Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Several Teams Showing Interest In Miguel Andujar

By | at

Free agent infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar is drawing widespread interest, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post, with the Rangers, Padres, Cardinals, Reds, Cubs and Athletics listed as some of the clubs in the mix.

Andujar, 31 in March, is coming off his best season in years. He missed a little over a month due to an oblique strain but got into 94 games, split between the A’s and Reds after a deadline trade. He generally puts the ball in play a lot, avoiding both strikeouts and walks, and that continued to be the case last year. In his 341 plate appearances, his 5% walk rate was quite low but he was also only struck out at a 14.4% clip.

He produced a .318/.352/.470 batting line, production which translated to a wRC+ of 125, or 25% better than league average. There was likely a bit of good luck in there, as his .348 batting average on balls in play was quite high, but it would have been a good showing even with neutral luck. He slashed .277/.315/.399 over 2023 and 2024 for a wRC+ of 103, with a decreased .306 BABIP in that stretch.

Andujar hits from the right side and has strong platoon splits. For his career, he has a .297/.332/.475 line and 121 wRC+ against lefties, compared to a .275/.307/.427 line and 101 wRC+ without the platoon advantage. It was even more extreme last year, as Andujar had a .389/.409/.578 line and 171 wRC+ against southpaws. Against righties, he held his own with a .290/.331/.429 line and 108 wRC+.

Defensively, he doesn’t play a premium position but does provide some versatility, as he lined up at the four corner spots last year. He doesn’t get great marks anywhere but the ability to move around is helpful when a club is looking to play matchups.

Andujar can therefore be of theoretical use to any club with a lefty in a corner somewhere. The A’s employed Andujar in 2024 and part of 2025 and could do so again. They have Nick Kurtz at first with the outfield corners manned by Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler. They could potentially be more competitive in 2026 but could also trade Andujar at the deadline again. Last year, they were able to get pitching prospect Kenya Huggins from the Reds.

The Rangers project to have Brandon Nimmo in left. Evan Carter is another lefty, with notable struggles against southpaws, and projects to be the club’s center fielder. There has been some suggestion that Wyatt Langford could take some center field playing time, which could make room for a righty bat in a corner. Joc Pederson projects to be the designated hitter. He is coming off a poor season but has crushed righties and flailed against lefties in his career.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom recently said the Cards have room for a righty-hitting outfielder. The club projects to have lefty Lars Nootbaar in one corner, with Alec Burleson at first base and Nolan Gorman possibly getting lots of playing time at third. The Cards are rebuilding but Andujar could help the club protect their current players and then perhaps be traded at the deadline, just as he was last year.

The Reds just had Andujar for the final two months of the 2025 season and could once again slot him in. They traded Gavin Lux to the Rays but project to have lefty JJ Bleday in one outfield corner. The Cubs have Michael Busch at first base and Moisés Ballesteros is probably the favorite to take over the designated hitter spot. The Padres project to have some combination of Jake Cronenworth, Sung Mun Song and Gavin Sheets covering first base, second base and designated hitter.

Andujar isn’t likely to command too much on the open market as a short-side platoon player. Guys like Austin Hays and Randal Grichuk are somewhat comparable players who each got one-year, $5MM deals last offseason. Rob Refsnyder just got $6.3MM from the Mariners on a one-year deal last month.

Hays and Grichuk are out there again now, alongside Andujar. Other similar players in this market include Austin Slater, Tommy Pham, Starling Marte and Chas McCormick. There’s also Harrison Bader, though he should be a tier above this group. Since he is a strong defender in center, he is a viable everyday player and may be able to secure himself a two-year deal.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Hanisch, Imagn Images

Front Office Subscriber Chat With Anthony Franco

By | at

MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be holding a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!

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

Yankees To Sign Seth Brown To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Yankees and first baseman/outfielder Seth Brown have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The Klutch Sports client will presumably be in big league camp during spring training.

Brown, 33, has had some big league success with the Athletics but is coming off a few uneven years. Over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he stepped to the plate 862 times for the A’s. His 27.3% strikeout rate in that time was certainly high but his 8.6% walk rate was close to average and he hit 45 home runs. He had a combined .22/.294/.457 batting line for those two years, leading to a wRC+ of 111, indicating he was 11 percent better than the league average hitter.

But his production tailed off from there. Over the next two campaigns, he took 778 plate appearances with a 7.1% walk rate and 28 home runs. His .227/.284/.392 line for those two years led to a 91 wRC+, putting him nine percent below average. Since he’s not a burner on the basepaths nor an amazing defender, the lack of offense put him on thin ice.

Last year was even worse. He struggled enough to get designated for assignment in May, clearing waivers a few days later. He crushed minor league pitching for a few games and got called back up in early June, but then hit the injured list due to left elbow lateral epicondylitis. At the end of June, he was released. He signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks and spent just over a month with their Triple-A team. He opted out of his deal in early August but then didn’t sign anywhere else.

Around those transactions, he took 76 big league plate appearances for the year with a dismal .185/.303/.262 line in those. His minor league production was far better, as he slashed .352/.416/.697 in 161 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. That was in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and he was helped by a .376 batting average on balls in play but his 159 wRC+ was impressive nonetheless.

For the Yankees, there’s little harm in bringing him aboard via a minor league deal. He doesn’t have a great path to big league playing time at the moment. The Yanks project to have Ben Rice at first base, Aaron Judge in one outfield corner, Jasson Domínguez in another, with Giancarlo Stanton in the designated hitter slot. Outfield prospect Spencer Jones could push for a job in spring training. The Yankees are also trying to re-sign Cody Bellinger. If they succeed, that would further crowd the outfield and first base charts.

All clubs make non-roster additions like this for extra depth, however, as twists and turns are inevitable over a long season. Stanton is 36 years old and hasn’t avoided the injured list over a full season since 2018. Judge is about to turn 34 and would ideally get some time in the DH slot himself. Domínguez hasn’t really established himself as a viable big leaguer yet and still has options. Rice could end up behind the plate if a catcher gets hurt. Jones hit 35 homers last year but also struck out in 35.4% of his plate appearances. The standoff with Bellinger might lead to him signing elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of Ed Szczepanski, Imagn Images

Braves Sign Jorge Mateo

By | at

The Braves announced today that they have signed utility player Jorge Mateo to a one-year deal. The Movement Baseball client gets a $1MM guarantee, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. Atlanta opened a 40-man roster last week when José Suarez was put on waivers and claimed by the Orioles. This move gets them back to a full 40-man roster.

It is probably not a coincidence that Atlanta is signing a shortstop-capable player one day after the unfortunate Ha-Seong Kim news. Atlanta announced yesterday that Kim hurt his hand, reportedly from slipping on ice, in South Korea. He underwent surgery in Atlanta to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger. He is expected to miss four to five months, meaning he will be out for a decent chunk of the first half of the upcoming season.

Kim was previously slated to be the club’s everyday shortstop, with Mauricio Dubón in a multi-positional bench role. Kim’s injury suddenly vaulted Dubón up to being the club’s everyday shortstop, which would be a bit of a stretch for him. He has played the position in 107 games in his career, logging 721 innings, but last year’s 33 contests were a career high. He’s been credited with 13 Outs Above Average at the spot in his career but Defensive Runs Saved has him one below par.

The depth behind him was also lacking. Nacho Alvarez Jr. is on the roster and has shortstop experience in the minors but Atlanta kept him at second and third base last year. Even if he were a viable shortstop, he hasn’t hit much in his big league career yet. Aaron Schunk was signed to a minor league deal but his shortstop experience is also fairly limited and his offensive numbers are even worse than Alvarez’s to this point.

Going into the season with that kind of group would have been unacceptable for a team hoping to contend, so responding in some way was inevitable. Mateo isn’t a guarantee to help, as he is coming off a couple of injury-marred seasons, but there also wasn’t much else out there on the market. With Bo Bichette heading to the Mets, the top shortstop free agents are veteran utility types like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ramón Urías.

Atlanta is taking a cheap bounce-back flier on Mateo, with a deal barely above next year’s $780K minimum salary. As mentioned, Mateo is coming off a few challenging seasons. In July of 2024, he was playing second base for the Orioles when he and Gunnar Henderson both slid for a ground ball. They collided and Mateo suffered a subluxation of his left elbow. He underwent surgery in August, prematurely ending his season.

Inflammation in that elbow put him back on the injured list in June of 2025. While on a rehab assignment, he suffered a hamstring strain which kept him on the shelf for July and August. Due to all those injury challenges, Mateo only played 111 games over the past two years combined. He also produced a lowly .214/.253/.362 line in that time. Baltimore made a fairly easy call to turn down a $5.5MM club option for 2026, sending Mateo to free agency.

Atlanta probably isn’t expecting much from Mateo offensively, as that has never been his forte. His career batting line is just .221/.266/.363, which translates to a wRC+ of 75, indicating he’s been 25% below league average overall. If healthy, he will surely provide value from a speed-and-defense perspective. He topped 30 steals in both 2022 and 2023. Over the past two years, despite the injury absences, he still swiped 28 bags. In 2025, he stole 15 bases even though he only got into 43 games.

With the glove, Mateo has 2,320 1/3 innings at shortstop, more than three times as many as Dubón. Mateo has been credited with 13 Defensive Runs Saved and six Outs Above Average in those. He also has experience at second base, third base and all three outfield positions.

Adding Mateo gives Atlanta a bit more depth and flexibility to cover for Kim’s absence. Dubón is a better hitter than Mateo, though he’s not exactly a slugger. His career .257/.295/.374 batting line translates to an 85 wRC+, ten points ahead of Mateo but 15 below par. Mateo has the edge in terms of speed. Defensively, OAA likes Dubón but DRS leans to the more-experienced Mateo.

Both players hit from the right side and have traditional splits, with better career numbers against lefties, so a platoon isn’t likely. Atlanta can perhaps have the two battle for shortstop playing time in spring training. Both have extensive experience at other positions as well, so a utility role is possible for either or both. Once Kim returns, he should push them both to the bench, though it’s entirely possible other injuries pop up around the roster between now and then.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images

The Opener: Top Free Agents, Braves, Catching Market

By | at

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Top Free Agents still on the board:

The top of the free agent market picked up late last week with a frenzy of activity. Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Ranger Suarez, and J.T. Realmuto all came off the board over the course of just a couple of days. That series of moves took this offseason’s free agent class from still being rather deep in quality options to looking relatively barren at the very top. At this point, the best options still available are left-hander Framber Valdez and outfielder Cody Bellinger. Players like Zac Gallen and Eugenio Suarez also remain, but they lack the sort of surefire impact Valdez and Bellinger can provide.

Bellinger’s market has gotten plenty of attention of late thanks to the apparent impasse between his camp and the incumbent Yankees in negotiations. The team’s apparent willingness to include opt outs after the second and third seasons of their five-year offer in the $150MM to $160MM range has not motivated Bellinger to sign so far. The Blue Jays, Mets, and Cubs are among the other teams that have been connected to Bellinger and could be lurking as potential rivals. Valdez, meanwhile, has had a relatively quiet market but remains connected to the Orioles and Mets. The Blue Jays reportedly met with him back in November, but that was before the club brought in Dylan Cease. Where will the remaining stars on the market ultimately land?

2. Braves take a big hit to their infield:

Yesterday’s news that Ha-Seong Kim had suffered a hand injury that required surgery with a four-to-five month recovery timeline was a brutal blow for fans in Atlanta. After bringing Kim in with the hope of upgrading what was among the very worst production in the majors at shortstop in 2025, the team will now be without their marquee lineup addition for most of the first half next year. Coming off a disappointing 86-loss season last year and with just three years remaining before Ronald Acuna Jr. reaches free agency, Atlanta is surely hoping to make the most of the 2026 campaign. Will president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos find a way to patch the sudden hole in the team’s roster, even in spite of a payroll that’s already skyrocketed this offseason thanks to additions like Kim, Robert Suarez, and Mike Yastrzemski? Or will the team need to look towards internal options like Mauricio Dubon to keep the team on track while Kim recovers?

3. Appetite for catching help strong around the league:

Realmuto and Victor Caratini both signed over the weekend, leaving zero reliable regulars behind the plate available in free agency. That’s a particularly notable development given the number of teams that reportedly have interest in catching upgrades. Both the Rays and Red Sox were both reportedly involved in the markets for Realmuto and Caratini, respectively, before the pair signed elsewhere. The Padres have Freddy Fermin behind the plate but could certainly benefit from adding a reliable player to split time with him. The Astros are without a backup for Yainer Diaz after Caratini’s departure, as well. Those clubs will have to look towards the players left in free agency, like Jonah Heim and Gary Sanchez, as possible solutions or else turn to the trade market, where players like Yankees backup J.C. Escarra and Phillies backup Rafael Marchan are among the options that might be at least theoretically available.

Cardinals Notes: Donovan, Wetherholt, Winn, Herrera

By | at

Brendan Donovan’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors for a couple of years now, but with the Cardinals moving into a full-on rebuild mode this winter, it has seemed like only a matter of time before the versatile All-Star is dealt.  That said, it isn’t a guarantee that another club will meet what is reportedly a high asking price on the Cards’ part, and Donovan won’t necessarily remain on the market forever.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom naturally didn’t share many details on the trade talks when speaking with reporters (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) this weekend at the Cards’ Winter Warm-Up fan event, but Bloom would “I think ideally” like to see Donovan’s situation settled one way or other by the start of Spring Training.  This is certainly a lot less concrete than Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen firmly declaring the end to the Ketel Marte trade negotiations, but it is some indication that Bloom might have some kind of loose deadline in mind.

This could be a way of putting a bit more pressure on Donovan’s suitors to up their offers, or it could reflection the simple fact that Donovan and the Cardinals have a season to prepare for, and constant trade buzz will continue to be a distraction.  While the hot stove won’t entirely cool until a deal actually happens, Donovan would surely prefer to just focus on baseball during Grapefruit League action.  Having rumors weigh on Donovan to the point that it impacts his play isn’t helpful for Donovan, the Cardinals, or the team’s efforts to command a high return on the trade market.

Since Donovan is arbitration-controlled through the next two seasons, there isn’t any immediate reason St. Louis needs to trade him this offseason.  The situation also got a little less pressing when Nolan Arenado was dealt to the Diamondbacks, thus opening up the Cardinals’ third base spot and creating less need for Donovan to be moved out of second base.

Moving some of Arenado’s salary was certainly a factor in his trade, but from a pure baseball standpoint, the rebuilding Cardinals wanted as much runway as possible for their younger players to get regular at-bats.  Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese should benefit from more available third base playing time, but both Bloom and manager Oliver Marmol reiterated this weekend (to Gould and other media) that top prospect JJ Wetherholt has a chance to make the Cards’ Opening Day roster.

Baseball America ranked Wetherholt fourth on its updated August list of the top 100 prospects in baseball, and MLB Pipeline has Wetherholt fifth on its current list.  The 23-year-old infielder is sure to occupy another top-shelf ranking when the 2026 prospect lists are released, as Wetherholt excelled in his first full pro season — he hit .300/.425/.466 over 275 plate appearances for Double-A Springfield, and then hit .314/.416/562 over 221 PA after an in-season promotion to Triple-A ball.

Wetherholt totaled 17 homers and 23 steals (out of 26 chances) over the full 496 PA and 109 total games while playing primarily at shortstop, but he made 20 appearances as a second baseman and 12 appearances at third base.  The Cardinals aren’t going to rush things with their prized prospect, and if the hot corner is likely going to be Wetherholt’s entry point into his big league career, his fielding development may be the deciding factor in whether or not he can break camp.  However, both evaluators and the Cardinals themselves have a high opinion of Wetherholt’s glovework, and feel he can adapt anywhere.

“There is a versatility there.  His mindset will allow him, in my opinion, to excel at any of those [positions],” Marmol said.  “It’s a special mindset.  It’s one I continue to be impressed with.”

The shortstop position might not open for Wetherholt as long as Masyn Winn is there, as Winn is one of the game’s top defenders.  Winn won his first Gold Glove in 2025 despite playing through a partial meniscus tear during the second half of the season, and he underwent an arthroscopic knee surgery in late September to correct the issue.

The relatively minor procedure wasn’t expected to impact Winn’s readiness for Spring Training, and Bloom confirmed as much to reporters (including Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) this weekend.  Winn is “not even in rehab mode.  He’s just preparing for the season at this point,” Bloom said.

Ivan Herrera is also making good progress in his recovery from October surgery to remove a bone spur from his throwing arm.  Bloom said Herrera has started his throwing program, and his offseason prep over the next week will include the start of his hitting work, as well as blocking and receiving work behind the plate.  Herrera acted mostly as a DH during an injury-marred 2025 season, as he played in only 107 games.  While his bat certainly didn’t suffer (19 homers and a .284/.373/.464 slash line in 452 PA), Herrera is eager to return to catching in 2026.

Defense was seen as a question mark for Herrera even before his health issues cropped up, so his future as a catcher is far from settled.  Spring Training will provide some answers on Herrera’s recovery and development, but “I think it’s hard to evaluate strictly in spring,” Marmol said.  “When you think about what pitchers are doing in spring, they’re working on a specific pitch.  You’re not game-planning against a hitter.  There are certain things we’ll be able to continue to address and improve upon during spring.  But I think that’s a tough ask.”

As Goold notes, Herrera’s ability to catch impacts the Cardinals’ wider roster decisions.  If Herrera will again be a primary DH, the Cards will need to roster two proper catchers — Pedro Pages, and one of Yohel Pozo or Jimmy Crooks.  If the Cardinals feel good enough about Herrera’s defense to make him a part-time backstop, that probably means Pozo and Crooks will start the season in Triple-A, or one of them could possibly be trade fodder.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By | at

Mark P

  • Hello, Weekend Chat chatters!  We’ll open up the question bag in a minute, so get your comments in…

Brett

  • Freddy Peralta for River Ryan and Eduardo Quintero.  Who says no?

Mark P

  • Brewers, without hesitation

Jed Hoyer

  • Matt Shaw to St. Louis for Brendan Donovan. Who says no?

Mark P

  • The Cubs, since I think they value Shaw more highly than two years of Donovan.  Also, the chances of a Chicago/St. Louis trade of this magnitude are very, very low.

Preller

  • Am I going to surprise people with a free agent strike? Maybe framber with opt outs?

Mark P

  • This seems like a possibility, but then again, it seemed like Suarez was perhaps heading into short-term/opt-out territory until he landed that deal from Boston that beat expectations.

Yankees

  • What was it about the Yankees that they didn’t make an all-out push to sign Imai?

Mark P

  • They just didn’t value him that highly?  Probably just as simple as that.

Dan S.

  • Most likely to move: Peralta, Gore, Lodolo or Bubic?

Mark P

  • Just my two cents, but from most to least, I’d rank them Bubic, Peralta, Gore, Lodolo.

    The Reds’ rotation is such their bread-and-butter that I don’t see them moving any of their big three.  Gore is probably staying put this offseason, but the trade deadline could be a different story.

Jagger

  • Do you think the Reds trade Brady Singer? he’s only under contract for 1 more season before hitting FA. I would think the Reds would like to get something in return for him.

Mark P

  • He has long seemed like the most logical Reds starter to be on the move, but no deal to date.  Doesn’t mean a trade couldn’t still happen in the next few weeks, but it’d be interesting to see what kind of significant bat (if any) the Reds could acquire for one season of a solid starter but one who probably projects as a back-end starter on a good team
  • In general, Singer isn’t the type of pitcher who’s a lock to start a playoff game.  Teams are only willing to give up so much for such a player.

Cj james

  • Braves are unlucky again with Kim. They will have to get someone else right

Mark P

  • Not necessarily, since Dubon can fill in on a temporary basis.  Kim’s recovery timeline of 4-5 months is broad enough that if he’s “only” going to be out until mid-May, Atlanta might just roll with Dubon until then at shortstop.  But, the Braves will likely pick up a veteran backup infielder type heading into spring training

Read more

Mets Still Looking To Add To Rotation, Outfield

By | at

Bo Bichette was a somewhat unexpected addition to the Mets roster, so much of the team’s original offseason wishlist remains in place even after Bichette’s three-year, $126MM deal with New York earlier this week.  According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon, the Mets remain on the hunt for rotation help, as well as “a versatile outfielder who can handle center field and support the corner spots.”

Looking at the list of available free agent outfielders, Mets target Cody Bellinger is the ideal fit for the team’s needs.  Sammon reports that the Mets are still in on Bellinger, but only for the type of shorter-term (and presumably higher average annual value) contract Bichette received.  This could be an issue since the hang-up between Bellinger and the Yankees seems to be a matter of contract length, with Bellinger wanting a longer deal than the five-year pact in the $155MM range that the Yankees reportedly have on the table.

Bellinger’s first two free agent contracts were a one-year deal with the Cubs worth $17.5MM in guaranteed money, and then a three-year, $80MM deal with Chicago that included opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.  Bellinger passed on his first opt-out opportunity but changed teams anyway last winter when the Cubs traded him to the Yankees, and he then opted out last fall in the wake of a 4.9 fWAR season that saw him hit .272/.334/.480 with 29 homers over 656 plate appearances for the Bronx Bombers.

It isn’t a surprise that Bellinger is looking for some stability with his next deal, and coming off a solid platform season, the former NL MVP and agent Scott Boras have been aiming high in search of a seven-year deal.  Whether the Yankees, Mets, or any team will match that ask remains to be seen, but in the Mets’ case, it would run counter to the team’s recent preference to sign players to shorter-term contracts.  Perhaps a very large AAV (i.e. Bichette’s deal, or the four-year, $220MM deal the Mets reportedly offered to Kyle Tucker) would get Bellinger to budge, though if so, he could potentially see if the Yankees would also offer a similar pact if Bellinger has a preference to just return to his former team instead of another change of scenery.

Among other free agent outfielders, Harrison Bader is the only option that can truly be a defensive asset in center field.  On the trade front, Sammon suggests the Astros’ Jake Meyers, the Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar, or White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. could be possibilities for the Mets, and both Nootbaar and Robert have been linked to New York already this winter.

Bellinger could also chip in at first base when he isn’t in the outfield.  With Francisco Lindor returning at shortstop, the Mets’ revamped infield will also consist of Marcus Semien at second base, Bichette at third base for the first time in his pro career, and Jorge Polanco at first base for the first time in his pro career (save for one late-game cameo with Seattle last season).  The designated hitter spot is open, so any of these veterans could be given the occasional DH day for partial rest and to give any of the Mets’ backups some playing time.

Sammon writes that New York views Brett Baty as a candidate to bounce around the diamond as a backup at second and third base, left field, and some first base if necessary.  Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuna, and Ronny Mauricio are also on hand as further infield depth.  Any of the depth options could be dealt, of course, if the Mets view trades over bigger-ticket free agent signings as a better way to address their needs.

Turning to the pitching front, Sammon cites the Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore and the Royals’ Kris Bubic as two starters who could be “trade possibilities” for the Amazins, “though both are considered long shots” to be acquired.  Within a Mets rotation full of health question marks and inexperienced arms, Bubic or especially Gore could be a stabilizing force.

Gore has been more good than great over his three seasons with Washington and might still have more upside, while the 2025 season represented the first time Bubic truly looked like a frontline arm.  Bubic posted a 2.55 ERA, 24.4% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 47.2% ground ball rate over 116 1 /3 innings with Kansas City last year, before a rotator cuff strain cost him the last two months of the season.  Gore is arbitration-controlled through the next two seasons, while Bubic is a free agent next winter.

Nats president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is known to be asking for a ton in return for Gore, and it could be that the Mets might have to pay a particular premium since they are one of the Nationals’ NL East rivals.  Bubic’s impending free agency has made him perhaps the most logical trade candidate out of the Royals’ group of starters, but the outfield-needy Mets don’t match up too well with a K.C. team that also needs outfield help.  One of New York’s infielders could theoretically be a fit for the Royals at second base, but the Royals appear to be giving Jonathan India a shot at a bounce-back year.

The door isn’t necessarily closed on the Mets signing a prominent free agent starter, though one might expect that the team would again prefer such a pitcher on a shorter-term contract.  For pitchers like Framber Valdez (who has been linked to the Mets) or Zac Gallen who rejected a qualifying offer, the Mets would need to surrender two 2026 draft picks and an additional $1MM in international draft pool money to sign either player.  New York already gave up that bounty to sign another qualified free agent in Bichette, and Sammon says the Mets wouldn’t be entirely adverse to giving up more QO-related penalties again for Valdez or Gallen, if the money was right.

Yankees Open To Including Opt-Outs In Bellinger Offer

By | at

TODAY: In a new report from Brendan Kuty, he writes that the Yankees are willing to include opt-outs after the second and third seasons of their five-year offer.

JANUARY 12: The Yankees reportedly have a five-year offer at more than $30MM annually on the table to Cody Bellinger. ESPN’s Buster Olney nevertheless wrote over the weekend that New York was preparing for the possibility that the outfielder could head elsewhere, potentially on a six-plus year contract.

Brendan Kuty of The Athletic added a few specifics on the Yankees’ position in a report this evening. Kuty writes that the five-year proposal came with a “true” $31-32MM average annual value, as it did not include any deferred money. He adds that the Yankees are willing to discuss opt-out possibilities as well, though it’s not known if their most recent offer actually included such a clause. Jon Heyman of The New York Post similarly suggested that some kind of opt-out was a possibility.

Contract length appears to be the significant stumbling block. Bellinger’s camp at the Boras Corporation is reportedly looking for a seven-year guarantee. Olney suggested over the weekend that he also wanted more than the Yankees were offering on an annual basis, yet the extra year or two seems the bigger hurdle. Bellinger is entering his age-30 season (though he turns 31 in July, less than two weeks after the unofficial July 1 cutoff for a player’s seasonal age).

As shown on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker for Front Office subscribers, Brandon Nimmo signed the most recent six-plus year free agent deal for a hitter in his 30s. That eight-year pact was one of four such contracts over the 2022-23 offseason, but there hasn’t been one within the last two offseasons. Alex Bregman rejected a six-year offer from Detroit last winter in advance of his age-31 campaign. Bregman went on to agree to a five-year deal last week that’ll run through age-36, the same age at which a seven-year deal for Bellinger would conclude. Kyle Schwarber signed a five-year contract covering ages 33-37 last month.

Bellinger went short term with opt-outs during his last free agent trip. He signed a three-year, $80MM guarantee with outs after each of the first two seasons. After foregoing the first opportunity, he returned to the market on the heels of a .272/.334/.480 season in the Bronx. He’s unattached to a qualifying offer this time around and already seems assured of a much more lucrative guarantee than he commanded on his previous free agent deal.

Wilbur Wood Passes Away

By | at

Longtime big league knuckleballer Wilbur Wood passed away on Saturday at age 84.  A left-handed workhorse starter, Wood was a three-time All-Star over a 17-year MLB career that included stints with the White Sox, Pirates, and Red Sox.

It took Wood a while to really establish himself in the big leagues, as after making his MLB debut with Boston in 1961, Wood threw only 159 2/3 innings over 73 appearances from 1961-65.  A trade from the Red Sox to the Pirates in 1964 at least gave Wood regular bullpen duty during the 1965 season, but after spending the entire 1966 campaign with Pittsburgh’s Triple-A team, he was traded to the White Sox in the move that really unlocked Wood’s career.

Future Hall-of-Famer Hoyt Wilhelm was a member of that Chicago team, and the veteran took Wood under his wing by teaching him some of the tricks of Wilhelm’s knuckleball.  Wood had thrown the pitch on-and-off in the past, but under Wilhelm’s tutelage and encourage, Wood adopted the pitch on a regular basis and the rest was history.  Over 292 games and 495 2/3 innings from 1967-70, Wood posted a 2.49 ERA as a fireman out of the White Sox bullpen, often tossing multiple innings in all sorts of situations as a closer, leverage set-up man, or just innings-eater.

The White Sox moved Wood back into the rotation in advance of the 1971 season, setting the table for a five-year run of numbers that seems impossible by today’s modern pitching standards.  Wood posted a 3.08 ERA over 227 appearances (224 of them starts) and a whopping 1681 2/3 innings from 1971-75, leading the majors in starts four times over that span and twice leading MLB in innings.  Wood’s success was recognized with a runner-up finish in AL Cy Young Award voting in 1972, and he also finished third in the Cy race in 1971 and fifth in 1973.  Wood was named to the AL All-Star team in 1971, 1972, and 1974.

Even in an era when starters were expected to carry a heavier workload and four-man rotations weren’t uncommon, Wood’s knuckler-powered durability stood out.  Wood’s 376 2/3 IP in 1972 is the highest single-season mark of any pitcher from 1918 to the present day.  To put Wood’s 1972 season in perspective, MLB’s top two leaders in innings pitched in 2025 (Logan Webb and Garrett Crochet) combined for 412 1/3 innings last year.

Unfortunately for Wood, the White Sox weren’t particularly competitive during his five-year dream run.  He became one of only a few pitchers in modern baseball history to both win and lose 20 games in a season when Wood went 24-20 in 1973.  Wood won at least 20 games every year from 1971-74, and he also lost 20 more games in 1975.

Wood’s amazing run of durability ended when his kneecap was broken by a line drive off the bat of the Tigers’ Ron LeFlore in May 1976, which ended his season.  Wood was never the same after the injury, as the southpaw posted a 5.11 ERA over 290 2/3 innings for Chicago in 1977-78.  He decided to retire, concluding his career with a 164-156 record, a 3.24 ERA, 6.5% walk rate, and 12.7% strikeout rate over 651 games and 2684 innings.

We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Wood’s family, loved ones, and many fans.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top