Hot Stove rumors: Padres, Marte, young bats in trade talks, Dodgers

As the weather begins to cool, baseball's Hot Stove seems ready to heat up. What will be the next big move after Friday's four-year agreement between the Red Sox and World Series champion Jake Bauers?

Here’s a look at some of the latest rumors and rumblings around the league.

Padres looking everywhere for starting pitching

At last week’s GM Meetings, Padres general manager A.J. Preller noted that “you can never have too much” starting pitching. And Preller — who has a knack for wheeling and dealing, as well as the financial backing of a new ownership group — has plenty of holes to fill.

Already, San Diego is among the most active teams in the starting-pitcher market, as MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi reported on Monday. The club is losing a total of seven starting pitchers to free agency, and the Padres are leaving no stone unturned in their search for rotation help. They’ve scheduled a meeting with Tarik Skubal and are eyeing possible reunions with Michael King and Nick Pivetta.

But wait, there’s more. ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reported that San Diego has also expressed interest in free-agent right-hander Freddy Peralta. The 30-year-old seemed to rediscover the best version of himself following a midseason trade to the Rays, punctuated by a strong postseason that saw him win ALCS MVP honors.

Beyond Peralta, Gonzalez noted that the Padres are also interested in another former Rays right-hander — Nick Martinez. Martinez is coming off a career-best year with Tampa Bay in which he made 31 starts, earned his first All-Star nod and drew the start in Game 1 of the World Series. He pitched to a 3.45 ERA in parts of two seasons with San Diego from 2022-23.

Expect the names to continue rolling in. According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the club has expressed interest in nearly every free-agent starter. Acee listed former Cubs left-handers Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga, as well as former Brewers righty Dustin May, as names that the Padres have checked in on.

Orioles having discussions about Marte (source)

Ketel Marte could be one of the prominent players on the move this winter.

According to MLB.com’s Jake Rill, the Orioles have had discussions with the D-backs about Marte. The 33-year-old infielder owns a career .815 OPS with 193 home runs and has been selected to three All-Star Games. In 2026, Marte had a .748 OPS with 22 home runs.

The Marte fit makes sense for an Orioles team that posted a collective .628 OPS from second base, the fourth-worst mark in the Majors. 22-year-old Jackson Holliday, long viewed as the second baseman of the future, has struggled to put it all together in the Majors so far, and he dealt with injuries in 2026, including wrist surgery in September. Marte could also slot in at DH, a position where the Orioles had only a .684 OPS.

The Orioles will be far from the only team interested in the 12-year veteran. The division-rival Blue Jays are shopping for plenty of hitters, which reportedly includes Marte.

Jacob Wilson drawing trade interest

A few big-time shortstops have seen their name pop up in the rumor mill over the last few days, from the Rangers’ Corey Seager — with Texas reportedly listening to offers — to the Nationals’ CJ Abrams, who seems unlikely to be dealt.

Add one more name to the list of All-Star shortstops drawing buzz. According to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, teams have called the A’s to inquire about trading for Jacob Wilson.

Wilson, who turns 25 in March, is one year removed from hitting .311 with a 117 OPS+ as a rookie in 2025. He became the first fan-elected rookie shortstop to start the All-Star Game for the American League and also finished as the runner-up in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind his A’s teammate, Nick Kurtz.

That sort of high-level performance earned Wilson a seven-year, $70 million contract extension before the 2026 season, a deal that keeps him under club control through at least 2032. But Wilson could not replicate that sort of success in 2026, in which he hit .266 with an 87 OPS+ in just 80 games. He made three separate trips to the injured list, hampered significantly by a nagging left shoulder injury that ended his season in mid-August.

Marlins listening to offers on young hitters

How about even more trade rumors involving young, established position players?

According to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson (subscription required), the Marlins are fielding offers for middle infielders Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards as well as first baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers.

Jackson reports that the Marlins "would want a ton to even consider moving" Lopez or Edwards. The 28-year-old Lopez was a first-time All-Star in 2026, led the big leagues with 191 hits, stole 34 bases and recorded +14 outs above average at shortstop. Edwards, 27, batted .280 with a .360 on-base percentage and 21 steals this past season for Miami. The second baseman has accrued at least 3.0 bWAR in each of the past two years.

According to Jackson, Stowers would probably command a lesser return than his teammates because the 28-year-old slugger missed significant time with injuries in 2025 and '26.

"While the Marlins aren't shopping Stowers and could keep him, they're open to at least considering offers," Jackson writes.

Stowers was an All-Star who hit 25 homers and posted a .912 OPS over 117 games for Miami. His production dipped in 121 games this past season (21 home runs, .790 OPS) while he dealt with hamstring strains in each leg.

All three players are under club control through 2029.

Dodgers among clubs pursuing relievers Loáisiga, Hill

ESPN's Jesse Rogers reports that free-agent right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga is "getting closer" to signing his next deal. There are reportedly five teams in the mix, including the Dodgers. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reports the other teams are the Phillies, Mets, Yankees and Blue Jays.

Loáisiga, who spent the first eight seasons of his career pitching for the Yanks, had a nice rebound year with the D-backs after missing much of the 2024 and '25 seasons due to injuries. The 32-year-old logged a 2.42 ERA and a 2.88 FIP over 67 appearances out of Arizona's bullpen.

Another Dodgers target in the relief market is left-handed submariner Tim Hill, according to Heyman. Hill is also generating interest from the Mets as well as the Yankees, Guardians and Giants. The 36-year-old southpaw doesn't miss many bats, but his 68.9% ground ball rate this past season was the highest among qualified pitchers.

Hill has played for four teams during a nine-year big league career. He spent the past two seasons with the Yankees, making 137 appearances.