The MLB season is coming up quick. In fact, pitchers and catchers report in a little over a month. However, despite the short timeline, there are still numerous free agents and trade targets ripe for the picking, ready to help improve your favorite team.
Game-changers like Roki Sasaki, Alex Bregman, and Anthony Santander remain unsigned. Players like Nolan Arenado are actively seeking trades as well. With so many talented players still up for grabs, trying to predict the outcome of the 2025 season seems an impossible task. Hopefully, as the offseason progresses, we’ll see more of those-high end players wind up on contenders across the league, rather than waiting deep into spring training like last year.
Here are the latest free agency and trade rumors form around MLB.
MLB News:Justin Verlander signing one-year deal with San Francisco Giants
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale notes that Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been very vocal about his desire to sign Bregman. However, Nightengale also notes that GM Craig Breslow is hesitant to pull the trigger with Rafael Devers unwilling to move from third base and Triston Casas staying planted at first. Furthermore, the team still wants to give Vaughn Grissom more opportunities at the big league level, limiting Bregman’s options at the middle infield positions. And finally, with four of the Red Sox top-five prospects capable of playing shortstop, Bregman’s presence would make it tough to call up players from the farm.
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, this sounds like a “rich get richer” problem, where they’d have too much of a good thin.
MLB.com reports that Arenado is willing to waive his no-trade clause from the St. Louis Cardinals in order to play for the Boston Red Sox. Fenway Park is known to be a haven for right-handed hitters, and given Arenado’s recent power slump – only 16 homers in 2024 – a move to Boston could certainly help the soon-to-be 34-year-old.
With Gleyber Torres headed to Detroit, the Yankees are thin at second base, and are eyeing potential replacements. A name that has consistently come up is San Diego’s Luis Arraez. The soon-to-be 28-year-old just won his third consecutive batting title, but his lack of versatility on offense and defense makes him a tough sell for the Yankees according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
As of right now, it appears moving Jazz Chisholm back to second base and moving either DJ Lemahieu or Oswaldo Cabrera to third is their top option.
Although many people believe Sasaki has already chosen the Dodgers, MLB executives have started shifting their opinions elsewhere in Southern California. The Padres appear to be one of the top teams for Sasaki, who have yet to spend any money in free agency – not that Sasaki would cost much this year given his situation.
Sasaki was mentored by Yu Darvish and the possibility of playing with one of his idols could sway Sasaki to join up in San Diego rather than opting for the bright lights of Los Angeles.
The Padres are in dire need of pitching. They will not have Joe Musgrove all season and could lose both Michael King and Dylan Cease to free agency following 2025.
After hitting 44 home runs in 2024, it has been shocking just how slow the market for Anthony Santander has been. He’ll be 30 in 2025, but he still boasts immense power and has consistently improved his OPS in each of the last four seasons.
Well, it appears teams are finally starting to check in on him. KPRC’s Ari Alexander reports that the Toronto Blue Jays have made an official offer to Santander. Given Toronto’s desperate need for power after only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was able to pop 20 homers in 2024, Santander would be an incredible fit who could slide into the outfield right away.
Reports from both ESPN’s Bob Nightengale and Jeff Passan hint that Alonso may not get the deal he wants in free agency, instead having to opt for a short-term deal with multiple opt-out clauses. Nightengale elaborates, noting that there are eight teams that have expressed interest in Alonso, including the Blue Jays and Red Sox, but the fact that Alonso remains unsigned hints that one or both sides are unhappy with the other’s offer.
Given that Guerrero Jr. has expressed interest in joining the Red Sox if Toronto fails to give him an extension before spring training this year, the Red Sox are likely less willing to throw the kitchen sink at Alonso. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays will likely wait to see if they can’t get a deal done with Guerrero before making a better offer to Alonso. This small game of chicken could open the door for another team to snag Alonso if they are willing to offer him a longer-term contract.
Biggest MLB questions right now:Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman drama, trade rumors swirl
