November 26, 2025
The Los Angeles Angels and third baseman
Anthony Rendon are in talks about buying out the final year of his contract, which could bring a resolution to the failed seven-year, $245 million deal, a source told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Rendon missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from hip surgery. If/when the Angels buy out the final year of his deal, Rendon is expected to retire. The 35-year-old veteran is owed $38 million next year. Gonzalez reports that the expectation is that Rendon will defer at least part of that money in 2026, giving the Angels more financial flexibility this offseason. At the time they signed him, the Angels made Rendon the highest-paid third baseman in December of 2019 after he had just won a World Series with the Nationals. The former first-rounder became one of the league's best third basemen in his time with the Nats, but he was a massive bust for the Angels, playing in just a quarter of the team's games over the life of his deal.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alden Gonzalez
November 26, 2025
Houston Astros All-Star left-handed closer
Josh Hader (shoulder) said on Monday that his left shoulder feels fully recovered after he finished the 2025 season on the injured list, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Hader said that he finished his rehab from a shoulder capsule strain several weeks ago and is optimistic about having a normal build-up heading into spring training in February. He threw from a mound "a few times" during his rehab and was "up to just about over 85 mph." The hard-throwing southpaw threw more than an inning in seven of a career-high 71 regular-season appearances in 2024 and had seven such outings in 2025. Hader said he'll remain open to going more than an inning of work going into the third season of his five-year, $95 million deal with Houston. Before his shoulder injury, Hader was his usual dominant self, posting a 2.05 ERA while going 28-for-29 in save chances.
--Keith HernandezSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
November 26, 2025
MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are "actively listening" to trade offers for All-Star second baseman
Ketel Marte this offseason. Morosi adds that he thinks there is at least a "50-50 chance" that Marte gets dealt to a new team for the 2026 season and beyond. No trade is imminent, but "multiple teams have checked in." Among the teams that have checked on Marte's availability are the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays. Marte has a limited no-trade clause, but neither the Phillies nor the Blue Jays are on his list. Toronto could decide to pursue Marte if they are prepared to let star shortstop
Bo Bichette walk in free agency. If they were to acquire Marte from Arizona, he would play second base, and
Andres Gimenez would slide over to the 6. The Phillies currently have
Bryson Stott as their starting second baseman, but Marte would be a clear upgrade.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
November 26, 2025
The Miami Marlins initiated contract-extension talks with right-hander
Eury Perez in the spring of this year, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. However, talks failed to progress beyond the initial stages, with the gap between the two sides being around $15 million in guaranteed money. Perez is at two-plus years of service time and will play for around the minimum of $780,000 in 2026 before becoming eligible for salary arbitration. In 19 starts as a rookie in 2023, Perez impressed with a 3.15 ERA and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He finished that year on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder. The Dominican had Tommy John surgery in 2024 but returned this June and finished with a 4.25 ERA in 95 1/3 innings. The hard-throwing right-hander will be just 22 years old in 2026 and has a rare combination of size, command, and fastball quality.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
November 26, 2025
Free-agent infielder
Jonah Bride and the Texas Rangers agreed to a minor-league contract with an invitation to major-league spring training on Tuesday, a source told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 29-year-old will reunite with new Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, for whom he had his best big-league season in 2024 with the Miami Marlins. Bride, a former 23rd-round pick by the Athletics in 2018 out of South Carolina, hit .276 (64-for-232) with 11 home runs, 39 RBI, and 30 runs scored in 71 games for the Fish in 2024. He hit a strong .281/.423/.453 in 43 games at Triple-A this year, but he struggled with a .435 OSP in 125 plate appearances with Miami and the Minnesota Twins this year. Bride will be auditioning for a roster spot with the Rangers in spring training, but he'll most likely open the 2026 season at Triple-A Round Rock as corner-infield insurance for Texas.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
November 25, 2025
The Tampa Bay Rays are re-signing outfielder
Jake Fraley to a one-year, $3 million deal on Tuesday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays claimed Fraley off waivers from the Atlanta Braves on Nov. 6 before designating him for assignment last week. The left-handed-hitting outfielder hit a combined .241/.332/.382 with a .714 OPS, six home runs, 23 RBI, 31 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 76 games with the Braves and Cincinnati Reds in 2025. It's highly unlikely that the oft-injured Fraley becomes much more than a platoon outfielder for the Rays in 2026. In his seven big-league seasons, the 30-year-old has a .508 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Fraley's high-water mark came in 2023 with the Reds, when he hit a career-high 15 home runs, drove in 65, and stole 21 bases in 111 games. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can likely ignore him next year.
--Keith HernandezSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
November 25, 2025
Acquiring a catcher is not among the Boston Red Sox's top offseason priorities, but they are showing interest in free-agent catcher
J.T. Realmuto, according to people briefed on the team's talks. The BoSox just acquired veteran starting pitcher
Sonny Gray to bolster their rotation behind ace lefty
Garrett Crochet, and re-signing third baseman
Alex Bregman is another primary goal. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey say that the best guess is still that Realmuto will re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, the team he's been with since 2019. The Phils don't have an internal replacement for the veteran backstop, which makes them motivated to keep him. In Boston, he'd be more of a complementary player as he enters his age-35 season in tandem with
Carlos Narvaez. Realmuto is projected to land a three-year, $45 million contract on the open market. He'd be a clear offensive upgrade over
Connor Wong, who is currently Boston's No. 2 catcher.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey
November 25, 2025
The St. Louis Cardinals are acquiring right-hander
Richard Fitts and left-hander Brandon Clarke from the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander
Sonny Gray and cash, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Cardinals are sending Boston $20 million to cover Gray's salary of $35 million in 2026. The 25-year-old Fitts will have a good shot at opening next season in St. Louis' starting rotation. In his first two years in the majors with Boston, he went 2-5 with a 3.97 ERA (5.02 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 49:23 K:BB in 15 outings (14 starts) over 65 2/3 innings pitched. Fitts struggled in 11 appearances (10 starts) in 2025, posting a 5.00 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 45 frames. He's under team control through 2031. Clarke, 22, has plenty of upside long term with an electric fastball and a wipeout slider. The young southpaw had a 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 60:27 K:BB in 14 starts in 2025 with Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
November 25, 2025
The Boston Red Sox are acquiring right-hander
Sonny Gray and cash from the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday in exchange for left-hander Brandon Clarke and right-hander
Richard Fitts, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Cardinals will send $20 million to Boston to cover Gray's salary. Gray's contract will pay him $35 million in 2026, and there is a $30 million mutual option for 2027 that includes a $5 million buyout. The 36-year-old agreed to waive his no-trade clause to head to the American League East. The 13-year MLB veteran spent the last two years in St. Louis, going 27-17 with a 4.07 ERA (3.26 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 404 strikeouts and 77 walks in 60 starts (347 innings). Gray had 200-plus K's in each of the last two years, and his 21.6% K-BB rate was the second-best in the NL in 2025. He doesn't overpower hitters with his fastball, but he has the secondary stuff to remain successful. A move to Fenway Park is a ballpark downgrade.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
November 24, 2025
The Miami Marlins had contract-extension talks with outfielder
Kyle Stowers earlier this offseason, but the two sides were far apart in compensation, and talks have ceased, industry sources told Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. Stowers was the team's lone All-Star in 2025 in what was a breakout season for him. He led the Marlins with a 4.0 fWAR and hit 25 home runs with a .288/.386/.544 slash line and 149 wRC+ before his season ended prematurely in mid-August due to an oblique strain. It's believed that Stowers is seeking a deal around $100 million. The 27-year-old isn't arbitration eligible until 2027 and won't be a free agent until 2030. The Marlins prefer a contract more in line with the eight-year, $50 million deal that
Ceddanne Rafaela signed with Boston in April. It's unclear if the Marlins and Stowers will reopen extension talks at some point this winter.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Brittany Ghiroli
November 24, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar
Shohei Ohtani announced on his Instagram account that he will represent Team Japan again in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ohtani will suit up for his native Japan again after winning two straight World Series titles with the Dodgers and back-to-back National League MVP awards. Ohtani and Team Japan will be defending their WBC title in 2023, when they beat the USA in the final. The 31-year-old started that game as the designated hitter for Japan before closing out the contest on the mound, striking out then-teammate
Mike Trout to end it. The 2026 WBC will begin on March 5 and will take place in four cities: Houston, Miami, Tokyo, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ohtani has been an All-Star in each of the last five seasons and has now won four MVP awards, two World Series rings, and was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2018.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
November 24, 2025
The Colorado Rockies are removing the interim managerial tag from Warren Schaeffer's job description and will officially make him the manager heading into the 2026 season, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Schaeffer took over a historically bad Rockies team in 2025 after they fired previous manager Bud Black in the middle of last season. The 40-year-old was previously the team's third-base coach and has been with the Rockies organization for over a decade. Schaeffer will become the eighth full-time manager in club history. Things didn't get much better for Colorado after Schaeffer took over, as the Rockies finished with 119 losses, the most in the National League since the 1962 New York Mets had 120 losses. Catcher
Hunter Goodman, who finished with 31 homers and 91 RBI, was one of the few bright spots. Colorado has a lot to fix, most prominently their starting rotation, which finished with a 6.65 ERA, the highest mark in both leagues since 1913.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Thomas Harding
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
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