Headlines

  • Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez
  • Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff
  • Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Bobby Jenks Passes Away
  • Braves Release Alex Verdugo
  • Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Yankees Rumors

Yankees, Dominic Smith Agree To Minor League Deal

By Anthony Franco | January 13, 2025 at 7:22pm CDT

The Yankees are in agreement with first baseman Dominic Smith on a minor league contract, reports Jack Curry of the YES Network. Presumably the Roc Nation Sports client will get a non-roster invite to MLB camp.

Smith will vie for a big league roster spot for a ninth consecutive season. He has spent more than half that time in New York as a member of the Mets. Smith was a top prospect who posted huge offensive numbers in a limited sample between 2019-20. His bat has markedly tailed off since that point. Smith struggled between 2021-22, leading the Mets to move on. He had a middling .254/.326/.366 showing over a career-high 586 plate appearances with the Nationals the following year.

The 29-year-old divided last season between the Red Sox and Reds. He got a decent amount of run as Boston’s starting first baseman while Triston Casas was injured. Smith hit .237/.317/.390 through 278 plate appearances with the Sox. Boston released him in mid-August when Casas made his return from the injured list. Smith inked a big league contract with Cincinnati shortly thereafter. He only got into nine games, hitting .192 without a home run over 29 trips before the Reds cut him loose. He finished the season with a cumulative .233/.313/.378 slash.

New York signed Paul Goldschmidt to take over as the primary first baseman. They’ve got Giancarlo Stanton penciled in at designated hitter. That gives Smith an uphill battle to cracking the MLB roster out of camp, though Stanton has a lengthy injury history. Ben Rice is on the 40-man roster as a lefty-hitting first baseman, so Smith would probably need to outperform him during Spring Training to have a shot at an Opening Day job.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Yankees Transactions Dominic Smith

86 comments

Roki Sasaki Reportedly Informs Several Teams They Are Out Of Running

By Darragh McDonald | January 13, 2025 at 3:10pm CDT

3:10pm: The Rangers have also been informed that they are out of the running, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The Diamondbacks never got a meeting with Sasaki and won’t be the destination either, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix.

2:56pm: The Mets have also been informed that they are out of the running, per Joel Sherman of The New York Post.

2:35pm: The Yankees have been told that right-hander Roki Sasaki will not be signing with them, reports Jack Curry of Yes Network. That’s the second team that is reportedly out, with the Giants having also been told that they won’t be Sasaki’s destination. Andy Martino of SNY adds that the Mets aren’t expected to sign him either, though it’s unclear if they have been given a clear denial like the Giants and Yankees. As for teams that are still in the mix, Sasaki reportedly met with the Padres in San Diego recently, per a report from Dennis Lin, Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. This was after his recent meeting with the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Sasaki has been on the radar of MLB clubs for years, but his situation became very interesting once it became clear that he would be coming over to North America this winter. Since he is not yet 25 years old, he is considered an amateur under MLB’s international signing rules. That makes a massive difference in his earning power and opens him up to potentially sign with any club.

Per the international bonus pool system, each club has a limit on how much signing bonus money they can give to international amateurs, with this year’s pools ranging from $5-8MM. Broadly speaking, the large-market clubs have the smaller pools and vice versa. Teams can trade for more pool money but can’t add more than 60% of their initial pool allotment.

The Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki’s Nippon Professional Baseball club, will also be owed a posting fee. However, the value of that fee will be a percentage of his signing bonus and won’t be a large number either. Per the NPB posting rules, the fee is 20% of a deal’s first $25MM, 17.5% of the next $25MM, and 15% of further spending. Since Sasaki will be capped by the pool system, his deal will lead to a modest bonus, with the posting fee adding 20%.

Had Sasaki waited until he turned 25, he would have been considered a professional and could have signed a deal for any amount. That’s the route Yoshinobu Yamamoto took, eventually securing a $325MM deal from the Dodgers.

It can be debated as to who is the better pitcher between Yamamoto and Sasaki, but the point is that there’s tremendous upside in getting Sasaki aboard for such a small investment. Teams that normally don’t sign top free agents can become theoretical fits, while the larger clubs have big payrolls and competitive balance tax concerns, making them very interested as well.

By coming to North America now, Sasaki has seemingly illustrated that maximizing his short-term earnings is not his top priority. Since each club has roughly the same ability to offer him a bonus now, he should be focused on non-financial criteria for making his decision. It could come down to geography, a club’s reputation developing pitching or perhaps a team’s long-term competitive outlook. His agent, Joel Wolfe, said the plan was for teams to make pitches before the holidays. Sasaki would then travel to visit the home cities of certain clubs after the holidays.

A decision needs to come soon. Sasaki can’t officially sign until January 15 when the new pool year starts, but he also has to be signed by January 23, when his posting window closes. Now that there’s only a handful of days left, it seems he is narrowing the field.

The Yankees and Mets both reportedly met with Sasaki in December but it seems that he won’t be coming to New York to join either club. Both teams already have plenty of rotation options, though they surely would have welcomed the problem of adding Sasaki into the mix and further crowding things. The Yankees are already feel good enough about their pitching depth that they are reportedly shopping Marcus Stroman.

Perhaps signing Sasaki wouldn’t have added too much to the urgency to trade Stroman. MLB teams often use six-man rotations when folding in a Japanese pitcher, as the NPB usually sees starters throw once a week as opposed to the five-day rotation in North America. It’s a moot point now but the Yanks still project to start the year with a strong group that includes Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, which is why Stroman’s available.

The Mets have more uncertainty in their rotation but still have plenty of arms to potentially fill out their rotation. Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, Paul Blackburn, Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill are all possibilities. There are question marks with many of those names but that’s eight viable candidates of varying degrees for five rotation spots.

Many observers have considered the Dodgers and the Padres to be the two most likely landing spots, so it’s not especially surprising that San Diego is still in the mix. No one can be sure what Sasaki’s priorities are, but it’s been suggested that the club’s West Coast location and strong performance in recent years are points in their favor, as well as Sasaki’s friendship with Yu Darvish.

As pointed out by The Athletic and others, the Padres could probably use Sasaki more than any other club. They have known financial constraints but plenty of holes to fill, which is why players like Luis Arráez, Dylan Cease, Jake Cronenworth and Robert Suarez have been in trade rumors this winter. Adding a pitcher of Sasaki’s caliber at such a discounted rate would be tremendously helpful for them.

As of right now, the rotation projects to include Darvish, Cease and Michael King, with plenty of question marks beyond that. Adding Sasaki would give the Padres a very strong front four, but it could also perhaps increase the chances of the Friars trading Cease for players that are cheaper and more controllable but less proven.

It’s still anyone’s guess what team will be chosen by Sasaki and why. As mentioned, the Jays are still a possibility, based on Sasaki’s recent trip to Toronto. The Padres are obviously in there as well. The Athletic mentions the Dodgers, Rangers, Cubs and Mariners are clubs that are thought to be in the mix. It’s unknown if Sasaki will visit with any of those other clubs but resolution is coming soon, with more information perhaps trickling out in the coming days.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks New York Mets New York Yankees Newsstand Nippon Professional Baseball San Diego Padres Texas Rangers Roki Sasaki

372 comments

Yankees Adjusting To Organizational Staffing Departures

By Mark Polishuk | January 12, 2025 at 2:57pm CDT

  • The Yankees have lost a total of 14 coaches, coordinators, and player-development personnel to other teams since the offseason began, with the New York Daily News’ Gary Phillips running through the full list of departed names throughout the organization.  As VP of player development Kevin Reese admits, this is an “unusually high” amount of turnover, though “when other teams are coming after them and getting promotions and bringing guys to the big leagues, that speaks well to the people that we had.  We take a lot of pride in having good people and continuing to build it.”  The depth of personnel may have contributed to the departures, as “there are only so many spots for people to move up before there’s a logjam,” said Rick Guarno, who is now the Mets’ Triple-A hitting coach after previously working as the hitting coach with the Yankees’ high-A affiliate.
Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Baltimore Orioles New York Yankees Notes Tampa Bay Rays Charlie Morton

79 comments

Cubs, Yankees Among Teams Interested In Brooks Raley

By Nick Deeds | January 11, 2025 at 7:48pm CDT

Left-hander Brooks Raley is drawing interest from clubs as he continues rehabbing from Tommy John surgery over the summer, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Cubs and Yankees are among the clubs to have reached out and some teams have discussed multi-year arrangements with Raley, though it’s not clear if the Cubs and Yankees are among the teams to have expressed multi-year interest.

Raley, 36, made his big league debut with the Cubs back in 2012 but totaled just 38 1/3 innings of work before departing stateside ball for South Korea back in 2015. He spent several years pitching in the KBO before resurfacing in the majors during the 2020 season as a middle relief option. He enjoyed a late-career breakout in Tampa back in 2022, however, and since then has been nothing short of excellent when healthy enough to take the mound with a 2.58 ERA (153 ERA+), a 3.13 FIP, and a 27.3% strikeout rate over the past three years with the Rays and Mets.

Dominant as he’s been in recent years, a player on the wrong side of 35 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery comes with plenty of question marks. That might make the idea of a multi-year deal seem somewhat surprising, but in some ways it could actually help the acquiring club more reliably secure a return on their investment. After all, Raley figures to only be available for the second half in 2025 and some players need time to shake off the rust following a long layoff like the one Raley is currently experiencing. Given that, a deal that pays Raley a relatively low salary for 2025 but comes with a second guaranteed year at a higher rate could make sense for both sides by guaranteeing Raley a longer-term opportunity coming off surgery while affording the club some protection against Raley struggling in his initial return from surgery before righting the ship and returning to form later on.

Looking at the teams being connected to Raley, it’s fairly easy to see why he’d be of interest to them. The Cubs have been in the market for relief help all winter. While the club already signed Caleb Thielbar as a left-handed option for their bullpen last month, that likely wouldn’t preclude them from adding a player like Raley because he is both more of a bonafide late-inning arm than Thielbar and wouldn’t factor into the club’s Opening Day roster due to his rehab timeline. Chicago has shown a willingness to sign rehabbing players in the past, as well. They were involved in Liam Hendriks’ market last winter and previously signed players like Kendall Graveman and Drew Smyly while they were rehabbing.

The Yankees, meanwhile, have already added Devin Williams to replace Clay Holmes in the ninth inning, giving them a strong one-two punch at the back of the bullpen with Luke Weaver set for an eighth-inning role. One place where the club’s bullpen could stand to be upgraded, however, is from the left side. Southpaw Tim Hill pitched well for the Yanks in 2024 but is currently a free agent. While Raley wouldn’t be available for at least the first half of the season, the club currently has no left-handed relievers on their 40-man roster and could be forced to use a reverse-splits righty like Mark Leiter Jr. against tough left-handed relievers in 2025 without an external addition.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Chicago Cubs New York Yankees Brooks Raley

53 comments

Yankees Willing To Pay Down Salary In Marcus Stroman Trade

By Steve Adams | January 10, 2025 at 11:18am CDT

Marcus Stroman entered the offseason as a logical trade candidate and became an even more likely player to change hands when the Yankees signed Max Fried to an eight-year contract. Recent reports have unsurprisingly indicated that New York is indeed shopping Stroman, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds further context, writing that the Yanks are willing to pay down a portion of Stroman’s $18MM salary to help facilitate a deal.

With Gerrit Cole, Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil in the rotation, Stroman is very arguably their sixth-best rotation arm right now. That’s not optimal for a player who’s not only guaranteed $18MM this coming season but who also carries a conditional player option for the 2026 campaign. If Stroman pitches 140 innings in 2025 — he’s averaged more than 150 frames per 162-game season dating back to 2019 — he’d pick up an $18MM player option for 2026 as well. That only creates extra urgency for the Yankees to move him, as the five names ahead of Stroman on the depth chart are all signed/controlled beyond the 2025 season.

The Yankees already traded one starter after signing Fried (Nestor Cortes), and they’re in the market for either a second baseman or third baseman. They’re reportedly not working with the limitless budget some might expect from the “Evil Empire,” so shedding Stroman’s salary — or a portion of the deal — would give GM Brian Cashman some additional funds in his pursuit of infield help.

The Braves, A’s and Angels are just a few of the teams still seeking rotation help this offseason. Stroman might be New York’s fifth- or sixth-best starter right now, but that’s not the case with many other potential suitors. Stroman is coming off a decent 4.31 ERA in 154 2/3 innings in his first (and possibly only) season with the Yankees. He was hit hard by lefties, in particular, which didn’t play well with Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch; Stroman logged a 5.31 ERA at home compared to a 3.09 mark on the road. A team with a more favorable pitchers’ stadium might view him as a good bet to provide average or better innings at a low cost of acquisition. And in a market where 37-year-old Alex Cobb and 41-year-old Charlie Morton are commanding $15MM salaries on one-year deals — Cobb on the back of a season wherein he made only three starts — Stroman’s salary isn’t exactly egregious.

The Yankees’ willingness to pay down some of Stroman’s salary also inherently signals a willingness to take on a contract of some note in return. That creates a myriad potential frameworks; New York has some interest in Luis Arraez, for instance. He has more trade value than Stroman, but the comparable salaries could make the financial component easy to work out if the Yankees are willing to add the right pieces. Conversely, the Reds would probably welcome the opportunity to shed the $15MM owed to Jeimer Candelario in each of the next two seasons. The Tigers can’t love the $10MM they still owe Kenta Maeda, and he has more experience working in the ’pen than Stroman. Those are entirely speculative scenarios, to be extra clear, but they’re they type of creative situations Cashman and his team can explore when trying to find a Stroman fit.

As things stand, Stroman feels like one of the likeliest players around the league to change hands between now and Opening Day. He’s a pricey veteran without a clear role on his current club but is still relatively productive and not egregiously overpriced when looking at the rest of the market. His current club also has other obvious needs and some degree of financial parameters within which is has to operate.

The Yankees are currently at a projected $303MM worth of luxury tax obligations, per RosterResource. Any subsequent additions to the payroll will come with a 110% tax. Shedding Stroman’s deal would drop them beneath the fourth (and highest) threshold, which sits at $301MM. The third penalty tier (from $281-301MM) comes with a slightly lesser 95% tax rate. In essence, every dollar they save on Stroman’s contract will amount to about $1.95 saved. That only creates more benefit to finding a fit on the trade market.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Yankees Marcus Stroman

201 comments

17 Players Exchange Filing Figures

By Anthony Franco | January 9, 2025 at 10:15pm CDT

This evening’s deadline to exchange filing figures has come and gone. The majority of arbitration-eligible players agreed to contracts to avoid going to a hearing. There were 17 instances where the player and team did not come to terms.

Technically, nothing prevents players and teams from continuing to negotiate. However, virtually every team takes a “file-and-trial” approach to the process. Clubs will mostly refuse to continue talks about one-year deals after this date. They’ll often make exceptions for discussions involving multi-year contracts or one-year deals with a club/mutual option. It’s unlikely that all of these players will end up getting to a hearing, but the majority probably will.

If the sides go to a hearing, a three-person arbitration panel will either choose the player’s or the team’s filing figure. They cannot pick a midpoint. That’s designed to prevent the parties from anchoring by filing at extremely high or low figures. Teams’ preferences for the file-and-trial approach follows a similar logic. The idea is to deter players from submitting a higher number from which they could continue to negotiate until the hearing begins.

The list of players who could go to a hearing this winter (service time in parentheses):

Angels

  • Luis Rengifo (5.043): Filed at $5.95MM, team filed at $5.8MM (per Jon Heyman of the New York Post)
  • José Quijada (4.046): Filed at $1.14MM, team filed at $975K (per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com)
  • Mickey Moniak (3.027): Filed at $2MM, team filed at $1.5MM (per Feinsand)

Brewers

  • William Contreras (3.112): Filed at $6.5MM, team filed at $5.6MM (per Feinsand)

Cardinals

  • Lars Nootbaar (3.076): Filed at $2.95MM, team filed at $2.45MM (per Feinsand)
  • Brendan Donovan (3.000): Filed at $3.3MM, team filed at $2.85MM (per Feinsand)
  • Andre Pallante (2.145): Filed at $2.1MM, team filed at $1.925MM (per Feinsand)

Cubs

  • Kyle Tucker (5.079): Filed at $17.5MM, team filed at $15MM (per Jesse Rogers of ESPN)

Dodgers

  • Alex Vesia (4.078): Filed at $2.35MM, team filed at $2.05MM (per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic)

Nationals

  • Nathaniel Lowe (4.145): Filed at $11.1MM, team filed at $10.3MM (per Alden González of ESPN)

Orioles

  • Jorge Mateo (5.000): Filed at $4MM, team filed at $3.1MM (per Feinsand)

Padres

  • Michael King (5.004): Filed at $8.8MM, team filed at $7.325MM (per Heyman)

Pirates

  • Dennis Santana (4.126): Filed at $2.1MM, team filed at $1.4MM (per Feinsand)
  • Johan Oviedo (3.079): Filed at $1.15MM, team filed at $850K (per Feinsand)

Rays

  • Taylor Walls (3.092): Filed at $1.575MM, team filed at $1.3MM (per Feinsand)

Red Sox

  • Jarren Duran (2.155): Filed at $4MM, team filed at $3.5MM (per Feinsand)

Yankees

  • Mark Leiter Jr. (4.031): Filed at $2.5MM, team filed at $2.05MM (per Heyman)

—————————————

Tucker and the Cubs have the biggest gap in filing figures at $2.5MM. He’s one of the top two free agents in next year’s class and is unlikely to sign an extension, so they’re almost certainly headed to a hearing. King, who will be one of the best pitchers on the open market next winter, is the only other player with more than $1MM at stake depending on the results of the hearing. The smallest divide is the paltry $150K gap between Rengifo’s and the Angels’ respective filing figures. Hearings are scheduled to begin on January 27 and could run through February 14.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers New York Yankees Newsstand Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres St. Louis Cardinals Tampa Bay Rays Washington Nationals

117 comments

Yankees Considering Paul DeJong

By Nick Deeds | January 9, 2025 at 9:40pm CDT

As the Yankees search for infield help after losing second baseman Gleyber Torres in free agency last month, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Paul DeJong is among the names the club is currently considering.

DeJong, 31, has spent the vast majority of his career with the Cardinals to this point. After being selected in the fourth-round of the 2015 draft by St. Louis, he rose through the ranks of the minor leagues quickly and made his debut during the 2017 season. The first few years of his career went quite well, as he hit a solid .251/.318/.467 (108 wRC+) in his first three years with the club while working his way into the Cardinals lineup as their everyday shortstop. He enjoyed a particularly strong season in 2019, when he slugged 30 home runs and put up fantastic numbers on defense en route to an All-Star appearance.

Things started to take a turn for the worse starting with the shortened 2020 season, however, and his offense took a major step back until he ultimately lost his starting job with the Cardinals. Eventually, he was traded midway through the 2023 season having slashed just .207/.285/.368 (80 wRC+) over his final four years with the club. He bounced around the Blue Jays and Giants down the stretch and hit just .129/.128/.183 over the season’s final two months before reaching free agency, where he eventually signed with the White Sox.

While 2024 was a season to forget on the south side of Chicago, that had nothing to do with DeJong’s performance. Taking over for Tim Anderson as the club’s starting shortstop in the first half, DeJong enjoyed the best season he’s had since his aforementioned 2019 All-Star campaign. That strong performance earned him a trade to the Royals, and he shifted to third base in deference to Bobby Witt Jr. down the stretch as the Royals made their first playoff appearance since winning the World Series in 2015. Overall, he slashed a decent .227/.276/.427 (95 wRC+) in 482 plate appearances that brought his offensive contributions within spitting distance of league average. That combined with strong glovework at both shortstop and third base made DeJong a 1.7 fWAR player in 2024, or a roughly average regular.

A player whose best season in half a decade saw him become more or less average is sure to come with warts, and DeJong is no exception. His .276 on-base percentage last year was the eighth-lowest figure among all hitters with at least 450 trips to the plate, and his 32.4% strikeout rate was third-highest among that same group. DeJong’s excessive whiffs and difficulty getting on-base are somewhat made up for by his considerable pop; he clubbed 24 homers last year, good for eighth among shortstops and ninth among third baseman despite him not getting enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. With his combination of power and defense, DeJong seems like a good bet to earn at least semi-regular playing time in 2025.

Whether that playing time will ultimately come with the Yankees is unclear. DeJong is unlikely to cost much even after a solid enough platform season, and that’s sure to be appreciated by a Yankees club that seems to be stretched thin financially as things stand. Heyman suggests that offloading some of right-hander Marcus Stroman’s salary could allow the Yankees to spend a bit more in their search for infield help, though even if they’re successful in their efforts to shop the veteran hurler it stands to reason they’ll remain out on top-of-the-market options like Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado.

While the Yankees apparently don’t have much desire to pay a premium in free agency or trade to add infield help, there’s a clear need for another option at either second or third base. Jazz Chisholm Jr. can be a solid regular at either position and appears to be ticketed for the keystone as things stand, but that would leave third base to some combination of DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Oswald Peraza. LeMahieu turns 37 in July and is coming off a 2024 season where he was among the worst hitters in baseball (52 wRC+), while Peraza has just 74 games of experience at the big league level. That leaves Cabrera as the club’s best option at present, but his .247/.296/.365 (88 wRC+) leaves much to be desired as an everyday player despite his value on the bench.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Yankees Paul DeJong

71 comments

Latest On Luis Arraez’s Trade Market

By Nick Deeds | January 9, 2025 at 5:06pm CDT

The Padres and infielder Luis Arráez avoided arbitration earlier today by agreeing to a $14MM salary for the 2025 season, his final before he reaches free agency next offseason. Even after agreeing to a contract, however, there’s no guarantee that Arraez will be San Diego come Opening Day. The club is reportedly angling to lower its payroll to something closer to 2024’s $169MM figure. With outstanding needs in the outfield and rotation that have yet to be addressed, trading a pricey arbitration-level player like Arraez or Dylan Cease seems like it may be the best avenue for the club to simultaneously lower its payroll and add talent to remain competitive in the NL West this season.

That’s led the Padres to at least consider parting ways with Arraez this winter, and there have been some conflicting reports about potential interest from the Yankees regarding Arraez’s services. The club is in need of infield help after losing Gleyber Torres in free agency, and Arraez’s history as a second baseman makes him something of a plausible option. With that being said however, Andy Martino of SNY is the latest voice to cast doubt on the fit between Arraez and the Yankees. While Martino acknowledges that the club had some discussions back in November that involved Arraez, he adds that similarly brief conversations were held regarding fellow Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth along with a number of other players, and that the Yankees are not expected to pursue Arraez at this point in the winter.

That may not completely shut the door on Arraez winding up in the Big Apple, however. Martino suggests that while the Mets have not engaged with the Padres in “substantive” talks regarding Arraez to this point, they’re in the market for a veteran infielder and he could come into play for the club in the event that slugging first baseman Pete Alonso signs elsewhere. In that case, Arraez would provide the Mets with a short-term solution at first along with the ability to back up second and third base in a pinch. That would leave the door open for New York to reevaluate its needs next winter in a free agent class that figures to be headlined by star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. barring an extension with the Blue Jays. Paul Goldschmidt, Ryan O’Hearn, and Josh Naylor are among the other noteworthy names that figure to be available in next year’s first base class.

When it comes to their hole at first base, the club seems to be clearly focused on bringing Alonso back into the fold despite a number of recent reports have suggested that there remains a gap between the two sides in terms of years. It’s difficult to imagine the Mets going in another direction until Alonso’s market develops further, but it’s worth noting that the same surely could have been said about third baseman Alex Bregman and the Astros in the weeks prior to the club adding Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker to box him out of the club’s infield mix.

Should the Mets wind up searching for other options themselves, Arraez figures to be one of a number of backup options at their disposal in the event that Alonso ultimately signs elsewhere. There’s been some rumors that the club could consider Bregman as a backup to Alonso, which would kick incumbent third baseman Mark Vientos over to first. More direct first base options available in free agency or on the trade market include Justin Turner, LaMonte Wade Jr. or perhaps even Red Sox youngster Triston Casas, though none of those players have been directly connected to the Mets at this point.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets New York Yankees San Diego Padres Luis Arraez Pete Alonso

207 comments

Oswaldo Cabrera Drawing Trade Interest

By Leo Morgenstern | January 9, 2025 at 11:14am CDT

As the Yankees’ roster currently stands, Oswaldo Cabrera might be the most likely option to be the team’s regular third baseman in 2025. He has appeared in 92 career games at the hot corner, more than anywhere else on the diamond, and has put up excellent defensive metrics in that small sample of playing time. In 706 2/3 innings, he has 9 Defensive Runs Saves, 4 Outs Above Average, and a +3 Fielding Run Value. However, Cabrera has struggled to make the same kind of impact at the plate throughout his brief big league tenure. In 827 plate appearances from 2022-24, he has a .643 OPS and an 80 wRC+. Thus, FanGraphs estimates he has only been worth 1.3 Wins Above Replacement in 268 career games.

With all that in mind, it’s no surprise the Yankees are pursuing infield upgrades. For instance, they have recently been linked to players like Jorge Polanco, Brendan Rodgers, and Luis Arraez. If New York were to add any of those players – or a different second or third baseman – Cabrera would be the odd man out in the starting lineup. That would relegate him to a bench role once again in his age-26 season. So, it makes sense that multiple teams have reportedly spoken with the Yankees about Cabrera’s availability in a trade this winter (per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic). A rebuilding club or a contender with less infield depth might have more playing time to offer Cabrera in 2025 and therefore might value him more highly than the Yankees. What’s more, the market for lower-tier infielders is thin right now. Plenty of teams might prefer to take a chance on Cabrera’s upside than sign a known (and aging) entity like Enrique Hernández or Whit Merrifield. Cabrera is still young, still has room for growth, and won’t be arbitration-eligible until 2026.

That being said, Kuty also mentions that the Yankees “don’t seem likely” to trade Cabrera. After all, he could be their most valuable utility player this year. He’s a safer bet than the declining DJ LeMahieu and more of a proven major leaguer than former top prospect Oswald Peraza or current prospect Jorbit Vivas. What’s more, Cabrera can also play the outfield corners. He only played a handful of games in the outfield last season, but he has close to 900 innings of left and right field experience under his belt. That’s the kind of versatile bench player the Yankees could use even if/when they add another starting infielder. Indeed, this team should certainly understand the importance of position player depth. Thanks to his flexibility and good health, Cabrera has taken the field in 224 games over the last two seasons. Only two current Yankees have played more games for the team in that time: Anthony Volpe and Aaron Judge.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Yankees Oswaldo Cabrera

52 comments

MLBTR Podcast: Brent Rooker’s Extension, Gavin Lux, And Catching Up On The Holiday Transactions

By Darragh McDonald | January 8, 2025 at 6:30pm CDT

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

  • The Athletics and Brent Rooker agreeing to a five-year extension (1:40)
  • The Dodgers signing Hyeseong Kim and trading Gavin Lux to the Reds (6:40)
  • The Diamondbacks signing Corbin Burnes (14:45)
  • Do the Blue Jays have unique challenges in signing free agents to come to another country? (16:30)
  • Will Burnes opt out in two years and will the Diamondbacks trade a starter now? (21:05)
  • The Yankees acquiring Cody Bellinger from the Cubs and signing Paul Goldschmidt (26:35)
  • The Astros signing Christian Walker (34:40)
  • The Mets signing Sean Manaea and Griffin Canning (39:15)
  • The Red Sox signing Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval (43:35)
  • The Phillies acquiring Jesús Luzardo and signing Max Kepler (50:35)
  • The Orioles signing Charlie Morton (55:35)
  • The Guardians trading Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks and signing Carlos Santana (58:30)
  • The Rangers trading Nathaniel Lowe to the Nationals and signing Joc Pederson (1:01:25)
  • The Nationals get Lowe as well as signing Josh Bell, Michael Soroka and Trevor Williams (1:05:30)
  • The Tigers signing Gleyber Torres and shuffling their infield around (1:08:25)

Check out our past episodes!

  • Kyle Tucker To The Cubs, And Trades For Devin Williams And Jeffrey Springs – listen here
  • Winter Meetings Recap – listen here
  • Blake Snell, Dodger Fatigue, And The Simmering Hot Stove – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Guardians Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers MLB Trade Rumors Podcast New York Mets New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Philadelphia Phillies Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals Brent Rooker Carlos Santana Charlie Morton Christian Walker Cody Bellinger Corbin Burnes Gavin Lux Gleyber Torres Griffin Canning Hyeseong Kim Jesus Luzardo Joc Pederson Josh Bell Josh Naylor Max Kepler Michael Soroka Nathaniel Lowe Patrick Sandoval Paul Goldschmidt Sean Manaea Trevor Williams Walker Buehler

7 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
Show all
    Top Stories

    Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

    Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

    Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Bobby Jenks Passes Away

    Braves Release Alex Verdugo

    Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

    Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

    Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

    Rangers Option Josh Jung

    Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement

    Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On IL With Elbow Fracture

    Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib

    Tucker Barnhart To Retire

    Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

    Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

    Dave Parker Passes Away

    Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

    Recent

    A.J. Preller Discusses Padres’ Deadline Outlook

    Poll: Should The Marlins Still Trade Sandy Alcantara This Summer?

    Front Office Subscriber Chat With Anthony Franco: TODAY At 1:00pm Central

    Submit Your Questions For This Week’s Episode Of The MLBTR Podcast

    Dodgers To Select Julian Fernández

    The Opener: Nationals, Tigers, Rays, Pitchers’ Duel

    Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

    Rays Notes: Rasmussen, Boyle, Lowe, Kim

    Nationals Sign Luis Garcia

    Cubs, Tigers Among Teams Interested In Ke’Bryan Hayes

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Alex Bregman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

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

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version