MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

The 2025-26 Offseason Begins

By Anthony Franco | November 2, 2025 at 7:02am CDT

A thrilling World Series came to an end in Game 7 last night. The Dodgers won in an extra-inning affair after Miguel Rojas hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning, while World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto came out of the bullpen to finish off the Blue Jays despite starting Game 6.

The offseason is officially underway. Last year, the Braves and Angels lined up on the Jorge Soler deal within the first few hours of the reopened trade window. Another Day 1 trade of that significance might be too much to ask, but the moves will be flooding in before long. There’ll be a host of waiver claims as clubs clear space from their 40-man rosters, largely in tandem with the necessary reinstatement of injured players from the injured list. Clubs and players have five days to decide whether to exercise any contractual options.

Free agency technically opens today, but there’s a five-day window for exclusive negotiation between teams and their own free agents. We’re not getting a Kyle Tucker signing anytime soon, but we could see a smaller extension or two as teams try to keep players from testing the open market. The Royals and Michael Wacha worked out a three-year, $51MM contract within this five-day period last winter.

MLBTR’s winter coverage will kick off later today with our preview of the Top 40 Trade Candidates. We’ve already released projected arbitration salaries from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz and taken a position-by-position look at the upcoming free agent class while previewing the qualifying offer decisions for pitchers and position players. MLBTR’s Offseason Outlook series for Front Office subscribers is also nearly complete. We’ll publish the entries for the two World Series teams within the next few days, while we’re awaiting the Rockies’ GM hire before finalizing the Colorado version.

Our Top 50 Free Agents post will be published on Thursday evening after the finalization of option and QO calls.

NOVEMBER 2: Free agency begins for eligible players, but they aren’t permitted to sign with other teams for at least five days. Free agents no longer count against their previous teams’ 40-man rosters. Trades of players who were on the 40-man roster reopen for the first time since last summer’s deadline.

NOVEMBER 2: Gold Glove winners announced.

NOVEMBER 6: Free agents are eligible to sign with any team. All players or teams with contractual options/opt-out clauses must make their decisions by this evening. Teams have until 4:00 pm Central to decide whether to issue qualifying offers to eligible free agents.

NOVEMBER 6-7: Silver Slugger winners announced. The National League winners will be revealed on the 6th, while the American League honorees will be awarded on the 7th.

NOVEMBER 10-13: General managers meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada. The GM Meetings typically lay the groundwork for the offseason rather than spurring much roster movement in themselves. They’re nevertheless significant as an opportunity for media to speak with high-level executives, which can shed some light on teams’ goals for the winter.

NOVEMBER 10: Rookie of the Year award winners announced.

NOVEMBER 11: Manager of the Year award winners announced.

NOVEMBER 12: Cy Young award winners announced.

NOVEMBER 13: MVP award winners announced.

NOVEMBER 13: Reliever of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and Hank Aaron award winners announced. All-MLB teams revealed.

NOVEMBER 18: Players have until 3:00 pm Central to decide whether to accept the qualifying offer. If they accept, they’ll return to their previous team on a one-year, $22.025MM contract. Players who accept a QO, like all major league free agent signees, cannot be traded without their consent until June 15. Those who decline the QO are tied to draft compensation. MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently covered what each team would receive for losing a qualified free agent and the penalties that teams would pay to sign a player who declined a QO.

NOVEMBER 18: Rule 5 protection deadline. Teams have until this date to add players who would otherwise be eligible for the Rule 5 draft to their 40-man roster to keep them out of the draft.

NOVEMBER 18-20: Quarterly owners meetings in New York. Commissioner Rob Manfred typically speaks with reporters at this time.

NOVEMBER 21: Non-tender deadline at 7:00pm Central. Teams must decide whether to offer contracts to the arbitration-eligible and pre-arbitration players on their 40-man roster. They do not need to agree to salaries by this date, but there’ll be a flurry of salary agreements as players who might otherwise be non-tender candidates often lock in deals at slightly lesser than projected salaries to avoid being cut loose. Players who are non-tendered immediately become free agents without going through waivers.

DECEMBER 7-10: Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida. The Winter Meetings are the offseason’s busiest few days and annually feature ample free agent and trade activity.

DECEMBER 7: Hall of Fame Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee announcement. Formerly known as the Veterans Committee, the 16-person panel votes on eight candidates who were not previously inducted into Cooperstown by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The eight candidates under consideration are usually announced in early November; those who receive at least 12 votes on December 7 are elected to the Hall of Fame. This year’s committee will consider only players whose greatest contributions came in the 1980s or later.

DECEMBER 9: Amateur draft lottery. The White Sox have the best chance of securing the first overall pick at 27.8% (h/t to Baseball America). The Rockies, Nationals and Angels are not allowed to pick higher than 10th. The CBA prohibits teams from having lottery picks in three straight years, which rules out Colorado. Clubs that do not receive revenue sharing cannot pick in the lottery in consecutive seasons, ruling out Washington and Los Angeles.

DECEMBER 10: The Rule 5 draft will conclude the Winter Meetings. Players selected must stay on their new teams’ active rosters for the entire ’26 season or be offered back to their original organization.

DECEMBER 15: Closing of the 2025 signing period for international amateurs.

JANUARY 8: Teams and arbitration-eligible players exchange salary filing figures. They’re free to continue negotiating beyond this date, though virtually every team treats this as an unofficial deadline to avoid an arbitration hearing unless they sign a multi-year contract.

JANUARY 15: Opening of the 2026 signing period for international amateurs. The majority of the international signings for the year will be announced on this date, as virtually all the top prospects have reached handshake agreements by this point.

JANUARY 21: Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame announcement at 5:00 pm Central.

EARLY FEBRUARY TBA: Arbitration hearings. Arbitrators must choose either the team’s or player’s filing figure, not a midpoint.

FEBRUARY 11: Voluntary report date to Spring Training for pitchers and catchers.

FEBRUARY 15: Voluntary report date to Spring Training for other players.

FEBRUARY 20: Mandatory report date. Spring Training play begins.

MARCH 25: Yankees @ Giants standalone game on Opening Night.

MARCH 26: Opening Day for the other 28 teams.

Dodgers Win World Series

By Charlie Wright | November 1, 2025 at 11:20pm CDT

The Dodgers are champions. Los Angeles outlasted Toronto in an epic Game 7 showdown. Will Smith delivered the game-winning swing, homering in the 11th inning to give the Dodgers their first lead, which they wouldn’t relinquish. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pitching on no rest after throwing 96 pitches on Friday, closed out the win. Unsurprisingly, the all-time performance earned Yamamoto the Series MVP award.

LA becomes the first team to repeat as champions since the Yankees in 2000. New York won three straight titles (1998-2000). It’s the Dodgers’ ninth World Series title, moving them into a tie for third with the Athletics and Cardinals. It’s their third title in the past six seasons.

Miguel Rojas, an unlikely World Series hero, rescued LA’s season in the ninth inning. The light-hitting shortstop yanked a Jeff Hoffman slider over the left field wall to tie the game. Rojas joined Bill Mazeroski as the only players in World Series history to hit a game-tying or go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later in a winner-take-all game (h/t Jesse Rogers of ESPN).

Rojas’ heroics allowed Yamamoto to do something just as special. After a complete game win in Game 2 and a quality start in Game 6, the ace entered in the bottom of the ninth inning with two runners on. He hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch to load the bases, but wiggled out of the jam. Defensive sub Andy Pages leaped over teammate Enrique Hernandez to reel in an Ernie Clement drive to send the game to extra innings. Yamamoto then cruised through the 10th inning in order before getting into trouble in the 11th frame. With runners on first and third and one out, he coaxed a double play grounder from Kirk to seal the game.

Toronto was in control for much of the game. Shohei Ohtani, pitching on three days’ rest, labored through the first two innings. After George Springer singled to start the third frame, Nathan Lukes sacrificed him to second. Ohtani then intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr., before hanging a slider that Bo Bichette deposited into the center field stands for a three-run homer. The Blue Jays had multiple chances to extend their lead, including a leadoff double in the eighth inning, but failed to cash in.

The Blue Jays came out swinging in the Fall Classic, exploding for nine runs in the sixth inning to win Game 1 in blowout fashion. A dominant Yamamoto performance evened the series, then LA took a 2-1 lead after Freddie Freeman walked off Game 3 in the 18th inning. Toronto bounced back, winning Game 4 and Game 5 behind strong starts from Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage, respectively. Yamamoto cruised again in Game 6, pushing the series to its limit. Game 7 delivered an instant classic.

Cardinals Announce Multiple Front Office Hires

By Charlie Wright | November 1, 2025 at 9:50pm CDT

The Cardinals have made a couple of additions in the front office, reports John Denton of MLB.com. Joe Douglas has been brought aboard as the director of pro acquisition. Jacob Buffa will serve as the senior director of international scouting. President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has made adding to the scouting department a point of emphasis this offseason, adds Denton.

Douglas has spent the past eight years in the Pirates organization. He will work under assistant GM and director of scouting Randy Flores, per Denton.

Buffa has been with Houston for nearly seven years. He’s been the senior director of player development and performance science for the past two seasons. Buffa will report to assistant GM, international scouting Moises Rodriguez, per Denton.

Bloom is entering his first offseason at the helm of the Cardinals. He spent a couple of seasons with the team in preparation for taking over from John Mozeliak. Bloom has said he likes the current structure of the front office and doesn’t anticipate widespread changes. “I have a lot of respect for the people who have been here,” Bloom told Denton. “I would like, hope and expect [that] our senior folks will all go forward with us. I do anticipate that we will have some additions to the front-office group.”

The new front office members are attempting to turn around a team that’s missed the postseason the past three years. St. Louis hasn’t won a playoff series since 2019. The organization did a solid job adding and developing impact prospects this season. The Cardinals’ farm system improved from 20th to 12th in MLB.com’s midseason rankings update. Lefty Liam Doyle was the fifth overall pick in the most recent draft and immediately became the top arm in the system. Shortstop JJ Wetherholt, their first-rounder from 2024, hit the ground running in his first full season of pro ball.

Kyle Finnegan Open To Returning To Detroit

By Charlie Wright | November 1, 2025 at 7:41pm CDT

Closer Kyle Finnegan ended up being one of the star acquisitions of the 2025 trade deadline. The right-hander was one of the most dominant relievers in the game after coming over to the Tigers from the Nationals. Finnegan is now a free agent, but he’s open to returning to Detroit, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “Getting traded over here was big for me. I unlocked a lot of things that will help me moving forward in my career, and that’s a testament to the people that this organization has,” Finnegan said.

Finnegan will officially become a free agent after the World Series wraps up tonight. As Petzold points out, he won’t be eligible to sign with a new team for five days, giving the Tigers an exclusive window to negotiate with him. Finnegan signed a one-year, $6MM deal with Washington last offseason.

Detroit landed Finnegan on July 31, sending righty pitching prospects Josh Randall and R.J. Sales back to Washington. He immediately took the lead in the Tigers’ closer committee, notching saves in his first three appearances. Finnegan didn’t allow a run in his first month with the club. His strikeout rate spiked from 19.6% in 39 innings with the Nationals to 34.8% in 18 innings with the Tigers.

The postseason began as more of the same for Finnegan. He tossed three scoreless innings in the Wild Card round, earning the win in the series clincher. The ALDS didn’t go as smoothly. Finnegan was charged with runs in three of his four appearances against Seattle, including the game-tying tally in the seventh inning of Game 5.

Washington took a flyer on Finnegan as a minor league free agent following the 2019 season. He received a major league deal and soon emerged as a crucial part of their late-inning relief corps. Finnegan piled up 108 saves over the past five seasons with the Nationals. He slammed the door a career-high 38 times in 2024, earning an All-Star nod. Washington surprisingly non-tendered Finnegan after that season, only to bring him back on a one-year pact in February of this year.

Finnegan hasn’t posted shutdown closer numbers, or at least he hadn’t before coming to Detroit. He’s typically been around a strikeout per inning with fine control numbers and a few too many home runs allowed. Even in his standout 2024 campaign, Finnegan ranked in the first percentile for average exit velocity and in the second percentile for hard-hit rate.

Detroit overhauled Finnegan’s pitch mix, having him favor the splitter over the fastball. He used the heater just 40.9% of the time with the Tigers. That number had never been lower than 67.6% for a full season. Finnegan’s swinging-strike rate jumped from a mediocre 9.2% with Washington to an elite 14.3% with Detroit this year.

The new approach might help Finnegan find more suitors in free agency than he did last offseason. He’ll have plenty of competition, though. Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, and Raisel Iglesias are the big names on the market. Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez could join them if they opt out of their current contracts. Emilio Pagan, Luke Weaver, and Shawn Armstrong are coming off strong seasons. Kenley Jansen and Kirby Yates have lengthy track records as strong backend relievers.

If Finnegan doesn’t return, Detroit can replace him with several in-house options. Will Vest was effective in a closing role for much of the season, and tag-teamed the job with Finnegan following the trade. Tyler Holton, Brenan Hanifee, and Brant Hurter all had strong seasons in multi-faceted roles. Former closers Jason Foley and Alex Lange remain in the organization. Free agent Tommy Kahnle would be the only other notable bullpen loss if he isn’t re-signed.

Dodgers Notes: Ohtani, Yamamoto, Lineup

By Charlie Wright | November 1, 2025 at 6:02pm CDT

Shohei Ohtani is slated to start Game 7 on the mound tonight. The two-way star will be pitching on three days’ rest after tossing six innings in Game 4 on Tuesday. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, that he’s “not sure” how long Ohtani will pitch. Roberts added that he wants to “withhold expectations and kind of read and react.”

After tearing his left shoulder labrum in the 2024 World Series, Ohtani was brought along slowly as a pitcher this season. He didn’t make his first appearance on the mound until mid-June. Since he’s a crucial part of the offense, Ohtani couldn’t take a few weeks off to go on a rehab assignment. Instead, he had to build back up at the major-league level. Ohtani tossed a single inning in each of his first two appearances. He eventually built up to three innings by the end of July. Ohtani made it through five innings in his final start of August, then capped off his regular season with his first six-inning outing.

Ohtani has had at least five days of rest between every pitching outing this season. The spread-out postseason schedule (along with LA’s success) has afforded him even more time off. Ohtani had 12 days between his NLDS and NLCS starts, then another 10 days until his first World Series outing.

While the workload has been a question for Ohtani, performance has not. He posted a 2.87 ERA across 47 innings in the regular season, and his xFIP (2.45) and SIERA (2.67) were even better. Ohtani rattled off three straight scoreless starts heading into the playoffs. He then posted quality starts in the NLDS and NLCS, winning both games. Toronto did get to Ohtani for four earned runs in Game 3, though he had six strikeouts and went six innings yet again.

Game 7s are typically all-hands-on-deck situations for the pitching staffs. Could that possibly include Yoshinobu Yamamoto? A video from Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times surfaced of the Game 6 victor throwing ahead of tonight’s game. Yamamoto wasn’t expected to be available tonight, but Roberts was asked about his status for Game 7. “He’s definitely interested,” Roberts told reporters, including Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.

Yamamoto followed his dominant complete game in Game 2 with another sterling effort on Friday. He allowed just one earned run over six innings, throwing 96 pitches. Yamamoto now has a 1.56 ERA over 34 2/3 innings this postseason. He would be in the World Series MVP conversation if it weren’t for Ohtani’s impressive contributions. While Yamamoto seems ready to go 2001 Randy Johnson, he’s probably pretty deep on the depth chart tonight. Roberts only had to use relievers Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski in Game 6, plus an inning from starter Tyler Glasnow, though he only threw three pitches. Every other pitcher, including Game 5 starter Blake Snell, has had at least a couple of days off.

Roberts is largely running back the same lineup tonight, outside of flip-flopping Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernandez. That means Mookie Betts is back in the cleanup spot. Roberts bumped the scuffling Betts from second to third in the order for Game 5, then moved him to fourth for Game 6. The move paid off, as Betts came through with the biggest hit of the game. With the bases loaded and two outs in the third inning, the shortstop lined a Kevin Gausman fastball through the left side, knocking in a pair of runs. Betts had been 3-for-24 in the series prior to the single. It was his first RBI since Game 3 of the NLCS.

Muncy will move up to fifth in the order for the second time this series. Both instances have come against Max Scherzer. While righties got on at a higher clip against Scherzer this season, lefties had far more power. The veteran yielded 13 home runs and a hefty .545 slugging percentage in 200 plate appearances against left-handed hitters. The lineup adjustment will allow Muncy to get an earlier look at Scherzer.

Justin Willard “Emerging As The Favorite” For Mets’ Pitching Coach Job

By Charlie Wright | November 1, 2025 at 4:30pm CDT

The Mets may be zeroing in on a replacement for Jeremy Hefner. Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard is “emerging as the favorite” for the position, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. Joel Sherman of the New York Post seconded Sammon’s report, writing that Willard is “poised to be named the Mets pitching coach.”

Willard has been with Boston since November 2024. He had previously worked in Minnesota as a pitching coach and coordinator. Willard got his coaching start in the college ranks, first as a graduate assistant at Concord University. He then spent seven years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Radford University.

Boston brought in Willard to improve the organization’s pitching development. In a story written by Ian Browne of MLB.com ahead of his first season with the team, Willard said he has a “really simple” approach when it comes to his pitching philosophy. “Throw nasty stuff in the zone. You can have nasty stuff, but it’s not gonna be maximized if you’re not in the zone.” That plan could play well in New York. The Mets’ pitching staff ranked fourth in Stuff+ in 2025, but had the sixth-highest walk rate. The club finished 18th in ERA.

New York made a slew of coaching changes this offseason, including moving on from Hefner. He had spent the past six seasons with the team. After ranking 22nd in ERA in his first season, the Mets improved to ninth and then seventh under Hefner. They’ve been 15th or worse the past three years.

If he lands the gig, Willard will have plenty to work with in 2026. Top prospect Nolan McLean debuted in August and excelled over eight starts. He leads a young core that also includes Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, and Christian Scott. New York’s rotation was buoyed by veterans David Peterson, Clay Holmes, and Sean Manaea. The trio struggled over the final couple of months of the season as New York coughed up a playoff spot, but they should be reliable sources of innings next year until the youngsters can take over.

The main task for Willard, if he were to be hired, might be to get Kodai Senga back on track. The NPB import dominated in his first MLB season in 2023, posting a sub-3.00 ERA to go with a 29.1% strikeout rate. Shoulder and calf injuries cost Senga nearly all of 2024, but he looked to have returned to ace status to begin 2025. Senga allowed two earned runs or fewer in 12 of his first 13 starts to open the season. A hamstring injury cost him a month of action, and he couldn’t regain his form upon return. Senga stumbled to a 5.90 ERA over his final nine starts of the season. His walk rate ballooned to 12.7%. Miami tagged Senga for five earned runs on the final day of August, and New York demoted the struggling starter to Triple-A. Senga will likely be back with the big-league club in 2026, but he’ll need to perform better to hold on to his spot.

Giants Chairman Greg Johnson Discusses Team Spending

By Mark Polishuk | November 1, 2025 at 2:57pm CDT

Giants chairman Greg Johnson discussed several topics in an interview with John Shea of the San Francisco Standard, including some talk about how the team plans to spend this winter. As usual with any upper-level executive, Johnson spoke in generalities about payroll rather than citing any specific figures, and downplayed the idea of any huge spending splashes. For instance, while Johnson cited “starting pitching help” as “probably No. 1 on the list” of offseason priorities, he said the Giants would “be very cautious about” signing a pitcher to a nine-figure contract.

As to whether or not the Giants would exceed the threshold of $200MM in spending, “it just depends on what’s out there. We may be over. We may be under,” Johnson said. “We’re going to look at each situation and make the decision and see how it fits into not only next year, but the longer-term plans.”

San Francisco has exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax line four times in their history. They paid the tax in each of the 2015-17 seasons, as a function of the rising costs associated with trying to keep their championship core from the early 10’s teams together. The club also narrowly exceeded the tax line in 2024, as a function of the Giants making a series of pricey acquisitions during the 2023-24 offseason.

In 2025, the Giants ducked back under the tax line, even after some more prominent moves — i.e. extending Matt Chapman, signing Willy Adames to a seven-year/$182MM free agent deal, and their June trade for Rafael Devers. Even with these salaries involved plus major commitments to Logan Webb, Jung Hoo Lee, and Robbie Ray, San Francisco’s books are relatively clean since almost all of the team’s money is tied into just these six players. Ray is also a free agent next winter, leaving more space open for longer-term commitments even though Johnson is wary of such contracts.

“We can go up [in spending], but I think the risk is having too many people on similar six-year-type deals that create less flexibility to the payroll,” Johnson said. “I think you can always do things on a shorter basis, but you’ve got to be careful about having too many of your players being late 30s at a high-payroll level. I think you have to balance that.”

San Francisco fans may not love hearing about ownership’s financial caution, yet pretty much any owner or front office executive would share Johnson’s concerns on overspending now on players who could soon be future albatrosses. This was, in fact, the very situation the Giants found themselves in during their previous highest-spending years, once some of the key players from their World Series teams started to decline.

There’s also the fact that the Giants are far enough under that $200MM line that there’s room for the team to spend rather substantially this winter while still remaining under the threshold. Cot’s Baseball Contracts estimates the Giants at roughly a $152.7MM payroll and a $182MM tax figure for 2026, while RosterResource’s estimates are a bit higher ($169.3MM payroll and a $192.4MM tax number).

Whichever estimate you prefer, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey figures to have financial flexibility in pursuing more big-ticket targets this winter. Upgrading the pitching staff (not to mention the team’s other needs) likely won’t come cheap, and with just one winning record in their last nine seasons, the Giants figure to again be very active in trying to get back into contention.

Offseason Outlook: Boston Red Sox

By Nick Deeds | November 1, 2025 at 1:25pm CDT

The Red Sox finally made it back to the postseason this year, though their third place finish in the AL East and a quick exit in the Wild Card Series at the hands of the Yankees leaves fans hoping for more in 2026.

Guaranteed Contracts

Garrett Crochet, LHP: $166MM through 2031 (deal includes conditional $15MM club option for 2032; can opt out after 2030)
Roman Anthony, OF: $125MM through 2033 (deal includes $30MM club option for 2034)
Brayan Bello, RHP: $50.5MM through 2029 (includes $1MM buyout on $21MM club option for 2030)
Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF: $47MM through 2032 (includes $4MM buyout on $19MM club option for 2033, deal includes $21MM club option for 2034)
Ceddanne Rafaela, OF/2B: $46MM through 2031 (includes $4MM buyout on $16MM club option for 2032)
Masataka Yoshida, DH: $36MM through 2027
Jordan Hicks, RHP: $24MM through 2027
Aroldis Chapman, LHP: $13.3MM through 2026 (includes $300K buyout on $13MM vesting option for 2027)
Patrick Sandoval, LHP: $12.75MM through 2026
Garrett Whitlock, RHP: $8.25MM through 2026 (includes $1MM buyout on $8.25MM club option for 2027, deal includes $10.5MM club option for 2028)

Option Decisions:

Alex Bregman, 3B: Will opt out of $80MM through 2027 ($40MM deferred)
Trevor Story, SS: Can opt out of final $50MM through 2027. If opt out exercised, Red Sox can either void it by exercising $25MM club option or pay Story a $5MM buyout.
Lucas Giolito, RHP: $19MM mutual option with $1.5MM buyout.
Liam Hendriks, RHP: $12MM mutual option with $2MM buyout.
Jarren Duran, OF: $8MM club option with $100K buyout. Eligible for arbitration if option is declined.

Total 2026 commitments: $168.9MM
Total future commitments: $662.4MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; salary projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Nathaniel Lowe (5.145): $13.5MM
Tanner Houck (4.100): $3.95MM
Jarren Duran (3.155): $8.4MM (if club option declined)
Kutter Crawford (3.136): $2.75MM
Romy Gonzalez (3.083): $1.8MM
Connor Wong (3.079): $1.6MM
Triston Casas (3.032): $1.7MM
Josh Winckowski: (3.003): $800K
Brennan Bernardino (2.150): $1.1MM
Non-tender candidates: Lowe, Houck, Wong, Winckowski

Free Agents

Alex Bregman, Lucas Giolito, Steven Matz, Liam Hendriks, Dustin May, Rob Refsnyder, Justin Wilson

Much of Boston's offseason will be dictated by the opt out decisions made by the left side of the club's infield. Alex Bregman is already expected to opt out of his contract and return to the open market, but it's not yet clear whether or not Trevor Story will follow in those footsteps. With no locked in starter at second base and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow unwilling to commit to Triston Casas at first base for next year, it's not impossible to imagine a scenario where the Red Sox are looking to reshape their entire infield as they look for defensive upgrades.

At the very least, they'll need to either re-sign or replace Bregman. Re-signing the veteran coming off his third career All-Star appearance may prove to be the most sensible course of action. While he'll be seeking a true long-term deal this winter as he heads into his age-32 campaign, it would be difficult to find the sort of production Bregman offers elsewhere. Just three third basemen (Jose Ramirez, Junior Caminero, and Isaac Paredes) posted a higher wRC+ than Bregman's 125 this year, and Fangraphs' Def metric pegs Bregman as the seventh-most valuable defensive third baseman in baseball this year despite a quad injury limiting him to just 114 games.

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS

Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
Remove ads and support our writers.
Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | November 1, 2025 at 12:36pm CDT

Mark P

Almost seven and a half months after the Dodgers and Cubs squared off in Tokyo, the 2025 MLB season will officially end today.* But, almost as importantly as Game 7, it’s also time for the final Weekend Chat of the 2025 season!
*= I guess it could technically end on November 2 if Game 7 goes past midnight, but what are the chances the Dodgers and Blue Jays play some crazy extra-inn…..oh wait

World Series Prediction

Who you got? Blue Jays win 4-3 or Dodgers steal the show?

Mark P

Who wins Game 7?

Blue Jays (65.3% | 548 votes)

Dodgers (34.6% | 290 votes)

Total Votes: 838

Do I sign cease or king this offseason?

Mark P

Leaning towards no, since the Braves under Anthopoulos haven’t pursued longer-term pitching contracts. Cease is also a Boras client, and AA generally doesn’t do business with Boras on a free agent level.
King is an interesting option for a somewhat shorter-term contract with opt-outs involved. It depends on how his market shapes up since there’s still a very good chance he lands a big multi-year deal anyway, but if he doesn’t want to fully commit himself after a shortened 2025 season, he and his reps might be open to more creative contracts. This might open the door to a team like Atlanta to get involved.

Hang over

So will the first day of free agency be crazy after the World Series is completed? Which teams do you see making the most waves?

Mark P

Free agency doesn’t begin until five days after the final game of the WS. The offseason in general starts immediately, however, so I’d expect a lot of news on options being exercised/declined, maybe a couple of trades, maybe the Padres/Rockies/Braves announce their new manager or GM, etc.

Dean

Who’s the splashiest surprise (ala Eflin, HSK) FA signing you could see the Rays making? Realmuto?

Mark P

It’s hard to see the Rays outbidding Philly for Realmuto. I can also assume that Realmuto probably feels the Phillies are closer to winning in 2026 than the Rays are, so that’s not likely to be an option for him.
Projecting free agent moves for Tampa is difficult since when they do strike, it tends to be somewhat out of nowhere. Nobody saw them as suitors for Kim, for instance. Bringing in an Eflin type of innings-eater might be a good move this winter due to the injury uncertainties in their rotation.

BrianM

Does Pete resign with the Mets?

Mark P

Leaning towards no. I think it took a particular set of circumstances to reunite Alonso and the Mets last winter, and it feels like the Mets only have a certain price point for Alonso in mind. Coming off a much better platform season, Alonso likely isn’t in the mood to take any kind of shorter-term pact this time around.

Nido

Could Nido have earned a one year MLB contract rather than sign with the Tigers for triple A? Seems like a good player

Mark P

Nido is a career backup at best. He clearly seems ok with his situation in Detroit even if it’s being the third man on the depth chart. Taking an early contract now and giving himself peace of mind over the offseason might also be preferable to having to grind out months of waiting and seeing before finally landing another minors deal months later

IMissHelton

Do the Rockies keep dragging their feet through the offseason? Most other teams have hired their GM/manager tandem for the future while the Rox are still “mulling their options”

Mark P

Remember, this is seemingly the first time Dick Monfort has ever had a real GM search, after just promoting from within for the other two hires of his ownership tenure. Makes sense that it might take a bit longer than usual, though given how much the new GM will have to do with overhauling the Rockies, every offseason day is critical.

Wisconsin O’s

Any chance the O’s sign a big rh bat > Bo B? Please please say yes.

Mark P

Bichette isn’t a fit on a team already loaded in the infield, and I don’t expect the Orioles to spend at the highest ends of the free agent market. But, they should be adding some kind of righty balance to the lineup.

Mike B

Since the trade deadline, I have had this idea of the Phillies trading Nick Castellanos (plus a mid-level prospect) to the Pirates for Bryan Reynolds (the advanced metrics seem to suggest Reynolds down season was just some bad luck, as he was still in line with his career numbers for Barrel Rate, XBA, XSLG, and XWOBA – among others). Essentially, I am banking on Pittsburgh wanting to be as cheap as possible (not a bad bet with that ownership group) and saving them $50ish million in the long term. Can you please just tell me I’m crazy so I can stop considering this as a possibility?

Mark P

While I don’t doubt that the Pirates might deal Reynolds under the right circumstance, this particular move doesn’t make any sense for them. Pittsburgh should be trying to add hitting, not take on a limited player like Castellanos who seems to be on the downswing.

Chaim Bloom

Where do you see me trading donovan to?

Mark P

I covered all things Donovan in a “looking for a trade match” post earlier this week. Long story short, he is a reasonable fit on at least half the league, so it’s hard to pick a particular top suitor out of a very large field at this point
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/looking-for-a-match-in-a-brenda…

Padres

If they hire Puljols will Niebla leave?

Mark P

Only Niebla would know the answer to this question, though he is under contract for 2026. I doubt that the Padres would want to lose him as pitching coach, and one would imagine Pujols/Hundley/whoever would also want to keep Niebla in the fold.
I noted this in a post the other day, but it kind of works against Niebla’s candidacy that the Padres might just prefer him as the pitching coach. Since if he’s elevated to manager, then the team suddenly has another big hole to fill on the coaching staff.
Now, being manager obviously doesn’t mean that Niebla can’t still speak with the pitchers or give advice. But the Padres might prefer the “if it ain’t broke…” approach

B Han

Seems like one of the most logical trades this offseason will be Castellanos for Arenado, with maybe a few minor prospects switching teams. Your thoughts?

Mark P

While Arenado would be more helpful to the Phillies than Castellanos, the 2026 version of Nolan Arenado doesn’t seem to be too likely of a boost for a team with World Series aspirations.

Natitude

What are your thoughts on the Nationals going so young in their hires for the front office and head coach?

Mark P

It made me feel old, haha
Washington’s clearly looking for some fresh perspectives, perhaps with the idea that Rizzo/Martinez were too old-school in their approaches. Time will tell if the changes work out, since Toboni has a lot to do to get the Nats on track.

Mike Maddux

Do you know any extra details on why he chose an organization like the Angels? This team is in total dysfunction so I’m curious why he would leave a situation like Texas that doesn’t seem to have any dysfunction.

Mark P

Your guess is as good as mine. It’s strange to think that Maddux might immediately have more job security than Kurt Suzuki in Anaheim, given Suzuki’s unusual one-year contract.

deGrom

Do the Rangers try to move deGrom this winter? How much of the contract would they have to eat? Who might bite?

Mark P

DeGrom is owed $38MM in 2026 and $37MM in 2027, plus there’s a club option for 2028 on a value TBD. That works out to a $37.5MM tax number for DeGrom, since remember that a traded contract has a tax value based on the AAV remaining on the deal (not the original total value of the deal).
That’s a high enough tax figure to scare some teams off, to say nothing of DeGrom’s injury history and age. The counter, of course, is that DeGrom is still a frontline ace if healthy, so it’ll be interesting to see how negotiations could work out or if Texas would be willing to eat anything of the contract.
There’s also deGrom’s no-trade clause, so this might be a moot point entirely if he doesn’t want to leave Arlington. The Rangers are trying to both balance the budget and still win in 2026, so while there’s some payroll logic in trading deGrom and selling high, it does leave another hole in their rotation

Im a Werewolf Baby

Progressive field benefits lefties, but Cleveland’s system is ALL lefties. How have they not balanced out their system? Delauter, Bazzana, Ralphy, Manzardo, Bo, Kwan, Valera, Ingle, etc. Half your games are away and you can’t beat elite lefties in the playoffs with a lineup of all lefties. Has this been a systemic failure of hitting development/approach?

Mark P

Teams draft for best talent available, without much or any regard to handedness. In theory, the Guardians can always trade from this list or obtain a RHH elsewhere to get more balance in the big league lineup

Masataka

Where am I opening day ‘26?

Mark P

Boston. More seemingly “untradable” contracts than Yoshida’s have been moved over the years, but barring a total salary dump, why would a team make a move to acquire him?

Chris

Do the Dbacks sign one or two starters this offseason. Thoughts on who?

Mark P

Arizona’s got enough invested in its rotation that someone like Merrill Kelly might be about as high as they’re willing to go in rotation spending. Acquiring another SP via trade is also a possibility.

Cactusflair

Do you see the Cardinals potentially non-tendering Lars Nootbaar after his recent double heel surgery

Mark P

Nope. Nootbaar is a trade asset either this winter or at the 2026 deadline once he gets healthy, so the Cards won’t cut him loose for nothing.

The Hamm’s Bear

Do you think the Giants will try to move Jung-Hoo Lee for Pitching? Say of the Joe Ryan variety?

Mark P

Obtaining Lee doesn’t seem to fit with what the Twins are trying to do (i.e. cut payroll and rebuild). But, if the Giants are willing to dig deep into their prospect depth chart, Ryan is a possibility, except clubs with better farm systems will have an edge in bidding wars

Cool Names Matter

I don’t understand Boston signing Schwarber. You’d be paying his and Yoshida’s contract for him to DH. I think they need to be pot-committed to Yoshida at this point – for better or worse.

Mark P

$36MM remains on Yoshida’s contract. That’s not a ton of money for a wealthy team like the Red Sox to just eat in releasing him, since it’s very clear he’s the odd man out of the roster mix.
The questions about how Schwarber ideally fits into Boston’s roster are mitigated by the fact that a) it’s Kyle Schwarber, and b) his power absolutely makes the Sox a better team

Jason

Who makes more sense at 3B than Suarez for the Red Sox if Bregman leaves?

Mark P

Marcelo Mayer, assuming Story remains as the SS and the Sox don’t go with Mayer at 2B
This isn’t to say that the Sox might not consider someone like Suarez, but finding a regular lineup spot for Mayer is a priority

paul engle

although the dodgers may win the world series bats like mookie betts max muncy and soeewhat tommie edmond do the dodgers make a run for a really good quality outfielder

Mark P

OF definitely seems like an offseason priority in Los Angeles. Can’t rule out a pursuit of a big fish like Tucker, or maybe even something bold like exploring Teoscar Hernandez trades

Mariners

What percentage chance do you see us resigning naylor?

Mark P

In a nod to Jerry Dipoto, about 54%
(While that answer was tongue in cheek, it might actually be true. Seattle loves Naylor and wants to keep him, but he’ll get lots of attention from other teams around the league, so it could be about a coin flip.)

Addition not subtraction

The Tigers should be looking to add a #2 SP not trade away an Ace SP for the ‘26 & ‘27 seasons.

Mark P

Skubal is only controlled through 2026 but I agree with you. Having a first-rate ace is such a rarity that the Tigers should be viewing 2026 as an all-in type of season. Trading Skubal would ruin a lot of the momentum this team has built over the last two seasons.

Cubs fan

the Cubs should have some payroll flexibility. Do you see them making a big move. If so, pitching or hitting?

Guest

Just asking about general activity for the Cubs, what players/type of players do you think they will target this offseason?

Mark P

I see Chicago spending relatively big on a starting pitcher or a notable position player, and then swinging a trade to obtain whichever of the SP/notable position player they don’t sign.
The Cubs seem to be working under self-imposed payroll restrictions that keep them from shopping in the upper tier of free agency. But, the team has been willing to open the wallet to a certain extent on particular player. Given their past deals with Suzuki and Imanaga, I wonder if any of Imai/Okamoto/Murakami would be on Chicago’s radar, and if so, does that make Shaw an expendable trade chip.

Tim

What’s your thoughts on teams hiring managers with little to no coaching experience? Seems like a trend the past couple of seasons.

Mark P

Track records as a manager/coach aren’t absolutely necessities to being a manager. Frankly, getting some fresh faces and fresh ideas into the dugout is a better idea in some cases than hiring some retread skipper.
To use someone like Vogt as an example, he was already a player who was “a coach on the field” for most of his career anyway, so it made for an easy transition. That’s the gold standard teams are trying to achieve with these less-experienced hires. Whereas the Giants and hiring Vitello is a step beyond that, since Vitello (as accomplished as he is in college) has never been involved in an MLB clubhouse before

Marlin fan

What do you see is doing this offseason? Are we going to actually add or still subtract

Mark P

The Marlins will be looking to build on what they have, though I’d be surprised if they were particularly aggressive on the trade front (and shocked if they spent notable money in free agency).
Bendix and ownership are more apt to look at the -89 run differential than they are at the 79 wins.

JDB

Would a trade centered around W Abreu for Issac Paredes work? Play Paredes at 1B and resign Bregman?

Mark P

Not a true 1-for-1 deal, but yeah, Abreu-for-Paredes in some kind of package makes some sense for both teams.

Foxy

Yankee fans seem down on Volpe, but he played through a torn labrum, which seems to be an obvious culprit for his down year. Do you see him having a bounce back year? Do you think he will be traded? I don’t get why many teams insist on playing their injured players instead of just putting them on the DL.

Mark P

The problem with viewing Volpe as a bounce-back candidate is that what exactly is he bouncing back towards? His 2025 hitting numbers were about the same as his previous career numbers when healthy. Obviously it’s fair to assume better health will get his defense back on track, but Volpe has yet to show much of anything at the plate over three years in the majors.
As I’ve written before, I don’t see the Yankees cutting bait on Volpe entirely. But, his absence at the start of 2026 opens the door for the team to start thinking about alternatives, whether that’s seeing what Caballero can do or just keeping Volpe/Caballero as pure placeholders until George Lombard is ready

Brian

Do you really believe Schwarber can get 5yrs on FA market?

Mark P

His numbers were so good this year and he is such a beloved figure around the game that five years seems plausible. The Phillies will go above and beyond to try and keep him, so if the rest of the market is only willing to go as high as four years, the Phils will likely stretch to five

Twinkies & choclate milk

What’s for lunch?

Mark P

I made the rookie mistake of starting this chat before getting lunch made, so my stomach is rumbling.

Giants Fan

As a Giants fan I understand starting and relief pitching is a high priority. Do you think the Giants would go after a Bo Bichetter or Kyle Tucker to improve the lineup? Thanks!

Mark P

Sure, I totally expect SF to at least check in on those two, as they’ve explored so many other big-name free agents in recent years. Whether they can seal the deal with either remains to be seen — in Bichette’s case in particular, the Giants would only be offering him the 2B job.

Ms fan

Will there be any payroll flexibility or is this going to just be another cheap offseason?

Mark P

Dipoto recently said that the starting payoll for 2026 will be around $166MM, so that gives Seattle around $34MM to spend this winter, plus potentially more at the deadline if the M’s are contending as expected.
Now, to be clear, Dipoto didn’t mention any specific numbers — I’m extrapolating based on his broad comments about spending at the same level as in 2025. Given how ownership gave Dipoto less than expected in offseason payroll space a couple of years ago, we shouldn’t be assuming that $34MM-ish in spending capacity is in any ways a done deal. But, you would think that after a successful season and a long playoff run that brought some extra revenues in, ownership is more open to spending to keep the gravy train rolling.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/mariners-aiming-for-roughly-166…

Jim

Anything you can say about the A’s?

Mark P

They’ve done a nice job of rebuilding their lineup, but a lot of work needs to be done on the pitching side. Those efforts will be trickier given their ballpark situation for the next two years.

Astros fan

Chances the astros sign cease?

Mark P

Doubt this happens

Bravos

What should the Braves be looking at to upgrade and get back to contention?

Mark P

The middle infield, bullpen, and at least one more starting pitcher. It would also help immensely if Riley and/or Harris started hitting more consistently again.

DC Fan

Why do people keep arguing for the Nationals to trade Gore and Abrams? Do they want to rebuild perpetually?

Mark P

Gore is controlled through 2027, and Abrams through 2028. The logic is that since it doesn’t seem like the Nationals will be in contention within the next 2-3 years, the club is better served in the long run by trading one or both of these players now in order to restock the system.

Fans

What percentage of fans rooting for Blue Jays? Not counting Dodger or Blue Jay fans.

Mark P

My perception is that baseball fans in general are rooting for Toronto, whether due to the novelty or just because they’re tired of the Dodgers

Guest

Are the Dodgers likely to seriously pursue Kyle Tucker or are they going to be wary of the potential financial consequences of what may come from the probable 2027 lockout?

Mark P

The Dodgers will cross that bridge when they come to it, in terms of what a new CBA may or may not change about baseball’s business.

Scott in Mongolia

Lots of teams are “prioritizing pitching”, but who honestly do you think might sign one of the top FA starters?

Mark P

The Giants, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Mets all come to mind immediately.

Mariners

What chance is Randy, Luis and JP all back this year?

Mark P

While one can never rule out a bold Mariners trade, my guess is that all three are still in Seattle on Opening Day. My perception is that the M’s feel they’re already really close, and want to reinforce their core group rather than trade someone away from it to address another need.

Okamoto

So I am replacing Pete Alonzo on the Mets most likely then?

Mark P

“Most likely” is a reach. But, the Mets have a history of pursuing and landing top Japanese players, and as noted earlier, I think Alonso won’t be back in 2026

Sean D

Do you believe the Twins will trade both Ryan and Lopez this offseason?

Mark P

More inclined to say one is dealt, but not both.

Mets

The Mets need a lot of pieces. Is next year realistic or too many holes to fill in one offseason?

Mark P

As we’ve seen with the Blue Jays and countless other examples, teams can turn things around in pretty quick fashion as long as they have some real talent already in place. The Mets certainly have their share of starpower, so a return to contention in 2026 is absolutely possible (or even plausible)
lol, I meant to write the word “likely” there, not “plausible.”

A Coors on the Rox

will Colorado hire a GM before free agency begins? Seems like their GM will be at another disadvantage by not being in place but I guess they’ll be rebuilding no matter what

Mark P

The new GM/PBO will first be focused on hiring a new manager, but you’re right….I don’t think courting free agents is going to be high on Colorado’s list of offseason plans

RaymondReddington

Verlander reuniting with the tigers, good idea?

Mark P

Sure!

Dana Brown

Could you see the Astros trading Christian Walker for a SP…then turning around & signing Pete Alonso for 1B? Heyman has linked Houston to Polar Pete.

Mark P

The problem is, Walker is owed $40MM over the next two seasons and is coming off a rough year at both the plate and in the field. He’s not the easiest player in the world to trade.
In this scenario where the Astros trade Walker and then sign Alonso, there’s a complication in that you’d need to find a 1B-needy team that is also not willing to go for Alonso, or Naylor, or Okamoto, or Murakami, etc.

That Baseball Fan

Please tell us who you think will win tonight and why.

Mark P

As a Blue Jays fan, I’m in a weird Schrodinger’s Cat scenario at the moment — today will either be the greatest or worst-ever day of my baseball fandom, with no in-between. This month of playoff baseball has left me watching tonight’s games with frayed nerves….but I think the Jays will pull it off.
And on that note, it’s time to wrap the chat. Hope everyone enjoys Game 7, and there’s a lot to look forward to in a very busy upcoming week on MLBTR as the offseason gets underway.
If you’re interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you’re about 10 times more likely to get a question answered, as opposed to battling for space with hundreds of other questions in today’s chat. For more on our memberships, check out this link:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-11-01-25

Santiago Espinal Elects Free Agency

By Darragh McDonald | November 1, 2025 at 9:57am CDT

TODAY: As expected, Espinal rejected the outright assignment and chose to become a free agent, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Gordon Wittenmyer reports.

OCTOBER 31: The Reds announced today that infielder Santiago Espinal has been sent outright to Triple-A Louisville. That indicates he cleared waivers in recent days. He has the right to elect free agency and will presumably do so in the coming days.

It’s common for clubs to clear roster space at this time of year. The offseason will begin in the coming days, which means the injured list goes away. Players on the 60-day IL will need to retake roster spots, though some players are also heading to free agency. The Reds don’t have a super tight roster crunch at the moment. RosterResource pegs them at 38 guys for the start of the winter, though picking up options on Brent Suter and Scott Barlow could have got them back up to 40. Espinal’s removal drops them to 37, not including Suter or Barlow.

Even if the Reds don’t strictly need a roster spot right now, there’s value in opening one. Perhaps some interesting players will be put on waivers by other clubs in the coming days. The Reds will also presumably want to add a few players to the roster to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

Espinal wasn’t going to be long for the roster anyway. His performance has been declining for a while now. He could have been retained for the 2026 season via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a $2.9MM salary, but the Reds were going to non-tender him.

The infielder had some decent results with the Blue Jays a few years ago, even making the All-Star team in 2022, but he hasn’t done much since then. He has stepped to the plate 973 times in the past three years with a combined .245/.298/.325 line and 71 wRC+. That includes a .243/.292/.282 line and 58 wRC+ in 2025.

At his best, Espinal can play multiple positions while hitting lefties. As recently as last year, though his overall offense was poor, he slashed .289/.344/.491 for a 122 wRC+ against southpaws. He was still better against lefties in 2025 but hit only .265/.317/.342 for a wRC+ of 81.

Assuming he elects free agency, Espinal could get interest from clubs for a bench/utility role, either on a minor league pact or a modest big league deal. He has experience at all four infield spots as well as the outfield corners.

Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images

Load More Posts

Headlines

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect