MLBTR Live Chat
Mark P
- A bonus post-holiday edition of the Weekend Chat, since things got postponed last weekend due to the big Willson Contreras trade. Let’s open up the queue….
Guest
- What is goinf on withe Luis Roberts rumors
Mark P
- It’s hard to say if much or anything has changed about Robert’s market since the summer, except for the fact that his 2026 salary is now guaranteed. My guess is that unless Chicago budges on its asking price, Robert will still be on the south side on Opening Day, as probably more teams view Robert as a Plan B rather than a top option
Mike Elias
- Any chance I’m still in on Kyle Tucker?
Mark P
- Probably not. If the O’s make another big strike, it would likely be for pitching.
Friend
- Do you see Arenado or Castellanos ending up with the Padres?
Mark P
- Arenado makes no sense given Machado’s presence at 3B. Castellanos is a slightly better fit since SD isn’t entirely settled at DH, but if the Padres want an outfield bat, they can do a lot better.
- I guess Preller and Dombrowski might be able to come up with some kind of interesting bad contract swap, but I don’t really see a fit here
Spider
- What ther hold up realmuto
Mark P
- It’s worth noting that the last time JTR was a free agent, he didn’t sign until the end of January. So he seems to be content in taking his time and monitoring the market, since one catching injury or another unexpected development could quickly bring another team into the fold.
Philly has an offer on the table to Realmuto, so it seems like he’s evaluating things to see if any team is willing to match or top it. Chances are Realmuto’s camp will then give the Phillies another chance to up their offer, and overall I expect Realmuto to re-sign
The big Yo
- Are the Vegas A’s going to win it all in ‘28 and is all star week going to be held in Vegas that same year?
Mark P
- I’d expect MLB isn’t going to schedule the All-Star Game for Vegas until the stadium is fully up and running. Seems like 2028 will be in an AL ballpark just because the 2025-27 games are all in NL parks, and Toronto is apparently lobbying hard to host another ASG soon
Giants Sign Nick Margevicius To Minor League Deal
The Giants have signed left-hander Nick Margevicius to a minor league contract, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Margevicius will receive a $825K salary if he reaches the majors, MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams reports. Margevicius will receive an invitation to San Francisco’s big league Spring Training camp.
It has been over four years since Margevicius’ last MLB game, as the southpaw made five appearances for the 2021 Mariners before his season was cut short by thoracic outlet syndrome. Margevicius spent the 2022-23 seasons in the minors pitching in the Seattle and Atlanta farm systems, then spent 2024 abroad pitching for the TSG Hawks of the Chinese Professional Baseball. Returning to North America last year, Margevicius began the 2025 campaign in the Mexican League before catching on with the Tigers on a minors contract.
This return to Triple-A ball went pretty well, as Margevicius posted a 3.89 ERA, 22% strikeout rate, and 5.7% walk rate over 74 innings (starting 14 of 17 games) with Triple-A Toledo. It was a big step up from the ugly numbers the left-hander posted in his last Triple-A stint in 2022-23, and to some extent a continuation of the strong work Margevicius delivered with the Hawks and in Mexico. While still not a hard thrower, Margevicius upped his fastball velocity a tick to 91.9mph, and he has incorporated a cutter into his repertoire.
Margevicius’ work didn’t earn him a look on Detroit’s MLB roster, but the Giants were apparently intrigued enough to issue the the southpaw a non-roster invite. Margevicius could be a spot starter or perhaps just a pure Triple-A depth option, or the Giants could conceivably use him as more of a long reliever if his contract gets selected. San Francisco’s fifth starter competiton features a host of younger arms without much big league experience, though Margevicius’ 32 games with the Padres and Mariners from 2019-21 doesn’t really give him much of an edge in this department given how it was so relatively long ago.
Phillies Sign Mark Kolozsvary To Minor League Deal
The Phillies have signed catcher Mark Kolozsvary to a minor league contract, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports. The deal contains an invitation for Kolozsvary to attend Philadelphia’s big league spring camp.
Kolozsvary has played in only 11 Major League games, and none since the 2023 season. Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs are the only other catchers in the Phillies organization with any big league playing time at all, so the 30-year-old Kolozsvary adds some experience to the depth chart. J.T. Realmuto‘s continued stay in free agency remains the biggest question hanging over the Phillies’ catching situation, but given how Marchan and Stubbs also haven’t shown much at the MLB level, adding another catcher to the Spring Training backup competition was likely on the Phils’ to-do list with or without Realmuto back in the fold.
A seventh-round pick for the Reds in the 2017 draft, Kolozsvary’s time with his original team culminated in 10 MLB games and 21 plate appearances during the 2022 season. The Orioles claimed Kolozsvary off waivers from Cincinnati following the 2022 campaign, and Kolozsvary ended up making a single appearance as a late-game defensive sub during a brief stay on Baltimore’s active roster in June 2023. The O’s designated him for assignment shortly thereafter and Kolozsvary caught on with the Twins on a minor league deal, and he then spent the 2024-25 seasons playing in the Red Sox farm system.
Kolozsvary has a reputation as a very solid defensive catcher, which has helped him extend his career despite a modest .194/.309/.338 slash line over 407 plate appearances at the Triple-A level (let alone his .200/.238/.450 slash in the small sample size of his 21 PA with the Reds).
Kolozsvary has two minor league options remaining, which is a notable detail because both Marchan and Stubbs are out of options. While the Phillies avoided arbitration with Marchan and Stubbs by signing them to guaranteed salaries for the 2026 season, neither contract is expensive, and Stubbs’ deal is a split contract. This opens the door for Kolozsvary to possibly supplant Stubbs as the top depth catcher, though the Phillies’ catching mix remains fluid as long as Realmuto remains unsigned.
Diamondbacks Sign Luken Baker To Minor League Contract
The Diamondbacks have signed first baseman Luken Baker to a minors deal, Just Baseball Media’s Aram Leighton reports. Baker qualified for minor league free agency at the end of the season, and he chose to test the open market rather than stick in the Dodgers’ organization.
A second-round pick for the Cardinals in the 2018 draft, Baker spent most of his career in the St. Louis organization before he was claimed off the waiver wire by the Dodgers in early August. Baker never saw any MLB playing time in Los Angeles, so his big league resume remains his 73 games played with the Cardinals over the 2023-25 seasons, with a .206/.317/.338 slash line and four home runs to show for 189 plate appearances.
This lack of production didn’t exactly merit more playing time, yet Baker was also blocked to some extent by the presence of Paul Goldschmidt, Willson Contreras, Alec Burleson, and others at first base. Baker is limited by his lack of defensive versatility, as he has played only first base and DH during his pro career. This made him an expendable piece even on a Cardinals team that is turning into a rebuild, as Baker is entering his age-29 season.
Baker got his first call-up to the majors on the strength of a huge season with Triple-A Memphis in 2023, when he hit .334/.439/.720 with 33 home runs over 380 PA. He followed that year up with a 32-homer campaign and a lesser (.231/.345/.535) slash line in Memphis in 2024, but his numbers continued to tail off, as Baker hit only .223/.335/.441 with 18 homers over 409 combined PA with the Cardinals’ and Dodgers’ top affiliates in 2025. While Baker’s numbers improved greatly after his move from Memphis to Oklahoma City, this may have had less to do with a change of scenery and more to do with the move to the pitcher-friendly Pacific Coast League.
The Diamondbacks’ Triple-A Reno club is also in the PCL, so it wouldn’t be a shock if Baker posts some numbers in 2026 that look pretty gaudy on paper. There’s no risk for the Snakes in seeing what Baker can do in at least a depth capacity, and if he can turn his raw power into any sort of consistent production at the big league level. In terms of the MLB roster, the right-handed hitting Baker could be a fit in a platoon situation with the lefty-swinging Pavin Smith at first base and DH, and the D’Backs may be hoping that Baker can follow Smith’s example as a late bloomer who didn’t start to break out in the majors until his late 20s.
Signing Baker to a non-guaranteed deal shouldn’t prevent the D’Backs from exploring more prominent right-handed bats for this role, such as former Arizona star Paul Goldschmidt. The Diamondbacks’ infield situation in general remains in something of a state of flux, as rumors continue to swirl that Ketel Marte could be traded, and that the D’Backs could be a dark horse suitor for Alex Bregman. Such moves wouldn’t necessarily impact the first base role, unless another first base candidate or right-handed bat was potentially brought on board as part of a Marte trade package.
NPB’s Hanshin Tigers Sign Carson Ragsdale
The Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball announced that right-hander Carson Ragsdale has signed a one-year contract. Ragsdale hit the open market after being non-tendered by the Braves last month.
The move to Japan concludes a whirlwind five-month stretch for Ragsdale that saw the 27-year-old change teams four times on the waiver wire, and make his Major League debut. His breakthrough in the Show consisted of two appearances with the Orioles in September, with very different outcomes — Ragsdale was torched for eight earned runs over three innings in Baltimore’s 11-2 loss to the Blue Jays on September 14, but he rebounded for two scoreless innings in the Orioles’ 6-1 loss to the Yankees on September 27. As a result, Ragsdale’s career line as a big leaguer is a 14.40 ERA over five innings of work.
These two games represent two separate stints for Ragsdale in an Orioles uniform. Claimed off waivers from the Giants in early August, Ragsdale was designated for assignment by the O’s after his rough MLB debut, and then claimed by the Braves. He lasted just over a week in Atlanta’s organization since the Braves DFA’d Ragsdale in order to clear roster space for Charlie Morton, and Ragsdale was claimed again by the Orioles, paving the way for his second outing on a big league mound. The yo-yo continued for Ragsdale when he was designated at the start of November, and then claimed once more by the Braves.
Signing a guaranteed deal with the Tigers represents some stability for Ragsdale in the wake of this transactional flurry, and a chance to showcase that he can do as a starting pitcher. Ragsdale has a 5.15 ERA, 21.24% strikeout rate, and 11.73% walk rate over 143 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level, with most of that time spent in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League pitching with San Francisco’s top affiliate. The 2025 season saw Ragsdale post only a 19.5% strikeout rate, after he easily cleared the 30% threshold earlier in his career while pitching in the lower minors.
Eighty of Ragsdale’s 89 career games in the minors came as a starting pitcher, and it can be assumed that the Tigers will give Ragsdale a look in their rotation. The righty will try to become the latest hurler to re-invent himself with a move to Japan, and performing well in more of a generally pitcher-friendly environment could help boost Ragsdale’s stock for a possible return to North American baseball down the road.
The Opener: Soderstrom, Imai Countdown, Upcoming Moves
Now that Santa has put away the sleigh for another year, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today…
1. The Athletics lock up Soderstrom
In a rare bit of major news breaking on Christmas Day, the A’s have agreed to a seven-year, $86MM extension with left fielder Tyler Soderstrom. Between his increasingly strong numbers at the plate and the successful transition to left field, Soderstrom cemented his place as a building block for an Athletics team as they approach their next era in Las Vegas. The Soderstrom extension highlights a busy week for the A’s that has also included the Jeff McNeil trade and the Mark Leiter Jr. signed. The next step might be adding starting pitching, as the A’s have yet to do much to address a rotation that was a weak link in 2025.
2. Imai’s posting deadline approaches
January 2 at 4pm CT marks the end of the 45-day posting window for Tatsuya Imai, as the right-hander will be spending the 2026 season with the Seibu Lions if he can’t finalize a deal with a Major League team within the next week. Such teams as the Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, Orioles, Giants, and Mets have been linked to Imai’s market, though in the case of the latter two clubs in particular, it remains to be seen if the Giants or Mets are willing to make a long-term commitment to any starting pitcher. MLB Trade Rumors projected a six-year, $150MM for Imai as he makes the jump from Japan to North American baseball, and given the number of larger-market teams reportedly interested, it would seem like Imai should be able to land a substantial payday. The Jan. 2 deadline creates a bit of urgency for Imai’s suitors, and his situation might be resolved before other free agent starters (i.e. Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Zac Gallen) come off the board.
3. A busy end to 2025?
The final week of the year tends to be relatively quiet in terms of transactions, as many front office executives take the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day as something of an unofficial break. Of course, as we just saw with Soderstrom’s deal, the hot stove can suddenly heat up at any given time, so you never know when a big extension, trade, or signing might be just around the corner. A big free agent who spent the holidays weighing offers, for instance, might be ready to make a decision now that Christmas is over. Besides Imai’s posting period, Kazuma Okamoto‘s posting deadline is also coming up on January 4, so that’s another Japanese star whose arrival in MLB could be determined in short order.
Red Sox Acquire Willson Contreras
Less than a month after landing Sonny Gray, the Red Sox have acquired another prominent veteran talent from St. Louis. Boston has landed first baseman Willson Contreras and $8MM in cash considerations from the Cardinals in exchange for a package of three right-handed pitchers — Hunter Dobbins and prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita.
Contreras and his agents at Octagon negotiated an extra $1MM bonus for Contreras to approve the trade, as the veteran’s contract includes a full no-trade clause. The final two guaranteed seasons of Contreras’ contract and the club option on his services for 2028 have been slightly reworked, so he’ll now receive $18MM in 2026, $17MM in 2027, and the Red Sox hold a $20MM club option on his services in 2028, with a $7.5MM buyout. (The previous terms included salaries of $18MM and $18.5MM in 2026-27, plus a $5MM buyout on a 2028 club option valued at$17.5MM.)
The final accounting works out to $42.5MM in guaranteed money for Contreras over the remainder of his deal. Factoring in the Cardinals’ $8MM contribution, Boston’s commitment to Contreras is $34.5MM in salary, and his luxury tax number is $17.25MM.
When the Cards were first exploring a rebuild last winter, neither Contreras or Gray was open to waiving their no-trade protection. After a lackluster 78-84 season sent the Cards more firmly looking towards the future, Gray, Contreras, and Nolan Arenado (who blocked a deal to the Astros last winter) all indicated in recent months that they were more open to accepting a trade.
In Contreras’ case, he cracked the door open at the end of season by saying that “if something comes up…and it makes sense for me and my future, how about we talk about that?” Contreras said. The first baseman stressed that he was still eager to contribute as a veteran leader within the Cardinals’ rebuild, though reports emerged a few weeks ago that Contreras was showing an increased willingness to waive his no-trade clause and move on to a new challenge.
Contreras (who turns 34 in May) ends his St. Louis tenure with a .261/.358/.459 slash line and 55 home runs over 1416 plate appearances from 2023-25. Signed to a five-year, $87.5MM free agent deal back in December 2022, the idea was that Contreras would take over from Yadier Molina as the team’s regular catcher, yet in somewhat awkward fashion, the Cardinals reduced Contreras’ playing time behind the plate and used him regularly as a DH. Heading into the 2025 season, Contreras became a full-time first baseman, returning to a position he’d played only a handful of times earlier in his career with the Cubs. The Outs Above Average metric gave Contreras a positive +6 grade for his first base work in 2025, but he also received -1 Defensive Runs Saved.
Regardless, it would seem like Contreras is at least a passable defender at the cold corner, and the Red Sox can live with only so-so defense as long as the former All-Star continues to hit. Contreras batted .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs over 563 PA in 2025, translating to a 124 wRC+. A career-low 7.8% walk rate was a concern and Contreras has always been prone to strikeouts, but he continued to make consistently hard and productive contact. Contreras is a right-handed batter, which helps balance out a Boston lineup that tilts to the left side.
Contreras’ final four seasons in Chicago overlapped with Craig Breslow‘s time working in the Cubs’ front office, before Breslow was hired to take over Boston’s baseball operations department following the 2023 season. Breslow’s tenure has thus far been defined by significant trades, ranging from the deals that brought Gray, Garrett Crochet, and now Contreras to Fenway Park, and last June’s surprising move that sent Rafael Devers to the Giants.
One of the many factors involved in the Devers trade was Devers’ displeasure over being asked to move to first base in the wake of Triston Casas‘ season-ending knee surgery in early May. While Romy Gonzalez and deadline pickup Nathaniel Lowe helped fill the first base void, there was little doubt the Sox were going to address the position in a larger fashion this winter. Pete Alonso, Isaac Paredes, Kazuma Okamoto, Munetaka Murakami, and Bryce Eldridge were among the first base candidates on Boston’s radar on the free agent and trade fronts this winter, and Cotillo reported last week that Contreras was another name under consideration.
With Contreras now in the fold, a Casas trade now looks increasingly likely. Casas has been floated in trade talks even dating back to last winter and prior to his knee surgery, and despite his injury-shortened season, rival clubs figure to have interest in the former top prospect. Conversely, if the Sox could figure out a way to dump Masataka Yoshida‘s contract, Casas could share first base/DH duties with Contreras.
Adding a first baseman solves another piece of Boston’s infield puzzle, and turns a position from a weak link into a strength. The Red Sox remain linked to such other major infield names as Bo Bichette or old friend Alex Bregman, and Contreras’ $36MM price tag shouldn’t prevent the Sox from spending big on either of those names, even considering Boston’s recent wariness about major financial commitments. Trading an outfielder could further shake up the position-player mix, and there have been consistent rumors about the possibility of the Sox moving an outfielder for pitching.
The Red Sox entered the winter with a lot of pitching depth in terms of young arms, yet were lacking proven frontline hurlers that could join Crochet and Brayan Bello in the rotation. Gray was one answer, and fellow trade pickup Johan Oviedo could be another after Oviedo was acquired from the Pirates. This has made Breslow more comfortable in trading from further down his pitching depth chart, and after moving Richard Fitts and prospect Brandon Clarke to St. Louis for Gray, Breslow has now parted ways with Dobbins, Fajardo, and Aida.
The equation has been pretty simple for Breslow. The CBO has been willing to move some (i.e. Jhostynxon Garcia, Kyle Teel) of Boston’s more highly-touted prospects while hanging onto the likes of Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kristian Campbell, and also moving some pitchers that no longer seem to be in Boston’s plans. In Dobbins’ case, he isn’t even going to be available for the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, as the righty tore his right ACL last July. This was the second right ACL tear Dobbins has endured, plus he has a Tommy John surgery on his checkered health history.
Dobbins made his MLB debut in 2025, and posted a 4.13 ERA, 6.6% walk rate, and 17.6% strikeout rate over his first 61 innings in the Show. An eighth round pick for the Sox in the 2021 draft, Dobbins is more of grounder-heavy pitcher than a big strikeout arm, but his slider and curveball have good whiff rates as complements to his 95.5mph fastball. Significant questions remain about Dobbins’ durability, but the 26-year-old right-hander has less than a year of MLB service time and now projects to be a longer-term add to the St. Louis rotation.
Cardinals president of baseball ops Chaim Bloom is plenty familiar with Dobbins, as Bloom was running Boston’s front office when Dobbins came into the organization. Interestingly, of the five pitchers obtained by the Cardinals in the Contreras and Gray trades, Dobbins is the only one who was part of Boston’s organization when Bloom was still there.
Fitts and (when healthy) Dobbins can factor in the Cardinals’ rotation picture as early as 2026. Dobbins doesn’t at all fit Bloom’s desire to add another veteran arm to the rotation, yet finding an innings-eater is a short-term goal, whereas Dobbins is part of the bigger picture. That has been the story of this offseason in St. Louis, as with Bloom now fully installed atop the decision-making pyramid, the Cardinals are embarking on the rebuild they considered but then backed away from last winter.
Trading Contreras removes another big chunk of salary from the Cards’ books. An Arenado deal could be the next step, though that trade will be trickier due to both Arenado’s salary and the fact that (unlike Contreras or Gray) Arenado is coming off a rough 2025 season. Other players like Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero have also been regularly mentioned in trade rumors. One player St. Louis wasn’t very willing to move is Alec Burleson, who now looks to step right into the everyday first base role with Contreras gone.
Fajardo was an international signing for the White Sox in 2024, and he has now been traded twice before his 20th birthday. Fajardo changed his Sox when Chicago sent him Boston a year ago in the Cam Booser trade, and the righty had a 2.25 ERA, 28.8% strikeout rate, and a 9.4% walk rate over 72 innings in rookie ball and with A-level Salem in 2025. MLB Pipeline ranked Fajardo 23rd on their ranking of the top 30 Red Sox prospects, describing the teenager as “a potential mid-rotation starter” whose four-seam fastball can hit 97mph.
Aita was a sixth-round pick for the Red Sox in the 2024 draft. His first pro season saw the 22-year-old right-hander post a 3.98 ERA in 115 1/3 combined innings in Salem and at high-A Greenville, with a 21.4% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate. As per Geoff Pontes of Baseball America, Aita technically has a five-pitch arsenal but he rarely throws his slider. Aita’s fastball is in the 92-93mph range but with plenty of movement, and there’s also a lot of movement and spin on his sweeper and cutter.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan (multiple links) was the first to report that Contreras was going to Boston for Dobbins and multiple minor league pitchers, with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal later identifying Fajardo and Aita. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported the detail of Contreras’ $1MM bonus for waiving his no-trade clause. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported the $8MM heading from St. Louis to Boston, and Cotillo and The Athletic’s Katie Woo had the details on the reworked money in Contreras’ contract.
Inset picture courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing — Imagn Images
Latest On Pirates’ Interest In Kazuma Okamoto
It was almost a month ago that the Pirates were first linked to Kazuma Okamoto, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich reported that Okamoto was one several free agent hitters the Buccos were “considering.” The club’s interest has apparently continued, with a team source telling Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Okamoto and the Pirates have engaged in “multiple virtual meetings.” It isn’t known if Okamoto is planning any in-person visits to Pittsburgh or any other cities before his 45-day posting window closes on January 4.
In general, there haven’t been a ton of details about Okamoto’s efforts to arrive in Major League Baseball, apart from reports that the Red Sox and Blue Jays are involved in his market along with the Pirates. Boston may be a less likely suitor now that Willson Contreras has been acquired to play first base, and while Okamoto is primarily a third baseman, the Sox are known be pursuing Alex Bregman. It is entirely possible Bregman will still be weighing his options by January 4, so the Red Sox might not want to make another signing in the interim that rules Bregman out. The Jays are in something of a similar situation as they consider re-signing Bo Bichette, or potentially pivoting to another big bat like Kyle Tucker or even Bregman.
Any number of other suitors could be involved with Okamoto, of course. With over two weeks to go before the end of his posting window, there is plenty of time for other teams to emerge, plus any shifts in the Bregman/Bichette/Tucker markets could spur some more interest from the Red Sox or Blue Jays. As such, it’s a reach to suggest that the Pirates are any sort of favorite for Okamoto, especially given their lack of history at attracting Japanese talent…or prominent free agents in general.
MLB Trade Rumors ranked Okamoto 19th on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, and projected the infielder for a four-year, $64MM contract. That estimated price tag could represent the biggest obstacle to a deal between Okamoto and the Pirates, who have long been hesitant to spend on the open market. Francisco Liriano‘s three-year, $39MM deal from the 2014-15 offseason remains the largest free agent contract in Pittsburgh’s history, though the team’s actions this winter indicate that owner Robert Nutting may (finally) be more willing to open the checkbook.
The Pirates were reportedly willing to give Kyle Schwarber a four-year deal in the range of $120MM-$125MM, and also had interest in Josh Naylor before Naylor rather quickly exited the market by re-signing with the Mariners. The Bucs have also been linked to Ketel Marte on the trade market, and the Diamondbacks second baseman carries a hefty price tag from the extension he signed with Arizona just last spring.
To date, Pittsburgh has already added Brandon Lowe as a very prominent lineup addition via the three-team trade with the Rays and Astros that also brought Jake Mangum into the outfield mix. Jhostynxon Garcia also arrived in the ‘Burgh via a five-player deal with the Red Sox. Those two trades saw the Pirates trade from their rotation depth by moving out Johan Oviedo and Mike Burrows, though GM Ben Cherington said his team is still looking to land another “proven bat.”
Okamoto doesn’t exactly fit this description, as the 29-year-old obviously has never seen any action in North American baseball. There have also been some questions as to how Okamoto will be able to handle the higher velocity of MLB pitchers, and his defensive value as a third baseman is seen as solid if nothing special. This all said, Okamoto has been one of Japan’s best hitters for years, with a career .277/.361/.521 slash line and 248 home runs over his 4494 plate appearances with the Yomiuri Giants.
Signing Okamoto to a multi-year deal would provide some long-term lineup coverage, as Lowe is slated for free agency next winter. Installing Okamoto at third base would leave Jared Triolo, Nick Gonzales, and Nick Yorke battling for middle infield playing time (when Lowe is used at DH instead of second base), yet using this group in a part-time or bench capacity only deepens the roster. There is also the simple fact that none of the trio hit in 2025, so it is hard to imagine Okamoto wouldn’t represent some kind of upgrade for a Pittsburgh team that badly needs more offense.
Astros Notes: Valdez, Meyers, Roster Needs
Houston general manager Dana Brown spoke with reporters (including the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara, the Athletic’s Chandler Rome, and MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer) on Friday about several matters related to the Astros’ offseason, and there was naturally plenty of talk about the big three-team, six-player trade between the Astros, Pirates, and Rays. The Astros’ end of the deal saw first-year outfielder Jacob Melton and minor league righty Anderson Brito dealt to Tampa Bay, while Houston’s rotation was bolstered by the addition of right-hander Mike Burrows.
Obtaining a controllable and talented young arm like Burrows is a nice get for the Astros, even at the substantial cost of two notable youngsters from Houston’s farm system. As Brown put it, “it’s not easy to part ways with successful pieces that you have that are high-end prospects. But when there are a lot of teams that need starters, that’s where the market is. A lot of teams need starters, and so you don’t want to lose out. So you have to get creative and pull from your depth and maybe fill that spot.”
Burrows might just be the start of Houston’s work on this front, as Brown said his club “will definitely pursue more pitching.” This pursuit has included at least some discussion with Framber Valdez about a potential reunion, but Brown naturally didn’t divulge any details beyond saying that he’s had “some back and forth” with Valdez’s camp.
This is the first indication of any talks between Valdez and the Astros since Brown’s season wrap-up presser at the end of September, when he stated that the two sides would remain in touch. While Brown’s latest comment doesn’t technically provide any new information on this front, it is somewhat notable that Valdez might still remain on Houston’s radar even in a slight fashion, as it has widely been assumed that he’ll be signing elsewhere.
The Astros are known to be looking to avoid paying the luxury tax for the third consecutive season, and Valdez is likely to command a deal far too pricey for Houston’s liking. MLBTR projected Valdez for a five-year, $150MM contract, and such teams as the Orioles, Mets, and Giants have been linked to the two-time All-Star. That interest hasn’t resulted in a deal yet, however, and some obstacles remain for Valdez with any of those suitors — the Giants and Mets reportedly aren’t keen on long-term contracts for pitchers, and the O’s already made a massive free agent strike by signing Pete Alonso.
As long as Valdez remains unsigned, there’s still a chance a deal could be worked out between the two sides. It costs Brown nothing to check in with Valdez out of just due diligence, just in case some common ground could be found or if Valdez’s asking price drops. That being said, the far likelier scenario is that Valdez will be on another team’s roster in 2026, and the Astros will look to add pitching via lower-cost signings, and/or trades.
Brown said he is open to all possibilities on the trade front, though he again suggested that the Astros weren’t necessarily in a rush to trade either from their crowded infield, or known trade target Jake Meyers. Speaking of Meyers specifically, Brown said “it’s a really good deal, we may consider it. But right now, Meyers is going to be a guy for us that’s going to play center field and it looks like he’s the frontline guy as of today.”
The fact that the Astros moved Melton is notable, as he was thought to be a potential heir apparent in center field if Meyers was dealt. Brown said Houston was ultimately comfortable dealing Melton due to the presence of Meyers and Zach Cole as center field options, plus Lucas Spence and Joseph Sullivan further down the minor league pipeline. Beyond Meyers, Cole is the only member of that group with any MLB experience, and Cole’s resume consists of 15 games with the Astros in 2025.
Beyond the rotation, Brown said the Astros are also looking for relief pitching and a backup catcher. Victor Caratini remains available in free agency, though the expectation is that Caratini will be able to find more of a regular catching job with another team than he would be rejoining the Astros to share time with Yainer Diaz behind the plate.
NPB’s Yomiuri Giants Sign Bobby Dalbec
The Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball have signed infielder Bobby Dalbec to a one-year contract, according to multiple reports from Japan. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that Dalbec’s salary is worth more than $1MM.
A highly-touted prospect during his time in the Red Sox farm system, Dalbec is now 30 years old and at a crossroads in his baseball career. Dalbec burst onto the scene with a .959 OPS and eight home runs over his first 92 plate appearances in the majors in 2020, and his first full MLB season saw the slugger hit .240/.298/.494 with 25 homers over 453 PA with the Sox in 2021. Beyond that lopsided slash line, Dalbec struck out in 156 of his 453 PA.
The swing-and-miss eventually overwhelmed Dalbec’s production entirely, as he batted only .199/.272/.328 over 520 PA with the Red Sox and White Sox from 2022-25, with a 37.5% strikeout rate to show from that stretch. Boston parted ways with Dalbec after the 2024 season, and after a minor league deal with Chicago led to only seven MLB games in 2025, Dalbec elected free agency after being designated for assignment in May. Subsequent minors contracts with the Brewers and Royals didn’t result in any more big league playing time, and Dalbec became a minor league free agent at season’s end.
Dalbec hasn’t been able to figure things out against MLB pitching, but he has a career .263/.351/.520 slash line and 89 homers over 1534 PA at the Triple-A level. Even with a 33.57% strikeout rate accompanying those numbers, Dalbec’s ability to produce in Triple-A ball bodes well for his chances of carrying his power over to NPB. It is easy to see why the Giants think Dalbec can bring plenty of thump to their lineup, and if Dalbec can cut back the strikeouts, he might put himself back on the radar for big league teams down the road.