We're keeping track of all the latest free agent and trade rumors.
Jan. 8: What’s next for Cubs after Cabrera trade?
The Cubs have been looking for a way to add an impact arm to their rotation this offseason. They finally did that on Wednesday, swinging a trade with the Marlins for controllable righty Edward Cabrera. Cabrera is an intriguing addition on his own, but the trade also carries broader implications.
By acquiring Cabrera via trade, the Cubs addressed a clear need without taking on a major financial commitment. At the same time, they parted with top prospect Owen Caissie, who had been viewed as a potential internal solution to the void created by Kyle Tucker’s expected departure in free agency. Both of those factors only heighten the possibility that Chicago could be positioning itself for another significant move.
The names to watch? Alex Bregman. Bo Bichette. Cody Bellinger.
The Cubs have been interested in Bregman since last offseason and remain in talks with him as they look to shore up third base.
The Blue Jays and Diamondbacks have been perceived within the industry as the two biggest threats to a Red Sox reunion with Bregman, though Toronto’s recent signing of Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto likely takes the Jays out of the mix. Meanwhile, a Bregman signing for Arizona is believed to be contingent on a trade of second baseman Ketel Marte, but general manager Mike Hazen recently indicated that a move is unlikely on that front.
While a number of sources told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that they believe Chicago is unlikely to be the highest bidder for Bregman when all is said and done, one AL executive said he sees Boston and Chicago as “the biggest players” for Bregman.
At the same time, the Cubs are also in the mix for the other top free-agent infielder, Bo Bichette, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon (subscription required) confirmed on Wednesday. As with Bregman, Chicago is reportedly targeting Bichette for third base, a position he's never played as a professional. Adding either Bregman or Bichette would allow the Cubs to move Matt Shaw to second base. Nico Hoerner, their current starting second baseman, is a trade candidate as he enters his final year before free agency, though The Athletic's report notes that the Cubs have yet to fully explore his market.
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman first linked the Cubs to Bichette earlier this month. The Phillies, Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers and Red Sox are also jockeying for his services. The chances of Bichette signing with one of those teams has seemingly increased in recent days, with The Athletic's Mitch Bannon reporting on Tuesday that a Blue Jays reunion was becoming “increasingly unlikely.” Rosenthal shared that same sentiment during Tuesday's edition of Foul Territory.
Bellinger also remains a possibility for Chicago, as reported by Jon Heyman on Sunday. The Cubs dealt Bellinger to the Yankees last offseason in a move driven largely by payroll considerations, but with Tucker now a free agent and Caissie no longer in the organization, a reunion with the 30-year-old could make sense.
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: Will Mets land one of the top starting pitchers on the market?
The collapse of the Mets’ rotation was the primary reason their 2025 season unraveled, yet they still have not addressed that issue this offseason. That could change soon.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Mets are one of two teams (the Orioles are the other) that have been most frequently connected to top free-agent starters Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez. ESPN’s Buster Olney has gone so far as to call it “inevitable” that the Mets will land one of the two.
That said, The Athletic (subscription required) reported Wednesday that while the Mets do have some interest in the top free-agent starters, including Valdez, they are expected to focus on the trade market first. The Athletic named Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, MacKenzie Gore, Kris Bubic and Brady Singer as "conceivable options" for the Mets.
A trade for a lower-cost starter could be the preferred option for president of baseball operations David Stearns, who has historically shied away from signing pitchers to long-term deals.
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.
Jan. 2: Red Sox make 'aggressive offer' to Bregman (report)
Is Alex Bregman likely to return to the Red Sox? ESPN's Buster Olney thinks so. He said during Friday's edition of "First Up with Korolnek and Colaiacovo" in Toronto that he thinks a Red Sox-Bregman reunion will happen and then reported that Boston has made "an aggressive offer" to the star third baseman. More >
Jan. 1: Yanks listening on Chisholm? Cubs listening on Hoerner? Bichette implications?
According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman in an article for the New York Post (subscription required), the Yankees are "fielding inquiries" on second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., and the Cubs are doing the same regarding second baseman Nico Hoerner. Heyman further notes that both teams are showing interest in free-agent infielder Bo Bichette.
Should Chisholm and/or Hoerner be traded, that would open up a vacancy at second base for their respective clubs. With Bichette reportedly open to moving from shortstop to second, it appears his market is widening -- entering the new year, there are reportedly at least five clubs in the mix to land him.
Jan. 1: Imai joins Astros; what's next in the SP free-agent market?
Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai rang in the new year on Thursday by agreeing to a three-year deal with the Astros that includes opt-outs after each season. Imai had until Friday at 5 p.m. ET to work out a contract with an MLB team or else he would have had to return to Nippon Professional Baseball for the upcoming season, so it was always expected that he would find a landing spot on or around New Year's Day.
The big question now is that with Imai -- one of the top free-agent starters in the 2025-26 class -- off the board, will another marquee starting pitching signing soon follow? There are a lot of options still available in the SP market, with Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez standing at the front of the pack.
Both left-handers have been linked to the Orioles, who have made it known that they would like to add an upper-tier starter. Valdez has met with the Giants and Mets as well, per MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi. The Cubs could also be a major player for a starting pitcher as they were in talks with Imai before the Astros struck, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.
The Athletic's Will Sammon reported earlier this month (subscription required) that the Mets are reluctant to give a long-term contract to one of the top free-agent starting pitchers. But after Imai and Michael King both agreed to short-term deals with opt-outs, it's fair to wonder if Valdez and Suárez may take the same route. If so, that might expand their markets to include even more interested suitors.