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Rakuten Eagles Sign Spencer Howard, Miguel Yajure

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The Rakuten Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball have signed right-handed pitchers Spencer Howard and Miguel Yajure, the team announced. Both pitchers will presumably join the Eagles starting rotation. The 2025 season will be Howard’s first in NPB and Yajure’s second.

Howard, 28, was once a promising prospect in the Phillies organization but struggled to translate his minor league skills to the major league level. Over parts of five seasons with the Phillies, Rangers, Giants, and Guardians, he put up a 7.00 ERA in 144 innings of work. His underlying numbers, including a 4.77 SIERA, are better than his unsightly ERA, but no matter what statistics you look at, it’s clear Howard could not reliably retire MLB hitters. He has also struggled in the minors in recent years, putting up a 7.07 ERA and 6.20 FIP in 70 innings at Triple-A from 2022-24. Thus, the righty will look for a fresh start with the Eagles in 2025.

Yajure, 27 in May, made his MLB debut for the Yankees during the 2020 season. Over the next three years, he pitched 46 1/3 innings for the Yankees and Pirates, putting up a 7.58 ERA – even higher than Howard’s. His 5.37 SIERA was similarly poor, as was his low strikeout rate and high walk rate. If you include hit-by-pitches, he issued nearly as many free passes (32) as strikeouts (35). So, he set out in hopes of finding greener pastures across the pond last winter. Indeed, that’s exactly what he found. Yajure signed a one-year contract with the Yakult Swallows ahead of the 2024 season. With the Swallows, he pitched to a 3.34 ERA over 129 1/3 innings. A mid-3.00s ERA in NPB isn’t quite as impressive as it would be in MLB, but Yajure was a solid contributor for the Swallows, finishing second on the team in innings pitched. It was enough to convince the Eagles to give him a contract for 2025. He’ll look to build upon a solid first season in his sophomore NPB campaign.

Rangers Interested In Max Fried, A.J. Minter, Jonathan Loáisiga

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As the Rangers look to replace the many arms they lost to free agency this winter, three more targets have emerged: left-handed starter Max Fried, left-handed reliever A.J. Minter, and right-handed reliever Jonathan Loáisiga.

The news that Texas is interested in Fried comes from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon. They confirm that re-signing Nathan Eovaldi remains the team’s primary goal but suggest the Rangers are considering Fried as one potential alternative. However, their interest seems to be casual, at least for now. After Corbin Burnes, Fried is arguably the top starting pitcher available in free agency. That means he’s going to command significantly more money than Eovaldi. Entering the offseason, the MLBTR staff predicted Fried would sign a six-year, $156MM deal; Eovaldi’s predicted contract was a two-year, $44MM pact. Thus, as the Rangers look to duck under the luxury tax threshold and continue to deal with TV revenue uncertainty, financial constraints could prevent them from signing any star free agents. In other words, it seems like the Rangers are keeping tabs on Fried, but a deal remains unlikely.

The bullpen is perhaps a bigger area of concern for Texas. The only four pitchers who threw more than 50 innings out of the Rangers bullpen in 2024 are all free agents: Kirby Yates, David Robertson, José Leclerc, and José Ureña. What’s more Josh Sborz is going to miss significant time again after undergoing shoulder surgery. President of baseball operations Chris Young has already made a couple of small additions, claiming Roansy Contreras off of waivers from the Angels and signing Luis Curvelo to a major league deal, but neither is the type of proven, high-leverage arm the Rangers desperately need. Ideally, the Rangers would be in the market for a bona fide closer like Tanner Scott or an All-Star talent like Jeff Hoffman. However, a lack of payroll flexibility could explain why they’re targeting a pair of bounce-back candidates instead.

Over the past five seasons, Minter has pitched to a 2.85 ERA and 3.04 SIERA in 243 innings of work for the Braves. While he only has 36 career saves, the southpaw has experience pitching late in games. He also has several years of playoff experience. In 25 postseason frames, he has a 2.88 ERA and 2.63 SIERA. The reason for hesitation when it comes to Minter, is that he spent two long stints on the injured list nursing a hip injury this past season. He ultimately needed surgery, and it’s not yet clear how soon he’ll be able to return. That said, a hip injury is far less worrisome than an arm-related issue, and Minter was highly durable from 2020-23. Only three relievers made more appearances in that time. Thus, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that Minter is among the “most popular” left-handed relievers on the free agent market, linking him to the Braves, Cubs, and Rangers. He was also linked to the Blue Jays earlier this offseason.

Loáisiga has not been nearly as durable as Minter throughout his career, but the upside is appealing. He was one of the top relievers in the game in 2021, putting up a 2.17 ERA and 3.01 SIERA in 70 2/3 innings for the Yankees. Unfortunately, various arm injuries have gotten in his way ever since. He dealt with shoulder inflammation in 2022, bone spurs in his elbow in 2023, and, most recently, he underwent an internal brace procedure in April 2024. The rehab timeline for an internal brace procedure is typically 10-12 months, which means Loáisiga could be back to full strength in time for Opening Day. That being the case, it’s not hard to see why he has so many suitors, including the Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, and now, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, the Padres and Rangers. While it’s been a long time since Loáisiga was a reliable big league reliever, it’s easy to dream about the upside of his 98 mph sinker and lethal curveball. So, it comes as little surprise that he is expected to sign a major league deal this winter (per Castillo).

Jonathan India, Michael Massey Willing To Play Left Field For Royals

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Jonathan India spent the vast majority of his tenure with the Reds playing second base. Michael Massey has also been a primary second baseman throughout his first three seasons with the Royals. Now that India and Massey both play for Kansas City, Royals manager Matt Quatraro will have to be creative to get them both in the lineup. That could involve some platooning (Massey bats left-handed and India bats righty) and each spending some time at DH, but Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic suggest a third possibility: the outfield. According to Rosenthal and Sammon, India and Massey are both willing to try their hands at left field next season.

India has never played a defensive position other than second base in his career. He prepared for a multi-positional role with the Reds in 2024 when it looked like the team would have a logjam in the infield, but Cincinnati’s infield depth quickly diminished, and India ended up playing more second base than he had in any season since his rookie campaign. Massey has a couple of additional positions on his defensive resume, but that’s little more than a technicality. He played one game at third base in his rookie season and one inning in center field earlier this year.

Although second base is the position they both know best, neither has ever graded out as a particularly valuable defender at the keystone. However, both were above-average hitters in 2024. India showed off excellent plate discipline (12.6% walk rate, 108 wRC+), while Massey made tons of contact and hit for above-average power (.190 ISO, 102 wRC+). So, one can see why the Royals would like to get their bats in the lineup, even if it’s not at their natural position. Rotating between India and Massey in the DH spot is one way to accomplish that, but it’s not the ideal solution. For one thing, the Royals presumably want to keep the DH spot open for Salvador Perez on days when Freddy Fermin is catching. Furthermore, general manager J.J. Picollo would surely like to maintain as much flexibility as possible as he continues to look for upgrades to the lineup. Having some DH reps to work with could help him land a more impactful bat.

Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported earlier today that the Royals are looking for another hitter who can play the infield and the outfield. Yet, if India or Massey (or both) could be that guy, perhaps Picollo can focus on landing the best possible bat rather than prioritizing defensive flexibility. This team could certainly use the offensive boost. While the Royals pitching staff led the team to the playoffs in 2024, their hitters ranked 13th in runs scored, 14th in OPS, and 20th in wRC+. Their only notable addition to the lineup so far has been India.

When it comes to further additions, Rosenthal and Sammon suggest the Royals would prefer a left-handed bat. They mention Josh Rojas and Adam Frazier as two possibilities on the free agent market. However, neither Rojas nor Frazier has been an above-average hitter over the last two years. Perhaps, then, the Royals are more likely to turn to the trade block for an upgrade. Previous reports have suggested they’re looking for a middle-of-the-order bat on the trade market, although it’s not clear to whom that might refer. Once again, the more flexibility this team can get from guys like India and Massey, the more potential targets they can pursue in a trade.

Cubs, Carson Kelly Nearing A Deal

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The Cubs are reportedly progressing toward a contract with free agent catcher Carson Kelly, according to both Robert Murray of FanSided and Jon Heyman of the New York Post. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers confirmed their reports, describing an agreement between the two sides as “close.” The Cubs have an open spot on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary before they finalize the deal.

Kelly, 30, is coming off a bounceback season with the Tigers and Rangers. Once a promising young catcher for the Diamondbacks, he fell out of favor in the organization with his poor performance at the plate in 2022 and ’23. They released him in August 2023 with close to $1MM remaining on his contract. The Tigers quickly scooped him up, and after the season, they picked up his $3.5MM option for 2024.

That proved to be the right decision. Kelly turned in a strong season at the plate and in the field, allowing the Tigers to flip him to the Rangers ahead of the trade deadline. While he didn’t play quite as well in Texas as he had in Detroit, he finished the season with a perfectly respectable batting line (.238/.313/.374, 99 wRC+) and strong defensive metrics. All told, he produced 1.8 FanGraphs WAR in just 91 games and 313 trips to the plate. For the sake of comparison, Cubs catchers combined for -0.1 fWAR this past season.

Chicago has struggled behind the dish since letting Willson Contreras walk after the 2022 campaign. In 2024, Cubs catchers ranked third-last in the NL in Fielding Run Value (per Baseball Savant) and second-last in OPS and wRC+. According to FanGraphs WAR, no NL club received less production from the catcher position. Needless to say, the front office is aware of these shortcomings. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer failed in his efforts to add a backstop at the trade deadline, but The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma reported after the deadline that Hoyer would continue to pursue catching during the offseason.

Ideally, that would mean a starting-caliber catcher to usurp the incumbent Miguel Amaya. Sharma noted back in August that the Cubs see Amaya as a backup in the long run. Funnily enough, Amaya happened to hit quite well from the day that report came out to the end of the season (.770 OPS, 114 wRC+ in 34 games), but his career numbers speak much louder than that small sample size performance. He has a .657 OPS and 87 wRC+ in 170 career games. His defense has been passable, but not enough to make up for a well-below-average bat. All that to say, the Cubs needed an upgrade.

However, the market for free agent catchers moved quickly this offseason, to the point where Chicago’s options started to look slim. Kelly is one of the few catchers still available who should be an upgrade over Amaya. Indeed, Kelly might be the only everyday catcher left on the market, depending on how you feel about Yasmani Grandal and Elias Díaz (and how much you’re willing to stretch the definition of an “everyday” catcher). Kyle Higashioka, Travis d’Arnaud, Danny Jansen, and Gary Sánchez are already off the board.

Matt Thaiss, who the Cubs acquired from the Angels earlier this offseason, is nothing more than another potential backup. With Kelly taking the majority of the reps behind the dish, Thaiss and Amaya will presumably compete for a bench role in 2025. Both are out of minor league options, so one will likely be traded or DFA’d at some point before Opening Day. Amaya has been the more productive player over the last two seasons, providing a similar level of offense and significantly better defense. However, Thaiss could have a leg up as a left-handed batter; Kelly bats right-handed, so the Cubs might like a lefty-batting backup. What’s more, the Cubs might prefer to DFA Amaya, who doesn’t have the necessary MLB service time to reject an outright assignment should he pass through waivers.

Cody Bellinger Generating Trade Interest, Seiya Suzuki Trade Less Likely

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Cody Bellinger is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about trade candidates of the offseason. Earlier this month, Joel Sherman of The New York Post reported that the Cubs were “determined” to trade one of Bellinger or Seiya Suzuki. Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic added further detail to that story today, noting that the team would prefer to part with Bellinger. Dealing Suzuki doesn’t seem like anything more than a backup plan in case no Bellinger trade comes together. 

Sharma goes on to mention that there “seems to be real interest” in Bellinger on the trade market, thus pouring cold water on the possibility of a Suzuki deal (at least for now). Indeed, Bellinger has already been linked to the Diamondbacks, Mariners, Yankees, and Astros this winter, and Sharma suggests that the market for Bellinger could heat up now that Juan Soto has signed with the Mets. It seems the Cubs have been shopping Bellinger as a second choice for teams that missed out on the lefty-batting superstar. Bellinger is no Soto, but he can provide above-average offense from the same side of the plate and a much better glove in the outfield. He may not be a perennial MVP contender, but he does have superstar upside, even if his 2019 MVP season is getting smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.

As for Suzuki, it’s not hard to understand why the Cubs would prefer to hold onto the righty bat. He is set to make $19MM in each of the next two seasons, while Bellinger will make $27.5MM in 2025 and has a player option for $25MM in 2026. Trading Bellinger would free up more payroll space for the coming season and would free the Cubs of his player option; as the name suggests, player options are inherently player-friendly. Furthermore, Suzuki is coming off a stronger season than Bellinger. While Bellinger is a better defender and baserunner, Suzuki is a more reliable middle-of-the-order bat. Bellinger’s offense has been much less stable in recent years. Thus, Suzuki looks like a bargain at $19MM per year, while Bellinger presumably would have opted out of his contract this winter if he thought he could do better on the open market.

For all of those same reasons, Suzuki’s trade market would probably be more robust than Bellinger’s. However, it doesn’t seem as if the Cubs are necessarily trying to maximize their return. Rather, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer might simply need to create more payroll flexibility to address areas of greater need on the roster. After all, the Cubs have no shortage of outfield and/or designated hitter types in the organization. That includes center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, left-fielder Ian Happ, and top prospects Kevin Alcántara, Matt Shaw, and Owen Caissie.

What the Cubs could use more of is pitching. After signing Matthew Boyd, they reportedly remain interested in adding another starter (per Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic). Over the past few days, the club has been linked to free agent Walker Buehler and trade candidates Jordan Montgomery and Garrett Crochet. As much as they could use another arm, however, the Cubs might not be willing to pay for another starter without first removing some money from the books. On a related note, Sharma says Chicago has also shown “some interest” in Jack Flaherty but only if his price tag is low enough.

In theory, the Cubs should be able to sign a top-end starting pitcher like Flaherty without trading Bellinger or Suzuki. Their estimated 2025 payroll currently sits around $185MM, according to RosterResource. That’s $43MM lower than last season’s final estimate. They’re also about $40MM under the first luxury tax threshold, which should give them plenty of wiggle room even if they’d like to get back under the tax in 2025. However, Chicago’s eagerness to shop Bellinger and reluctance to court Flaherty certainly suggest that Hoyer is working under payroll constraints as he looks to get the Cubs back to the playoffs for the first time in his tenure as president of baseball operations.

Tigers Interested In Walker Buehler, Kyle Gibson, Andrew Heaney

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It’s no secret the Tigers are looking to improve their rotation over the offseason, and three more potential targets for the team have emerged. According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers are showing interest in right-handers Walker Buehler and Kyle Gibson and left-hander Andrew Heaney.

Buehler is the biggest name of that trio. Although he’s coming off a difficult, injury-plagued season, he was an ace-caliber pitcher when last healthy in 2021. Indeed, from 2018-21, he pitched to 2.82 ERA and 3.56 SIERA over 564 innings. His 14.4 FanGraphs WAR ranked 14th among all pitchers in that time. Still just 30 years old and another year removed from Tommy John surgery, he is widely considered one of the top bounce-back candidates on the free agent market. It helps his case that he looked excellent in the postseason. After a rough outing in the NLDS, he pitched 10 scoreless innings between the NLCS and the World Series.

Precisely because Buehler comes with more upside than Gibson or Heaney, he could be looking for a longer-term commitment. The MLBTR staff predicted a one-year, $15 million contract for Buehler at the beginning of the offseason but noted that a two-year deal with an opt-out was a possibility. Petzold also remarked Buehler could be seeking a two-year deal with an opt-out this winter, and he suggested that might be more than the Tigers are willing to give. Ideally, they’re looking to offer a one-year deal.

In that case, Detroit could pivot to Gibson or Heaney. Of the two, Gibson seems more likely to sign a one-year contract. Both pitchers appeared on MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list: Heaney at no. 25 and Gibson at no. 41. Our staff predicted a two-year, $24 million deal for Heaney and a one-year $13 million deal for Gibson. The slightly higher AAV prediction for Gibson reflects his longer track record of success, but at 37 years old, he’s unlikely to command a multi-year deal. Heaney, on the other hand, is young enough (he’ll turn 34 next June) that he could feasibly land a two-year commitment, especially on a market that has been quite kind to mid-tier starting pitchers thus far. Luis Severino, Yusei Kikuchi, Frankie Montas, and Matthew Boyd all signed for more guaranteed money than MLBTR predicted.

Gibson and Heaney are both coming off similar 2024 seasons. Gibson made 30 starts with a 4.24 ERA and 4.44 SIERA, while Heaney made 32 appearances (31 starts) with a 4.28 ERA and 3.95 SIERA. Heaney’s underlying numbers were a little promising – he had a higher strikeout rate and lower walk rate – but Gibson has been significantly more consistent and durable throughout his career. Ultimately, both are capable back-of-the-rotation starters but not much more. Either would raise Detroit’s floor, but neither would do much to lift the team’s ceiling.

If a pitcher like Gibson or Heaney is the only starter the Tigers add, they’ll need to hope that some of their younger arms step up to help ace Tarik Skubal at the top of the rotation. That includes Reese Olson, Casey Mize, and potentially top prospect Jackson Jobe. More arms that could make up the rest of Detroit’s starting staff include Keider Montero, Matt Manning, and Kenta Maeda. In other words, this team isn’t short on back-end depth. What they could really use is a proven, postseason-caliber starter. However, such an acquisition seems far less likely. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, the Tigers have “some interest” in a reunion with Jack Flaherty, but the word “some” speaks volumes in that report.

Ultimately, despite their postseason appearance in 2024, it seems as if the Tigers aren’t planning to be particularly aggressive this winter. As Petzold points out, their interest in signing a starter to a one-year deal mirrors their strategy from the previous two offseasons, in which they signed Michael Lorenzen and Flaherty. There’s no doubt it paid off in both cases; Lorenzen and Flaherty both pitched well over a few months with Detroit before they were flipped for prospects at the trade deadline. However, the Tigers were still in the middle of a rebuild when they signed Lorenzen ahead of the 2023 season and Flaherty ahead of ’24. That’s no longer the case, so it’s odd to see they’re still looking for stopgaps rather than trying to sign a more impactful pitcher to a multi-year deal.

In the same vein, Petzold suggests the Tigers are interested in first baseman Christian Walker but says they might back off if “big-market teams” are also bidding on his services. Moreover, Petzold adds that they are unlikely to sign any free agents who rejected a qualifying offer. Walker is among that group. While the Tigers have been linked to Alex Bregman, who also received a qualifying offer, Petzold writes that they would probably only pursue him if he were still available entering spring training and his price tag plummeted. As is the case with Walker, the Tigers are interested but not interested enough to enter a bidding war. In other words, it seems as if they’d only be willing to sign a QO free agent at a significant discount.

Looking For A Match In A Devin Williams Trade

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Although he’s coming off an injury-shortened 2024 season, there is little doubt that Devin Williams remains an elite closer. Upon his mid-season return from a back injury, Williams looked every bit as dominant as he did in his All-Star 2022 and ‘23 campaigns. Over 21 1/3 innings, the righty pitched to a 1.25 ERA and 2.31 SIERA, striking out 38 of the 88 batters he faced. As he enters his age-30 season, his career 1.83 ERA, 39.4% strikeout rate, and 68 saves in 78 chances tell you everything you need to know about why he could be such a valuable trade chip for the Brewers this offseason.

In October, Brewers general manager Matt Arnold told reporters that he had to be “open-minded” about potentially trading Williams. He made similar comments in November, saying, “Certainly we have to be open to those types of things, but I think he makes our team better” (per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com). Those words suggest Arnold isn’t actively shopping his closer, but his reluctance to shut down the idea speaks volumes. After all, Milwaukee has earned a reputation for trading star pitchers at least one year before they reach free agency. Back when Arnold worked under former president of baseball operations David Stearns, they dealt Josh Hader to the Padres at the 2022 trade deadline. More recently, Arnold oversaw the swap that sent Corbin Burnes to the Orioles. Thanks to an excellent pitching development pipeline, the team has managed to stay competitive despite these trades. Thus, it would hardly be surprising if Williams is wearing a different uniform come Opening Day 2025.

When MLBTR’s Steve Adams ranked the Top 35 Trade Candidates of the offseason, he put Williams at no. 4, behind only White Sox ace Garrett Crochet, Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, and Cardinals starter Erick Fedde. The fact that Williams ranked behind Helseley was partially because the latter seemed more likely to be dealt. However, recent reports suggest the Cardinals are unlikely to trade Helsley this winter after all. That should only invigorate the market for a pitcher like Williams. If Helsley is staying put, Williams is undeniably the top reliever on the trade market. 

What’s more, former Yankees closer Clay Holmes is off the free agent market after signing with the Mets to become a starting pitcher. Holmes was MLBTR’s third-highest-ranked free agent reliever this offseason. Meanwhile, MLBTR’s second-highest-ranked free agent reliever, Jeff Hoffman, has also drawn interest as a potential starter. In other words, the market for top-end, right-handed relievers is already starting to thin out.

Thus, if the Brewers trade Williams, they should be able to land a strong return commensurate with his value. At the same time, he won’t bring back quite as much young talent as Burnes (a former Cy Young winner) or Hader (who had an extra half-season of team control), so just about every interested party should have the necessary trade chips to make a compelling offer. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal suggests a return for Williams would “ideally” include a young starter, though if the Brewers are really keeping an open mind, they might be open to various return packages.

Let’s take a closer look at which teams could trade for Williams this winter:

Clear Fits

Blue Jays: From 2021-23, the Blue Jays had one of the better closers in baseball: homegrown Canadian righty Jordan Romano. However, things quickly tumbled downhill for Romano in 2024, and the rest of Toronto’s relief corps followed suit. No AL bullpen had a worse ERA, a higher home run rate, or a lower strikeout rate. The Jays are thought to be interested in re-signing Romano, but that shouldn’t preclude them from looking for a more reliable closer. Indeed, they were reportedly considering signing Holmes (as a reliever) before he ultimately landed with the Mets. Adding Williams would go a long way to help revamp one of the worst bullpens in the league.

Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks have a strong group of arms at the back end of their bullpen, but none with significant closing experience. Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk, Kevin Ginkel, Joe Mantiply, and Ryan Thompson are all coming off strong seasons. Still, GM Mike Hazen said earlier this offseason that he’d prefer to have another back-end arm to help them out, suggesting his team was at its best when capital-C closer Paul Sewald was the ninth inning guy. Hazen could be dealing with some financial constraints this winter as he tries to replace Sewald, Christian Walker, Joc Pederson, Randal Grichuk, and more without significantly increasing payroll. So, adding Williams, whose projected $7.7MM salary is well below open market value, could be a particularly appealing move.

Phillies: The Phillies bullpen lost two high-leverage right-handers to free agency this offseason: Hoffman and Carlos Estévez. POBO Dave Dombrowski has made it clear he’s looking to add at least one righty arm to the back end of the bullpen to replace the talent he lost. That could mean bringing back Hoffman (the Phillies have reportedly shown interest in such a reunion) or targeting another free agent like Kirby Yates, Kenley Jansen, or Blake Treinen. After all, this team has largely preferred to flex its financial muscle rather than part with prospects to acquire star talent. However, Dombrowski has repeatedly suggested he will look to get more creative this winter. Could the Phillies and Brewers line up on a swap involving Williams and fellow trade candidate Alec Bohm?

Rangers: The Rangers arm barn is in a rough spot right now. After finishing among the AL’s bottom five bullpens in most statistical categories in 2024, Texas lost Kirby Yates, David Robertson, José Leclerc, and José Ureña to free agency. POBO Chris Young should have some money to spend this winter, but as he aims to drop beneath the luxury tax threshold, he won’t be able to throw out numerous big-money contracts as he’s done in the past. That could make an arbitration-eligible arm like Williams quite appealing. 

Royals: Lucas Erceg stepped up for the Royals after the trade deadline, putting up a 2.88 ERA over 25 innings and blossoming into the closer his new team desperately needed. Yet, Erceg’s success doesn’t mean the Royals can’t look for an upgrade at the back of the bullpen. As dominant as he looked down the stretch in 2024, he’s hardly the most experienced or reliable arm. He’ll enter his age-30 season with just 116 2/3 MLB innings under his belt and a career 4.01 ERA and 3.52 SIERA. As the Royals look to compete for the AL Central title in 2025, a bona fide closer like Williams would make for a terrific addition to the squad.

Tigers: The Tigers have a few options to close in 2025, most notably Tyler Holton, who has quietly been one of the best relievers in the game over the past two seasons. Still, no one has a lock on the closer role in Detroit, and the right-handed Williams would make an excellent complement to the southpaw Holton. Now that the Tigers are officially contenders, a proven closer like Williams is the kind of luxury they can afford as they strive to go on a deeper postseason run in 2025.

Yankees: Luke Weaver certainly earned the right to slot into the closer role for the Yankees at the end of the 2024 season and into the playoffs. At the same time, he doesn’t have a ton of late-inning relief experience, and New York might prefer to use him in a variable, multi-inning role. The Yankees made a huge splash on the trade market when they acquired Juan Soto last offseason, and they could do so again by scooping up Williams. After losing in the World Series, the Bronx Bombers are surely going to be hungry for talent — especially if they can’t re-sign Soto.

More Potential Fits

Dodgers: These days, it seems like you just can’t rule the Dodgers out on anyone. Evan Phillips and Michael Kopech both have what it takes to close for the reigning World Series champions, but neither is without his question marks. Phillips missed the World Series with a shoulder injury, while Kopech’s success in L.A. came in a pretty small sample size. With so few holes to fill on their roster, could the Dodgers look to add a superstar closer to make their super team even more super?

Giants: Following his breakout performance in 2024, Ryan Walker has the inside track on the Giants’ closer job in 2025. That said, he’s hardly a lock for the gig. New POBO Buster Posey is looking to build a legitimate postseason contender this offseason, and a closer like Williams would give the Giants more security at the end of ballgames.

Padres: After trading for Tanner Scott and Jason Adam at last summer’s trade deadline, the Padres stuck with Robert Suarez in the closer role. That’s a pretty clear indication of how much this team values Suarez, who pitched to a 2.77 ERA and 3.53 SIERA while recording 36 saves in 42 chances in 2024. That makes a trade for Williams, who would almost surely usurp Suarez as the closer, seem unlikely. Then again, Padres POBO A. J. Preller loves to pull off blockbuster swaps, and he’ll be looking for some way to replace Scott’s excellent production out of the bullpen. 

Division Rivals

The Cubs, Pirates, and Reds could all use a reliable closer. Porter Hodge was terrific for Chicago in his rookie season, but a team with legitimate postseason aspirations needs a more proven arm to anchor the bullpen. Meanwhile, Cincinnati (Alexis Díaz) and Pittsburgh (David Bednar) both have more experienced closers, but neither pitcher had a strong 2024 campaign. There is no doubt that Williams would make all three of these teams significantly more competitive in 2025.

However, it’s extremely difficult to imagine the Brewers sending Williams to a division rival. After all, it’s not as if they’d be trading him as part of a rebuilding effort. The Brewers are the reigning NL Central champions, and they’re looking to retain that crown in 2025. That will be hard enough with Williams pitching anywhere else, let alone for one of their closest competitors.

Longer Shots

Williams is such a special talent that there aren’t many teams one can completely rule out of the trade sweepstakes. The Red Sox are likely out of the running after signing Aroldis Chapman, especially since they also have Liam Hendriks at the back of their bullpen. Similarly, the Orioles (Félix Bautista), Mets (Edwin Díaz), Astros (Hader), Braves (Raisel Iglesias), and Mariners (Andrés Muñoz) already have excellent pitchers entrenched in the closer role. Still, it’s not as if any of these contenders wouldn’t be able to make room for Williams. Figuring out how to split time between two star closers is the kind of problem any manager would love to have, and adding Williams would immediately turn any of these bullpens into one of the best in the league. 

Multiple Teams Expressing Interest In Sócrates Brito

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Numerous MLB teams have expressed interest in free agent outfielder Sócrates Brito, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman’s report did not specify which teams might be interested. Brito has spent the last three seasons with the Kia Tigers of the KBO.

Brito, now 32, was once a well-regarded prospect in the Diamondbacks system. He was chosen as the organization’s minor league Minor League Player of the Year in 2015, and most sources considered him one of the team’s top 10 prospects entering the 2016 season. However, he was never able to translate his minor league success to the majors. Over 99 MLB games with the D-backs and Blue Jays from 2015-19, Brito slashed .176/.216/.309 in 218 trips to the plate. Despite his elite sprint speed and solid outfield defense, he produced -0.6 FanGraphs WAR.

After a rough year at Triple-A with the Yankees in 2021, Brito signed a contract with the Kia Tigers and packed his bags for Korea. It turned out to be the right decision. He was named a KBO All-Star in each of his first two seasons with the Tigers. While he did not make the All-Star team in 2024, he set new career highs in home runs, runs scored, and RBI. He also helped his club win the Korean Series for the 12th time in franchise history and the first time since 2017. All told, Brito has slashed .302/.352/.491 with 63 home runs, 40 stolen bases, and an .843 OPS over three seasons in the KBO.

Heyman’s report does not necessarily suggest that Brito is planning (or even trying) to return to affiliated ball. He has enjoyed a successful career so far in Korea, in terms of individual accolades, team accomplishments, and financial compensation. His contract for the 2024 season guaranteed him $800K and contained an additional $400K in incentives. If he can land a similar deal from the Kia Tigers for 2025, one can see why he wouldn’t be interested in returning to North America for anything less than a guaranteed contract. Despite his excellent performance in the KBO, his uninspiring MLB track record could scare off potential suitors from offering such a guarantee.

William Cuevas Re-Signs With KT Wiz

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Right-handed pitcher William Cuevas is coming back for another year with the KT Wiz of the KBO.  His contract, announced by the team and relayed over X by Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net and Jiheon Pae, is worth $1.5MM in US dollars. The 2025 season will be the righty’s seventh with the club.

Cuevas, now 34, originally signed with the Red Sox as an 18-year-old international free agent in 2009. He would eventually bounce from the Red Sox, to the Tigers, to the Marlins, and back to the Red Sox, appearing in big league games for Boston and Detroit. He pitched to an 8.06 ERA and 4.92 SIERA in 22 1/3 MLB innings.

After the 2018 season, the Red Sox released Cuevas so he could pursue an opportunity in the KBO. From 2019-22, he pitched for the Wiz on a series of one-year contracts. However, he was released early in the 2022 season after suffering an elbow injury. Fortunately for Cuevas, the issue proved not to be too serious. He was able to make an appearance for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League later that year.

Cuevas returned to affiliated ball the following season, signing a minor league contract with the Dodgers in April 2023. He pitched 44 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, striking out 43, walking 20, and giving up 13 home runs, resulting in a 6.14 ERA and 7.47 FIP. On June 8, the Dodgers released Cuevas, allowing him to re-sign with the Wiz the next day. While his performance at Triple-A wasn’t exactly impressive, he clearly did enough to prove to his former club that his elbow was back to full strength. Indeed, he put up a 2.60 ERA and 2.79 FIP in 114 1/3 IP over the remainder of the KBO season.

Fresh off his successful 2023 campaign, Cuevas earned another contract from the Wiz. He didn’t look nearly as sharp in 2024 as he did the year before, producing a 4.10 ERA and 4.39 FIP. Still, he was durable and reliable, giving the team 31 starts and 173 1/3 IP. Only two KBO pitchers threw more innings this past season, and only one made more starts. Thus, it comes as little surprise that the Wiz have welcomed Cuevas back once again for 2025.

Cubs To Sign Brooks Kriske

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Right-handed pitcher Brooks Kriske has agreed to a contract with the Cubs, the 30-year-old announced himself on his Instagram and X accounts. It is presumably a minor league deal, although the team has not yet confirmed the move and further details have not been revealed.

After growing up a Cubs fan, Kriske was selected by the Yankees in the 2016 draft. Although he was never a top prospect, the righty made an impressive comeback from early-career Tommy John surgery and quickly rose through the ranks of the minor leagues. In August 2018, he was still pitching at Low-A after losing so much development time to injury. Yet, by July 2020, he was pitching for the big league club. Heading into the 2021 season, he earned a spot on the Yankees prospect lists at both FanGraphs (no. 34) and Baseball America (no. 28).

Unfortunately, the big leagues have never been kind to Kriske. Over parts of two seasons in the Bronx, he gave up 20 runs (19 earned) in 11 1/3 innings, good for a 15.09 ERA. He allowed six home runs and walked more than 20% of the batters he faced. He also threw seven wild pitches – four of which came in the same inning. Following a particularly poor outing in September 2021, Kriske was optioned to Triple-A and designated for assignment a few days later.

The Orioles must have liked what they saw when Kriske held them scoreless and hitless across two appearances in 2020, striking out four of the eight batters he faced. They scooped him up off of waivers, and he pitched in four more games down the stretch. Yet, his results weren’t much better than they were in New York. While Kriske didn’t walk any batters, he gave up five runs on two homers in 3 1/3 innings of work. By the end of the 2021 campaign, he had a career 14.40 ERA, 5.11 SIERA, and -0.8 FanGraphs WAR.

Baltimore released Kriske that fall, allowing him to sign with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of NPB. A relatively successful season in Japan (21 IP, 2.57 ERA, 11.1 K/9) earned him a minor league deal with the Royals in December 2022. However, Kriske struggled upon his return to affiliated ball. He pitched to a 5.52 ERA and 4.29 FIP over 29 1/3 innings at Triple-A Omaha. His 4.05 ERA over 6 2/3 MLB innings represented an improvement, but his 16% walk rate and 5.30 SIERA showed a pitcher who was still struggling to retire major league batters. Partway through the 2023 season, he was granted his release to pursue another opportunity in Japan, this time with the Saitama Seibu Lions.

Once again, Kriske looked much sharper overseas, putting up a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings with the Lions over the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He decided to come back stateside last winter, inking a minor league pact with the Reds. However, despite a strong performance in spring training (6 IP, 3.00 ERA, 8 K, 1 BB) and solid numbers at Triple-A Louisville (49 1/3 IP, 3.10 ERA, 36.7 K%, 4.06 FIP), he never got the chance to pitch for Cincinnati at the big league level. The Reds selected him to their 40-man roster in June (presumably to prevent him from exercising an opt-out clause in his contract) but never actually called him up. They DFA’d him two months later.

For the second time in three years, the Orioles claimed Kriske off of waivers, and he finished out the 2024 campaign in the O’s organization. Across eight appearances at Triple-A Norfolk, he pitched to a 5.00 ERA and 6.79 FIP in nine innings of work. He elected free agency at the end of the season.

Although he struggled late in the year with the Norfolk Tides, Kriske still finished his age-30 season with respectable Triple-A numbers: a 3.39 ERA and 4.48 FIP over 58 1/3 innings. He struck out 34.2% of his opponents. Free passes continue to be a problem for the righty – he walked 14.8% of hitters this past season – but a high walk rate is tolerable as long as he can maintain such a high strikeout rate and keep home runs at a manageable level. He’ll provide depth for the Cubs in the minor leagues, and the fewer batters he walks, the better his chances of getting back to the big leagues in 2025.

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