
A’s look stacked with good young players. Although the park might not be attractive to pitching, it sure appears to be helping the offensive numbers for these kids. Looking forward to the Vegas years for this team.
Yeah, he should’ve signed Butler, Rooker, and Soderstrom 5 years ago.
I think the comment is in regards to recent players like Mason Miller, Matt Olsen, Matt Chapman, and Sean Murphy, who were all traded away rather than extended. You could look as far back as Zito, Mulder, etc. to see that this has been the A’s way this century.
My money is on Fisher was waiting for the “official” move to start making these deals. I’m sure he was trying to tank to get out of Oakland.
Happy New Year, PEEPS!
I’m still riding a high off the Stranger Things finale so hoping my Yanks can turn their offseason upside down already! 😉
Yanks and Stranger Things in the same sentence. Hmmm. 😁
Happy New Year to all too. Hope it is a prosperous one for all!
The later it gets in Imai talks, the more it suggests he hasn’t gotten a deal to his liking, which starts to favor the White Sox on a short-term Mune-esque deal. Not saying they’re the favorites, just that I can see them potentially swooping in again at the last minute.
I agree with the not having gotten the offer part but, SD can offer what Pale hose can offer and they are both competitive and meets the beat LA comment.
Not saying SD gets him but if any team gets him on an opt out deal, I think it’s SD.
I still like Mets on a 3-5 year guaranteed deal with most $$
Long-
Possibly but I don’t see the Mets as the team. They have a bunch of pitches already that predict to have similar results and Imai is predicted to have.
I think the cubs are the most likely landing spot.
Preller I’m sure is beating up some accounting dude to find the money to get a deal done.
At what point does AJ start using the deferral option? I can believe he hasn’t already. I don’t count the unbalanced contracts paying more at end as a true deferral.
Long- I don’t think he does because they still have to pay the money into an account.
Though I would say this is the best time to do so. It would lower the tax hit which they are over. Plus you don’t have to put that money into an account for another year. Which by the could be the next owners problem.
He basically does this buy giving a signing bonus spread out over years and buyouts on player options. That’s been his go to of late. It was give a million years on a contract. He seems to be not doing that anymore.
The fact that is isn’t required to be paid for a year – I think it’s June 30 of the next year so, really about 18 months, and only a % of the amount due to investing gains, I say it makes all the sense in the world. Add in an opt out and thst could really change it before it comes due.
Contracts are falling off after 2026, the possibility of a lockout, time to go for broke with the deferral.
If new owners don’t like it, then 2027 will be bad because all of the vacancies will be filled with AA guys!
IDK. It is Boras after all. He’s going to drag it out as long as he can.
Well Boris’ window to drag it out is very small, as the Physical has to happen before the window closes!!!
Especially if the player needs to travel to do the physical. Though they can prob get it done in LA.
The window is closing fast jaysfan but Boras says it ain’t closed yet.
Well Joe Happy new Year to ya and ya still as usual are wrong, Boras does not control the posting window!!!
It would be interesting for the Braves, but I think Galen or Bassitt seems more like a possibility. Could do a trade w/ PIT for Mitch Keller. Murphy’s year may have screwed up that possibility, though.
Maybe it’s my own wishful thinking, but I have a feeling about Imai to the O’s.
I really feel like the Braves are going to sign Imai. The way his market is developing is exactly the type of market the Braves take advantage of.
If the A’s are being serious, I wonder if they would be in on Imai. Get the guy that probably needs a year to build up his innings properly and would fit the timeline of the organization.
Hopefully Imai signs with Dodgers.
Oh my, it seems like the agent is concerned about Imai getting big bucks or a long term deal with all these articles.
Anyone tired of how MLB is self-parody with the international signings?
There have been players from Korea, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Venezuela, Australia, Mexico, Taiwan, Nicaragua, etc.
It’s enough already. Didn’t used to be like that. Time to go back to MLB roots.
And 5’0-5’5 (his true height range) won’t work as a pitcher in MLB. That height range has never worked as a pitcher in the history of MLB. Watch in 2026.
Wow – I’ll wait for everyone else to be more specific.
Check the calendar again. It’s not 1926.
Ichiro Suzuki was a bad player for nearly a decade (half his time in MLB), so don’t want to hear about him. 0.5 war average 2011-2019. 2001 and 2004 were his only superstar seasons. It’s enough already, it’s enough.
Is it that people like you don’t realize they’re racist or that you simply don’t care who knows it?
Didn’t realize the players from Australia weren’t white, thanks for clarifying.
Much past time for MLB teams to stop tripping over themselves to sign international mediocrity and dilute the playing field. Who knows how many other kids from New Jersey would be MLB superstars right now if they weren’t overlooked and ignored for playing non-year round baseball. There could be multiple Mike Trout’s playing high school baseball in New Jersey right now who will never get a chance despite their talent because of being born in the US and because of being born in a non-year round baseball state.. Shohei Ohtani deserved/deserves it, that’s it