November 23, 2025
The Detroit Tigers are among the teams talking to free-agent right-hander
Ryan Helsley about becoming a starter next year, according to people familiar with his market. Helsley has not started since 2019 while at Triple-A Memphis in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization. If the 31-year-old veteran were to return to a starting role, he would need to expand his repertoire, as he threw more than 90% sliders and four-seam fastballs with the Cardinals and New York Mets in 2025. However, he does have a curveball, and he added a cutter in spring training. The market for closers is pretty deep this offseason, so Helsley would expand his possibilities on the open market this winter if he's willing to start. Helsley led the big leagues with 49 saves in 2024, but the two-time All-Star struggled to a 4.50 ERA and 1.54 WHIP this year while saving 21 games with the Cards. He was tipping pitches at times and had a rough 7.20 ERA in 20 innings after joining the Mets.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal, Cody Stavenhagen, Katie Woo, Will Sammon
November 23, 2025
The Atlanta Braves agreed to terms on Sunday to re-sign right-hander
Joel Payamps on a one-year contract worth $2.25 million for next season, according to the team. Payamps began the 2025 season pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers before he was claimed off waivers by the Braves in late September. The 31-year-old veteran had a career-worst 6.84 ERA (4.54 FIP), 1.52 WHIP, one save, 24 strikeouts, and nine walks in only 26 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in 2025 with both the Brewers and Braves. Payamps should have a role in Atlanta's bullpen on Opening Day, but he won't be much of an option in fantasy baseball leagues as he looks to bounce back in 2026. Through seven big-league seasons, Payamps has a career 3.41 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 10 saves, a 21.9% strikeout rate, and a 7.2% walk rate.
--Keith HernandezSource: Atlanta Braves
November 23, 2025
Free-agent right-hander
Phil Maton and the Chicago Cubs agreed to an undisclosed two-year deal with a club option for a third year on Friday, a league source told Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Daniel Palencia emerged as Chicago's primary closer by the end of the 2025 season, but Maton will no doubt be in the late-inning mix for the Cubs in 2026. The 32-year-old veteran spent the ninth year of his big-league career in 2025 with the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers, combining for a 2.79 ERA (2.60 FIP), 1.06 WHIP, a career-high five saves, 81 strikeouts, and 23 walks in 61 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in 22 relief appearances. Maton had a strikeout rate over 30% (32.7) for the second time in his career this past season and walked 9.3% of the batters he faced.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Will Sammon
November 23, 2025
The Texas Rangers traded second baseman
Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for outfielder
Brandon Nimmo on Sunday evening. Semien has spent the past four seasons with the Rangers but is coming off his most disappointing campaign of his 13-year MLB season. In 2025, Semien posted a low .230/.305/.364 line with a .669 OPS, which was even a drop from the modest .699 OPS he held back in 2024. Last summer, the veteran infielder hit just 15 home runs, which was his lowest mark since the 2018 season (excluding the shortened 2020 campaign). While he still placed in the 92nd percentile in Range, he was a below-average hitter according to several metrics, sitting in the 42nd percentile in xwOBA (.318) and the 33rd percentile in xBA (.245). However, Semien should see an everyday role covering the keystone in New York. Despite his disappointing 2025 campaign, he could be primed to bounce back, batting near the top of a lineup that will feature
Juan Soto and
Francisco Lindor.
Josh Smith will likely see most of the opportunities at second base in Texas next summer.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
November 23, 2025
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the New York Mets are trading outfielder
Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for second baseman
Marcus Semien. Nimmo has spent his entire 10-year MLB career in Queens. Last season, the 32-year-old posted a .262/.324/.436 slash line with 25 long balls and 13 stolen bases. This was his third-straight campaign blasting at least 20 home runs and just the second-straight season in which he swiped double-digit bags. Under the hood, Nimmo held a .321 xwOBA with a .255 xBA, which placed him in the 47th and 54th percentiles among qualified hitters. In Texas, fantasy managers should expect Nimmo to see an everyday role in the outfield as the Rangers opted not to tender right fielder
Adolis Garcia, who is testing free agency. In New York, Nimmo's departure could open up a spot on the Opening Day roster for budding outfield prospect
Carson Benge.
--Andy SmithSource: Jeff Passan
November 21, 2025
Right-hander
Alek Manoah became a free agent on Friday after the Atlanta Braves did not tender him a contract for the 2026 season, according to the team. Manoah was an All-Star in 2022 with the Toronto Blue Jays and finished third in the American League Cy Young voting that year, but things quickly fell apart for him the following season, and now he's a free agent this winter. The 27-year-old had UCL surgery on his right elbow in June of 2024 and spent most of this year rehabbing. Manoah had a 3.96 ERA and 1.53 WHIP with 35 strikeouts and 23 walks in 10 starts over 38 2/3 innings at four minor-league levels in the Blue Jays organization in 2025 before he was cut in late September. The former first-rounder will likely have to settle for a minor-league deal somewhere as he looks to work his way back to the big leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Atlanta Braves
November 21, 2025
The Baltimore Sun reports that the Baltimore Orioles tendered a contract offer to first baseman
Ryan Mountcastle for the 2026 season. Mountcastle was a non-tender candidate after hitting just seven home runs in 2025. The 28-year-old is projected to make more than $8 million in salary arbitration in 2026, but it looks like he's going to stick around in Baltimore for at least one more season. The former 36th overall pick in the 2015 draft hit .250/.286/.367 with a career-worst .653 OPS, 35 RBI, and 34 runs scored in 89 games played in his sixth year in the majors this past season. Since clubbing a career-high 33 long balls and driving in 89 RBI in his first full season in 2021, Mountcastle has regressed at the plate, especially in the power department. 2026 will be a make-or-break year for him, and he could be a trade candidate before the regular season even begins.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Baltimore Sun
November 21, 2025
Right-handed reliever
Felix Bautista and the Baltimore Orioles avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.25 million contract for next season, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Bautista will return to Baltimore for the 2026 campaign, but he's not expected to be available to pitch again until after the All-Star break after he had surgery to fix a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder back in August. The 30-year-old Dominican reliever also missed the entire 2024 season due to injury. The good news is that Bautista looked strong again in 35 appearances out of the O's bullpen in 2025 before his shoulder injury, posting a 2.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 19 saves, 50 strikeouts, and 23 walks in 34 2/3 frames. He had a career-high 33 saves in 56 appearances in his All-Star season in 2023.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
November 21, 2025
Right-hander
Clarke Schmidt and the New York Yankees avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $4.5 million deal for the 2026 season, a source told Robert Murray of FanSided. Schmidt probably won't pitch again for the Yankees until the second half of next season after he had an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow in mid-July. The 29-year-old former 16th overall pick in 2017 out of South Carolina was solid in 14 starts for the Yanks before his elbow injury this year, going 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 73:30 K:BB over 78 2/3 innings pitched. Schmidt was even better in 2024 before another injury ended his season early, as he posted a career-best 2.85 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 16 starts in pinstripes. In his six MLB seasons, Schmidt has a 3.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 23% strikeout rate, and 8.3% walk rate.
--Keith HernandezSource: FanSided - Robert Murray
November 21, 2025
The Milwaukee Brewers signed first baseman/outfielder
Jake Bauers to a one-year, $2.7 million deal on Friday to avoid salary arbitration, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Bauers will return to the Brewers for the 2026 season as a left-handed-platoon bat at first base, designated hitter, and left field. The 30-year-old hit .235/.353/.399 with a career-best .752 OPS, seven home runs, 28 RBI, 28 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 85 regular-season games in his first year with the Brew Crew. Bauers made $1.4 million in 2025. He entered the month of September with a .653 OPS but had a 1.018 OPS in the final month of the regular season before posting a .973 OPS with a home run in six playoff games. If not for that strong final month of the year, Bauers' overall numbers would not have looked nearly as good, although he did make strides to drop his strikeout rate and increase his walk rate in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
November 21, 2025
Outfielder
Adolis Garcia is being non-tendered by the Texas Rangers on Friday, sources told Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Garcia will now become a free agent this offseason after hitting .227 with 19 home runs and a .665 OPS for the Rangers in 2025. The 32-year-old has battled through injuries in recent seasons, but plenty of teams should be interested after he had a ridiculous 1.108 OPS in the 2023 postseason on his way to helping Texas win its first World Series championship that year. The Rangers didn't want to have to pay the right-handed slugger around $12 million in salary arbitration for next season. In addition to Garcia, the Rangers also non-tendered catcher
Jonah Heim. In the last two years, Garcia's .675 OPS ranks 117th among 123 qualified hitters. In the 2023 postseason, he hit .323/.382/.726 in 15 games, including a walk-off homer in Game 1 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN Chicago - Jesse Rogers
November 21, 2025
The San Francisco Giants are acquiring outfielder
Joey Wiemer from the Miami Marlins on Friday in exchange for cash considerations, according to MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. The Giants designated catcher
Andrew Knizner for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for Wiemer, who will give San Fran extra outfield depth going into next season. The 26-year-old hit .236 with a .715 OPS in 27 games for the Fish in 2025 before being DFA'd by the Marlins earlier this week. The soon-to-be 27-year-old is out of options and can't be sent to the minors without clearing waivers. Wiemer is considered an above-average defender and can play all three outfield spots, but at best, he's likely to operate as a platoon bat in the Bay Area. He has a .779 career OPS against left-handers and a .559 mark against righties. He won't move the needle in standard-sized fantasy baseball leagues in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - AJ Cassavell
November 20, 2025
New York Mets outfielder
Brandon Nimmo has seen his name thrown about in trade rumors early on this offseason. However, Andy Martino of SNY reports that the Mets have not "asked (Nimmo) or his representatives if he'd be willing to waive" his full no-trade clause. While that does not mean the team won't approach Nimmo at a later date to gauge his interest, Martino's report highlights that any trade talks are still in the preliminary stages. Across 652 plate appearances in 2025, Nimmo slashed .262/.324/.436 with 25 home runs, 92 RBI, 81 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases. The 32-year-old Nimmo has spent his entire 10-year MLB career with the Mets. Still, with five years and over $100 million remaining on his current contract, New York may be looking to move off Nimmo before he hits his mid-30s.
--Will BradySource: SNY - Andy Martino
November 20, 2025
Free-agent infielder
Jorge Polanco "remains a priority" for the Seattle Mariners front office, according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. Polanco had a resurgent 2025 season in Seattle, slashing .265/.326/.495 with 26 home runs, 78 RBI, 64 runs scored, and six stolen bases across 524 plate appearances. The 32-year-old is more of a designated hitter than a defender at any position at this point in his career, but he can still log a few innings at any infield position other than shortstop. Polanco is also a switch-hitter who has logged double-digit barrel rates in four out of the last five seasons and cut his strikeout rate to 15.6% in 2025, his lowest full-season mark since 2017. If he does re-sign with the Mariners, Polanco would likely slot in as the team's opening-day designated hitter.
--Will BradySource: The Seattle Times - Adam Jude
November 20, 2025
Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto of the Yomiuri Giants has been posted for MLB teams, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman reports that Okamoto's negotiating window will run from November 21 through January 4. The 29-year-old Okamoto is a corner infielder who slashed .327/.416/.598 with 15 home runs, 38 runs scored, 49 RBI, and one stolen base across 293 plate appearances in the NPB last season. He missed over three months of the 2025 season due to a left elbow injury, but has largely stayed healthy over the course of his career to this point. Okamoto has run double-digit walk rates in each of the last three seasons and has kept his whiffs in check as well, striking out at an 11.3% clip in 2025. There's always risk for MLB teams when bringing in players from Japan, but it seems likely that the team that signs Okamoto will do so with the intent of playing him every day.
--Will BradySource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
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