We're keeping track of all the latest free agent and trade rumors.
Jan. 11 After signing Bregman (per sources), are Cubs prepping to make another trade?
One of the big four remaining free-agent position players is no longer on the market. Alex Bregman agreed to a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs on Saturday, multiple sources told MLB.com. It's the third-largest deal in Cubs history in terms of total value, and it gives Chicago a stacked infield, with Bregman at third base, Dansby Swanson at shortstop, Nico Hoerner at second and Michael Busch at first.
It also leaves the Cubs with an infield surplus. Matt Shaw, coming off a solid rookie season, was slated to enter the year at the hot corner, but with Bregman now in town, Shaw could become a super-utility player capable of playing multiple infield positions. Or the Cubs could entertain trade offers for either him or Hoerner, who will be a free agent after the 2026 season. Hoerner's name has come up in trade rumors throughout the winter, and with Shaw able to shift over to second base if needed, Chicago could further explore Hoerner's market and try to get something for him before he potentially leaves via free agency.
The Cubs completed a splashy trade just a few days ago, acquiring starting pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Marlins for three prospects. As MLB.com's Mark Feinsand wrote, it’s entirely possible that the Cubs will enter next season with Shaw and Hoerner on their roster. But adding Bregman gives them the flexibility to construct another notable trade if they so desire.
Jan. 11: Will Red Sox amp up their pursuit of Bichette after losing out on Bregman?
The Red Sox made it known that they wanted Alex Bregman back in Boston and reportedly made him an "aggressive offer." Alas, they now have a hole to fill on their infield after Bregman agreed to a five-year deal with the Cubs on Saturday, per sources.
Boston might have an in-house solution at third base in Marcelo Mayer. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 Draft said on Saturday -- before the Bregman news broke -- that he was mentally and physically preparing himself to play either second or third base, depending on how the rest of the roster filled out.
If Mayer takes over at the hot corner, that still leaves second base as a bit of a question mark for Boston. And there is an obvious answer: free agent Bo Bichette. More >
Jan. 10: Are the Mets in the best position to trade for Peralta?
A bevy of teams are reportedly interested in trading for Brewers All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta, who is entering his final season before free agency and is due a relatively low $8 million in 2026. That group of suitors includes the Yankees, Dodgers, Braves and Red Sox, but the team that might have the best chance of striking a deal for Peralta is the Mets.
That's because the Brewers would like a "young, Major League-ready replacement" as part of their return for Peralta, according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic (subscription required). While all of those clubs have enticing pitching prospects, the Mets' depth in that area is unmatched; three of their top five prospects -- Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat -- already have MLB experience. McLean (No. 11) and Tong (No. 46) are also among MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects.
Plus, the Mets have another option in Christian Scott, a right-hander who was fantastic in the Minors in 2023 and '24, debuted in the bigs during that latter year and is nearing the end of his rehab from Tommy John surgery.
Although the Mets have also been linked to top free-agent starters Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez -- ESPN’s Buster Olney has gone so far as to call it “inevitable” that New York will land one of the two -- a trade for a lower-cost starter such as Peralta could be the preferred option for Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who has historically shied away from signing pitchers to long-term contracts.
Jan. 10: Yankees 'under the assumption' that Bellinger will sign elsewhere (report)
With reports in recent days that the Yankees and Bellinger were not able to line up on a contract proposal agreeable to both sides, ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Yankees are now "operating under the assumption" that Bellinger will not re-sign with them this offseason. More >
Jan. 10: Tigers targeting veteran starters Giolito, Bassitt (report)
The Tigers have made one addition to their starting rotation so far this offseason, signing right-hander Drew Anderson after he had two dominant seasons in Korea. But Detroit would like to keep adding to its starting staff and has been in talks with, among others, veteran starters Lucas Giolito and Chris Bassitt, according to The Athletic (subscription required).
The 31-year-old Giolito, a high school teammate of current Tigers starter Jack Flaherty, had a solid 2025 season for the Red Sox, posting a 3.41 ERA over 145 innings before an elbow injury in September cut his year short. Bassitt, 36, had a 3.96 ERA over 170 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays last year. He has pitched at least 170 innings in each of the past four seasons.
Jan. 8: Phillies set to meet with Bichette; Yankees' interest intensifying (reports)
As the chances of a reunion with the Blue Jays continue to fade, interest in Bo Bichette is picking up elsewhere.
According to The Athletic's Matt Gelb and Ken Rosenthal, Phillies officials are expected to meet with Bichette on a video conference this week. Meanwhile, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reports that the Yankees are “looking more seriously” at Bichette due to a gap in their negotiations with outfielder Cody Bellinger, with whom they’ve exchanged multiple contract proposals. More >
Jan. 8: Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mets among teams pursuing Tucker (report)
Amid an offseason that already includes the additions of ace starter Dylan Cease, reliever Tyler Rogers, KBO import Cody Ponce and, most recently, Japanese star infielder Kazuma Okamoto, the Blue Jays remain in hot pursuit of the No. 1 free agent in the 2025-26 class.
According to The Athletic's Mitch Bannon (subscription required), the Blue Jays "have increased their efforts" to land Tucker. While the four-time All-Star outfielder has been connected to a number of clubs, Bannon reports that Toronto's recruitment of Tucker has become "more aggressive" of late.
The Blue Jays’ toughest competition for the lefty hitter might come from the Dodgers and Mets. More >
Jan. 8: Yankees exploring trade market for starting pitcher
Yankees starters Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt are all slated to be sidelined past Opening Day as they recover from their respective elbow surgeries, which is why general manager Brian Cashman has said he would “love to add a starter” to the current group.
To that end, Cashman has been exploring the trade market for rotation help. One of New York's reported targets, Edward Cabrera, was dealt from the Marlins to the Cubs on Wednesday, but the Bronx Bombers remained engaged with other available options. Here's the latest from MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. More >
Jan. 8: What's holding up the Cardinals from trading away more veterans?
The Cardinals have long since set their course for the 2026 season, plotting the franchise’s first full-scale rebuild in more than three decades after trading established veterans Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras for a haul mostly of prospect pitchers.
Why then, Cardinals fans must wonder, hasn’t the club already swung deals with their biggest name (Nolan Arenado) and their biggest assets (Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero) with the start of Spring Training about a month away? MLB.com's John Denton has the latest on those three players. More >
Jan. 7: Competition for Peralta could heat up after Cabrera trade
The Cubs and Marlins finalized a trade Wednesday that sent right-handed starter Edward Cabrera to Chicago for three prospects. It's a move that takes another option off the board for clubs working the trade market for a starting pitcher.
With Cabrera on his way to Chicago, the focus now turns to another starter generating a lot of trade buzz lately, Brewers righty Freddy Peralta. The Athletic (subscription required) reported Monday that Peralta trade talks were expected to “resume in earnest” as business began to pick back up after the holiday season.
Per the report, the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Braves and Red Sox are among the clubs that have been showing interest in Peralta, who is signed for $8 million in 2026 -- a relative pittance compared to the going rate for a starter of his caliber in free agency. The Yankees, Mets and Giants were also linked to Cabrera before the Cubs deal.
Though Peralta has only one year of control remaining, the Brewers’ asking price remains high.
Jan. 5: Orioles 'strongly in' on LHP Suárez (report)
The Orioles have been extremely active in remaking their roster this offseason. Picking up an ace starter might be the final order of business for the O's, who have been connected throughout the winter to left-handed starters Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez. But it appears they favor the latter over the former.
MLB Network Radio's Jim Bowden said during Monday's edition of Foul Territory that Baltimore is "strongly in" on Suárez and has been "very aggressive" in its pursuit of the 29-year-old.
"They haven't been able to close the deal [with Suárez], but they kind of feel like they have a chance," Bowden said.
The Orioles have already helped their rotation this winter by trading for Shane Baz and re-signing Zach Eflin. It sounds like they are aiming to complete an even higher-profile move for a starter before the end of the offseason.
Jan. 5: Astros likely to trade a position player
After bolstering their rotation with the additions of Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss, the Astros’ top offseason priority is complete. However, the club still needs to sort out its starting lineup. The problem? Too many players, not enough spots.
With Yordan Alvarez expected to spend 2026 as Houston’s regular DH, the Astros currently don’t have room to give both Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker everyday playing time. As a result, it is becoming “increasingly likely” that the Astros will make a trade to alleviate the logjam, The Athletic (subscription required) reports.
Walker’s salary -- he has two years left on his three-year, $60 million deal -- and limited no-trade clause will make the first baseman more difficult to move, so Paredes seems more likely to go. His name has already surfaced in trade buzz, with the Red Sox reportedly showing interest in him.
Trading outfielder Jesús Sánchez is another option for Houston, but doing so wouldn’t address the team’s infield surplus, unless the club is open to the idea of Paredes playing the outfield.
Jan. 5: Pirates reportedly showing interest in Suárez
Although they’ve added Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, Jhostynxon García and Jake Mangum this offseason, the Pirates are still hunting for another bat. Kazuma Okamoto was reportedly a prime target, but the Japanese slugger joined the Blue Jays on a four-year deal, becoming the latest free agent to spurn Pittsburgh after Kyle Schwarber, Josh Naylor and Jorge Polanco did the same.
With Okamoto off the board, the Pirates are expected to turn their focus to third baseman Eugenio Suárez, according to a report from Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Coming off a 49-homer season, Suárez is a logical fit for the Pirates, who finished last in MLB with 117 home runs and a .350 slugging percentage in 2025 and have an opening at third base after trading Ke’Bryan Hayes during the summer.