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Red Sox Continuing To Pursue Infield Help

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12:33pm: Speier’s report has subsequently been updated to highlight Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan as a fifth infielder the Red Sox are currently focused on.

Donovan, 29 next month, is among the most discussed trade candidates in baseball this winter. In addition to being a capable defender all over the infield and outfield, Donovan sports a career 119 wRC+ and has delivered 6.0 fWAR (5.3 bWAR) in just 271 games over the past two seasons. As a left-handed batter, Donovan wouldn’t be as effective in balancing a heavily left-handed Red Sox lineup as the right-handed Bregman, Bichette, and Paredes (or even the switch-hitting Marte), but he does come with two years of affordable team control.

Newly-minted Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is certainly familiar with Boston’s farm system at this point, both due to trades involving Contreras and Sonny Gray from earlier this offseason and also due to his years spent as chief baseball officer for the Red Sox prior to Craig Breslow’s tenure at the helm. Notably, the competition for Donovan’s services figures to be steep. Seattle and San Francisco were previously reported as front-runners for the utility man’s services earlier this month, while the Royals, Guardians, Astros, and Pirates are among the other teams to have been connected to Donovan.

10:26am: The Red Sox have long been known to be looking for a right-handed bat to add to their infield mix, and they found one when they swung a trade with the Cardinals to acquire Willson Contreras. Contreras figures to settle into an everyday role with the club between first base and DH, but even with the veteran slugger in the fold Alex Speier of the Boston Globe notes that the Red Sox remain in the market for another big bat for their infield. Speier specifically highlights four potential targets for the Red Sox: free agents Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette, Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, and Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. While Speier acknowledges that alternatives to that group exist in both free agency and on the trade market, those four names appear to be the focus on Boston’s efforts at this point.

The specific names themselves aren’t exactly new information. Bregman, of course, was an impactful player for the Red Sox this past season after signing a three-year, opt-out laden deal with the club last offseason. After slashing .273/.360/.462 in 114 games and notching his third career All-Star appearance, Bregman opted out of the final two years of that deal to return to free agency. A reunion with Boston has long appeared to be the most obvious fit for Bregman, and the team’s interest in a reunion is well-established. With that said, the Red Sox are known to be hesitant about offering long-term deals in free agency; Bregman’s three-year pact with the Red Sox last year was the longest free agent contract Craig Breslow has doled out during his tenure as chief baseball officer. With Bregman known to be seeking a longer-term deal this winter, it’s unclear if the Red Sox would be willing to break with their established preference for shorter-term contracts in order to sign Bregman to a five- or six-year deal that would take him into his age-36 or -37 campaign.

As for Bichette, the Red Sox reportedly conducted a video meeting with him earlier this month. Bichette stands as the top infielder available in free agency this winter on the heels of a season where he slashed .311/.357/.483 for the Blue Jays in 139 games. Bichette isn’t quite as clean of a fit for the Red Sox as Bregman would be, in terms of position. A reunion with Bregman would allow Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer to stay at their current positions up the middle, while Bichette is a shortstop who has shown a willingness to play second base but may not feel the same way about the hot corner. With that said, most of Mayer’s time in the majors last year actually came at third while Bregman was injured. Perhaps, then, Bichette could be a preferable addition to Bregman. While he would require a contract just as long as (or perhaps even longer than) Bregman, Bichette is four years younger than Bregman. As a result, even an eight-year deal for Bichette wouldn’t come with as many years of expected decline as a five-year deal for Bregman.

Turning to the trade market, Marte has rivaled Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan as the most popular name available on the market this winter. While the Diamondbacks have made clear that they aren’t actively shopping Marte and expect to keep their star second baseman, the three-time All-Star has slashed .288/.374/.539 over the past two seasons with a wRC+ of 149, 10.9 fWAR, and 11.2 bWAR across 262 games. That’s the sort of production that compels teams to check in on a player if there’s any chance they could be available, and the Red Sox are among the teams to do so this offseason. Marte would be on Boston’s books through the end of his age-37 campaign if acquired, though the $102.5MM guaranteed left on that deal is very affordable compared to the going rate for star players.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to acquiring Marte would be the acquisition cost; while the Red Sox are known to be open to dealing from their controllable pitching depth, free agent deals for Merrill Kelly and Michael Soroka have helped to fill out the Diamondbacks’ rotation enough that the team might prefer to bring back some positional talent to help fill the void created by Marte’s departure. Trading an elite prospect talent like Mayer or Kristian Campbell would be a tough pill to swallow for the Red Sox, especially if paired with a controllable rotation arm like Connelly Early or Payton Tolle.

That could make another player on the trade market more attractive. While Paredes isn’t a star on the level of Marte, Bichette, or even Bregman, he would still bring impact to the Boston infield. The 26-year-old hit .254/.352/.458 (128 wRC+) in 102 games for the Astros last year and has slashed .239/.341/.442 (124 wRC+) since the start of the 2022 campaign. Paredes offers a consistent, bat-first profile at third base that should be attractive to the Red Sox, especially considering the slugger’s relative affordability. Paredes is slated to make his penultimate trip through arbitration this offseason, and with two years of affordable team control covering his age-27 and -28 seasons, the Red Sox need not commit to him long-term or be on the hook for any of the years following his prime.

As for his availability, Houston GM Dana Brown has publicly suggested the team has no desire to trade Paredes but he has still drawn interest from the Red Sox nonetheless. Notably, the presence of Carlos Correa and Christian Walker at the infield corners (to say nothing of Yordan Alvarez at DH) limits Paredes’s paths to playing time in Houston, which could make a trade more feasible. The Astros already brought in Mike Burrows to help fill out their rotation but could certainly still benefit from additional young pitching, which the Red Sox are more than capable of providing. Prior reports have indicated that Early and Tolle are both players the Astros are interested in, and moving one of those arms out as the centerpiece of a Paredes deal could make plenty of sense.

Angels, Padres Among Teams Interested In Kazuma Okamoto

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The Padres and Angels are among the teams to have shown interest in infielder Kazuma Okamoto, according to a report from Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. Romero also mentions interest on the part of the Pirates, who have been frequently connected to Okamoto in recent weeks. The infielder is nearing the end of his 45-day posting window, which ends on January 4.

The 29-year-old Okamoto is coming off a season where he appeared in just 69 Central League games for NPB’s Yomiuri Giants. The infielder hit .327/.416/.598 in 293 trips to the plate for Yomiuri last year. That was good for an otherworldly 210 wRC+, as he slugged 15 homers with 21 doubles while posting identical 11.3% strikeout and walk rates. That scorching hot half-season isn’t reflective of Okamoto’s overall body of work, but his numbers are still impressive even over a larger sample. Since making his Central League debut back in 2018 at the age of 22, Okamoto has never hit fewer than 27 homers in a season. He’s walked at a 9.6% clip or better in every season of his career and has struck out more than 20% of the time just once, back in 2019 as a 23-year-old. Okamoto’s career .277/.361/.521 slash line in NPB play puts him in league with current MLB sluggers like Shohei Ohtani and Seiya Suzuki, although it should be noted that there have been concerns among scouts regarding Okamoto’s ability to hit high-end velocity.

A decent defensive third baseman with plenty of experience at first base as well, Okamoto could make sense as an addition at either infield corner depending on the needs of his acquiring club. If he were to sign with the Angels, Okamoto would surely handle the hot corner. Yoan Moncada is a free agent after handling third for Anaheim this past year, and Anthony Rendon figures to retire after an injury-riddled career with the Angels. That leaves playing time wide open at third base, and the Angels have been clear about their desire to bring help at the position into the fold this winter. While Okamoto (like any free agent coming over from NPB) comes with risk, it’s easy to see him offering an upgrade over internal options like Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom.

By contrast, it seems much more likely that Okamoto would handle first base for San Diego. Manny Machado is installed as the Padres’ third baseman for the time being, and the Hall of Famer has the better part of a decade remaining on his massive contract extension with the club. First base, however, is somewhat vacant after the departure of Luis Arraez in free agency earlier this winter. Gavin Sheets and Sung Mun Song appear poised to compete for playing time at the position, but both are left-handed and better suited for other positions than first. That could make Okamoto a very attractive addition, offering a steady right-handed bat at the position while still leaving room for Sheets and/or Song to get occasional reps there based on matchups.

MLBTR predicted a four-year, $64MM contract for Okamoto at the outset of the offseason. Whether either club would be willing to spend at that level to bring Okamoto into the fold remains to be seen. The Padres have spent significant money this offseason on Song and right-hander Michael King, but after doing so are pushing the boundaries of the team’s reported budget and seem more likely to try and offload salary elsewhere on the roster than bring it back into the fold. As for the Angels, it’s been a mostly quiet offseason in Anaheim without much substantial spending. That could certainly mean there’s room in the budget to add a bat like Okamoto, but it’s also fair to wonder if a team that has often been reluctant to spend significant dollars on position players in free agency in the years since Rendon’s disastrous contract would be willing to shell out a multi-year deal for a third baseman before the end of their previous third baseman’s contract is even official.

There are other suitors for Okamoto’s services to keep in mind, as well. The Pirates have been the team perhaps most frequently connected to Okamoto, and it wouldn’t be too much of a shock to see them bring the slugger in amid an unusually aggressive offseason given the significant hole the club faces at third base. He’s been connected to the Blue Jays and Red Sox as well this offseason, though both of those big market clubs seem to be focused on bigger fish like Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette at this point. Given the approaching end of Okamoto’s posting window, it’s increasingly likely the Okamoto will sign before either Bregman or Bichette sees their market resolve. That could make a deal with Boston or Toronto somewhat less likely, if those two clubs are hesitant to fill a roster spot that could otherwise be earmarked for a more impactful player.

Guardians To Sign Pedro Avila

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The Guardians are in agreement with right-hander Pedro Avila on a one-year, split contract, according to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. The deal is a split contract, though the exact salary figures he’ll make in the majors and minors are not yet known.

Avila, 29 next month, was designated for assignment by the Guardians less than a year ago. He caught on with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball not long after that, and went on to make 15 appearances for the Swallows in Central League play. Avila posted the results of a back-end starter in those outings, with a 4.04 ERA in 82 1/3 innings of work. While he struck out just 17.8% of his opponents, he generated a solid 43.9% ground ball rate and held opponents to an 8.7% walk rate. None of those numbers jump off the page on their own, but an impressive ability to limit home runs and hard contact allowed Avila to post a 3.09 FIP with a 3.38 xFIP during his time overseas.

Now that he’s returning stateside, Avila will get the opportunity to establish himself at the big league level. The righty signed with the Nationals out of Venezuela as an amateur back in 2015, but came up primarily through the Padres’ system and made his big league debut in San Diego back in 2019. He spent most of his career with the Padres, but didn’t get a significant look at the big league level until 2023, when he pitched to a solid 3.22 ERA with a 3.67 FIP in 50 1/3 innings of work as a swing man for San Diego. A rough start to the 2024 campaign saw the Padres cut Avila loose, however, and he was acquired by the Guardians in the middle of April 2024 as part of a minor trade.

Upon arriving in Cleveland, Avila served as a solid long relief option. The right-hander soaked up 74 2/3 innings of work across just 50 appearances with a 23.0% strikeout rate against a 9.4% walk rate. All told, his work in Cleveland was good for a 3.25 ERA and 3.76 FIP, and both those figures landed a solid amount above league average. That seemed likely to make Avila an easy choice to keep in the fold for 2025, but the Guardians made the surprising call to cut him loose last winter. Perhaps that was in part due to the fact that Avila was out of options, and as a result would have to be exposed to waivers in order to option him to the minor leagues.

This split contract offers a potential avenue towards using Avila as an up-and-down player this year despite his lack of options. By guaranteeing the right-hander a salary above the minor league rate and a larger sum of money for time in the majors, the Guardians make Avila a somewhat less attractive possible waiver claim for rival clubs. That should make Avila more likely to clear waivers if passed through, while also making Avila less likely to elect free agency if he successfully clears waivers. That’s because the right-hander would have to leave his guaranteed money with the Guardians on the table in order to depart via minor league free agency, something the righty is unlikely to be inclined towards doing. In other words, the split nature of the contract affords Avila a 40-man roster spot and a more significant salary than he otherwise would have made in both the major and minor leagues, while for the Guardians it creates additional roster flexibility that should be valuable to a club with a deep bullpen that lacks many candidates to be optioned.

Reds Acquire Dane Myers

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The Reds are acquiring outfielder Dane Myers from the Marlins in exchange for outfield prospect Ethan O’Donnell. The Reds are designating right-hander Lyon Richardson for assignment in a corresponding move, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Marlins’ 40-man roster now stands at 39, which opens a spot for the recently-signed Pete Fairbanks. The Marlins have officially announced the trade.

The 29-year-old Myers, a Ballengee Group client, was drafted by the Tigers as a pitcher in 2017. He was converted to a hitter in 2019 and spent a few more seasons in the Tigers’ system before the Marlins selected him in the minor league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. He made his major-league debut with Miami in July 2023. In 511 plate appearances over 172 games from 2023-25, Myers has batted .245/.299/.354 with a 25.8% strikeout rate against a 6.5% walk rate while providing serviceable outfield defense. However, that has come with a fair amount of injuries. He missed two months with a left ankle fracture in 2024. This year, he made two separate trips to the injured list for right oblique strains and finished the year on the IL with a right knee laceration.

When he was on the field this year, Myers made 333 PA and played 752 2/3 innings across all three outfield spots, mostly in center field. He cut his strikeout rate from 33.3% in 2024 to 23.1% in 2025 while also chipping in 18 stolen bases. However, that coincided with a drop in power. His slugging percentage fell from .442 to just .326, and his ISO similarly declined from .179 to .091. Altogether, Myers batted .235/.291/.326 with six home runs and just a 72 wRC+ this year, a disappointment considering he posted a 113 wRC+ in 2024 (albeit in a limited sample).

Defensively, Myers has improved year over year. He was worth -3 Defensive Runs Saved in 155 1/3 outfield innings in 2023 but 1 DRS in 222 innings in 2024. This year, he played 752 2/3 innings in the field and was worth 3 DRS, as well as 2 Outs Above Average. His arm strength is his true calling card, grading out in the 97th percentile according to Statcast. Myers also has excellent range thanks to his 76th-percentile sprint speed.

The trade for Myers gives the Reds a low cost defensive specialist who could fill a platoon role against left-handed pitching. TJ Friedl is the incumbent in center field. He had a 109 wRC+ this year and was worth 2.9 fWAR despite being a liability in the field (-10 DRS). His offense is enough to keep him as a starter up the middle. Meanwhile, a combination of Noelvi Marte, Will Benson, Gavin Lux, and the recently-signed JJ Bleday will occupy the outfield corners. Notably, Marte is the only one of that bunch who hits right-handed. Myers had a 119 wRC+ in 117 PA against southpaws this year, so he could help balance out the lineup from the right side.

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old O’Donnell was a sixth-round draft pick by the Reds in 2023. He joins the Marlins’ system after a 2025 season spent at the Double-A level. In 503 PA across 125 games for the Reds’ affiliate in Chattanooga, he had a line of .236/.327/.325 with a 90 wRC+. He struck out 25.6% of the time but showed good plate discipline with a 10.7% walk rate. O’Donnell has shown above-average speed and power in prior seasons, so he might improve with another year at Double-A.

As for Richardson, the 25-year-old was a second-round pick by the Reds in 2018. He made his big-league debut in 2023 and has compiled 55 innings with a 6.05 ERA in 39 appearances (four starts) from 2023-25. He got a somewhat bigger look this year, pitching to a 4.54 ERA in 37 2/3 innings out of the Reds’ bullpen. He got groundballs at an above-average 53.8% rate, but that was offset by a lack of strikeouts (only 17.4%) as well as a 46.2% hard-hit rate against him. Richardson has less than one year of service time but is out of options. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he’ll need his contract to be selected in order to get another look in the majors.

Photo courtesy of Raymond Carlin III, Imagn Images

Reds Designate Lyon Richardson For Assignment

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The Reds have designated right-hander Lyon Richardson for assignment. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer was among the first to report the move, which will make room for Dane Myers on the 40-man roster. Myers was acquired from Miami via trade earlier today. It’s the second DFA of the day for Cincinnati, after Keegan Thompson met the same fate to free up a spot for free agent addition JJ Bleday.

Richardson earned his longest MLB look this past season. He made 34 appearances out of the bullpen for the Reds, pitching to a 4.54 ERA over 37 2/3 innings. Richardson posted a subpar 17.4% strikeout rate and an unsightly 12.2% walk rate. The young righty had a solid 53.8% ground ball rate, which helped him allow just two home runs despite his hitter-friendly home park.

Cincinnati selected Richardson in the second round of the 2018 draft. He routinely delivered strong strikeout numbers as he worked his way up the minor league ladder. Richardson ranked among the Reds’ top 10 prospects multiple times on MLB.com, reaching the No. 9 spot in 2021. He missed all of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Richardson compiled a 34.5% strikeout rate across three levels in 2023. He made his big-league debut that season, but it was a disastrous first stint in the majors. Richardson was hammered for 16 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings across four starts. The beginning of his career could not have gone worse, as he allowed home runs to CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas on the first two pitches he threw in a Reds uniform.

After working almost exclusively as a starter, Richardson moved into a relief role this past season. He did not experience the typical uptick in velocity that pitchers transitioning to the bullpen often see, as his fastball dropped about 1 mph compared to 2023 and 2024. Richardson did make an arsenal tweak as a reliever, pushing his changeup usage to 40.5%. He’d used the pitch around 30% of the time in his first two MLB seasons.

The changeup resulted in a Run Value of -5, so the increased usage might not have been the best approach. Richardson also ditched his slider and focused on the curveball as his primary breaking pitch last year. Finding a pitch mix that allows him to regain his strikeout ability will be key if he’s to get another shot with the Reds.

Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images

NL West Notes: Murakami, Hwang, Closers

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Munetaka Murakami came into the offseason as one of the more intriguing names on the free agent market. He slotted in at No. 4 on our annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list. Despite Murakami’s prolific power in NPB, the reported interest around the young slugger was minimal as the winter progressed. The White Sox and Red Sox were among the only known suitors. Murakami ultimately went to Chicago on a modest two-year, $34MM deal.

The Diamondbacks were among the teams interested in Murakami, reports John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports. Gambadoro added that the former Japanese star was “one of a few of the Asian players” the Diamondbacks were considering. He didn’t mention any other names, but the free agent market includes several notable players making the jump stateside, including Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco predicted Okamoto would sign with Arizona in the aforementioned Top 50 FAs piece.

Arizona’s connection to Murakami makes sense given the state of the club’s corner infield spots. First baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suarez were dealt to Seattle in separate deals at the trade deadline. That left Pavin Smith and Tyler Locklear (who came over in the Suarez trade) to handle the majority of the first base reps. Blaze Alexander stepped in as the primary third baseman.

Top prospect Jordan Lawlar is slated to step in at the hot corner in 2026, but first base is a question mark. Locklear had surgery on both his left elbow and shoulder in October. He’s a candidate to begin the season on the injured list. That leaves Smith and utilityman Tim Tawa as the current options at first base. Arizona finished with the 5th-lowest OPS at the position last season. With Murakami off the board, the club could look to pursue at least a right-handed complement to Smith, and perhaps an upgrade altogether.

On the pitching side, Gambadoro mentioned he expects the team to look into the closer market. Arizona will be without top closers Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk for the majority of the season. Both relievers had Tommy John surgery in June. The current closer mix is an uninspiring group that includes Andrew Saalfrank, Ryan Thompson, and Kevin Ginkel.

Arizona’s bullpen ranked 25th in xFIP and 28th in SIERA last season. The club had a whopping 17 pitchers record saves in 2025. Shelby Miller led the way with 10 saves. He was dealt to Milwaukee at the trade deadline. The Diamondbacks had four saves in the final month of the season, and they went to four different pitchers (Jake Woodford, Taylor Rashi, Kyle Backhus, John Curtiss).

Martinez and Puk won’t be out forever, so Arizona doesn’t need a long-term solution. The reliever market is beginning to thin out, but there are still a handful of options with closing experience available. Seranthony Dominguez, Ryan Pressly, or Chad Green could make sense as short-term closers who have been setup men in the past. Arizona’s Opening Day closer will likely slot in behind Martinez and Puk once they return, so experience in the 7th and 8th innings would be useful.

Elsewhere in the NL West, former Giants infielder Jae-gyun Hwang announced his retirement (h/t to J.P. Hoornstra of The Big Lead). Hwang had spent the last eight seasons with the KT Wiz of KBO. He’d been in professional baseball since 2007.

Hwang made the jump to MLB in 2017 after a decade in KBO. He signed a split contract with the Giants in January that year. Hwang posted decent results in Triple-A, hitting .285 with 10 home runs and seven steals across 98 games. He was up and down a couple of times with the big-league club, with unimpressive results. Hwang went 8-for-52 in 18 games with the Giants. He did launch a home run for his first MLB hit, taking Kyle Freeland deep in his third career at-bat.

Hwang was outrighted off the 40-man roster in September 2017. After his lone season with the Giants, the Wiz lured him back to KBO with a four-year, $7.9MM deal. He was a well-above-average hitter for the duration of the agreement and remained productive at the plate for the rest of his career, including a 94 wRC+ as a 37-year-old in his final season.

We at MLBTR wish Hwang the best in his future endeavours beyond baseball.

Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images

Several Teams Interested In Yoán Moncada

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Infielder Yoán Moncada is currently a free agent after playing out a one year, $5MM deal with the Angels. He was an above-average hitter in 84 games in 2025 but missed time due to right thumb and right knee injuries. According to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR, several teams have expressed early interest in signing Moncada, including the Angels, Pirates, White Sox, and Blue Jays.

The 30-year-old originally signed with the Red Sox out of Cuba for a $31.5MM bonus in February 2015. He made his debut late in 2016 before being traded to the White Sox as their key return for Chris Sale. Moncada had a 105 wRC+ in 231 plate appearances in 2017 but fell below average in his first full season in 2018. He broke out in 2019 with a .315/.367/.548 batting line in 559 PA, along with 25 home runs. Granted, the ball was juiced that year, but Moncada’s output was still 39% better than average by wRC+. The White Sox were confident enough to give him a five-year, $70MM extension in March 2020, which covered the 2020-24 seasons and contained a club option for 2025.

Moncada slumped during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, posting a 94 wRC+ while seeing a drop in power and spending two weeks on the injured list. He rebounded in 2021 with a line of .263/.375/.412 and a 120 wRC+. The power wasn’t quite back to his 2019 levels, though he looked like a more mature hitter overall, dropping his strikeout rate to 25.5% while posting a career-best 13.6% walk rate.

Unfortunately, Moncada has struggled with injuries and inconsistency ever since. From 2022-24, he batted .236/.291/.387 with an 88 wRC+ while playing in just 206 out of 486 possible games. In 2024, he spent most of the season on the 60-day IL with a left abductor strain, making just 45 plate appearances with a 118 wRC+. After the season, the club declined their $25MM club option on Moncada in lieu of a $5MM buyout, making him a free agent.

This year with the Angels, he had a 117 wRC+ in 289 PA over 84 games. His strikeout rate of 26.0% was high, while his 11.1% walk rate was better than average. His .214 ISO was his highest since his 2019 breakout season, as was his .448 slugging percentage. Although he is nominally a switch-hitter, most of his damage came as a lefty facing right-handed pitching. He posted 125 wRC+ in 262 PA against righties, but just a 37 wRC+ in 27 PA against southpaws. Meanwhile, both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average saw Moncada as a liability at third base. His -13 OAA was worst in the league among third baseman with at least 300 defensive innings.

Altogether, Moncada showed above average offense but was weighed down by injuries and newfound defensive struggles. As a free agent, he is more or less in the same position as last offseason, with a one-year deal being his most likely outcome. The current market has Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suarez as the top options at third base. Kazuma Okamoto is still available, with his posting window closing on January 4. The next-best options after that are utility players, so teams needing an everyday third baseman could look to Moncada as a low-cost flier.

Among the clubs with reported interest, the Angels might be the best fit. Anthony Rendon is expected to retire after an injury-riddled tenure in Los Angeles. After Moncada, Luis Rengifo got the most time at the hot corner in 2025, though he is a now a free agent. The club acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox earlier this month, and he has not played third base in his big-league career. Another one-year deal with Moncada would fill the third-base vacancy and set Grissom up to compete for second base time, where the incumbent Christian Moore was unimpressive offensively in 2025.

Looking at the Pirates, the team traded Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Reds in July and saw Isiah Kiner-Falefa claimed by the Blue Jays in August. Jared Triolo played 260 1/3 innings at the hot corner, but he is more of a multi-positional player and did not hit as well as Moncada. The club is interested in signing Okamoto, but Moncada could be a fallback option for them.

The White Sox recently signed Munetaka Murakami to play first base and have Miguel Vargas as the projected starter at third. Moncada would be an offensive upgrade over Vargas if the club limits his exposure to left-handed pitching. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are known to be interested in signing Bregman. Ernie Clement and Addison Barger are already on the roster if he signs elsewhere. Both are average hitters, while Clement is an excellent defender at third (11 DRS in 2025), so they are a more curious fit for Moncada.

Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images

How AL Teams Have Addressed Their Weakest Positions Of 2025

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We covered the National League League earlier today, so now let’s see what the American League’s 15 teams have done (so far) to address their least-productive positions from the 2024 campaign.  Baseball Reference’s position-by-position bWAR breakdown is our guide, so let’s dive in…

Angels (Catcher, -0.5 bWAR): Most of the Angels’ offseason moves to date have understandably focused on pitching.  However, Los Angeles had plenty of pressing needs around the diamond that haven’t really been touched, including a -0.2 bWAR in right field and even 0.0 numbers at both second and third base in 2025.  Vaughn Grissom was picked up in a trade with the Red Sox, but the former top prospect is more of a reclamation project than a real answer for the Halos at second base.  Cody Bellinger is the biggest outfield name linked to the Angels on the rumor mill, but the trade of Taylor Ward to the Orioles might open up the right field spot for Jo Adell, which would allow the Angels to improve at that corner spot while creating a new vacancy in center field.  Beyond all of these other positions, catcher was actually the Halos’ biggest problem area of 2025, and the team got less from the catcher spot than any other team in baseball.  Despite the struggles of both Logan O’Hoppe and Travis d’Arnaud, it doesn’t appear as if L.A. is planning to focus too heavily behind the plate, perhaps because the club simply has so many other concerns up and down the roster.

Astros (First base/left field, 0.3 bWAR): Christian Walker disappointed in the first season of his three-year, $60MM free agent deal, leaving Houston still looking for stability at the position even in the post-Jose Abreu era.  Sliding Isaac Paredes over to first base would be an answer, except Walker isn’t receiving much interest on the trade market, leaving the Astros with an overcrowded infield.  If Paredes is used at DH, it forces Yordan Alvarez or perhaps Jose Altuve again in to left field duty, neither of which is an ideal situation.  It makes for an imperfect surplus for the Astros, and the team will need a bounce-back year from Walker to at least elevate things to “good problem to have” status.  If the infield situation is solved, the Astros could be looking for a more traditional left fielder, and preferably a player that swings from the left side to balance out the righty-heavy lineup.

Athletics (Third base, -0.3 bWAR): New acquisition Jeff McNeil is expected to primarily play second base, but he has experience at the hot corner and could end getting at least some action at third depending on how the A’s deploy their infielders.  McNeil will play pretty much every day in some capacity, but guys like Max Muncy, Darell Hernaiz, Max Schuemann, Brett Harris and Zack Gelof will all be utilized at second or third base.

Blue Jays (Second base/left field, 2.2 bWAR): Toronto wins the prize for the best “worst” positions of any team in baseball, as plenty of clubs would be more than satisfied with a 2.2 bWAR.  Bo Bichette’s free agency has left the second base spot in flux, as it is assumed that Andres Gimenez will move over to shortstop if Bichette departs….or perhaps even if he re-signs.  Gimenez is a much better defender than Bichette, and having Gimenez at shortstop and Bichette permanently moving to second base would greatly help the Blue Jays from a defensive standpoint.  If Bichette leaves entirely, Ernie Clement and/or Davis Schneider would likely take over the keystone.  As for left field, the current plan is to have George Springer and a healthy Anthony Santander split time between the DH spot and a corner outfield position, with left as the likeliest defensive placement.  This plan would remain in place even if the Jays signed Kyle Tucker, another rumored Toronto target.

Guardians (Right field, -1.8 bWAR): Steven Kwan continues to be a one-man band in Cleveland’s outfield, as Kwan’s 3.7 bWAR single-handedly kept the Guards’ outfield out of sub-replacement range.  Instead, the Guardians had “only” the third-worst cumulative outfield bWAR (0.8) of any team in baseball, as the lack of production in right field was followed by a -0.9 bWAR from the Guards’ center fielders.  Star prospect Chase DeLauter is the top candidate for an Opening Day role in either center or right field, and fellow rookies George Valera and Petey Halpin might battle for the other position if Cleveland wanted a primary outfield mix of Kwan and the youngsters.  While the Guardians are forever hesitant about spending money or blocking any homegrown prospects, adding a veteran outfield bat to help out at least a platoon capacity in center or right would help solidify the outfield picture.

Mariners (Right field, 0.5 bWAR): While Luke Raley and Victor Robles struggled in 2025, Dominic Canzone hit well and rather unexpectedly emerged as a regular against right-handed pitching down the stretch.  Rob Refsnyder was recently signed as a lefty-mashing element to Seattle’s position-player mix, and it is easy to see Refsnyder starting in right field whenever a southpaw is on the mound.  The Mariners’ DH spot is also still open, leaving plenty of room for the team to find at-bats for any of Refsnyder, Canzone, Robles, Raley in right field, and for any other regulars that could use a partial off-day in the DH capacity.

Orioles (Center field, 0.1 bWAR): Leody Taveras was signed to a one-year, $2MM deal to provide some depth up the middle, but a healthy season from Colton Cowser is what the O’s are counting on in terms of a center field upgrade.  After finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2024, the sophomore slump came hard for Cowser in terms of both injuries and a downturn at the plate.  Cowser was limited to 92 games due to a left thumb fracture and a concussion, plus he rather unwisely tried to play through the last three months of the season while dealing with two broken ribs.  There has been some speculation that Taveras was added as depth in advance of a possible trade of Cowser or Dylan Beavers, if Baltimore opted to move one of its talented young outfielders in change for a front-of-the-rotation pitcher.

Rangers (Bullpen -0.6 bWAR): Despite posting the fifth-best bullpen ERA in baseball, Texas had the second-lowest bWAR of any relief corps, ahead of only the Nationals in 2025.  It’s an unusual discrepancy that perhaps speaks to the vagaries of the WAR formula, yet Rangers relievers were only 17th in SIERA (3.86), 20th in strikeout rate (22.3%), and the fifth-best BABIP (.277) in the league.  Ironically, the bullpen is now a need more because many of the relievers who delivered such good numbers for the Rangers have now signed elsewhere — Shawn Armstrong headed to the Guardians, while Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Phil Maton all joined the Cubs.  Chris Martin decided to forego retirement for another year with his hometown team, and the Rangers have also brought in Tyler Alexander, Alexis Diaz, and Carter Baumler to help fill some of the holes left open by the departed relievers.

Rays (Left field, 0.9 bWAR): The center field and right field slots only generated 1.0 bWAR apiece, so overall, the Rays didn’t get a ton from their outfield in 2025.  Cedric Mullins was signed to a one-year, $7MM deal to become the new primary center fielder, and Jacob Melton, Jake Fraley and Ryan Vilade were also brought in to further bolster the outfield mix.  Jonny DeLuca and Richie Palacios should both contribute more after being injured for almost all of last season, though Palacios could see now work at second base now that Brandon Lowe has been traded.  In classic Tampa roster churn fashion, several players (i.e. Christopher Morel, Jake Mangum, Everson Pereira, Kameron Misner) who got a good deal of playing time last year have already been traded away.  It’s fair to guess that more turnover is coming between now and Opening Day, as the Rays are forever looking to build for both the future and present.

Red Sox (First base, 0.3 bWAR): The trade for Willson Contreras instantly turns a weak spot into a potential strength.  Contreras’ right-handed bat should play nicely in Fenway Park, and it adds balance to the lefty-heavy top of Boston’s lineup.  Paredes, Kazuma Okamoto, and Pete Alonso were among the many other first base names linked to the Red Sox in reports, and Paredes or Okamoto might still emerge as possibilities at third base, rather than across the diamond.  Triston Casas’ knee surgery contributed to Boston’s lack of production from the first base spot in 2025, and a healthy Casas can both complement Contreras or provide help at DH next year, but there continues to be plenty of speculation that Casas will be traded.

Royals (Right field, -1.9 bWAR): The Royals fielded one of baseball’s worst outfields in 2024, and they were almost literally the worst in 2025 — only the Rockies had a lower outfield bWAR than Kansas City’s cumulative -0.7 mark.  The left field spot generated -0.7 bWAR, while Kyle Isbel’s excellent defense at least brought the center field position up to semi-respectability.  K.C. has already been more active in addressing their outfield, landing Isaac Collins in a trade with the Brewers and signing Lane Thomas as a bounce-back candidate for further depth.  The club is still on the hunt for more outfield help, and acquiring a better option for right field in particular would be ideal, given Thomas’ struggles in 2025 and Jac Caglianone’s unproductive rookie season.

Tigers (Shortstop, 0.7 bWAR): Javier Baez’s comeback season fell apart over the final three months of the season, and Trey Sweeney contributed next to nothing at the plate.  Utilityman Zach McKinstry is a decent part-time option, but the Tigers would likely prefer to keep McKinstry bouncing around the diamond.  With two years remaining on Baez’s contract and star prospect Kevin McGonigle perhaps on the verge of his MLB debut in 2026, Detroit will probably look for stopgap options at shortstop, if anything.  The Tigers had some interest in Ha-Seong Kim before Kim returned to the Braves on a one-year deal.

Twins (Right field, -0.3 bWAR): While right field was Minnesota’s worst position, shortstop wasn’t far ahead at -0.2 bWAR, as the Twins got less from the shortstop position than any other team in baseball.  Third base was also a problem area with 0.0 bWAR, but the hope is that Royce Lewis can finally stay healthy enough to deliver something close to a full season in 2026.  After trading away large chunks of their roster at the trade deadline, the Twins have stopped short of a full rebuild, so they could be looking to add to some degree for next season even if their adds will surely be of the lower-cost variety.  Minnesota might add a veteran utility infield type for depth purposes, but the team surely wants to view Lewis, Luke Keaschall at second base, and Brooks Lee at shortstop plenty of runway to (hopefully) establish themselves as true building blocks.  For right field, top prospect Walker Jenkins figures to make his MLB debut in 2026, so the Twins might again stick with Matt Wallner and/or Trevor Larnach until Jenkins arrives.

White Sox (First base, -0.8 bWAR): After Chicago’s 121-loss team in 2024 yielded six different positions that had sub-replacement bWAR totals, the Sox improved to just two subpar positions in 2025, between first base and left field (-0.3).  While this perhaps counts as damning with faint praise, the Sox took a much more prominent step forward by signing Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34MM deal.  Projected by MLBTR and several other pundits for a much more lucrative contract, the Japanese slugger’s market never really developed, and Murakami opted for a shorter-term deal with Chicago that allows him quick re-entry into free agency following the 2027 season.  If Murakami is able to prove critics wrong about his low contact rate and display some of the power he brought to the Yakult Swallows’ lineup, the White Sox will suddenly have plenty of pop from their first base position.

Yankees (Catcher, 0.6 bWAR): Austin Wells delivered a 107 wRC+ over 414 PA during his rookie season, but that production dropped back to a 94 wRC+ in 448 PA in 2025.  Defensively, Wells is a fantastic pitch-framer, and about average when it comes to throwing out baserunners or blocking.  There isn’t all that much for New York to be concerned by with the former top prospect, and when it comes to the catching position as a whole, the Yankees also have J.C. Escarra as a traditional backup and Ben Rice chipping in behind the plate when he isn’t at first base or DH.  It’s possible Rice might get more time behind the plate if the Yankees were to sign Cody Bellinger, but even if Bellinger got some time at first base, he’d primarily stick to left field while New York kept Rice as the first-choice first baseman and Wells as the starting catcher.

Cubs Sign Hunter Harvey

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2:08PM: Harvey’s deal is a one-year pact, as per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

1:03PM: The Cubs and right-hander Hunter Harvey have agreed to a contract, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Sahadev Sharma.  The deal will become official once Harvey (a Beverly Hills Sports Council client) passes a physical.

Harvey is looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 season that saw the reliever make just 12 appearances out of the Royals bullpen.  A teres major strain in early April kept Harvey out of action until late July, and he pitched in just six more games before being sidelined for good by a Grade 2 adductor strain.  The frustration of these two significant injuries was compounded by the fact that Harvey was looking great when healthy — he didn’t allow a run over his 10 2/3 innings pitched, while issuing one walk against 11 strikeouts.

Between these injuries and the back problems that marred the end of his 2024 campaign, Harvey ended up pitching only 16 1/3 innings in a Royals uniform after Kansas City acquired the righty from Washington in July 2024.  Unfortunately, health concerns are nothing new for Harvey, as his time as a top-100 prospect in the Orioles’ farm system was frequently interrupted by stints on the injured list.

It wasn’t until the 2022 season that Harvey (now with the Nationals) finally got an extended taste of MLB playing time.  He proceeded to post a 3.17 ERA, 27.83% strikeout rate, and 6.36% walk rate over 145 relief innings during his time in D.C., working in a high-leverage role and occasionally as a closer with the Nats.

Harvey has been prone to allowing a lot of hard contact, but his control and strikeout ability has allowed him to get out of jams when allowing baserunners.  Harvey has always been a hard thrower, though his 96.1 mph fastball in 2025 was the slowest velocity he has posted in his MLB career.  Of course, it’s hard to draw conclusions from that sample size of 10 2/3 IP, and it is certainly possible that Harvey will regain a tick or two on his heater once healthy.

Availability is the lingering question for Harvey, yet there is plenty of upside for the righty as he enters his age-31 season.  He is an ideal fit for Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who has traditionally shopped for lower-cost bullpen arms who can (if everything works out) provide plenty of bang for the buck.

Chicago’s two-year, $14.5MM deal with Phil Maton counts as a relative splurge by Hoyer’s bullpen spending standards, but the Cubs have now signed Maton, Harvey, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and old friend Caleb Thielbar in what has quietly become a pretty extensive remodel of the relief corps.  Daniel Palencia remains as the Cubs’ first choice for saves, but Harvey now provides some backup as a reliever with some ninth-inning experience.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team pursue more veteran relievers on relatively inexpensive contracts, in order to give the Cubs as much depth as possible in advance of what Chicago hopes is a deeper postseason run.  The Cubs have been linked to a number of bigger-ticket position players and starting pitchers, but Maton’s deal remains their largest investment in a new player this offseason.

Reds Designate Keegan Thompson For Assignment

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The Reds announced that right-hander Keegan Thompson has been designated for assignment.  The move creates a 40-man roster spot for outfielder JJ Bleday, whose signing is now official.

Thompson just signed a split contract with the Reds in early November, but since he is out of minor league options, Cincinnati has to first expose the righty to the waiver wire before he can be removed from the 40-man and sent to Triple-A.  Because Thompson has been outrighted off a 40-man roster in the past, he can opt for free agency if he clears waivers and the Reds outright him now, though Thompson would have to walk away from the money owed to him for the 2026 season.  The split contract will pay Thompson $1.3MM for his time spent on Cincinnati’s big league roster.

As he enters his age-31 season, Thompson is looking to return to the majors for the first time since the 2024 campaign.  His 3.64 ERA over 227 1/3 MLB innings is quite respectable, and working exclusively in a relief capacity with the Cubs in 2024 boosted Thompson’s strikeout rate to a personal best of 28.3%.  These numbers and Thompson’s ability to cover multiple innings seemingly made him a pretty interesting bullpen weapon for the Cubs, yet the team may have been disenchanted by Thompson’s lack of control.  The righty’s walk rate ballooned to 14.7% over 59 big league innings during the 2023-24 seasons.

Chicago designated Thompson for assignment last March and subsequently outrighted him off the 40-man, resulting in Thompson spending his 2025 season entirely with Triple-A Iowa.  Thompson had a 4.50 ERA over 64 innings in Iowa, but also a 29.5% strikeout rate and an 8.9% walk rate that failed to capture the Cubs’ attention for another look in the Show.

Teams in need of bullpen help could potentially claim Thompson off waivers, though a claiming team would also be absorbing the split contract’s potential $1.3MM price tag.  It might not be a huge price to pay if a rival club sees a benefit in Thompson’s ability to chew up bullpen innings, or if its coaching staff views Thompson’s control as a correctable issue.  In lieu of a claim, Thompson might pass on another trip to the open market and opt to remain in Cincinnati’s organization, as he likely anticipated a potential DFA at some point during the winter.

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