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Cardinals Notes: Nootbaar, Cameron, Pitching

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As one of the few teams in baseball in true rebuild mode, the Cardinals are open to offers on most players on their roster, yet some of the Cards’ most-cited trade candidates may be a little more available than others.  Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears from sources on rival teams that the Cardinals don’t seem to be “actively seeking to trade” outfielder Lars Nootbaar.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that Nootbaar won’t be dealt, of course, but there are also some obvious reasons why the Cardinals might want to wait until beyond this offseason to move the 28-year-old.

Injuries have been a subplot of Nootbaar’s career, and while he hit new career highs in games played (135) and plate appearances (583) in 2025, he underwent surgery in October on both of his heels.  The surgery was meant to address Haglund’s deformities, which are bone spurs that develop on the heel bone near the base of the Achilles tendon.  It seems likely that playing through this discomfort led to Nootbaar’s underwhelming numbers in 2025, and it isn’t yet known if the recovery from the procedure will allow Nootbaar to be ready for Opening Day.

Between the health question mark and Nootbaar’s 96 wRC+ (from 13 homers and a .234/.325/.361 slash line), St. Louis would probably be selling low if Nootbaar was traded this winter.  As such, it makes sense that the Cardinals would hang onto Nootbaar for now and see if he’s able to bounce back in the first half of the 2026 season, so a trade deadline move might be more realistic.

Trading Sonny Gray to the Red Sox cleared $20MM off of the Cardinals’ payroll ledger for 2026, and the team would also save a lot of money if Nolan Arenado or Willson Contreras were traded.  There isn’t any similar financial pressure involved with a potential Nootbaar trade, as he is projected to earn $5.7MM this winter in the second of three trips through the arbitration process.  That extra year of control gives the Cards more flexibility in allowing Nootbaar to get fully healthy before more properly shopping him to any interested teams.

President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has been open about his team’s desire to add starting pitching, whether it’s younger arms or (likely on short-term deals) more experienced hurlers.  The Gray trade brought Richard Fitts and prospect Brandon Clarke into the fold, and St. Louis is expected to seek out more pitchers in other trades or in free agency.  Whether or not the Cards explore free agent pitchers will hinge on what they can land on the trade front, Goold writes, so it may be yet be a while before the Cardinals look too deeply at signings given how much interest they’re getting in their various trade chips.

Other teams’ trade endeavors could also delay matters.  For instance, Goold notes that some teams interested in Brendan Donovan for their second base vacancy also have interest in the Rays’ Brandon Lowe or even the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte.  If one of those players is dealt elsewhere, that eliminates one Donovan suitor, but also puts more pressure on other interested teams to up their offers to St. Louis in order to land a second baseman (though Donovan’s versatility also doesn’t limit his market just to keystone-needy teams).

Perhaps related to both the Cardinals’ pitching search and the Royals’ known interest in Donovan, Goold reports that the Cards “have had interest before in” Kansas City’s Noah Cameron.  The 26-year-old southpaw is coming off an impressive debut season that saw Cameron finish fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 2.99 ERA over 138 1/3 innings.

Between Cameron’s ability and multiple remaining years of team control, it would take a whole lot to pry the left-hander away from the Royals.  While K.C. president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo has discussed his team’s openness to trading from its pitching depth for much-needed outfield help, Cameron would likely be one of the last arms the Royals would prefer to move.  That said, adding a real impact bat to the lineup might require an impact pitcher in return, and Donovan’s market has been so crowded that the Royals might make to make a special offer to break away from the pack.

Rays Interested In Zack Littell

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The Rays are known to be looking to add some veteran depth to their rotation, and such former Tampa players as Zach Eflin and Adrian Houser are known to be on the team’s radar.  Yet another ex-Ray is also being eyed for a reunion, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Zack Littell is also drawing interest from the club.

Littell first arrived in Tampa in May 2023, after the Rays claimed the right-hander off waivers from the Red Sox.  At the time, Littell had started only four of his 147 career games in parts of six Major League seasons, and had delivered inconsistent results as a reliever.  However, in yet another win for the Rays’ excellent pitching development staff, Littell went from a multi-inning reliever to a proper starter by season’s end, and he then became a rotation staple over the next two seasons.

Over 376 2/3 innings in a Tampa Bay uniform, Littell posted a 3.68 ERA, 19.39% strikeout rate, and a superb 3.92% walk rate.  Littell has had trouble keeping the ball in the park and he doesn’t miss many bats, but his elite control and durability made his transition to the rotation a very successful one.  With the Rays falling out of contention at the deadline, Littell was dealt to the Reds as part of a three-team trade that also involved the Dodgers, and Littell had a 4.39 ERA over 53 1/3 innings to help Cincinnati reach the playoffs.

Only ten pitchers in all of baseball topped Littell’s 186 2/3 innings pitched in 2025.  These ability to eat innings would be a major help to any rotation, but especially a Tampa Bay staff that has a few question marks behind Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot.  Shane Baz was only so-so in his first full MLB season, Ian Seymour looked good as a rookie but has only 57 big league innings under his belt, and Shane McClanahan hasn’t pitched in over two years due to injury.  Topkin’s piece includes the positive note that McClanahan is having “a somewhat normal offseason” throwing progression as he recovers from the nerve issue that sidelined him for all of 2025, and the next checkpoint will come when McClanahan starts throwing off a mound in mid-January.

MLB Trade Rumors ranked Littell 35th on our list of the winter’s top 50 free agents, and projected the righty for a two-year, $24MM contract.  A three-year deal isn’t out of the question since Littell is entering his age-30 season and there’s plenty of value in a durable arm who can reliably cover innings, yet in terms of average annual value, Littell’s asking price should remain within the Rays’ limited spending range.

In comparison to the other known pitching targets, Littell will cost more than Eflin or Houser, but also brings more to the table in terms of reliability.  This could make the front office more willing to make what counts as a significant financial plunge for the Rays, though more money could be freed up by trading other players off the current roster.

Cubs Have Interest In Eugenio Suarez

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The Cubs have interest in Eugenio Suarez as they explore the third base market, according to a report from Francys Romero of Beisbol FR.

While Chicago doesn’t appear to be getting involved in the sweepstakes for outgoing superstar Kyle Tucker, that doesn’t mean they won’t be active in other areas of free agency this winter. The Cubs haven’t been shy about their focus being on adding a starter to the front half of their rotation, and they’ve been connected to players like Michael King, Tatsuya Imai, Zac Gallen, and Ranger Suarez amid those efforts. They also remain in the market for bullpen help even after signing Phil Maton and missing out on Ryan Helsley when the latter signed in Baltimore last month.

While the focus on Chicago’s offseason seems to primarily be on pitching, bolstering a lineup that appears poised to lose Tucker makes plenty of sense. The Cubs have been connected to Alex Bregman with relative frequency in recent days after being one of the final teams in on his market last winter. After a solid but unspectacular (93 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR) season from Matt Shaw at the hot corner last year and with second baseman Nico Hoerner ticketed for free agency after the 2026 season, it’s easy to see why the Cubs might want to bolster their infield mix this winter.

As for Suarez himself, he’d surely be a more affordable option than Bregman. The 34-year-old is coming off one of the best seasons of his career as he slugged 49 home runs and posted a 125 wRC+, but his market has been relatively quiet to this point in the winter. The Mariners are open to reuniting with Suarez, but are seemingly prioritizing a potential reunion with Jorge Polanco at this point. Teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Brewers, and Astros were connected to Suarez on the trade market over the summer, but there have been no connections drawn between Suarez and any of those teams this offseason. That’s not necessarily a surprise, of course; trading for a few months of a player just before they hit free agency is a very different decision than signing them to what could be a multi-year commitment.

Even so, the fit between the Cubs and Suarez is a fairly apparent one. He would help boost the Cubs’ offense and provide cover for Shaw at third base, just as Bregman would, though he likely wouldn’t command nearly as much of a commitment in terms of years or dollars. MLBTR predicted Suarez would land a deal worth three years and $63MM in free agency this winter as part of our Top 50 MLB Free Agents list, where Suarez ranked 20th. By contrast, MLBTR’s prediction for Bregman (ranked 5th in this year’s class) landed at six years and $160MM. That difference can be attributed to the fact that Bregman is two years younger than Suarez and has been much more consistent throughout his career, in addition to being a significantly better defender at third base.

Even with Suarez’s flaws, that discrepancy in price tag could make him an appealing alternative to Bregman for a few reasons. The Cubs have treated the first luxury tax threshold as something of a soft cap in recent years, and according to RosterResource the club has just under $197MM in commitments for luxury tax purposes in 2026. The difference in AAV on MLBTR’s contract predictions for Suarez and Bregman sits at just under $6MM. That’s a relatively small amount compared to the roughly $46MM between the Cubs’ current spending level and the first threshold of the luxury tax, but that wiggle room could be meaningful if the team also looks to add a rotation arm in free agency.

Additionally, Chicago has seemingly been hesitant to add significant money to the books long-term outside of Dansby Swanson’s contract with the club. Maton (signed through 2027) became just the second player on the roster signed to a guaranteed deal beyond the 2026 season. While it stands to reason that more are likely to come throughout this winter, it’s fair to think the Cubs might value the long-term flexibility signing someone like Suarez would provide given how they’ve constructed the rest of their roster. For example, if the Cubs were interested in either extending Hoerner or re-signing him next offseason, committing to a multi-year deal for their second baseman might seem more palatable with a short-term deal for Suarez on the books rather than a long-term deal for Bregman.

It should be noted that while the Cubs have only been directly connected to Suarez and Bregman so far, they’re far from the only two third basemen who figure to be available this winter. NPB star Kazuma Okamoto is set to come over from Japan this winter and has spent most of his career at the hot corner. The aforementioned Polanco also has some limited experience at the hot corner. KBO infielder Sung-Mun Song, veteran Yoan Moncada, utility man Willi Castro and former Gold Glover Ramon Urias are among the lower-tier third base capable players on the market this winter.

Giants Could Make Bryce Eldridge Available In Trade Talks

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Top prospect Bryce Eldridge made his big league debut with the Giants in 2025, and while that cup of coffee in the majors last just ten games with lackluster results he still figures to be a major part of the San Francisco offense next with with the roster as presently constructed. Even with Eldridge’s on-paper importance to the future of the lineup, however, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier today that Eldridge “isn’t off the table” in trade talks as the front office heads into this year’s Winter Meetings.

That, of course, doesn’t necessarily make a trade of Eldridge particularly likely. It’s somewhat rare for players and prospects to be completely unavailable in trade talks as the majority of modern front offices have developed a willingness to listen on virtually any player. With that being said, it’s not often that a prospect with Eldridge’s pedigree winds up moving. The 21-year-old was San Francisco’s first-round pick in the 2023 draft and is a consensus top-20 prospect in the entire sport at this point. The slugger crushed 25 homers in just 102 games between Double- and Triple-A this year while hitting .260/.333/.510 overall across both levels. Few up-and-coming youngsters possess the raw power potential of Eldridge, who is listed at 6’7” and 240 pounds.

Virtually any team would be naturally intrigued at the idea of adding him to the middle of their lineup, and that should include the Giants. With that being said, Eldridge isn’t without his flaws. He struck out at a 30.8% clip at the Triple-A level this past year, raising concerns about his ability to make consistent contact against MLB-caliber pitching. Even aside from those concerns, however, it’s worth remember that the Giants’ midsummer trade for Rafael Devers gave them their first baseman of the future for the better part of the next decade. It would certainly be possible for the Giants to squeeze Eldridge into their lineup, doing so would substantially limit the club’s flexibility by locking down both first base and DH long-term.

The combination of Eldridge’s imperfect fit with the Giants’ roster after they brought in Devers as well as the team’s noted desire to avoid longer-term contracts this winter when looking to upgrade their pitching staff have made Eldridge a logical trade candidate. Even so, the argument for simply keeping an extremely gifted slugger whose service time clock has barely been started is certainly a strong one. 51% of respondents to a poll of MLBTR readers earlier this week believed that the Giants should hold onto Eldridge, and just 23% of respondents believed that the Giants should consider trading him without bringing in another impactful bat to make up for his absence from the 2026 lineup.

Of course, an acknowledgment that trading Eldridge isn’t entirely off the table remains far from the same as actively shopping him. It’s entirely possible that the Giants would only consider including Eldridge in a deal for a high-end player like Hunter Greene or Tarik Skubal who may not be entirely available in trade talks themselves. Rubin noted that while players of that caliber have been floated as potentially available, the specifics of this winter’s market are not yet set in stone. That too goes for the Giants’ level of involvement, per Rubin, which would lend credence to the idea that the Giants might only consider dealing Eldridge for certain impact players.

With that said, there’s a number of enticing trade candidates that have been bandied about this winter, even with players like Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez likely to be off the market. Edward Cabrera, MacKenzie Gore, Freddy Peralta, Kodai Senga, and Mitch Keller are all on the list of names that could at least theoretically be had on the trade market this winter. While the Giants surely wouldn’t be interested in parting ways with Eldridge for many of those players it’s far from impossible to see a team with a controllable, cost-controlled starter like Cabrera or Gore being able to convince the Giants to part with Eldridge in order to add another high-end arm to a rotation that already includes Logan Webb and Robbie Ray but is in major need of reinforcements.

Former Rangers Owner Tom Hicks Passes Away

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The Rangers announced this morning that Tom Hicks has passed away at the age of 79. Hicks owned the Rangers from 1998 to 2010. The club released a statement about Hicks’s passing.

“Mr. Hicks was a passionate and competitive owner and Texas Rangers fan,” the statement read. “The club extends its thoughts and prayers to Mr. Hicks’ wife Cinda, his six children and his entire family as they mourn a legendary Texas businessman, philanthropist, and sportsman.“

A private equity investor based in Dallas, Hicks made over $1B as part of a partnership that invested in soft drink brands Dr. Pepper and 7 Up and merged the two companies together in the late 1980s. Hicks moved into sports franchise ownership when he purchased the NHL’s Dallas Stars in 1995. It was just a few years later in 1998 that Hicks purchased the Rangers from an investment group managed by future U.S. President George W. Bush. He would later go on to purchase Liverpool F.C. in 2007.

The Rangers found immediate success under Hicks’s ownership with back-to-back AL West titles led by future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez. The team began to struggle in 2000, however, and that led Hicks to sign superstar Alex Rodriguez to a ten-year, $252MM contract that shattered records at the time during the 2000-01 offseason’s Winter Meetings. While A-Rod hit an incredible .305/.395/.615 over the 2001-03 seasons with 156 home runs and 27.0 fWAR, his supporting cast left much to be desired around the rest of the roster and the Rangers lost 90, 91, and 89 games during his three years with the franchise.

That spurred Hicks to trade Rodriguez following the 2003 season, and he was dealt to the Yankees in exchange for Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias during the 2003-04 offseason. New York picked up $112MM of the $179MM remaining on Rodriguez’s contract. The Yankees went on to win the 2009 World Series with Rodriguez in tow, and A-Rod added two more MVP trophies to his mantle after winning his first with Texas in 2003. Meanwhile, the Rangers continued to struggle to break back into relevance. They did manage to win 89 games the year after the Rodriguez trade in 2004, but finished third in a highly competitive AL West and missed out on the postseason nonetheless.

It took until the 2009 season for the Rangers to be back on the upswing, when they won 87 games and once again narrowly missed out on a postseason berth with a roster headlined by Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, and the rookie season of Elvis Andrus. That season was stained, however, by the club’s inability to sign first-rounder Matt Purke. Purke and the Rangers verbally agreed on a $6MM bonus after he was drafted, but the Rangers ultimately backed out of it. While Hicks contended that the club simply was unwilling to spend that amount to sign the 14th-overall selection in that year’s draft, team president Nolan Ryan suggested that the team’s finances were being closely monitored by the league at the time, who rejected the $6MM expenditure.

In January of 2010, Hicks announced that he had agreed to sell the Rangers to a group led by Ryan and Chuck Greenberg. The sale was delayed by a number of legal and financial issues throughout the year, including Hicks Sports Group filing for bankruptcy in May. The franchise was ultimate put up for public auction in August of 2010, which the group led by Ryan and Greenberg won. That ended Hicks’s tenure with the Rangers, and he went on to sell Liverpool a few months later as well as the Stars the following year.

While Hicks’s time with the Rangers ended in rocky fashion, the personnel who were hired to oversee the team during his tenure (including Ryan, GM Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington) managed to lead the Rangers to great success on the field in spite of this off-the-field drama. The Rangers won back-to-back AL pennants during the 2010 and ’11 seasons, with 90- and 96-win campaigns thanks to impact performances from stars Josh Hamilton and (in the case of 2011) Adrian Beltre.

MLB Trade Rumors extends our condolences to Hicks’s family, friends and loved ones.

Royals Interested In Re-Signing Mike Yastrzemski, Adam Frazier

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After doing some light buying at the trade deadline over the summer in order to keep themselves in contention, the Royals have some interest in reuniting with two of the rental bats they brought on board back in July. According to a report from Jaylon Thompson of The Kansas City Star, the club has interest in reunions with both outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and second baseman Adam Frazier.

That the Royals would want to bring Yastrzemski back into the fold is hardly a surprise. The 35-year-old veteran was a late bloomer with the Giants who didn’t debut in the majors until his age-28 season, but he’s been a consistently above-average hitter in seven seasons since then. Over the past three years, Yastrzemski is a .232/.322/.426 (107 wRC+) hitter with a 23.4% strikeout rate against an excellent 11.0% walk rate. He’s a consistent source of decent power as well, typically offering 15 to 20 homers and 20 to 30 doubles in a given season.

All of that already points to Yastrzemski offering a solid floor for an outfield that desperately needs stability, but Yastrzemski also impressed in a big way after being dealt from San Francisco to Kansas City down the stretch last year. While the team wasn’t able to squeak into the playoffs, Yastrzemski delivered a phenomenal performance with nine home runs and a 127 wRC+ in 50 games for the Royals while also walking (13.4%) more often than he struck out (11.8%). All of this occurred in a small sample of just 186 plate appearances, but if Yastrzemski could turn in a performance even close to that in 2026 he’d surely be one of the biggest bargains in this winter’s free agent class.

As for Frazier, a reunion for the 2026 campaign would mark the soon to be 34-year-old’s third stint in Kansas City across three seasons. Frazier struggled badly as a Royal in 2024, posting a wRC+ of 65 across 104 games in a part-time role. He rejoined the team in a trade with the Pirates at this summer’s deadline, however, and turned in a much more respectable performance. In 197 plate appearances with the Royals, Frazier slashed .283/.320/.402 with a wRC+ of 98 to lift his season-long figure across 134 games to 89. Frazier lacks the track record of consistent above-average offensive that Yastrzemski offers but would help back up Michael Massey and Jonathan India at second base, which proved to be a major hole for the Royals last season.

Neither player’s contract figures to break the bank, which is surely part of why Kansas City is interested in re-upping with both players. Club payroll isn’t expected to go up much in 2026 if it does at all, and with the team already projected by RosterResource for $139MM in payroll ($1MM more than last season) the Royals find themselves in a bit of a financial bind as they look to reshape their offense. They’ve already expressed a willingness to deal from their rotation mix in order to bring in offense, but with holes all over the outfield and on the bench they’ll surely need to add more than one bat if they hope to improve their offense in 2026. That’s where a cheaper free agent addition like Yastrzemski or Frazier could come in, providing roughly average production at an affordable rate.

Red Sox, Rays, Tigers Among Teams To “Check In” On Ketel Marte

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The Red Sox, Rays, and Tigers are among the teams to have checked in with the Diamondbacks regarding star second baseman Ketel Marte, according to a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale this morning. Reporting last month indicated that at least seven teams had inquired after Marte with Arizona, and this trio of names joins the Phillies and Blue Jays as known teams with interest in Marte’s services. None of this should be taken as an indication that a trade is necessarily close or expected; D-backs GM Mike Hazen emphasized at the outset of the offseason that a trade of Marte was “mostly unlikely.”

Marte, 32, is a three-time All-Star who was an MVP finalist just last year. Easily one of the best offensive infield talents in the game at he moment, Marte is slashing .283/.368/.519 (140 wRC+) over the past three years with 15.3 fWAR. That’s good for he ninth-best wRC+ and 12th-highest fWAR total of any position player over the stretch, and his 145 wRC+ in 126 games this year led all infielders. It’s easy to see, then, why so many teams would be interested in the star’s services if the Diamondbacks were to decide to make him available. That’s especially true given that he remains an above-average defender at second base with +10 Outs Above Average at the position over the past three years.

That might make it hard to imagine why the Diamondbacks would even consider dealing one of their franchise’s biggest stars, but Arizona will need to re-evaluate much of its future after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and falling to fourth in the NL West this past year despite record-setting payroll numbers for the franchise. The Diamondbacks haven’t been shy about the idea that their current spending isn’t sustainable, and getting the $101MM owed to Marte over the next five years off the books would surely help pay for players like Corbin Carroll and Corbin Burnes who are already on longer deals themselves.

In addition to potential financial concerns, the Diamondbacks clearly need to bolster a rotation that will not only be without Burnes for most (if not all) of 2026 as he rehabs Tommy John surgery, but also saw Zac Gallen head into free agency this winter and lost Merrill Kelly in a trade with the Rangers over the summer. Even with his nine-figure contract, Marte would surely bring back a haul of pitching talent if traded, leaving Arizona in a position where they at least have to consider offers from clubs loaded with young talent to offer.

All three of the clubs mentioned by Nightengale certainly fit that description. The Red Sox are overflowing with controllable starting pitching talent at this point. After adding Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo to a rotation that already included Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, and Patrick Sandoval this winter, Boston’s rotation mix appears to be more or less set headed into 2026. That leaves players like Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, Kyle Harrison, Hunter Dobbins, and Kutter Crawford without clear paths to regular starts.

While some of those pieces will surely be kept around as depth and protection against injury, the team could certainly afford to part ways with some of that pitching talent in order to bring in a player of Marte’s caliber. That could be especially appealing for Boston given reports that the club wants to add multiple big bats to the lineup this winter but may not have the financial flexibility to do so through the free agent market. In addition, the Sox could also a young position player to help replace Marte in Arizona’s lineup such as Triston Casas and Kristian Campbell.

Turning to the Rays, they’d be a surprising fit for Marte’s services to say the least. The team’s financial flexibility is said to be very limited this winter, as is typically the case for a team that routinely runs a payroll below $100MM. That led the club to decline their one-year option on righty Pete Fairbanks and even is spurring some rumors about the possibility of a Brandon Lowe trade. With that being said, however, a fit isn’t completely impossible to imagine. The Rays have always operated in creative and unconventional ways, after all, and replacing Lowe with Marte would only add $4MM to the team’s budget for this year due to the structure of Marte’s contract.

That could allow the Rays to add a major offensive upgrade for a year or two before looking to flip the veteran to another club when his contract gets more expensive in later seasons. It wouldn’t be the first time the Rays have weighed the possibility of adding a star-caliber player, as they pursued Freddie Freeman in free agency and considered attempting to pull off a Shohei Ohtani trade at the 2023 trade deadline. Of course, that was under Stu Sternberg’s ownership, and how exactly Patrick Zalupski will differ from his predecessor on these matters is yet to be seen. The biggest question regarding a possible Marte pursuit from the Rays mostly has to do with what they could offer in return; young starters like Shane Baz and Ryan Pepiot would certainly be enticing, but both figure to be key pieces of a somewhat depleted Rays rotation in 2026.

As for the Tigers, the club figures to be hungry to improve in what could be Tarik Skubal’s final year with the organization. Detroit has one of the league’s very best farm systems, and while their best prospects lean more towards the positional side of things, a young pitcher like Troy Melton would surely have plenty of appeal for the Diamondbacks if surrounded by other top talent. Marte’s fit with the Tigers might be a bit complicated in 2026 given that Gleyber Torres accepted the qualifying offer and will return to the keystone next year, but Detroit has shown a willingness to get creative with its players’ positions in the past. It’s also worth noting that, while Marte has played second base exclusively in recent years, he does have nearly 1300 innings under his belt in center field, which saw Detroit rely on players like Parker Meadows and Javier Baez in 2025.

Poll: Which Team Will Sign Luke Weaver?

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Luke Weaver entered free agency after pitching to a 3.62 ERA in 64 2/3 innings this year as one of the Yankees’ top relievers. He struck out 27.5% of hitters against a 7.6% walk rate and ranked 38th among qualified relievers by K-BB rate. That was a slight step down from his excellent 2024 campaign, when he posted a 2.89 ERA and a 23.3% K-BB rate, which ranked 19th among 169 qualified relievers. Still, he was generally productive during his two years in the Bronx and figures to do well in free agency.

Weaver’s performance noticeably declined following a stint on the injured list in June for a left hamstring strain. After posting a 2.31 ERA in 24 appearances through the end of May, that number jumped to 5.31 in 40 appearances post-injury. Meanwhile, his groundball rate declined from 36.4% in 2024 to just 27.5% this year, which put Weaver in the first percentile according to Statcast. His fly ball rate also jumped nearly ten points to a career-high 56.3%, well above the league average of 38.1% for relievers.

Still, teams will be interested in his strikeout ability and recent pedigree as a high-leverage arm, as well as his openness to becoming a starter. We at MLBTR ranked Weaver at No. 41 on our Top 50 Free Agents list and projected him for a two-year, $18MM contract. Which team will take the plunge? Let’s take a look at some of the options:

Diamondbacks

Arizona’s relievers ranked 28th in the league with a combined -0.3 fWAR in 2025, and their 4.82 ERA ranked 27th. While Shelby Miller and Andrew Saalfrank posted ERAs under 2.00 in 36 1/3 and 29 innings respectively, most of the other relievers ranged from unspectacular to below average. Jalen Beeks was the only qualified reliever of the bunch, posting a 3.74 ERA in 55 1/3 innings. The bullpen’s 11.2% K-BB rate was higher than only the Nationals and Rockies. Weaver, who pitched for the Diamondbacks from 2019-22, would help immensely with the strikeouts, though the hitter-friendly environment of Chase Field may be a less-than-ideal fit given his now-extreme fly ball tendencies. On the other hand, the club is known to be in the market for starting pitching, so it’s possible they could sign Weaver and give him a chance in the rotation.

Mariners

The Mariners’ bullpen was middle-of-the-pack in 2025, with a 3.2 fWAR that tied for 17th in the league and a 3.72 ERA that ranked 9th-best (albeit with half their games in the pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park). Andrés Muñoz, Gabe Speier, and Matt Brash all posted ERAs under 2.70 with strong peripheral stats, including strikeout rates above 29.0%. Beyond those three and Eduard Bazardo, the unit could use some more depth. Carlos Vargas pitched 77 innings in 2025 but was worth -0.6 fWAR thanks to a meager 16.3% strikeout rate and weak peripherals. Trent Thornton, Collin Snider, and Casey Legumina covered 117 1/3 innings in total, but all three had ERAs over 4.50. Reuniting with Weaver (he pitched 13 1/3 innings for Seattle in 2023) would improve the bullpen’s strikeout ability, while the spacious T-Mobile Park could provide cover for his fly ball tendencies.

Orioles

Baltimore’s bullpen ranked 23rd with a collective 1.9 fWAR and 25th with a 4.57 ERA. Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano were the team’s only qualified relievers, and Akin was worth -0.6 fWAR while Cano had an ERA of 5.11 (albeit with an xERA of 3.59). Seranthony Dominguez had a 3.24 ERA and a 30.9% strikeout rate in 41 2/3 innings, but he was traded to the Blue Jays at the deadline. Felix Bautista had a 35.2% strikeout rate and a 50.7% groundball rate in 34 2/3 innings before undergoing surgery in August to repair a torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum. At best, he won’t be back until September 2026. Baltimore is known to be looking for an experienced closer. A Weaver signing could make sense, given his track record of success in the AL East.

Cubs

Cubs’ relievers were 19th in the league with a combined 3.1 fWAR and tied for 14th with a 22.7% strikeout rate. Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Daniel Palencia, and Drew Pomeranz led the unit in innings pitched and all had ERAs under 3.00, but Keller, Thielbar, and Pomeranz are now free agents. Andrew Kittredge posted a well-above-average 35.4% K-BB rate in 21 2/3 innings after being acquired at the deadline, but he was traded back to the Orioles in November. Beyond those pitchers, the club saw Chris Flexen, Ryan Pressly, and Porter Hodge combine for 114 innings. Flexen had a solid ERA but ugly peripheral numbers and is now a free agent. Pressly was underwhelming in his age-36 season and is also a free agent, while Hodge posted a 6.27 ERA and walked 12.2% of hitters faced. A Weaver signing would add an experienced high-leverage arm behind Palencia while still leaving room for additions elsewhere.

Where do MLBTR readers think Weaver will land this offseason? Cast your vote in the poll below:

Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images

Mariners Open To Reunion With Mitch Garver

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The Mariners traded catcher Harry Ford to the Nationals earlier today as part of a deal for lefty reliever Jose A. Ferrer. In the wake of that move, the club is open to a reunion with free agent Mitch Garver, according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.

Garver, who turns 35 in January, just played out the final season of a two-year, $24MM deal originally signed in December 2023. At the time, the Mariners envisioned him as a primary DH and a backup to Cal Raleigh behind the plate. Garver did not live up to those expectations on offense, however, as he posted an 88 wRC+ in 720 plate appearances across 2024-25. His contract contained a $12MM mutual option for 2026, though the club unsurprisingly declined their end of the option last month, instead paying Garver a $1MM buyout and making him a free agent.

In 2025, Garver batted .209/.297/.343 with an 86 wRC+ in 290 plate appearances across 87 games. He shaved a few points off his strikeout rate, going from 30.9% last year to 27.6% this year, while his walk rate declined slightly from 12.3% to a still-above-average 10.3%. His offensive output was more or less a repeat of 2024, when he posted an 89 wRC+ in 430 plate appearances. That kind of production is not unreasonable for a backup catcher, although it’s not what the Mariners expected from Garver, who was considered a bat-first player at the time of his signing and was coming off a 2023 season with the Rangers in which he posted a 142 wRC+ with 19 home runs.

Defensively, Garver started 42 games behind the plate this year, covering 376 2/3 innings. While Raleigh was worth 2 Defensive Runs Saved this year and graded out as the third-best pitch framer among qualified catchers, Garver was worth -6 DRS and was considered a below-average framer. He also drew negative marks from Statcast on his blocking and caught stealing rates, while his average pop time was in just the 4th percentile. In truth, Garver has never been a strong defender. He last graded out positively by DRS in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. It’s unlikely that his defense will improve as he plays into his mid-30s.

At this point, any signing team would have to hope for an offensive rebound. That said, there are some encouraging signs in Garver’s offensive profile. He posted a hard-hit rate of 46.9% in 2025, a full six points above the league average of 40.9%. He also brought up his average exit velocity to 91.5 mph after sitting at 89.9 mph in 2024. For Garver, the key will be boosting his performance against four-seam fastballs. He posted a 163 wRC+ against the pitch in 2024 but just a 77 wRC+ against four-seamers this year. Some decline is natural for a player of his age, though it’s also fair to expect positive regression given his track record.

A reunion with Garver could make sense for the Mariners. With Ford now traded to the Nationals and catching prospects Luke Stevenson and Josh Caron only at Single-A, there is no clear backup to Raleigh on the roster. With the $12MM mutual option having been declined, he could be had for a one-year deal at a much lower salary. RosterResource currently pegs the Mariners for a $151MM payroll in 2026, with about $15MM to go before they match their 2025 spending.

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Rays Sign Cedric Mullins To One-Year Deal

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December 6: The team has officially announced the signing. Right-hander Yoniel Curet was designated for assignment to make room for Mullins on the 40-man. Mullins’ one-year deal also includes a mutual option for 2027. Topkin reported the option is for $10MM, with a $500K buyout.

December 3: The Rays and outfielder Cedric Mullins are in agreement on a one-year deal, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. It’s worth $7MM, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Mullins is represented by Cope Sports Management. The Rays have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move for this Mullins deal to become official.

Mullins and the Rays will both be hoping that he can engineer a bounceback season in 2026. Now 31, he has spent the past few seasons primarily with the Orioles, serving as a well-rounded center fielder capable of providing a bit of pop, some speed and quality defense. However, 2025 was his worst season since he became a full-time major leaguer.

Back in 2021, he had a tremendous breakout year. He hit 30 home runs, stole 30 bases and ran the ball down in the outfield. He slashed .291/.360/.518 for a 136 wRC+. FanGraphs credited him with six wins above replacement.

That season now looks like an outlier. His subsequent campaigns haven’t been quite as good but he’s still been a very useful well-rounded contributor. The past four seasons have seen Mullins finish with a home run tally between 15 and 18, barely half of his 2021 total but still nothing to sneeze at. His stolen base numbers have oscillated but stayed near the 30ish range. He only swiped 19 in 2023 but he was limited to 116 games that year.

From 2022 to 2024, even with the diminished power, he slashed .244/.311/.407 for a 103 wRC+. He stole 85 bases and mostly got good review for his glovework. He tallied 7.7 fWAR, about two to three wins per season.

He got out to a hot start at the plate in 2025. At the end of April, he had six home runs, a .278/.412/.515 line and 163 wRC+. With free agency just a few months away, he seemed to have a shot at a nine-figure deal. Unfortunately, he went cold after that and never really recovered. From May 1st to the end of the season, he put up a dismal .198/.263/.355 line. A deadline deal to the Mets didn’t help get him back on track.

Ultimately, his full 2025 line of .216/.299/.391 isn’t too bad. The 94 wRC+ indicates he was only 6% below league average, but it’s obviously not ideal for a free agent to hit the open market riding a five-month slump.

His glovework is also arguably less stable now, perhaps not shocking for a guy who is now 31 years old. Outs Above Average still considers him an above average fielder but by a smaller margin now. He was credited with at least 10 OAA in both 2021 and 2022 but was below five in each of the two most recent seasons. Defensive Runs Saved ranked him as a strong defender a few years ago but tagged him with a -4 grade in 2024 and -14 in 2025, dropping him to -11 DRS for his career.

The combination of trends left Mullins with diminished earning power but he’s a sensible flier for the Rays to take. They used a mishmash of different guys in their outfield group in 2025. Each of Chandler Simpson, Jake Mangum, Josh Lowe, Christopher Morel and Kameron Misner took between 216 and 429 plate appearances as an outfielder for Tampa this year, with others appearing for smaller samples as well. None of those five guys had even league average offense this year. Misner and Morel were designated for assignment at the end of the season. Misner was traded to the Royals. Morel was non-tendered and is now a free agent. The Rays recently brought in another outfielder by signing Jake Fraley.

Last month, Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander admitted that upgrading the outfield would be a target for this offseason. However, spending big has never really been the club’s style. That’s presumably extra true after a season in which they had to move to a minor league park, which led to extra expenses and then smaller crowds. The Rays decided to pass on picking up an $11MM club option for Pete Fairbanks, despite a fairly affordable $10MM price difference between that option and the $1MM buyout.

The Rays wouldn’t be serious contenders for signing someone like Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger. Even if they were willing to splurge on a mid-market free agent, this year doesn’t really have any outfielders who fit the description. Trent Grisham would have been in there but he accepted a qualifying offer from the Yankees. That left the Rays with the trade market and then free agents like Mullins, Harrison Bader, Mike Yastrzemski and others.

RosterResource currently estimates the Rays for a $77MM payroll in 2026, before factoring in Mullins. They finished 2025 at $88MM. It’s unknown how much they plan to spend next year but they will be pretty close to last year’s outlay once Mullins is officially on the books.

Presumably, Mullins will be penciled in as the everyday center fielder as the Rays hope he finds a way to return to form. Their remaining outfielders can battle over the playing time in the corners, with Mullins perhaps acting as a veteran mentor for them.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Hanisch, Mitch Stringer, Imagn Images

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