The Opener: Winter Meetings, Schwarber, Marte
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Winter Meetings Underway:
Players, agents, and executives alike arrived in Orlando last night for this year’s Winter Meetings, which officially kick off today and run through this coming Thursday. Even before the meetings began, there was significant movement around the league. The big news of this weekend was a trade between the Mariners and Nationals that saw top prospect Harry Ford head to D.C. in exchange for ground balling lefty Jose A. Ferrer. Many more trades and transactions figure to follow over the coming days, and last year’s Winter Meetings famously kicked off with a record-shattering contract between Juan Soto and the Mets. What will the biggest stories of this year’s meetings be? Be sure to check in with MLBTR throughout the coming days to hear about all the latest news!
2. Schwarber gets a big offer… from the Pirates?
The market for slugging DH Kyle Schwarber has been among the most active for any position player this offseason, and last night word broke that he’s received at least one significant offer. That four-year offer is expected to be worth more than $100MM, and comes from an unusual place: Pittsburgh. Pirates brass have frequently indicated this winter that they have more resources at their disposal than usual, but a nine-figure deal for Schwarber would be a massive departure from the franchise’s previous comfort zone; they’ve never signed a free agent to a guarantee of $40MM in the past. Schwarber is also known to be pursued by the incumbent Phillies as well as the Reds, Red Sox, Giants, and Orioles. With one offer already on the table, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the slugger’s market move quickly over the coming days.
3. Teams keeping an eye on Marte:
While the Diamondbacks have made clear that they don’t necessarily plan on trading Ketel Marte, that hasn’t stopped various teams from keeping an eye on the switch hitting All-Star. The 32-year-old would immediately become the best hitter available on the trade market if Arizona were to shop him, and there’s a number of teams already checking in. Yesterday, it was reported that the Red Sox, Rays, Tigers, Pirates, and Mariners have all been keeping an eye on Marte as a possible addition to their respective lineups. In a market where Bo Bichette is the only star-level middle infielder available via free agency, Marte figures to be especially attractive to teams in need of infield talent. That could spur the Diamondbacks to consider a trade, particularly as their payroll has reached record levels in recent years and their rotation has been depleted by the departures of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly (not to mention Tommy John surgery for Corbin Burnes).
Jeff Kent Elected To Baseball Hall Of Fame
Jeff Kent was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, as revealed by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee tonight. Kent received 14 of a possible 16 votes from the Era Committee, easily topping the 75% (12 of 16) threshold needed for induction to Cooperstown. Of the other seven candidates under consideration, Carlos Delgado was the next-closest candidate with nine votes, and Dale Murphy and Don Mattingly each received six votes. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela all received less than five votes.
A veteran of 17 Major League seasons with the Blue Jays, Mets, Indians, Giants, Astros, and Dodgers from 1992-2008, Kent hit more homers as a second baseman than any other player in history, going yard 351 times from the position. His resume includes four Silver Slugger awards and five All-Star nods, as well as the 2000 NL MVP Award when Kent was a member of the Giants.
Kent is primarily remembered for his six seasons in San Francisco and five seasons with the Mets. Beginning his career as a well-regarded prospect in the Blue Jays’ farm system, Roberto Alomar’s presence in Toronto made Kent expendable, and the Jays dealt Kent for David Cone in August 1992. Cone’s presence helped the Blue Jays capture the 1992 World Series, while Kent went onto establish himself as a solid regular during his time in New York.
The 1996 trade deadline saw Kent again on the move, this time to Cleveland. During the 1996-97 offseason, the Tribe flipped Kent to San Francisco, where he truly rose to stardom. Kent hit .297/.368/.535 with 175 homers over 3903 plate appearances and an even 900 games with the Giants from 1997-2002, teaming with Bonds to form a devastating one-two punch in the lineup. The 2002 Giants reached the World Series for Kent’s only appearance in the Fall Classic, as the team fell just short in a seven-game loss to the Angels. For his career in the postseason, Kent hit a solid .276/.340/.500 over 189 PA.
Kent spent his final six seasons with the Astros (2003-04) and Dodgers (05-08), and remained an offensive force at the plate until his production finally trailed off in his 17th and final MLB season. Over 2298 career games and 9537 PA, Kent hit .290/.356/.500 with 377 home runs, 1518 RBI, and 1320 runs scored.
Despite his impressive career numbers, Kent didn’t gain much traction during his 10 years on the writers’ ballot, as he never received more than 46.5% of the vote. A crowded ballot during Kent’s era didn’t help, yet his subpar defense and surly reputation probably also didn’t help curry much favor with voters. Clubhouse controversy followed Kent during his time with the Mets and Giants, and his stint in San Francisco included a well-publicized feud with Bonds. There is some irony, therefore, in the fact that Kent is finally making it into Cooperstown while on the same Era Committee ballot as his former Giants teammate.
Formerly known as the Veterans Committee, the Era Committee is the latest incarnation of the process that for decades has given some fresh evaluation and a second chance to players initially overlooked on the writers’ ballot. This year’s version of the Era Committee focused on players whose greatest contributions came during the “Contemporary Baseball” (1980-present) era. Next year’s ballot will focus on managers, executives, and umpires from the Contemporary Baseball era, and the 2027 ballot will consider candidates from the “Classic Baseball” era (prior to 1980) before Contemporary Players are again considered in 2028.
A rule change introduced this year added an extra layer of intrigue (or even controversy) to this year’s proceedings. Because they received less than five votes on this year’s ballot, Bonds, Clemens, Sheffield, and Valenzuela must be omitted from the next voting cycle, and can’t return to the Contemporary Players ballot until at least 2031. If any of these four players then don’t receive at least five votes in 2031 or on any future ballot, they are no longer eligible for inclusion on any Contemporary Players ballot.
The aim of this new rule is to allow more candidates to be included on Era Committee ballots on a regular basis. The concept of permanent disqualification from ballots, however, has been viewed by some as a way for the Hall of Fame to sidestep the ongoing controversy about Bonds, Clemens, Sheffield, or other prominent superstars (i.e. Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro) who were linked to PEDs. While obviously Era Committee rules could again be altered down the road, for now, the path to Cooperstown has gotten even narrower for Bonds, Clemens, or Sheffield.
The results of the writers’ ballot will be announced on January 20, with such players as Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones seen as strong candidates to finally get over the 75% threshold after multiple years on the ballot (nine years for Jones, four years for Beltran). Any players elected on January 20 will join Kent in being officially inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26 in Cooperstown.
The 16 members of this year’s Era Committee could vote for as many as three players, and as few as zero players. This year’s Era Committee was comprised of seven Hall of Famers (Ferguson Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Perez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell, Robin Yount), four former MLB general managers (Doug Melvin, Kim Ng, Tony Reagins, Terry Ryan), two current MLB owners (the Brewers’ Mark Attansio and the Angels’ Arte Moreno), two media members (the Athletic’s Tyler Kepner and Jayson Stark), and historian Steve Hirdt.
Yankees Notes: Bellinger, Williams, Lineup
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spoke to reporters on Sunday, offering updates on a few key free agents and discussing plans for the 2026 lineup. Free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger continues to be a popular topic of conversation, and Cashman reiterated that the team wants him back next season.
“Cody Bellinger would be a great fit for us,” Cashman said (h/t Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). “I think he’d be a great fit for anybody. I think he’s a very talented player that can play multiple positions at a high level, and hits lefties, hits righties. He’s a contact guy, and I think our environment was a great one for him.”
Bellinger has been linked to the Yankees all offseason. A report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggested the club views fellow free agent Kyle Tucker as a backup plan if they can’t retain Bellinger. For what it’s worth, Cashman said Tucker hasn’t visited the Yankees’ complex in Tampa (relayed by Hoch). The former Cub recently stopped by the Blue Jays’ facility in Dunedin.
The 30-year-old Bellinger opted out of his contract in early November, hitting the open market after a strong first season in the Bronx. He slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 13 stolen bases this past year. Bellinger had one year and $25MM remaining on his deal. Given the widespread interest in his services, he should land a much more lucrative pact.
Bringing back Bellinger might exacerbate a lineup configuration issue addressed by Cashman. The roster skews left-handed at the moment. “That is a problem,” Cashman said (h/t Greg Joyce of the New York Post). Cashman added that the team wouldn’t make a trade just to get a right-handed hitter if they aren’t better than the lefty currently in place.
Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are the only righties slated for regular at-bats next season. The club’s shortstop will likely also be a righty, with Jose Caballero handling the position until Anthony Volpe is available. After that, it’s a bunch of lefties, with a couple switch-hitters mixed in. The righty/lefty mix might be more of a pressing issue if New York struggled against lefties last season, but that wasn’t the case. The Yankees led the league in OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching in 2025. They tied the Dodgers for the most home runs off southpaws.
If Cashman is set on rebalancing the lineup, a certain right-handed infield prospect comes to mind. George Lombard Jr., the team’s top prospect, seems to be on the verge of making an impact at the MLB level. Cashman threw cold water on the possibility of Lombard being involved right away, though. “He could play defense in the big leagues right now, but he’s still developing on the hitting side. Exciting, high ceiling talent. But I don’t think he’s ready yet.” (h/t to Hoch)
The stance is in line with Cashman’s previous comments on Lombard’s trajectory. The 2023 first-rounder hit just .215 at Double-A last year, though he was only in his age-20 season. Lombard torched High-A pitching earlier in the year, earning the bump to Somerset. His strikeout rate jumped considerably with the Patriots, exceeding 25% for the first time as a professional. Lombard did manage 24 steals, while chipping in eight home runs. He’s a good bet to repeat Double-A to open next season. A strong performance could force the Yankees’ hand, especially if the Caballero/Volpe combo falters.
While Bellinger might rejoin the team, another reunion fell flat, apparently without an attempt. Cashman said the Yankees never made an offer to free agent reliever Devin Williams (h/t to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic). Williams and his former team were said to have mutual interest in a return, but he ultimately went to the cross-town rival Mets on a three-year, $51MM deal.
Williams came to the Yankees in a December 2024 trade with the Brewers. He lost the closer role a month into the season and needed an injury to Luke Weaver to get back in the mix for saves. He pitched well for a couple of months, but the Yankees went out and acquired David Bednar at the trade deadline. Bednar took over as closer upon arrival, moving Williams to a setup role. The presence of Bednar and fellow trade deadline acquisition Camilo Doval could’ve hindered the Yankees in attracting Williams, who said it “depends on the scenario” regarding whether being the closer would impact his free agency decision. The Mets had an obvious opening with Edwin Diaz opting out and hitting free agency.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
Giants Have Interest In Harrison Bader
Harrison Bader is coming off the best offensive season of his career, and this well-timed surge at the plate set up the former Gold Glover nicely as he enters free agency. The Phillies are known to be open to reuniting with Bader after he performed so well for Philadelphia following a deadline trade from the Twins, and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser writes that Bader also “piques the Giants’ interest” as the team explores the outfield market.
Bader’s chief calling card is his glove, as public defensive metrics indicate consistently good-to-great numbers for Bader over his nine big league seasons. 2025 was no exception, as he received +6 Defensive Runs Saved and +3 Outs Above Average over 568 2/3 innings as a center fielder, and +7 DRS and +3 OAA for 496 innings as a left fielder. Last season marked the first time that Bader saw any work in the corner outfield slots since 2018, as he probably would’ve gotten more looks up the middle in Minnesota if Byron Buxton hadn’t stayed healthy.
The offensive production has been much more of a roller-coaster for Bader, as while he posted some above-average numbers with the Cardinals earlier in his career, he had just an 80 wRC+ over 1094 plate appearances across the 2022-24 seasons. It seemed as though Bader was destined for a fourth-outfielder role for the remainder of his career, but his bat came to life in 2025. Bader hit .277/.347/.449 with 17 homers over 501 PA for the Twins and Phillies, for a personal best of 122 wRC+.
It’s a fair question to wonder if this production can carry over into 2026 and beyond, as Bader had a .359 BABIP and a host of subpar Statcast metrics undermining last season’s numbers. MLB Trade Rumors still ranked Bader 31st on our list of the winter’s top 50 free agents, but with a fairly modest projection of a two-year, $26MM contract. Bader is helped by the fact that the pickings are quite slim in this year’s center field market, and the list has been further thinned since Trent Grisham accepted the Yankees’ qualifying offer, Cedric Mullins signed with the Rays, and the Twins don’t appear to have any interest in dealing Buxton.
At the very least, a team signing Bader can count on superb defense, and that has natural appeal for the Giants at spacious Oracle Park. Jung Hoo Lee has posted brutal defensive numbers (-20 DRS, -6 OAA) over his two Major League seasons as San Francisco’s center fielder, and Lee’s strong throwing arm perhaps makes right field a better fit. Since left fielder Heliot Ramos is also a below-average defender, adding a defensive ace like Bader into the mix is a clear and obvious way for the Giants to upgrade their glovework on the grass.
Braves Notes: Ozuna, Holmes, Bullpen
Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos spoke to reporters today, including David O’Brien of The Athletic, covering a variety of topics. The head man in Atlanta offered details on the club’s plans at DH, along with some health updates on a couple of pitchers.
While Anthopoulos didn’t rule out bringing back Marcell Ozuna, he said the team prefers to leave DH open and split the role among multiple players. Ozuna has been Atlanta’s primary DH since the 2023 season. He’s made just two appearances in the field the past three years.
Ozuna lost his stranglehold on the position midway through last season, with the Braves looking to get both Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin in the lineup. The downturn in playing time, along with Ozuna’s pending free agency, led to frequent trade rumors in July. He ultimately remained with the team through the trade deadline. He socked five home runs in the first two weeks of August, but hit just one more the rest of the season.
The 35-year-old Ozuna has spent the last six seasons with the Braves. He led the National League in home runs and RBI in the shortened 2020 season. Ozuna struggled with injuries and poor performance over the next two campaigns. He bounced back to deliver some of the best results of his career in 2023 and 2024, totaling 79 home runs with 100+ RBI in each year.
Baldwin, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, will be a fixture in the middle of the lineup next season. Murphy struggled to hit for average last year, but provided solid power numbers and strong defensive stats. He’ll likely earn the majority of the work behind the plate.
On the pitching side, Anthopoulos said Grant Holmes hasn’t had any setbacks in his recovery from a partial UCL tear and will be treated like a healthy pitcher this offseason. That update likely puts Holmes on track for the start of the 2026 season. The right-hander went down with right elbow inflammation in late July and was ominously placed directly on the 60-day IL. He went the rest-and-recovery route with the elbow injury and seems to have ducked surgery, given his progression thus far.
Holmes will be on the periphery of the starting rotation to open the season, but he’s likely the next man up if anyone goes down, which is exactly what happened last year. Spencer Strider hit the IL shortly before the season began, thrusting Holmes into a starting role. He came through with decent production at the back of the rotation, posting a 3.99 ERA over 22 appearances (21 starts). Holmes struck out more than a batter per inning, though his walk rate ballooned to 11%. Free passes hadn’t been much of an issue for Holmes, including in his swingman role in 2024, so perhaps the elbow injury played a role there.
Atlanta’s rotation will be headlined by Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Strider. Hurston Waldrep impressed late last season with a revamped arsenal, so he’ll likely retain a spot. Reynaldo Lopez missed nearly all of 2025 with a shoulder injury, though he should be back to begin next season. The Braves have given extra off days to their starters in recent seasons, particularly for Sale, so Holmes could find his way to starts even with everyone healthy.
The health update wasn’t as positive for Joe Jimenez. The reliever missed all of last season after undergoing knee surgery in March. Anthopoulos said Jimenez recently had a “cleanup” procedure on the knee. Anthopoulos added that the club isn’t counting on Jimenez until he ramps up throwing and proves he’s healthy.
Atlanta acquired Jimenez in a December 2022 trade that sent Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jake Higginbotham to the Tigers. He was a crucial part of the late-inning mix in 2024, racking up 27 holds and three saves. Jimenez cleaned up the walk issues that plagued him at times in Detroit, while maintaining substantial strikeout numbers.
The Braves have already been active on the free agent reliever market, re-signing Raisel Iglesias and Joel Payamps. Jimenez’s troublesome knee could lead to another addition, specifically from the right side. The club’s other high-leverage arms, Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer, are both left-handed.
Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images
Mets, Giants Met With Framber Valdez In November
The Orioles are the only team publicly linked to Framber Valdez‘s market this winter, and MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports that Valdez and his reps indeed met with officials from the O’s at the GM Meetings in November. Around that same time, however, the Giants and Mets also spoke with Valdez’s camp, which fits given how both teams are known to be looking for starting pitching help.
Valdez ranked sixth on MLBTR’s list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, with a predicted contract of five years and $150MM. This projection makes San Francisco’s interest all the more intriguing, since both GM Zack Minasian and team chairman Greg Johnson have each stated since the GM Meetings that the Giants prefer to add pitchers on shorter-term contracts. Valdez is entering his age-32 season, which may raise the risk level even further about making a big commitment to the left-hander now that he is past what are generally considered a player’s prime years.
The Giants’ stance doesn’t technically preclude a pursuit of Valdez, if the team perhaps offered the southpaw a short-term contract with a higher average annual value. That said, Valdez’s age might make such a consideration unlikely on his end, as surely he wants to strike as lengthy and lucrative a deal as possible now that he has reached the open market. Despite his age, Valdez is a workhorse who has tossed 767 2/3 innings over the last four seasons, and he has 85 more innings under his belt on his career postseason resume.
Valdez is a grounder specialist who doesn’t miss many bats, but that skillset would work just fine with Matt Chapman and Willy Adames backing him up in the San Francisco infield. More pressingly, Valdez’s ability to eat up innings with quality work is a nice fit in a Giants rotation that has plenty of question marks beyond ace Logan Webb.
Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp project as the next two starters, and Ray is a free agent next winter while Roupp had a solid 2025 season but is an overall unproven commodity over the long term. A collection of other younger and unproven arms (Hayden Birdsong, Trevor McDonald, Blade Tidwell, Carson Whisenhunt, Kai-Wei Teng, Keaton Winn) are currently in the mix for the fourth and fifth spots. Signing Valdez would do a ton to solidify this group, as the Giants would have a very strong top three of Webb-Ray-Valdez that could easily line up as a playoff rotation, and Valdez would be the replacement for Ray if the former Cy Young Award winner went elsewhere after the 2026 campaign.
That said, it could all be a moot point if the Giants aren’t willing to splurge on a long-term pitching contract. It could be that the Giants checked in with Valdez and other pitchers to get an early gauge on their expectations, and without much hope of finding a bargain, the team is now being open about its preference to stick with smaller (and presumably less-expensive) contracts.
Mets president of baseball David Stearns shares a similar view on starting pitching contracts, yet New York’s decision to stick to such deals with the likes of Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Clay Holmes last winter backfired badly on the team. These three pitchers and the other members of the rotation simply seemed to break down last season, leading to the team’s collapse in the second half as an influx of pitching prospects couldn’t stop the downward spiral.
Between the veterans (Manaea, Holmes, Kodai Senga, David Peterson) and the youngsters (Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, Christian Scott), the Mets have plenty of pitchers on hand, yet adding a durable frontline starter like Valdez would be a huge boost to this group. In the wake of last year’s collapse, Stearns expressed regret over not doing more to reinforce the pitching staff, and owner Steve Cohen surely couldn’t have been pleased with how things played out.
The Amazins’ interest in upgrading their rotation has been evident by the many big names on their radar this winter. Valdez joins the likes of Tatsuya Imai, Michael King, Ranger Suarez, Joe Ryan, and Tarik Skubal as free agents and trade candidates who have been liked to the Mets in some fashion. It might be safe to guess at this point that the Mets will head into Opening Day with at least one big new arm at the front of their rotation, and it’s just a matter of whether the club will obtain their rotation help via trades or pricey signings.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Mark P
- The Winter Meetings are about to begin, so there’s plenty to discuss! Let’s take a minute for the questions to pile up, and then launch the Weekend Chat…
Tim
- We going to see alot more signings and trades the next few days?
Mark P
- Oh heck yeah. While the Winter Meetings aren’t the epicenter of offseason activity, it will be very busy over the next few days
Zach
- If the Rangers were to trade Jung and a couple of lower level prospects to the pirates could they get Joey Bart and some RP?
Mark P
- I don’t think the asking price for Bart would be all that high, but a Jung/Bart swap would be interesting given their shared history as top prospects.
Every fan in Cincinnati
- We are all dying to know what the Reds will realistically do this week. Any clues? Is Schwarber going to shock everyone and come hit 60 plus bombs each year?
Mark P
- As fun as it would be to see Schwarber return to his hometown team, it would be stunning to see him leave Philadelphia.
I do think the Reds will add at least one reliable, everyday-ish type of hitter to the lineup. Whether that add comes in the next week or two months from now, who knows, but some kind of an upgrade would be immensely helpful.
- For teams like the Reds and Pirates who might be willing to stretch the budget for Schwarber, they should still be willing to spend that money but spread around over multiple players (assuming Schwarber goes elsewhere).
Dave
- Now that the Mariners traded Harry Ford, who is the backup catcher? Would they consider a reunion with Garver and/or Murphy, and if so, who is more likely to come back?
Mark P
- Either of these guys or another clear-cut backup type is possible. Frankly, a backup catcher in Seattle is likely to play infrequently enough that it might not be a priority for the team right now.
Mariners, Pirates Linked To Ketel Marte
The list of teams connected to Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte continues to grow. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Mariners and Pirates are among the teams interested in dealing for the three-time All-Star.
Heyman also linked the Red Sox, Rays, and Tigers to Marte, echoing this morning’s report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Those squads join the Phillies and Blue Jays, who reportedly inquired about Marte last month. John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports noted in mid-November that at least seven teams had checked in on Marte’s availability, though he didn’t mention any by name. It’s unclear if this group comprises the seven teams Gambadoro was referencing, but we’ve now reached that number across the various reports.
With Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez heading into free agency, Seattle has some vacancies to fill in the infield. A reunion with either player is an option, and there are also a handful of internal candidates to fill those spots, though a deal for Marte would be a desirable route. The 32-year-old has been one of the most productive players at his position over the past decade. Marte finished fourth in NL MVP voting in 2019 and came in third in 2024. He’s won the Silver Slugger award in back-to-back seasons.
Marte slashed .283/.376/.517 this past season. He topped 25 home runs for the third straight year. Various injuries and absences led to Marte playing just 126 games, but he exceeded 550 plate appearances for the fourth consecutive year. Outside of recurring hamstring problems in 2021, Marte has been remarkably durable during his nine seasons in Arizona.
It would be quite the full-circle moment if Seattle were able to acquire Marte. The club signed him as an international free agent in 2011. He debuted with the Mariners in 2015, posting a 112 wRC+ over 57 games. He struggled in a bigger role the following season, while also missing time with a thumb sprain and mononucleosis. Seattle shipped Marte and Taijuan Walker to Arizona following the 2016 season in a blockbuster deal that brought back Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, and Zac Curtis. Segura and Haniger had productive tenures with the Mariners, but didn’t reach anywhere near the heights that Marte has in Arizona.
Seattle already used one of their primary trade chips this offseason, sending Harry Ford to Washington for Jose A. Ferrer, but the organization has plenty more exciting prospects to include in a potential Marte deal. MLB.com ranked the Mariners’ farm system behind only the Twins and Dodgers in its 2025 midseason update.
Pittsburgh has also executed a notable trade this offseason, acquiring Jhostynxon Garcia and a pitching prospect for Johan Oviedo and a couple of minor leaguers. Garcia will join the outfield mix alongside fixtures Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, but the club could still use some additions in the infield.
The Pirates shuffled through a litany of players at second base this past season, with Nick Gonzales (359 plate appearances) and Adam Frazier (189 plate appearances) earning the most reps at the position. Frazier was shipped to Kansas City at the trade deadline, and Gonzales could slot in at shortstop next season. That leaves Nick Yorke and Tsung-Che Cheng as the current top candidates to handle the keystone in 2026. Recent waiver claim Marco Luciano could also factor into the infield calculus, though he strictly played outfield and DH last season.
Pittsburgh ranked 23rd in OPS at second base last year. The club didn’t have much success at the other positions either, finishing dead last in scoring. The Pirates have been bottom 10 in runs for seven straight seasons. They’ve been the lowest-scoring team three times in that span. Moving Oviedo for Garcia is a step toward addressing that weakness, but a Marte deal would obviously provide a massive jolt to the offense. Pittsburgh slotted in at ninth in the aforementioned farm system rankings on MLB.com. It would likely take significant prospect capital to pry Marte away from Arizona.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Cardinals Notes: Nootbaar, Cameron, Pitching
As one of the few teams in baseball in true rebuild mode, the Cardinals are open to offers on most players on their roster, yet some of the Cards’ most-cited trade candidates may be a little more available than others. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears from sources on rival teams that the Cardinals don’t seem to be “actively seeking to trade” outfielder Lars Nootbaar. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Nootbaar won’t be dealt, of course, but there are also some obvious reasons why the Cardinals might want to wait until beyond this offseason to move the 28-year-old.
Injuries have been a subplot of Nootbaar’s career, and while he hit new career highs in games played (135) and plate appearances (583) in 2025, he underwent surgery in October on both of his heels. The surgery was meant to address Haglund’s deformities, which are bone spurs that develop on the heel bone near the base of the Achilles tendon. It seems likely that playing through this discomfort led to Nootbaar’s underwhelming numbers in 2025, and it isn’t yet known if the recovery from the procedure will allow Nootbaar to be ready for Opening Day.
Between the health question mark and Nootbaar’s 96 wRC+ (from 13 homers and a .234/.325/.361 slash line), St. Louis would probably be selling low if Nootbaar was traded this winter. As such, it makes sense that the Cardinals would hang onto Nootbaar for now and see if he’s able to bounce back in the first half of the 2026 season, so a trade deadline move might be more realistic.
Trading Sonny Gray to the Red Sox cleared $20MM off of the Cardinals’ payroll ledger for 2026, and the team would also save a lot of money if Nolan Arenado or Willson Contreras were traded. There isn’t any similar financial pressure involved with a potential Nootbaar trade, as he is projected to earn $5.7MM this winter in the second of three trips through the arbitration process. That extra year of control gives the Cards more flexibility in allowing Nootbaar to get fully healthy before more properly shopping him to any interested teams.
President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has been open about his team’s desire to add starting pitching, whether it’s younger arms or (likely on short-term deals) more experienced hurlers. The Gray trade brought Richard Fitts and prospect Brandon Clarke into the fold, and St. Louis is expected to seek out more pitchers in other trades or in free agency. Whether or not the Cards explore free agent pitchers will hinge on what they can land on the trade front, Goold writes, so it may be yet be a while before the Cardinals look too deeply at signings given how much interest they’re getting in their various trade chips.
Other teams’ trade endeavors could also delay matters. For instance, Goold notes that some teams interested in Brendan Donovan for their second base vacancy also have interest in the Rays’ Brandon Lowe or even the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte. If one of those players is dealt elsewhere, that eliminates one Donovan suitor, but also puts more pressure on other interested teams to up their offers to St. Louis in order to land a second baseman (though Donovan’s versatility also doesn’t limit his market just to keystone-needy teams).
Perhaps related to both the Cardinals’ pitching search and the Royals’ known interest in Donovan, Goold reports that the Cards “have had interest before in” Kansas City’s Noah Cameron. The 26-year-old southpaw is coming off an impressive debut season that saw Cameron finish fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 2.99 ERA over 138 1/3 innings.
Between Cameron’s ability and multiple remaining years of team control, it would take a whole lot to pry the left-hander away from the Royals. While K.C. president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo has discussed his team’s openness to trading from its pitching depth for much-needed outfield help, Cameron would likely be one of the last arms the Royals would prefer to move. That said, adding a real impact bat to the lineup might require an impact pitcher in return, and Donovan’s market has been so crowded that the Royals might make to make a special offer to break away from the pack.
Rays Interested In Zack Littell
The Rays are known to be looking to add some veteran depth to their rotation, and such former Tampa players as Zach Eflin and Adrian Houser are known to be on the team’s radar. Yet another ex-Ray is also being eyed for a reunion, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Zack Littell is also drawing interest from the club.
Littell first arrived in Tampa in May 2023, after the Rays claimed the right-hander off waivers from the Red Sox. At the time, Littell had started only four of his 147 career games in parts of six Major League seasons, and had delivered inconsistent results as a reliever. However, in yet another win for the Rays’ excellent pitching development staff, Littell went from a multi-inning reliever to a proper starter by season’s end, and he then became a rotation staple over the next two seasons.
Over 376 2/3 innings in a Tampa Bay uniform, Littell posted a 3.68 ERA, 19.39% strikeout rate, and a superb 3.92% walk rate. Littell has had trouble keeping the ball in the park and he doesn’t miss many bats, but his elite control and durability made his transition to the rotation a very successful one. With the Rays falling out of contention at the deadline, Littell was dealt to the Reds as part of a three-team trade that also involved the Dodgers, and Littell had a 4.39 ERA over 53 1/3 innings to help Cincinnati reach the playoffs.
Only ten pitchers in all of baseball topped Littell’s 186 2/3 innings pitched in 2025. These ability to eat innings would be a major help to any rotation, but especially a Tampa Bay staff that has a few question marks behind Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot. Shane Baz was only so-so in his first full MLB season, Ian Seymour looked good as a rookie but has only 57 big league innings under his belt, and Shane McClanahan hasn’t pitched in over two years due to injury. Topkin’s piece includes the positive note that McClanahan is having “a somewhat normal offseason” throwing progression as he recovers from the nerve issue that sidelined him for all of 2025, and the next checkpoint will come when McClanahan starts throwing off a mound in mid-January.
MLB Trade Rumors ranked Littell 35th on our list of the winter’s top 50 free agents, and projected the righty for a two-year, $24MM contract. A three-year deal isn’t out of the question since Littell is entering his age-30 season and there’s plenty of value in a durable arm who can reliably cover innings, yet in terms of average annual value, Littell’s asking price should remain within the Rays’ limited spending range.
In comparison to the other known pitching targets, Littell will cost more than Eflin or Houser, but also brings more to the table in terms of reliability. This could make the front office more willing to make what counts as a significant financial plunge for the Rays, though more money could be freed up by trading other players off the current roster.